The Village of Salado is one step closer toward being designated as a Cultural District. Jill Shipman, president of the Public Arts League of Salado, learned earlier this week that Salado is one of seven applications that the Cultural District Designation Evaluation Panel is recommending for the designation. TCA received 12 applications for the designation in 2016.
The governing board of the Texas Commission on the Arts will deliberate on these recommendations at its Sept. 7 in Austin before final designation is made by the board.
“The nurturing and management of a cultural district is a long term commitment that takes a substantial amount of support, commitment and capability by the organization asking for designation,” stated Jim Bob McMillan, Deputy Director of Texas Commission on the Arts.
The Salado Art and Cultural District received a panel score of 880. Evaluators stated that there was an “arts assets and it is positive that the cultural district overlays the historic district; however, the marketing materials need to be stepped up in quality to attract more visitors.”
Letters of support for the application “told genuine and individual stories that portray a strong level of community support for the proposed cultural district.”
Cultural Districts are beneficial to those communities which achieve that designation because they help:
• Attracting artists and cultural enterprises to the community.
• Encouraging business and job development.
• Cultural districts are a highly adaptable economic development approach that allows a community to make use of unique conditions, assets and opportunities.
• Cultural districts are marketable tourism assets that highlight the distinct identity of a community and encourage in-state, out of state, and international visitors.
• Preserving and reusing historic buildings.
• Enhancing property values.
• Fostering local cultural development.
According to the TCA website, the following are the current Cultural Districts within the state: Abilene, Alpine, Austin, Bastrop, Bryan, Clifton, Dallas, Denison, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, Georgetown, Houston- Greater East End, Houston- Midtown, Houston- Museum District, Houston- Theater District, Houston- Washington Avenue, Huntsville, Lubbock, McAllen, Rosenberg, San Angelo, San Antonio-King William, San Antonio-Zona Cultural, San Elizario, Smithville, Wimberley and Winnsboro.