City hands $20,000 to Beck to study arts district

[DougHuntingdon]

Did this come before or after the meeting of all those with "art" in their job title who were meeting to decide if Lakewood needed an arts district?

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindeal ... thispage=1

The quote from Tom Jordan is most interesting.

Doug

Disclaimer: No hidden messages are constained in this post.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Doug

I'll take the positive press.

Page 1 Lakewood High, Metro Page 1 Lakewood looks at an arts district(s).





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[Lynn Farris]

I agree with both of you. An art district is exciting.

But I do think the Planning Director could use some education in PR. To say in the regional newspaper where Lakewood could be drawing some of the arts from: "The city does get a return from the arts," he said. "I think the city could use some education." is not the best way to present the city.

He could have said and it is my responsibility to demonstrate how an art district provides returns to the city. Or just provide us with the numbers of how many dollars he is projecting for the city from an arts district. Certainly he has done the pro-formas to illustrate this to us "dumb folk" who live in the city that he doesn't.

[DougHuntingdon]

From reading the article and what I already know personally, sounds like Lakewood has arts thriving all over the place.

Maybe they can use the $20,000 for citywide wifi. Free to artists, reasonable fee to others

I never read paper editions of newspapers so you lost me on page 1 of the metro.

Doug

[Jim O'Bryan]

Lynn

It would seem that Doug has hit on the line.

"The city does get a return from the arts," he said. "I think the city could use some education."

This would be the city planning in a nutshell.

Still not convinced the Beck could be called "an anchor."

Also the overlays of districts seem to question the planning, the education, and of course the execution.

But overall the discussion is good news.

Building the brand is good.

Doug

The story ran on page one of Metro.


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[Ivor Karabatkovic]

I think that an art district would be cool. We already have the art festival that is always a hit. If we could only get more galleries....

[Tom Bullock]

Great idea, great press.

What does an arts district mean specifically? Changes to ordinances, city codes? Tax Incentives? Marketing to creative renters?

The streetscape money reported in the story I am pretty sure is intended for the Main Street downtown strip of Detroit (btwn Library and hospital/Winking Lizard), not the Beck Center area. So that money is being double counted.

[Kate McCarthy]

I'll take the positive press.

Page 1 Lakewood High, Metro Page 1 Lakewood looks at an arts district(s).

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I totally agree. I don't get the daily paper and heard about the PD article regarding the arts distict from several other people...people who live outside of Lakewood who commented on how this vision of the city was such a wonderful thing for our daughters, etc.

I was heartened to see that the Hilliard Triangle was considered as a potential anchor for one arts district. During the time I lived in an apartment on Northland, the old westwood theater was in its Cedar Lee west stage. I saw so many great indy films there and was surprised at how beautiful that old theater was.

We have friends in the UK that live in a very family friendly, unpretentious community that is essentially an old market town on the greater outskirts of London. When we last visited they were talking about the preservation and renovation of their old community movie house. It seems to have evolved into a focus of community pride and activity.

[/url]http://www.therexcinema.com/therex/home/home.asp[url]

Has anyone been in the old Hilliard Theater lately. Is it worth preserving if it's a part of community wide plan?

[Jay Foran]

Tom,

Keep the questions coming. All are excellent. Getting answers to them will be the priority on Tuesday night. We have an excellent, excellent panel who are each steeped in arts district experience.

Separately, plan to come early.....we will have a variety of artists performing their craft. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

For sure...it will be fun.

Jay

[Jim O'Bryan]

I was heartened to see that the Hilliard Triangle was considered as a potential anchor for one arts district. During the time I lived in an apartment on Northland, the old westwood theater was in its Cedar Lee west stage. I saw so many great indy films there and was surprised at how beautiful that old theater was....

Has anyone been in the old Hilliard Theater lately. Is it worth preserving if it's a part of community wide plan?

Kate

I have been in there recently. Talked with he owner, and other people that were interested in it. I have rebuilt theaters, this one might be gone, without a ton of money. Flat roof with rips in the membrane never really fixed, has brought damage to the inside which is considerable.

This does not make it unfix-able, just deep pockets needed.

Are you ready to use eminent domain?

Without parking, the theater if of little use to anyone. The owners killed the Westwood when they sold off their parking lot for the Silver Coast. The Silver Coast is let's say filled with er ah regular rent payers. so they are not willing to sell except for BIG MONEY.

So you have a theater that will cost many hundreds of thousands to buy, and many more hundreds of thousands to fix.Then you will have to kick in maybe a couple million for a parking lot?

Now one thing i have heard that this would be turned over to the Beck to run or move to during the $20 million dollar rebuild of the Beck Center. So that they could fix their roof, and downsize the theater from 462 seats to around 350 I THINK. Not sure how long it would take to make that back, or if the right players are even at the table.

Last week I was offered the Phantasy Complex indirectly for $5 million. Way out of my league, but I think it is fixable again. I have a feeling a check made out to John for half that amount might seal the deal. Comes with three liquor licenses and a building right behind it for sale for $375,000 although that owner told me he would take $300,000.

This makes more sense, larger theater, with three smaller stages, nightlife all around it. Rockport going up nearby, easily accessible down Highland Ave/W117. Maybe try to get another club into Vedda Litho and you have a pretty sweet set-up for less money and aggravation.

FWIW



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[Kenneth Warren]

Ned Hill is quoted in this interesting Toledo Blade article on art districts.

Thus Mr. Hill: "You need to consider who the [artists'] customers are going to be. Without a market, this isn't going to work."

The big question is: How does Lakewood differentiate effectively along such a development path that has become almost a cliché.

"…A city with an active, vibrant arts scene is attractive to employers," said Brian Schwartz, spokesman for Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who supports the initiative….â€Â￾

Are we talking about institutions or individual artists?

Does Lakewood embark upon a place-making institution wager with the Beck Center?

Or is something else a better bet?

Focus on doing one well. It seems from the PD article that various notions are simply bubbling.

The challenge for Lakewood is definition:

What arts make sense?

Who are the artists?

What is the market?

What are the incentives?

“….To lure artists, Toledo's program plans to dangle incentives such as low-interest or forgivable loans, relocation allowances, and offer studio and living spaces that are low-rent or even rent-free…..â€Â￾

The article also cites the problem of the Midwest as a location for artists: If you make it you move out.

"A lot of people stay here because they just can't get out," said Andrea "Pixie" Baker, 23, a visual artist and Rossford High School graduate who resides in the Collingwood Arts Center.

Ms. Baker said that some artists she has met here can fall into three categories. There are those who never catch the break they need to leave Toledo, others who return after having left for greener pastures where their careers did not take off, and artists who are hard at work trying to become good enough to leave.

Ms. Baker considers herself in the later category: "I'm trying to get to California."…â€Â￾

Worth reading in preparation for the session

Source: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /703080304

Kenneth Warren

[Jim O'Bryan]

Ken

Maybe not just why, but who?

I can easily see the arts wars that came after the mall wars of the 70s and 80s.

Every city now has an arts district, of course, we are learning as others are closing down after successfully running out the artists that could no longer afford the area.

So the basic question to start with are we looking for artists or patrons. They rarely live near to each other.

Great conversation that should have been had before Pop Art hit the scene. Better late then never.

FWIW

[Jay Foran]

Great questions, as usual, Ken!

My hope for Tuesday is that as a community we can get a good grounding of the benefits and drawbacks, challenges and hurdles, benchmarks and watchouts related to arts districts. The good news is we are at the beginning and we can use your questions, and others, to help shape our path should our community determine this is a noble pursuit.

I personally have much to learn on this topic and will be anxious to gain insights from the panel and attendees.

[Tom Bullock]

Jay,
Thank you for welcoming the questions. By accepting and incorporating the hard-hitting inquiries, we make the end result sounder and stronger, and we capture everyone's energy on a common project. That's great leadership.

... artists she has met here [in the Midwest] can fall into three categories. There are those who never catch the break they need to leave Toledo, others who return after having left for greener pastures where their careers did not take off, and artists who are hard at work trying to become good enough to leave.

This ends here. Lakewood is no stepping stone; Lakewood IS the destination. Let's follow the example of Lakewood's young comedian and HBO writer who chooses to live in Lakewood and fly to NYC/CA, rather than move to the coasts. He said he follows advice from a mentor: "Do your own bit. Don't do someone else's bit. Build on the spark of your own comedy."

Much of this is psychological. Communities that walk around with a second-class mentality, second-class feelings hidden inside, get a reality that matches their inner worries.

In Lakewood, we don't waste time on such insecurities. We're reaching past our anxieties into our confidence and intelligence. We're making Lakewood the best community in Ohio, period (not just the Northeast). The arts are one arch in the cathedral of our community.

So the first question for Tuesday's forum is: let's find the artists who feel this same confidence, who see Lakewood as their creative hub, their hearth, their home.