Tale of two art districts: Millville, Paducah
N.J. couple visits small-town Kentucky for hints on improving Glasstown area
EDWARD VAN EMBDEN, Staff Writer, 856-649-2072 Posted: Monday, September 14, 2009
MILLVILLE - The owners of the
Fithian House Gallery, Carolyne and Mark Krull, recently took a 1,400-mile road trip to visit another arts district with a history similar to Millville's: LowerTown Arts District, all the way in Paducah, Ky.
Now, back from Kentucky and ready for this week's upcoming Third Friday, the Krulls want to share what they found - including the many similarities between the two arts districts - and what they think can help make the Glasstown Arts District a better place.
"We immediately felt the energy building in this arts district four blocks from the Ohio River," Carolyne Krull wrote in an e-mail of driving into LowerTown.
Millville's art district was formed around the same time as Paducah's.
Like Paducah, the goal has been revitalization. Both cities long ago featured thriving downtowns that, by the late 1990s, had nearly become ghost towns. But, with the support of local government entities, Krull wrote, both cities have shown signs of growth since creating arts districts.
Financial incentives have also helped both areas attract artists to produce art and create an arts culture.
Much has been done in Paducah, thanks to programs that
let artists create mixed-use properties and buy homes, sometimes for just a dollar. But Paducah, like Millville, still needs work, Krull said in a telephone interview from the road back from Kentucky on Friday.
"The architectural styles here are amazingly diverse, ranging from simple shotgun houses to grand mansions," Krull wrote. "Some of the buildings are immaculate and preserved, others are in progress and some are looking for brave souls to come in and fix them up."
The Krulls also noticed the city's signage: Every place they went, Krull said, banners and signs helped point the way. Millville has been developing its own signage program, too.
Krull said people are more likely to walk around LowerTown. They make use of a trolley that runs daily and stops not only at attractions but at locations such as the courthouse.
The Krulls are interested in creating an artist community, and the Fithian features artists both established and relatively new to the business. It is the community that helps arts districts thrive, Krull said.
Millville's regularly scheduled events have also helped draw large crowds to the arts district. Festivals held by the Millville Development Corp., such as Summer Fest, routinely draw about 10,000 people each year.
Third Fridays, such as the one approaching this week, have seen crowds as large as 2,000 on occasion. Typically, crowds of 500 to 1,000 people flock to Millville's downtown to visit the galleries, shops and restaurants on Third Friday.
Millville's success has inspired other municipalities, too.
Vineland officials have looked to Millville as a model for the revitalization of Landis Avenue. Vineland has also developed a feature day, Second Friday, in hopes of attracting crowds similar to those seen in Millville's Glasstown Arts District.
Every Thursday night, businesses in downtown Hammonton stay open later than usual and offer discounts in an attempt to draw more patrons to their shops. And this summer, a new open-air farmer's market in Hammonton attracted crowds to the downtown every Friday evening with local goods and live entertainment.
But Millville, so far, has been the biggest hit.
Since the Fithian opened in March, the gallery has featured the work of many regional artists, hosted performing bands, held cookouts, and even featured pirate music and costumes during a themed Third Friday.
Krull said she is trying to develop ideas that will draw even more attention downtown. While the details have not been finalized, Krull said she is working on a kind of art-exchange program between Millville and Paducah, where regional artists can mail art and have show in galleries several states away.
The Fithian House Gallery on Friday will feature the work of Millville's Steve Testa and Jimmy Miller, who both work in a surreal art. Lauren Lopez, of Philadelphia, will show her poster art.
More photos of our trip can be seen
here at Picasa.Other Third Friday events
www.millvillestitchers.com www.merrittsmusicservice.com
