Walking the Talk: The Walker's Civic Engagement Initiative

Sarah Peters and Reggie Prim from the Walker’s Civic Engagement team interview Elizabeth George (center) at Mercado Central (Photo: Cameron Wittig)

This article first appeared in the November/December 2004 Walker Calendar.

“ The only thing that works for kids–to really change behavior–is art. It’s transformational, and that is its power,” says Fred LaFleur, Director of Hennepin County Community Corrections. This testament to art’s ability to shape lives came as LaFleur talked with Reggie Prim, the Walker’s community programs coordinator, as part of the institution’s new Civic Engagement Initiative. In a conversation about issues of youth and empowerment, LaFleur reaffirmed that the Walker’s work can have a profound role in civic life, pointing to the arts as the most effective strategy in connecting with young people: “ Arts-based activities can provide a point of reference for community and values and can give a sense of confidence and accomplishment.”

This discussion was one of 31 held last spring in conjunction with a project to help the Walker become a more integral and vital part of community life. Walker staff members met with leaders from social service, business, media, education, faith-based, and arts organizations. The interview included questions from all Walker programming departments about ways that art and artists can be relevant to civic issues. “ This project provided us with a unique opportunity to sit down with some of the most thoughtful people in the Twin Cities,” says Prim. “ Together we wrestled with the idea of an intersection between civic life and contemporary art . . . to imagine how art could be an active participant in the life of their community.”

The findings were complex and highly insightful. Some key points include a near unanimous belief that art is a vital aspect of community life. Stories shared during the conversations highlighted multiple ways that this occurs, from theater projects that boost the collective self-esteem of a rural community to a public art project that convenes multigenerational neighbors and encourages participants to talk about issues pertinent to them. “ The responses we received challenged some of our assumptions and allowed us to see areas where we need to create bridges between what we present and the issues people identified as important to them,” says Sarah Peters, Public Programs Manager.

After a summer of analysis and internal conversation, the findings from this research were compiled into a document designed and conceptualized by Amy Pogue Brady, a former Research Fellow at the Design Institute at the University of Minnesota. The Map, as it is called, serves as a tool for Walker staff in creating programs, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences with civic-engagement goals. “ The Map will allow any Walker programmer, whether veteran or new to the job, to understand how the Walker defines civic engagement and what elements need to be present to encourage civic participation or dialogue,” says Prim.

The impetus for this project came out of an acknowledgement that in order to become a more civically engaged institution, the Walker needed to develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing the community and ways that their leaders and activists see art in relationship to their work. “ We heard repeatedly that engagement is not a one-way street. If we expect the citizens of our city to come into our new building and get involved, we have to give something in return,” says Peters. “ What we hope to provide is a place where people can feel empowered rather than disconnected.”

ORGANIZATIONS

Special thanks to the groups who took part in the research-gathering phase of this initiative:

Basilica of St. Mary

Bloomington Art Center

Center for Neighborhoods

Center for the Study of Art & Community

Chrysalis, a Center for Women

Mayor R. T. Rybak, City of Minneapolis

COMPAS (Community Programs in the Arts)

Cooperativa Mercado Central

District 202

Hennepin County Community Corrections

Hope Community

Interrace Institute at Augsburg College

Jordan Area Council

KFAI-FM

Minneapolis Arts Commission

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis Empowerment Zone

Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program

Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board

Minnesota State Arts Board

MN Citizens for the Arts

Pillsbury House Theater

Powderhorn Philips Cultural Wellness Center

PrideAlive

Skyway Senior Center

Springboard For The Arts

Star Tribune

Temple Israel

U.S. Bank

Utne Magazine

YWCA