Oil City: a
thriving artist community? The concept may be closer to becoming a reality
than many people think.
The doors of
the National Transit Building were thrown open Saturday morning to welcome
local artists, interested citizens and others curious about the progress
and upcoming plans of Oil City’s arts revitalization committee.
The working
breakfast was an opportunity for committee members, artists and others to
hear about projects that are already under way and to brainstorm new ideas
to create a thriving artist community in the city.
As things go,
the initiative is already making strides, according to Joann Wheeler, who
has worked since July as the city’s arts champion. A number of new
projects are already getting off the ground, and ideas for other ventures
were discussed by about 40 people who attended Saturday’s meeting.
“There’s a
lot of interest. I know of three artists who have moved here since the
beginning of the year,” Wheeler said.
People have
come from as far away as Louisiana to find out about Oil City’s fledgling
artist community, Wheeler said. She is hoping more people will latch onto
the idea.
The goal is
“to grow the arts by helping artists grow in Oil City,” making the town “a
center for the arts in northwestern Pennsylvania,” Wheeler said.
Heating up
the building
The “hub of
the arts zone” will be the National Transit Building, she said.
Right now
work is being done to update the building’s annex and turn it into usable
space, said Lee Mehlburger, chairman of Oil City’s downtown arts
revitalization project.
For seven or
eight years the building has been without heat, Mehlburger said. Half the
money needed to get heat back into the building has already been secured,
about $15,000. Once the other $15,000 is in place “we’ll be ready to go,”
he said.
The
building’s empty second floor will ultimately be used for artist
workspace, Mehlburger said.
“If it works
out good we’ll move up to the third floor and fourth floor,” he said.
The committee
also hopes to lure artists to the area with special incentives like zoning
breaks for artist live-work space and assistance to artists looking to
move to the area will also be offered, Wheeler said.
Several new
projects are already under way.
Sound garden
planned
One of those
initiatives is a sound garden planned for the garden behind the National
Transit Building. Inspired by international musician Evelyn Glennie, the
sound garden is expected to be a place, comprised of one or many physical
components, where patrons can experience the sounds and sights of oil
history from the Oil City region.
Another
project is being headed up by Jamestown, N.Y., artist Dave Poulin. He and
students at Oil City's public elementary schools are already working on a
series of sculptures depicting various river activities. The statues will
be unveiled this spring.
Digital
filmmaking competition
But the
“biggest venture” is a digital filmmaking competition scheduled for next
fall.
“This is the
biggest venture we’re looking at. It’s huge,” Wheeler said.
Filmmakers
will have the opportunity to submit short film ideas to the competition
following the theme of “Second Stories on Second Stories,” incorporating
the second floors of old buildings in the area. Six films will be
selected.
A film crew
competition also will be held. Six crews will have three days to shoot a
selected film in the area.
At the end of
the three days, the films will be screened at the Barrow Civic Theatre.
Winners will be shown at Erie’s Great Lakes Independent Film Festival.
Saturday’s
meeting also gave people the opportunity to voice their ideas about what
more can be done in the area to create a thriving artist community.
Many believed
efforts should be made to bring more young people into the area. Others
talked about creating an artist network, securing artist display spaces at
businesses throughout the community and reaching out to younger artists in
the community.
Still others
got more specific, suggesting that jam sessions be held outdoors, bistro
tables be placed in front of restaurants and other businesses and culinary
and publishing classes be offered in the area.
Overall, the
attitude at Saturday’s meeting was that an arts community is a positive,
possible venture.
“We have a
small town lifestyle. We have big city amenities,” Wheeler said, adding
that people have told her that this is a good, serene place for artists to
work and live.
Oil City is
an ideal place for an artist community, according to Councilwoman Sandy
Montgomery
“The history,
the atmosphere of the town is so welcoming to an artist,” Montgomery said.
“The city is 100 percent behind this. We hope this will flourish.”
The Derrick 10-23-2006