The Role of Local Arts Agencies in a Cultural Policy Setting



January 25, 2011 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Harris School of Public Policy Studies
1155 E. 60th St.
Room 224

Cheryl Hughes, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Centennial Planning at the Chicago Community Trust, presents the results of her new study of the support for arts and culture at the municipal level.

Ms. Hughes’ study examines local arts agencies (LAAs)—the non-profits and government agencies tasked with defining cities’ cultural policies and representing the interests of local arts organizations and artists. Specifically, her research is a benchmark study of the LAA’s in 60 of the largest cities in the United States. Central to this study is the question of whether larger cities are best served by LAAs that are government agencies or those that are non-profit organizations.

Ms. Hughes will also present her findings on the relationship between levels of support for local arts and culture and municipal arts departments and Richard Florida’s original top-rated Creative Cities. Her presentation will shed light on the role municipal arts and cultural departments play in strategic cultural planning, animating cultural venues through partnerships, enhancing urban spaces with public art, and culturally infused urban planning.

In January 2010 Cheryl Hughes was named Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Centennial Planning at the Chicago Community Trust. Previous positions include Executive Director of Science Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry; Director of Program Development for the City of Chicago, Mayor’s Office of Special Events; and Executive Director of Gallery 37. Ms. Hughes is a recent graduate of the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and a former Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.


Speakers: