At City Council's Work Session Monday, July 9, 2012 at 4pm, Economic Development Director Michele Mixner DeWitt will present to Council the results of the Artist Survey and the next steps proposed by the Arts District Task Force. The meeting will be held at the Stryker Building, 412 N. Boundary Street, and can also be viewed live on the City's cable channel 48 and online. Archived videos of all Council meetings are posted at williamsburgva.gov/emeetings.
In May 2010, the Arts District Task Force recommended that the City adopt the Williamsburg Arts and Cultural District Ordinance and undertake an Artist Demand Survey with Artspace. When City Council adopted the Arts District Ordinance in February 2011, it endorsed the Artspace Artist Demand Survey, marketing to prospective creative economy businesses, and a review of zoning issues as next steps in the Arts District effort.
Since the creation of the Williamsburg Arts District, seven creative economy businesses have located in the district and created a total of 32 jobs (ten full time and 22 part time). Currently, five of these creative economy businesses remain in operation and employ 28 people. In September of 2011, the City and five funding partners (Busch Gardens, the College of William & Mary, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, and the Williamsburg Economic Development Authority) hired Artspace to undertake an Artist Demand Survey. In May, the Arts District Task Force held its last meeting to review the results of the Artist Demand Survey and discuss next steps for the Arts District.
More information about the Arts District is available online.