Do you remember the World Café that took place in town in 2008? It was before my time in Reading, but the meeting minutes prove that there are some very smart people in town with really good ideas on how to make Reading even better.

One idea that came out of the 2008 World Café was that the "cultural arts" were important to the people of our fair town. There was even talk of establishing a "cultural arts center," though the minutes don't describe whether participants meant a building where some cultural arts take place or a district of buildings where a variety of cultural arts take place.

There is a significant difference between a performing arts center and a center for cultural arts. The former is usually geared toward dance, theater and music. The latter typically includes a broader variety of artists such as potters, painters, textile and small furniture makers. The former is usually active mostly at night and primarily serves as "entertainment"; the later is usually active all day long and serves as commercial enterprise and entertainment.

What exactly did the participant in the World Café Envision?

For my money, the idea of a performing arts center would be nice, but a "cultural arts district" would be nicer. Think of the redevelopment plans for the old Atlantic supermarket site, but for artists. A district need not be big and could certainly have a performing arts space as part of it. The key point is that it would also be available to other, non-performing artists who would serve as an attraction to bring others to Town to see and purchase their creations.

Reading's Creative Arts provides a good example for the potential of the arts. As a non-profit arts organization with a budget in the neighborhood of $380,000, employing dozens of local artists as instructors, serving more than 1200 students from more than 30 surrounding communities, Creative Arts is an unsung but important component of not only the community's quality of life, but it's economic well-being.

Artists should not be confused with hobbyists. Artists can be messy, noisy and often, well... in polite terms, not well off. Artists have distinct needs: inexpensive space to work; a tolerant, open-minded community that supports them; and patrons. If Reading provides the first two, Reading will benefit from the third.

Picture a vibrant, highly visible community of professional artisan furniture makers, potters, and painters, now combine them with the many talented community based theatrical and musical organizations already in town and you start to get the picture of a very engaging place to live, work and play. Artists create jobs, fill vacant buildings, broaden the tax base, eat at local restaurants and shop at local stores for supplies and more. If, and it's a big "if" the community really wants them.

If Reading is serious about wanting the arts to be a centerpiece of our community we are going to have to look at providing artists a reason to call Reading home. We are going to have to see Town leadership commit to the idea that the arts are more than a pastime. They are going to have to see the arts as an economic energizer.

We cannot use the excuse that we, as a humble little town, cannot find ways to fund the arts or an art center. We cannot look solely to the state to provide funds for a cultural center - though putting pressure on our state official to help isn't a bad place to start.

We can say, "we want the arts to be part of Reading" and we can put our energy, the skills of our political leadership and our money where our mouth is. Or, we can just hold another World Café in a few years and talk about what a great idea it would be.