The vision for the arts in Kirkland just got clearer.
About 40 community members, city leaders and artists gathered at the Kirkland Performance Center recently to help shape the 20/20 Vision Plan. Developed by the Kirkland Cultural Council, the plan will guide the city’s future investments in the arts. The Cultural Council has its sights set on the year 2020 and hopes to bring the city’s arts and culture scene to a new level by then.
To help develop the plan, the city hired consultant Jerry Allen & Associates, former executive director of the King County Arts Commission and known nationally for his public arts plans.
“There’s a huge philanthropic leakage from Kirkland to Seattle because it’s easier to give to Seattle,” Allen said during the event, noting that Kirkland does not have a community foundation dedicated to providing or securing financial support for the arts.
The Kirkland Cultural Council promotes the City as an arts destination, coordinates the City’s arts collection and sponsors events such as “Uncorked” and the “Kirkland Artist Studio Tour.” The council also recently developed a video that shows developers how they can bring art to their developments.
In addition to the 2020 Plan, Allen will work with the Cultural Council to develop resources to support the arts and find ways to integrate art into the City’s tourism plan.
During the event, participants spoke about using sites such as Totem Lake Mall as a temporary space for art, including exhibition space for touring shows and a space for local art galleries. The site has been awaiting redevelopment since 2006, when the Council approved an agreement with site owners Coventry/DDR for redevelopment.
Leah Kliger, vice chair of the Kirkland Cultural Council, suggested that the Totem Lake site be used for a black box theater.
“Space has been a question on my mind,” one participant said, who spoke of the need to get children more involved in art. “How can youth understand why it’s beautiful until they’ve gotten their fingernails dirty with acrylics?”
He suggested that the Kirkland Wednesday Market reserve a couple booths for artists in action as one way to make art more accessible to youth.
“I’m surprised that Kirkland has no arts museum like SAM (Seattle Arts Museum,)” said Thomas Grant, a Kirkland resident and Cultural Council member. “I’d love to talk to developers and see if they would give us a space.”
Others discussed the need for affordable live/work studios in the area, incentivizing public art into private development, the need for a signature arts festival, more art programs and more varied art, such as film, literature and culinary arts.
Now in the community research phase, the 20/20 Vision Plan will continue with more focus groups and public input, before a final report is produced.
For more information, contact the Kirkland Cultural Council at 425-587-3000 or e-mail arts@ci.kirkland.wa.us.
Carrie Wood can be reached at cwood@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-4290, ext. 5050.
