"He Said, He Said:" De/Cyphering Campaign Talk about "the Ahts"

First, we must give a double shout-out to MassCreative:  for mobilizing artists and arts organizations around a powerful idea, i.e., to "Create The Vote 2013" (implications for future campaigns?  We hope so.); and for facilitating arts-focused candidate forums. 

Kudos are also due to WBUR's TheARTery for "Arts and the Next Mayor: What Boston Wants and What it May Get"--digitally capturing (and archiving) an arts-focused approach to a campaign now winnowed to Connolly On The Arts and Walsh On The Arts.  

'Cause here and now, TheARTery's a time-saver as we try to figure out which of these two guys to vote for on Tuesday, 6 November 2013.  

Problem is, plans for the arts being forwarded by the candidates are clearly cut from the same cloth--one woven by what TheARTery describes as "Boston's cultural community."  As a result both candidates kinda sound alike when talking about how their administrations would approach "the Ahts."

The "cornerstone" of John Connolly's plan would be decoupling the arts from tourism by putting "real resources behind an arts agenda:"

 "I want the arts and artists to drive a broad public arts and culture agenda in the city. And I think tourism will grow out of that. We should focus on supporting the arts as the first priority."

Marty Walsh's plan for "the Ahts" sounds remarkably similar:

“The first major announcement we made was creating the cabinet level position in the arts. ...  We want to be a partner in all our creative economies. Tourism is certainly part of that as well, but we’re going to separate the two."

So deciding between the two is a wash with regard to how they'd organize their respective administrations when it comes to "the Ahts."  Either way, the arts will no longer be treated by the City as a mere "appendage to tourism," as Boston's cultural community is reported to view it (TheARTery).

Going deeper, ArtsMattapan really got excited when Connolly talks about "pop-up art galleries throughout the city" (emphasis mine); a concept we've been forwarding in Mattapan for several years now. Mattapan Cultural Arts Development's business model for "climbing as we build" proposes making Mattapan a mini pop-up re/public. And African Repertory Troupe finds Connolly's talk about  "storefront theater" equally intriguing. 

When Marty Walsh talks about "free arts programs around the city" we hope (and trust) that "around" is not a hedge word--a signal that arts programming might be a warranted in some areas of Boston, but not in others.  

ArtsMattapan screams "Marty Walsh for Mayor," however, when he talks about his Artist First Initiative (especially its desire to address the occupational disadvantages of making art as a career), about "youth engagement in schools" and "year-round programming" in the arts.  Mattapan Cultural Arts Development is particularly interested in seeing how his Artist First Initiative would address the need for more "affordable arts space" (TheARTery) in the City.

So while both candidates sound great when talking about how their administrations would approach "the Ahts," it looks like Marty Walsh does have a slight edge over John Connolly when it comes to the arts.  

Marty Walsh's attention to the unique needs of artists and cultural practitioners who all too often make art outside of the usual workplace support structures has, in the end, persuaded us that he should be the next mayor of Boston.

It's the first time in twenty years we'll have a new mayor next Wednesday, so come Tuesday no one should sit this one out.