[Forum] Meeting Notes & List Discussions

[Karen Kane]

I was involved in First Fridays in downtown North Adams as Papyri  
Books owner.  There were a number of issues leading to its  
faltering.  It was definitely difficult to get the whole downtown  
business community together, agreeing on things in general.  But it  
was not difficult to get quite a number of them (us) to participate  
in First Fridays in the summertime, and not difficult to get  
musicians to participate in playing downtown.

We had one great summer of First Fridays when we had some local arts  
grant money for the project, and businesses began to get on board.   
What really killed it was that the small group of us who were doing  
the organizing became exhausted with trying each month.  We were  
running our own businesses or had full time jobs to perform, and the  
volunteer effort it took to keep it going just became too much to  
do.  As it turned out, I guess I was the driving force behind keeping  
the event going, so when I sold the business to other folks it just  
didn't continue.  It would have helped to have more resources from  
the city to support the effort, but the politics of that becomes a  
bit complicated.  My experience with First Fridays is in part what  
convinces me that an arts coordinator / arts czar position would  
benefit such efforts.


On Mar 6, 2007, at 2:17 PM, Kurt Kolok wrote:

> The difference between First Fridays and Third Thursdays (as I've  
> understood it from N. Adams business owners) Pittsfield has city  
> resources (staff & money) allocated to supporting the Thursday  
> events.  I believe First Fridays may have faltered in part because  
> of a lack of cohesiveness within the downtown business community.   
> Thoughts anyone?
>
>
> Karen Kane wrote:
>> First Fridays were / are a great idea.  They suffered from lack of  
>> funding, people to work on them (takes a lot of work) . . .  
>> etc.    But, as you say, they have the potential to connect  
>> people, art, community.
>>
>>
>> On Mar 6, 2007, at 12:53 PM, Seth wrote:
>>
>>> On 3/6/07, Kurt Kolok <kurt at kolokgallery.com> wrote:
>>> Pittsfield is making it happen:
>>>
>>> --June-Oct., the city of Pittsfield will be transformed by art every
>>> third Thursday.  Storefronts will be displaying artwork,
>>> events/performers will begin filling the streets, and artists,
>>> businesses, city leaders, and museums will all be working hand-in- 
>>> hand
>>> to accomplish this.
>>>
>>> This is the sort of thing that brings awareness of local artists;  
>>> I think it's not about just building your artist community, so  
>>> much as it's about bringing together the rest of the community  
>>> somewhere they can appreciate your art. I was going to suggest  
>>> that First Fridays would be a great thing to expand on, but it  
>>> seems to have fallen by the wayside last year. Nonetheless, the  
>>> idea is still appealing, as it recurs more than an annual fall  
>>> foliage parade. I think if you connect local stores with local  
>>> performers with local artists, you end up with an event that  
>>> brings the community closer together while viewing art, which  
>>> can't help but benefit the local arts community. At least in  
>>> theory. (Also, communism works.)
>>>
>>> --S.
>>> _________________
>>> Seth Brown
>>> The Pun Also Rises:
>>> www.RisingPun.com
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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