From John Barros' issue page on his website:

On Developing Local Arts and the Creative Economy

Leading an arts and culture renaissance, John will ensure that Boston develops an overarching vision, arts and cultural plan.  The plan will lift up Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco as models of cities of like size that have dedicated revenue streams (e.g. portion of hotel or sales taxes) and that made real investment into arts infrastructure and understand the arts as an economic driver. John will:

• Address the lack of public art and arts access in Boston through the expansion and use of local arts infrastructure and programs in schools, community centers and non-profits.
  
  
• Strengthen the local creative economy by supporting more commercial art integration in revitalizing our main streets, including art as a specific driver for economic development in general. Boston can create arts and culture clusters that are marketed to and supported by Boston’s residents and tourists.
  
  
• Increase the focus on Federal, State and Corporate Investments through more aggressive pursuit of state and federal grants and a stronger relationship with corporate partners in improving the cultural life of the city.