Artist Scott Nichols stands next to ‘The Truth’ metal sculpture placed at the rear of the Pittston Memorial Library earlier this year.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
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Bill and Kristy Laing, of Pittston, stopped by the July 2nd Friday Art Walk in Pittston to see what vendors were selling at the Get Printed 3D tent.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
Grossman
Is it possible that art districts can be utilized as a way to preserve and help bring back central business districts? This role has been featured in many communities across the nation. It’s potential for the City of Wilkes-Barre. Initiated by the Wyoming Valley Art League several years ago, the concept is designed to bring together several art related buildings that are located near one another and are part of the revitalization of a given business district area.
This is what is happening in this community, but it is not alone. The City of Pittston has become a flourishing area, in part, by the placement of sculpture, art signage, and other art works. Led by Mayor Michael Lombardo, this relatively small city has prospered with the ability to showcase many types of art in its central business district. In addition, there has been the formation of the Pittston Arts Council which has decided to prepare a survey booklet on the arts being featured in downtowns.
Scranton and Hazleton have art walks as well as Wilkes-Barre, and these highlight the arts in their geographic locations. Pittston, also, has an art walk.
Art districts become a tool that can assist in bringing back communities that have faced economic difficulty and showcase a plethora of the arts. Look around your home community, and secure opportunities to bring back your downtown area, using the arts as a means for this goal. There is now a Luzerne County Arts Advisory Board, established by Luzerne County Council about two years ago, and that group of currently seven members meets at least quarterly to develop and advocate the arts in the County of 330,000 people.
Lackawanna County has had a Cultural entity with a staff that has been around for quite a few years. Arts organizations exist in several of the regional counties of the Pocono-Northeast, and the more of such entities, the more likely that improving the role of central business districts will take place. This is something that will enhance the economic and community development of local communities, and in addition, the Pennsylvania Arts Council can be helpful in this regard as well. There is a Pennsylvania Citizens for the Arts group that is important as well in advocating for State funding and other needs for the arts in the Commonwealth.
Here are some advantages of arts districts in the state.
• Promoting how the community can benefit from the formation of an arts district.
• Developing a public relations program that enhances how the arts can benefit the downtown area.
• Highlighting the role that the arts can play in encouraging the use of the geographic area where the District is located.
• Helping to entice more attention to the downtown community and tying together other sources such as the restaurant community, and all private, public and nonprofit resources.
• Focusing attention on the roles that are key to the establishment of the Arts District and preparing materials that can be handed out to those attending functions that relate to the District.