The community arts as a community development strategy : a look into community arts festivals

Creativity is one of the last remaining legal ways of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition -Ed McCabe My background is in the Arts. I see art, the creation of it and its process of creation, as a way of keeping records of ones life. For many artists, it is the way they mentally, physically, spiritually, and economically sustain themselves. This knowledge has led me to investigate if the power of art can do that as well for communities which may need help in building bonds amongst their inhabitants and economic stability. Many development agents have focused primarily on the economic benefits their practices might give to a community. That type of development, based on need, is outdated. Today, development agents are finding that using the assets of a community and the integration of its members develops a more holistic development practice. This capstone gauges the importance of using art festivals as a form of community-driven development and this paper will discusses the outcomes and benefits a development agent can expect when it is applied. Art festivals are surfacing throughout the United States. This research will focus primarily on the community of Park City, Utah and will enlighten readers on how a small mining town headed for devastation in the 60\u27s and 70\u27s became a year-round, economically sustainable community. Finally, this capstone will conclude with my personal experiences of each arts festival and recommendations for further research