Draft ‘Community Investment Strategy for Arts, Culture and Heritage’ Released for Public Comment

More than 30 community stakeholders gathered at the Wilsonville Library in October 2018 to discuss development of a community investment strategy for Arts, Heritage and Culture at a session facilitated by the Clackamas County Arts Alliance and City of Wilsonville.

The City of Wilsonville seeks public comment on a draft “Community Investment Strategy for Arts, Culture and Heritage” until Jan. 28. The proposed plan -- and a questionnaire to provide feedback on the plan's findings and recommendations -- can be found below:

• Draft Community Investment Strategy for Arts, Culture and Heritage: PDF file
• Survey Questionnaire on Draft Strategy

After public comment, the City plans to review and consolidate comments and revise the draft strategy. A final version, for release in March, is scheduled to be considered for adoption by City Council in April.

More than 30 community stakeholders gathered at the Wilsonville Library in October to discuss development of the City’s public investment strategy for Arts, Heritage and Culture. The meeting was followed by a period of public comments online and via in-person intercept surveys, along with conducting extensive interviews with community leaders.

Discussed by the City Council during work session on Dec. 3,  the draft “Community Investment Strategy for Arts, Culture and Heritage” makes several recommendations to foster activities and programs of benefit to the community including:

• Establish an arts and culture commission to advise the City Council.
• Assist new and existing organizations to better coordinate activities, find working space and presentation venues and promote events and programs.
• Create a City position to act as tourism and culture affairs coordinator, staffing both the tourism promotion committee and proposed arts and culture commission.
• Explore construction of a joint community-use performing arts center with the school district.
• Create an arts and culture fund to facilitate community support, including increased sponsorship from the business community.

Funded by the Wilsonville-Metro Community Enhancement Program in 2017, the project to a develop an “investment strategy” for cultivating arts, heritage and culture is a collaboration with the Clackamas County Arts Alliance  and community stakeholders. The project was developed in response to citizen concerns regarding the capacity of local nonprofits that sponsor arts, culture and heritage programs and events, especially as long-time or aging organizational leaders seek engagement by new community members and local businesses.

Managed by Taylor Consulting, the process to develop the draft plan featured extensive community engagement, including interviews with over two dozen city officials and community members, in-person and online surveys, research into what other Oregon communities have done, and an October community meeting to discuss initial findings and potential recommendations. 

“An attractive, vibrant community with a high residential quality of life, visitor amenities and business development opportunities is accompanied by cultural activities and events,” Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp said. “This Community Investment Strategy offers Wilsonville the opportunity to more purposefully devote public and private resources that support arts, culture and heritage.” 

For more information, contact Mark Ottenad, Public/Government Affairs Director, at 503-570-1505, ottenad@ci.wilsonville.or.us.