WESTAF Update Notes #53
March 2008 from Anthony Radich

March 2008

Seminar on the History, Implications and Future of Cultural Tax Districts
WESTAF and the Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) recently convened a seminar on the structure, impact, and future of cultural tax districts. During the meeting, held on February 11 and 12, 2008, in Seattle, participants examined diverse perspectives on the structure and function of the districts. Areas of presentation and discussion included: the effects of cultural tax districts on the dynamics of existing arts communities; the impact of cultural tax districts on existing public-sector cultural funding mechanisms; the relationship among entitlement funding, changing cultural-participation, and cultural demographic environments; and analysis of ways to design a successful tax district structure and campaign.

Participating in the seminar were: David Thornburgh, a consultant with Econsult Corporation, Philadelphia; Michael Rushton, Associate Professor, Indiana University; Jane Hansberry, former District Administrator, Denver’s Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD); Myra Millinger, President, the Maricopa Partnership, the chief proponent of a Phoenix-area cultural tax district; Susan Coliton, Vice President, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Collections; Joaquín Herranz, Professor, Public Administration and Urban Studies, University of Washington; Larry Meeker, former Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, now involved in the cultural tax district effort in Johnson County, Kansas; Public Affairs Consultant Frank Hamsher, a former consultant on efforts to expand the St. Louis Zoo Museum District; Dwight Gee, Executive Vice President, Artsfund, Seattle, an organization involved in the Puget Sound cultural tax effort; WESTAF Chair Keith Colbo, Montana; WESTAF Vice Chair Dale Erquiaga, Phoenix; WESTAF Trustee Ricardo Frazer, Seattle; Michael Killoren, Director, Seattle Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs; Arizona Commission on the Arts Executive Director Robert Booker; Utah Arts Council Executive Director Margaret Hunt; WSAC Executive Director Kris Tucker; and Anthony Radich, WESTAF.

Seminar proceedings are currently being edited. Once complete, they will be distributed to recipients of WESTAF’s Update Notes. The text of the proceedings and background readings supplied to participants prior to the seminar will also be made available online through the WESTAF Web site.

WESTAF-Designed Arts Community Site Launched
The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs has launched a new Web 2.0 website that was developed by WESTAF. The highly interactive site is designed to foster communication about arts activities in Denver and to encourage the cultural community to explore and become active in issues online. The site includes contests, blogs, podcasts, forums, video postings, and news feeds. To access the site, please visit www.DenverCultureFeed.org

The site is available for licensing by nonprofit cultural organizations and public art agencies. The site’s graphic material and content is designed to quickly and inexpensively be redesigned to reflect the graphic images and content desired by a wide variety of users. If you would like a demonstration of the administrative side of this site or have questions about it, please contact Erin Bassity at WESTAF.