South Pasadena Public Arts Program

South Pasadena Public Arts Program

Background

The town of South Pasadena is characterized by a number of professionals who have interest in artistic works. The South Pasadena Arts program was started in the city of South Pasadena to help showcase these unique artistic works that are made by the people residing within the town (South Pasadena, 2014). The program ensures that there is the provision of the interactive art performance and visual arts programs. This is achieved by the organization through collaboration with businesses, the local business community, community organizations and the South Pasadena Unified School District. The program is being coordinated by the South Pasadena Arts Council, SPARC. The South Pasadena Arts Council has a strong belief that through the use of arts, individuals are able to be enriched in their lives (Baker, 2001). The council also believes that arts are important to the social, educational and economic well being of the people of South Pasadena. The program is open to all actors, artists, musicians, directors, playwrights, producers, set designers, dancers, storytellers, writers, art lovers, art patrons, costume designers, singers and any other individuals interested in helping the arts in South Pasadena to thrive and survive. The artists who are interested to become members of the program are required to pay the registration fee to the particular group of interest within the South Pasadena Arts.

This research paper mainly focuses on one of the programs of the South Pasadena Arts called the Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk. The research paper investigates various issues on the Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk. Some of the issues investigated in this research paper include; the mission statement of the organization, activities and events, major accomplishment, staff and volunteers, the organization structures, the challenges of the organization, its funding and its creation among other issues.

Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk

Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk is one of the programs that were started by South Pasadena Arts. Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk was started with an aim of celebrating and showcasing the diverse, rich and amazing musicians that lives in and around the South Pasadena town (Eclectic Music Festival &Art Walk, 2014).  This was meant to offer a reflection of the community which is regarded as fiercely independent and rich in music and art concepts. The Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk program was initially started in 2008 and featured Justo Almario who performed amazingly during that time at the parking lot. The following year after the inception of the Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk, the group went further and constructed three more stages, a number of art galleries, a district of Indy merchants, boutiques and cafes.

The Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk program has now become a place of more fun and funky.  Since its inception a number of musicians have performed at Eclectic Music Festival over the years.  The Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk is one of the organizations that emerge from the main vibrant and creative community in South Pasadena.  The town of South Pasadena is characterized with people who are creative.  The first Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk produced in 2009 by the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce in the year 2009 with a number of musicians including Stan Ridgway. Since its inception the organizations has been able to have several live music performance from various musicians such as Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, David Lindley, Mark Isham, Billy Child and The Young Dubliners. The Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk organization has grown from the initial party held at the parking lot to a regional festival that is attended by the whole community.

 

Literature review

Organization can be defined as social entity that is structured and managed so as to meet a collective goals and objectives (Pettigrew et al, 2001). Organizations can exist in various forms that include profit oriented organizations, community organizations, nongovernmental organizations and international organizations. All organizations are formed with an aim of meeting a particular objective. This is achieved through developing appropriate aims and objectives of the organization. The mission and vision statements therefore play an important role in the organizations structure. The mission and vision statements of organizations will act as a guiding principle for the organizations so as to accomplish their objectives.

Another important element of organization that can determine its success in accomplishing the objectives is the organization structure. The structure of an organization is designed in such a way that will ensure that it meets it objectives (Grunig & Huang, 2000). There are a number of factors that can determine organization structure such as the nature of organization, size, number of employees and its objectives. Most organizations are being headed by chief executives officer who are responsible for all the operations of the organization. Effective organizations also have independent board of directors who are elected from various stakeholders of the organizations. The independent board of directors is responsible for overseeing the operation of the organization.

It is important organizations to set clear aims and objectives. The aims and objectives of organization should be aimed at satisfying the needs of individuals. This should be ensured through consideration of the group targeted by organization. When starting organization, it is important for individual to identify the need of the targeted customers so as to be able to come up with products that can satisfy the needs of the customers. All organizations are therefore created in response to the identified needs of the society (Dorris, 2012).

Corporate social responsibility has also become a major concern of all organization. Organizations should focus on the welfare of the community through participation in community development programs. The participation of organizations in community projects can ensure that a close relationship is developed between the community and the organization (Dorris, 2012). There are a number of ways through which organizations can participate in the welfare of the community. Sponsoring various communities’ events and environmental conservations and management are some of the initiatives that organization can take cater for the needs of the society.

The success of an organization can be measured by a number of factors such as the profitability, customer’s satisfaction, employee’s satisfaction and major accomplishments. Since an organization is formed to accomplish a certain objective, its success can only be determined by its ability to meet the set objectives. This can be attained through evaluation of the financial performance, customer satisfaction and employment engagement (Grunig & Huang, 2000). The performance of the organization can also be determined by the engagement of the organization in social corporate responsibility programs. Most of the modern organizations are not only interested in making profits and satisfying customers need but also interested in improving the welfare of the community through social corporate responsibility.

Research Methodology

Research methodology involves various methods through which research data are collected and analyzed. There are various methods that can be used to collect data for research such as questionnaires, interviews and secondary sources of data such as academic journals and books. This research used both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary sources of data that were used in this research include survey questionnaires and interviews. The survey questionnaires were distributed to the local community, employees, selected artists, managers, volunteers, sponsors and directors of the organization. The responses from the questionnaires were then used to analyze the data. Secondary sources of data were also used to research on various elements such as the mission of the organization, financial performance, major accomplishments and historical facts of the organization among others.

The findings

The findings obtained from the study are provided under this section. The findings of the study were obtained after analyzing the responses obtained from interviews and questionnaires as well as trough collection of information from secondary sources of data such as books, journals and internet sources.

 

Mission Statement

The mission of the Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk is to advocate and promote music so as to recognize the local artists as a rich source within the city, build an appreciation and understanding of the value of music within the community. The mission of Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk is achieved through provision of an inspiring evening live music on the first Saturday of each year on may. This is conducted in three festival areas, open houses in the Indie Boutiques and Exhibition in Art galleries.  Many people come from South Pasadena as well as the San Gabriel Valley to listen to the musical groups with eclectic cross section styles that includes folk, jazz, rock and roll.

Activities and Events it Participates in or Promotes

Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk organization participates in various activities and events. One of the main activities that the organization participates in is the promotion of music industry within and around the city of South Pasadena.  Through hosting of various music festivals in the city, the organization encourages the development of music industry in the region as well as help nurture new talents that have an interest in music industry.

The organization is also involved in various promotional activities which it mainly uses as a source of raising revenues to keep its operations moving without being affected (Grunig & Huang, 2000). The organization has been able to attract huge crowds due to its live music performance and this has resulted to companies making deals and negotiation with the organization with an aim of promoting and creating awareness of their products. The close relationship that the organization has created with the general public has attracted various companies interested in using the popularity of the organization to gain market for their products and also ensure close relationship with their targeted customers. In this respect the organization plays a vital role of public relations and marketing to various companies (Zikman, 2009).

It can be argued that a part from participating in music activities and festivals, Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk has also resorted to public relations activities where it acts as the main channel through which organizations sells their products. Some of the products that the organization promotes on behalf of various companies include vehicles and guitars among others.  The organizations activities and festivals are nowadays sponsored by various corporations and in return it helps promote their products to the public. This has made many companies to be able to create awareness of their businesses and sell their products to the customers (King, 988).  The company advertises the products of Taylor Guitars, The Lincoln Motor Company, and 89.33 KPCC among others to the audience of the festivals that it organizes among other visitors.

The organization is also having an important section that contains Art Walk gallery. The Art walk contains galleries, open studios and some pop up surprises that originate from South Pasadena. This section also displays various artistic works of the eclectic mix of traditional, contemporary and excellent visuals treats. Some venues in the Art Walk contain some artistic work and live music as well. This enables the organization’s visitors to have access and information regarding the local community.

Major Accomplishments of the Organization

The organization has been able to grow and become one of the biggest music festival event organizers in South Pasadena. It initially started as a party at the parking lot and currently has grown to host major music live performance festivals. The festival has attracted various renowned music artists who conduct live performance at various events.  It has also attracted the attention of volunteers who have provided funds for the construction of various facilities at the premises of the organization. Currently the organization has managed to accumulate significant wealth in terms of assets that includes buildings that houses various businesses and offices at the city of South Pasadena. It has also been able to hold annual music festival each year and invites various renowned and successful artists.

Another major accomplishment of the organization is that it has help nurture local artist to become some of the greatest artist in the region. Many of the local artists have been nurtured by the organization. This has contributed positively to the living standards of the people in the region as the music industry provides a major source of income to majority of the South Pasadena residents. The organization has also grown to become a centre of attraction to various people and tourist. This again has helped raise the standard of living in the city of South Pasadena.

Staff and Volunteers

The organization has a large number of staffs that are made up volunteers, permanent employees and casual laborers. The staff of the organization is estimated to be more than 50 permanent employees. Majority of the employees are however volunteers who come in case their services are needed. However during the music festivals, the number of employees increase significantly since the festivals attracts huge crowd of employees. The Eclectic Music Festival & Art Walk is headed by a manager who reports directly to the Chief executive officer of South Pasadena Arts.

Most of the directors are volunteers who are elected by the stakeholders of the organization. The board of directors is composed of 14 members that include chairman, secretary, treasury and other directors. The directors in most cases are elected from organizations that sponsor events of the organization. The election is done during the annual general meeting.

Organizational Structure

The company is headed by the Board of Directors which is composed of volunteers responsible for providing the leadership and expertise to the organization.  The board of directors provides leadership direction to the chief executive officer of the organization. Below the board of directors is the chief executive officer, the chief executive officer reports to the board of directors. The different departments are headed by managers who reports directly to the chief executive officer.  There are various managers in the organization who are given different responsibilities in their respective environment. The main aim of the managers is to oversee the operations at their respective departments in the organizations. They are responsible for giving guidance to the employees in their assigned departments as well as developing appropriate strategies for their respective departments.

How the Organization Is Funded

The organization is mainly funded through sponsorship programs. There are a number of volunteers and companies who have come up to sponsor the events and projects of the organization. The sponsors who are mainly individuals, families and businesses make contributions to help the organization accomplish its goals as well as hold the annual musical festival events. Some of the businesses also use the organization as a platform to market their products hence gives the organization a fee due to its promotional activities (Kester, 2004). Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk organization also have a website which it uses to market its products as well as promote the products of other companies. These companies therefore pay the organization fees for hosting and promoting their product in their websites. This make the organization to get the necessary funds that it uses to conduct its main activities.

The company is also funded through fees obtained from membership registration. Members who are interested in joining the group register through payment of registration fees. The fees obtained from registration of members are also used to fund the activities of the organization. Majority of members who register in this organization are mainly musicians, artists and other people who are interested in becoming musicians and artists in the future.

Another source of income for the organization is from the various businesses that it operates. For example, the organization operates hotel businesses, sells various products on behalf of companies such as guitars and vehicles among others. Various artists also showcase and sell some of their artifacts in the organization and this also provides it with other sources of income. Other revenues are obtained from a number of assets that are owned by the organization such as buildings.

The Creation of the Organization

Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk organization was created as a result of the high number of musicians in the City of South Pasadena. The city of South Pasadena has high number of individuals who are creative in different ways such as actors, musicians, photographers and dancers among other artist.  The main reason for the creation of the Eclectic Music Festival& Art was to showcase the richness in music of the community in and around South Pasadena. The founders of the organization had a feeling that the community abundant music talents was being wasted hence came up with an idea that will ensure that the community utilize their music talents to their potential.  They also felt that music enriches individuals emotionally and socially and this encouraged them to establish the organization.

The musicians in the South Pasadena community were the main people who were behind the formation of the organization. The local musician groups advocated to be provided with a platform where they could be able to showcase their music talent as well as to help nature the musical talents in the region. Musicians also felt that music is an important source of income hence by investing in music they will be empowered economically and socially so as to be able to live a descent life. The organization also received the support of the community and this led to its establishment.

Organization Participation in Civil Engagement

The organization participates in some civic engagement. One of the areas where the organization participates in civic engagement is towards helping young musicians to realize their career to the potentials. The organization is involved in various music festivals where they help nurture young artist to become successful artist in the future. With this regards, the organization is credited for participating in activities that help raise the welfare of the community hence foster understanding in the community.  It also participates in some of the environmental matters such as conservation of the environments through tree plantations programs. Since soil erosion and environmental degradation is one of the issues of the public concern, it can be argued that it plays an important part toward public relations programs by engaging in activities that ensure improved welfare of the community (Grunig, 2013).

The organization is also actively involved in waste reduction initiatives. It recognizes the fact that the accumulation of waste in the environment could be a health hazard and risk to the community hence engages in activities that will ensure the level of waste in the environment is reduced. Due to its effort towards reduction of waste in the environment, the organization has received an award that recognizes its efforts towards waste reduction initiative in the city of London and its surroundings.

 

 

Challenges of the Organization

The organization has encountered a number of obstacles and limitation at different stages of its operation. The fundamental limitation that the organizations experienced in the initial stages was due to the inadequate fund to run its operation (Alvesson & Kärreman, 2000). During the initial period of its operation, it was difficult for the organization to conduct its activities properly dues to shortage of funds. There was no adequate cash to hold the annual music festivals at the initial stages. This made it impossible for the organization to bring prominent music personalities in music festival. The initial capital was also not enough for the organization to execute its activities effectively. Since all businesses require capital for effective operations, it was impossible for the organization to operate without adequate cash. Lack of adequate cash resulted to a number of inefficiencies in the organization as most of its essential activities were affected (Pettigrew et al, 2001). Another issue that was faced by the organization during the initial period was lack of volunteers and employees to help in running of its affairs and businesses. The volunteers and sponsors were not interested in the activities of the organization hence were unwilling to participate in its activities through contribution of funds and labor.  People were also unwilling to become employed by the company since they felt that the organization was not paying well.  This was also the case with senior management team who were also unwilling to work for the organization due to lack of funds and competitive remuneration.

Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk organization however managed to come up with the solutions to the challenges. It decided to seek for sponsorship program. Its reliance on various corporate organizations enables it to overcome the challenges occasioned by the sponsorship programs. It also engaged with various corporate companies in an agreement which allows them to advertise their products at the various festivals that were held by the organization. This also increases the revenue of the organization significantly. The intense marketing campaign by the organization also attracted the attention of individuals, family members and sponsors who have been making significant contributions to the events and activities of the organization.  The financial problem was also reduced when the organization decided to charge fees for those willing to become members.  Many people also have nowadays volunteered to work for the organizations free of charge at its different functions, events and activities.

Conclusions

South Pasadena through its Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk program has empowered various artists and the residence of the City of South Pasadena. The program has benefited the local community, businesses and artists by improving their welfare and living standards through generation of income. The program has also been a centre of attraction to various peoples around the globe hence a source of revenue to the community. The program has also contributed to the development of the town as indicated by the improved infrastructural activities, new buildings and increased business activities. The Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk is currently an annual festival that is attending by popular artists around the globe and hosts various funs from all parts of the world. It can therefore be concluded that South Pasadena through its Eclectic Music Festival& Art Walk program has been able to meet its major objectives as well as help improve the welfare of the local community.

 

 

 

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