Graphic rendering of Turning Times Square Inside Out by Ka-Man Tse for @TSqArts.

Updates
This past week, the Alliance staff and Tim Tompkins (in his capacity as Co-Chair of the NYC BID Association, Chair of the NYC Host Committee and President of the Times Square Alliance) helped to host the International Downtown Association’s 59th World Congress in New York City.  Over one thousand city leaders came together to share insights, hear master talks, and participate in panel discussions and workshops.  The congress was based in Times Square and Brooklyn.  While the conference focused largely on strategy and policy related to operations, implementation, safety, revitalization, and development, there was an acknowledgment of public art as an integral component to their agendas.  From Mayor Bloomberg, to NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Jeanette Sadik-Khan, to historian Kenneth Jackson and urban economics professor Ed Glaeser, several speakers discussed the role of arts and artists in neighborhood revitalization, and many referenced Times Square as a leading example of urban transformation.

The discourse has shifted from suggesting that arts should play a role in our downtowns, to determining what is the right intervention, how to achieve it, and how to best engage artists and arts organizations.  There was a lot of interest in civic responsibility for the delivery of public programs involving artists and designers, the differences between wanting designers and wanting artists, and the varied approaches to and methods of collaboration across disciplines.  While it is increasingly accepted that public art programs are most effective to engage many agencies or disciplines involved, there is still a need for education on who facilitates this and how.

RECENT WINS
International Downtown Association World Congress Panels
As a part of the World Congress, Times Square Arts was able to address the role of creative place making and the support of ArtPlace America in two panels over the three-day conference.  We held one session that gave an overview of the multi-disciplinary approach to revitalizing and reimaging Times Square as a safe, clean, and exciting place to gather.  In conjunction with Pat Brown of Central in London, we also co-hosted a breakout panel with the other NYC ArtPlace America recipients titled ‘Bringing the City to Life: Integrating Arts into the City’s Fabric.’ All five recent recipients shared best practices, project objectives, and their collaborative work approaches.  Through presentation, panel discussion, and open Q&A, we held an active, transparent, and informed discussion with international colleagues that shared collective international experiences. The successes and challenges we discussed will be shared through an online video shortly.

Show & Tell
In addition to addressing panels or leading breakout sessions, Times Square Arts integrated itself into the very fabric of the built experience at the World Congress. As conference participants walked through the lobby to register, our Midnight Moment film played on the monitors. As they crossed Times Square to their hotel, they passed the Inside Out installation pasted over the entire vacant 701 Seventh Avenue building. As participants headed to the Marriott for workshops and panels, they could speak with artist Steve Lambert and take part in his interactive installation, ‘Capitalism Works for Me! True or False.’ On the way to the subway station, participants crossed the construction site for the new Broadway pedestrian plazas and passed the contemporary art gallery we have created as a result of our partnership with NYC Department of Design and Construction. In this way, we were able to engage participants in the real world examples of the work we do every day, and leave a lasting impression of the arts at the Crossroads of the World.

Times Square Arts Advisory Meeting
Just days before the IDA World Congress, we held an Arts Advisory Meeting, a group of Alliance board members, civic agencies, leaders of arts organizations, individual artists, designers, tourist agencies, and festival producers.  While I had been meeting with individual advisors throughout the year, this was the first formal meeting of the group in a year.  In October 2012, we presented the beginnings of a new approach, which included a collection of concepts for new programs, a communications strategy based on seasonal announcements, and a selection of existing and new partners.  A year ago, we were making a big shift from an open-call curatorial approach, and there was much to put forward and discuss, and trust and relationships to build.

At the meeting this October, we heard a summary of a final report from Holly Sidford of Helicon Initiative, who helped identify what, in both the arts and urban revitalization fields, is and can be most distinctive about the Times Square Arts program.  She also worked with us to define a cohesive vision, mission, and set of core values. We also reported that we generated over 1.4 billion media impressions from the past season’s experimental work.  It was incredible to have the hard work of our whole team recognized and to have the success of the past year’s program growth noted. Most importantly, we engaged in a productive and immensely creative roundtable discussion with the Advisors that raised new concepts, challenged obstacles, and identified new resources and support. As one stakeholder noted, “This is now a venue where great programming is happening on a consistent basis.” Our advisors were actively engaged and excited by the work.

Insight/Provocation
When cities work with project managers for capital builds, those individuals understand the planning and engineering process.  When cities set out communications plans, they hire those trained in PR and marketing.  It follows that staff handling public art or programming agendas ideally understand artists and have curatorial and creative production expertise.  If an organization doesn’t have a staff member with this experience, there are several ways for cities to supplement.  A consultant can help focus objectives, but city teams shouldn’t be afraid to ask for additional support—open dialogues with local and national resources. Curators and creative producers love to brainstorm and imagine, though they are often hindered by bureaucracy.  Call them, and those who you really admire.  Reach out to people who have made projects happen.  Approach the ‘impossible’ artist or artistic organization.  You never know, they may be interested in helping you.  And call your peers; we love discussing the full story, telling you what we learned, and connecting you with others who have found success.

In our vision for the program, we identified transparency as a core value.  We need transparency to collaborate and experiment. We only push forward exciting ideas by sharing obstacles.  And often it is the obstacles that unearth the most exciting projects. But no one does this alone, so seek the partnerships with individuals and organizations that excite you.  Surround yourself with those who have different perspectives.  And share.