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Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

Strategic Plan 2011-2016


Juliana Nahas, Angela Stumpo, Matthew Vanderwindt

PA 643 Strategic Planning and Management Grand Valley State University

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................3 MISSION, VISION AND VALUES ...........................................................................................................4 MISSION ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 VISION ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 VALUES ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS....5 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: SWOC.5 Strengths..5 Weaknesses6 External Opportunities7 External Challenges..7 STRATEGIC ISSUES............................................................................................................................ 11 ISSUE ONE: MISSION STATEMENT .................................................................................................................. 11 ISSUE TWO: MISSION INTEGRITY AND GROWTH ............................................................................................... 12 Positioning..12 Vision statement....12 ISSUE THREE: PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABERATION ............................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ISSUE FOUR: ENSURING ADEQUATE FUNDING................................................................................................... 18 ISSUE FIVE: MARKETING TO COMMUNITIES (WITH EMPHASIS ON NON-ARTISTS) ..................................................... 19 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ..15 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 20 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 22

Introduction
The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts has experienced tremendous growth since its incorporation 34 years ago. Founded by a group of local artists as a venue for new forms of artistic expression, the UICA now serves over 160,000 visitors annually and is an integral component in the citys urban development plan. Today, the UICA presents programs in the visual arts, film, dance, literature, performance art and music and provides artists with studio spaces, sales support, and educational opportunities. The UICA provides a forum for inclusive community dialogue, challenges stereotypes and promotes arts and cultural awareness (Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, About Us, n.d.). Since 1977, the UICA has relocated five times, with the most recent being the highly publicized move into the new Gallery on Fulton in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. The UICAs new facility will allow additional opportunities to present a dynamic array of contemporary art, new media, and experimental design/architecture projects. The building will feature 8,500 square feet of gallery space, two theatres, a 1,000 square foot youth studio, and a 3,500 square foot outdoor sculpture terrace. While press surrounding the construction and move has been positive for the UICA, mission integrity and strategic direction are issues of concern. As exhibitions, programs and client base grow the UICA must maintain its position as a contemporary arts leader in West Michigan that values creativity, innovation, and experimental works.

4 The following strategic plan will serve as a guide for the next five to ten years as the organization continues to develop. Expansion in personnel, funding, marketing, exhibitions and programs are implicit in the priorities and strategies. The UICAs mission and vision will continue to be grounded in providing transformative human experiences while equally cultivating community connections and encouraging creativity and discussion.

Mission, Vision and Values


Mission
The mission of the UICA is to stimulate transformative human experiences fueled by exposure to and discussion of contemporary arts in West Michigan.

Vision (Guiding Principles)


The UICA will serve the communities of Greater Grand Rapids through outreach and organizational partnership, being committed to making art accessible by promoting and providing education and expression of the arts.

Values
The UICA lays out its Guiding Principles on the website, from which more specific, concrete values can be derived. The Guiding Principles are a dedication to:

The contemporary arts as a catalyst for exploration, inspiration, and provocation Promoting inclusive cultural dialogue and lifelong learning throughout our diverse society

Presenting contemporary art that is artistically excellent, thought provoking, and experimental

Advancing the careers and the creative processes of innovative emerging and midcareer artists

Producing vibrant, sustainable programs that attract, educate, employ, and retain a diverse creative workforce in West Michigan

Partnering with community leaders and neighboring organizations to enhance our urban environment

Protecting freedom of artistic expression because it is essential to a thriving community (UICA, n.d.).

Through these Guiding Principles, a set of five values that closely align with these principals, as well as the mission and vision, have emerged. These values also coincide with each other, building off of each other to form a cohesive and comprehensive value system. The first value is education. The UICA is very dedicated to teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about many different kinds of art and expression. Consequently, expression itself is also an important value of the UICA. It is important that the UICA promote and teach about using multiple creative ways to express oneself. Creativity is also a strong value for the UICA because all of the programs and art are focused on creative outlets for people to express themselves. In order to promote these values to others and spread the word about what the UICA offers, outreach is an important value in building programs and visitors. Lastly, collaboration is very important for the UICA to be able to achieve its goals, and therefore is a top value to keep in mind when establishing a strategic plan.

Portfolio Analysis
Exhibitions The UICA displays thirty exhibitions annually and is the primary focus of the organization. The average life of an individual exhibit is 2-4 months, which range in subject matter and material. The organization does not retain pieces and is not building a permanent collection. Unlike most other organizations, the UICA creates public value by providing free access to exhibitions six days a week during normal business hours. The UICA enjoys the highest level of repeat attendance of any downtown arts organiza tion [in Grand Rapids] and has experienced 10 to 20 percent growth in each of the past five years (UICA, n.d.). The UICA offers numerous studio programs, foreign and independent films, and collaborates with community groups, schools, churches, and civic organization throughout the community. Education Student education and artistic expression are of primary importance to the UICA whose educational philosophy is centered on two main themes: inquiry-based learning and visual thinking strategies. Inquiry-based learning follows the process of questioning, planning,

investigating, recording and reflecting. Visual Thinking Strategies utilizes the five stages of looking and learning (accountive, constructive, classifying, interpreting, and re-creating) in order to build students higher-order thinking skills. Each approach helps to foster an intellectual environment that will lead to deeper learning, engagement, cultivating an innate curiosity in contemporary art and culture. The UICA serves more than 10,000 students per year. The ArtWorks program is a nationally recognized initiative that provides innovative job training for young people (ages 1421) for 21st century creative careers in the arts. Programs

7 utilize contemporary art as a learning platform to promote active and creative citizenship, as well as provide studio experiences, professional resources, and opportunities for students to present themselves and their work to the community (UICA, n.d). Studio Programs include 24/7 accessible ceramic studio and darkroom, classes and workshops in clay, photography, painting, printmaking, literature and expressive arts. Film Series The UICA Film Series present 80 foreign and independent films annually and was voted by On-The-Town readers as the best alternative film theater in the region. The UICA has developed a reputation as the only place in West Michigan to see cutting-edge films, which are offered six days a week in a state of the art 170 seat theater. Ticket prices range from $4-$7 per person. Community Outreach Art Therapy sessions for underserved youth and adults are available through partnerships with human service agencies as well as a Corporate Day Away Program. The UICA serves as a partner in approximately 75 collaborative programs each year. Special Events The UICAs most notable special events include Live Coverage, an annual fundraiser featuring one-of-a-kind works of art created during the event and live and silent auctions, and the Holiday Artists Market, an annual sale for holiday shoppers featuring works by regional artists. Each event brings potential and existing donors and members to the UICA, builds community connections, and supports regional artists.

Environmental Analysis: SWOC


Strengths The UICA benefits from a solid background and numerous strengths that contribute to its success and growth. It will be key to harness these strengths and use them to preserve and enhance the UICA. First, the UICA has a strong, committed donor base. Donations make up a vast majority of operating expenses, with almost $1.4 million raised in the 2009 fiscal year. Donations help to keep service costs low, which enables programs and classes to be more affordable to more people. The UICA can continue to have a strong donor base by fostering donor relationships and having a strong development team with established goals and strategies. The UICA also has the privilege of having strong clientele, with the highest rate of repeat attendance out of all of the downtown arts organizations in Grand Rapids. The UICA should continue to foster those relationships and provide and enjoyable, repeatable experience to maintain the high return rates. The UICA also has a diverse board, which encourages a variety of ideas and opportunities for collaboration with contacts. The board is made up of people from different backgrounds and different professions. The UICA can use the diversity of its board to establish new relationships with other influential businesses and people in the community to further its outreach and mission. In addition, the UICA also has a strong leader in Executive Director Jeffrey Meeuwsen. He is well known throughout the community and has a strong background in marketing, allowing him to know how to effectively market to the public.

9 In addition to a diverse board, the UICA also has diverse programs, allowing it to appeal to a wide variety of constituents. The UICA caters to visual art, film, dance, literature, performance art and music, offering something for everyone. It would be beneficial to preserve the diversity of programming, including being open to new ideas for programs so that the UICA remains useful and available to everyone. Perhaps the UICAs biggest strength currently is the new building. The new building allows the UICA a unique opportunity to be able to customize the space to best provide its services and experiences to more people than ever before. The keys to utilizing the new building to its fullest potential will be ensuring adequate funding for new expenses and using this opportunity to gain needed publicity and marketing. Weaknesses One weakness the UICA needs to address is the low visibility among the non-art community. Although its move has put it more in spotlight recently, before the move, the public visibility was limited. The UICA has been in existence for 34 years, yet people outside the arts community have little to no knowledge of what the UICA does or that it even exists. In order to overcome this weakness, the UICA needs to establish a marketing plan to increase visibility. Another weakness for the UICA in its current transition is the possibly shift in priorities, and managing this shift between all key stakeholders. With a new venue and increased need for funding as well as new individuals being served, there is a risk for a shift in priorities to meet new demands. It will be essential that the UICA remains true to its core mission and values, and establish a system of checks and balances to inhibit mission drift.

10 External Opportunities The primary opportunities presented to the UICA right now are the new building and new constituents that will come with it. Moving to the new building will be bring increased visibility and program options, resulting in an influx of more people being introduced to the UICA. The UICA can take advantage of these opportunities by inviting the public for tours of the new building to show off the structure and also educate people about what the UICA does. Now is the time to really focus on outreach and using new and old connections alike to network and collaborate more than ever. External Challenges The external challenges presented to the UICA largely focus on competition for both funding and clients. First, there is competition among all nonprofits for funding. The UICA will need to emphasize its mission and the importance of arts and culture in its fundraising efforts. In addition, the UICA faces competition for funding among the various arts and culture organizations. It will need to distinguish itself from other arts organizations and highlight what makes it unique to express to arts enthusiasts why they should choose to support the UICA. Lastly, there is competition for clients, which is also a source of revenue for the UICA. There are other art museums and schools in Grand Rapids. What makes the UICA stand out from the rest of the art museums and schools in Grand Rapids is that its programs and classes keep clients coming back. This is an advantage and the UICA should remain focused on keeping things fresh and new to encourage repeat clients.

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Strategic Issues
Issue One: Mission Statement: How does the UICA best expression its mission?
From concentrating energy and clarifying purpose to attracting valuable resources and engaging community, a well-defined mission statement serves an organization in a variety of ways. The UICAs original mission statement, while inspiring, is broad, unfocu sed and provides little information to staff or the community about intent and audience.

Original Mission Statement: The mission of the UICA is to stimulate transformative human experiences fueled by extraordinary creative activity

With modest adjustments, the mission statement becomes more focused and retains freedom to explore innovative opportunities.

Amended Mission Statement: The mission of the UICA is to stimulate transformative human experiences fueled by exposure to and discussion of contemporary arts in West Michigan

The amended statement conveys public value (stimulating transformative human experiences), what may be expected of the organization (exposure to and discussion of contemporary arts), and where the organization is focused (West Michigan). This will allow staff to rally around a clear and shared understanding of the UICAs purpose and the

12 organization may brand itself more effectively within the community, both within the region and the larger arts sector.

Issue Two: Mission Integrity and Growth: How does the UICA stay true to its mission in light of growth? (Should we stay local or position the UICA in the national spotlight? What is the end goal of our long-term vision?)
The UICA is uniquely positioned in West Michigan and serves its constituents through a variety of exhibitions, programs and special events throughout the year. As the UICA continues to develop and takes a more substantial position in the community, the organization must select opportunities that best fit the mission and remain true to the UICAs vision and values and resist the temptation to appeal to broad client preferences. Additionally, the UICA has historically offered youth and adult classes in clay, photography, painting, printmaking, literature and expressive arts, however, classes have been limited to only clay for the past three years. The highly public move, location, and new facility will encourage membership and the organization should be prepared to meet demand. Exhibitions Exhibitions are the UICAs greatest contributor to creating public value and yet are the biggest strategic challenge in a number of ways. First, exhibits are the organizations foremost attraction but are free to the public, creating zero revenue. It is important as the UICA develops to transition repeat attendees from consumers to members and eventually donors. Second, as the UICA takes a prominent position downtown, the organization may feel pressure to select mainstream installations that will appeal to the masses and bring in larger crowds. The

13 UICA must consider the growing arts and culture sector in Grand Rapids and keep the mission, vision, and values at the forefront of the organizations consciousness. The UICA fills a niche within the community that is not addressed by similar organizations, e.g., the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and will continue to succeed by remaining cutting-edge and focused on contemporary arts. Strategic goals should include: o Creating an imaginative program of exhibitions that are meaningful to the UICAs varied communities and are of local, national, and international importance, o Offering a stimulating and relevant exhibition schedule to attract new audiences and promote ongoing participation from existing members and visitors, while retaining the integrity of the UICAs mission, and o Establishing stable and reliable funding for exhibitions. Programs and Activities Strategic goals should include: o Placing education at the center of the UICAs public service role. o Providing facilities with multi-use spaces and plan for increased staff in order to expand education services o Increasing the number of studio programs, offer them during after-work hours and market them aggressively o Providing facilities and resources for an artist-in-residence program o Increasing communication and accessibility between the UICA and schools

14 o Increasing the number of youth studio classes to meet the demand and need in the community o Offering consultation services to help teachers use the UICA exhibitions as a resources for curriculum development Special Events Strategic goals should include: o Bringing local, national, and international guest speakers to the UICA o Exploring alliances and projects with other cultural institutions, e.g. St. Cecilias Music Center, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids Symphony, etc, with a view toward leveraging the communitys resources and enhancing effectiveness

The Vision Statement The UICAs current vision statement (Guiding Principles) is detailed and provides an encompassing description of what its reasons for existence are. As the transition to the new structure takes place however, this vision statement must be updated. Concerns over the changing needs of stakeholder and the pressures that this will place on the organization requires a clear approach to future planning. The difficulty lies in balancing original goals and mission with the transition to the new location, larger financial commitment, and larger community of individuals served. As the UICA increases its presence on a local (and potentially national scale) it is important that the UICA remain true to its values and seeks to maintain a focus on education, expression, creativity, collaboration, and outreach.

15 The vision must be broad enough to encompass the variety of changes and new demographics that will become part of the UICAs constituents. Yet, the vision must remain focused enough so that the original basis for the organization is not lost due to competing interests from newer members, funding requirements, and business pressures. For these reasons, a clearer and simpler version is proposed.

Original Vision Statement (Guiding Principals): Through compelling presentations, studio programs, youth development, and expressive arts therapies, we actively challenge both artists and audiences to new levels of dialogue, creative pursuit, reflection, and illumination. UICA initiates conversation in response to visual art, music, film, literature, dance, and performance art featuring regional, national, and international artists groundbreaking work that might not otherwise find a venue in Michigan.

Adjusted Vision Statement: The UICA will serve the communities of Greater Grand Rapids and beyond through outreach and organizational partnership; being committed to making the arts accessible by promoting expression and providing education.

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Issue Three: Partnership and Collaboration: How do we best use partnerships and collaborations to create public value?
The UICA, with its new location, has an updated face and is in a strong position to increase its influence within the community. With a strong background of support and a push toward increased revenue and influence (as discussed in other areas of this report), the UICA must determine how to properly handle its community and business partnerships. Potential concern lies with the growth of interested shareholders from the Heartside community to the area of Greater Grand Rapids. To smooth this transition, we suggest increasing intentional business relationships with key players in the Grand Rapids area. By increasing partnership, the UICA will create a larger platform from which to express issues that have public value. Public value, or that which is created and maintained for the betterment of all, is an important aspect of keeping Grand Rapids vibrant and diverse. The UICA has already started this process with the implementation of a mixed space in their new location. This allows for a fluid transition across the Futon street line on Division Avenue encouraging increased traffic to the South Side of Downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to this, the UICA has partnerships with programs such as ArtPrize (whom they rent space to). We would suggest the increase of strategic alliances with additional major players in downtown as a way to promote the arts and pull in various demographics of Grand Rapids. Additionally, by creating strategic alliances, the UICA will increase their ability to endure unforeseen circumstances. We suggest establishing preliminary partnership programs in various sectors to determine the validity and worth of the relationship.

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Suggestions for partnership include: o Buy-in of combination deals (ex. offering the UICA as part of a continuing education program) o Exchange corporate sponsorship for event hosting and other insider perks. This would not only increase revenue, but would advertise the UICA to demographics that might not be exposed otherwise. o Establish stronger partnerships with food providers that fit the trendy and modern feel of the UICA (examples such as The Gilmore Collection and The Electric Cheetah Restaurants). Before undertaking relationships with other entities it is important that the UICA clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the separate parties involved, as well as determine if the organizations that are being brought on board stand for the values and vision of the UICA. These steps are important as ambiguity and disinterest may lead to conflict of interest or a subtle skewing of the stance that the UICA takes on issues (in order to maintain positive relations with these organizations). As the UICA continues to grow in physical stature and public awareness, its influence increases. Without a clear understanding of where the organization is going and how it can work with other organizations it stands the chance of catering to the desires of 3rd parties. By catering to the interests of private corporations, the UICA stands to undermine public value. Relationships must be carefully balances in order to encourage cross-sector communication

18 with its mission of cultural renewal and a focus of fringe art and original community. Relationships with external parties offers advantages but also risks.

Issue Four: Adequate Funding: How do we ensure adequate funding as the UICA ventures into a new home?

With the opening of the new building, the UICA needs to ensure adequate funding now more than ever. There are going to be new expenses and new revenue streams needed to ensure functionality. The goals necessary to ensure adequate funding are to establish a sustainable funding plan, to ensure multiple channels so that funding is dispersed and more sustainable, and to address the expense budget to ensure sustainability. In order to establish a sustainable funding plan and ensure diverse funding sources, we recommend the UICA to apply the strategy of establishing a fundraising goal. The purpose of establishing a fundraising goal is so that development staff members have a clear target to work for and knowledge of what they need to achieve adequate funding. The development staff will know how much they need to raise, and achieve that number for the success of the UICA. The goal will also be to make sure the funding sources are diverse to ensure sustainable funding. This strategy directly impacts the goal of sustaining adequate funding because it directly relates to revenue raised for funding the UICA. The stakeholders that will need to be a part of this strategy include the Executive Director, the development staff, as well as the board and fundraising volunteers. In addition to raising funds, the UICA also needs to evaluate its program and service pricing, which is the next strategy that we recommend to implement. The purpose of

19 evaluating costs to clients is to make sure that programs and services are offered at prices that are affordable to clients yet also achieve the financial goals of the UICA. This strategy directly affects the issue of sustainable funding because a large part of the UICAs funding is revenue from programs and services. The stakeholders that are crucial to program and service costs are the Executive Director, the program and service leaders, and also the clients because they are the ones who will be affected by any pricing strategy.

Issue Five: Marketing to the Public: How do we best market to our communities, especially to non-artists?
The UICA is in beginning a new era with its move to the new building, and it is important to spread their mission to the public. Many of the public may not have heard of the UICA before or know what it offers. The goals for this issue will be to create a marketing plan that introduces the public to the UICA, and provide outreach services to invite new people to programs. The consequences of not addressing the issue of marketing to the public will prohibit the UICA from truly achieving its mission and vision. The mission and vision include the words stimulate, promoting, and outreach. Getting the message out about the UICA to the general public is vital for its success. The first strategy that we recommend the UICA execute is to implement a billboard campaign in West Michigan. The purpose of implementing a billboard campaign is to general public will be exposed to the UICA. This strategy addresses the issue of marketing to the public because it puts the UICAs message directly in front of the public. The main stakeholders that

20 are crucial for this strategy are the marketing department and the Executive Director. Other key stakeholders are members of the general public who will see the message. Another cost-effective strategy is to create and implement a social media plan. The purpose of creating a social media plan is to broaden the awareness of the UICA and to build public loyalty by interacting with the public through social media. This strategy directly affects the issue of marketing because it is a low/no-cost way to engage the public and spread the message of the UICA. The key stakeholders to implement the social media plan are the members of the marketing department. The general public will also be key stakeholders in social media.

Monitoring and Evaluating


Several measures can be used to track the success of the proposed strategies for the UICA. Mission evaluation Bi-annual check-ins are suggested to evaluate the UICAs alignment with its mission and vision. In order to determine the adherence to the UICAs mission, a 30% check to determine art content is recommended. By continuing to emphasize at least a 30% local content in exhibits, the UICA will be able to maintain its connection to its roots. Pressure or difficulty in maintaining this percentage suggests that the UICA has potentially shifted toward another phase in its lifespan, and a new strategic analysis would be of benefit. Partnership and collaboration can first be monitored by feedback from parties involved. Periodic reviews (quarterly, bi-annually) to determine satisfaction of parties involved would be beneficial and indicate a the health of the relationship. Public value, by its nature is somewhat

21 difficult to determine. To assure that partnerships are working toward public value, it is suggested that relationships and outcomes are evaluated against specific criteria by an independent third party. Ensuring adequate funding will be measured first by the ability to function successfully. It will also be measured by the goals that are set for fundraising and if the development department is able to meet those goals each year. The number of clients will be a key indicator to measure whether the pricing evaluation strategy is achieving its purpose. The success of marketing initiatives can be most accurately measured by a series of public awareness surveys before and after any tactics are implemented to see if there is a shift in the number of people who are aware of the UICA. The UICA may also track if the billboard campaign is successful by tracking new clients who say that they saw the billboard and it prompted them to come in. Social media success can be tracked by number of likes on Facebook and followers on Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, it will be important to measure activity and conversations on these tools as well to achieve their full potential.

Conclusion
The new facility will allow the UICA to more effectively contribute to the community while attracting and retaining creative, urban-oriented professionals in West Michigan. The strategies presented in this report will help the UICA to focus on the issues in order to position it for success as it makes a drastic transition into a new home and a new era.

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References
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts. (N.D.). Retrieved from http://www.uica.org Zuidervaart, Lambert. Art in Public. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.

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