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Adams Morgan and U Street Area Together Named one of America's Top Twelve ArtPlaces for 2013
ArtPlace identifies most vibrant, arts-centric communities in the nation
(Washington, DC, January 7, 2013) A new report released today by
ArtPlace
identifies Adams Morgan and the U Street area as one of
America’s Top Twelve ArtPlaces
, communities that successfully combine the arts, artists, and venues for creativity and expression with independent businesses, restaurants, and a walkable lifestyle to make vibrant neighborhoods. After the press briefing at DC Arts Center this morning, the group visited 3 Adams Morgan businesses that have made significant contributions to the arts: Toro Mata, Brass Knob, and Skynear.
This neighborhood ranked highly not only against local Washington, DC neighborhoods, but also nationally, showing a combination of factors that place it in the top twelve in the country.
“I am thrilled that ArtPlace has selected the Adams Morgan and U Street neighborhoods together as one of its Top 12 ArtPlaces in the nation,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “This recognition affirms the investments we have been making in the District’s livability and sustainability as well as the investments we’ve made in our creative economy by supporting artists, small businesses, cultural non-profits, retail and restaurants. These individuals and institutions, in turn, improve the District’s quality of life by creating safe, convenient, unique and thriving neighborhoods.”
Arts organizations and venues such as the DC Arts Center and the Sitar Center were part of the reason the community ranked so highly and have played a big role in making this neighborhood a place that people want to be. Local and independent businesses benefit from the vibrancy that results.
"The impact the arts has had on the vibrancy and economy of Adams Morgan and the other communities on this list is unmistakable,” noted ArtPlace director Carol Coletta. “This study shows how the arts can provide a foundation for a diversity of neighborhoods to thrive.”
ArtPlace
is a collaboration of leading national and regional foundations, banks, and federal agencies committed to accelerating “creative placemaking”—putting art at the heart of a portfolio of strategies designed to revitalize communities.
The other neighborhoods ranking among the Top Twelve ArtPlaces for 2013, are:
Brooklyn, NY /
The intersection of Downtown, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Park Slope and Prospect Heights
Dallas, TX /
The Dallas Arts District, with parts of Deep Ellum and Exposition Park
Los Angeles, CA /
Central Hollywood
Miami Beach, FL /
South Beach
Milwaukee, WI /
East Town and a portion of the Lower East Side
New York, NY /
Manhattan Valley
Oakland, CA
/ Downtown, including Chinatown, Old Oakland, and Jack London Square
Philadelphia, PA /
Old City
Portland, OR /
The Pearl District and a portion of Downtown
San Francisco, CA /
The Mission District
Seattle, WA
/ The Pike-Pine Corridor
America’s Top ArtPlaces is a new annual ArtPlace initiative recognizing neighborhoods in the largest 44metropolitan areas in the country where the arts are central to creating the kinds of places where people want to be.
The complete list is available for download at:
http://www.artplaceamerica.org/AmericanArtPlaces
ArtPlace’s selection of the top twelve neighborhoods was based on a set of six indicators identified by Impresa Inc., a Portland-based consulting firm specializing in the study of metropolitan economies. Four indicators measure ingredients of vibrancy: the number of retail and service businesses; the percentage of independent businesses; the neighborhood’s Walk Score; and the percentage of workers in creative occupations living in the neighborhood. Two arts-related indicators were also used: the number of arts-related non-profits and the number of arts-related businesses. Finally, neighborhood scores were normalized for family income so that neighborhoods with the highest concentration of income did not skew the results.
“The results are twelve exciting, and sometimes surprising, neighborhoods,” said Ms. Coletta. “They are all unique, all deeply local, and all have art at their heart.”
About ArtPlace
ArtPlace is an initiative of national and regional foundations and major banks to accelerate creative placemaking across the U.S. ArtPlace provides grants and loans, supports research, and conducts outreach and advocacy. To date, ArtPlace has awarded 80 grants totaling $26.9 million to 76 organizations in 46 U.S. communities.
Foundations participating in ArtPlace include Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William Penn Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, The Surdna Foundation, and two anonymous donors.
ArtPlace is also supported by a $12 million loan fund capitalized by six
major financial institutions and managed by the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
Participating institutions are Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Chase, MetLife, and Morgan Stanley.
ArtPlace also seeks advice and counsel from close working relationships with various federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education, and Transportation, along with leadership from the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council.
ArtPlace is currently developing measures specific to smaller metropolitan areas and will release
America’s Top Small Town ArtPlaces
later this year.
For more information about ArtPlace, visit:
http://www.artplaceamerica.org
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