- December 24, 2024
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The city of Palm Coast will establish an arts district within the city's Town Center Innovation District in an attempt to support the arts and create a local destination.
The City Council approved a resolution establishing the arts district as part of the consent agenda during the council's Sept. 15 meeting.
Mayor Milissa Holland noted in a City Council workshop Sept. 8 that the proposed arts district has been a City Council priority for years.
"This was an initiative that began with the thought of, 'How do we bring together and collaborate all the different art groups in the community?'" Holland said. "... We’ve had complete participation and involvement with all of the different arts communities, which I think is exciting, and I think for the first time we're seeing a lot more of that."
The arts district's mission statement is "To foster creativity and economic vitality through artistic, educational, and commercial endeavors in a dynamic urban community," Palm Cast Parks & Recreation Department Director Lauren Johnston told council members during the Sept. 8 workshop.
Stakeholders include the Flagler Auditorium and the Palm Coast Arts Foundation, among others.
"We hope that our values set the state for the culture we will bring, with exploration, connection, education and innovation," Johnston added.
The city envisions the arts district as a vibrant gathering place that attracts businesses and gives the local community a place to "display beauty and artistry of all kinds, whether it be through a perfectly crafted microbrew, a thought provoking sculpture, or the clean lines of a 1957 Jaguar," Johnston said, reading from a city staff document.
To create the district, the city will conduct a feasibility study on funding sources, construct an arts facility and develop programming that generates revenue and aligns with the city's master plan, Johnston said.
Also during the Sept. 8 workshop, the council approved $30,000 in cultural art grants for 12 organizations including the Palm Coast Arts Foundation, Community Chorus of Palm Coast, City Repertory Theatre and African-American Cultural Society.
"We’ve had complete participation and involvement with all of the different arts communities, which I think is exciting. ... For the first time, we're seeing a lot more of that."
— MILISSA HOLLAND, Palm Coast mayor
