IT IS TIME FOR A WASHINGTON COUNTY CULTURAL CENTER

 

“The arts can enrich all of our communities and the country. And the arts can connect us to each other like nothing else can.” Michelle Obama

Washington County is blessed with a diverse creative community that excels in all of the performing and fine arts, including music, drama, painting, dance and sculpture. Over the years, talented volunteers and underfunded non-profit organizations have given us Wash Arts, the Washington Symphony, the Washington Jazz Society, Community Theater, Little Lake Theater, choirs, dance ensembles and many others.

A cultural center is a community building or complex dedicated to cultural activities and the arts. The effort to provide a permanent campus for Washington County’s arts and culture organizations has never materialized for a variety of reasons. First, the well-established governmental concerns like the Washington County Development Authority, Chamber of Commerce, Community Foundation and Tourism all have their own mission statements that obligate them to fund and develop other projects. While each of the above would encourage and support a cultural center in Washington County, none is prepared to spearhead the enterprise.

Second, each cultural activity in Washington County is left to its own limited devices to raise money, find space to perform or hold classes for students and to advertise scheduled offerings to the public. Some organizations like Wash Arts were forced to dissolve for lack of funds. Others, like the Washington Symphony, scramble to find performance space before each concert, confusing its patrons and making the staging of presentations a challenge. Each organization is using its time and energy simply to survive, and none has the resources to build and maintain a cultural center.

Cultural centers are common in counties throughout Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh, the Cultural Trust helps support Heinz Hall, The Benedum Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O’Reilly and the August Wilson Center. At the other end of the spectrum, smaller counties have often renovated and rededicated an aging, empty theater house to serve as a cultural center. Because Washington is one of the few counties to have its own volunteer symphony, which requires a sizeable auditorium, our specifications for a cultural center lie in between these two extremes.

After taking inventory of what other Pennsylvania counties have done to support cultural development, my attention was drawn to Lackawanna County, where Scranton is the county seat. I believe that this community has the ideal template for Washington County to follow.  Both are medium size counties with similar size populations. Lackawanna has made a major commitment to provide cultural opportunities for its citizens. The results are exemplary and not difficult to duplicate.

First, the Lackawanna commissioners created a “Performing Arts Center Authority” to have a dedicated body with a single-focused goal to develop and preserve a community cultural center. A semi-independent authority reviews all options for development, apart from county government but with the full support of the commissioners who would appoint experienced and enthusiastic citizens to the authority. 

Second, Lackawanna County has created “The Office of Arts and Culture” within county government. The stated mission of this county office is to “advocate and support high quality arts opportunities and programs for people of all ages throughout Lackawanna County.” From reading the available literature, it is clear that Lackawanna’s commitment to the arts has made it easy for them to collaborate with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and to receive advice for its programs and state grants. (In FY 2020, the state allocated $10,474,000 to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts).

Washington County government is in a position to act now. It is well past time to provide a dedicated campus for citizens to learn new creative skills, revisit old skills and interact with others in the arts from alternative disciplines. Once our numerous performing arts and related programs have a home base, each will be able to concentrate on improving their craft to better serve the citizens of Washington County.

Following the creation of a purpose-driven governmental authority and the Office of Arts and Culture, the real work can begin. An appropriate site for the center must be identified and renovated. While I am not well-versed in commercial real estate or architecture, there appear to be several potential locations. For example, a movie theater and office spaces at the Crown Center Mall are empty. The Washington Mall is vacant and waiting for a buyer. The Court House Square building will need to be repurposed once the relocation of county offices is complete. Southpointe, Peters Township or the Mon Valley may have suitable locations.

As in all projects of this size, funds for development and ongoing maintenance are an issue. Coming out of the pandemic, both Washington County and Pennsylvania have healthy treasury surpluses. Both state and local budgets could do no better than to earmark funds for a Washington County Cultural Center. Moreover, once local corporations and regional charitable organizations determine that Washington County is making a commitment to a cultural center and to the arts, sponsorships and grants will become available.

A dedicated cultural center will provide leadership, advocacy, connections and space to grow. It will drive the political, financial and professional support for this important part of a well-rounded community. A thriving, innovative and creative populace will be the result.