FAYETTEVILLE DOWNTOWN PARTNERS
BRAINSTORMING SESSION ON
CULTURAL DISTRICT INITIATIVE
Friday, November 5, 2004 12:00 noon Ozark Mountain Smokehouse
NOTES
Present: Sharon Hoover, Garrett Hunt, Tim Walker, Anita Hejtmanek, Susan Porter, Amy White-Beard, Dede Peters, Patricia Relph, Megan Chapman, Brandon Karn, Kelley Wilks, Joe Alexander, Casey Hamaker, Kathy Thompson , Joseph Brajcki, Julie Gabel, Daniel Hintz, Mark Pryor, Bob Bova, Marie Ferguson, Marilyn Heifner, Bob Ford, Jim Mitchell, Betsy Gross, Lisa Alverado, Hank Kaminsky, Caitlyn Spaulding, JoAnn Kaminsky, Tess Gibbs, Cindy Arsaga , Lisa Parker, Dawn Owl, Jeff Palmer, Leilani Law, Sonia Gutierrez
What is the vision — what do we want to be ?
- Let’s look at cities around the country and gather examples
We need to know what users want – may break down into two markets: locals and transplants
We need an inventory of district offerings
- Visual arts, music and other performing arts, film, literary , CATV
- Look for partners to help collect, maintain and publish inventory – NWATalent.com? local cultural/events magazines? ArkansasArts.com?
- Develop an email survey to obtain this information
- We must get the UA art department involved
- Restaurants do a good job showing local artists’ work
- Art walks – WAC, Iris Arts, and J Gallery doing an art walk next Friday
Marketing
- We need a strong marketing effort to brand this region as a cultural destination – Trotter
- Brochure that identifies resources available at hotels, airports, tourist locations
- NWATalent.com is building a database to identify creative resources, but the business is young and needs more input. There is a slight cost to register but to view the service is free.
- Central calendar of events – website or other media
Public art
- Strong commitment to public art does not really exist, we don’t celebrate our local artists enough – Kaminsky
- We need more public art – program in Fort Smith with 12 public art pieces in place for two years while benefactors are sought to purchase and place them permanently – Arsaga
- Incorporate into local ordinances to encourage art Legislation that stipulates public projects may use 1% for public art – should be incorporated into cultural district codes – we should refer to Tim Conklin – Mitchell
- Public monies should not be used to fund it, art should support itself – Alexander
- Strong public arts program in Seatlle – http://www.cityofseattle.net/arts/WhatWeDo/PublicArt/default.asp – Hintz
Communications among artists
- Artists need to register at the ArkansasArts.com registry to promote themselves and give FDP a jumping off place – Mitchell
- What about an email list or a list serve – an FDP service
- Fayetteville Arts Council, e.g.
- A regional arts council is in the formative stage but there still needs to be a representative body for local artists.
What should FDP action plan look like?
- Vision Committee – articulating the vision of the master plan and the local artists. Have charettes.
- Inventory Committee – Assess cultural assets that currently exist. Find similar groups and create events. Connect them.
- Zoning or Ordinance Committee – Communicate with the City Planning Division regarding cultural district ordinances
- Ombudsman – a central body to communicate and represent the different parts of the cultural community in City Council and other discussions
- Education Committee – Focus on ways to incorporate cultural education in Fayetteville and region. Programs for adults and children, mentoring programs for young artists.
Other comments:
- From Arts Life Theater:
- Build on WAC
- Create residential performing arts
- Include public gardens
- Inside and outside public arts
- Studio for children and mentoring – something like Fay Jones’ studio idea? – encourage outside artists with 3-month stints at artist studio in exchange for education and community participation
- Hosting open studios around the holiday season is common practice – Flat Rock Clay Studio is organizing such an event but is limited to only clay artists – might easily serve as the foundation for a holiday open studio event. – Elbowroom is interested in using his space to host this event. – numerous empty spaces exist downtown that might serve this purpose – the lights on the square attract so many people, that we should leverage these visits for this type of event.
- Artist-in-residence program
- Rent control
- Rent for services, such as mentoring or public art
- Artist live/work studios
Fay Jones property as studio for artist-in-residence? – that whole area along Center Street has the feel and direction to be artist community, connection to square, university, WAC and Dickson Street
SUGGESTED FDP TASKS ON CULTURAL DISTRICT INITIATIVE
Work with City on ordinance issues
• Building form regulations
• Modify sign ordinance
• Noise control issues
• Parking
• Opportunities for % for arts
• Boundaries
The city will take the lead on this, but we should be a voice and help the community, so that it is well represented. Facilitate public meetings. Help to narrow the options. This could all happen through the Design Committee, as they are wanting a project to work on.
Promote “good use of space”
• Attainable housing – this committee is already working
• Opportunity for artist studio space – Executive Director
• Recruiting good businesses (galleries, restaurants, specialty shops, performing arts, film, etc.) – Executive Director
Marketing
• Brand & Communication Strategy – we need a small committee to determine who to hire as a consultant, what kind of consultant, what information is needed before hiring.
• Marketing & Advertising – this is the job of one employee who coordinates with Executive Director
Connecting Partners
Facilitate creation of an Artists Association similar to Merchants Association – this should be staff job and maybe one board member and maybe one artists – this should be a first step in the initiative, the responsibility of the next interim director.
