In this episode we continue our conversation with Barbara Schaffer Bacon and Pam Korza, co-directors of Animating Democracy. The discussion centers on the role of arts in fostering civic dialogue and community engagement, particularly around challenging social issues. We explore several case studies of arts-based community projects, including:

1.    The restoration of a King Kamehameha statue in Hawaii, which became a catalyst for broader community dialogue.

2.    The Shipyard Project in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

3.    A community dialogue project in Lima, Ohio by Sojourn Theater.

4.    Controversial exhibits at the Henry Gallery, Jewish Museum, and Andy Warhol Museum dealing with genomics, the Holocaust, and the terrible legacy of lynching.

The conversation highlights how these projects built trust, facilitated difficult conversations, and led to long-term community impacts. We also discuss the evolution of this field over the past decades, current trends, and future prospects for arts-based civic engagement.

Key moments:

1.    Discussion of the King Kamehameha statue restoration (00:02:14)

2.    Reflection on the Portsmouth shipyard project (00:18:27)

3.    Explanation of the framework for assessing project outcomes (00:24:46)

4.    Description of controversial museum exhibits (00:32:40)

5.    Exploration of current trends and changes in the field (00:42:51)

BIO's

Pam Korza co-directs Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts that inspires, informs, promotes, and connects arts and culture as potent contributors to community, civic, and social change. She is a co-author and editor of Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change. She co-wrote Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture, and the Arts & Civic Engagement Tool Kit and co-edited Critical Perspectives: Writings on Art & Civic Dialogue, as well as the five-book Case Studies from Animating Democracy. Pam is co-chair of the Assessing Practices in Public Scholarship research group for Imagining America (IA), a consortium of colleges and universities that advances public scholarship in the humanities, arts, and design and was a two-term member of IA’s National Advisory Board. She began her career with the Arts Extension Service (AES)/UMass where she coordinated the National Public Art Policy Project and co-wrote and edited Going Public: A field guide to developments in art in public places. She also directed the New England Film & Video Festival.

Barbara Schaffer Bacon’s career launched in 1977 at the UMASS Arts Extension Service, a national leader in professional education for local arts managers, artists and civic leaders. Barbara served as director from 1984-90. She led Fundamentals and Advanced Local Arts Management seminars and contributed to the Fundamentals of Local Arts Management text book and The Cultural Planning Work Kit. In 1996 with Pam Korza, Barbara took a lead role to conduct research for and shape Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts. Animating Democracy shone an early and bright national light on arts and civic dialogue, built knowledge about quality practice, and created useful resources including Animating Democracy: The Artistic Imagination as a Force for Civic Dialogue; Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture: Findings from Animating...