Sky water complex right next to Tempe town lake on Sept. 21.? (Photo by Emily Johnson)Nearly 20 years ago, Mill Avenue was known as a spunky college strip flooded with live music, quirky shops, culture and art that attracted crowds from all over the Valley. Much has changed since then.
Cultural planning consultants met with Tempe community members on Feb. 4 to discuss a municipal master plan for development of the arts and culture in the city of Tempe.
The Tempe Arts Plan is a community-wide cultural development program implemented by the city to bring culture, art and heritage to Tempe. Consultants and city officials are particularly interested in understanding and articulating a community-wide vision for the arts and culture, said David Plettner-Saunders, a consultant for the city’s cultural planning group.
"The real impetus was a political problem," he said.
Plettner-Saunders said the Tempe Chief Financial Officer and the city of Tempe are concerned about funding for the Tempe Center for the Arts. An arts sales tax introduced in 2000 allowed for the funding of the construction and maintenance of the center.
However, this short-term funding is to expire soon, Plettner-Saunders said.
Officials said they are concerned about the lack of people and business being attracted to the TCA despite the building's beauty, which brings up issues about how to sustain the TCA as a community, he said.
Jeff McMahon, a professor in the School of Theatre and Film at ASU, said he thinks the TCA lacks the necessary community engagement.
“To me, TCA is this gorgeous building; I never go in it," McMahon said. "I ride my bike by it all the time; I’ve gone there once."
Various art experts, including professors and students from ASU and representatives from ASU Gammage, in attendance at the meeting suggested including providing support for local bands, creating parking solutions around Mill Avenue and creating places for young artists to debut their work.
Angelica Fox, a public art intern for the city of Tempe and an ASU student, said she believes the lack of attendance at shows put on at the TCA, as well as other art events in Tempe, stems from a problem in marketing to students and other residents of Tempe.
“I think it’s just all based around information and just informing us what’s happening," Fox said. "As great as the city of Tempe’s website for events is, I don’t think a lot of students look at that."
If the city could come up with a way to better inform residents and students of art events and even city town hall meetings in Tempe, then there may be an increase in attendance for these events that can ultimately enrich the city, Fox said.
ASU students are not always here for just four years. Many stay in Tempe for years after they graduate and there is an interest in how these students can help shape the art and culture scene in Tempe, Plettner-Saunders said.
Rachel Bowditch, the head of Masters in Fine Arts in performance at ASU, said Tempe needs to create incentive for young artists to stay.
“We bring a lot of artists here to study, get their graduate degree and as soon as they graduate they diaspora — New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, maybe Minneapolis,” Bowditch said. “There is the impression that there’s no reason to stay here, because there is going to be no employment in the arts for them.”
Reach the reporter at dcfoy@asu.edu or follow @dylfoy on Twitter.
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