Livability Initiative: Arts and Culture Pre-Working Group Meeting Summary Host: Community Foundation of the NRV October 14, 2011
Coordinating Bodies:
- Explore NRV - Southwestern Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission - Blacksburg Live Music - Crooked Road - Blacksburg Downtown Master Plan - Jacksonville Center for The Arts (JAX) - Arts Council of Blue Ridge - Community Arts Information Office - Round The Mountain - Arts Leadership Lunch - NRV Heritage Coalition - Blacksburg Partnership Collaborative For The Arts - Floyd Artisan Trail - Montgomery County Artisan Trail - Wilderness Road Initiative - Heartwood
Funding Sources: - Virginia Commission For Arts - Department of Tourism VTC - Community Foundation of The NRV - VA Foundation of Humanities - Arts Giving Circle - CE Richardson Foundation - ARC - VA Museum of Fine Arts
Existing Arts and Cultural Heritage Venues, Organizations, Events & Initiatives: Please help us add to this list – it’s likely that we overlooked a few - 16 Blocks Mag - Art Pannonia - 16 Hands - Artisan Train - Alexander Black House & Cultural Center - Blacksburg Camera Club - Andrew Johnston House Museum in Pearisburg - Blacksburg Children’s Chorale - Art Armory - Blacksburg Fork & Cork – food, wine & art - Art on Parkway festival - Blacksburg Historic Lecture Series - Floyd Youth Theater Company - Blacksburg Live- Work Spaces Concept - Gallery III - Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation - George Gray Gallery - Blacksburg Regional Art Association - Giles Arts Council - Blacksburg Regional Art Association - Giles County Historic Society - Blue Ridge Camera Club - Glade Church Gallery - Brew Do Craft Beer - Glenco Museum - Breweries - Gobble de Art - Calfee Park - Grand Slam Bluegrass Festival - Cambria Train Station - Green Heron - Center For The Arts - Hahn Horticulture Garden - Center of Dance - Halloween Kids Fest - Central Dance Studio - Haymarket Theatre - Children’s Museum Planning Group - Heritage Day - Christiansburg Institute - High School Classes - Civic Spaces - Historic 16 Square - Coffee Depot Christiansburg - Historic Design Review Board - College Avenue Promenade - Huckleberry Trail - Community Artswork - Independent Bookstores - Community Band - Ingles Ferry - Community Classes - June Bug Center - Community Lectures - Kandinsky Trio - Dionysus Players @ Pulaski Theatre - Lion’s Club Craft Show - Discovery Fine arts - Lyric Theater - Discovery Fine Arts Center - Master Chorale - Dora Trail - Master Gardeners - East Montgomery Art Association - Matrix Gallery - Empty Bowls Pottery - Miller Off Main - FC Quilters Show - Minds Wide Open - Fine Arts Center - Montgomery Museum + Lewis Miller Art - Floyd Art Reach Center - Floyd Artisan Market - Montgomery Museum Heritage Day - Floyd Artist Association - Music Institute of SWVA (Margo Easter) - Floyd Country Store - Music on Henderson Lawn - Floyd County Community Chorus - National Music Festival (Floyd) - Floyd County Heritage Festival - New River Arts - Floyd Farmers Market - New River Chorus - Floyd Festival - New River Land Trust - Floyd Historical Society - New River Trail - Floyd Junior Appalachian Music - Newbern Festival - Floyd Radio Hour Show - Newport Community Center - Floyd Town Jubilee - NR State Park - NRCC Banjo and Dance Events - Solitude - NRV Friends of The Roanoke Symphony - Squires Recital Salon Orchestra - Squires Studio Theatre - NRV Stage - St Pierre Gallery - Oktoberfest Mountain Lake - St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall - Old Church Gallery - Steppin’ Out - Outdoor Recreation tie-ins - Summer Music Enterprises - Perspective Gallery - Sun Music Hall - Pin Tavern Pavilion - Sustain Floyd - Pulaski Farmers Market - The Station Arts Store - Pulaski Festival - Theater 101 - Pulaski Fresh - Troika Gallery - Pulaski Historic Theatre - University Union Student Activities - Pulaski Train Station - Up on The Roof - Quilters Guilt - Virginia Tech Department Appalachian - Radford University Studies - Radford University Theatre & Music Venues - West View Cemetery Walking Tours - Ratcliffe Transportation Museum - Wilderness Road Regional Museum - Renaissance Music Academy - Wilderness Trail Festival - Rural Landscape as Cultural Heritage - Wineries - School of Performing Arts & Cinema, VT - Winterfest - School of Visual Arts, VT - Women’s Club Arts & Crafts Festival - SEEDS Blacksburg - XYZ Gallery - SELU - YMCA Crafts Fair - Sidewalk Stage Program (Blacksburg) - YMCA Open University - Sink Land Farms - Young Actors Co-op - Smithfield
Key Discussion Points: - Coordination & Funding dominated by entities out of area - Map the data geographically - Degree of overlap of coordinating and funding bodies? - Spoken word/Poetry/Creative writing lacks representation - Dance - Definition of Arts & Culture - Aesthetics of area o E.g. billboard policy in Sao Paolo - Broaden outdoor recreation - Tourism - Working Group Profile & Outreach to assure comprehensive view - Incorporate/keep local government informed - Multiple-hatter gadfly folks on working group could help bridge to other elements - Restaurants, B&Bs, Lodging Associations - Creative Economy at table - Groups that have artists as members - Successful Artists - Make sure that each segment is represented properly - Working Group o How Often o Where o Organization o Leadership - Fairs & Festivals - What will the outcome/results be? o Integrating art into culture of community o Education o Coordination o Free flow of information o Hyper-Local vision
Arts and Culture Working Group
NOTES 11/16/2011
Attendees Terry Fisher, Susan Mattingly, Jessica Wirgau, Bob Leonard, Heather Ducote, Diane Akers, Heather Browning, Terry Nicholson, John White, John McEnhill
Strengths - Museums working together (new river heritage coalition) - Organizational cooperation (crooked road, round the mountain etc.) - Old time music - High rate of local artists/artisans per capita - Round the mountain/Crooked Road - Emerging institutions to serve younger crowd - Welcome/open arts community - Natural resources-outdoors - Strong cultural heritage/resources - Balance of fine arts versus artisans - Universities bring diverse programming - Art connects “traditional” citizens with new comers - Regional recognition of arts as an economic development tool - Value of arts as a contributor to quality of life, serves economy because the people want to live here - Proximity to Roanoke to benefit from their resources - Regional support for non-profit organizations - Recognition that there is a need to work together to deal with the challenges we have - Bringing in new art forms into area - Growing number of theatres - Great farmers market - Lots of art galleries - Good relationships between government (local) and universities - Promote history well - Including arts and culture in regional planning efforts - Historic movie theatres - Community gathering - Floyd has captured “buzz” and niche of arts and culture - Virginia tech and all universities/ universities as resources
Weaknesses
11/16/11
- Need to value art for community building/identity versus purely for economic development - Lack of regional consciousness - Lack of trust across boundaries (towns, counties, groups of artists) - Lack of tourism development (Montgomery county) - Inadequate funding for arts and culture in local schools (budget cuts!)( 1 hour per month in Floyd schools) - Challenging fund raising environment for independent organizations - Confusion about what competition is - Reaching larger audiences - Lack of resources (money specifically) for NRV (instead of broader region) - Lack of collaboration among communities - Limited capacity of venues - College event/venues can be intimidating - No easy way to do calendar listings for local media/ need for a central open source database that gets distributed to all the major outlets. - Lack of arts council (Montgomery county and others) - Not cohesive enough with regulations, planning and coordination - Colleges compete with local nonprofits for money and other resources - Need to merge/collaborate across generations - Primary audiences university versus community - Competition between arts organizations - Small music venues are few - Art is perceived as elite - Spoken, written word not well represented - Not much for children - We don’t promote the arts adequately - Difficulty engaging artists - Limited pool of donors - Perception that NRV is not an arts destination - Struggling to implement the arts as an economic development tool - Lack of communication between universities - Corporate sponsorships(few of them, challenging) - Limited market and marketing for the arts - CFNRV is not yet Robert Wood Johnson- Local funding sources are limited - Private support from the corporate sector is limited
Opportunities - Virginia Tech-Arts strategic plan - Update to Blacksburg downtown Master Plan - Center for the Arts - New Website and Community Calendar (Blacksburg)
11/16/11
- Creation of Blacksburg Children’s Museum - More involvement with Crooked road and Round the Mountain - Growing wine trail - Downtown revitalization – college avenue promenade (Blacksburg) - Restoration of Alexander Black House and cultural center - Statewide trend towards highlighting cultural heritage tourism - Exploring how philanthropy might fill the void of public funds - Tap into our region’s role in a local musical style - Deep reserve of self-taught creative work that is not currently exhibited - Improve communication between universities , and between universities and their communities - Strengthen ties between NRV and Roanoke - Participation in state-sponsored programs (winds wide open, civil war sesquicentennial, etc) - Regional arts advocacy –strong collaborative voice (VA Commission of the Arts, etc) - Engage community more in dialogue & participation through the arts - Help the universities with outreach efforts - Provide more programming for children (minds wide open 2012) - Build relationships - To focus on arts and culture as a region (rather than as localities or part of a super-region) - Marry different art forms into regional efforts (inclusive) - Showcase and preserve traditional Appalachian culture especially the roots (German, scotch-Irish, African)
Threats - State support for arts/culture is threatened - People already see Roanoke as a cultural destination, why isn’t the NRV? - Hard to get our news in main section of Roanoke times - Loss of potential business or new employees because of limited arts and culture amenities - Economy – forces prioritization of spending (which hurts consumption) - Lack of critical thinking (important role of arts in learning and development), if education budgets are cut more in public schools - Misjudging programming choices - Need good variety of other amenities (dining, shopping, etc) - Hard to work with historic structures (bringing buildings up to code) - Economic ripples from state budget cuts - Continue to develop independent initiatives that are not coordinated - National trend of corporatization and commodification of art - Competition for funding (private and public). “still cutting up the same pie into smaller pieces” - Roanoke museums claim to serve us - Success of Floyd and Blacksburg can pose threat to other communities in NRV
Information Needs
11/16/11
- Combined budgets of arts organizations and what the % represents to the larger NRV economy - The extent to which arts organizations depend on state, local, federal, operate and philanthropic sources - Surveys of economic and community impact of the arts - Asset map of arts and cultural enterprises/individuals/venues (actual map and directory) - How and where do arts and culture organizations market themselves - What organizations have existing strategic plans/visioning documents
11/16/11
Arts and Culture Working Group – November 16, 2011
Citizen Feedback – Arts & Culture Issues to-date
Themes & Subcategories - Public Feedback on Arts & Culture
Threats to historic resources, community character Age-groups - options that appeal to wider range Value our cultural and historic resources Priority issue for group/individual Frequency of Theme Public education - role of arts/culture Organizations, associations, cooperatives that support arts/cultural initiatives Affordability issues - equitable access to arts/culture Arts education, programs, instruction Regional approach, marketing arts/cult within NRV to NRV residents Recognize economic development potential of arts/cult Making a living as an artist - challenges Local music and entertainment - support/demand for Patrons, consumers - understanding demand/preferences Regional differences - Arts/Culture differ across the NRV Tension of traditional and newer cultural identities Strategic planning needed Universities bring lots of arts options to the NRV Build on existing assets, cult. resources, intiatives, programs Marketing, advocacy, outreach Community-building - role of arts/culture Tourism potential: recreation, entertainment Diversity - role in local/regional arts/culture Community Character - Arts & Culture helps define/create
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Total comments analyzed 89 Total themes identified 209 Theme categories identified* 54 (Note: this chart only shows 22 of the 54 themes/priorities that were included in three or more citizen comments)
Arts and Culture Working Group Notes 2/1/2012
Attendees Sue Farrar, Susan Mattingly, Don Drapeau, Sarah Carter, Terry Nicholson, Terri Fisher, John McEnhill, Bruce A. Oliver, Rita Irvin, Bob Leonard
Resource Summary (How does the resource summary get used?)
-list -database -who/audience intended for. -connections among organizations/bodies. -contact list; contact/communication - email. -advocacy -role - body -regional arts council -resource for artists -who involved - goals for reaching more.
-Share product with Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.
Initial Goal Areas Discussion (The group was asked to craft broad goal statements/language around some basic themes identified through the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats [SWOT] session in November. The bullet list items represent input from attendees and are not intended to represent final goal statements.)
Marketing to Build Awareness Impact Build awareness and engagement of arts and cultural opportunities available throughout the region. Heritage; history. Recognize the value and impact of arts and culture on our lives. Opportunities for involvement and action. Value; variety. Objective: Better understanding of needs and preferences of patrons. Delete “marketing” from theme heading.
Dialogue / Collaboration Build networking opportunities and relationships. Coordination/clearinghouse role. Ways of sharing information (e.g., calendar). Utilize scheduling to maximize impacts; multi-day events (end to end). Build relationships outside/beyond natural partners. Arts park concept - conversation; package; all in together.
Awareness of Value of Arts Education Children not deprived of creative opportunity/exposure. All children will have opportunity for creative exposure. Look at existing research. Value of local arts/artisans. Value in cross-disciplinary thinking. All children will have significant opportunity for arts exposure. Integrated into other areas of educ. (math; science; social studies; English). Local historic/cultural assets (heritage) (Appalachian). The making, experiencing, and understanding of the arts and the recognition of the value of our history and culture shall be woven into the fabric of all levels of education.
Integration with Tourism Marketing Complementary visits/tourism. Value arts and culture. Partner beyond natural partners. Partnering with businesses to bring park events/experiences to visitors. Parks/state parks; local recreation depts. (need to distinguish between local citizen interest vs. tourist/visitor interest). Integrate activities with traditional tourism marketing efforts. (linking) Branding. Unique events. Arts Park concept. Multiplier effects.
Role in Defining/Building Community Character Importance of recognition. Branding. Acknowledging/celebrating arts/culture in community. Not limited to traditional arts. Emerging arts important (cultivate the fringe). Individual expression/voice (e.g., Local Colors and Marginal Arts Festivals in Roanoke). Embracing new/emerging arts and related events. National quilt show - large number of accepted entrants were from this area.
2
Build Funding Support from Organizations and Individuals Partnerships: with universities; CFNRV - capacity building and community impact. State tourism marketing grants. Carilion Foundation. Chambers of Commerce. Virginia Commission for the Arts Gates Foundation Possum Hollow Rescue Fund
Goal area identified for discussion at next meeting:
Access to Arts/Culture Experience for Lower Income Groups Barriers: income; transportation; technology.
Information Needs (What types of information are needed by the group as it goes forward? Would a survey be useful?)
- Info. on needs/preferences. - Rocky Knob-related study; visitor details. - Existing studies/data - done on creative arts. (surveys were done for Round the Mtn. and Crooked Road) - If undertaking a survey effort, seek to partner with the Va Tech Center for the Arts. - needs assessments - community services. - how many people are engaged/involved in arts events.
Single-Issue Discussion Sessions (Would some single issue discussion sessions be useful?)
- Economic development (perhaps jointly with econ.dev’t. working group) - Education - integration of the arts
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Arts and Culture Working Group Notes 3/7/2012
Attendees Susan Mattingly, Don Drapeau, Sarah Carter, Terri Fisher, John McEnhill, Bruce A. Oliver, Bob Leonard.
Livability Initiative - Update Planning game being developed for use as a group exercise at future Livability consortium events to help illustrate decisions, needs, tradeoffs, etc. Digital storytelling training workshop in late March. Representatives of several Livability Initiative working groups will participate in an intense 3 day workshop aimed at developing a short video about an important issue/success story. John McEnhill will be unable to participate, so Lee Chichester will take his place focusing on the role of the arts in education. A fact sheet will be produced by each working group over the next couple of months. It is anticipated that the resource summary will feed into a fact sheet for the Arts and Culture Working Group.
Refining Goal Statements Using comments and input from the February 1 meeting, draft goal statements were developed for each of six goal areas: dialogue/collaboration; building awareness; value of arts in education; role in defining/building community character; integration with tourism marketing; and building funding support.
A series of voting and comment sheets with draft goal statements was distributed and circulated to each person in attendance. Each individual used the sheets to vote on the draft statements and make suggestions/comments for improving the statements. A scanned set of the worksheets follows the last page of these meeting notes.
Additional Goal Areas Discussion
Address barriers to arts/culture experiences Barriers include but are not limited to: awareness; income differences; disabilities; transportation; and perceptions of arts and culture.
Arts and Culture Community should be represented in tourism promotion administrative/advisory bodies
Preserve historic/cultural heritage landmarks/resources -incentives/tax credits. -to encourage restoration of historic homes, advocate/support tax incentives.
Implementation of goals -ideas→action→implementation Other points made during the discussion of additional goal areas:
Claims about impact of arts/culture should be backed up with data. Look at creating a revenue/funding stream via food/meals tax. Explore pairing arts/culture events/venues with other attractions (partnerships), as well as partnering of events/venues with artists and artisans. Maintain awareness through public relations efforts. Empty buildings can be assets.
Discussion to Identify Initial Strategy Statements/Bullets
Create a council of arts/culture/historical organizations. “Umbrella” coordination group with paid professional staff. Better incorporate arts/culture resource summary information into “Explore NRV” or other websites. Importance of locational information and mobile apps for points of interest, events, and venues. Cooperation/coordination across jurisdictional boundaries is needed. Arts park concept. Make sure that efforts are built around what the community wants. There should citizen/public input in developing a community vision. There must be a sincere interest in citizen input. Find /identify/inventory resources for implementation (e.g., regional partnerships with Appalachian Regional Commission, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and others). NEA partnerships with government agencies. Role of arts and culture in maintaining/sustaining communities.
Arts & Culture Working Group
Draft Goal Statements – April 4, 2012
Based on feedback at our March meeting, goal statements have been amended as follows:
Defining/Building Community Character Goal: Recognize and celebrate the important of arts, cultural heritage, and history as being central to defining and building community character and pride.
Dialogue/Collaboration Goal: Build and strengthen relationships for collaborative partnerships both within and beyond the arts/culture community for the development of a more robust community cultural life and practice.
Note: term “development” was identified as problematic by a WG participant.
Funding Support Goal: Identify/inventory potential funding sources and partnering opportunities to leverage support for existing and new cultural efforts and organizations.
Integrated Tourism Marketing Goal: Cross-promote and market the arts and culture resources in a collaborative manner, and in conjunction with tourism marketing efforts.
Arts Education Goal: The making, experiencing, and understanding of the arts and the recognition of the value of history, culture, and artistic expression shall be woven into the fabric of all levels of education.
Awareness and Advocacy Goal: Build awareness of and engagement in arts and cultural heritage opportunities; recognize the value and impact of the arts and culture and its potential to strengthen our communities.
Note: term “cultural heritage” was identified as problematic by a WG participant – prefers term “culture” alone, others prefer term stay as is.
Low Income Community Needs Assessment
December 2010
Brendan Brink-Halloran
1 New River Community Action
Contents Introduction ...... 2 Economy ...... 3 Income...... 3 Poverty ...... 4 Unemployment ...... 7 Health ...... 8 Medical Insurance ...... 8 Medically Underserved Areas ...... 9 Diabetes and Obesity ...... 9 Education ...... 10 Educational Achievement ...... 10 Test Scores ...... 11 Housing ...... 13 Housing Affordability ...... 13 Foreclosures ...... 14 Social Services ...... 14 SNAP ...... 15 Children...... 15 Re-Entry ...... 16 Transportation ...... 16 Commuting Patterns...... 16 Public Transit ...... 16 Transportation Needs ...... 17
Introduction The following report gives an overview of the situation and needs of low-income people in the New River Valley as of November 2010. While some indicators in the region have seen steady improvement this decade, others have deteriorated. Still others have had meaningful progress erased by the economic crisis that has affected the region over the past several years. It is our hope that this report will serve policy makers and service providers in the New River Valley as they continue to work to improve the lives of the region’s low-income families and individuals. 2 New River Community Action
Economy Overview
Compared to the state of Virginia, the 4 counties plus the City of Radford that make up the New River Valley have lower household income levels, higher poverty levels, and higher levels of unemployment. The current economic crisis has reversed some positive trends and put the New River Valley in a difficult economic position.
Income Average Annual Pay $50,000.00
$45,000.00
$40,000.00
$35,000.00
$30,000.00
$25,000.00
$20,000.00 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Floyd County Giles County Montgomery County Pulaski County Radford city Virginia
Montgomery Pulaski Floyd County Giles County County County Radford City Virginia 2001 $ 22,648.00 $ 28,670.00 $ 27,998.00 $ 27,880.00 $ 30,384.00 $ 36,733.00 2002 $ 22,061.00 $ 29,328.00 $ 28,936.00 $ 29,490.00 $ 31,421.00 $ 37,222.00 2003 $ 22,717.00 $ 30,231.00 $ 29,402.00 $ 30,074.00 $ 31,674.00 $ 38,585.00 2004 $ 23,815.00 $ 30,503.00 $ 30,682.00 $ 31,522.00 $ 31,130.00 $ 40,534.00 2005 $ 24,195.00 $ 31,345.00 $ 32,083.00 $ 32,492.00 $ 32,821.00 $ 42,287.00 2006 $ 24,919.00 $ 32,437.00 $ 33,777.00 $ 34,738.00 $ 34,984.00 $ 44,051.00 2007 $ 24,782.00 $ 31,728.00 $ 36,275.00 $ 33,620.00 $ 35,350.00 $ 45,995.00 2008 $ 25,219.00 $ 33,583.00 $ 35,717.00 $ 33,251.00 $ 37,908.00 $ 47,241.00 2009 $ 25,620.00 $ 35,157.00 $ 36,071.00 $ 31,332.00 $ 38,541.00 $ 48,235.00 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Poverty1 Poverty Rate 35.0% 30.0% Floyd County 25.0% Giles County 20.0% Montgomery County 15.0% Pulaski County 10.0% Radford city 5.0% Virginia 0.0% USA
Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Virginia USA 1989 14.0% 12.2% 22.1% 13.4% 32.2% 10.2% 13.1% 1997 13.4% 12.7% 15.2% 14.1% 18.9% 11.6% 13.3% 1998 12.0% 11.6% 12.8% 12.6% 15.7% 10.2% 12.7% 1999 10.4% 9.5% 11.8% 10.9% 14.0% 9.0% 11.9% 2000 11.7% 9.5% 22.3% 13.1% 30.4% 9.6% 12.4% 2001 10.5% 9.6% 12.8% 11.3% 17.3% 8.8% 11.7% 2002 11.1% 10.4% 14.0% 12.4% 19.4% 9.6% 12.1% 2003 11.4% 10.8% 15.2% 13.0% 18.8% 10.0% 12.5% 2004 10.9% 10.3% 14.9% 13.1% 19.1% 9.5% 12.7% 2005 12.3% 12.2% 20.9% 15.7% 28.2% 10.0% 13.3% 2006 13.4% 11.0% 20.3% 14.1% 24.0% 9.6% 13.3% 2007 12.9% 11.4% 19.9% 14.1% 30.9% 9.9% 13.0% 2008 11.9% 12.5% 20.6% 15.4% 26.7% 10.2% 13.2% Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Poverty Rates, Old and Young (1999)
Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Under 5 15.3% 16.9% 20.8% 34.6% 17.7% 65+ 18.1% 11.7% 9.7% 13.0% 10.4% Source: U.S. Census Bureau
1 Student populations in Montgomery County and Radford City increase the poverty rates in those jurisdications. 4 New River Community Action
Poverty Rate, Under 18 25.0% Floyd County Giles County 20.0% Montgomery County 15.0% Pulaski County Radford city 10.0% Virginia 1997 2000 2004 2008 USA
Poverty Rate, Under 18 Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Virginia USA 1997 19.9% 19.2% 17.9% 21.0% 20.9% 17.0% 19.9% 2000 14.5% 13.3% 12.9% 16.5% 13.1% 12.2% 16.2% 2004 14.2% 14.0% 14.3% 18.1% 14.8% 12.2% 17.8% 2008 16.7% 16.7% 15.5% 20.8% 16.6% 13.6% 18.2% Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
Children on Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
Mont 50.00% Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford 45.00% 2002 34.0% 31.0% 31.0% 37.0% 23.0% 40.00% 2003 32.0% 32.0% 33.0% 37.0% 23.0% 35.00% 2004 34.0% 34.0% 34.0% 40.0% 28.0% 30.00%
2005 36.0% 37.0% 34.0% 40.0% 30.0% 25.00%
2006 37.0% 36.0% 36.0% 40.0% 31.0% 20.00%
2007 37.0% 37.0% 37.0% 43.0% 35.0%
Floyd Giles 2008 38.8% 40.4% 35.1% 42.4% 33.7% Montgomery Pulaski 2009 41.9% 43.4% 36.3% 49.6% 37.1% Radford Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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Unemployment Annual Unemployment (%) 11 10 9 Floyd County 8 7 Giles County 6 Montgomery County 5 Pulaski County 4 3 Radford city 2 Virginia
Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Virginia 2000 3.7 4.2 2.5 4.5 3.2 2.3 2001 4.3 5.7 3.3 7.1 4.1 3.2 2002 4.4 6.0 4.0 6.3 5.2 4.2 2003 4.0 5.4 3.8 6.1 5.2 4.1 2004 4.0 5.0 3.6 5.8 5.2 3.7 2005 3.7 5.1 3.5 4.5 4.5 3.5 2006 3.2 3.7 3.0 3.8 3.8 3.0 2007 3.4 4.4 3.2 5.4 4.0 3.0 2008 4.4 5.4 4.1 6.4 5.3 3.9 2009 7.7 9.0 6.9 10.7 8.8 6.7 2010 (avg Jan-June) 8.2 10.0 7.8 10.3 10.1 7.3 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Jobs Lost to Reductions and Closings Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Total
2009 935 265 1200 2008 854 854 2007 1677 1677 2006 119 119 2005 300 340 640 2004 415 415 2003 638 432 1070 2002 188 50 150 388 2001 202 673 270 1145 2000 165 65 837 275 1342 1995-1999 160 142 100 1101 160 1663 Total 325 442 555 7639 1552 10513 Source: Virginia Economic Development Partnership
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More information
Virginia Economic Development Partnership http://www.yesvirginia.org/ Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development http://www.econdev.vt.edu/ New River Valley Economic Development Alliance http://www.nrvalliance.org/ Health Overview
The low-income population in the New River Valley continues to face several obstacles to living healthy lives. Lack of access to health insurance and medical services and facilities continues to be a problem for many low-income people. Additionally, diseases such as obesity and diabetes are becoming more prevalent throughout the New River Valley.
Medical Insurance Persons Without Medical Insurance (2007) 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% Uninsured Under 19 (%) 40.0% 30.0% Uninsured Under 19, 200% of 20.0% Poverty or Below (%) 10.0% Uninsured 18-64 (%) 0.0% Uninsured 18-64, 200% of Poverty or Below (%)
Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Uninsured Under 19 14.6% 8.2% 11.2% 6.7% 6.4% Uninsured Under 19, 200% of Poverty or Below 20.9% 10.4% 17.3% 7.2% 7.8% Uninsured 18-64 23.2% 15.8% 30.2% 14.0% 24.9% Uninsured 18-64, 200% of Poverty or Below 43.8% 26.8% 59.4% 21.4% 41.7% Source: U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Health Insurance Estimates
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Medically Underserved Areas
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
Diabetes and Obesity Diagnosed Obesity Obesity Age Adjusted Diabetes Diagnosed % Rate Rate % Percent (2004) Diabetes (2007) Change (2004) (2007) Change Floyd 7.9% 8.3% 5.1% 22.8% 26.0% 14.0% Giles 8.6% 8.4% -2.3% 23.5% 24.0% 2.1% Montgomery 6.6% 8.1% 22.7% 22.5% 25.1% 11.6% Pulaski 7.4% 10.6% 43.2% 25.9% 28.4% 9.7% Radford 7.8% 8.9% 14.1% 23.7% 25.8% 8.9% Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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More Information
Virginia Department of Health http://www.vdh.state.va.us/ New River Health District http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/LHD/newriver/INDEX.HTM Virginia Health Information http://www.vhi.org/ Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ Carilion Clinic http://www.carilionclinic.org/Carilion/Home+Page Education Overview
Education indicators across the New River Valley generally show some improvement in recent years. However, this progress is uneven, and parts of the New River Valley still lag behind.
Educational Achievement Mont Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford Virginia USA High school graduates, persons age 25+, 2000 70.1% 75.9% 82.8% 74.2% 83.4% 81.5% 80.4% Bachelor's degree or higher, persons age 25+, 2000 12.5% 12.4% 35.9% 12.5% 34.1% 29.5% 24.4% Source: U.S. Census Bureau
On Time High School Graduation 93.00% 91.00%
89.00% Floyd 87.00% Giles 85.00% Montgomery 83.00% 81.00% Pulaski 79.00% Radford 77.00% Series6 75.00% 2008 2009 2010
Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford 2008 82.70% 77.40% 80.40% 77.40% 85.90% 2009 88.40% 78.50% 79.40% 84.80% 84.00% 2010 91.40% 83.70% 84.90% 85.50% 89.90% Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
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Drop Out Rates, 7th through 12th Grades
Mont 5.00% Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford 4.50% 1997 0.40% 2.40% 3.90% 3.60% 2.50% 4.00% 1998 1.00% 4.30% 3.50% 4.20% 2.40% 3.50% 1999 1.00% 3.10% 3.00% 3.80% 3.20% 3.00% 2000 1.20% 2.10% 3.10% 3.20% 1.70% 2.50%
2001 1.80% 2.30% 3.00% 2.60% 1.50% 2.00% 1.50% 2002 2.00% 1.40% 2.70% 1.80% 2.00% 1.00% 2003 0.50% 1.30% 1.80% 1.10% 0.80% 0.50% 2004 1.70% 1.30% 1.30% 1.40% 1.10% 0.00% 2005 0.70% 2.40% 1.30% 1.00% 0.60%
2006 1.30% 2.40% 4.70% 1.70% 1.00% 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2007 1.70% 2.70% 2.50% 1.70% 0.90% Floyd Giles
2008 2.20% 3.20% 2.20% 0.50% 0.30% Montgomery Pulaski Radford 2009 1.60% 2.00% 2.40% 2.20% 1.90% Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Cente
Test Scores Kindergarteners with PALS-K Scores Below Kindergarten Readiness Levels
Mont Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford
2002 16.8% 32.5% 23.3% 32.2% 29.1% 40.00% 35.00% 2003 14.3% 37.6% 24.6% 28.7% 34.0% 30.00% 25.00% 2004 22.1% 25.0% 23.4% 25.6% 25.5% 20.00% 15.00% 2005 16.6% 30.6% 19.7% 29.8% 22.1% 10.00%
2006 20.8% 24.0% 15.7% 29.1% 15.2%
2007 16.0% 26.0% 19.0% 26.0% 17.0% Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski 2008 17.0% 20.0% 16.0% 28.0% 17.0% Radford Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
11 New River Community Action
Passage Rate for Standards of Learning (SOL) in Reading
Mont 100% Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford 95%
2003 72% 82% 67% 62% 79% 90% 85% 2004 66% 70% 66% 63% 78% 80% 75% 2005 75% 75% 71% 64% 83% 70% 65% 2006 87% 89% 82% 80% 79% 60%
2007 83% 74% 79% 72% 71%
Floyd Giles 2008 84% 81% 82% 73% 91% Montgomery Pulaski
2009 88% 87% 86% 72% 95% Radford
Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
Passage Rate for Standards of Learning (SOL) in Math
Mont 100% Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford 95% 2003 82% 91% 77% 74% 83% 90% 2004 86% 90% 81% 79% 91% 85%
2005 90% 86% 81% 81% 89% 80% 75% 2006 92% 91% 86% 89% 90% 70%
2007 95% 90% 85% 82% 88%
2008 91% 90% 87% 85% 98% Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski
2009 96% 94% 90% 88% 97% Radford
Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
12 New River Community Action
More Information
The Annie E. Casey Foundationn http://www.aecf.org/ Voices for Virginia’s Children hthttp://www.vakids.org/ Virginia Department of Educatiotion http://www.doe.virginia.gov/ Housing Overview
The recent housing crisis has exaxacerbated a situation in which low -income resideidents faced difficulty affording decent housinsing. While housing foreclosures seem to have abatedab somewhat, subprime loans still present a realeal risk to home owners.
Housing Affordability2
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
Housing costs as 60.0% Housing Affordabiability Index, 60% of percent of income 50.0% median income 40.0% Housing Affordabiability Index, 30% of 30.0% median income
20.0%
Source: Housing Virginia
Housing Vouchers
Floyd GGiles Montgomery Radford Pulaski Section 8 Vouchers 30 184 374 125 260 Source: Pembroke Management Incnc., Radford Rental Assistance Office
2 Rental demand from students at Virginginia Tech and Radford University drive up rental costs inn MontgomeryM County and Radford City as shown byy tthis chart. 13 New River CommunityCo Action
Foreclosures Virginia Mortgages and Foreclosures, % Prime and Sub-Prime (Second Quarter 2010) Mortgages Foreclosures Prime 74.5% 58.1% Sub Prime 7.3% 28.9% Other 18.2% 12.8% Source: Mortgage Bankers Association
Virginia Percent of Mortgages in Delinquency (Second Quarter 2010) 90+ Days Past Due Foreclosure Prime 2.21% 1.52% Sub Prime 13.3% 7.7% Source: Mortgage Bankers Association
Number of Home Foreclosures, NRV Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Nov-09 4 3 17 2 1 May-10 1 8 14 7 3 Oct-10 0 4 13 2 2 Source: RealityTrac
More Information
Housing Virginia http://www.housingvirginia.org Virginia Tech Center for Housing Research http://www.vchr.vt.edu/ Virginia Housing Development Authority www.vhda.com U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/states/virginia Community Housing Partners http://www.communityhousingpartners.org/ Social Services Overview
As a partial response to the economic crisis, social service programs are reaching more low- income people. It’s not clear if this increase corresponds fully to the needs of those affected by the crisis.
14 New River Community Action
SNAP SNAP Recipients – Households Montg 3,500 Floyd Giles Pulaski Radford omery 3,000 January 374 491 1,364 1,275 392 2002 2,500 January 2,000 402 539 1,421 1,321 359 2003 1,500 January 472 619 1,825 1,613 448 2004 1,000 January 495 714 2,015 1,723 567 500 2005 January 0 566 722 2,161 1,939 613 2006 January 551 755 2,260 1,966 607 2007 January 550 821 2,414 2,059 612 2008 Floyd Giles January 628 868 2,595 2,323 683 2009 Montgomery Pulaski January 798 1,059 3,214 2,822 821 Radford 2010 Source: Virginia Department of Social Services
Children Children in TANF-UP and VIEW-UP Cases Mont Floyd Giles gomery Pulaski Radford 1000 900 1998 80 42 593 301 41 800 1999 47 33 462 245 47 700 2000 45 54 392 209 49 600
2001 78 51 374 162 55 500 400 2002 43 45 425 258 91 300 2003 93 54 605 295 41 200 2004 167 99 624 269 87 100 0 2005 146 123 815 363 230
2006 84 38 780 295 235 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2007 39 138 712 290 188 Floyd Giles
2008 55 75 659 361 166 Montgomery Pulaski Radford 2009 65 227 920 543 214 Source: Voices of Virginia's Children; Mary E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center
15 New River Community Action
Re-Entry Individuals Committed to Confinement from NRV Jurisdictions Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford NRV Incarcerated 31 68 245 240 101 685 To-be- Released 23 59 189 197 91 559 Within 10 Years Source: Virginia Department of Corrections
Transportation Overview
Mobility is increasingly necessary for residents of the New River Valley, many of whom commute with the region or outside of it. While there are public options to increase the mobility of the low-income, disabled and elderly populations, these must be expanded if these disadvantaged populations are to have access to employment options, services and amenities.
Commuting Patterns Jurisdiction of Residence Work Floyd Giles Montgomery Pulaski Radford Location Floyd 43% 0% 1% 0% 1% Giles 0% 54% 1% 0% 0% Montgomery 19% 26% 76% 14% 26% Pulaski 4% 10% 5% 66% 14% Radford 4% 2% 5% 13% 52% Out of region 30% 8% 12% 7% 7% Source: New River Valley Planning District Commission
Public Transit Blacksburg (Blacksburg Transit): • 11 fixed routes plus door-to-door accessible van service. Annual ridership around 2.5 million Radford (Tartan Transit): • 2 fixed routes in city and Radford University campus Pulaski (Pulaski Area Transit): • On-demand service. Daily ridership of 277 New River Valley Region (NRVSS): • On-demand service for general public age 60 and up, and disabled people of all ages Source: New River Valley Planning District Commission
16 New River Community Action
Transportation Needs Identified Transportation Needs: • Additional human service transportation for transportation disadvantaged populations in the region. • Sufficient transportation providers to provide human service transportation if sufficient resources (funds) are made available. • Sufficient interest in coordination of services among current transportation providers and human service agencies to achieve a coordinated human service transportation environment. Ongoing coordination is necessary to meet the demand for human service transportation. • Region-wide coordination effort is possible. To succeed, such an effort requires sustained leadership and commitment. Source: Virginia Tech Center for Transportation Policy
Public Transit Needs • Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Pulaski County o Regional transit connections • Pulaski County o Additional demand-responsive transit in region and regional transit connections • City of Radford o Regional transit connections • Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Pulaski County, City of Radford o Needs of transportation disadvantaged including access to employment centers and medical facilities Source: New River Valley Planning District Commission
More Information
New River Valley Planning District Commission http://www.nrvpdc.org/Transportation/transportation.html New River VA.com http://www.newriverva.com/Transportation.php Community Transit http://www.nrvcs.org/communitytransit/default.htm New River Valley Senior Services Disability Transportation http://nrvseniorservices.org/pages/DisabilityTransportation.htm Blacksburg Transit http://www.blacksburg.gov/index.aspx?page=791
New River Community Action gratefully acknowledges Brendan Brink-Halloran, PhD Student in Planning, Governance and Globalization, Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs, for the development of this document. We deeply appreciate his valuable contributions of time, expertise and dedication to this project. 17 New River Community Action
Arts and Culture Working Group Meeting Notes 4/4/2012
Participants: Sue Farrar, Sarah Carter, Terri Fisher, Terry Nicholson, John McEnhill, Bruce Oliver, Rita Irvin, Robert Hiss, Jessica Wirgau
Guests: Andrew Schafer and Ben King, Virginia Tech students who were observing today’s meeting
Working Group Process Revisit of Process and Progress to-date: o Coming up on end of phase 1. Priorities, themes, data, initial goal statements o Hope is to emerge by end of summer with a list of strategies linked to the broad goal statements we’re developing now. o Intersections with other working groups of the Livability Initiative o Upcoming: BUILT - Planning game exercise—involving land use needs, decisions, preferences. o Digital storytelling: creating video storytelling around issues and data related to working group issues. Workshop training on these techniques. Lee Chichester from Floyd County and the Jacksonville Center created a video exploring attitudes around Appalachian arts/culture. o Process – may need to look at strategies/projects and work back to identify indicators, benchmarks. o Survey effort for lower literacy citizens. Preliminary findings shared.
DRAFT Goal Statements Using input from the voting and comment sheet exercise undertaken during the March meeting, modified draft goal statements were distributed. As a result of discussion, the following changes were made:
Defining/Building Community Character Goal: “Important” changed to “importance”. “Arts, cultural heritage, and history” changed to “arts, culture, and history.” Awareness and Advocacy Goal: “Arts and cultural heritage” changed to “arts, culture, and history.”
Additional Goal Areas Discussion Additional goal areas identified during the March meeting were referenced and were distributed. These areas include: addressing barriers to arts/culture experiences; arts and culture community should be represented in tourism promotion administrative/advisory bodies; Outcome of group discussion to clarify the scope of this issue: Consider separate goals distinguishing between 1) Making sure that the whole arts community is working and collaborating together across the region AND 2) that the arts community has a more meaningful seat at the table in the broader public policy arena. preserve historic/cultural heritage landmarks/resources; implementation of goals Staff will develop some draft language around these areas for consideration by the group for next month’s meeting.
Information Sources/Fact Sheet Patrick reported that some of the information sources previously shared with the group as well as the Resource Summary will provide useful material for the fact sheet for the Arts and Culture Working Group. As noted by Carol, each Livability Initiative Working Group will be developing a fact sheet over the next month. Staff will develop a draft for consideration/comment by the group.
Goals Implementation Strategies The group spent some time matching the goal statements to the initial strategies/activities. For reference, the draft goal statements, followed by the additional goal areas, were numbered 1 through 10. 1. Defining/Building Community Character Goal 2. Dialogue/Collaboration Goal 3. Funding Support Goal 4. Integrated Tourism Marketing Goal 5. Arts Education Goal 6. Awareness and Advocacy Goal 7. Address barriers to arts/culture experiences Goal 8. Arts and Culture Community inclusion in tourism promotion administrative/advisory bodies Goal 9. Preservation of historic/cultural heritage landmarks/resources Goal 10. Implementation of Goals
The group discussed the strategies identified to-date and linked them to our ten goal areas: Draft Strategy Draft Goals Arts Council 2, 4, 6 Incorporation of Resource Summary 2, 4, 6 Location Info/Mobile Apps. 2, 4, 5, 6, 10 Coord./Coop. across boundaries 2, 3, 4 Arts Park Concept 1, 4, 5, 10 Citizen input/priorities/vision 1, 6 Identify/inventory resources 2, 3, 10 Role of Arts/Culture in Community 1
Other Discussion Topics: Indicators should be explored. Failing to define these has hampered past arts and culture planning efforts. Examples: artisan/farmers market attendance; foot traffic for artists/artisans and supporting businesses such as restaurants and lodging establishments. John McEnhill identified some indicators used in Floyd’s VTC-funded marketing effort: visitors over 50 years old; surveys at artisan trail sites; website visitor counter; artisan market revenue; lodging - change in weekday traffic; number of people who engage at the Jacksonville Center; and VTC web statistics related to the number of clicks on Floyd events/destinations. Communications: need to pursue/foster partnering with educational institutions (VT, RU, NRCC); community events information - importance of websites, calendars, and media; church/ministerial organizations can be important; “how did you hear about us?” feedback can be useful; electronic and online means of communication are increasing in importance, while traditional print media is decreasing; grassroots communications such as posting/distributing flyers at community gathering spots/high visibility areas can be very useful.
Next Meeting May 2 was discussed as a date for the next working group meeting. After some discussion of meeting times and handling of lunch, the group decided to keep the 11-1 timeframe with a bring your own brown bag approach to lunch. Topics for discussion at the next meeting include: ranking criteria for prioritizing goals; and strategies.
Arts & Culture Working Group LIVABILITY INITIATIVE NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA May 2012 Meeting Notes
Attendees: Sue Mattingly, John White, Bruce Oliver, Sarah Carter, Randy Rose, Jessica Wirgau, Don Drapeau, John McEnhill, Patrick Burton, Carol Davis
Agenda Items:
1. Update on Resource Directory 2. Finalize Goal Language for 10 identified theme areas 3. Brainstorm Strategies and Indicators for Theme areas 4. Viewing of Digital Story on Embracing Appalachian Culture, by Lee Chichester
Below is a summary of the Goals, Strategies, and Indicators that the group revised or developed during this month’s meeting: Note: Items in red print are additions made by PDC staff.
Goal #1: Community Character Recognize and celebrate the importance of the arts, culture, and history as being central to defining and building community character and pride. Strategies for Goal #1 Indicators for Goal #1 1. Raise awareness, engage people, celebrate the arts, cultural Increased attendance at events and events, and historic resources in the NRV. venues 2. Create clear opportunities for people to be actively involved Measure volunteer support. in the arts and culture. Increased corporate and local government support. Enriched cultural environment. 3. Create and implement a PR campaign featuring local artisans, venues, or events. 4. Incorporate arts, culture, and history more in local schools 5. Encourage more Community/Public Art in and around the Number of places designated for NRV. temporary or permanent public art. 6. Foster spaces and initiatives that integrate public art into the Programs or initiatives that create a fabric of the community. path forward for public arts initiatives 7. Investigate other communities’ models for encouraging and Number of public art installations displaying public art. 8. Encourage localities to designate arts districts and similar sets of incentives. 9. Explore relationships with local chambers of commerce or tourism authority. 10. Span the perceived divisions between tourism and arts & culture. 11. Engage real estate professionals to gauge the value of Arts & Culture opportunities for new residents/newcomers. Note on strategies for Goal #1: AIR project in Roanoke, Susan Jennings with the Arts in Roanoke Initiative is a good contact; public art – “rent with an option to buy”; or the initiatives that are being used in Charlottesville, Charlotte, and Staunton
Goal #2: Dialogue and Collaboration Build and strengthen relationships for collaborative partnerships both within and beyond the arts and culture community for the development of a more robust cultural life and practice. Strategies for Goal #2 Indicators for Goal #2 1. Link leadership with funding to ensure greater implementation of the goals within this plan. 2. Build relationships with organizations that fall outside of what is more narrowly defined as “arts and culture” – organizations fostering outdoor recreations and appreciation for natural environment, economic development. 3. Catalyze interest and passion for arts and culture; revive the excitement of celebration; concentrate on positives and opportunities in our communities and in the region as a whole. 4. Foster civic celebration as part of civic life. 5. Create or support public venues that are expansive, welcoming, and affordable to the community and its artists/performers. 6. Encourage cross‐locality collaboration on venues and events. 7. Ensure that arts and culture and related tourism is a prominent part of the plan as it relates to other Livability Initiative elements such as economic development or natural resources. 8. Link with the uniqueness of food in the NRV or other assets not traditionally associated with tourism such as flea markets, bar‐b‐ques, Native American celebrations and other gatherings. 9. Establish a “creative economy” organization beyond a traditional tourism office – such as a Destination Marketing Organization. 10. Recognize and embrace the role of faith communities in arts & culture. 11. Recognize the role of ethnicity in arts and culture throughout the region. Note: Consider collapsing this goal with #10 – Implementation since their strategies mostly overlap.
Goal #3: Funding and Support Identify and inventory potential funding sources and partnering opportunities to leverage support for existing and new cultural efforts and organizations. Strategies for Goal #3 Indicators for Goal #3 1. Identify funding sources that are well suited to the goals of this regional plan. 2. Seek funding for personnel to research and complete grant applications. 3. Identify in‐kind opportunities for support and leadership. 4. Explore other opportunities to build and sustain funding such as sponsorships, non‐traditional community investing, internet fundraising. Notes on strategies for goal #3: Utilize the Foundations Directory – How many foundations support these initiatives? DHCD will do a private foundation search on your behalf. Todd Christiansen is a good person to bring on board/partner with. Funding resources can also be found at VATC.org Goal #4: Integrated Tourism Marketing
Cross‐promote and market arts and culture resources in a collaborative manner and in conjunction with tourism marketing efforts.
Strategies for Goal #4 Indicators for Goal #4
1. Create a regional arts council. Local buy‐in measured by memberships to the arts council. 2. Have “arts council” representation on local and regional Position dedicated to arts council tourism boards. representative. 3. Create a regional marketing plan 4. Measure impacts of regional efforts such as Round the Economic Impacts Mountain, Crooked Road, and Wilderness Road Direct guest bookings (handwriting difficult to make out – anyone remember the wording on this?) “How Did You Hear About Us” responses Quality of Life Impacts Citizen surveys Realtor assessments Note on strategy #1 for Goal #4: (or commission, or authority) Note on strategy #3 for Goal #4: Marketing leverage program through Virginia Tourism Corporation – match funding if there are 3 or more funding organizations supporting the effort. $250 minimum for partnering. Open to private sector, non‐profits, governmental entities. The grant application process itself walks you through the creation of a marketing plan. Note on indicators for goal #4: Google Analytics may be a useful tool for some measuring some of these items.
Goal #5: Arts Education The making, experiencing, and understanding of the arts and greater recognition of the value of history, culture and artistic expression shall be woven into the fabric of all levels of education. Strategies for Goal #5 Indicators for Goal #5 1. Communicate the value of arts and culture within schools Secured funding for Arts and Culture for public school is increased. 2. Utilize existing community arts and culture resources within Number of local resources used by school systems. school groups. Number of field trips. Number of in‐school visits or events held. 3. Examine SOLs to determine where they can be strengthened, Assessment and recommended broadened, or made more regionally relevant with regard to revisions completed and submitted. arts and culture. Make recommendations for changes to Changes implemented to SOLs decision‐making bodies that are charged with modifying SOL standards. 4. Integrate arts and culture into the SOL‐based instruction, Arts & Culture integrated into lesson continuously at all levels. plans. 5. Support a pilot project for juried arts shows/auctions for public school students to foster greater connections between community arts and school arts initiatives. Notes on strategies for goal #5: “art allowance initiative”; Fine Arts Center for the NRV – Scholastic Arts Awards; Tammi Parks with NRCC would be a good partner on crafting a school to community arts initiative.
Goal #6: Awareness and Advocacy Build awareness of and engagement in the arts, culture, and history opportunities; recognize the value and impact of the arts, culture and history and its potential to strengthen our communities. Strategies for Goal #6 Indicators for Goal #6 Note on Goal #6: No strategies or indicators identified for this goal area.
Goal #7: Barriers Ensure that the arts, culture, and history are accessible and affordable for more people in the NRV. Strategies for Goal #7 Indicators for Goal #7 1. Actively work to reduce barriers that hinder full participation and experience of artistic, cultural, and historic events and venues. 2. Eliminate or reduce physical barriers to the handicapped from experiencing arts, culture, and history in the NRV. 3. Ensure those of limited means are able to experience arts, culture, and history in the NRV.
Goal #8: Arts, Culture, and Public Policy Foster relationship and collaborative efforts to ensure that the arts community has a more meaningful way to participate in the public policy arena. Strategies for Goal #8 Indicators for Goal #8 1. Appoint a representative from the regional Arts Council to tourism boards; attend Boards of Supervisors and Town Council meetings at the county and Town level.
Goal #9: Preservation of Landmarks and Cultural Resources Encourage preservation of cultural landmarks, historic sites, and related assets in the New River Valley
Strategies for Goal #9 Indicators for Goal #9 1. Inventory cultural assets, historic sites and related assets in the NRV. 2. Raise public awareness and appreciation of these resources and assets. 3. Identify priority items for asset preservation. 4. Model preservation of regional arts, culture, and history assets after the “adopt‐a‐spot” program. 5. Draw upon the research and service‐learning resources of local universities, colleges, fraternities, and clubs to foster preservation efforts. 6. Identify and secure funding and in‐kind support for preservation of priority assets.
Goal #10: Implementation Process Foster a coordinated, collaborative process that will ensure progress implementation of the priority goals identified in this plan. Strategies for Goal #10 Indicators for Goal #10 1. Create an organizational infrastructure to ensure effective progress on implementation goals. 2. Explore creating an entity or designating an individual to move these goals forward. 3. Identify, inventory, and draw upon existing organization resources in the region for creation an organizational infrastructure to support implementation of arts and culture goals and initiatives. 4. Identify and secure funding for implementation efforts. 5. Explore innovative partnerships with universities; draw upon other regional expertise to collaborate on the multiple stages of implementation: research, marketing, fundraising, etc. 6. Create a DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) for the region. 7. Meaningfully engage local governments with the arts; invite participation and guidance in creating a regional arts authority. 8. Research and understand the differences between organizational structures available for regional arts organizations, including their levels of authority, funding sources, and scope of mission. Notes on strategies for goal #10: DMOs can be funded by the EDA (Economic Development Authority), BPOL taxes, lodging taxes, or by local government direct support. Different structures for organizations that could be researched: commissions vs. authorities, districts, councils, tourism zones).
Regional Tourism Organizations [email protected]
Randall A. Rose [email protected] 276-322-2044
Development Specialist – Partnership Marketing Virginia Tourism Corporation Overview:
• VTC Services Overview • Regional DMO/CVB Models • Benefits and Challenges • Q & A
) VTC Services: • Advertising/Marketing •Electronic •Promotions •International •PR • Film Office • Consumer Services/Industry Relations • Partnership Marketing/Development ) Connect with VTC:
• Establish relationship with VTC staff • Attend a VTC Help Desk event • Sign up for the Dashboard e-newsletter • Visit www.vatc.org for more information g (consumer) Funding Assistance from VTC:
• Marketing Leverage Program • Tourism & the Arts Program ) So what are we talking about here?
Regional DMO’s/CVB’s
Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) come in many different forms, but all are the principal organization of a given political division or subdivision that is organized to promote its respective destination to attract visitors and/or to solicit and service conventions; and that is defined and authorized by its appropriate incorporated government entity as the representative organization exercising those functions.
From Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) - http://www.destinationmarketing.org/ So what are we talking about here?
Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) recognizes the following bodies as official destination marketing organizations:
• National Tourism Association (NTA) or Office of Ministry • National Tourism Organization (NTO) or National Tourist Board • Office of Ministry and National Tourism Board (both above) • State Tourism Organization • Provincial Tourism Organization • City/County Level Tourism & Convention Organization (CVB) • City/County Level Tourism Organization (only) • City Level Convention Bureau (only) See a full list of Virginia DMO’s at www.vatc.org: http://www.vatc.org/csir/dmolist.asp What are some examples? Local: Radford Tourism Office/Program
Regional: Roanoke Valley CVB
State: Virginia Tourism Corporation State Authority DMO’s and Tourism Development Organizations
• Formed by state legislation • Have to confirm to all state guidelines, FOIA, etc. • Political Appointments • Some have received state funding in the past • Some formation legislation has other funding provisions • May have limitations regarding funding sources Contact: 276-762-0011 [email protected]
www.heartofappalachia.com Contact: Chuck Riedhammer Executive Director 276-525-5610 [email protected]
www.spearheadtrails.com Contact: Todd Christensen Executive Director Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation [email protected] 276-492-2097
www.heartwoodva.org Non-Profit DMO’s and Tourism Development Organizations
• By-laws, mission, etc. determined by stakeholders • Boards nominated/voted in • Flexibility in development, marketing, etc. • Often funded by various sources such as memberships, events income, sponsorships, etc. • Some have local government support, some oversight, etc. Contact: Landon Howard Executive Director Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau [email protected] 540-342-6025 www.visitroanokeva.com Contact: Zenaida Hall Executive Director 540-740-3132 [email protected] www.visitshenandoah.org Contact: Felicia Hash, Chair [email protected] www.virginiablueridge.org Contact: Tom Hardy Director (828) 670-1924 [email protected]
www.blueridgeparkway.org Contact: Jack Hinshelwood Executive Director 276-492-2085 [email protected]
www.thecrookedroad.org Quasi Tourism Marketing and Development Organizations
• No formal organization, but requires fiscal agent all partners can agree upon • Some structure is required for success • Great strategy to “test the waters” Contact: Wayne Strickland Project Manager 540-343-4417 [email protected]
www.vawesternhighlands.com Contact: Kevin Costello, Chair (276) 492-2233 [email protected]
www.fishvirginiafirst.com
Arts Affiliated Marketing and Development Organizations:
• Might simply be a partnership with a DMO or an official arm of a DMO • Arts mission may differ from tourism DMO mission Contact: Diana Blackburn Executive Director 276-492-2080 [email protected] www.roundthemountain.org Contact: Judy Hare Winslow (757) 357-5182 [email protected] www.visitsmithfieldisleofwight.com Contact: Jennifer Doss (276) 403-5940 [email protected]
www.visitmartinsville.com A Few Potential Challenges:
• Local cooperation because of various factors • Different missions among localities, organizations, etc. • Fairness in funding the program • Fairness in marketing/development • Physical location of office/visitor center • Staffing, including a leader that makes all partners happy • Leadership that represents the greater good • Time, funding, and resources needed to develop and maintain a successful regional organization • Lines, borders, restrictions, etc. • Existing organizations that may have similar mission already • “Playing in the sandbox” is not always easy • Others… A Few Potential Benefits:
• Leveraged funding • Increased capacity • Reaching more prospective visitors / increased business, tax income, jobs, etc. • Arts/tourism partnerships • Better ROI • Less burn-out • Quality-of-Life improvement • Increased interest in area by businesses, developers, etc. • Others… Feasibility of an NRV DMO/CVB or other regional arts/cultural organization?
See the Tourism Marketing in the New River Valley: A Regional Destination Marketing Organization Feasibility Analysis study completed in 2008.
• Have things changed since the study? • Is there a need? • How will arts/cultural efforts and organization be impacted, engaged, etc.? Let us know if we can assist further:
• Technical assistance • Facilitation • Marketing Leverage Program • Other Services ) Randall A. Rose [email protected] 276-322-2044
Development Specialist – Partnership Marketing Virginia Tourism Corporation