Cultural Council Agenda and Packet 2022 02 10

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In 2002, the Downtown Business Associations launched the Street Faire, a series of concerts held downtown on summer Friday nights that were free and open to the public. The response was incredible, drawing at first hundreds and later thousands of residents and visitors to the downtown. This success supported the idea that arts events could be not only community building, but also an economic catalyst for the City of Louisville. In the wake of the successful Street Faires, new retail businesses began to locate in Louisville's downtown that were encouraged by the visibility the event provided. Among these important arts anchors in downtown Louisville are Creative Framing Art Gallery, Walnut Gallery and Dana V Music. In 2009 a group of galleries and arts related businesses formed the Louisville Arts District and began hosting a monthly First Friday Art Walk, which remains one of the most -recognized Louisville arts activities by residents and visitors. The City of Louisville has continued to invest in cultural resources in recent years. Renovations were completed in the early 1990's on the former schoolhouse at Memory Square Park to make the space more suitable for performances and visual arts. The space was officially renamed the Louisville Center for the Arts in 2013.The facility has a capacity of 110 and includes a 1,300 square foot multi -purpose room, restrooms, kitchenette, lobby and storage space. The City of Louisville also partnered with the Downtown Business Association to convert the former Steinbaugh Hardware storage shed into what is now the Steinbaugh Pavilion on Front Street in 2003. This created an ongoing space suited for public performances and community events. Construction projects have also allowed for the placement of public art and performance including the stage and Sculpture Garden in Community Park and places for future artwork in the Davidson Mesa underpass. The City has also supported the Louisville Art District in the instillation of murals in the downtown along the newly -named Via Artista alley. In 2013, the City hired its first full-time staff member dedicated to cultural arts and special events, the Cultural Arts and Special Events Coordinator. Regional Context Colorado is known as an area rich in the arts. In 2015, National Endowment for the Arts study found that Colorado ranks fifth among all states for concentration of artists. The State ranks first in the nation in per capita trips to concert halls, theatrical performances and museums [Appendix 3]. An important driving force behind Colorado's national reputation as a state that supports creative industries was the 1988 creation of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. This voter -approved measure allocates a dedicated sales tax of 1/101" of 1% to fund cultural facilities through the seven - county Denver, Colorado metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties). In November 2016, voters approved the 3rd continuation of the earmarked SCFD funding through 2030. For many arts organizations in the region, SCFD funding makes up a significant portion of the organization's overall budget, particularly the five major Denver -based Tier I institutions who each receive $4.1 million-$8.7 million annually. Major funding also goes to organizations with a budget of over $1.6 million annually who qualify for Tier II funding ranging $100k-$1.1 million annually. The six Louisville -based organizations that received SCFD funding in 2016 did so through the Tier III program, which distributes funds regionally by county. In 2016, Boulder County distributed $724,823 4