LADEC

Our first event was met with incredible success.  It was a dream come true for me and so is still hard for me to discuss in any sort of objective way.  We are in the Baltimore Sun.  Notes from the wall below...

Wall Notes (excluding "Give" to protect contact information of individuals)  Look for these to be hung in the storefronts on C Street:

See  Get Give

What did you see in Laurel in the first place?
Why did you move here?
What keeps you here?  What do you love about it?
What would your pet project be to make Laurel even better?

Love the Olde Towne look feel
Laurel Museum
LA Fitness
Riverfest
Main Street Festival
Pedestrian Friendly
location location location.  Industrial History.  Empower Women.
Convenience
I heart Main Street can we restore it to its former glory.
Main Street is adorable.
So much to do!  Plays.  Theatre.  Parks.
Proximity to other "city" center
Roads from everywhere coming into Laurel
endless possibilities.
Old town feel with new century energy
I love the community spirit and small town feel
Would love a small music venue in the historic district like a Filmore, Avalon, or Hamilton
"shopping"  I work in laurel.  I love the history.
Security and Police Officers
The scale of Laurel is friendly for humans
New Library coming in 2013
It's time for Main Street to look good


Get:
What would you like to receive that is elusive or difficult to attain in Laurel at the moment?  (please remember our focus is the Arts District)

An outdoor venue for music in the summer
No parking on Main Street-let's see the shops  and pedestrians, add bike lanes, construct multi level parking center
A subscription movie theatre in the old Petrucci's
More places to combine food and music like the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt
Another Comedy Club
Audiences at the theatre and more funding for the arts
More music more art opportunities
Restaurants that are not a chain.  Looking  for unique experiences.  Tired of homogeniuos cookie cutter stuff (Seconded, Thirded)
Quality theatre and performance venue (Seconded, and Liked)
Main Street Traffic.  Especially pedestrians to make and keep businesses lively, healthy, and properous
A good night on the town in Laurel (Amen.  Amen again)
Real and true acknowledgement of the greatness that is Laurel (I Agree)
Art venues that will attract and keep busy younger people.


Give:
What can you offer in the way of resources  to this growing vision?

I had the great delight of attending my second Maryland Arts Day in Annapolis yesterday.  Pictured above is our own Maryland State Senator Jim Rosapepe just as spunky and inspiring as ever!Two major advocacy points were covered and should be the focus between now and when they are voted on March 3 and 7 respectively.

1.  Support Governor O'Malleys Level Funding for the arts. 
2.  Oppose the BRFA initiative.  This would essentially remove $344,000 from the annual state arts budgets each year over the next five years.

Maryland Citizens for the Arts have press releases and comprehensive information available to everyone.  What a wonderful organization.  Feel free to explore their website on the link above and contact them if you have questions.

Senator Rosapepe, Delegate Frush, Delegate Barnes, and Delegate Pena-Melynk, are delightful and approachable and love to hear from their constituencies.

As for me, there is really so much on the horizon for Venus Theatre right now.  We are rehearsing our 29th play on C Street to open on our 302nd performance March 8th.  AND, the play I penned entitled Molly Daughter opens in Raleigh this Sat at the Justice Theatre.  BUT, I must pause and take a moment to consider our arts district exploration. 

That was the objective afterall:  to explore the possibilities.

I would love nothing more than to build a green theatre, create empowering jobs for women in the arts, and help to nurture a family/pedestrian friendly environment.  That's the vision I've gotten out of the exploration.  What's yours?

Thursday the 16th of Feb Venus Theatre hosts the LADEC SEE GET GIVE event!  It's an open house between 4 and 6:30 and we'd love to hear what everyone has to say now that we've carried on a six month conversation.

A conversation that began in Hyattsville at the most awesome Busboys and Poets on August 12, 2011.

Founder Andy Shallal took some time out of his day to speak to us about the power of his business.  We learned that combining dining and art leads to building an incredibly strong community.  Having performed on Andy's stage in DC it was a real treat to see his place appear in MD and to know he had expanded into VA as well.  He is a master of community building using the arts as a catalyst.  We were very fortunate to begin the conversation having him as our host.

Lindsey got to meet a personal hero.  It was just an incredible day.

Seated at the table with Andy and I (from left to right):  Aaron (ATHA), Jan (BOT), Jack (City Hall), Marilyn (BOT), Lindsey (LHS), Karl (City Hall), Joe (BOT), Lionell (PGAC)

The conversation was incredible.  We learned that a common vision would be key.  And we learned that celebrating diversity would also insure success.  We decided to keep the conversation going and to see how we would create a management component for an arts district, as well as considering what the vision would be for our Main Street in Laurel. 

Special thanks and congratulations to everyone who began the conversation and to those that continue it.

Please join us on Thursday the 16th between 4 and 6:30 to help keep the conversation moving.

See you at the theatre!

We met at Noon on yesterday.  In attendance were:  Matthew, Gail, Michelle (WELCOME MICHELLE!), Lindsey, Resa, Abbie, and Marilyn. 

Upcoming.
SEE GET GIVE - Thursday the 16th from 4-6:30 at Venus Theatre

Maryland Arts Day - Wednesday the 8th all day in Annapolis.  (The more the merrier!)

A Girl Named Destiny - Venus Theatre's First Preview of World Premiere play.  An after hours performance. 
March 6, 5pm at Venus Theatre

LADEC MEETING - March 12 at Noon.

Main Streets - Event in Baltimore Coordinating with membership of the Board of Trade to cover this event April 1-4

Art Bike Brigade

Main Street Festival

Inaugural C Street Arts Festival -
C Street
Saturday June 9 10-5, now accepting submissions.

Action.
Open a checking account.

Updates.
Deb-Venus Theatre is rolling out 4 new plays this year!  In rehearsal, still casting, recruiting High School students to intern with theatre professionals, launching empowerment classes for women.  Deb's play, Molly Daughter is being produced at the Justice Theatre in Raleigh, NC this month. 

Matthew-Still taking pictures on Main Street

Gail-Main Street Festival time at Board of Trade

Michelle-working on her jewelry sales

Abbie-Gallery deadlines, volunteer recruitment, access to funding sources, Art Bike Brigade (every child should have and decorate their own bike the night before the Main Street Festival)

Lindsey-New Gallery Exhibit has OPENED!  The Life, I am a Laurel Mill Worker.  Doing a food-related project in the Fall.  The Historical Society is on the WAMU airwaves Friday!

Resa-Cathy Emory in the Washington Post today!  Very excited. 

Marilyn-Commercial costumed and up and running on television.

Projects.
SEE GET GIVE will be ready to go on Thursday the 16th.

First storefront will be decorated by the time of the Main Street Festival.

Arts Festival is up and moving and in need of volunteers and donations.

Conversation and Concerns.
One of our major concerns is branding.  We need to create a more accurate image of who we really are.  There was a conversation and shared frustration on a retail level.  There seems to be a perception that goods should cost less if they are made in Laurel.  This, even compared to neighboring Columbia, goes to the image problem of Laurel/Prince Georges County.  It's a branding issue hurting us directly on a retail/budgetary level. 

Maryland Arts Day is to happen in Annapolis next Wednesday.  All participants have been asked to bring a 60 second action statement.  Abbie and I will be attending and look forward to making connections there.  The larger the showing, the better the result so please come out if you can.

There were a lot of Board of Trade members at the arts meeting.  This seems useful because we can coordinate efforts.  The intent of initially forming this committee was to create a third aspect to a needed management component.  There was a lot of communication and coordinating between the arts vision and the board of trade vision. 

Unfortunately, Karl was not feeling well yesterday so we did not have the City represented.  He will email me soon about the movement on C Street with regard to developers.  He'll keep us posted on the process at City Hall.  In addition, Karl will supply an Arts District map for our event on the 16th.  (Feel better Karl!!!  It's just not the same without you.) 

Next Meeting on March 20 at Noon.