Arts & Cultural Centers as Anchor Institutions

Tuesday, October 14, 1:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree Street NE

Organized by Penelope L. McPhee, president and trustee, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Virginia A. Hepner, board member, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund. Presented by professors Eugenie Birch and Susan Wachter, co-directors of the Penn Institute for Urban Research; Mary Navarro, senior program officer, The Heinz Endowments; and Kevin McMahon, president, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Anchor Institutions are universities, hospitals, sports facilities, performing arts centers and museums, large churches and local corporations. In many cities, anchor institutions serve as engines for urban renaissance (or even survival) and are magnets for economic development and urban revitalization. They can also contribute to urban reinvention and civic pride, and attract coveted knowledge industry workers and suburban spenders. How do these institutions differ in organization and impact, and what are the unique characteristics of arts and cultural anchors vis-à-vis other institutions? What role do grantmakers play in their support of these anchors? This session will include a discussion with grantmakers and urban planners.