Onward, Iowa, with the arts – Congratulations to eight cities for forming Iowa’s first designated cultural districts.

Hundreds of Iowans from all over the state gathered Monday at the State Historical Museum to celebrate cultural successes and talk about how to move the state forward.

"Imagine Iowa 2010: Great Places" was a fitting name for what was the statewide culmination of local "cultural caucuses" that have been held across Iowa the past several weeks. An artist drew caricatures. Booths on everything from education to historic preservation were set up. Artists talked about their successes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Hylton spoke.

By REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041109/OPINION03/411090344/1110

(Thanks to Tom Bensen at the Missoula Cultural Council http://missoulacultural.org/ for passing this along. Russ)

And the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced the first designated cultural districts in the state.

They are in eight communities: Cedar Falls, Charles City, Cherokee, Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, Muscatine and Spencer.

These districts are an Iowa success story.

Why?

Because a cultural district is a diverse and compact area of a city where cultural endeavors are the anchor. They can be no larger than one square mile. The districts are meant to enhance quality of life and enrich the local economy. They can serve as destinations for visitors and for creative entrepreneurs who want to start businesses.

"These districts will contribute to the creativity and innovation of a community," said Jack Porter of the State Historical Society of Iowa.

They’re also a success because they came about without tax credits and financial incentives for historic preservation. These incentives died when part of the Iowa Values Fund legislation died earlier this year. The perseverance of dedicated Iowans ensured these districts were appropriately recognized and designated anyway.

Imagine: areas of a city where art and culture don’t come as an afterthought. Art and culture are the reason for these areas.

In Charles City, Main Street recently converted to a streetscape. Old-fashioned lampposts and a brick walking path attract tourists and businesses. There are tours of historic homes, the Suspension Bridge and the Charles Theatre. In Cedar Falls, the designation is welcome after years already spent marketing its downtown district. The backbone of the district is already established with the Oster Regent Theatre and existing partnerships between arts organizations. In Spencer the hope is to bring attention to the historical and cultural attractions that exist, including a playhouse, museum and public art.

Designating cultural districts is an example of Iowa cities doing exactly what they should do to recognize and foster cultural endeavors. The arts generate economic development, provide educational opportunities to residents and create jobs.

Iowa is only the second state in the country to implement a program that certifies cultural districts. It’s something to be proud of.

Every Iowa city should think about establishing a cultural district of its own, and the Legislature should help by enacting the historic-preservation incentives it let fall by the wayside.