ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Our Rich Cultural Heritage
Ridgefield becomes first in state with official Cultural District designation
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onnecticut is one of the most culturally rich states in America, though many might not realize it. At one time, New Haven was known for being the launching ground of Broadway Plays. Oklahoma, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music all premiered at the Shubert, and that’s just Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals – the list goes on. And it’s not just New Haven, the Wadsworth in Hartford has Wyeths and Van Goghs, there are opera houses up and down the coast, historic homesteads going back centuries. Municipalities are finally able to begin showing that off with the creation of the official Cultural District designation. The overarching goal was to promote those cultural treasures that exist in every nook and cranny throughout the state, giving municipalities a tool “to promote the education, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the marketing of arts and culture attractions, the encouragement of artists and artistic and cultural enterprises and the promotion of tourism.” The idea to create an official Cultural District designation for municipalities stretched back almost a decade before it was carried across the finish line by former State Representation John Frey in 2019. The law became effective in October 2019 with guidelines becoming available around February 2020, which now looks like a portentous date in hindsight – over the next year, almost all plans that our towns and cities had to work on marketing and tourism would be pushed to the wayside in favor of the much more pressing public health crisis. By the end of 2020, municipalities were beginning to gear up for the eventual reopening of our state after a year in pandemic mode. Restaurants and cultural providers were devastated by the pandemic – many were forced to close, some permanently. Adding an official cultural district designation could certainly help boost tourism and the economy once people are up and out once again. Liz Shapiro, Director of Arts, Preservation and Museums with the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), she noted that the program was designed so that there’s a lot of flexibility, that this program will work best for municipalities. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first town that took advantage of the Cultural District program was Ridgefield, the town that Rep. Frey represented. “This program recognizes the essential role that local arts and cultural resources play in building healthy communities over the long-term,” she said in a press release celebrating the first in the state designation. “I applaud Ridgefield for taking the initiative to establish
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the district and ensuring that arts and culture are at the heart of their planning efforts moving forward.” According to that release, the district encompasses downtown Ridgefield and surrounding areas that stretch from Keeler Tavern in the south portion through Ballard Park and the Ridgefield Library in the north, and a half mile to the east to the Ridgefield Theater Barn and Guild of Artists. It includes many cultural attractions, including the Pride Arts Center, Conservatory of Dance, Prospector Theater, Scott House, ACT of CT and the Ridgefield Playhouse. According to Shapiro, this is neither an overnight process, but it also shouldn’t take years either. The Cultural Districts Standards and Criteria are available on the DECD portal and lay out the requirements for municipalities to establish a Cultural District. Before applying to the state, towns and cities should assess the inventory and location of cultural assets in town. This should give a broad outline of where the Cultural District should be located. Once you confirm that you are eligible by reviewing the standards and criteria, you submit a letter of intent with your Designated Regional Service Organization (DRSO). For Ridgefield that would be the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut. The standards and criteria say a municipality must hold a vote to approve the creation of the Cultural District, meet the required definition, be walkable, have cultural facilities and assets as well as public infrastructure and amenities. The municipality must also pass a resolution following a community input meeting and form a Cultural District Commission. The commission that oversees the Cultural District “should represent a diverse mix of organizations and businesses, with a majority representing the arts/culture community as well as working and/or living in the district. A minimum, the members should include one municipal representative, one local cultural/arts council representative, one cultural organization, at least one artist that lives and/or works in the district, for-profit creative businesses, and a local business or chamber of commerce. This mix was created by DECD to keep the program open and available to both small towns and large cities – which Shapiro says will keep the voices from the cultural community at the table in terms of decision making, planning, and strategy. Ridgefield’s Advisory Council subcommittee is comprised of representation from the Board of Selectman, the Historic District Commission, the Ridgefield Arts
