Study to investigate Dia:Beacon's impact on Beacon

Dia:Beacon and its relationship and impact on the city of Beacon will be part of a study of 16 museums and the communities in which they are located. The Berkshire Eagle reported yesterday that the study, which is a collaborative effort between Williams College and Mass MoCA named The Center for Creative Community Development (C3D), has secured funds to conduct a three year study.
Below is a description of the study:

Project Title: "Museums and Community: Evaluating the Economic and Social
Impacts of Museums"The Center for Creative Community Development at Williams
College will do in-depth data analysis of sixteen selected communities to assess
local economic and social impact of museums. With a target audience of museum
boards and administrators, policy makers at the national, state and local
levels, and private foundations and donors, this research project will study how
local neighborhoods are economically and socially transformed by museum
operations; what impact museums have on employment and income; and how these
local impacts are distributed among different groups and locations. Results of
the research will be disseminated through a series of workshops and conference
presentations, publications, and an on-line Web site. The results will be made
widely available as a baseline comparison for other communities to replicate or
adapt to improve the development of customized public programming.