Arts and Artisans

Creative Tourism and Artists

Among the definitions for tourism industry segments is a new one related to the arts: Creative Tourism. “When visitors come to a locale to see a play or hear a concert, they are passive ‘cultural tourists.’ When they come to that place to take a workshop from an artist or to interact with a locale’s artists in some way, they then become active (and interactive) ‘creative tourists.’”9 The arts in Accokeek offer opportunities for both creative tourists and cultural tourists: The Accokeek Arts Alliance offers periodic workshops and hosts the popular yART Sale. The activities are ready-made for attracting creative tourists by packaging with other activities in the area (such as the Moyaone Reserve Historic District Home Tour and the Accokeek Foundation’s Latte with Lambs event). In addition, alliance membership includes talented musicians and actors.

Hard Bargain Farm also can expand interpretation of Alice Ferguson as an artist. Trained as an artist, Ferguson was active in the Washington arts community where she exhibited her paintings. At Hard Bargain Farm, Ferguson used the log cabin as a studio. Today, her art collection is housed at the farm. The Alice Ferguson Foundation should investigate recognizing this legacy through membership in Historic Arts Homes and Studios. The Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios (HAHS); artistshomes.org, program was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is a coalition of almost 50 museums working to preserve homes and studios of American artists. HAHS promotes artists’ homes and studios through its website, media publicity, a guidebook and other venues. HAHS also provides a network to collaborate with other artists homes and studios and to advocate for their preservation.

9 “Tap into the Creative Tourism Market,” Professional Artist, 2016, https://professionalartistmag.com/tourists-artmarket/

ACTION

ACTION STEP T13: Create an Experiential Arts Package

The Alice Ferguson Foundation and the Accokeek Arts Alliance should explore the creation of an Arts/Artists Getaway experiential arts package that includes a tour/ talk of Alice Ferguson’s artwork, tour of the log cabin studio, and workshop conducted by Arts Alliance members. The package could also include music or a brief theatrical performance by Alliance members. The package could be a one-day activity or overnight with lodging in the cabins at Hard Bargain Farm or at National Harbor.