Arts District Forum, Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m.

[Justine Cooper]

Dl (and Tom)
Thanks. After reading Dl it sounded so simple. Then after reading all, I feel more confused. Did anyone answer the question if there is a down side?

Will it be like Main Street that seems to only target one section and I still don't know what is going on there, nor does anyone I ask? Will we all be alive when the changes take effect if it does happen?

[dl meckes]

The overlay could be applied to the entire city, or it could be applied to different pieces parts. This is something that needs a little thought.

Right now, we have several areas that I consider unofficial arts districts.

Whether or not there's an official designation in the near future, projects like an Artwalk should move forward if at all possible. Baby steps still take us forward.

As JOB said,

No matter it all plays into the goal of the Observer from Day One which many thought silly, stupid and scary. Make Lakewood as nice as it can be. Work together to promote the civic and artistic intelligence, and build a community that is clean, safe, secure and friendly.

The overlay isn't complex. It's how we think about ourselves and what we want to see that complicates things!

[DougHuntingdon]

Justine

I feel there is no sense in fighting destiny. If the powers that be want the arts district(s), they will get it.

However, potential downsides as well as upsides are many. A few are listed below.

I realize there has been a lot of talk of nonprofits, but history tells us that designations of arts districts often lead to strong pushes for public funding, i.e. tax dollars.

Some people will feel it is unfair IF one group (e.g. watercolor painter or plastic bucket beater) is given preference or subsidies over another (e.g. college student or drywall hanger).

By trying to "help" starving artists with special benefits, the government may be hurting them by facilitating their starving lifestyle.

Some landlords may stand to benefit (or suffer) more than others, because they are already in the area soon to be named an arts district. Generally speaking, pro or con, you should ask yourself "who stands to benefit?" and "who is behind this?" (The answers to those questions are not necessarily evil.)

An older person who lives in the middle of an area that turns into an arts district MAY not appreciate the potential influx of younger people who behave differently (e.g. noisier).

If the arts district is a victim of its own success, it may create traffic or criminal problems.

Some businesses (e.g. a vacuum cleaner repair store) in the midst of a new arts district may not fit in after the changes.

In some arts districts, you have gentrification, leading to displacement of average working stiffs or elderly who can not afford the higher rents. They are replaced by yuppies (to some people, this is positive).

Eminent domain may be used.

Doug

[Tom Bullock]

So we need champions, and ideally this would be a team of art & business who get clear on what will work, then pitch the city gov't leaders.

Chris Andrews may be a double-edged example: legends about his impact echo through the Wood but a little bird argued to me his business plan was never sustainable--essentially a "friends and family" marketing scheme in which he signed folks in his personal circle to long-term leases to sell the wrong products in the wrong market. Eventually the bottom fell out and both Chris and his merchant tenants fled for greener pastures.

That boom/bust wouldn't happen if we attract appropriate development to the market we have.

Question to Lakewood's Chamber of Commerce: can you convene the relevant business leaders in town to sit at the table with leaders in the Arts community (Beck plus others)? Can we do a hard-nosed market analysis?

Once the arts expertise and business brainpower steps forward, the rest of us will fall enthusiastically in line.

[Jeff Endress]

Will we all be alive when the changes take effect if it does happen?

Perhaps Justine, perhaps. Or it may be necessary to take the people mover past the Lake Erie bridge to get to the thriving Arts District.

Jeff

[dl meckes]

Doug -

You bring up valid considerations.

Ms. Cerveny was quite clear about the idea that districts should grow organically, that you probably aren't making a good decision to build something new instead of rehabbing what you have, and that you need to be able to keep the artists - so they still have to be able to afford to live and work in the district/community.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Doug -

You bring up valid considerations.

Ms. Cerveny was quite clear about the idea that districts should grow organically, that you probably aren't making a good decision to build something new instead of rehabbing what you have, and that you need to be able to keep the artists - so they still have to be able to afford to live and work in the district/community.

DL, Has a pretty good angle on this one. Her and DH have worked hard for the arts as long as I have known them. She has been pushing this subject through the city harder than anyone I know.

We spoke the other night, in depth, we both have different views as to art, art districts and how they should be done, but her thought process is very solid in using the term sustainable.

We must not get into the "fondue" war. In other words, a decade ago it was malls and mixed used living centers, today it is "art distracts." As Doug points out "In some arts districts, you have gentrification, leading to displacement of average working stiffs or elderly who can not afford the higher rents. They are replaced by yuppies (to some people, this is positive)."

The truth as it stands is pretty much the way Thomas Mulready laid out at the beginning of the discussion the other night. Artists discover low rent "good areas," word goes out, and friends move in. Soon galleries pop up, and patrons come, patrons then move in as artists begin to creep out(literally), then the influx of dollars attracts corporates which generally makes the artists stampede to the next "ripe area."

What amazes me is the need for buzz words. Artists the true seed in the process can find these areas in the middle of the night. It is as if they can feel, comfortable, good inexpensive living. DL and I were talking if the entry level to living in Lakewood is low enough. In the warehouse district before it was "discovered" a young Irish lad could get 6,000 square feet for about $860 a month. Today that is probably $5,000 a month or more for the same space.

Homes in Tremont were all but giveaways with high crime and crumbling infrastructure. Today entry level is over $150,000 and climbing, or is it. During one of our field trips into other neighborhoods, we see developments on the south end of Tremont, where rent and purchase price with be pretty cheap in new buildings being built by CMHA. To quote Kenneth Warren, "This will be hard for Lakewood to compete with."

So for a moment let's go back, to the vision we have always held as the core issue in Lakewood, and what we have always hoped to achieve through the Observer. Let the city work for safe and clean, we will work with groups to bring fun and enjoyment. If we build the community as we have been and work a little harder, we will continue to attract the "art crowd." Matt Fish owner of the Melt and culinary artist summed it up in his Cool Cleveland Interview "Tremont is played out, Lakewood is where it is happening." What Matt meant was, the corporates has arrived, time for artists to move on.

Justine, there is no real downside to attracting artists and art districts. It is a very green meme cause and action. Like recycling, trying to recycle is generally a good thing. It only gets bad if it is hijacked by people that do not understand and try to force a "Disneyland" like setting, then has to hire artists to act like artists(tax abatements). Problems would occur to push the process heavily. In other words, try to go from discovery to corporate in a couple years or months as some think it could happen.

The first person I remember heading to Tremont was Joe Warren a Lakewoodite in 1974. He had found a mansion with hand painted murals for $27,000. Next through the door would be Chick Holkamp, another Lakewoodite who bought up huge chunks of Tremont and Ohio City. Chick was recently featured in the fight to save his family's home on Detroit opposite from the YMCA. The first to live the Warehouse District were also two Lakewoodites in 1978 or 79. I did find it slightly amusing when Lakewood again turned to outsiders to help with an art district.

In the end, we have all we need here right now. DL champion for art since Kindergarten, really. Justine Cooper, who made room in her small store for artists that could not get shows. When I met Justine while doing a story about Scents and Accents, an fine artist herself with jewelry, had packed everything into her shop real tight, to make room for more artists. As she was closing her doors, she was more worried about where the art would be shown than moving her cabinets. Kim Shoals, owner of Deadhorse gallery that was ready at one time to buy McKinley elementary School for a large gallery and art lofts. The Pop Shop, a place where artists can go and create on the cheap. Bela Dubby, owned by the Crinos, both very fine artists in their own right giving walls to artists who are looking for space. Julie Hutchinson, a dancer who has also turned her walls into gallery space, Wobblefoot gallery, Local Girl, 3 recording studios, 42 bands with 2 CDs or more out for sale, hundreds of artists and designers that work in everything from electrons to clothing, which brings us to the East, Phantasy Theater a place where new talent is allowed to prepare for the HiFi or the House of Blues, The Winchester where Jimmy Mileti and his wife barely break even to bring national acts to town, and finishing with Lakewood's only accredited college, Virginia Marti school of Art and Design. Lakewood is already an art district, now let's clean it up, and amplify it. It is so odd what Lakewoodites have a blind eye for.

Justine's and DL's art walks, second hand walks, bar crawls will all help as will the Arts Festival and Lakewood Hospital's Starry Night will help bring in patrons. We are on the right path.

In the end most most artists I know, and that might be too many, live in the world of anarchy. If you tell them THIS IS THE ART DISTRICT, they will move anywhere but there, just to make a point.

Supporting the arts is not about a sign or even a district, it is about writing checks and buying art. I watched painfully as Deadhorse died a slow death, with opening after opening filled with people, everyone drinking wine, no one buying.

Soapbox put away for now.

[Justine Cooper]

Thanks to all for explanations. Less confusing now but will be eager to continue to hear the "arguments" on it. Yuppies in Lakewood? egad

[Jim O'Bryan]

Thanks to all for explanations. Less confusing now but will be eager to continue to hear the "arguments" on it. Yuppies in Lakewood? egad

It's all good, the devil is in the details anyway.

Yuppies in Lakewood was bound to happen sooner or later.


.

[Gary Rice]

Yuppies, guppies, puppies, they're all good, I suppose.

So long as they generally stay away from our wallets.

Financially, homeowners seem to be stretched nearly to the breaking point. As I remarked to a leader in our community once, about where the movers and shakers were- The response I received was that they got shook up and moved.

Artificial social engineering has its pluses and minuses, I suppose.

Lakewood is a virtual microcosm of the good old USA, in a great many ways.

We have a lot going for us. Without a lot of high-dollar internal infrastructure, we have to stay very creative around here.

Arts? Good, within reason. Business? The same. Home upkeep? Ditto.

We need to continue to support balanced, fair, level-headed leadership combining vision, with an eye towards retaining the virtues that ALL responsible citizens of Lakewood can continue to enjoy.

[David Lay]

When yuppies move in, the rents go up. It's exactly what happened to Wicker Park in Chicago when I lived there.

[Justine Cooper]

Gary,
Who are these leaders so we can know to support them? I loved your poem by the way! Beautiful.

Where would the yuppies park their big Mini Buses?

We do have so much more that Tremont and other areas with the two parks, waterfront, libraries, social service groups, etc., etc. AND we have restaurants I can afford to eat at! I would rather eat somewhere I can afford than somewhere to be "seen" at. Our art run will include a stop at La Pita for a $3.50 wrap! Much better than that gyro cart I used to hit in the flats!

[Charyn Compeau]

Jim:

Great points.

All:

Can someone please define who they think these "yuppies" are? It seems to me that using that term is akin to referring to someone or something that you don't know about with a somewhat derogatory term for the purpose of elevating ones own self-esteem.

I work with many people, clients and vendors, from Lakewood and further west (North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Avon, Elyria, etc.) as well as East (Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Cleveland Heights, University Circle, etc) and I don't see a whole lot of difference in the basic morals, values, thoughts, and dreams of the people I interact with.

And while I do run across the occasional Momzilla in those areas, I run across them here too. Just as I run across people in Lakewood with overextended credit, homes to large for their budgets, or an apparent addiction to shopping in large malls. I also run across people in the various suburbs that love the Orchestra, support the Beck, listen to NPR, and love the arts as much as anyone here,

Fortunately, we already having a thriving arts community and the type of business/residential mixed use building stock that lends itself well to arts development. All of those so called 'yuppies' in the ex-burbs don't have these things so I believe that they will be critical in helping to move our businesses forward as they (those scary yuppies i n the ex-burbs) are the ones that bring new money into the city.

We have more in common with our neighbors one might think. Perhaps if we focus on being an open and welcoming community to everyone - even those with white collar jobs, nice shoes and an Audi - we can entice them to enjoy what we have to offer, and to spend their money here.

Buying the music, the paintings, enjoying the shows.... that is what can really help move the arts forward.

JMO
Charyn

[DougHuntingdon]

><><><
...you don't know about with a somewhat derogatory term for the purpose of elevating ones own self-esteem.
><><><

Why do threads with otherwise good discussion always have to denegrate to personal attacks, such as the insulting of others' alleged amount of self esteem? Please, can't we leave that to other boards that require webmaster review and censorship of posts?

How sad...makes you wonder who has the self esteem issue

YUPpie term originated 20 or so years ago
Young Urban Professional

Additionally, I technically would not consider anyone living in a SUBurb to be a yuppie.

Doug

[Bill Call]

.....We have more in common with our neighbors one might think. Perhaps if we focus on being an open and welcoming community to everyone - even those with white collar jobs, nice shoes and an Audi -

An excellent point. However, I must draw the line at Audi owners.

Reading between the lines leads me to believe that Lakewood as a community lacks self esteem.