REMARKS
Challenges in measuring success and broader perspectives on veterans' engagement with art
1:02:35
·
135 sec
Commissioner Hendon discusses the challenges of measuring success across various cultural institutions and provides a broader perspective on veterans' engagement with art.
- DVS can measure success for programs they control, like DWARI and public arts in residence
- Measuring efficacy across hundreds or thousands of cultural institutions is more challenging
- Hendon emphasizes that all creation and expression is art
- He outlines a framework for thinking about veterans as both creators and consumers of art
- The commissioner highlights the importance of increasing veteran community creators and consumers of art, as well as decreasing the civilian-veteran gap in artistic engagement
James Hendon
1:02:35
something to what Ellen was just saying, too, and Chuck?
1:02:38
I'm not Anne Curtis.
1:02:39
Forgive me.
1:02:40
Just about the measuring of success, I just wanna just temper this with, you know, we're working with partners.
1:02:45
And so we're talking about DWARI, which is a program that we have control over, so we'll be able to measure the success there.
1:02:52
And even with the public arts in residence program, we have controls so we can be able to measure success there.
1:02:58
Yet there are 100, if not 1000, of cultural institutions, large and small, throughout the city.
1:03:02
So it's difficult for us to have that second layer of it where we promote and spread the word.
1:03:07
Yet for us to really know the efficacy, that's difficult.
1:03:09
We're gonna try to wrap our heads around it, but I want to acknowledge the the task that that is at hand.
1:03:14
Another thing I wanted to say, something that Curtis has just got me thinking.
1:03:17
Just to be said, you know, all creation, all expression is art.
1:03:21
And so we just want to sit here in acknowledgment of that.
1:03:23
Large and small, like any types of measures, are forms of art.
1:03:27
And we think about that.
1:03:28
And something we we were talking about this beforehand.
1:03:31
We knew we wouldn't have time to cover this fully.
1:03:32
So I just want to put a framework out there just as, something in the back of your mind and those who are listening to this hearing.
1:03:38
The precursors for this conversation, this self identity issue with the veterans is real as far as the number of our vets who don't self identify.
1:03:45
New York City is a mecca for art.
1:03:47
We recognize its role as far as what this city is, as a gem.
1:03:51
And we all create art.
1:03:53
We all consume art.
1:03:55
And so that that is the framework.
1:03:58
With that, you know, buckets for us is looking at the creators of art, those who create it for healing purposes, those who create it for commercial purposes.
1:04:07
And another piece is to look at the consumers of art, those who consume it for healing purposes, those who consume it for commercial purposes.
1:04:15
We wanna just be mindful of the workforce aspect here.
1:04:18
There's an entire workforce associated with this because we knew we wouldn't have time to discuss that.
1:04:22
That's a whole other piece.
1:04:23
And then when it comes to objectives, we think about one of the objectives is how do we increase the number of veteran community creators and veteran community consumers of art?
1:04:31
And then another objective, and Curtis pointed this one out, decreasing the civilian veteran gap in these things.
1:04:39
And so for us, when we look at this broader conversation, which has so many different branches and sequels, just wanna acknowledge that aspect of it and just paint homage to the workforce component as well in addition to other pieces.
