The Arts!Longview Cultural District was been named a Texas Cultural District by the the Texas Commission on the Arts at a ceremony in Austin on Thursday, September 5, 2019. Arts!Longview will host a celebration on Oct. 10, 2019 in downtown Longview in conjunction with ArtWalk Longview to celebrate the recognition of the district.
The celebration will be held from 5-8 p.m., and arts and cultural organization members, their boards, community leaders, elected officials, and the public are all invited to attend.
Cultural districts are special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community revitalization. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development, and fostering civic pride. Longview is one of only three cities to receive the designation in 2019, along with Denton and Beaumont.
According to the Commission, the establishment of a cultural district requires a focus on the arts with carefully laid out plans and collaboration among arts organizations, city and county government entities, businesses and citizens.
According to a statement from the Arts!Longview Board, led by Chairperson Nancy Murray, Longview was overwhelmingly successful in our application thanks to the amazing support from all of our arts and cultural organizations and the community as a whole! Longview is now one of 43 cultural districts in Texas.
The new designation also includes opportunities for funding. As a recognized cultural district, the Arts!Longview Cultural District will be eligible to apply for Cultural District Project Grants ($2,500,000 annually) through the Texas Commission on the Arts.
This Cultural District designation required an arduous application process that was completed by the Arts!Longview Task Force which includes representatives from the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, the Longview Symphony Orchestra, the East Texas Symphonic Band, the City of Longview, Longview World of Wonders, LeTourneau University, Longview Arboretum, the Junior League of Longview, Longview Ballet, Art Walk, Forbes & Butler, Sugar Magnolia Properties, New Covenant Church, Media Quest, Preservation Longview, Gregg County Historical Museum, Kilgore College, Beer Wells Real Estate, Watercolor Society, ArtsView Children’s Theatre, and Longview ISD.
Local News Coverage about District Designation:
Longview News Journal: Arts!Longview wins cultural arts district designation
Longview News Journal: Editorial - Exhibiting the very culture of Longview