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A town-wide survey was commissioned by The Portsmouth Arts Guild on behalf of the committee’s work to assess the level of interest in and support for building a community arts center in Portsmouth. It was supported by grants from The Rhode Island Foundation, BankNewport, The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), and The Portsmouth Arts Guild.
The survey firm was Dreeszen & Associates of Florence, Mass., which had recently completed an arts survey for the City of Providence and was highly recommended by RISCA. The survey was preceded by a series of focus groups in October 2009 to help sharpen the survey instrument, and the survey itself was mailed in January 2010 to 7,305 Portsmouth households. It had a 13 percent return with 957 respondents replying and a 3 percent margin of error.
The synopsis of the survey findings was stated in its executive summary as follows: “A survey of Portsmouth households found high interest and participation in cultural programs and strong agreement that a community center for the arts would benefit the town. Respondents also indicated the kinds of cultural programs they most valued. Half of respondents thought it a good idea to build an arts center as Portsmouth cultural needs were not adequately met. When questioned about funding however, fewer residents thought that an arts center was feasible. When asked about how to pay for building a center, residents’ opinions were mixed about its feasibility, and many were skeptical about the timing of construction. A third of respondents supported municipal bond funding.”
More specifically, the survey found that:
- 83 percent attended cultural programs and institutions locally and elsewhere
- 41 percent had created visual art or craft work in the last 12 months
- Three-quarters were likely to attend programs at a community center for the arts
- More than three-quarters agreed that a community center for the arts would enhance the quality of life in Portsmouth
- 83 percent agreed that a center for the arts would provide a place to gather in community
- 84 percent agreed that a center for the arts would provide classes for children and adults
- 81 percent agreed that a center for the arts would improve access to local artists and performers
- 58 percent agreed that a center for the arts would help attract residents and businesses
- 57 percent agreed that a center for the arts would contribute to the town’s economy.
While more than half (56%) responded that Portsmouth needs a community arts center because residents’ cultural and educational needs are not adequately met with other organizations on Aquidneck Island, the feasibility of building such a center was shown to be more complicated.
Half agreed that it was a good idea to build a community center for the arts as a home for classes, exhibitions, events, performances and a community gathering space. Yet six in ten agreed that there are adaptable public spaces in the town that could accommodate the arts without building a new center. The same percentage felt that the town could not afford to build an arts center when the town had other pressing needs. More than a third (34%) agreed that a bond-supported center was a good idea; another 19 percent were unsure.
Finally, 369 stated they would be willing to pay either $20 or $30 per year for 20 years for a bond issue to build a community arts center, 247 indicated that no taxpayer funds should be used for such a project, and 229 (perhaps some of the same 247 against tax funding) indicated they were not in favor of building a community arts center at all. Another group of 277 indicated that they needed more information before responding.
As for private funding of a community arts center, about 45 percent indicated that they would be willing to contribute toward construction, but a third indicated that they would make no contribution.
One could conclude from this study that there is substantial support for the arts and a community arts center in Portsmouth and that the residents’ needs in that area are not currently adequately met with other organizations on Aquidneck Island. A second conclusion is that an expenditure of public funds for the center is less popular because of the current economy and the Town’s other pressing needs. The committee believes that the survey is not definitive in answering the question as to whether a $3-million bond issue would prevail or not, as the number of “undecideds” could swing the outcome depending on how they felt when they received additional information.
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