Making the case
The model MAP360 has developed since 2018 is not place-specific. It is place-responsive. The conditions that make it powerful in Montgomery, AL exist across a much wider landscape of American communities that have been overlooked, underestimated, and underserved by mainstream philanthropy.
the case for public art
Arts and culture generate measurable economic and social returns wherever they are consistently supported. The evidence is robust and well-documented. Taken together, this data describes one of the most compelling philanthropic opportunities in American arts and culture today.
The Human and Economic imapact
The economic and human evidence supporting the impact of public art is overwhelming. According to Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity study (2023):
MAP360 is continuing a cultural tradition of public art. Its goal is to revitalize a proven strategy for stronger, more connected, more resilient communities, which it began in Montgomery, Alabama and has scaled as far as Paris, France.
The Southern Funding gap & disproportionate return
MAP360 launched its programs in 2018 in the 54 mile corridor from Montgomery to Selma, AL. The gap between the cultural significance of this place and the resources directed to it is one of the most striking mismatches in American philanthropy:
The South is ready for a rennaisance
what comes next is wholly global
Like the Montgomery–Selma corridor -- from the "Rust Belt' where industrial cities have been left behind, to Appalachia spanning 13 states, to the Mississippi Delta, the Great Plains, and beyond -- cultural momentum is building, civic energy is engaged, and the conditions for broader transformation are in place.
Revitalization research has proven to be consistent. Durable economic transformation begins not with large capital deployment, but also with visible cultural activation.
In fragile downtowns, perception often precedes investment. Streets need to feel alive before investors feel confident. Foot traffic must grow before small businesses can stabilize.
The momentum for change is real and the talent exists in communities worldwide. Sustained Philanthropic investment in Art as Infrastructure is the catalyst.
The glory of art is that it can not only survive change, it can lead it.
--Robert Redford, actor, activist, philanthropist