A Puzzling Situation: Piecing Together a Healthier, More Cohesive Cultural Sector in Philadelphia

I like puzzles. My family recently took up completing 1000 and 2000-piece puzzles as a hobby and they, as you would expect, take eons to complete. But the sense of accomplishment you feel when you finally finish one of these behemoths is rewarding.

As I read for class this week I found myself thinking of my family’s newfound enjoyment of puzzles, particularly because one of the readings, the 2009 TDC report, Building a Sustainable Future for History Institutions, advised nonprofits in Philadelphia’s cultural sector to consider their place within the greater cultural landscape and to capitalize on that. They, in essence, described the cultural sector which is overflowing with nonprofits, as a puzzle. Each nonprofit is but one piece of a very large puzzle.

• This map, created by CultureBlocks, provides a visual representation of how many arts and cultural nonprofits there are in Philadelphia. Image found in Patrick Kerkstra's article, "Down to the Parcel, ‘CultureBlocks’ Maps Philly Arts and Culture," from 2013. https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/down-to-the-parcel-cultureblocks-maps-philly-arts-and-culture.

If any cultural institution in Philadelphia seems to understand this it is the Philadelphia History Museum, originally called the History Center of Philadelphia. In their 1996 article, The Vision for a History Center in Philadelphia, the History Center presented themselves as a hub that could provide their audience with a comprehensive history of Philadelphia, from the earliest Swedish settlers to the present. To do this, they would present temporary exhibits based on collections from other history museums in the city.

Their piece in this puzzle seemed to fall in the middle, showcasing the histories interpreted in other historical institutions while meeting their own mission of providing a comprehensive historical experience for Philadelphians. Now, it is worth noting that if it is important to understand one’s institution’s place in the greater system theoretically, it is also worth considering one’s physical place within the layout of cultural nonprofits throughout the city. Hive account@charliehersh expertly points out the issues here in their post Philadelphia History Museum(s). It is also worth considering that, despite their mission matching the theory put forth a decade later by TDC, the Philadelphia History Museum has struggled to fulfill this and maintain good financial health.

• The Philadelphia History Museum today.

Perhaps the problem here is individual to the Philadelphia History Museum, but wouldn’t you think, based on the TDC’s theory of a greater network to work within, that they would thrive? This makes me question the feasibility of this theory within a capitalist setting, within which nonprofits emphasize capitalization. Given the generally poor financial health among all Philadelphia’s nonprofits, should we consider something different? The model of the puzzle seems like a good starting point, but perhaps instead of just understanding one’s place, or even branching outwards to collaborate with other institutions as the Philadelphia History Museum intended to, this theoretical network should be financial as well as related to content. Hive account@charliehersh suggested this more democratic distribution of wealth as well, and I think this is worth teasing out. How might this work? What might it look like?

What might happen if within that network there was a ubiquitous cashflow flowing between all cultural nonprofits in Philadelphia? Larger institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art would likely need to restructure their finances but consider the potential benefit for smaller organizations. What flaws do you think this system might exhibit? How might the cultural sector respond? Can you think of any other systems that might be more beneficial for all of Philadelphia’s nonprofits? How might you tweak my own hypothetical remedy?

100% of the SBD rewards from this #explore1918 post will support the Philadelphia History initiative Hive account@phillyhistory. This crypto-experiment is part of a graduate course at Temple University's Center for Public History and is exploring history and empowering education to endow meaning. To learn more click here.

Sources:

1. Elizabeth Cabral Curtis and Susan Nelson , Building a Sustainable Future for History Institutions: A Systemic Approach An Introduction to the History System Project, (Technical Development Corporation, Inc., 2009).

2. The History Center in Philadelphia, The Vision for a History Center in Philadelphia, 1996.

3. Charlie Hersh, Philadelphia History Museum(s), February 17, 2018. https://steemit.com/philadelphia/@charliehersh/philadelphia-history-museum-s. (Accessed 2/19/18).