More than 1,200 acres. Thirty percent larger than Central Park in New York City. Twenty-nine cultural institutions and more than a dozen restaurants. Nearly 5 million unique visitors and 28 million visits every year. For nearly 150 years, San Diego’s Balboa Park has been a destination in San Diego for locals and tourists alike.
As the 2018 Leadership Exchange (LEX) delegation settled in to listen to Peter Comiskey, the passionate and jovial executive director of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, we were confronted with story after story of collaboration among the park’s stakeholders to accomplish shared goals. Goals like improved sustainability (supported by the local utility provider), advocacy (for both the park and the cultural sector) and engagement (among the institutions and with the general public). The 120 minutes we were able to spend in the park left many of us eager to dive deeper. Before the buses were loaded at the end of our visit, Margaret Hunt, director of the Creative Industries Division for the State of Colorado, had begun organizing a return trip. By the time we arrived at lunch, there were a half dozen leaders ready to head back.
Several aspects of our visit to Balboa Park are driving interest in further exploration. The coordination of the assets and experiences under umbrella organizations that can represent diverse destinations with like-minded goals. The Cultural Partnership has become a strong voice in advocating for the park, its constituents and the cultural sector at-large in San Diego. Denver’s Scientific and Cultural Facilities District has helped foster strong ties among the cultural organizations in the metro area, and Colorado Creative Industries has linked creative districts throughout the state, but collaboration around initiatives like environmental and business sustainability, staff training and advocacy at the local, state and national level have the potential to benefit from further coordination.
Balboa Park is home to a thriving community of more than 200 local artisans, creating an active event and exhibition program while establishing commercial opportunities for area artists. While the LEX visit was enough to whet our appetites, we didn’t have the chance to experience this space or learn about its physical or business structure. With a thriving creative community in Denver and throughout the state, we are hoping to further explore possible connections between artists, public spaces, nonprofits and commercial districts.
Finally, one of the most striking aspects of Balboa Park was the deep commitment among all three sectors – private, public and nonprofit – to keeping the park vibrant. We look forward to exploring funding models, government structures and public-private partnerships with our colleagues in order to glean insights and ideas that could better support Denver’s incredible assets and make them even more accessible, available and successful.
Denver is accustomed to being on the leading edge of cultural collaborations and the trip to Balboa Park was a great reminder that there is always more to learn. Yet again, LEX served as the spark that is bringing leaders across the city together to gather insights and ideas that will continue to elevate
Andrea Fulton is the deputy director and chief marketing officer for the Denver Art Museum and sits on the Leadership Foundation board of directors.