New York City is widely considered to be one of the most diverse places on the planet, with residents from hundreds of different countries living within close proximity of each other. Queens in particular has a broad mix of ethnic populations, which have lead some to consider it the most culturally diverse area in the world. Yet, when Susan Lacerte became the Executive Director of the Queens Botanical Garden, she noticed that the diversity of the borough was not reflected in the Botanical Garden’s attendance. To challenge that, Lacerte started The Ambassador Program to reach out to ethnic communities and find out what they wanted in their public garden.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Community Building, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Healthy Communities, Heritage, IFC Best Practice, Multicultural, New York City, NY, Parks, Playgrounds & Gardens, Urban
Charles Ansbacher Award
The Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community honors the memory of Maestro Charles Ansbacher, who was named the “unofficial ambassador of America’s music” by President Bill Clinton. This award honors an individual who exemplifies community involvement by addressing the needs of underserved areas of culture and society.
Byron Rushing is being honored for advocating policies that preserve the history and promote the rights of our society’s most disadvantaged populations, including the African-American and LGBT communities.
The Honorable Byron Rushing is the second recipient of the Charles Ansbacher Award for Culture and Community. The award is in recognition of his appreciation for culture and active engagement in the community. Rushing first became interested in community engagement in the 1960s when he was an influential participant in the Civil Rights Movement, working with local Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) chapters on voter education campaigns in Boston and New York.
From 1972 to 1985, Rushing was the President of the Museum of African-American history in Boston, where he helped empower Massachusetts’ African-American population through public education and the preservation of culturally important historical sites.
Since 1982, Rushing has served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 9th Suffolk District and is presently the Majority Whip. One of the most senior members of the House, he has fought for expanded rights for minorities, women, and the LGBT community. For his admirable actions as both a politician and community leader, we are proud to present, with endorsement by Swanee Hunt, the Charles Ansbacher Memorial Award to Byron Rushing, a man who embodies the spirit of both culture and equity of the award’s namesake.
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Housed in a stunning building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, ASU Gammage at Arizona State University, one of the largest university-based theaters in the world, has been broadening its audience for many years. Its outreach extends to both immigrant and older adult audiences. Widely recognized for its work in Phoenix, ASU Gammage’s commitment becomes evident in the role played by one of its staff members: Michael Reed, the senior director of Cultural Participation and Programming, is responsible for developing and overseeing an astonishing array of performances, including explorations of theater arts for all ages, and programs highlighting the arts of various cultures.
The commitment to accommodating older adults, for example, was demonstrated while The Phantom of the Opera was at the theater for a four-week run. To better suit the preferences of older adult audiences, some performances were scheduled as matinees. Reed also explains that the house staff is very experienced in working with older adults and those who are frail or have disabilities. The staff works with ARTability, an Arizona organization that promotes accessibility to the arts for those with disabilities. Before each season begins, the staff reviews issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), though Frank Lloyd Wright’s design, while handsome, has made retrofitting ASU Gammage to meet the requirements of the ADA, and other evolving audience needs, quite difficult.
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Terms:2012, Aging, Aging in Place, AIP Best Practice, Arizona, Arts & Culture, City Leaders Institute on Aging in Place, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Education, Immigration, Intergenerational, Mobility, Youth
Stories for Change: Leadership Examples of Expanding Arts to New Audiences
A Report from Partners for Livable Communities
Funded by MetLife Foundation
Stories for Change, a report by Partners for Livable Communities funded by MetLife Foundation, offers leadership examples that expand the arts to new audiences. This compendium of nearly 50 best practices showcases the notable strategies that increase access to arts and culture for older adult and immigrant populations.
Stories for Change broadens the scope of Partners’ 2011 report, Culture Connects All: Rethinking Audiences in Times of Demographic Change, which describes the innovative programs of arts organizations in six major American cities. It shows that arts and culture are as essential to sustaining communities as bricks and mortar.
Rarely does the subject of water inspire poetic phrases or passionate dedications. While we may occasionally recognize its importance, this appreciation is usually offset by the size of the water bill at the end of the month. Regardless, I’m going to ask an odd question: have you ever celebrated water? If I got a single “yes” I would be very surprised, for the simple reason that there are few formalized occasions for the public to appreciate water. This year, a multitude of civic and non-profit organizations have teamed up to give individuals the opportunity to celebrate their “love for water” in the annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest.
 2012 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Although it was originally enacted in 1948, the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972 to regulate discharges of water pollutants and monitoring water quality standards in the United States. The Annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest is honoring this anniversary and renaming itself the “Sense of Water Contest” for 2012.
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Terms:Aging, Aging in Place, AIP Best Practice, Arts & Culture, Community Building, Community Engagement, Diversity, Environment, Families, Intergenerational, Youth
Founders Award for Civic Leadership
James O. Gibson is honored for his leading advocacy in urban revitalization, community development, and race relations. His demonstrated commitment to social equity for more than three decades on issues ranging from civil rights to economic opportunity has provided critical progress for our country’s social fabric.
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Partners Releases "Culture Connects All" Report
Culture Connects All:
A Report from Partners for Livable Communities
Funded by MetLife Foundation
Culture Connects All, a benchmark report by Partners for Livable communities funded by MetLife Foundation, offers new audience-building opportunities for arts and cultural organizations to engage two of America’s fastest growing populations: immigrant and older adult populations. 
The 2010 census confirms what many have observed over the past decade—the population is growing older, and in many areas more diverse. And this change is happening across the face of the nation. Two rapidly expanding population groups present a timely opportunity for communities and their arts and cultural institutions to rethink and retool their outreach.
Download your free copy of Culture Connects All, and free copies translated in both Chinese and Spanish available on May 15.
Click Here to Read More>>
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Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award
For her extensive career in the preservation and promotion of local arts, culture, and heritage for our diverse American population.
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Oakland, CA
A Senior Theatre Company that uses theatre and storytelling to bridge generation gaps and break down stereotypes about aging.
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On August 18th, 2010, Partners President Robert McNulty and Partners Trustee and former Florida Secretary of State and Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood hosted a workshop for over 150 attendees of the annual Florida League of Cities conference in Hollywood, Florida. Entitled “Culture Builds Community,” the 3-hour session explored how in these hard times for local governments and public finance, communities can mobilize a team of new players to support cultural and heritage resources as key infrastructure for their citizens, quality of life, and their ability to attract new investment.
Workshop participants learned how to:
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Nonprofit urban café creates opportunities for local residents in arts and culture and most importantly, in employment.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Business, Community Building, Community Engagement, Diversity, Education, Health & Wellness, Jobs, Neighborhood Revitalization, Social Capital, St. Louis, MO, Workforce Development, Youth
Mount Rainier, MD
A non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, preservation, education, and development of Latin American art and culture.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Community Building, Community Development, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Education, Intergenerational, International, Multicultural, Washington, DC
Berkeley, CA
A cultural institution that embraces the arts as a means to examine deeper social issues.
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New Orleans, LA
A small community art project that developed into a wonderful, lasting resource for downtown New Orleans.
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Minneapolis, MN
A central gathering place, market, and community center for members of the Minneapolis Latino community.
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San José, CA
An arts organization teams up with a small, local business to create a central gathering place and cultural center within a struggling neighborhood.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, CBC Best Practice, Community Building, Community Development, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Culture Builds Communities, Diversity, Multicultural, Museums, Neighborhood Revitalization, Placemaking, Public Art, San José, CA , Social Capital, Urban
New York City, NY
Weekly workshops that bring together a diverse audience of participants in order to promote multi-cultural, intergenerational interaction within the community.
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Boston, MA
A cross-disciplinary coalition of institutions that have created an exciting series of educational programs to empower community residents.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Boston, MA, Community Building, Community Development, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Education, Heritage, Multicultural, Urban
Memphis, TN
A museum which educates the public on the Civil Rights Movement and preserves the historic location of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Community Development, Community Engagement, Cultural Institutions, Diversity, Education, Heritage, Historic Preservation, Memphis, TN, Museums, Placemaking, Public-Private Partnerships, Tourism
Holyoke, MA
A grass-roots organization that promotes economic, social, and community development through food and agriculture projects.
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Terms:Arts & Culture, Business, CBC Best Practice, Community Building, Community Development, Community Engagement, Culture Builds Communities, Diversity, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Holyoke, MA, Immigration, Multicultural, Neighborhood Revitalization, Parks, Playgrounds & Gardens, Placemaking, Social Capital, Workforce Development, Youth
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