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ABOUT THE ART
Issue 2 Vol. I Oct - Dec 2016 Arts and Culture Committee of the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce This Issue’s Sponsor Kemp Realty Group
Experiencing the power of the arts and its impact on the vitality of a community Tourism | Economic Development | Education & Historical Preservation | Health & Wellness
Cultural Arts + Business: An Essential Coexistence
by Richard Reep, Award-winning architect and artist and Orlando Weekly art critic Reep writes for the Orlando Weekly and teaches Urban Design & Sustainable Development as an adjunct professor for Rollins College.
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est Volusia has always drawn a particular brand of creatives who flourish here, but more and more people are discovering the special mix of cultural richness and inclusiveness that has fueled a quiet renaissance which thrills visitors with its unique artistic ambience. It is the combination of laissez-faire and semi-off-the-grid, yet contemporary, connected, and savvy that makes the area desirable for so many. Native West Volusians, recent transplants and visitors all agree: it seems clear that we’re doing something right. DeLand has escaped the often uncontrolled pressures for growth that Florida has experienced elsewhere. A house or two here, a neighborhood there. Growth isn’t measured in numbers; instead, it’s measured in the quality of the activity. Local Broker/Realtor Maureen Kemp, of Kemp Realty Group, knows this, “Many people come to DeLand and want to restore older homes and I want to help them find those homes”, she said. This commitment to the quality of Craftsman style bungalows and Prairie School residences makes a difference. “There is interest in signature architecture that matches my own with respect to the design of these residences,” added Kemp, who grew up in DeLand. Businesses specializing in quality often flourish in places that are off the beaten path. West Volusia is set apart but is not isolated. It is accessible to Central Florida’s large populated centers without the disadvantages of day-to-day traffic and crowds. People visit for the authenticity of its scene, yet many stay because something here keeps them. A way to look at this something is to view the West Volusia arts scene, and how it has evolved. College-town Gainesville has a similar vibe, but has experienced a growth pattern bringing a sameness to much of the landscape. Instead, West Volusia harbors a community of free and independent thinkers who have created their own network between oak hammocks, farmland and scenic country roads. “DeLand,” mused Kemp, “always seems to attract people who appreciate art and like the character of our downtown.” Stetson University’s Hand Art Center, Athens Theatre, Museum of Art – DeLand, the African American Museum of the Arts and DaVinci Design House - all of these venues revolve around the relaxed, bohemian Woodland Boulevard scene, a kind of high street for the region, with its bookstores and galleries in friendly coexistence with boutiques and businesses. Art exhibits in DeLand are talked about in busy Orlando and the big city venues keep their eyes on what is happening here. Exhibits have a bounce effect, sending artists in different directions after they’ve seen it. Having arrived for a show, art patrons often stay to enjoy a meal or a sidewalk stroll, further making West Volusia a go-to place for the region’s art crowd. Artists are part of the larger creative culture of West Volusia. This culture, as Kemp commented, includes entrepreneurs who have found a higher tolerance for new ideas in West Volusia. Surprising, perhaps - the intelligentsia confers this status only upon our large cities today. Cities, however, have created high barriers to entry for new ideas, partly due to the velocity of the mainstream and partly due to the sheer cost of living. Emily Rankin, whose Local Roots Distribution engages farmers for high quality, locally grown food, recently moved her business from Orlando to Lake Helen. She puts it like this: “West Volusia is eager for creative entrepreneurs to come and add their unique and dynamic spark. In this sense, it is like a beautiful canvas.” Rankin, like others, found her innovative business flourishing away from the glare of the big city lights, and is easily able to bring local, organic agriculture to the region out of her West Volusia home base. Hints of this creative spark surround downtown. Perhaps it is the flavor of Woodland Boulevard – the local name for US Highway 17-92 - that signals something different. Home to few chain stores, the independent owner-operator feel of Woodland strikes a delicate balance between over