Study shows fragility of local arts and culture assets - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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That possibility was one scenario foreseen by researchers behind a new cultural assetas study commissioned bythe . The study is being releasee at a GMC membership meeting The study, "The Cultural Asset Inventoruy of the Milwaukee 7 Region," documents many of the culturap assets -- including arts groups, parks and private/quasi-public venues such as the Bradlety Center and Summerfest -- in Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Walworth The "inventory" of the region includ more than 250 arts and culture organizations in the region that reach more than 4.5 milliomn people a year.
The economic impacft of those organizations in 2006was $250 the study said, citiny a previously released Americans for the Arts Among the study's important findings was just how fragilw the local arts and culture industry is in Milwaukee. Audience attendancs is stagnant or growing at less than 5 many lack adequate public funding is waning and nearly half of the nonprofit groupx were operating withannual deficits, spending more moneuy than they were making. "One of the thingds that was frankly disturbing was that that 48 perceny of the nonprofit institutiones were operatingin deficit," said Christines Harris, president and of , which conductex the study.
"That was a little What's more, she said, the study projectefd that 70 percent of those nonprofitsx would report budget deficits if contributedincomde -- including individual, corporatre and foundation support -- declined just 10 percent. In that conclusion is based largely on budgets upto 2006, and therefores does not take into account the currentr economic malaise. Adding that into the mix createws " a fragile situation" for the industry, according to Harris.
The study calls for actiob on three fronts: the convening of a "creativwe community summit" that would include all regionalcultural organizations; an investigation of best practices in the creative communities of other cities; and the promotion of collaborationws between cultural organizations to reduce inefficiencie and duplication of efforts. Ideally, the creative community summit woulrd occur early next year and would alsoinclude for-profit creative ventures such as ad architects, interior and graphic designers and The purpose would be to determine strategies for a regional plan to a addressa the issues facing cultural organizations acrosx the region, said Jill Morin, co-chair of the GMC's Qualityu of Life Committee and executive officer of .
"Aty this point, everything is on the Morin said. "The most important part of the summit isreaching consensus." The stud y was funded by the , the and the . The Culturall Alliance of Greater Milwaukee contracted with the and the andthe , to create the