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July 15, 2011
Peninsula Arts Council Receives Second Round of Funding for Public Art Project from Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission
Peninsula Arts Council has been awarded a second round of funding in the amount of $22,008 from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission to produce a large scale public art project in downtown Redwood City. The Commercial Street Mural Project will consist of murals painted on the backside of buildings where approval is attained by property owners and with permission by the Civic Cultural Commission and the City of Redwood City. The project is anticipated to enhance a visitors experience to downtown and clearly identify Redwood City as a destination for arts and culture.
PAC Responds to CEO’s For Cities Request & Highlights Redwood City’s Renaissance
October 15, 2010 – Peninsula Arts Council (PAC) President, Julie Fellers, was selected to attend the CEO’s For Cities Urban Next Summit held at SPUR in San Francisco, September 20-21, 2010. The conference was an opportunity to identify trends and figure out solutions to problems cities face in the areas of Liveability, Community, Opportunity, Education and Connectivity. At the forum, CEO’s for Cities Founder Carol Colletta, put a call out to attendees for stories on how art, design or creative industries have catalyzed economic revitalization. She wanted examples of how the arts have contributed to the sustainability – economic or environmental – of our communities. PAC responded by contacting officials in Redwood City and is now sending them on to Carol Colletta for her lobbying efforts on behalf of the arts in Washington. Find out more about CEOs for Cities at http://www.ceosforcities.org
Read the full story of Redwood City’s Renaissance and Economic Impact of the Arts>>>
Redwood City’s Renaissance & Economic Impact of the Arts in Downtown Revitalization Efforts
“The next big thing.” That’s what the California Planning & Development Report called Redwood City, stating that “as it matures, Downtown Redwood City could well become one of the Bay Area’s most interesting urban places.” A recent article in the New York Times pointed out that the town “was tagged with the unfortunate nickname Deadwood City. But over the last few years, this sleepy Silicon Valley suburb has begun shaking off that moniker, re-emerging with an influx of new restaurants, shops and theaters...”
Redevelopment Agency Advisor, Susan Moeller believes that Redwood City is now the place to be in San Mateo County noting that “the branding we have done in terms of marketing and promotional materials and the downtown banner program are…part of overall, deliberate strategy to redefine Downtown as an arts and entertainment destination.” To that end, Redwood City has a full schedule of entertainment programming at Courthouse Square, the city’s “downtown living room.” On just about every weekday evening and again on the weekends from late May through October the public can find Music, Art, Dancing, and Movies on the Square as well as many other events and festivals. From April through October the local galleries have teamed up for ArtWalk. There’s even a free cable car shuttle to take to each location. Most of the galleries have special events going on for ArtWalk evenings. Phantom Galleries installs art in vacant storefronts and has showcased artists from all over the Peninsula. The Latino Film Festival returns this November for its fourth year, The Fox Theater is back and has recently reopened Club Fox (formerly the Little Fox) as a nightclub music venue. Finally, the cinema complex is one of the top grossing theaters nationwide in the Cinemark chain. This effort has had a real economic impact.
| Surveys taken last year reveal that between 75% and 86% of attendees stated they spent money on food or beverages while attending events. A total of over 52,000 people attended events during the summer season of 2009. The economic impact estimated from expenditures downtown was in excess of $900,000, or an average of $17.50 per attendee. |
Civic Cultural Commission member Jason Newblanc says that “downtown Redwood City is in the midst of a renaissance, and what is a renaissance without art?” The commission is developing several public art projects to help continue the revitalization and invigorate the downtown core. One such project is a mural corridor which will turn a lackluster alley into an art attraction. People can view the murals and shop, dine, and experience what Redwood City has to offer. Similarly, another public art project will create a dedicated space for temporary sculptural artwork. This space will host art that changes frequently, keeping the attraction fresh, inviting, and relevant. Also in the works is an installation of sculptural birds along Broadway that encourages the public to find the bird sculptures over a 7 to 10 block area. It adds a fun and interactive activity for pedestrians as they patronize downtown businesses. The City also recently unveiled its new “Path of History” highlighting Redwood City’s exciting history.
All of these public art projects contribute to the vibrancy and uniqueness of the downtown and reinforce its claim as “the night time entertainment and arts destination of the Peninsula.”
 October 15, 2010 PAC Launches New Cultural Tourism Logo
Designed by graphic designer and PAC board member Denise Delaney, PAC unveils a new logo that will launch of series of initiatives designed to capture cultural tourism dollars for the region. “Tourism brings in revenue that totals in the millions of dollars. Tourists and people in the area on business are looking for diversions. We want to encourage them to come to San Mateo County to experience the amazing array of arts, parks, open space, local artisan food and culture, says PAC President, Julie Fellers.” “We believe that San Mateo County has a unique set of offerings that especially appeal to cultural tourists. It’s time to Discover San Mateo County – It’s All Here!”
October 5, 2010- Digital Animation Taskforce Started
PAC teamed up with officials at the San Mateo County Fair and Digital Monkey to bring an expanded focus on the digital arts and graphic arts at the fair in 2011. A new media division is currently being formed and PAC has signed on to seed four new contests in the 2D & 3D animation and Graphic Novel categories. Stay tuned for more details on how to enter. In the meantime, we are excited to see a full-line up of events through the Library System this month highlighting the graphic novel. See http://www.onebookreads.com/programs.html#GraphicNovelist
July 15, 2010
Peninsula Arts Council Recieves Funding for Two Public Art Projects from Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission
Peninsula Arts Council has received notification that it has been awarded $9,481 in funding from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission to produce two public art projects in downtown Redwood City. The Commercial Street Mural Project will consist of murals painted on the backside of buildings where approval is attained by property owners and with permission by the Civic Cultural Commission and the City of Redwood City. The second public art project is entitled “Birds on Broadway” and will develop into a bird-themed sculpture walking path along Broadway Avenue. The two projects are anticipated to enhance a visitors experience to downtown and become economic drivers for the City. More details to come in future months.
Belmont, March 18, 2010-
The Peninsula Arts Council has been selected to be a local partner for the San Francisco Bay Area Cultural Asset Map (BACAM), a project sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The Hewlett Foundation has contracted Fractured Atlas, a national arts service and infrastructure organization based in New York, to build a San Francisco Bay Area Cultural Asset Map (BACAM) that will help them better understand who is making art, where it’s happening, who is engaging with it, and how it’s being supported. This one-year pilot project seeks to create "a constellation of discrete but tightly integrated, map-based web applications that collectively aggregate, analyze and publicize data on the Bay Area cultural sector. Their short-term vision for BACAM is a tool that will enable their staff to make better funding decisions and track progress against their outcomes. If the proof of concept phase results in a tool with demonstrable public value, then the long-term goal is a public resource that will allow other funders, policy makers, arts organizations (nonprofit and commercial), artists, and the general public to see what’s going on in a new way."
The Peninsula Arts Council is facilitating this process on Thursday, March 18 at 10:30 - ~ 11:45 a.m. at Twin Pines Art Center, 10 Twin Pines Lane. The initial meeting will be with Fractured Atlas’s Research Director and the project director of BACAM, Ian David Moss, Ron Ragin of the Hewlett Foundation and Peninsula Arts Council advisory and board members. |
