Downtown arts scene continues to develop in Lynn

LYNN – It was just a year ago that the state designated the city’s downtown an official Cultural District and Thursday stakeholders offered a glimpse of what’s been going on since.”It’s a snapshot of some of the things happening downtown,” said Lynn Museum Director Kate Luchini.Economic Development and Industrial Corporation Executive Director James Cowdell said immediately following the designation the Lynn Museum, EDIC and the LynnArts applied for a state grant with an eye on establishing a plan and branding the new designation.Brand development and designer Martha Almy came on board in September 2012 and soon after began meeting with groups of people and individuals in an effort to define exactly what was to be marketed and branded.Luchini said the plan is to roll out the new marketing plan, logo, website and social media ideas July 1.”We plan to build on the collaborative feeling in the city,” she said.One event the community collective plans to reintroduce to the downtown is Third Thursdays,” Luchini said. Third Thursdays, events held in Central Square on the third Thursday of each month during the spring, summer and fall months, were discontinued in 2009 but Luchini said they plan to bring back events like the popular pizza cook-off and the Dog Days of Summer with the doggy parade.Almy said the rollout will include other aspects such as a new one-page scrollable website that will have true time photos plus other pictures of work done by local artists, a calendar with visuals and a customized Google map.”We will also create a 5 by 7-inch postcard map with the district’s footprint,” she said, adding that the flip side of each card would have distinct picture. “We want it to have ‘I want to put this on my fridge’ appeal.”At the same time Almy is working on her brand, Manisha Bewtha and Emily Torres from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council are working on “Building on the Vision for Downtown Lynn” to see where it can help the city move forward with its cultural district designation.”We want to make sure this is not just another plan or document that sits on a shelf but includes tangible things,” Bewtha said.She said the momentum in the city is noticeable but there are also challenges that the MAPC would like to help the city scale.Cowdell said critics of the Cultural District designation only need to look at remarks made by the state’s Cultural Council for confirmation that the city is on the right track. Cowdell said the state commended the city for its efforts to rebrand the city and boost visitation. It also states that “the likelihood of the project having a positive impact on the local economy was high,” he added.When Lynn received its Cultural Council designation in March of 2012 it was one of five communities that were the first to win such titles.”There are more than five communities now,” said RawArts Founder Kit Jenkins. “But not only were we among the first but we were the very first ? I think of that with such pride. It’s extremely cool.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].