Rockport looks to foster arts, tourism with dedicated office

BY MARY MARKOS

Staff Writer

ROCKPORT — The town is creating an office of culture and tourism to offer support to the arts, festivals and cultural institutions, and foster Rockport’s creative economy.

While plans are the infancy stages, a group of about 50 people — residents, businesspeople, town and school officials — listened to a report on the office from Town Administrator Linda Sanders. The occasion was the first meeting of the season of the Rockport Division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce on Thursday at the Rockport Inn & Suites. Sanders’ report was the evening’s special topic.

“A lot of people and organizations like Rockport Exchange, the Cultural District, Rockport New Year’s Eve, are putting on events that bring community

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. Continued from Page 1 together. There’s a small budget — it isn’t very large — but this department could help defray some costs of these organizations as long as it doesn’t go to any particular business or entity because the town can’t pick and choose,” Sanders said.

As an example, Sanders said, for some events, when police details are required for traffic control, the town might be able to pitch in to cover that expense.

The office would also function as a conduit through which different organizations could be brought together to coordinate events.

The office would be part of the larger town Community Development Department, which is also being formed and aims to get residents involved in government projects. The chamber has been coordinating with the town, Rockport Exchange, and the Cultural District about implementing the office of culture and tourism as the arts, tourism and the economy they drive are a shared interest.

“We thought it was a timely topic to discuss within the overall office of community development,” said Peter Webber, the chamber’s senior vice president. “It’s in its early stages but it is still an opportunity to engage the business community and the whole community in that discussion.”

Sanders echoed Webber regarding the focus on the office of culture and tourism, in particular because it’s time for Rockport’s Cultural District to apply for a 5-year renewal of that designation from the state. The state requires town support for the renewal.

The downtown cultural district encompasses the walkable business district, with nine cultural centers giving more than 300 performances, lectures, and demonstrations throughout the year. Highlights in the area include Rockport Music’s Shalin Liu Performance Center, the Rockport Art Association & Museum, the Old Sloop Coffeehouse, the Rockport Public Library and the Thacher Island boat launch.

There will be a community forum to get feedback on the cultural district designation at the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, March 28, which begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Sanders is the head of the Community Development Department, and the culture and tourism office, until the town hires someone to take charge of it. The department encompasses five other offices: fair housing, economic development, public parking and transportation, environmental land use, and communications, and each will have their own managers appointed by the town.

“I’m focusing on laying a foundation for what the department will do,” Sanders said. “We really want to focus on citizen engagement across the board, not just culture and tourism.”

Mary Markos may be contacted at 978-675-2708 or mmarkos@gloucestertimes. com