Barry Hessenius: Day Two of Houston Conference

Roberto Bedoya (Executive Director Tucson Pima Arts Council) and Rick Lowe (Founder Project Row Houses, Houston, and 2014 MacArthur Fellow) are two very highly articulate leaders in the conversations – within and without our sector – on issues of diversity, equity, race, color and the arts (among other conversations). They have both been around long enough to know what they are talking about, and they both offer comments that are incisive, yet intended to educate and inform rather than accuse or corner.

This was a very good exchange. I confess my notes may not due justice to the nuanced texture of old friends talking candidly, gently offering sage and penetrating analysis.

Lowe started out offering the concept of Cultural Sculpting of neighborhoods. Art as a solution to working “in” the community, not coming from outside of it. Engagement is ultimately about “listening” he said. “Creative people should be involved in creating communities”

He added that placemaking gentrified community development. It comes from a privileged perspective, and we need to deal with the reality that community developers are not always excited about placemaking — at least in the way it is sometimes framed.