As a part of the Mass. Cultural Council's new Cultural District initiative, The Fenway Alliance, along with a consortium of 21 academic and cultural institutions, are endeavoring to brand the Fenway neighborhood as the arts and cultural district of Boston.
Our Vision for the Fenway Cultural District is to provide a cultural environment that merges both the historical and contemporary elements of the Fenway, into a welcoming and creative experience for residents of the area, residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as national and international visitors of all ages. True to the visionary leadership and spirit of the historical icons within our community, we continuously innovate to create an urban space that provides creative experiences that are culturally relevant, aesthetically engaging, and contribute to the economic vitality of the district serving as a model for other cultural districts in the state, and across the nation.
Below is a list of our goals for the coming years. We have a wide range of attendees from the Fenway Cultural District Committee that is composed of participants from architectural firms, construction firms, arts and cultural institutions, and educational institutions. These members have all signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as a show of their commitment to the Fenway neighborhood and this great development project, so come on out and support this new initiative that will make our neighborhood the best place to be!
FCD Goals:
In FY12, we will implement the FCD initiative by achieving the following goals over the next five years:
1) To create a highly respected “brand” by
- marketing and promote our area as an exciting cultural destination for all citizens of the Commonwealth and national and international visitors alike.
- to continue to provide the largest day of free cultural experiences in greater Boston—Opening Our Doors—to the public
- to create additional cultural programming through creative partnerships and through our Fenway Cultural District committee
- to use traditional media, pr, and social media to build awareness of the Fenway Cultural District
- to promote our numerous academic and cultural institutions, and link them, when possible, to our cultural endeavors
- to build on and coordinate activities with members of the Fenway Alliance and our more broad-based Fenway Cultural District Committee
2) To increase the beauty and vitality of our District by
- creating an easily navigable area for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists with aesthetically appropriate way finding and signage
- encouraging the involvement of local businesses to contribute to creating a more vibrant urban space by working in collaboration with the Fenway Cultural District committee to increase the beauty and vitality of our major thoroughfares: Huntington Avenue/Avenue of the Arts and Massachusetts Avenue/Avenue of Music through: 1) street scaping; 2)cultural programming, and 3) public art
- to continue to work on restoring, rehabilitating and enhancing the green spaces in the area, particularly in the Back Bay Fens and Riverway parks of the historic Olmsted-designed Emerald Necklace Park system. And to better promote and advocate linkages between the Emerald Necklace and other built amenities and cultural activities.
3) To provide opportunities for artists and institutions to promote their art and cultural experiences via established social media sites, conventional media efforts, and solicitations for advertising donations
