Thanks to a grant from 4Culture, the city of Bothell will receive funding to develop a community-wide cultural plan.
According to a press release, this work will be led by the newly formed Bothell Arts Commission and city staff to provide a road map for the commission as it seeks to serve the community effectively, according to a press release.
The city is among the first to receive this grant under 4Culture’s new creative consultancy program, which matches organizations with artists or creative consultants to collaborate on arts and cultural projects.
King County’s 4Culture is a grant resource for individual artists, artist groups and arts organizations that provide access to art experiences for county residents and visitors.
Working with consultant and certified facilitator Una McAlinden, the arts commission will carry out a series of stakeholder meetings by enlisting a broad cross-section of Bothell community members in asking how they envision arts and culture impacting the quality of life and economic health of their community.
“This plan will provide the commission a road map for their future contribution to the arts and culture for the residents and arts organizations of Bothell,” said Bothell Deputy Mayor Davina Duerr in the release.
According to the release, ArtsFund’s Social Impact of the Arts Study on King County communities finds that the presence of arts is linked to increased neighborhood livability, community cohesion and social well-being. There’s also an economic impact as it attracts tourists and promotes healthy living which is attractive to potential new businesses and residents.
The goal of 4Culture’s creative consultancy program is to encourage local municipalities to engage artists and creative thinkers to collaborate in addressing some of the challenges and opportunities of their communities such as development issues, evolving community identity, welcoming new immigrant populations, homelessness, as well as discovering new opportunities for community expression of art and culture, the release states.
Anyone interested in participating in one of the stakeholder meetings for the development of a community cultural plan is asked to contact DeNae McGee at 425-806-6143.
