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Tuesday, October 04, 2016
The Economics of Arts and Entertainment
www.cmu.edu: The arts and entertainment sector plays a huge role in driving Pittsburgh's economic vitality, accounting for nearly $1.2 billion in annual economic impact in Allegheny County by creating thousands of jobs, attracting creative professionals to the region and improving the quality of life. All of this helps the city consistently rank at or near the top of lists of "America's Most Livable Cities."
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8 comments:
I always think it is interesting when articles from Carnegie Mellon's website are posted on this page. Most of the articles on here are about Pittsburgh in general or arts in the world, but when they are article about Carnegie Mellon or by Carnegie Mellon, the article is just a bit more personal and relevant. Anyway, this was a really nice article to read, and I definitely agree with it. The first time I visited Pittsburgh to visit Carnegie Mellon, I saw the Evita tour at the Benedum. When I was downtown, I was kind of astounded by how large and nice the theatre was, even though it was in a city. When I started at Carngie Mellon, and started reading the articles on this page, my eyes were opened to how many artistic instutions there are in this city. There are a million and one art museums, as well as the theatres, opera, ballet, and symphony. In addition, of course, there are college productions done at the gazillion Pittsburgh colleges. Specifically, there are the productions done by us, which a fair amount of non-CMU people attend. Overall, Pittsburgh is definitely a surprisingly artsy city.
I am always automatically interested when I see articles about Carnegie Mellon or written by Carnegie Mellon on this page. Since the articles posted on this page are typically about Pittsburgh in general or arts in the world, seeing articles specifically regarding Carnegie Mellon in some way always feel more personal and relevant. Anyway, this was a really nice article to read, and it was one that I definitely agree with. When I first visited Pittsburgh, in order to visit Carnegie Mellon, I saw the Evita tour at the Benedum, and I was amazed by what a large and beautiful theatre there was in downtown Pittsburgh. Since starting at CMU, I have had my eyes opened to how much of the arts is represented in this city. There are a million and one art museums, in addition to the theatres, opera, ballet, and symphony. Not to mention all of the productions done by the gazillion colleges in Pittsburgh. Specifically, those done by us, which many non-CMU people attend. Overall, especially since Pittsburgh is not a huge city, and is one that is very industrial, it is very impressive how much representation of the arts there is.
This article was an affirmation of a discovery I made at the beginning of the year while going out into the city with my classmates for Susan's scavenger hunt project. There really is such a great arts community in Pittsburgh, and it's interesting to examine the role of arts in Pittsburgh's revival and the role of CMU Drama in the arts. From my understanding, Pittsburgh recently had a "rebirth" from being a polluted factory town to being a beacon of culture and a prime example of urban development. Not only have the arts contributed culturally to this rebirth, but economically. Every new theater or museum brings jobs and tourists with it. And CMU Drama, and the CFA overall contribute to this growth. Having a great art school in the city brings new creators, spectators, and workers to Pittsburgh. I am from a city with a smaller arts presence, and it is so wonderful to be in a place where creativity is celebrated and there is always a new museum or gallery to explore.
I am always amazed by the vibrant art scene of Pittsburgh. Over the summer I stayed here and got a lot of time to explore. I learned that the art community in Pittsburgh is very close-knit and interdisciplinary. Pittsburgh is a medium-sized city that is very affordable to live in, so a lot of art students who graduated from CMU and other colleges decide to stay. They continue to maintain contact with faculty members and current students in CFA, and collaborate on projects and performances. For example, VIA, a media and arts festival that is happening this weekend, is founded and organized by a staff member in the school of arts, and many people -- students and faculty -- are heavily involved in it. Bunker project, an art initiative at Pittsburgh that aims to support local young artists, is also staffed by a lot of CFA students and graduates. I love that in Pittsburgh, people of all ages collaborate across academia and industry, tech and art. As a cmu student, I don't feel like I am living in a bubble at all. There are so many ways to learn about what is happening in the city and get involved. I am very glad to be spending my college years in such a friendly, vibrant city..
I is always cool to hear how an arts community can benefit its surrounding environments not only culturally and emotionally, but economically to. When I first got here, I was surprised at how the entire city really is surrounded by several museums and theatres and galleries that are amazing. Dedication to Organizations like the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust are one of the many reasons that I believe we have such an artistically rich environment. It is also nice to hear that we at CMU are having an impact on our community. We of course always hear about the advances that CMU technology is making and while CMU SOD is not ignored, it is not always recognized for its truly large impact. I agree completely with the article when it states that CMU is the prefect space for technology and the arts to come together. I see these seemingly disconnected topics being combined in ways that benefit each side and foster innovations that result in significant effects to the standards of creation and creativity.
If there is one thing that anyone (manager, designer, whoever you are or whatever you do) should take out of the classes offered by PTM, it’s that coordinated can not exist without some sort of management. Even if there is nobody who is called a ‘manager’ per say, all the work that has to happen to ensure that an artistic endeavor comes together properly still needs to be done. It is in the best interest of any collaborative project that someone keeps an eye on everything, facilitates everything, keeps everybody honest, the list goes on and on, and at CMU SOD, we put a lot of effort into ensuring that this is done. That’s just how the world works (or how the world works in a well planned situation) and we wouldn’t be the best drama school in the world if we didn’t have a management program. The arts managements people work in a super similar world, I actually had the opportunity to take a class in that program, and the way their minds work are remarkably similar to the way a PM or SM’s mind wants to work. They think about the logistics of an event, or how a gallery is going to be set up for an exhibition, and while they need to have a firm grasp on how things have to work, they also need to have one foot in the camp of the artist they’re supporting. I’d be interested in having a class where a faculty member from this program comes in and discusses how they approach things in a compare/contrast sort of way so that we might be exposed to other realms of thinking about arts management.
It is amazing that how much money Pittsburgh art scene is making. With over a billion dollars it makes sense that Pittsburgh is becoming more know as a cultural town. This as a student is very important. With the arts being such a big thing here it will make learning about professional art some much easier. Being in a town where there is non stop theater coming in is awesome. CMU connections will help most students in this field get professional help. The billon dollar plus also helps show that the arts are still alive. More people buying tickets and supporting the arts mean that shows will be able to stay open longer in places and more professionals will come to Pittsburgh. This will let students get to experience a vast array of art.
I remember when I first heard about Carnegie Mellon as a top theater school (from both online research and my theater teacher's recommendations), I was very surprised because 1) it's a very well known school for computer science and 2) It's in Pittsburgh (I've never been to Pittsburgh at that point). After living here for more than a year, I'm not surprised to see that the arts and entertainment sector plays a huge role in Pittsburgh's economy. There's so much going on here despite the fact that Pittsburgh isn't a big city, and everything is so accessible. One notable thing that I didn't see in other cities I've been to is the arts and technology/science are very connected here, especially at CMU. With both leading computer science and artistic programs, I really appreciate how CMU encourages us to bridge the two fields and innovate one another whereas traditionally the sciences and arts are viewed as polar opposites. With this I'm sure the arts is going to thrive in Pittsburgh and it will be interesting to see what Pittsburgh is like in 10 or 20 years time.
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