For art's sakeAuthor: Becky Wright Standard-Examiner staff bwright@standard.net |
When it comes to creating an appetizing city, the arts are more than the icing on top — they're key ingredients. "Around the country, we're becoming cookie-cutter communities. Everywhere you go, there's a McDonald's and a Wal-Mart," said Wendi Hassan. But a strong arts district, where creative people gather together, can help a community break out of the mold. "It keeps us close to the culture we came from, and keeps us from being sterile or homogenous. It's unique — it's what makes us us," said Hassan, who serves as education and outreach coordinator for the Cache Valley Center for the Arts. Even business types can see the value of arts districts. "A lot of areas around the country are using arts and culture to reinforce quality of life, and in economic development issues and revitalization issues," said Paul Larsen, economic development director for Brigham City, who is working to establish an arts district in his city. Margaret Hunt, director of the Utah Arts Council, says such districts can be a boon."There are benefits to the city, in terms of direct benefits from sales tax, and direct benefits in the sense of making it a vibrant, interesting place to live and visit," she said. That's one of the reasons the Utah Arts Council set up the Creative Communities Initiative, to promote partnerships between arts and civic groups. In January, the council awarded $85,000 statewide for community-based projects, with several focused on encouraging arts districts. Brigham City Brigham City received a $10,000 grant to help create a comprehensive cultural district in the downtown area. Another $10,000 was granted for the creation of an arts district over several blocks of Logan's downtown. Brigham City is using most of its grant money for planning the district, advised by Patrick Overton of the Oregon-based Front Porch Institute. The proposed district centers around the city's historical ties to the Christensen brothers. The brothers grew up in Brigham City, going on to stardom in the world of dance, establishing the San Francisco Ballet and Utah's Ballet West. They started out in the Box Elder Academy of Music and Dancing building. "It was constructed in 1904 by the Christensen family, and operated as a dance hall and music and dance instruction facility. For a number of years, it served as the hangout spot for Brigham City," said Larsen. "We have acquired the building and are working to restore it and let it become the community gathering place again."The city has received a federal grant for the restoration, and a plaza is planned, to host outdoor concerts and the annual Heritage Arts Festival. Larsen hopes to be able to reopen the building in two years. "I think, over time, we could see a number of cultural events, venues and activities start to emerge downtown," said Larsen. If reality matches his vision, it could revitalize the area. "Historically, downtowns have suffered as the nature of retail has changed," Larsen said, explaining that freeways and big-box stores took shoppers away from the heart of the city. "That combination, in towns like Brigham City, left the historic parts of the town devastated in some cases." Logan Hassan says Logan's story is similar, but a strong arts presence has already made a difference. "There's a coalition of artist energy that seems to focus on the downtown area. .<2009>.<2009>. In Logan, we have three theaters within one block," she said, referring to the Ellen Eccles Theatre (which hosts the Cache Valley Civic Ballet, Utah Festival Opera, children's theater and national touring groups), the Utah Theatre (a second home for the opera) and the Caine Lyric Theatre, where plays are produced. "We also have several galleries within this space," she added. Logan's grant money will be used to call attention to the arts district, and to keep the ball rolling. "We're going to do banners that say 'Cache Valley Arts District' so you have physical demarcations," said Hassan. "The bulk of the money will go into designing and making banwill hang in the center of the arts district." The Utah Arts Council's Hunt says that is a good idea. "We know that when arts organizations cluster together, it creates a sense of destination for a community," said Hunt. "A district can create that sense of place, and we think physical markers are important, whether it's done with banners or signs or something embedded in the concrete. "About one-third of Logan's grant money is also being used to reinvigorate the annual Summerfest Arts Faire, by bringing it back to the downtown area from the more distant fairgrounds, and promoting involvement of artists. "We'll put art in vacant spaces, to avoid the look of blight, as well as to show off the spaces that are available, and hopefully that will increase the chance that they'll be rented," said Hassan. Past success Arts districts have worked in other cities in Utah. "A perfect example is Park City. Twenty years ago, it was a funky hole in the wall, then it became a funky arts area. Now art serves as a focal point for economic development," said Robin Macnofsky, former director of Ogden City Arts. Macnofsky has referred to Ogden's downtown as an arts district for years. Creative people, from visual and performing artists to culinary artists, stylists and graphic designers, helped take Historic 25th Street from notorious to upscale. More arts and crafts businesses are on neighboring streets. "We have an arts stroll and arts organizations. We have performing arts venues, the Ogden Symphony Ballet, a first-class restored historic theater (Peery's Egyptian Theater) and 12 dedicated visual arts venues," said Macnofsky, all within walking distance. Artist Nancy Grisanti Clark, who has been selling her work in galleries on Historic 25th Street for five years, says Ogden is gaining an arts reputation. "People are starting to come to 25th Street because of art, and people visiting from out of town want to make sure they hit the area because they know there are shops down there," she said. Authenticity Ogden City encouraged the creation of the arts corridor by creating an arts master plan, and doing a lot of networking in the community. But that wouldn't have been enough if there hadn't been a good base of creative people and an arts history to work with. "That's really important — it has to be authentic for it to truly resonate with the people in the community," said Hunt. "It doesn't work to try any kind of planning where you're trying to impose something on a city that isn't culturally authentic." She says Logan and Brigham City have a good shot at lasting success. "Both of these communities have such a strong history with arts and culture as part of the fabric of the community. If you look at Logan, with the Utah Festival Opera and the quality arts programs at Utah State University, and the artists that come out of USU, they really have an authentic foundation in arts, and that's where it makes sense. "It's the same with Brigham City, if you look at the Christensen brothers and their connection to Brigham City," she said. "They've always had this strong commitment to the arts, right back to the very founding."Stephen Goldsmith, a professor with the University of Utah's College of Architecture and Planning and founder of Salt Lake City's Artspace project, warns that arts districts aren't a magic bullet. "There is no magic bullet," he said. If a project is successful, steps need to be taken to keep artists from being pushed out by rising property values. "Artists can see diamonds in the rough," he said. "But, they'll turn into truffle-sniffing pigs if you're not careful." |