BOTHELL, WA – At their February 18th meeting, Bothell City Council adopted a Strategic Cultural Plan submitted by the City of Bothell Arts Commission.
The plan identifies four strategic directions to guide the Bothell Arts Commission’s work through 2029:
- Publicly Demonstrate the Importance of Art
- Nurture and Promote the Artist Community
- Regularly Engage and Respond to our Community
- Develop a Sustainable Arts Infrastructure
The plan was developed with funding from a grant from 4Culture to work with certified facilitator and creative consultant, Una McAlinden. Over a six-month period she guided the Bothell Arts Commission and community members through two collaborative and engaging planning phases.
“Having participated in both phases of the plan, I was so impressed with the number of Bothell residents who dedicated their time and contributed great ideas,” said City Councilmember and Arts Commission Council Liaison, Tom Agnew.
Phase One included a series of four large format community meetings, in which attendees answered the question, “How do we envision arts and culture impacting the quality of life and economic health of our community?” An average of 20-30 participants attended each session representing city civic leadership, educators, artists, business leaders, senior citizens, and other community members.
“The arts play such an important role in our community, yet everyone has a different idea of what arts and culture should look like in Bothell,” said Arts Commission Chair, Kelly Atkinson. “This process was exactly what we needed to engage many voices and create a shared vision.”
Building on the community vision, the Phase Two Arts Leadership Team (ALT) met three additional times to develop the Strategic Cultural Plan. Members of the ALT were invited by the Bothell Arts Commission and included city leadership, community leaders, committed residents, business owners, artists and arts supporters.
Staff is currently applying for funding from 4Culture for continued guidance in implementing the Strategic Cultural Plan. View the full Strategic Cultural Plan and learn more about the Bothell Arts Commission at https://www.bothellwa.gov/774/Arts-Commission. For questions, contact DeNae McGee, Tourism Manager, denae.mcgee@bothellwa.gov.
###