Laura Bruney
This piece by Laura Bruney of the Arts & Business Council of Miami was originally published on their blog, www.artsbizmiami.org/ArtsBizBlog.
Alyce Robertson is Executive Director of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority. The Great Recession wreaked havoc on downtown Miami, with empty condos and a surplus of office space that even the most bullish economists thought would take a decade to absorb. But the turn-around has been quicker and better than imagined. A 24-7 community has emerged as thousands of new residents and business professionals flood the district seeking a more urban lifestyle. Today, Miami has reversed course and emerged as a true metropolis and international destination for commerce, tourism, and arts & culture. Alyce shares her views with us on the value of the arts to downtown Miami.
Arts & Business Council of Miami: What do you think makes a vibrant community and what role do the arts play?
Alyce Robertson: The arts are an integral part of the community. They are the soul of the community and part of the fabric of who we are. As a long time Miamian I have watched the arts evolve over the decades from small and insignificant to what we have today, a cultural community that is the envy of the world.
A&BC Miami: What role did the arts play in downtown Miami’s spectacular turn around?
AR: Research has proved that arts and economic development are tied together. The arts touch all aspects of the urban lifestyle we have created–residents, business professionals, business owners and tourists are all impacted in a positive way. Around the country boomers and millennials are abandoning the suburbs for the downtown lifestyle. Downtown Miami has truly become an international center for arts and culture. Cultural tourists spend more time and money and want to visit cities with a cultural identity. Art Basel and its satellite fairs bring visitors and arts lovers to our community. Downtown festivals, events and programs fill our streets. We have experienced an influx of artists moving their workspaces to the area-with more than 50 artist studios opening in the area, in addition to several artist run spaces such as Primary Projects, Dimensions Variable, Bas Fisher Invitational and Turn-Based Press. The arts are one of the components that makes downtown Miami the epicenter of our community.
A&BC Miami: How has the Downtown Development Authority supported the downtown arts community?
AR: In 2010 we hosted an exploratory meeting with 16 arts executives and creatives, and from that developed a cultural advisory group. From that group DWNTWN Art Days, a three-day festival of the arts, was born. We commissioned the Arts & Business Council of Miami and Miami Center for Architecture and Design to create a video highlighting the downtown arts community. “The Arts Are Moving Downtown” was launched during Art Days this year to glowing reviews. It is now on our website, featured at the visitor center, and will soon be featured in downtown hotels. In addition to Art Days, we also host free concerts in Bayfront Park and promote a monthly gallery walk and arts events throughout the year.
A&BC Miami: Why do you think it’s important for corporations to support the arts?
AR: The arts provide a sense of place. Some of our corporations need to be educated about the economic value of the arts in our community. From tourism, to residential developments, from restaurants to retail the arts bring people downtown that have a positive impact on business. Businesses need to explore mutually beneficial sponsorships, buy tickets for arts performances and events for their employees and clients and encourage their employees to share their time and skills as volunteers and on boards. I was involved with the arts 25 years ago when I worked for the Miami-Dade County Manager. We had less than 50 groups then and were often described as a cultural wasteland. Visionary corporate leaders like Parker Thompson, Adrienne Arsht, Jorge Perez, Phillip Frost and others provided their leadership and business networks to help us build and support the cultural institutions which put downtown on the map. How much we have grown is astonishing. We need more businesses to invest in the arts.
A&BC Miami: From your perspective how can we leverage the arts to build a more connected community?
AR: The arts bring people from all ethnic, geographic and economic groups together for powerful and positive experiences. The arts celebrate diversity and create memorable experiences. Museum Park, for example is becoming a new public gathering space. You can sit outside on the decks of the PAMM and see the sunset, watch the boats on the bay and interact with other Miamians and visitors. The cultural community is an essential part of our growth in how people experience their downtown.
A&BC Miami: How has creativity impacted who you are today?
AR: I have artists in my family both musicians and visual artists. My brother is a professional artist and my mother creates a Polish art form of intricate paper cutting. I missed the arts gene in my family. In school I was involved with music which gave me a good background to appreciate the arts. I went to school for a degree in public administration and express my creativity by finding creative solutions and out-of-the-box thinking that leads to innovation.
