Creating a Performance Measurement System for the Nation's Largest Public Arts Program

Time Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, presents leading contemporary art and performances to Times Square’s 400,000 daily visitors; cultivating the creativity, energy, and edge that has made Times Square a national icon. Building on a performance management framework developed by a 2012-2013 Capstone team, the 2013-2014 Capstone team was commissioned to test and refine key indicators of success and create the tools necessary for Times Square Arts to measure its continued progress. The team collected data through audience- and project-specific surveys, compiling and analyzing results to produce a final dashboard that captured quantitative and qualitative measures for the program’s key audiences. Recommendations provided a point of reference for Times Square Arts to fulfill its mission using a critical performance measurement system.