Dublin Arts Council and Visit Dublin Ohio recently partnered in a year-long effort to boost Dublin’s cultural tourism. The “Discover Dublin Art” project, supported by a hotel/motel tax grant from the City of Dublin, encouraged visitors to learn more about Dublin’s large-scale permanent artworks while also exploring its smaller collections, exhibitions in the Dublin Arts Council gallery, and other arts and cultural assets.
"Cultural tourism is a term for those who travel to experience unique arts offerings specific to that particular location or region. These offerings may include visual and performing arts, historic sites and festivals,” says Dublin Arts Council Executive Director David S. Guion. “For cultural tourists, getting to know a place, its people and its story is an experiential way to learn about and see the world. Cultural tourism opens one up to the elements of discovery and surprise.”
Public art is often the reason for a road or day trip to Dublin, says Marketing Director Sara Blatnik of Visit Dublin Ohio, Dublin’s destination marketing organization.
Reaching cultural tourists
Photo Courtesy of Shane Lee (ShanaWasHere.com)
Blog photo at Robert Helmick's Leatherlips
Blog photo at Robert Helmick's Leatherlips.
Visit Dublin Ohio heard from Dublin hoteliers that guests were asking for more information about public art. As part of the “Discover Dublin Art” project, the Dublin Arts Council produced new informative cards that were delivered to Dublin hotels and placed in vibrant areas of the community, such as the North Market in Dublin’s Bridge Park retail and residential development.
Bridge Park developers are also working with the Dublin Arts Council to bring more art to the district. Blatnik sees interest in the artwork and the resulting photo opportunities as an enhancement to the Bridge Park visitor experience.
Visit Dublin Ohio has recently added an “Arts & Culture” tab to its website, acknowledging the experiential draw for families, friend groups, couples and solo travelers. A dedicated arts information area has also been added to the Dublin Visitor & Information Center off of High St. in Historic Dublin.
Economic benefit
In their search for authentic, unforgettable experiences, cultural tourists are recognized as staying longer and spending more than the average visitor. Americans for the Arts, a national organization formed to advance the arts in the United States, estimates that the average U.S. arts patron spends $38.40 per person, per day in addition to admission tickets.
Guion notes that the average across various arts programs in Dublin is almost double, with an estimated $68 spent per person, per day.
“Public art is attractive because it’s free and can fill a day,” Blatnik says. “It lowers the cost to visit, but still supports hospitality with food, beverage, shopping and overnight stays.”
Social media impact
Social media is an important tool in each organizations’ ongoing awareness efforts. Dublin Arts Council and Visit Dublin Ohio invited several social media influencers to discover Dublin’s art, resulting in more than double Dublin Arts Council’s usual Instagram growth during the summer months.
In searching for social media influencers and bloggers, the organizations had difficulty finding individuals who specialized in creating content about unique public art and arts experiences across the country. As a result, an unexpected new program is emerging.
Arts professionals’ exchange
Photo Courtesy of Nick Lee
Akron artist Nick Lee
To enrich the cultural tourism landscape in Ohio and expand awareness in geographic areas within a day’s travel, the Dublin Arts Council proposed a collaborative effort between the Dublin Arts Council and ArtsNow, an Akron-based organization dedicated to leveraging the arts and culture in Summit County.
Guion and Dublin Arts Council’s Communications Manager Raygan Barrett piloted the exchange program through which each organization designated a representative to visit the other’s city to curate a captivating narrative, showcasing each city’s unique attributes.
Dublin Arts Council Community Engagement Coordinator Paige Dempsey visited Akron, documenting her experiences via real time Instagram stories, followed by Dublin Arts Council posts that focused on Akron’s visual and performing arts, as well as the city’s history and environment.
ArtsNow selected Akron artist Nick Lee to visit Dublin. Lee, a painter who is “motivated by discovery,” posted on his personal Instagram account during his visit, followed by content developed with ArtsNow.
Appreciating the value realized through collaboration, the Dublin Arts Council staff is encouraged by the exchange. They hope to continue the reciprocal opportunity with additional arts organizations within a few hours’ drive of Dublin, the optimal visitor travel distance identified by Visit Dublin Ohio.
Sense of place
“Dublin’s public art is fantastic to stumble upon, providing a sense of wonder … of astonishment,” Blatnik says. “When people ask Visit Dublin Ohio for destination photos, we always include art. It’s one-of-a-kind; something that can only be Dublin!”
Janet Cooper is the retired Director of Engagement for Dublin Arts Council and contributes to Dublin Life magazine.
