Culture

Vision Theme: A region that celebrates the arts and our diverse cultural heritage.

Goal
To create an environment that preserves, fosters, celebrates, promotes and financially supports our local artists, diverse art forms and our cultural heritage; and offers all citizens of the region access to and education of the arts and cultural offerings.
Top Six Strategies for this Goal

2.1.1 Form a fund-raising body for the arts.
2.1.2 Allocate one percent of all public buildings’ construction cost to art.
2.1.3 Develop a regional cultural center with high quality exhibits, classes for the public, education programs for schools and well-designed space for festivals, performances and other special events.
2.1.4 Develop a program to redesign downtown Knoxville, in conjunction with the new downtown development, as an arts district with a performing arts center and an arts emphasis, using paintings, murals, and sculptures by local artists and gifted youth.
2.1.5 Encourage neighborhood associations to form mini-arts councils with a goal of providing neighborhoods facilities for the arts, which may include the adaptive reuse of existing structures.
2.1.6 Organize an inclusive and comprehensive nine-county network of well-funded public and private entities supporting K-12 arts curriculum and teacher development for visual and performing arts.

Goal
A region that celebrates its quality of life, heritage and future with hundreds of mini-cultural activities and events in our communities that are affordable, accessible and fun.
Top Six Strategies for this Goal

2.2.1 Establish a series of festivals and events (both existing and new in such areas as food, music and heritage), and empower and fund an organization of competent and experienced professional event producers to make them truly excellent.
2.2.2 Require more funding from our regional city fathers.
2.2.3 Develop an annual festival that moves each year from county to county that celebrates and promotes our heritage and culture through exhibits, demonstrations, musical arts, theatre and dance; utilize county representatives, chambers of commerce, local companies.
2.2.4 Acquire more general art funding to support quality programming in venues of all sizes. Especially funding for all our children to experience high level cultural events of all kinds.
2.2.5 Provide free and available parking.
2.2.6 Produce a how-to guide on how to do a festival.

Goal
Develop single or multi-purpose facilities for all ages throughout the nine counties with indoor and outdoor spaces that serve as gathering places, museums, performing arts venues, libraries, parks and showcases for the regional flora, fauna, heritage and waterways.
Top Five Strategies for this Goal

2.3.1 Develop a nine-counties’ facility development board with significant citizen representation.
2.3.2 Develop a nine-counties’ board to work with each community to create an open but diverse public space(s) to satisfy one’s need to interact with nature and at the same time have the ability to create and participate in the fine arts.
2.3.3 Establish a nine-counties’ task force to audit existing library facilities and services to develop a comprehensive plan to increase funding and support for updated public library services.
2.3.4 Establish a program to facilitate and underwrite the creation of many public and private gardens throughout the region.
2.3.5 Identify, design and develop waterfront facilities and public venues throughout the region with downtown emphasis.

Goal
Develop and foster knowledge and appreciation for the culture and history of the region through museums, cultural centers and cultural celebrations. Preservation of the natural areas and redevelopment of historic buildings and landmarks is necessary for the preservation of the nine counties' culture. Encourage heritage-sensitive development.
Top Five Strategies for this Goal

2.4.1 Establish county historic district commissions with the power to create local historic districts based on established criteria (i.e. national register eligibility), control development within historic districts and pursue enabling legislation for financial or tax incentive programs from state government.
2.4.2 Encourage the cities and towns of our nine counties to plant flowers and trees and build fountains in their downtowns to draw visitors to admire the natural beauty as well as the historic structures.
2.4.3 Require a large and viable greenspace to accompany any new development.
2.4.4 Have schools teach history and culture of the region.
2.4.5 Fund historic preservation and enact special building codes for historic buildings.


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	Copyright 2001, Nine Counties One Vision