ART RAISES ALL OUR PROPERTY VALUES. AS IT MAKES THIS AREA A BEAUTIFUL DESTINATION -response to the Redmond Art Survey
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A DOWNTOWN THAT’S HOME TO ARTISTS Working artists support themselves by regularly finding opportunities, inspiration and the tools of their craft in and around Downtown. Resident artists are the lifeblood of any vibrant cultural district. Opportunities to make art, perform or contribute to commercial products fuel the creative economy that that will, overtime, keep artists and their energy in Redmond. The streets of downtown feature artist supply stores, bookstores, fabricators, print shops, multimedia studios and other establishments that allow artists to produce artworks and experiences close to home. AN ANCHOR CULTURAL INSTITUTION An arts organization produces important art in a state-of-the-art facility whose doors open onto Cleveland Street, Redmond Way or a connecting street like Leary Way. Year round quality programming provides a loyal patrons at home and elsewhere a reason to repeatedly travel to Redmond to experi-
ence original artworks. Restaurants, hotels and other businesses cross-promote with this organization that furthers the identity of Redmond as an art town. DESTINATION QUALITY ARTWORK A handful of significant artworks reinforce Downtown Redmond’s image as an international destination for creative people and companies. Civic spaces, such as the future Downtown Park or Light Rail Station, are important gathering places because of the magnetic pull of one-of-a-kind artworks. These artworks are embraced by citizens and companies and are often featured in family photos or corporate communications. A PLACE WHERE THE CULTURAL ARTS CAN FLOURISH IN REDMOND The citizens of Redmond participate in the creative process and have meaningful cultural experiences together in one place. In response to the question, “What kind of art does Redmond need?” respondents of
the Redmond Art survey ranked first “an art center for exhibits, classes, and residencies.” Public feedback collected as far back as 2006 has indicated that Redmond longs for a shared space for exchanging ideas, experiencing new cultures and making art. Above all, it means creating a gathering place specifically designed for art and cultural activities. THE COST: A MENU OF OPTIONS FOR VIBRANCY Culture is an investment and ecology. The cost of culture is not precise but it is real and is a function of both healthy patronage and participation. There are startup costs, capital costs and annual costs for the production, marketing and maintenance of artworks and cultural experiences. In a sustainable model, these costs are shared among many stakeholders: artists, audiences, government and the private sector both for-profit and nonprofit. No one actor is left holding the bag; rather, each play a
role in cultivating a rich cultural ecology that is dynamic and vibrant. The table below can be used as a guide for understanding the scale of investment required for a desired outcome. It shows estimated capital and annual costs for the major touchstones of the proposed Downtown Cultural Corridor. The outcomes are expressed as a menu of vibrancy options, each with a different level of vibrancy based on duration (seasonal or year-round) and quality (local, regional and national). It is important to understand that culture is not all or nothing. That is, for Redmond to be vibrant all year with nationally recognized cultural arts does not require an anchor arts organization with a $30 million a year budget, operating in a $130 million dollar facility with a $25 million piece of public art across the street. A vibrant cultural arts scene is an ecology that requires touchstones at all levels relying –on and feeding off of the other. The question is: how vibrant an ecology do we want?
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