| Maryland Arts Day featured Dr. Limb and his research on creativity and the brain. What an incredible day. Maryland is no longer asking for level funding but for a 2 million dollar increase. This will take us to a budget level of 2008 when we weigh in inflation. The tone is a good one and it feels like forward movement. We continue to build. It's a big day and anyone who wants to become an advocate for the arts can do it easily on line by going to the Maryland Citizens for the Arts webpage. e-advocate 
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I'd like to reiterate this... Vision: To create a thriving arts community. We are committed to embracing professional artisans within our unique, sustainable city to celebrate art and the creative process. It is the goal of this district to facilitate innovative and strong professional collaborations which will create sustainable jobs for artists and other residents in the community. We aim to use the arts as a central tool for economic development to preserve our unique walkable historic Main Street and riverfront. 
Maryland Arts Day 2013. February 20 Annapolis, MD ...onward... |
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 There is a wonderful piece on Innovation Leadership: Best practices from theatre creators. It's linked to the image above. There are a few major points of best practices and I thought I would share them here because they are relevant. First and foremost is systemic leadership vs. structural leadership. This was the center of the shift and criticism during my time as Chair during the ten months of LADEC. We had an incredible systemic dynamic flowing. And it worked because the environment was consistently changing. The criticism of a few was that we needed more structure, officers, a bank account. This was never my leaning. And that's because structural leadership was nothing that was working for us. In addition, all outside and experienced advisors suggested we continue with less structure and keep everything creative as conversations and revelations continued. This goes also to lateral thinking vs. vertical thinking. I thought it was a wonderful summation and I hope you have a chance to read it. There has also been some confusion, even among reporters, as to titles of organizations on C Street. To be clear, Resa Moran created an LLC entitled Laurel Factory Art Works. She did this after abruptly losing her job when the Laurel Arts Center closed. Not too long after Resa shared this idea at a systemic-structured meeting, Karen Isailavic incorporated something called Laurel Factory. I met with Ada to discuss this because it was clear that we all needed to move together with a cohesion. That was the first lesson at our first LADEC meeting. It was also clear that there was some kind of violation of boundaries. Ada's input was that they had a "twin" idea and that we should let them work that out. I stepped away. Now Abbie with the C Street Art Gallery has given space to Laurel Factory which has often been confused with Laurel Factory Art Works. **This organization is not and has never been connected to the Laurel Arts Center. Resa Moran Laurel Factory Art Works https://www.facebook.com/LaurelFactoryArtWorks Karen Isailic/Ada Ghuman/Abbie Chessler Laurel Factory http://www.laurelfactory.com ***Cease and desist letter pending.*** Laurel Factory produced 16 Saturdays at the C Street Art gallery. This arose unexpectedly. I'd already had a verbal agreement with Abbie that would have brought Molotov Theatre to C Street. We met twice. The first time at Red Hot and Blue and we shook hands about our collaborative project. We met again in her space and Molotov brought their designers in. Not too long after I received an email from Ada saying Abbie told her to contact me. Also, saying she would stay true to our agreement. She did not. In fact, Molotov withdrew and Laurel Factory went on to hold open mic events during matinees at Venus Theatre. Many requests were made for consideration. The needs of Venus were ignored. There was no understanding and no efforts made to understand the issues of noisebleed. I was simply told no. Point blank. I was told it was not an issue. It compromised our sound design and the experience of our paying audience. An audience I've spent 7 years cultivating. My largest criticism at this time is that the self-appointed council seems to have no desire to pay artists or to use art as the center of economic development. They gather volunteers. And, that's different. Venus has been paying artists since 2000 and had hoped the Arts District would be an opportunity to pay these professional artists some kind of living wage. In addition, LADC seem to have very little, if any, experience in arts management. Finally, their ability to treat Venus Theatre as an inconvenience makes it impossible for any future collaborations. I will continue to post information here. Knowledge is power. It's been so long since I've blogged here. There are many reasons for this. The first and most tragic is the loss of Gail. She passed quickly and the town has been scrambling to make up for all of her public contributions. The second and most ridiculous seems to be a sexism that I did not expect because it's coming from some of the women around me. So, I'd like to write about that now.
But first, THE GOOD NEWS! Just yesterday we had Riverfest. Michelle and I co-chaired this event with a great team. Rain showers came down on us all day but the attendance was better than last year even though the weather was so much worse. We are certain that this is because of all of the artists that graced our five stages. Whatever happens in this town next, I'm going to look at this journey as a great victory. Because on one rainy day, we embraced and paid artists to do the things they do best. And, the sounds of flutes, strings, and percussion permeated the trees, Main Street, it was a dream come true. I think the admin structure that made this so successful was the intentional collaboration between the Board of Trade (who graciously sponsored most of this event), City Hall (who flawlessly oversaw logistics), and Artists (who gave more sweat equity than should have been required but we just can't control the weather). Terrific success! Today, I am left with an email from a woman I will call Fracky. I don't why. It just diffuses the ignorance for me, I guess. Here's part of what she wrote: "For the past few months I have chosen not to react to your misinformed and character assassination emails. And, this will be the first and last time in the spirit of transparency that I will respond. My point of view is that you obviously don’t get what an arts district is; it’s not the production of one endeavor lead by one person. It’s an organic simultaneous movement that will benefit everyone in this town. Guess what! It’s bigger than you and I or anyone else and it will continue to grow above all fears, egos and negativity." (I refer you to yesterdays event that embraced about 25 different artists/organizations.) And, this brings me to what's been happening. I have been characterized in such a way by certain women as to be controlling and manipulative and insistent on having things be my way or the highway. This has been their perception I believe because they forget that I am a founder of a business and yes, the interests of my organization are always at the forefront for me. Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Oh yeah, I don't have a penis. When I began to bring a man in, this was not at all the perception. He was welcomed and his requests were answered briefly and without question. When I have a request, it is answered with a character judgement. When I have a conversation, it falls on deaf ears. So, I have reached an absolute state of infuriated saturation with this level of ignorance and sexism. The affirmation of this theory lies in actions. Scene 1. During the summer I did everything I could to help with Farmers Market. It began to thrive. But then, I started getting orders from third parties about how to post to Facebook. This is because I was having a blast and posting pix and vid and people were coming based on that. When I didn't know how to perform this request -afterall, I was volunteering my time and simply getting the word out as best as I could- I then had these crazy accusations placed on me. Why wouldn't I do it? Why couldn't I just let the project go? I could. And, I did. And, the reason I did is because the woman in charge of that project, we'll call her Tacky, took such actions that I have never seen. First, after asking her to not communicate with me anymore electronically and having her send me an electronic smiley face, she conference called me. She then told me the whole town was in the room with her and that everyone thought I was nuts. Did I know that? huh. The next day, she reported a ridiculous claim to the city trying to get me either fined or in trouble. So ODD! I mean, what if she used her powers for good? End scene. Scene 2. This is a long scene. It goes back two years. When a woman we'll just call Fricky decided to "open" an art gallery next to my theatre. Great. Only, she decided to open her few exhibits per year exactly when I was producing plays. Even though there are months at a time when my company is in rehearsal. No, she thought this will help everyone. Because everyone will love everyone and see everything. Tried that. Nope. Two different audiences. Loud street conversations. Car doors. Drunken laughter. Whatever play I'm producing, these sounds are now a part of the soundscape. And, if I have anything to say about that...we'll I'm just full of fear, ego, and negativity. Obviously. Problem is, the building is so old there are major noise bleed issues. I've spoken about this for over a year. Other people have spoken about it to Fracky. Fracky has always pretended to sincerely understand. It would require arts management, consideration, understanding. Nothing. With developers coming in and this level of inconsideration around me, I'm just not sure how wise it will be to continue on with Venus on C Street. But, as I said, I'm so excited about yesterdays event. And, I'm so in love with this town. The obstacles are simply real. So now, Fricky is busy at her corporate job with benefits and paid vacation and delegates the art gallery to Fracky. The author of the above quotation. Fracky, is pulled in suddenly after a verbal agreement with Fricky that had nothing to do with Fracky. You see? I know. It's insane. Suffice to say, we were going to bring in a second professional theatre company to C Street but they withdrew because of Fricky and Fracky and the madness that is their whimsy. So now, I have a brand new play up and running. It's awesome! It's called, Devil Dog Six. And, the playwright is coming in from NYC to see it on Saturday. Fricky and Fracky have answered my concerns about noise bleed by telling me that they are not having anything amplified and insisting noise bleed is not an issue and more people will come when we do two events at once. (insert the definition of insanity [here]). Voices still travel through the wall. They compromise the sound design of my shows in particular. It would be like me spreading some white out on one of their canvases and saying it blends in with the background anyway. They make it harder to perform. Take more energy. And, this week in particular we have three shows to do in 26 hours with the writer in house. So, the energy levels are intense. I have come to the defense of the new work going on at my theatre. And, I have come to the defense of what it would mean to build an arts district using art as the center for economic development. My company is now producing its 41st script on C Street and has given professional opportunities to hundreds of artists. So, I'm not sure how I'm the problem. Oh yeah, I don't have a penis therefor should shut up and say thank you and lose my intelligence. Any of the events next door can happen before or after or on dark time. Or, given enough notice, I can schedule around them. But, there is no notice. Their schedule is built on top of my schedule. And, they don't care what impact that has on my Company or my work. I will rage. I have dedicated and devoted my life to theatre because theatre has given me my life. And, if that makes people call me names, try to run me out of town with a lynch mob conference call, or accuse me of being dictatorial when all I've done is build, then so be it. I wonder what these women would do if I walked into their jobs and rearranged their furniture, files, and disrupted their contacts and workflow? I wonder how they would react if I accused them of being negative for having a reaction. You see? I know. It's NUTS! For the record, all I have tried to do is build art and offer opportunity. You can call me intense. You can call me furious. You can call me empassioned. But, to accuse me of trying to stop art from growing is absurd-especially coming out of the mouths of the people willingly compromising what I have spent 20 years building, 7 of those years on C Street. Shouldn't be surprised though. Because sexism is insidious. And, when it's coming from women towards women the real crux of the issue is self-hate. And, I want absolutely nothing to do with that. There are some basic objectives to pursue and some basic questions to be answered. Painting me as the scapegoating demon woman doesn't do any of this. It diverts the focus, the energy, and the attention. And that diversion may just cost us our district. That's why I'm writing this. Because there's such opportunity. Fricky and Fracky took the E out of LADEC. I don't know where they put it. But, everything in art is an exploration for me. Tacky tried to run me out of down with a conference call. For some reason, I'm still here. And, I will definitely rage on and defend my art no matter the accusations of Fricky, Fracky, and Tacky. I regret nothing. I apologize for nothing. I will build. And, if they destroy I will call them out on it. Set your clock to it. And, stay tuned for another installment of the ridiculous obstacle insertions of Fricky, Fracky, and Today we had a great opportunity to meet with the men of Kleibel Development and have an initial conversation to get to know one another. I don't want to violate any trust so I will simply post what I said. Feel free to share more if you are comfortable doing so. Either comment here or email me ([email protected]) and I will post.
-------------------------------------------- Thank you for meeting with us and opening up this forum of constructive communication. My name is Deborah Randall. I’m the founder of Venus Theatre. The Chair of the Laurel Arts District Exploratory Committee. A Director of the Laurel Board of Trade. A member of the League of Washington Theatres. A Member of Theatre Washington. I have housed my business on C Street for over six years now. I’ve been a citizen of Laurel, Maryland since 1985 when I moved here by myself at the age of 19. My family has a lot of history in Prince George’s County. They have run pubs in the 40’s and given land so that Forestville could have a firehouse before that. And, I was educated through the Prince Georges County School System. Some of my most successful career artists friends were my pals in the Hallam Theatre Green Room at PGCC. This includes Micheal Leon Wooley who was known as the voice of Broadway for his portrayal of Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors, and if you’ve seen the Princess and the Frog you’d know him as Luis the Alligator. Johnny Walker was on Drew Carey’s team for a while and you can catch him on the Sara Silverman show and the list goes on. At my husbands request this morning I will tell you about my accomplishments. While at Friendly High I wrote in over 20 female characters in our student musical and ended up playing the Cinderella-esque one. At PGCC I was the prez of the drama club and resurrected the Experimental Theatre Company where I began directing at the age of 19. Later I became a cum laude grad of UMBC as a theatre major/dance minor. I was fortunate to perform with some really wonderful professional companies in the area. But, I was not satisfied with the quality of the roles of women. So, I began writing my own and producing brilliant and neglected others and toured four separate solo shows, wrote two of them. Was a guest at the innovators series in Arlington among many many other events. For ten years I researched the Molly Maguires. That play was published in an anthology entitled Anthracite! And taught at Penn State for a time. This project prompted Professor Philip Mosley to talk about my process in front of a panel of professors in Austria. I was analyzed on the other side of the pond. You name it, I’ve probably seen it or lived it. I am the recipient of the Artistic Director award with Helen Hayes, two time winner of the play of the year award with Curve Magazine, nominated for an American Theatre Critics Award, as well as the recipient of the American Express Award. Plays that we have premiered have gone on to get full University distribution from Samuel French, to be remounted with nonprofits and independent films growing out of the experience. Our readings are spoken of in recent publications. And, most significant are the artists I have had the great and incredible pleasure of collaborating with over the years. I am a Prince Georges girl and I’m happy to house my business in Laurel’s historic district. I’m also determined to rebrand so that the place I call home receives the respect it deserves. For about 15 years I produced theater through four different states and Washington, DC. It’s been a long road and one that ended up leading me back home. The areas I produced have changed dramatically over time. And, each success story holds a theatre at its center. On 14th Street, it began with the Source, Woolly Mammoth, and Studio Theatres back in the 80’s. Today the Studio theatre spans the block, the Source has become central to the surrounding community. Where only one unmarked 7-11 used to stand we now see funky urban furniture shops, Caribou Coffee, Whole Food Markets, and too many active storefronts to recollect. On 7th Street, where I produced at the Warehouse Theatre as the Convention Center was being built across the street causing rats to eat our props, The Shakespeare Theatre changed everything. Michael Kahn now has three structures, Woolly Mammoth has relocated there, and the development in the neighborhood where my car was broken into every show now includes a Busboys and Poets, a gourmet Safeway - with Olive Bar attendant, and the Verizon Center couched on 7th Street which may or may not now look like Broadway threw up on Chinatown. Shirlington’s new hip scene was raised entirely around Signature Theatre. This brings me to want to make very clear here the power of art in terms of economic development. Three years ago statistics show that the arts generated $1.4 billion dollars and created 12,000 jobs. That added up to 41 million dollars in state taxes during a recession. Everyone in this room can probably now quote the statistic that says it best, but I’ll say it here again: For every dollar spent on the arts in Maryland, $2.40 is spent at a neighboring retail business. 1:2.50 I believe it’s time to officially launch the get-off-the-couch movement. Laurel is one of the first of five cities in the state to be labeled green sustainable. The City has made us an arts district and looking to our fellow arts districts to the east and west we have learned some valuable lessons. From Hyattsville, we have learned that the residents and artists must be in sync with the developers and lawmakers or else there will be a drag that can put a decades slow down on the process and leave the project in the red. From Silver Spring we have learned that it’s nice to attract visitors but we don’t want to do that at the expense of chasing away residents. I see a pedestrian friendly active community with pedicabs along the river and green buildings popping up on Main Street. Personally, I’d love to have the first green theatre in Maryland. We want an historic district that is ecofriendly. One where residents are out and about including a thriving nightlife. Where people come to enjoy the small town experience with national exposure, recognition, and respect. We are a mill town. We are the place where the fabric of adventure was quite literally created. The fabric made here became the sails of ships, the covers of wagons, it was the dreamers fabric created with hard work, precision, and craft. That’s what we are really about. We know that Konterra is a mere 3 miles away. The racetrack is only 1/2 a mile away. Fort Meade is 8 miles away. We know the development on Route one will continue and that contract workers continue to pore in through BRAC’s relocation program and cause structures to seemingly fly up over night. We don’t need to compete with any of that. We want to embrace the work ethic of our mill town history, the precision, the craft, the beauty of our riverfront park, and the growth that comes when you place the arts at the center of economic development. Just look at H Street in DC. The structures were built but the people remained transient. And now, the structures are closing down. Bricks and mortar can be beautiful, but without the community that has invested decade upon decade, true success will become elusive. For those of us who run nonprofits, we need funding streams. We need financial initiatives. We are already stretched. And we are coming together in various ways. On Saturdays between 11 and 2 Venus Theatre has open lobby hours for the Coffee Rings Café. This features Something Special Coffee by Laurie Blitz, Rings and more jewelry by Michelle Arsenault, and other Pretty Things by Marilyn Johnson. In May Kristen Arant will lead drum circles outside during our Coffee Rings Café. The purpose is to give women business owners without a storefront presence a chance to be seen with their products. Abbie and her committee are working on arts festivals for C Street. We are ready to collaborate with interested parties. It’s time for proper funding and proper structures. The risk of building shells without the spirit and vision of the residents becomes a real concern for this committee. Businesses that have sustained over time and were built with sweat equity and moxy need to be met now with strong initiatives that insure a little security so that we don’t repeat what happened with the Arts Center and the flurry that Resa now finds herself in. In doing this, new businesses will be very attracted to the prospect. Existing businesses are the best advertising for new businesses. And, we appreciate the care being given to our good work. We have a great opportunity here to build something magnificent together. So, I am excited to be a partner. To figure out a way for everyone to thrive. My phone stays charged. There’s a show tonight at 8. My playwright arrived from Minnesota yesterday. He’s got a friend coming from Philly, one coming from NYC today-all staying at the Quality Inn and coming to C Street. And, that’s been happening for over five years. It’s just time to grow this district. So, let’s move forward in the spirit of clean communication and cooperative citizenship. Thanks so much for giving me a seat at your table. And, I’ll see you on C.   We were at the front door of City Hall for the Mayors Open House yesterday. It was a great opportunity to network and chat with City Hall, citizens, and other organizations in the city. We continue to expand our mailing list with hopes that the conversation will carry on. I produced theatre for about 15 years in DC and four other states before the almost seven years that my Company has been located on C Street. There are several locations that Companies such as mine have simply been gentrified out of. We are the magnet and then we can't afford the rent. I have to say that never before in my experience has the Mayor and leadership given ear to the artists in this way. To have a full seat at the table is a miraculous occurrence. Laurel is an exceptional place and the possibilities here are very exciting. This morning I met with Laurel High School Drama Teacher Francis Hammond. I am planning to bring Venus Theatre to Laurel High on the 15th. This is the first time I've visited Laurel HS but I have heard amazing things about the theatre facility there. Frank was able to show me the black box but we could not get into the full auditorium this morning. We are working to build volunteer connections as well as theatre networking opportunities and collaborations. I pose the question here, without blame, how valuable is it to have a standing structure if craftspeople can't access it?  This afternoon I met with Councilwoman Mary Lehman and the Director of the Prince Georges County Arts and Humanities Council, Rhonda Dallas. It was a lively conversation and there's so much I want to share with you about that. I believe both women will be in attendance at our next LADEC meeting on the 20th at Noon at Venus.
First, on the green end. Laurel is one of the first of five green assigned communities in the state. Rhonda told me that the Presidential Award for Green Cities was just awarded to Edmonton right here in MD. I'd love to plan a field trip to see that city in action! Having just visited a public school, the subject of education did come up in conversation. Out of that there will be a tour of Laurel HS arranged on March 19th at 10am. Rhonda is going to take that whole day to explore Laurel, so I'll be showing her Main Street and the arts district zoning. She'd also like to see the rest of the street all the way up to the museum. Let's stay in touch about that. Mary didn't know about the Art Center closing. We chatted for a time. I think the overall concern is to do with identifying the anchor arts orgs. It's just devastating to lose them. The Art Center has stood for 35 years. So, it would benefit everyone to build on that instead of tearing down the history and going back in time to start from scratch. Arts education comes to the fore again and again. Why don't our children have access to it the way that we did? It teaches self-esteem, individual expression, the benefits are long reaching. All the pieces seem to be there to bring the arts to our youth. There are students in need of learning about the arts and there are arts educators ready to teach. The funding and connectivity is where we are falling short. So, we are hoping to bridge this damaging gap and get artists paid and students expressing. Another topic on the table was viewing art as a means of economic development. I know I've been chanting that for every dollar spent on art $2.40 is spent at a neighboring business. It turns out Mr. Baker has launched an initiative that was just passed by the Council last fall. A FIFTY MILLION DOLLAR initiative! With Seven million being allocated in the first year. I will put this conversation on our agenda for the 20th. In addition to the arts being used to improve and enhance education as well as spurring economic development we also discussed the funding available for creative industries. Other parts of the state have deemed dairy farms creative industries deserving of funding. What is more creative than the arts? Finally, there will be an Arts Community Evening Budget Hearing for Park and Planning sometime in April/May. Currently, funds are allocated via Parks and Rec at $130,000 annually. So representation and passionate pleas for limited funds will be necessary at this event. The first rule of theatre: One must show up. I think a showing of who we are there could make a really big impact. Depending on the date, I may or may not be available myself and hope that a coalition will go with or without me. All council members will be in attendance and the date should be announced soon. See you at the theatre! 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. At Noon today we had our 6th meeting. Karl, Abbie, Lindsey, Resa, Ada, Marvin, Maureen, Miriem, Abdul and myself were in attendance. Marilyn had a family emergency. Welcoming Ada Ghuman to our group! Future Dates: ___________________________ NEXT LADEC MEETING Thurs Feb 2 Noon Venus ___________________________ Thurs Feb 16 - SEE GET GIVE Event! Sat June 9 - FIRST C Street Arts Festival Sat Oct 6 - C Street Arts Festival/Riverfest Subcommittees SEE GET GIVE - Lindsey (great job with guest list!) Marilyn, Maureen, Ada, Deb C STREET FESTIVAL - Visual - Abbie, Resa, Marilyn Stage - Marvin and Maureen to pitch to Abbie Venus - Open House with BoldLove instructors ____________________________ Happy New Year! Can you believe we've been talking about this for 1/2 a year now? We began the conversation by reflecting on lessons learned both from the Hyattsville and Silver Spring Arts Districts. We agreed that we want our arts district to be pedestrian/family friendly. We also agree that a cohesive vision is critical to our success. One statistic reiterated is 2.4. For every dollar spent on an arts event, $2.40 is spent at a non-arts neighboring business. We want to nurture the arts at the center and pull in retail/restaurants all around us. This statistic comes from Maryland Arts Day, which is coming up again on Feb 8. January 18 is their deadline for early registration discounts. We did not discuss the national Main Streets Conference happening in Baltimore this year on March 31/April 1. We should probably have someone attend and report back. Volunteer? Karl handed out the Community Design Standards. Lindsey handed out the spreadsheet of possible invites for the SEE GET GIVE EVENT. We talked about wanting to form strong partnerships along the Main Street Corridor with the Police Department, the City, etc. We heard a bit about the Green Standard of Sustainability. We are all interested in joining the Laurel Olde Towne List-Serv (I think this is a yahoo group but am unable to locate and link it at this time). Lindsey? The City of Laurel has both Twitter and Facebook accounts. Resa has volunteered to gather information and eventually draft a letter (or two) to the mayor. Signage continues to be an ongoing point of conversation.  Looking at 7th Street in DC is a light visual example of how vertical signs on storefronts or lightposts can give a real sense of place.
We also need to check in with Mike Lotsky about the Banner System across Main Street. That could be greatly beneficial to us. Resa has some great ideas about the cohesive nature that we are seeking going into the visual branding and marketing of the district. (Key words: Cohesion/Vision/Character). We want to embrace who we are. That we are a "working" arts town with a history of strong and hardworking people. We want to convey that visually in the marketing materials and signage. The Window Project is continuing thanks to the kind generosity of Mr. McGowan. Abbie and Lindsey continue to cultivate that project with their first window and intend to expand their efforts as things develop. Karl spoke of the city moving ahead for arts district classification with the state of Maryland. Abbie spoke on the C Street Arts Festival. She wants it to be largely visual and juried. I feel very strongly about a pedicab service coming into play and hope that as things develop a new green theatre/arts building can be incorporated. Maureen wants to be sure everyone is included. Marvin feels that we should interface with existing events such as the Farmers Market and Main Street Festival (times when we already have "feet on the street" so that we build our community). Miriem and Abdul spoke with Karl about opening their patio to guests and need help with tree removal. We discussed friends of theirs who already have two successful places in DC and Silver Spring wanting to build on Main Street. We hope that those of us who have been here will be incentivized and helped so that we can keep building and growing. Resa has a customer that is drawing the city from when he was a child to now in the form of overlays. I wonder what we could do to capture these oral stories? We are meeting the first THURSDAY of February with hopes that we can pull Sterling in from the Crystal Fox. His business has been present on Main Street for over 20 years. Love and Light! At Noon today we had our 5th meeting. Karl, Abbie, Marilyn, Lindsey, Matthew, Gail, Resa, and myself were in attendance. Maureen was sick, Randy was working on a deadline, and I'm not sure about the rest.
Future Dates: ___________________________ NEXT LADEC MEETING Wed Jan 4 Noon Venus ___________________________ Jan 4 - Finalized Guest List (Lindsey) February 16 - SEE GET GIVE Event! June 2 - FIRST C Street Arts Festival Oct 6 - C Street Arts Festival/Riverfest Subcommittees SEE GET GIVE guest list - Lindsey refreshment queen - Marilyn ...further organization to be established at Jan 4 meeting... C Street Arts Festival - Visual-Abbie, Resa, Marilyn Music - Paula? Theatre - Deb Art in empty storefronts. We would like to appeal to one property manager at a time and slowly develop relationships so that we can move ahead in a manageable and attainable fashion. I will contact Mr. McGowan about the bank property tomorrow and may also approach Billy Myles. Appreciate input. Gail mentioned that the President of the Board of Trade, Michelle, was very interested in using the Arts District outdoor event in combination with the BOT Riverfest event. So that is set for Oct 6. Karl handed out some valuable pieces: MEDAF, Smart Move Facts, and the A & E Overlay including a map. Lindsey brought a copy of the nonprofit, parties of interest spreadsheet and has offered to be the keeper of that file. She continues to collect data and we hope to send out an evite and follow up with phone calls per organization at the next meeting. Lindsey also researched signs and brought a copy of Sec. 20-107. Signage (a) General Guidelines. This sparked a signage conversation with Karl. He told us that under the Unified Land Development Code there is the Community Appearance Code. This signage conversation went on and it seems that it is a case by case basis whenever anyone needs to get a sign. I'm hoping that perhaps in the future there can be a pre-approved sign format with font and specs, that would maybe knock some kinks out of the flow and allow small business owners easier access to visible advertising. It seems the business owners crave it and the codes can't allow anything that they view as too harsh or out of the historic district aesthetic. Karl recommends continuing the conversation. We chatted a little about financial incentives and Matthew said the Mayor has indicated that he will try to make funds more accessible to those who need them. I'd like to see incentives extended to those of us already in the arts districts to help us thrive That's what will attract outside organizations more than anything else. Matthew also raised the question of the Main Street Manager. He went around the table and the general consensus was that it was a good idea provided it was the right person for the job, the job was well defined, and there was money in the budget to salary such a person. I'd pose an additional question: would the Main Street Manager be the same person as the Arts District Manager. Because according to the Maryland Code the Arts District needs a management component. We continue to define what that is. Just noting here that management is a serious full time job and requires extensive training and skill. Arts Management is its own major on college campus'. So, what sort of resource would we have to invest in that? Just before the meeting I chatted with Aaron Markovitch on the phone. He wanted to be sure to be clear that the Anacostia Heritage Trail Area has a grant submission coming up in January however the City of Laurel will not qualify for what could be significant funding. We chatted with Karl about this. I don't thing this can wait for the next meeting so I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed. It's hard to accept that we just can't apply for money that we may well qualify for and Lindsey points out that it's not just money it's a networking and advertising opp as well. It would be really great if running an arts business on Main Street was more user friendly and if whatever necessary bureaucratic processes could be streamlined so no one would waste the most valuable small business resource of time. We want to do the Valentines Event SEE GET GIVE as an open house format which will run on Feb 16 from 4-7. We want to cover the walls with places for people to write and encourage interactive input, exchanges and provide takeaways as well. Postcards. Questionairres. We also spoke about having a takeaway in the rooms of the Quality Inn. Abbie said that postcards are affordable and that we should plan on doing that in a way which maximizes the resource by giving some information but pointing to websites as well. Gail said the Board of Trade has a similar project and it may make the most sense to combine them. Sidenote: We need coordination with Public Works and Parks and Rec for the outdoor arts events. It's a real pleasure to sit around the table with such wonderful colleagues. The conversation picks up the first Wed of Jan at Noon. See you at Venus. | AuthorHi. I'm Deb. I'm the founder of Venus Theatre. And, I'm the Chair for LADEC. ArchivesJanuary 2013 Categories |
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