As the city of Georgetown’s Main Street director, I would like to take the opportunity to set the record straight about the city of Georgetown’s Arts and Cultural Commission and our application for Georgetown to become a cultural district.
There has been far too much misinformation, disinformation and outright falsehoods stated publicly in the last couple of weeks so please allow me to state the facts.
In January of last year, before there was even a city arts commission, I initiated conversations with the South Carolina Arts Commission about becoming a member and becoming only the ninth cultural district in South Carolina. I knew city council was considering forming the city commission and felt comfortable that this could become a reality.
It is a long and arduous process to submit the application and all the supporting documentation, with several steps to be completed before we could even receive the actual application. A proposed cultural district had to be designed along with a list of arts and cultural assets. Once that was completed, a months-long process, an in-person visit from members of the South Carolina Arts Commission had to be scheduled. We had a great day-long visit with several members and received very beneficial feedback that allowed us to move forward.
We submitted the proposed cultural district and asset list. Included were multiple locations in the West End such as the Howard Center, West End Heritage Center, Mitney Project and much more. Initially we received pushback from the state commission because, by their regulations, the district had to be “walkable.” We went back and forth over a period of two months, with my insisting that we could not and would not create an Arts and Cultural District without including the West End of Georgetown. After the local visit, the state commission accepted our proposed district and asset list, with all West End locations included.
Finally, we arrive at the last part of the process, completing and submitting the actual application. There are seven separate parts to include two letters of support from community leaders, a two-page narrative describing Georgetown and its arts and culture, a strategic plan, a marketing plan, a budget and additional supporting collateral. We received wonderful letters of support from Mayor Jayroe and one of, if not the, leading members of the Gullah Geechee community in our state and beyond, Ron Daise, who submitted a letter to be included in our application package supporting our initiative.
One citizen at last month’s meeting urged council to deny the city’s submission of our application, saying there had been no public meetings or hearings. Over the last eight months we have had nine meetings of the arts commission — all public. At every one, this application was discussed. I have presented to city council three times in the last eight months with updates on our progress, all in public session.
On June 15, at its regular meeting, city council held a public hearing on the commission and on the proposed designation of a state cultural district. The make-up of the commission and district were action items. No members of the public commented at public comment or offered public input on the agenda items. Council passed the Resolution and approved the cultural district map and asset list unanimously. None of this has been done in secret or in the shadows. Our meetings are open to the public, as all city board and commission meetings are.
But, at the Oct. 19 regular meeting of city council, several people spoke in opposition to this arts and culture initiative, saying the West End was not represented. This was the first any of us had heard of any concerns. I have worked closely with some of the people who spoke. They have my personal cell number, yet not one phone call or text, no indication whatsoever that there were any concerns until the complete surprise at the Oct. 19 meeting.
To say the West End isn’t represented in the district would be laughable, but [this] is no laughing matter. These falsehoods were stated publicly, and city council then voted to deny our request to submit the application. I, along with the state commission, worked hard to ensure the West End and our cultural assets were represented, and convinced the state association to agree. The required two-page narrative is at least 50% devoted to the amazing accomplishments of the West End, Gullah Geechee history, and the achievements of the African-American community in the arts and cultural history of Georgetown. The Gullah Museum, the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, the Gullah Geechee Seafood Trail, The Green Book of South Carolina, the West End Heritage Center, the Gullah Preservation Garden, and the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce are all prominently mentioned.
Our cultural assets belong to us all. The arts and cultural commission worked hard to ensure the city’s dedication to inclusion and diversity, as is evident in our application to the South Carolina Arts Commission. Becoming a cultural district opens up so many doors for us and will be a huge benefit to our city — the entire city. We look forward to continuing the process of completing and —hopefully — submitting our application to the state commission, and soon being designated as a cultural district in the state of South Carolina, which our whole community richly deserves.