Arts and Culture District slated for Oct. 17 kickoff

Staunton will kick off its new Arts and Culture District with a series of events on Saturday, Oct. 17, the city and the Arts and Culture Council of Staunton announced on Friday.

The district will serve at the outset of its lifespan as a marketing tool for the arts community to attract locals and visitors to cultural events in the Queen City.

“Through the creation of the district overlay, we want to encourage economic sustainability, reinforce our unique artistic identity, provide community building through participation in the arts and culture, and enhance overall quality of life,” Staunton Economic Development Director Bill Hamilton said.

The goals of the city and the Arts and Culture Council for the district include:

– Increasing community awareness, knowledge, and support of arts and culture
– Stabilizing and expanding existing arts organizations
– Enabling and encouraging collaboration within the cultural community
– Recruiting new organizations to relocate to or start up in the area of the district
– Encouraging the opening of complementary businesses.

The new arts and culture district will serve as both an economic development and tourism tool. Although a relatively untapped resource in Virginia, arts and cultural districts are an increasingly

popular economic development catalyst for local governments across the country.

Experts suggest that cities with thriving cultural hubs attract more residents and more desirable businesses over the long term.

“There is growing recognition of a synergy between economic and

creative forces, and we want to be on the forward edge of this movement,” Assistant Economic Development Director Amanda Huffman said.

“Staunton’s growing cultural momentum is gaining the respect of both residents and visitors. Cultural tourists stay longer and spend more, and we’ve historically had a strong interest from this group. We anticipate that the formation of the new district will help drive even more traffic to Staunton,” Tourism Director Sheryl Wagner said.

“Establishing the Arts and Culture District helps continue Staunton’s leadership in promoting culture to improve residents’ lives, attract tourists and make a positive economic impact. In today’s economy, the new district will be an even more valuable tool to help local residents and businesses to thrive,” Arts and Culture Council Chairman Erik Curren said.