Reevaluating Wheaton's Artistic Designation To Boost Economy
Regional planners hope to activate community involvement.
Though Wheaton has been designated an Arts & Entertainment District for nearly six years, Mid-County Regional Services Director Ana Lopez van Balen says there is still a lot of work ahead to embody that distinction. She plans to meet with Suzan Jenkins, CEO of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and representatives from established arts groups in the community on Tuesday to brainstorm plans to boost a “unified vision” within Wheaton that is centered on the arts. Wheaton’s designation as an Arts & Entertainment District is meant to encourage artistic enterprise, primarily through tax credits, said Peter McGinnity, manager of the county's Wheaton Redevelopment Program. Commercial property owners who renovate their spaces to …
In this Article:
Claudia Gibson-Hunter
2:45 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
Communities want to have "arts districts",but rarely plan for an infrastructure to build and sustain talented artists. Where is the affordable housing with studios? Where are the part time art teaching jobs in the schools so the artists have time to also create their work? Where are the food co-ops, the arts programs for seniors, the connections between galeries/artists studios and the chamber of… more ›