NEWBERRY —Local artist Robert Matheson is currently in the process of getting Newberry registered as a cultural district through the South Carolina Arts Commission.
“We came across this program and we thought ‘hey, we kind of check the boxes already’ with what we’re trying to do with Newberry is an art town,” Matheson said at a meeting he held on Wednesday, November 15.
A cultural district is a concentrated area(s) of arts and culture that contribute to a city or town both economically and creatively. They often include places such as art studios, theatres and opera houses, creative placemaking and places that focus on arts or performances that also draw in new residents and visitors.
The requirements to be registered as a cultural district are already met (for the most part) by the Newberry. Before applying, an application must be signed and approved by an appointed or elected chief administrator, agreeing to the city (in this case, Newberry) being registered as a cultural district. The district area must be designated and a committee of at least five individuals must be formed.
The committee has to include at least one representative from one arts organization located within the district, two artists of different disciplines who live or work in the district and representatives from other organizations, whether they are nonprofit or for-profit. The committee would decide and provide structure for the cultural district, engaging in community-based activities and events focused on the arts and bringing people to enjoy and appreciate the arts.
Margot Lane Strasburger, a public art coordinator for the South Carolina Arts Commission, came to Matheson’s studio to speak to those interested in seeing and helping Newberry become a cultural district.
“When I took on this program earlier this year, I was like ‘How is Newberry not a district,’” said Strasburger at the meeting. “And I’m so glad that you all are here because you were definitely somewhere I had my eye on as far as new districts.”
Strasburger came to Newberry to also see what the city had and to help start the process of registering as a district. If everything were to happen now, Newberry would be the eleventh district in the state, joining Rock Hill, Greenwood, Downtown Spartanburg, Hartsville, Florence, Cangaree, Camden, Lancaster, Beaufort and Bluffton.
“The intention of the program isn’t to make you like all the other districts, it’s to show what you have here and help build on it,” Strasburger said. “You’re planting your flag and saying ‘We’re a place where creativity flourishes!’”
Matheson gave handouts to those who attended the meeting, including Mayor Foster Senn. After looking over it, both he and Strasburger said that we had done our research and that we should go through with registering. Senn commented that he looked forward to seeing it happen.
“If this were a paper, it would be an A,” Senn said about the handout that detailed the entire process of applying. “We already meet the criteria for it.”