An Oil City
councilwoman praised the city's fledgling downtown arts revitalization
movement on Monday afternoon, saying that so far, the effort has been a
positive step for the North Side business district.
Sonja Hawkins
noted, in particular, the downtown Music in the Transit Garden concert
series that has been held Wednesday afternoons from noon to 1 p.m. The
free concerts take place behind the National Transit Building's yellow
annex on Seneca Street along the Oil Creek bank.
"It's been
well attended and appreciated by our businesses, as well," Hawkins said.
Three
concerts have played so far with a cumulative attendance of more than 250
people.
August's
first concert, headlined by soft music, guitar trio Phoenix, drew nearly
80 people, while well-known local brass player Rex Mitchell and his
daughter, Karen Wilson, drew an estimated 97 people for their outing.
Franklin's
Andy Mitchell pulled in about 80 people last week.
Two more
concerts are scheduled.
Today's
concert features multi-talented local musician and piano technician Ken
Hall playing a concertina.
The final
concert of the 2006 summer season, set for Wednesday, Aug. 30, will
feature Stephen N. Winslow and Nancy J. Simpson as a keyboard/violin duet
team.
Winslow
serves as organist and choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church, Oil City,
and is organist for the city's First Presbyterian Church. Simpson is a
charter member of the Venango Chamber Orchestra and serves as the
ensemble's concertmistress and board president.
Hawkins also
touted the official and growing Web site that highlights the city's
downtown arts revitalization movement.
Local artist
and downtown arts champion Joann Wheeler created the site as a link from
her personal site at www.artsoilcity.com/html.
"It showcases
Oil City well," Hawkins told her fellow council members.
On the site,
Wheeler talks particularly about the city's planned artist relocation
support program and explains some of the local history and how the city is
trying to reinvent itself.
"Oil City's
(has) distinctive turn-of-the century buildings ... with urban markets in
Erie, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo in easy reach. More and more
artists are becoming small-town transplants, and small towns like Oil City
are becoming vibrant centers of creativity," she wrote on the site.
"Now, Oil
City wants the world to know what it has to offer," the site continues.
"Our goal is to become a home-base for artists and a destination for art
lovers."
The site
highlights some of the steps that are in progress:
* The arts
movement is transforming the National Transit Building and annex into an
arts incubator with a museum and studio space.
* The
movement is trying to change zoning laws to accommodate live/work gallery
space in Victorian homes.
* "We're
working on relocation incentives like financing packages and a revolving
loan fund to help working artists and arts-related businesses get off to a
good start," the site says.
* Business
support also is in the works for marketing of art, small business
principles and e-marketing.
* "We're
building on established local festival and developing new arts-centered
events."
The site also
has links to several city, county and economic development establishments,
as well as links to local blogs, The Derrick and The News-Herald Web
sites, and sites for local festivals.
Nearly two
dozen links also are posted for local artists who already live and work in
the Oil City area.