Marketing initiative 'Sparx' Cleveland's arts scene

Art Business News, August, 2005 by Lyndsey Walker

"The fact that this grass-roots event yielded a large return on investment and had significant growth in its second year is a great tribute to those dedicated to promoting arts and culture in Greater Cleveland," says Dennis Roche, president of the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland. "We need this type of activity to further increase our destination appeal."

In the very near future, Frazier says her goal for Sparx in the City consists of organizational and financial growth, and more importantly, community growth. She wants to move toward institutionalizing the program to secure its existence in the future because, Frazier says, "everyone can't offer their free time forever." She is working hard with the DCP in order to find someone to fund Sparx and support its programs. Frazier explains, "I am hopeful that the Downtown Cleveland Partnership--our current fiscal agent and planning partner--is able to successfully reorganize around a newly proposed Special Improvement District (SID) for downtown Cleveland."

She continues, "A common tactic used across major cities to make downtowns more appealing, the creation of a SID would be comprised of property owners across multiple districts. This entity would likely be run by an entirely new, nonprofit alliance that would manage safety, clean-up, and marketing services for that collection of downtown Cleveland neighborhoods. It is my goal that Sparx in the City becomes earmarked as an initiative worth integrating into the annual marketing plan of a SID, versus being produced as an external effort by a committee of grass-root volunteers.

"It is critical for an agency to support Sparx in order for us to continue. We need a brick-and-mortar home, rather than working off my kitchen table. Such a move would greatly enhance this initiative's ability to create more vibrancy in downtown through the arts."

The future goal for Sparx in the City remains to be instrumental in helping "Cleveland to be recognized as an arts community" says Frazier. "And to make this happen, Sparx is working to better educate the community about all the great art activities and events happening in the districts of Cleveland."

Frazier hopes Sparx in the City one day soon becomes "the front door access to being 'in the know'" for art events throughout Cleveland. And judging from its recent track record, the "sparks" from Sparx in the City are fast becoming a fireball that is heating up the Cleveland arts scene.

SOURCES:

* Sparx in the City, 216-426-7335, www.cleveland.com/sparx

* The Downtown Cleveland Partnership, 216-736-7799, www.downtownclevelandpartnership.com

* Executive Arrangements, 216-595-2950, www.executivearrangements.com

* The Greater Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.travelcleveland.com

LYNDSEY WALKER

ABN Assistant Editor