The Arts and Revitalization

Journal story....

Arts bring $161M to region, study finds

Nonprofit arts and culture organizations pump $161.3 million into the region’s economy each year and generate more than 4,800 jobs, according to a study released Thursday by Culture Works, a nonprofit arts agency.

The total 4,859 jobs account for $116.6 million in annual household income in the region.....

The study reflects efforts by both Middletown and Hamilton to make their downtowns more arts-driven. In recent years, groups like the Art Central Foundation and BeauVerre/Riordan Studios have joined already existing groups like the Middletown Arts Center to drive more businesses downtown.

“We have so many businesses that are in the process of opening or reopening,” said Sue Wittman, director of the Arts Central Foundation. “We had Mockinbirds, the cafe open up the street to a larger location.”

SO MANY BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING OR RE-OPENING? REALLY MS. WITTMAN?

Moreover, the Pendleton Art Center, which rents about 30 studios to 60 artists is always full with a waiting list, so even as artists move out, others are always there to take their place.

Jay Moorman, one of the co-owners of BeauVerre, earlier this month received an award from the Middletown Community Foundation, honoring him for his efforts in bringing the Pendleton to downtown Middletown, and for attracting businesses like Hollywood Dance Attire and the Legacy Fine Art Studio.

I'M SORRY. I JUST DON'T SEE THIS IMPACT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE....AT LEAST IN DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN. PERHAPS OTHER AREAS BUT NOT HERE.

ANYONE KNOW HOW MANY JOBS WERE CREATED BY THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVITY TO DATE? CAN'T BE MANY.

ANYONE KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES HAVE COME AND GONE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA SINCE THIS "ARTS" THING STARTED?

I THOUGHT THE PENDLETON WAS BROUGHT TO DOWNTOWN BY ANOTHER BUSINESS PERSON (CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME), NOT MOORMAN. HOW MANY JOBS WERE CREATED BY BUSINESSES LIKE HOLLYWOOD DANCE ATTIRE AND LEGACY FINE ART STUDIO? WHAT DO THE JOBS PAY? HOW MANY CUSTOMERS DO THEY ATTRACT ON ANY GIVEN WEEK? IF FEW JOBS CREATED AND PAYING NON-LIVABLE WAGES WITH MINIMAL CUSTOMER TRAFFIC, NOT TOO MUCH TO GET EXCITED ABOUT IS THERE?

STILL AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF EMPTY STOREFRONTS DOWNTOWN AREN'T THERE?

SO WHERE IS THIS SUCCESS STORY COMING FROM IN RELATION TO DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN? IT IS WHAT IT IS FOLKS AND NO EMBELLISHING GLAMOUR STORY CAN CHANGE THAT, RIGHT? I WOULD THINK PEOPLE CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE WINDOW DRESSING CONNECTED TO THIS STORY.

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE THIS OVERWHELMING BLUE-COLLAR TOWN AN ARTS DESTINATION. IT JUST DOESN'T FIT THE CHARACTER OF THIS COMMUNITY. IT IS AS OUT OF PLACE AS TRYING TO ENTER A JOHN DEERE TRACTOR INTO THE UPSCALE CAR SHOW AT AULT PARK AND EXPECTING TO WIN. TRACTORS AND FERRARIS JUST DON'T MIX WELL.

PLEASE, JUST TELL IT LIKE IT IS FOR A CHANGE. THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS RESPECTED.

THE PENDLETON ALWAYS FULL? THOUGHT THEY WERE LOSING CLIENTS AWHILE BACK.