My research subject and consequent presentation will be to simply prove the viability of having an art center or art education organization within the community. I have compiled some serious concrete and important sources that will make my research paper a 'slam-dunk'. After much pondering and research (plus a Dr.'s enlightening "ah-ha" moment), I have narrowed down to a general research project topic. I will thus be presenting multiple sources for this aimed topic. 

Research Presentation Bibliography 

My first source for my art study is title The Art of Community Transformation by Seana S. Lowe. This article is from the Education and Urban Society publication. The article has much strength and helps to use many notable sources, which I plan to investigate and research further into, to draw the connection of art and community. She focuses mainly on disconnection and the benefit of introducing community art as an effective way to bind together a community. She also tells that a professional artist must be the director of this project and help to be the “catalyst for the artistic process.” This source will help to tie in my thesis that art can indeed bind a community, which in effect will increase the altruism and collective efficacy as a whole in that community. 

Source:
Lowe, Seana. “The Art of Community Transformation.”. Education and Urban Society (2001) vol. 33 no. 4: 457-471. Sage Journals. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

The second source from which I’ll be using is a scholarly journal in which it is made evident that by artist’s ‘sweat equity’ economic development and retail growth can come as fruition. The journal studies New York’s South Houston neighborhood claim to upscale success in the late 1970’s when ten years prior the neighborhood was struggling and impoverished. The journal goes in depth about the gentrification of neighborhoods and how a neighborhood can benefit as a whole from this type of art scene presence. It will pull in the ties that artists living within an art neighborhood can draw other types of business and create a central hub of altruistic behavior through collective efficacy.

Source:

Shkuda, Aaron. “The Art Market, Arts Funding, and Sweat Equity: The Origins of Gentrified Retail.” Journal of Urban History (2012) vol. 39 no. 4: 601-619. Sage Journals. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. 

The third source is a entitled Turning to Art to Bring in Business in which a New Jersey city is aiming to develop and complete an arts district which will house 100 art spaces. This creation is part of a larger arts implementation of a $120 million dollar art project. It is planned to house housing, public and retail space and the art spaces. This source shows a real-worl, practical implementation of combining arts and business together for viability and long-term growth. 

Lee, Evelyn. "Turning to Art to Bring in Business." NJBIZ 19.44 (2006): 3,3,10. ProQuest. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Another source is a dynamite source in which I have only read Part 3 of the three-part series, in which a well renowned art's organization CEO and President presents how The Arts Are Definitely Good For Business. Presented are some interested figures on how CEO's value art skills, how creatives perform better with artistic influences and the value arts play in quality of life.

 Lynch, Robert. "The Arts Are Definitely Good For Business." Public Management (00333611) 95.3 (2013): 16-18. Business Source Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

 

Community Wellbeing + Collective Efficacy = Elite Presence

Elite -lite |əˈlēt, āˈlēt| noun1 a group of people considered (by others or themselves) to be the best in a particular society or category, esp. because of their power, talent, or wealth- Oxford English Dictionary via Mac
The clout and importance of elite presence in a functionally healthy community is essential to it's long term success. As Sampson's evidence has proved in Chapter Fourteen Leadership and the Higher-Order Structure of Elite Connections, leadership network presence in communities has a direct correlation to the  lower rates of violence and teenage births, and overall the better wellbeing of communities. I personally believe that these findings are groundbreaking and must be incorporated to every community to improve living conditions and it's collective efficacy. 
Sampson's findings in this chapter not only shed light on the the fact that the over all well-being in the community does directly relate to the bettering of the community but also that the migration flows of leadership ties are also related to the migration flows of community. Meaning, the residents of the neighborhood deciding where to move is directly similar to the flow of connections that are made between community elites. This comparable movement is peculiar because the elite behavior of connection is mirrored by the community and it's movement  of residents. This proves important as it would almost be predictable in deciding where a new community could rise up depending on the elite's move or connection to that area. If an elite were to move to an outer division neighborhood and other elites were to improve and increase the connection between each other it would then be logical based on Sampson's findings that in turn that the flow of a new community would suddenly spring up or revitalize that neighborhood. As a business major this is personally striking. The reason being that if an elite's connection was to be tracked, one could practically predict the subsequent movement of community to that connection area. This is even more powerful real-estate and economic wise due to the fact that if an elite with immense clout was moved to a new area, new communities would then flow also brining new business and opportunity for housing and commercial building. 
Indeed Sampson's findings are at large of important social and economic findings, yet they seem to expound on already personal intuition. I've learned that the movers and shakers do carry and almost seem to sprinkle the clout they possess wherever they move. These elites have power and will promote, share, and protect the networks and the areas of their choosing. The results uncovered by Sampson in Chicago's neighborhoods more deeply strengthens and concretes the fact that elite network movement is related to that of community movement. It is imperative therefore, that in order to protect and increase longevity, well-being, and growth within a community there must be an elite presence and network. In turn, that presence will become a leadership power to positively impact the collective efficacy of the community as a whole. 


Research Paper UpdateMy research for my paper is coming along well. I have been pondering direction of my thesis and the results I'd like to achieve. Largely, I do want to investigate the viability of the presence of art in a community but I'd also like to pursue the possibility of doing a tangible social test within the community as well. There may the possibility to tie these two distinctions together, however I feel to produce explicit and worthwhile results I should delve into one venture fully. The first potential subject would be to simply prove the viability of having an art center or art education organization within the community. I have supporting evidence for both of these topics and would be able to research these findings rather hassle-free.  The second option would be a bigger beast, as I would be producing tangible and physical results within a community. The idea I have is to strategically place pieces of art throughout the community and to watch social interactions associated with the piece. One influencing research article in which sparked my interest in this was a BYU student that designed a billboard with poetic and artistic appeal. The billboard previously had been seen as trash and the improvement and art transformation peaked the communities interest. Then they advertised a follow up to that billboard that there would be art involvement based off that billboard. Classes were open to the public and events were hosted per that theme on the billboard. This after-effect increased community of awareness of the art and also brought together community residents overall increasing the collective efficacy as a whole.I will be dedicating more time this week to further investigation and thought as to which pursuit would fruit more impacted results. Deep down I know which route I want to pursue, I just need to convince my overall being that I should pursue it. Any feedback would be much appreciated as to which topic would be more interesting to read about and become involved in. 

The Art and Business of Choosing One's Neighborhood

Combining both of my emphases of business and art, I would aim to answer the posed questions in a viable and creative way. The business side of me says generally people move to increase value or some sort of benefit they see fit in their lives and worth relocating to move. The artistic side is a more abstract approach and chimes in to say that people choose their neighborhoods based on the feeling of being accepted and to be a part of a greater cause. There are similarities between the two of these although I do believe there to be slight urges that may not be present in one or the other siloes of discipline.

To further my thoughts above concerning similarities and differences amongst the business and artistic side of why people would choose to move to a neighborhood, stands the similarities. Firstly, it is a deep, primitive urge that every human being possesses to want to feel a sense of belonging. Humans want to be included. We are social creatures and have a common intrinsic value of togetherness. I believe the basis of this feeling is the family influence we experience as infants and children. Now, there are varying amounts of this presence in individuals but it is human nature to want to feel inclusion. Furthermore, the importance of value is a common trait amongst human beings. Having a voice or role that matters in any place is an important value a human being must feel for safety in their tight-knit community.

That brings up my point in business that a choice in picking a neighborhood must also bring value. Aside from the sense of belonging and inclusion one must possess to pick a community they decide to move to, there is on every businessperson’s mind the viability and benefit they see in that home or vicinity. Whether it is to gain a presence, improve the value of the neighborhood both economically and morally, or to bring financial benefit as an investment property, all of these reasons (amongst a slew of others) could be a factor in the businessperson’s equation of finding value.

On the right side of an artist’s brain, is the screaming voice that says community must have a certain feeling about it before they would choose to move there. Artists are typically known to be emotional and in touch with the world around them. This subliminal or subconscious tendency drives the artist’s soul and heart, not only into his work, but I also profess into the decision of finding his place. There is also the greater cause ringing. The need to bring vision to all, most certainly has an affect on the choice made to move into one subdivision over the other. Artists might ask themself, “Will I, as an artist, contribute to this specific creation of mankind called a neighborhood? Do I bring enough aesthetic and artsy value to this creative space?” If the answer of a fellow Picasso would be yes, then he would surely pack up his easel and art materials and move in. Coincidentally enough, there would be the constant appeal of the sense of belonging and feeling of importance. That question answered earlier ties in to the underlying needs of inclusion and togetherness. Artists want to contribute to the bird’s eye view of the art of living.

The likelihood of these separate and similar choices would most certainly have an impact on the community they enter. It’s the age-old story all of us have heard, telling that even a droplet of water can make ripples that move across the whole pond. I do believe one person can change the entire dynamic of a neighborhood. Although, my previous reasoning’s as to why both business and artistic people would choose to move to certain neighborhoods relies mostly on the fact that they are choosing to move there out of desire and freewill. They are not being forced in any way, and as stated in my earlier paragraphs, these people are listening to the callings both interdisciplinary and universally.

It is not a coincidence that when human beings choose to enter a neighborhood that choice will have an outcome and hopefully a positive impact on that community. Whether the individual or family ideologies lean more left-brained business or right-brained creative, the deeper instinct is to feel a sense of belonging, inclusion, and togetherness. These values are deeply ingrained in my being to feel a part of something bigger than me in my neighborhood. And spread beautifully on top of those base feelings, are the call of creativity and viability. 

Sources for Research Presentation

Art Sources

My first source for my art study is title The Art of Community Transformation by Seana S. Lowe. This article is from the Education and Urban Society publication. The article has much strength and helps to use many notable sources, which I plan to investigate and research further into, to draw the connection of art and community.

She focuses mainly on disconnection and the benefit of introducing community art as an effective way to bind together a community. She also tells that a professional artist must be the director of this project and help to be the “catalyst for the artistic process.” This source will help to tie in my thesis that art can indeed bind a community, which in effect will increase the altruism and collective efficacy as a whole in that community.

Source:
Lowe, Seana. “The Art of Community Transformation.”. Education and Urban Society (2001) vol. 33 no. 4: 457-471. Sage Journals. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.

My second source is from a Project done at BYU, coincidentally enough, where artists came together and using their talent used a Billboard to convey a message of encouraged inspiring interaction and dialogue rather than an advertisement from a company selling a product. The artists showed a poem on the billboard, then taught workshops, and then concluded by having a community art event with reading from the poems that were shown on the billboard. This source will help to build further insight and support to the fact that art can bring together a community that will in turn build collective efficacy and altruism within a community.

Source:
Daniel T. Barney. and Ashley Mae Hoiland. "The Billboard Poetry Project." Visual Arts Research 38.2 (2012): 39-40. Project MUSE. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. 

Business Sources

My first source presented takes a bit of an obscure view of the viability of art in a community by delving in the pros and cons of the Business of Art Education. It takes an academic and economic approach to answer the question of whether or not the business of art education is a benefit or risk to the arts. Largely she pulls from her personal and other art education businesses experiences to conclude that indeed these could be viable ventures however certain risks would need to be avoided. These findings will help to cement the idea that community and art education can indeed be viable.

Source:

Shin, Ryan. "The Business Of Art Education: Friend Or Foe?." Art Education 65.2 (2012): 33-39. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 6 Oct. 2013.

The second source from which I’ll be using is a scholarly journal in which it is made evident that by artist’s ‘sweat equity’ economic development and retail growth can come as fruition. The journal studies New York’s South Houston neighborhood claim to upscale success in the late 1970’s when ten years prior the neighborhood was struggling and impoverished. The journal goes in depth about the gentrification of neighborhoods and how a neighborhood can benefit as a whole from this type of art scene presence. It will pull in the ties that artists living within an art neighborhood can draw other types of business and create a central hub of altruistic behavior through collective efficacy.

Source:

Shkuda, Aaron. “The Art Market, Arts Funding, and Sweat Equity: The Origins of Gentrified Retail.” Journal of Urban History (2012) vol. 39 no. 4: 601-619. Sage Journals. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.