Issue link: https://artandculture.epubxp.com/i/885315
26 art&culture; UP FRONT THINK BY SCOTT EYMAN For Palm Beach, the long-promised bright FUTURE is now Timing is everything. The last time so many eyes were focused on Palm Beach County was in 1960. Part-time resident John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States, and suddenly the area was getting some pretty major attention. At the time, however, "the rest" of Palm Beach was regarded as ancillary to the island resort town itself. The population of the county was just 228,106. The Norton Museum of Art was a lonely fine arts outpost. Fifty years later, we have another part-time Palm Beacher in the White House—and the attention is back. But things are different today. At 1.4 million and growing, Palm Beach is now the twenty-eighth largest county in the country. And when its major renovation is complete, the Norton, which has already blossomed into a certified cultural destina- tion, is positioned to become a beacon for the entire Southeast. There is no doubt the recent election has had, and will have, an impact on the area, both specific and general. In the case of the former, there was the visit of First Lady Melania Trump and Aki Abe, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to the Morikami Museum in February, which boosted the overall profile of the museum on a national level. And the Norton saw a noticeable increase in Asian visitors after Chinese leader Xi Jinping's April visit to "the Winter White House," The Mar-a-Lago Club. "West Palm Beach has developed a much stronger identity than as an attachment to Palm Beach," says Hope Alswang, director and CEO of the Norton. "We were inundated by Chinese reporters when [Jinping] visited. They didn't actually have a lot to do, so they all came and saw our Chinese collection, and for six weeks afterward we were flooded with articles from Chinese newspapers about the museum. It was the museum equivalent of a one-night stand." For the Morikami, the effects were more long-lasting. "From our point of view, the visit of [Abe] was very productive," says spokeswoman Bonnie LeMay. "After that, we had between four and five months of increased attendance. We also got about $8 million worth of media attention that we couldn't have gotten any other way.... The prime minis- ter's wife has told us she will be back and looks forward to meditating in our Contemplation Pavilion." All of this coincides with a 14 percent increase in visitors from Washing- ton D.C. alone since last year, while overall tourism increased 7 percent over the same period in 2016—pumping more than $7 billion into the local economy. And that surplus has trickled down to the local arts community: For fiscal year 2017–2018, arts organizations saw an increase in funding through the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County (a record $4.44 million for 22 major institutions and 11 mid-sized organizations). Looking ahead, Cultural Council Director Rena Blades sees this as a time to capitalize on Presi- dent Trump's time in the White House. "The media, who wouldn't be here if it weren't for President Trump, are now here because they're looking for stories," she says. "We need to take advantage of all the eyeballs that are watching Palm Beach County in the middle of winter." Ultimately, what makes an area desirable is a positive environment that nurtures people's lives. Right here, right now, it is all falling into place. ‡ MELANIA TRUMP WITH AKIE ABE AT THE MORIKAMI IN FEBRUARY The White House Effect MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS NORTON MUSEUM OF ART TERRY RENA FOSTER + PARTNERS