WINNSBORO RECOGNIZED BY TCA

TCA announces cultural district designation for seven communities, including Winnsboro

At their September 3 meeting, the Texas Commission on the Arts designated seven communities with the first official State of Texas Cultural District Designation. These districts include the African American Cultural Heritage District in Austin, Denison Arts and Cultural District, Huntsville Cultural District, Lubbock Cultural District, McAllen Cultural District, San Angelo Historic City Center Cultural District, and Winnsboro Cultural Arts District.

In accordance with TCA guidelines for designating Cultural Districts, staff processed applications submitted in June and an evaluation panel reviewed the applications at a meeting in August.

Developed and led by ProArts Collective in Austin, the boundaries of the African American Cultural Heritage District (AACHD) are Interstate-35 to the west, Airport Boulevard on the east, Manor Road on the north, and all of the Huston Tillotson University campus to the south.

The cultural assets found in the district represents a diverse mix of historic and heritage sites and institutions, contemporary arts, and cultural organizations. AACHD has embraced the goals of many community stakeholders with the ultimate objective to respect the historic, ethnic, and cultural character of the neighborhoods within the cultural district.

The Denison Arts and Cultural District (DACD) is located in downtown Denison and includes 30 blocks bordered by Gandy Street on the north, Crawford Street on the south, Armstrong Avenue on the west, and the Katy Railroad tracks on the east.

The management and leadership of the DACD comes from the Denison Arts Council. The City of Denison has made a ten-year commitment to support the DACD, after a decade-long effort by the Arts Council to establish and implement it. The vision of DACT is to create a thriving downtown that is a great place to live, work, learn and play and that is a favorite destination for local citizens as well as visitors. Assets of the district include many buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, three museums, sixteen fine art galleries and studios, green space, performance venues, two art schools, a public library, a winery and tasting room, nine restaurants, and fourteen blocks of retail and antique shops.

The Huntsville Arts Commission and the City of Huntsville have designated and will manage the Huntsville Cultural District (HCD) centered in the downtown area of the city. Assets of the district include the Wynne Home Art Center, the entire campus of Sam Houston State University, Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and artist studios and galleries. Nationally recognized artist, David Adickes, recently purchased the old high school in the district for studio space and will locate his base of operations there. The HCD is the culmination of two decades of planning and implementation by the City of Huntsville, Huntsville Arts Commission, Huntsville Main Street, and the Downtown Business Alliance.

The Lubbock Arts Alliance has led efforts to develop the Lubbock Cultural District (LCD). The district is anchored by key cultural facilities including the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts and Lubbock Memorial Civic Center to the north; Wells Fargo Amphitheater and American Wind Power Center to the east; Buddy Holly Center and the Depot Entertainment District to the south; and Municipal Auditorium and Coliseum and Texas Tech University to the east. Primary in the goals of the cultural district are the enhancement of the vast cultural topography to create destinations that will appeal to local citizens and visitors. In addition, the LCD will work to recognize, cultivate, encourage, and expand the asset base of artists and performers.

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead in developing the McAllen Cultural District (MCD) within the Old Town area of downtown. The boundaries of the district go from Expressway 83 and Bicentennial, north to Pecan Boulevard, then east to Second Street and south back to Expressway 83. MCD includes the entertainment district, the downtown district, and the arts district. The MCD is the home to Candlelight Posada, Music After Hours outdoor concerts, Movies in the Park, and the First Friday Artwalk. The McAllen Creative Incubator is currently housed in a former elementary school and will move to the public library building when the new library facility is completed. The primary goal of the MCD is to continue the positive growth of cultural programs that enhance the overall experience for both residents and visitors. The district will work to strengthen experiences in the arts, nature tourism, shopping, concerts and exhibitions, while at the same time stabilizing and enhancing existing programs, organizations and initiatives.

The San Angelo Historic City Center Cultural District (SAHCCCD) incorporates 100 acres and is rich with cultural amenities. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts has taken the lead in the development of the district. The Museum occupies two acres and includes the main building and six 20th century structures owned by the museum. These buildings house a community art gallery, artist-in-residence studio, a ceramics studio, and a program jointly managed by the Museum and the Upper Colorado River Authority.

Other cultural and heritage facilities as well as retail establishments are in place in the SAHCCD, and the district will pay particular attention to fostering additional heritage and arts and crafts businesses such as boot and saddle makers in downtown San Angelo. The primary goal of this effort is take the many properties in the district that are not on the local tax rolls and provide a benefit for San Angelo through capital investment, marketing and programming that will produce a powerful economic impact for the entire region.

The City of Winnsboro through their Main Street program has spearheaded the Winnsboro Cultural Arts District (WCAD). The district encompasses the downtown area of the city and is bounded by Locust Street to the north, Mill Street on the West, Carnegie Street to the south, and Walnut Street on the east. The WCAD has twenty-two cultural attractions which set it apart from other surrounding communities in northeast Texas. In addition four performance venues are up and running or planned, and the Winnsboro Center for the Arts is at the vibrant heart of the district.

It also includes Crossroads Music Company and The Winnsboro Gallery, as well as a number of fine restaurants that offer live entertainment. A goal of the WCAD is to enhance the quality of life for both residents and visitors and stimulate economic development for the historic downtown with the attraction of new cultural resources and arts-related businesses. WCAD will work as the catalyst toward these efforts as it builds collaborations in the city and region.

Mary Smith, owner of The Winnsboro Gallery said this is exciting for Winnsboro. "It is quite an honor to receive one of the first seven State of Texas Cultural District Designations," she said. "And we owe a lot of thanks to the VISTA workers who put together a winning application. In particular, Tracy Hopkins and Phyllis Martin. For such a small town we’re doing wonderful things."

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Additional information about the cultural district designation program is available from Jim Bob McMillan, TCA Deputy Director at 512/936-6572 or jimbob.mcmillan@arts.state.tx.us.