Tacoma Creates! A Progress Update

Tacoma Creates' success was far from a guarantee, making its eventual victory something that Tacomans should be plenty proud of.

The lingering question is, “What happens now?” While the sales tax increase doesn't take effect until the beginning of April, the City of Tacoma is currently working on getting its ducks in a row to make sure that money goes where it's needed. Part of that process will involve a community conversation, free to the public, on January 23rd. Held at the Theatre on the Square, this event is designed to keep the discussion about Tacoma Creates open and transparent, and to field questions and concerns about how exactly the new initiative will be implemented.

While much of the immediate, tangible effects of Tacoma Creates are still being hammered out, a sizable amount of the effort seems to be aiming at one fundamental good: breaking down the barriers that make the arts seem exclusionary or unattainable to people without the means to patronize them. So many young or low-income people grow up with the assumption that things like the symphony, opera, theatre, art galleries, and other modes of cultural expression are only meant for those who can afford steep ticket price to experience that enrichment. Tacoma Creates aims to steadily break down those barriers, creating new generations of arts enthusiasts, especially in neighborhoods that had previously been underserved.

Speaking recently with the City of Tacoma's Arts Administrator, Amy McBride, we learned more about what the future has in store for arts in Tacoma, and how this new initiative will help to shape that. First, she spoke about Tacoma Creates' victory, and about the importance of events like the upcoming community conversation on the 23rd.

“I think it's a testament to all the great work that's been happening in the community, for years and years,” says McBride. “People are seeing the result of what creatives can do, and I hope that people are seeing that the arts and creatives aren't separate things, that they're truly a part of who we are as a community. … We want to hear from people about how they feel about Tacoma being different in seven years, when Tacoma Creates is successful. I think there's still a lot of room for, and need for, community engagement around this, to make sure we design something that is right for our community. I mean, we're precedent-setting – it's not like it exists anywhere in the state, so we get to make it work for what we want it to be. So, really, 2019 is a ramp-up year.”

The initial strides will be made in fostering a more robust network through which people can engage with art, connecting existing arts organizations with schools, devoting funds to provide more transportation to and from events, creating support for new organizations on the rise as well as establishing fresh spaces, doling out grants, and alleviating some of the costs inherent in attending arts events.

This is all profoundly exciting, if a bit abstract; the fuzzier bits about Tacoma Creates will be shaped into finer detail over the course of this year and the next, with the help of an independent advisory board that will work to keep these projects on-point. The passing of Tacoma Creates couldn't have come at a better time, with recent blows like First Night going dark this past year, and the Tacoma Murals Project going on indefinite hiatus being tangible evidence of the dangers that the arts tend to find themselves in do to dwindling support.

“I'm sure you've seen, as have I, the power of creative people in our communities, citizens that pull together to make something amazing happen,” says McBride. “Somehow, they figure out how to do it, year after year, until they get burnt out, or the money dries, or the person who invented it goes away. This funding will help to infuse new resources into helping some of these organizations and these events and opportunities turn the corner and get some breathing room, and maybe grow to the next level, so that we can count on them sticking around.”

With all of these possibilities surrounding how Tacoma Creates will help to shape the city over the coming years, now is the perfect time to let your voice be heard and counted. The aforementioned community conversation will be taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd, at the Theatre on the Square. The event is free and open to the public, and will run from 6pm – 8pm. Show up and be a part of cementing a strong arts scene for further generations to enjoy!