Newton’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) unanimously approved a proposal set to utilize the city’s arts and culture scene to increase economic development in a meeting on Tuesday.
“We see that there’s an opportunity in Newton to try and leverage [our] cultures to increase economic development and business,” said Marcela Merino, an EDC commissioner. “After having several meetings with some of the key actors in the, you know, arts and culture space here in Newton … we came up with 10 very brief recommendations.”
Merino presented the proposal on behalf of the EDC’s Cultural Working Group, which is composed of a small number of EDC commissioners who focus on the relationship between the city’s culture and economy.
The group’s proposal consisted of 10 recommendations, including a cultural map that would highlight notable sites around the city.
“We see an opportunity to create a cultural map,” Merino said. “I think that it could be digital, mobile, printed to highlight some of the cultural assets, such as the West Newton Cinema, historical sites, etc.”
The proposal also included recommendations to increase the use of public spaces for school tournaments and performances, develop new seasonal programming to boost foot traffic, and conduct research to guide cultural strategies and business opportunities.
“[The business research] is one we’re thinking more about,” Merino said. “I mean, how can we get from businesses directly their feedback on how they can get more involved in arts and culture, and how could that be sort of a catalyst for business growth?”
The proposal also included general aspirational goals, such as working to achieve the idea that Newton is a “cultural city.”
“We can see that arts and culture [in Newton] are being revived,” Merino said. “And I think rightfully so, in my opinion, so we see that this is more aspirational, I would say, but positioning Newton as a cultural city could help attract visitors from surrounding communities, creating new tourism and economic development opportunities.”
Commissioners also discussed increasing community engagement through art or cultural events, such as Newton’s annual window painting event.
“It takes a lot of work to put window painting activities together,” said Hedy Jarras, an EDC commissioner. “If we could try to figure something out, to be able to do another type of some type of project … maybe something in the spring where kids can come to Newton Centre, West Newton, Newton Highlands, to do something on the windows again, to do some type of contest. It really brings a lot of people to the villages.”
One of the proposal’s final recommendations was to advance the city’s arts and culture scene to bolster the economy. This includes the recently announced Inaugural Setti Warren Memorial Internship, where the city and Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics will place a Harvard undergraduate in City Hall to advance Newton’s creative sector and economic development.
Promotion is the key aspect of improving the reach of Newton’s artistic and cultural identity, explained Merino.
“There’s lots of excitement, lots of appetite, lots of interest, from people that want to do arts and culture,” Merino said. “But I think there has to be more promotion. There could be more promotion … in terms of boosting the whole economy.”
