Using a Case Study Approach to Document CPAD Community Engagement Strategies and Impact within Six Skillman Detroit-based Neighborhoods
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This study offers findings regarding community engagement and impact for public art projects developed through the Community + Public Arts: DETROIT (CPAD) program. CPAD was founded out of the Community Arts Partnerships office of the College for Creative Studies (CCS/CAP) in 2008. It brings the arts, communities, and youth together to produce high-quality public art projects and events that allow neighborhoods to express and develop their unique character and potential through the arts. CPAD has placed 22 highly visible, long-lasting public art projects in under-resourced Detroit Neighborhoods.
"Using a Case Study Approach to Document Community + Public Arts: DETROIT (CPAD)" evaluates community engaged public art projects and their outcomes. It reflects seven months of program review, participant surveys, in-depth interviews, background research, and discussion. The case study approach was designed to document CPAD’s model and community engagement strategies, to describe the process of generating and placing art in the six neighborhoods, and to capture community level impacts of CPAD within each targeted Detroit neighborhood: Brightmoor, Chadsey-Condon, Cody-Rouge, North End, Osborn, and Southwest.
The Executive Summary contains background information on CPAD and an outline of basic processes and procedures, as well as findings on across-the-board impacts from all six communities.
In the body of the report, each neighborhood section outlines specifics for that community including: CPAD's approach to the community; a catalog of completed projects and events; and findings related to CPAD's specific local program impacts. The full report includes extensive appendices. The report reveals CPAD has accomplished key outcomes including:
- successful and lasting organizational partnerships in participating communities
- successful artistic and community engagement
- filling a gap in arts and culture programs in Detroit neighborhoods
- providing arts opportunities for young people
- increasing community pride and connectedness, and
- generating strong individual impacts for many who participated in the project
What is unique and differentiates CPAD from other developing arts initiatives is the depth and impact of CPAD's community engagement. Through this study, CPAD has identified a need for ongoing infrastructure and resources to share successes and support other communities in developing the arts as a tool for community engagement and development into Detroit’s future.