... no book can make you a self-sufficient expert in building an arts facility. You will still need help from people who have created facilities of their own, staff at local and state agencies, and consultants with specific expertise. But this book provides a link between the layperson and the technical worlds of architectural design, politics, finance and real estate. Whether you are a performer or arts administrator, a patron of the arts, an activist in community affairs, or a local government employee, you will learn what kind of resources you need, where to look for them, and how to produce the building most suited to the needs of arts organizations, artists and the community.

This book was written with the economy of the 1990s in mind. The chapters on funding and real estate in particular present business strategies to help arts organizations cope with reduced funding from the federal government and other traditional sources. Not all material here will apply directly to your situation. What we have tried to present is an overall strategy based on numerous first-hand observations of the cultural facility building process and discussions with experts in various technical fields. Any group planning to build or remodel an arts facility should find useful information throughout. Where appropriate - as in Chapters 9 and 10, which deal with design standards for particular arts forms - facilities for the visual arts are distinguished from buildings for the performing arts. (p. 1-2).

CONTENTS
Why you need this book and how to use it.

Explore ideas:

  1. Getting organized to explore.
  2. Community and government support.
  3. Funding sources and strategies.
  4. Real estate.
  5. Professional consultants.

Test your ideas:

  6. Feasibility studies.

Make the big decision:

  7. Stop, caution, or go?

Develop a building plan:

  8. The building program.
  9. Design standards - performing arts.
10. Design standards - visual arts.
11. Special cases - Mixed use, renovating and remodeling.
12. Design and construction.

Prepare for opening day:

13. Arts facility operations.

Appendix:
     A. Financial feasibility worksheets.
     B. Design competitions.
     C. Building codes.
     D. Case study list.
     E. Technical assistance and consultant resources [contact list].
Further reading [bibliography].
Index.

No book can make you a self-sufficient expert in building an arts facility. You will still need help from people who have created facilities of their own, staff at local and state agencies, and consultants with specific expertise. But this book provides a link between the layperson and the technical worlds of architectural design, politics, finance and real estate. Whether you are a performer or arts administrator, a patron of the arts, an activist in community affairs, or a local government employee, you will learn what kind of resources you need, where to look for them, and how to produce the building most suited to the needs of arts organizations, artists and the community.