Making Exact Change
How U.S. arts-based programs have made a significant and sustained impact on their communities
By William Cleveland

• Table of Contents
• Part One: Introduction
• Part Two: Case Studies
• Part Three: Findings
• Part Four: Recommendations

Appendix A: Request for Study Subjects

Request for Study Subjects

Letter requesting suggestions for Making Exact Change study subjects

October 20, 2004

Dear Colleague:

Over the next six months Art in the Public Interest and the Center for the Study of Art & Community will be working together to document arts-based programs that have produced significant and sustained positive impact on their respective communities. The goal of the project, called Making Exact Change, is to better learn how these programs have managed to thrive and make consistent, measurable contributions over time. Our intention is to help the growing but largely disconnected community-arts field learn from its most venerable and successful colleagues. We are writing to ask your assistance in identifying programs for this study.

To help you help us we have created a set of criteria to give you an idea of what we are looking for. Understanding that conditions differ widely from place to place, these should be considered general guidelines, not hard and fast rules.

We are interested in arts-based programs or initiatives that have produced one or more of the following Outcomes:

• Programs of high artistic quality and significant and sustained community impact. By “significant and sustained impact” we mean: change leading to the long-term advancement of human dignity, health and/or productivity for a minimum of ten years.
  
  We know the ten-year threshold is a steep one. We are interested in programs that have established themselves as an essential part of community infrastructure. We will leave it to your best judgment as to how this translates in your neck of the woods.
  
  
• The development of a sustained support system or infrastructure for the creation and delivery of arts-based community development programs.
  
  
• A measurable and indelible increase in awareness of and support for arts-based community-development programs as a valuable community resource
  
  
• Significantly increased investment in the creation and delivery of arts-based community-development programs.

As you consider possible study subjects, please don’t overlook programs that have been developed in partnership with or solely by nonarts entities. Also, we recognize that all good things do not last forever. So, if there is a particularly extraordinary program you are aware of that at one time met the criteria above, but has faded from the scene, let us know about that too.

In your response we would appreciate your providing us with as much of the following as possible.

• Your Name:
• Program Name:
• Contact Person:
• Address:
• Phone Number:
• E-mail Address:
• Web site:
• Why you think this program should be included:

Forward your suggestions to bill@artandcommunity.com with the reference “Exact Change.”

Thank you in advance for helping with this effort. If there is someone else you think might have some good suggestions for us feel free to pass this letter on. Finally, please share any suggestions you have to make this project fruitful.

Respectfully,
Bill Cleveland

Center for the Study of Art & Community

[Next: Appendix B: Questions for Study Sites]  [Table of Contents]