I’m just back from Cleveland Ohio, where I was attending an Historic Theatres conference. I was struck by their downtown, and its success in respect to our local situation. While it was a long time coming, the entire success can be traced to a singular action – the restoration of the theatres at Playhouse Square. The square is made up of a number of historic theatres including the Ohio, the Palace, the Hanna and the State which have all been restored or rehabilitated by a private non-profit entity. When this project started, downtown Cleveland was a wreck – now it is not. The holdings of the Playhouse Square Foundation now include a hotel, office buildings and parking facilities as well as a unique partnership in the IDEA center with Cleveland’s public TV and radio entities.

The restored theatres have led to increased office rentals, street traffic and new retail opportunities for downtown. I saw public art, pedestrians, busy shops and restaurants, new mass transit solutions and a sense of civic pride. Of course Tucson is not Cleveland, nor is it any other city, but I think we can learn a little from them. It has been said that every successful downtown revitalization has an historic theatre as a central component (Richard Moe – National Trust for HIstoric Preservation) and here we are in Tucson with TWO restored historic theatres. 

How do we leverage these properties to greater overall success? Public support (not just cash), as well as insuring that multiple voices and decision makers are at the table for key discussions is a good place to start. We cannot continue to chase away key community members who are valued stake holders with experience. Government cannot always lead, and should not be in charge of our cultural resources if we are to become a world class arts community.

In these trying times, most of our local non-profit arts organizations could use a hand. Everyone from downtown non-profit artspaces (Dinnerware gallery for one) to the “major’s” are looking to stretch their funds a bit. With the collapse of endowments (for those lucky enough to have them) and the decrease in discretionary income, many fine arts organizations are barely hanging on. While it is easy to forget that the arts are a vital part of our lives, we will miss them in greatly if they cease to exist during these trying times. From their economic impact on the community, to the richness they bring to our lives, the arts are an important element in our daily lives. Please take the time to think how you may support one of the following arts organizations either by attending an event, mailing a check, or even by volunteering to help during this rough time. I have listed the websites of many groups below, but this is not a complete list – please support your favorite, or poke around and find a few to try to help.

azopera.org

arizonatheatrecompany.org

tucsonsymphony.org

tucsonmuseumofart.org

moca-tucson.org

dinnerwarearts.com

ballettucson.org

foxtucsontheatre.org

rialtotheatre.com