How Arts & Culture Can Be a Catalyst for Columbia: Presentation Scheduled for April 30

Arts and culture are key components of a vibrant, healthy community. They are an integral part of Howard County and a significant element of the local lifestyle. With the redevelopment of Downtown Columbia, there is a real opportunity for the arts to grow and for Howard County to become a destination for arts and culture in the region.

With that in mind, residents are invited to attend Cultural Catalyst: Arts, Creative Placemaking and Economic Prosperity, a presentation and question-and-answer session featuring Randy Cohen of Americans for the Arts. The event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, at the Horowitz Center Smith Theatre at Howard Community College. The event will start with refreshments; Mr. Cohen’s presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Cohen is vice president of research and policy for the nonprofit, which focuses on advancing the arts and arts education. He will speak about how investment in cultural facilities and programming has helped recast communities across the country and has improved their vitality and prosperity.

Registration for this event is not required but is encouraged, via speakerseries-arts.eventbrite.com.

Coleen West, Executive Director of the Howard County Arts Council, whose mission is to foster all of the arts in the County, said “the Arts Council is excited about steps local leaders are taking to make Howard County a destination for arts and culture. The addition of creative spaces and a campus for the arts in Downtown Columbia have been central to plans developed over the years for a revitalized town center. The Columbia Association’s newly approved plan to develop an arts village in Downtown dovetails nicely with these. It will add the heart and soul residents crave, rebrand the County's image as a cultural destination and drive our economic engine in the future.  As the plan unfolds, the Arts Council will continue to work with stakeholders to make the vision of a vibrant, creative Downtown a reality.”

“The arts can and should play a role in any community redevelopment,” said Liz Henzey, Director of Columbia Art Center. “The arts engage and mobilize various facets of a community — schools, businesses, nonprofits, individuals — for cultural experiences and timely causes. In turn, local businesses thrive, residents feel a sense of belonging, artists have the opportunity to hone and express their talents, and the community as a whole is all the more enriched.”

The arts have been an integral part of Columbia since its founding.  Merriweather Post Pavilion opened during Columbia’s first year, as did Columbia Art Center. The arts and arts businesses — and the creative people they employ — stimulate a sense of community, exploration and innovation, not to mention enjoyment. Today, there are numerous arts organizations, festivals, and events in and around Columbia. The arts are a big part of life in Howard County, from the outstanding and award-winning music programs in the schools to the galleries, theatres, concerts, and creative industries that call the area home. In 2012, Howard County had nearly 1,000 arts-related businesses employing more than 3,000 people, according to an annual survey conducted by Americans for the Arts.

Cultural Catalyst: Arts, Creative Placemaking and Economic Prosperity is co-sponsored by Columbia Association (CA), the Howard County Arts Council, and HCC’s Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center. It is the 7th installment of CA’s Community Building Speakers Series, which hosts thought-provoking speakers on topics that stimulate people to discuss, engage and build a sense of community in Columbia.