Ron Soto and I are working for Go Downtown Salem to create a branding strategy and marketing plan for downtown Salem. It plan will be done at the end of July. Our rough draft will be done in two weeks, so any input will need to be done quickly.
The purpose of our project is to cause a large increase in the number of people "using" downtown. The mayor, residents, and Vision 2020 have said that a high priority is getting more art in front of the public downtown. For our project, we have decided that we don't think it's very important to have only judged gallery shows, and approved concerts of known quality. Some disagree with us, but we think there is value in just getting visual and performing arts in front of people and letting the market sort it out. People who don't like the music leave. If they don't like the painting, they don't look at or buy it. At least there was a readily available opportunity to get it in front of the public, even if the public doesn't care about it.
The ideas on the table for discussion specifically are: large display racks that one could sign up for or rent and display/ sell visual art along the sidewalks, and low platforms maybe at street corners that musicians or performing artists could sign up for online and get in front of the public. I want to know 1.) if people would want to use these, and 2.) if they hate the idea and have a better one. We are trying to make all of our ideas easy to implement. Just for context, it took 30 years to get Riverfront Park built. Something complicated and expensive could take a very long time.
We would also welcome feedback about the type of kiosks needed, and where they should go. FYI, we will be recommending some fancy ones that will be prominent. It is possible to use two sides of those for concert announcements. Otherwise, if artist-oriented kiosks were going to look bad, sloppy, etc., they would need to in less visible areas. This is purely a matter of what I can get to fly. There's no reason to push for things that won't happen.
We will use the feedback to shape our ideas that are presented in August and September to the various boards, the mayor, and Vision 2020.
About Me
- Matt Caulder
- I graduated in 2009 with an MBA and highest honors, during the course of which I had to study graduate-level economics, finance, HR, etc. I have also spent 12 years studying marketing and management, and several years studying macroeconomics, currencies, commodities, political systems, and the current Great Recession. I predicted the 2001 recession six months in advance, and the 2007 recession a year in advance, and made moves that prevented having a single dollar of losses from the current recession. My predictions this year have all come true except that the slide of the dollar has stalled. www.linkedin.com/in/mattcaulder
Thank you for opening this project to local artist input! We now have a significant opportunity to guide City of Salem planners to develop programs/projects that will specifically support a shared vision of our cultural community.
ReplyDeleteI like the downtown platform and outside art display ideas. They are simple and cool and would also draw outside performers.
Briefly, here is a possible three stage kiosk plan:
1. Pilot program. Build an inexpensive and effective 8-paneled kiosk maintained by an adopt-a-kiosk program. Incorporating 1 directory board, 2 add boards, and four weekly event boards. Gather feedback
2. Use research from pilot to develop artistic, more expensive, landmark type directory/kiosks.
3. Program and place perhaps both types of kiosk around downtown.
Thoughts?
I think it’s wise to start small and then take what is learned from that to grow the concept over time.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking it would be cool if the boards themselves were art in some way. Perhaps a panel, or even part of a panel, could be reserved for an ongoing story exhibit. This could be either visual – like a comic strip or graphic novel – or a combination of photos, art, and written story. People won’t want to read a lot so the text would have to be short, yet an ongoing story could make people want to visit the boards on a regular basis to get the latest update. Maybe even “true stories” from Salem’s history told in a fun, “soap opera serial” way so people have to check back to get the latest installment.
Again, making the boards themselves art – beyond the important community information and rotating art – would help establish them as a unique part of Downtown and offer incentive to check them regularly. A decorative/artistic kiosk is wonderful and a goal worth striving for – yet once it becomes part of the landscape people wouldn’t see it as readily. Keeping a consistent theme to a specific panel, yet changing it up every so often would be important – so there’s consistency and at the same time something new to see.
That's my thought :)
That previous post was from me, apparently I had a blog acct under an old business name...
ReplyDeleteLove that, Leslie. Thanks. They could be landmarks really.
ReplyDeleteLove it Leslie. Thanks. The kiosks could be landmarks really.
ReplyDelete