Arts Survey Results
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The Arts and Culture Survey results are in! Thanks to everyone who participated and encouraged others to do so. Over 90 people completed the survey. The results show strong support for existing arts programs and expanding arts events in the community.
Arts and Culture Survey
City of York – Creative District Input
June 2023
This summer City of York staff used Polco technology to create a user-friendly online survey to gather input on arts and cultural preferences of a broad range of members of the York community. The survey was available in English and in Spanish. The survey opened in early June and various forms of outreach occurred through most of June before the survey closed June 22, 2023. Draft results from the survey were shared with core Creative Arts District planners via email and discussed together on June 28, 2023. This report of the results will be shared with the Creative District core group as well as those who expressed an interest in getting involved, and those who participated in the survey and left an email. It will also be posted for public view on the city’s website and social media.
Many individuals throughout the community helped with outreach to generate participation in the survey. A post with a link to the survey was placed on the city website front page, sent out via the city app with a link, and posted on the City Facebook, Parks Facebook, and Convention Center Facebook pages. The link was also sent out to various Library committees via email. Core members were encouraged to share the Facebook posts and/or share the link via email. The survey was sent out via Chamber community emails and emails to Young Professionals and Chamber Ambassadors. Posters and cards were printed with the QR code for the survey and the posters were distributed throughout town and at the Farmer’s Market. Cards were distributed at the Farmer’s Market and at other locations. The survey was available in English and Spanish. A bilingual leader in the community helped to distribute a Spanish prompt for the survey through his networks. (The QR code worked for both English and Spanish versions of the survey).
In the end, 94 people responded to the survey. The demographic data shows that 9% of the responses came from individuals self-identifying as Hispanic, which exceeds percent of Hispanic residents reported by the 2020 Census. In our first round of discussions for the Creative District Workbook, one of the weaknesses that we identified was lack of language diversity. We intentionally made progress on this front through providing a Spanish version of the survey that was accessible with the same QR code.
The results come from a wide range of ages with ages with participation relatively evenly split across the ages of 25 to 64. High school youth who were involved in the Youth Advisory Board and the first round of Creative District discussions were emailed an invitation to participate and encouraged to urge their peers to participate. However, few high school students responded. Residents over 65 also participated less in the survey. The participants were about evenly divided between those with children in the home and those without.
Arts & Culture Responses
Overall, the survey showed strong support for increasing the availability of arts and cultural events in the community. Over 80% of the respondents indicated that they would like to see more public art in the community. Performances, food, and art shows emerged as areas of particular interest.
The survey sought feedback with closed-ended and open-ended questions. Participants were asked about types of arts events that they have attended and types of arts events that they would be likely to attend if it were provided. In two open-ended questions, participants were asked to list their favorite arts and cultural events that they had attended in York and to indicate what arts and cultural events they would like to see in the community.
The responses that York residents gave about what arts and cultural events they have attended in the past year affirm our recognition in the first round of our conversations that performing arts are a key arts strength in the community. Music events and plays show up as most often attended in the community.
The responses to a question of how likely the participant would be to attend different types of artistic or cultural events also show strong in interest in music and theater. However, the results also show strong interest in a wide variety of other types of arts events. Stand up comedy, art shows and community fun events all have high “very likely” ratings. Overall the results also show an interest in a wide range of types of arts activities. Live dances and cultural lectures score lowest, but even for these two types of events over 60% of respondents say that they would be somewhat likely or very likely to attend this kind of event.
The open-ended questions yielded a rich array of responses. A word cloud of the responses appears on the next page. Again, performance art shows up as a strength in terms of favorite art activities that community members have attended. The open-ended responses in terms of what people would like to see includes many creative ideas for the Creative District and other community entities to consider. As the word cloud shows, music and concerts emerged as a strong theme in terms of events that people in York would like to see provided more often. Over 30 of the responses to this question discussed some kind of music event, ranging from outdoor concerns to a community band to a Hispanic D.J. event. A sorted list of the responses to the open-ended question about what residents would like to see appears as an Appendix to this study.
The survey also encouraged respondents to indicate if they would like to be more involved in arts activities in the community. Thirty-eight of the respondents indicated an interest in being more involved. Many of these names are names of individuals who are not deeply engaged at this time. A key challenge for the Creative District moving forward will be to develop a governance structure that is able encourage more participation from a broader set of individuals in the community.
APPENDIX
SORTED ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION ABOUT EVENTS THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
MUSIC RESPONSES
Live music in a park …
Music events outside, poetry readings,
More live music,
More music. As an individual I would go hear bands, and as a family we would go to symphony/orchestras.
live bands
Outdoor music and dancing
Community choir
anything music related
Summer concert series..
Summer concerts in the Park, any type of music
Arts in the park, music concerts
More downtown live music
Live music in the park. Then you could show art.
Classical musical soloists (vocal or instrumental), hosting events for kids, such as Sing Around Nebraska, hosting events for solo piano and other instruments in Existing venues (high school theatre, YC fine arts Bldg. and some church buildings. For example, a yearly concert series (similar to Columbus), bringing in guest or local musicians.
Art/music in the park/downtown in a bandshell Place for local musicians to showcase their talents on a regular basis.
Any live music or art shows. Definitely more things for toddlers to do, including 1 and 2 year Olds.
Bandstand type events
Live outdoor music
I REALLY want there to be a community band and/or community choir in York. I would join both. A Youth choir would also be amazing. Anything I could do to assist in getting such organizations off the ground, just let me know.
Live music of all kinds
Broadway type musicals
Music on the Square
live music
More live music from local bands and artists
Community free live music
music in the park
Jazz
Free outdoor summer concerts - varies artist and food vendors - highlighting varies foods from all over world.
Hispanic DJs and bands would be enjoyable
Community band and choirs for adults and teens
Concerts
traveling music groups (ie choirs, bands)
regular concerts from local artists.
Outside dance events.
ART DISPLAY OR EVENT RESPONSES
An "Art in the Park" event where artists display their work that is for sale.
community art
Would like to see public art displayed for sale/auction, ,
Interactive public art
Art Shows
An art show/sale featuring local artists, where each has a booth to show of and sell their artwork.
Art Shows, Quilt or fabric Art Shows
An art fair would be fun
Maybe downtown art walk
I would love to see an art walk downtown. Where local artist can set up in different places downtown to showcase their art.
Temporary large art
Art shows in parks or Downtown Square
I would love to see more murals around town
visual art stops for the annual sip and stroll.
public art, more of those water towers for fundraising
public art pieces such as murals as well as public sculptures similar to the water balloons but continued projects. Lincoln continuously does these every so often with the lightbulbs, hears, hands, etc. Also the lights in the Haymarket next to Ivanna Cone in that alley are a cool idea. The public art murals in combination with the lights reminiscent of electrical lines there could be neat to incorporate in town. I’m reminded how there have been art pieces hung in the alley now next to Daylight Donuts. Perhaps we could make that alley or the one between Cornerstone and the Elks a artistic feature for downtown?
CULTURAL EVENT RESPONSES
more cultural events - especially if they are food related.
International food event
International festival, cultural foods, art or photography display
,A Christmas tree lighting event
multi cultural festival …
Ethnic cultural events
cultural events celebrating and educating about our differences and what we all have in common..
Hispanic celebration
I would like to see something that taps into our hispanic population--food, music, etc. I love art exhibits and listening to acapella or acoustic music groups outdoors.
African American History Native American History
More cultural art, such as pow wows and the like
Activities with the Hispanic Community, cultural Activities
- street festival! I think the town of York would enjoy it! food trucks, vendors, live music and other entertainment! this could be a thing for Hispanic heritage month, a celebration for Cinco de Mayo, or the day of the dead. All 3 would be great options! always told my husband York needs a festival of some sort! 2. Dance - Hispanics enjoy parties when there is a DJ or Banda (band).
a multicultural parade would be AMAZING. All the vibrant colors that each culture has would be so cool to see going down the streets of York.
cultural parades or international festivals with college students
COMEDY RESPONSES
Comedy shows would be great as well.
stand up night,
Kilgore Memorial Library - Comedian
More food events, comedy shows
Stand up Comedy and historical lectures
Standup or improv comedy
MAKER SPACE RESPONSES
A shop where a person could learn to do art work there like painting, printing on shirts, 3 D printing, etc.
I would like to see a maker space developed, something like innovation studio on the UNL campus
free art lessons, free or low cost fabric art
THEATER RESPONSES
dinner theater
We enjoyed going with the high school students to the Orpheum to see To Kill A Mockingbird....Transportation was included... with a stop for supper.
mystery/performance dinner shows
Theatre in the park.
HISTORY RESPONSES
History
historical tours
history stuff
Celebrations of York and York County’s history and what makes our town unique. -Renaissance/Old West/etc type weekend immersion type events
Combining the Anna Bemis Palmer Museum with a small art gallery in a building
An innovative or interactive self-guided space where self-guided tours could be conducted as displays or topics are presented.
FOOD RESPONSES – ALSO SEE CULTURAL EVENTS WITH FOOD
Food truck event, sip & paint.
have art vendors set up along the trail with Food Trucks. We could start with once a year and depending on it's success have it monthly in Spring/Summer.
MISCELLANEOUS RESPONSES
Community talent shows
Open mic night
Car show,
Antique car show Ike Model T or Model A; muscle car show - like mustangs, chargers, corvettes, etc;
more adult activities.
A place to hosts friends or colleagues with ambience, light music or entertainment, or light appetizers for an evening. A winery or brewery
Martial art opportunities, for the edification of the mind and body, the improved health and wellbeing of our community, and cultural and historical preservation and education.