Quality of Life Entertainment

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MIDDLETOWN

Arts festival expected to add to city’s quality of life

Plans for the inaugural Middletown Arts Festival were unveiled earlier this week, adding yet another positive community event for downtown, organizers and supporters said.

The free Sept. 13 festival will be spread throughout downtown — from Donham Plaza to Governor’s Square — and will feature many of the city’s artistic treasures, including artists, musicians and dancers. The festival is about improving the community’s quality of life, said Jackie Phillips, president of the Middletown Arts Center’s board of directors.

“Quality of life issues are really important to a community,” said Phillips, who is also the city’s health commissioner. “If you do not provide people with things to do, they either will do one of two things: they fall into the area of crime and that kind of stuff or they fall into the area where they’ll do it themselves.”

All local arts organizations are invited to participate, Phillips said. Those that have been asked to showcase local artistic talents include the Middletown Arts Center, Pendleton Art Center, Art Central Foundation, Middletown Symphony Orchestra, Middletown Lyric Theatre, Middletown Performing Arts Academy, BeauVerre Riordan Studios, Broad Street Bash, Midpointe Public Library, Sorg Opera House, Middletown Historical Society, Downtown Middletown Inc. and area education institutions in Butler and Warren counties.

T. Duane Gordon, executive director of the Middletown Community Foundation, agreed with Phillips that this event is addressing a needed quality of life issue, which is why his board signed on to be this year’s presenting sponsor.

“You need high-quality, low-cost, fun things for people to do in order to have a high quality of life in a community,” Gordon said.

The foundation has established a fund that will manage the finances for the event, including the organization’s $15,000 donation — the same amount it gave to the Ohio Challenge that was held this past weekend.

“Our board felt that this was an important enough event to sign on as the presenting sponsor,” Gordon said.

Phillips said the steering committee’s goal to bring in around 5,000 people through the course of the 10-hour event.

“It’s long been a dream of mine to showcase the great art programs found here in Middletown,” Phillips said. “Not only are we excited about spreading awareness throughout the community, but to those in the entire Southwest Ohio region.”

Suzanne Sizer, artistic director for the event and Director of Marketing for the Pendleton Art Center, said the steering committee is looking at this event as a regional event.

“Middletonians have always supported the arts, and (that support) has stayed there,” Sizer said. “It’s a great base to build from, and that’s one of the reasons why Pendleton came to Middletown — because of the history.”

Sizer said they are looking for artists from throughout Southwest Ohio and beyond to participate. And while the community’s art history “is a wonderful base to build from, we’re reaching out to try to grab (that base) and push it forward,” she said

Question....why does the quality of life issue for Middletown citizens only incorporate the arts? This appears to be some narrow-minded thinking on the part of city leaders doesn't it? Couldn't quality of life remedies include other venues other than the arts? Said it before, will say it again, this is a blue-collar city with the majority of people coming from a background that never included the arts. I would guess there is less than 3% of this community engaged in the arts while 97% favor NASCAR, football, beer, smoking, fast food, country or pop music and entertainment at a local bar or a music concert. Does that sound like an arts crowd to anyone?

Suzanne Sizer is dead wrong when she states....

“Middletonians have always supported the arts, and (that support) has stayed there,”

Need to amend that to say, "Less than 3% of Middletonians always support the arts". You don't understand the make-up of the majority of this city Ms. Sizer. You only see your small arts crowd and ignore the vast majority interests. Ms. Phillips, as well as Mr. Gordon, should know the community make-up also. They should know that most can't afford, nor are interested in the arts. Trying to mix the minority interest arts with the majority blue-collar crowd is like trying to mix water and oil. They will not mix.

IMO, rather than have these little concept events in this city, that will attract a rather meager crowd of singularly minded individuals, they could make a much larger impact with quality of life issues if they would concentrate a little less on the arts and the downtown area and start throwing their focus on the creation of job opportunities to enhance and upgrade the lives of many here. It would certainly do more people more good than what is being proposed thru the arts. It would also take a more intense effort. Perhaps that is the reason they take the easy way out with these little efforts that make little impact for most. Developing jobs is a tad bit harder to do than to plan a social event and call it a quality of life upgrade. The jobs will have a much stronger, more effective, longer lasting impact on the community though. Social events and a nice downtown are all great, but what will really matter is putting more money in people's pockets so they will spend more out in the community as well as improving their position in life. Allowing them to be introduced to the arts will do little if they don't have the money to participate nor are inclined to be interested.

Wow just what middletown needed to bring us back to the glory days!!! Does any one any one at the city building have a clue?