Ashland Plan Final Appendix-12!7!09

8/14/2019 Ashland Plan Final Appendix-12!7!09

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This appendix was compiled to supplement the Ashland, Center of the Universe: A Downtown

Enhancement Plan. Information contained therein includes materials collected during thepreparation of the Ashland Downtown Enhancement Plan as well as analyses that are too lengthy

to be put in the plan itself. The appendix is broken up into five different Appendices, each

containing additional information from that found in the plan.


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Table of Contents

Appendix A: Existing Conditions..5

Performing Arts.....5Fine Arts..10

Arts Education.13Other Arts and Community Education..18Randolph-Macon College....22Parks and Recreation......................................................................................................25

Appendix B Case Studies..30

Performing Arts..30Fine Arts.34Arts Education....40Other Arts and Community Education..43Randolph-Macon College....46

Parks and Recreation..50

Appendix C - Survey Instruments..56Artist Focus Group.56Ashland Residents Focus Groups...60Downtown Merchants Focus Group.65Ashland Residents Survey...69YMCA and PTA Survey..74

Appendix D Economic and Organizational Materials...80Virginia House Bill 1735.80

Visitor Center Profiles....81Ashland's Economic Demand by Household for Casual Dance Lessons...83Randolph-Macon College Restaurant Economic Viability Data.84Market Analysis for Visual Arts Center..85Market Analysis Arts and Wine Festivals...86Theater Economic Viability Data....87

Appendix E Job Descriptions.......91Internship Position......91Executive Director Position...92


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Appendix A: Existing Conditions

This section provides an extensive and detailed analysis of Ashlands existing arts, culture,education and recreational facilities.

Performing Arts

Hanover Arts and Activities CenterThe Hanover Arts and Activities Center (HAAC) is a multi-purpose, historic building located at

500 South Center Street in Ashland, Virginia. The building was built in 1859 as the First BaptistChurch of Ashland. Due to Ashlands location along the railroads, the church was used as ahospital during the civil war. The original wood floor of the church is said to have been sobloodstained from this use that a second floor had to be built over it. Records indicate thatonly eleven of the thousands of soldiers treated in the hospital died, leading Ashland residentsto believe that the church was a special place.In 1969, the congregation had outgrown thechurch and the building was converted to acommunity building for the Town of Ashland.The church was renamed the Hanover Artsand Activities Center to let people know that

the center could be used by all people in thecounty and not just people from Ashland. TheHanover Arts and Activities Center is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, run by anexecutive director and a 40 membervolunteer board of directors.

Hanover Arts and Activities CenterToday, the basement of the building is used for a pre-school. Studios and classrooms are rentedto local artists for lessons or practice space and the Hanover Concert Band uses the space forinstrument storage and practices. The ballroom can be rented for private events with rentalfees running from $400 to $1,300. There is also a private conference room available for rent.

The ballroom can accommodate 150 guests for a formal sit-down dinner and 225-250 guestswith limited seating.

The ballroom is also used to hold performances. The HAAC hosts and sponsors a summertheater camp for children, who perform a play at the end of the camp. An admission fee of $5 ischarged to attend the play. In addition, a DVD of the performance can be purchased for $20.The HAAC puts on an annual summer concert series, called the Bluemont Summer ConcertSeries, which is a series of five concerts performed on the lawn of the HAAC. The Bluemont


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Concerts raise money for the Arts-in-Education program. Funds are raised throughmembership sales, admission tickets ($5 or $4 for members), and a raffle drawing. As of July 27,2009, the Bluemont Concerts have raised $4,069 of an $11,000 goal. Every two years, theHAAC sponsors the Ashland Musical Variety Show, which over 300 citizens perform in andover 2,000 people attend. The performers receive professional instruction in singing and

dancing for three months before performing the show. Due to the popularity of the event it isheld in the Blackwell Auditorium on the Randolph-Macon College Campus. The HAAC alsosponsors the Hanover Idols competition, where citizens compete to be named Hanover Idol.Winners perform at various venues throughout the area. The HAAC provides live music duringthe 4th of July and the annual Railroad Run, which is the centers biggest fundraiser. TheConcert Ballet of Virginia also performs at the HAAC a couple of times a year.

HAAC is promoted by a publicity committee that contacts various media outlets throughoutthe Richmond and tri-cities areas and creates and distributes posters or other publicitymaterials. Due to the HAACs non-profit status, the publicity committee does this work forfree. In addition, there is a graphic artist on the board who donates time and talent.

HAAC is also promoted on their website, www.hanoverarts.org and the Town Hound website,www.townhound.com. In addition, HAAC is promoted on a local TV access channel forAshland. HAAC does have a publicity budget of about $1,000 for promoting the event space.

Live MusicIn addition to the Hanover Arts and Activities Center, Ashland also has two live music venues;the Ironhorse Restaurant and Ashland Coffee and Tea.

Ashland Coffee and Tea, at 100 N. Railroad Avenue, has a listening room where multipleconcerts are performed each week. The venue welcomes a wide variety of music styles from

Honky Tonk and Bluegrass to Folk and Zydeco. One-hundred and fifty tickets are up for salefor each show and ticket prices range from $5 to $27 at the door. Ticket sales go towardspaying the musicians and payment contracts vary according to the musician. Shows do notusually sell out and audience members are usually between the ages of 30 and 35. Musicians arechosen by sending in CDs or press kits. A lot of these musicians are represented by agents whohandle this work for them. There are many costs associated with hosting live musicperformances. Although the amounts cannot be specified due to competition within theindustry they include: public relations, printing, sound equipment, sound technicians, and staff.Operating costs also cannot be revealed due to competition.

Facebook and Twitter are both used as the primary promotional tools for Ashland Coffee and

Tea. On these sites, a staff member posts information about shows and musicians, as well asoffers promotional codes for discount ticket prices. They also send out email alerts to a verylarge newsletter list and pay for ads in the Herald Progress. They have purchased ads in theRichmond Guide and the North of the James Paper. The budget for marketing and promotionsis what Ashland Coffee and Tea can afford at the time. At the moment, the only barrier thatAshland Coffee and Tea can see to increasing performance arts in Ashland is the current stateof the economy.


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Ironhorse restaurant has a slightly different set up for musicians. Ironhorse is a restaurant andserves dinner every night. On Friday and sometimes Saturday nights, musicians perform fordinner guests beginning at 9:00 PM. The stage surrounds a portion of the dining room and thereis no cover charge to see the bands. The bands cover a wide variety of musical genres, from

jazz, bluegrass, folk, and blues to the occasional ensemble band. There is also an open-mic night

on Tuesdays where local musicians can perform for dinner guests.

FilmThere are currently no operating venues for film in Ashland. The Ashland Theater is located at205 England Street, but it has been closed for the past three years. The theater is owned by alocal business owner. A five-year lease was taken on the building beginning on January 1, 2009,but no visible changes have been made to the building since the lease began. The theater wasbuilt in 1940 and seats over 300 people. It has a stage and a full-size movie screen. The last saleprice was $150,000 in 1999 and the current assessment is $244,000.

The Ashland Community Theater Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization, has recently started

using the old firehouse as a community theater. It seats about 125 people and movies will beshown on a twenty foot screen. Films would be on Saturday nights, with childrens matinees onSaturday afternoons. The foundation would look into the possibility of having a senior filmseries on Sundays and a foreign film series for Randolph-Macon students.

The Ashland Community Theater Foundation sees many benefits to having a community theaterin downtown Ashland. Since the theater would be operated by a non-profit organization, itwould be an economic and social benefit to Ashland. Weekend movies will attract more peopleto downtown Ashland throughout the weekend, increasing activity at local retail establishments,possibly attracting people from outside of Ashland. The theater would also be available forother downtown events. In addition to increased activity on the weekends, a film series for

Randolph-Macon students would make students feel welcome in downtown Ashland. Thetheater would also create several part-time jobs for local seniors and utilize local businesses forcleaning, printing, and maintenance, bringing more business to Ashland. The foundation plans tocoordinate with existing civic organizations in Ashland to promote arts and cultural events inthe area.

Continuous revenue will be provided by foundation memberships and a membership drive isplanned for 2 to 3 months after the theater opens. In addition, next year the foundation plansto raise significant capital through a combination of benefactors and grant proposals. A pro-forma for the theater is on page 78. At the moment, the addition of heating and cooling ismaking the theaters expenses higher than the expected revenue. If this expense can be

covered, the conversion project will begin at the beginning of December.

Randolph-Macon CollegeAshland is also home to Randolph-Macon College (R-MC), a small liberal arts college. Thedrama department at Randolph-Macon puts on multiple performances every year at the CobbTheater. Randolph-Macon also offers a lecture series, the Mike McKay lecture on the MindSeries with a variety of topics offered throughout the year. The lecture series is named after aprofessor who was killed in an automobile accident in 2007. The lecture series is supported by


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an endowed fund established in honor of Dr. McKay. The Richmond Symphony also performs aconcert series at Randolph-Macon College.

Performing Arts around Ashland and in the Richmond RegionLooking beyond Ashland, there is an abundance of performing arts organizations, groups, and

venues throughout the Richmond region. The newly completed CenterStage complex indowntown Richmond is home to the Richmond Symphony, Virginia Opera, Richmond Ballet,and other regional performing arts groups. It contains three venues, the newly renovated, 1800seat Carpenter Theatre, Gottwald Playhouse, and the Rhythm Hall. CenterStage aims to be theprimary performing arts space in the Richmond region, and will be home not only to the aboveorganizations, but also such shows as comedian Jerry Seinfeld and magician David Copperfield.Other venues such as the Landmark Theater also present large-scale performing artsproductions and recently started construction to enlarge their loading dock to accommodateBroadway-scale shows. The University of Richmonds Modlin Center for the Arts presentsmusic, dance, and theatrical productions throughout the year and teams with CenterStage tosponsor some of these events. Live music venues include The National, a renovated 1920s

movie theater which now books national talent from all genres of music as well as high-profilestand-up comics such as Margaret Cho. The Hat Factory is a newly opened live music venue inthe Lady Byrd Hat building along the Canal Walk which last housed Toads Place, a similarlystyled live music venue which closed in March 2009. There are movie theaters throughout theRichmond region, but only the Byrd Theatre in Carytown and the Westhampton Theater onGrove Avenue are historic theaters which currently show recently run movies. The HenricoTheatre in Highland Springs is similar to the Ashland Theater, an art deco movie house whichlay dormant for some period of time. However, the Henrico Theatre was renovated byHenrico County and today is operated by their Division of Recreation and Parks as aperforming arts and community gathering place.

Relatively close to Ashland, there are two particular venues which almost certainly would havesome impact on any performing arts ventures or programs that might be started. West ofAshland, at Hanover Courthouse is the Hanover Tavern, the original home of BarksdaleTheatre. Attached to a late 18th century tavern in the county seat of Hanover County, thefacility is run by the Hanover Tavern Foundation which owns the 156 seat theater and adjacentrestaurant space, currently occupied by Michelles Restaurant. Although no longer run out ofHanover Tavern, Barksdale Theatre, Central Virginias leading professional theatre still putson several productions a year at Hanover Tavern. There are also other events held at HanoverTavern, including arts workshops and special speaker presentations.

The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, which opened in 1999, is eight miles south of

downtown Ashland and offers performance and rental space for special events, classes in bothperforming and visual arts, and full year of performing arts programming including theatricalproductions and concerts of a variety of musical genres. Programming for the 2009-2010season include such diverse acts as the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, an acrobatics troupe, tothe Harlem Gospel Choir, the most famous gospel choir in America today. Like CenterStage,the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is in partnership with the School of the Performing Artsin the Richmond Community (SPARC), the Latin Ballet of Virginia, and the Henrico TheatreCompany. Similar to the summer performing arts camp at Hanover Arts and Activities Center,


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the Cultural Arts Center hosts the Henrico County Division of Recreation and Parks summertheatre program CenterStage.


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Fine Arts

For this study, specific types of fine arts that will be considered for an arts district will includecrafts, jewelry making/repairing, painting, photography and sculpture. Existing artists andgalleries have been contacted and visited in the Ashland area. The artists businesses and thetwo art galleries were analyzed using the Main Street Four Point Approach.

Existing Fine ArtistsThe town of Ashland boasts an impressive number of artists specializing in assorted categoriesof fine arts. The majority of Ashlands fine artists are occupational artists although a few artistsview their craft as a hobby. The majority of Ashlands fine artists work in the following careers:

Graphic Art and Design, Photography, Painting, Ceramics, Wood Cutting, Sculpting, and Jewelry. There are too many fine artists in Ashland to count; however, several of Ashlandsartists were willing to be interviewed during the planning process and their identity will remainanonymous for their privacy.

Existing GalleriesThere are two art galleries located in the town of Ashland. Both of the galleries feature some ofthe same artists and art mediums. Cross Mill Gallery Interior

Cross Mill GalleryOrganization

The Cross Mill Gallery opened in 1970. The gallery hoststwo open houses annually. The remainder of the yearthe gallery operates by appointment only. A family offour artists display their artwork at this gallerypermanently. Each of these artists specializes in adifferent medium of fine art; painting, photography,ceramics and eclectic art. Each bi-annual gallery openingshowcases a featured guest artists work.

Cross Mill Gallery ExteriorEconomic RestructuringThe average price of artwork and materials vary for each

artist.

Design

The Cross Mill Gallery is positioned in a secluded locationtwo miles northeast of downtown Ashland. The galleryand studio space is nestled behind many trees, passersbyprobably are not aware of its existence. The gallery faadeis dark wood paneling with blue accents and the exterior


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resembles a house more than a gallery. There is a circular driveway for parking, additionalparking is also available. Upon entering the gallery the visitor is immediately swept away by theoverwhelming presence of diverse artwork.

Promotion

The Cross Mill Gallery relies on the familys reputation and clientele for the majority of theirpromotion. The gallerys website is updated regularly, depending on the availability of pieces. Afew weeks prior to the gallerys bi-annual exhibitions, invitations are sent electronically and bymail to those in their guestbook and mailing list. The gallery only uses minimal marketing toolsto spread gallery information and awareness.

Gallery 606 Gallery 606Organization

Gallery 606 opened in July of 2009. The gallery keepsregular business hours operating Tuesdays-Fridays10am-6pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm and hosts an art

exhibit the third Friday of every month to showcasetheir new inventory and a featured artist of themonth.

Economic Restructuring

Since July 2009, Gallery 606 has hosted five galleryopenings. The turnout at each event continues to increase; the gallery anticipates futureopenings will be significantly larger than the previous openings due to their growing customerbase and increasing access to more artists. The first exhibit captured approximately 200 guests,the turnout increased slightly for the second event but the third exhibit had 400 visitors. Thefourth exhibit is expecting an even larger group. The gallery is generating revenue despite its

young age. The gallery opened their gift shop upstairs during September 2009s art exhibit.Gallery 606 does not intend to target a specific demographic but rather offer art to everyone.Futhermore, Gallery 606 hopes to capture interest from Randolph-Macon Colleges artstudents. The gallery is also planning to host Kids Night events in the future.

Design Gallery 606 InteriorThe gallery faade is red brick with a front porchincluding outdoor seating where wine is servedduring art exhibits. Gallery 606 is located onEngland Street south of the downtowncommercial district. The gallery is easily

accessible and has an abundance of availableparking. However, there is a temporary signwhich is difficult to see, if a passerby was notalready aware of the gallerys existence the signdoes not change their knowledge.


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PromotionGallery 606s advertising campaign is in its beginning stages. The gallery is currently workingwith Style Weekly on an advertisement spot in their events calendar and publicity for their nextexhibit. Management is also trying to become a member of Ashlands Main Street Association.The gallery also utilizes free advertisement sources such as facebook and twitter. The gallery

currently mails exhibit and promotional invitations to their growing client base but this methodof advertising is expensive and fails to capture new clientele. The gallery plans to launch alarger, more efficient advertizing campaign after renovations are complete. The gallerys websitehas been up and running since October 2009.


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Arts Education

Art education in the town of Ashland is focused around three main establishments: DianeHales School of Dance, Ashland Music Academy and the Hanover Arts and Activities Center.All three of these establishments are located along Ashlands Main Street. These threeestablishments were analyzed using the Main Street Four Point Approach.

Diane Hales School of Dance

Organization

Diane Hales School of Dance is located at 117 England Street, at the corner of Virginia Streetand England Street. Founded in 1978, this dance studio is a cornerstone of the arts education inAshland. Based on a strict teaching style, this school of dance is for people serious aboutdancing. Students range in age from 5 years old to adult and can take classes in ballet, jazz, tap,hip-hop, lyrical, creative movement, tumbling, and yoga. Classes are held Monday thru Thursdaybetween 4 pm to 9 pm.

Dancers train for seven months out of the year (October-May) and recitals are only given everyother year. This allows for the dancers to focus one year on technique and the next year onrecital material. This also helps alleviate the costs of having to buy costumes every year. Theprices of classes per semester are $350 for classes that are 1 hour per week and $500 forclasses that are an hour and a half per week. Students are encouraged to take more than oneclass per semester. Class sizes range from about 15 students in younger classes to 25 studentsin the teen and adult classes. Classes regularly fill up, and students are sometimes turned awaybecause of the capacity.

DesignLocated at the corner of England Street and Virginia Street, this school is a prime location onMain Street. The school is obvious to anyone walking along the street. There is a large signout front as well as smaller signs in the windows publicizing the schools existence. Also, thewindows along England Street allow views to look in on classes while they are in session.

PromotionLittle is done to promote this establishment. Since it has been around for over 30 year, it hasestablished a reputation in Ashland and surrounding areas. Most students hear about DianeHales School of Dance through word of mouth. Sometimes an ad is put in the newspaperadvertising the dance school, but it is not there regularly.


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The majority of students return for year to year, with a hand full of new dancers entering eachsemester. Dancers come from all over the region, extending to about a 30 mile radius. Someareas that dancers come from are Ashland, Montpelier, Louisa County, Beaver Damn, HanoverCounty, Glen Allen, Elmont, New Kent, Bon Air, Boling Green, Milford, and Lady Smith.

Dance studio sign on England Street Sign in dance studio window

Economic restructuring

The most popular classes at Dianes School of Dance are advanced tap, hip-hop, and lyrical.Though these styles are not unique to this school, the teaching style is quite different thanother schools. Known for its renowned teachers, this school is very successful. While itslocation holds a prime spot on England Street, the dance school is sometimes too small for thenumber of people interested in attending it. If Diane could rent more of the building she iscurrently in, or find a larger space with a similar location, the dance school could serve morestudents, attracting even more clientele to the Ashlands Main Street area.

Dianes School of Dance does have some competition. The largest competitor is Kims School

of Dance which is located in Mechanicsville, Virginia. The competition is not stiff, since there isa good distance from Ashland to Mechanicsville, but it is worth noting.

Ashland Music AcademyOrganizationAshland Music Academy has been open for just over 2 years. Before that it was a music shop.The academys hours vary, but are mainly Monday thru Thursday 2:30pm-8pm and byappointment. Lessons can be given on an individual or group basis. Lessons are offered in avariety of different instruments: bass, banjo, cello, clarinet, drums, guitar, piano, saxophone,trumpet, viola, violin, and voice. The majority of lessons are given in guitar and piano.

The cost of lessons is $23 dollars per half hour session with and administrative fee of $25 dueon initial registration and $25 annual administrative fee for each year after that. Many studentsdo return for numerous sessions. Some will take lessons for 2 months while others continue onfor years. The age of students ranges from age 5 to age 76, however the bulk of students areeither children (age 9-14) or adults (age 30-50).


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DesignLocated at 313 England Street, the music academy has a prime location among the happeningsof downtown. Situated just down the road from a recording studio and Diane Hales School ofDance as well as blocks from the Hanover Arts and Activities Center, Ashland Music Academyis among a cluster of musical education facilities. It is set back from the road and has a parking

lot in the front which makes its presence less noticeable from England Street. However, thereis a large sign on England Street notifying those that pass by that there is a music academylocated there.

View of Academy from England Street Sign on England Street

PromotionMost of the promotion for Ashland music academy is done by word of mouth. Regarded as ahighly skilled musician in gypsy jazz, the owner of Ashland Music Academy, Thomas Wakefield,is sought after by players from all over the region. The internet also recruits many newstudents; MySpace, the Owners bands website (gypsyjazz.com), as well as the academyswebsite all serve to bring in new students from around the region. Locally, flyers are distributedaround town and in local businesses. Also, there is a large kiosk sign located on England Streetto bring in passer-biers. While some of the students are Ashland locals, many are fromthroughout the region. Some students drive from areas as far away as Prince George, CarolineCounty, or Chesterfield County.

Economic RestructuringWhile Ashland Music Academy already caters to out of town musicians, it can still do more tobring in even more students. The academys biggest niche is that they offer lessons in gypsy jazz.This may be a small niche but there are only a few other places in Virginia that offer training inthis style of guitar playing. There is one place in Charlottesville and 3 in Richmond that cater tothe same niche. However, some of the students drive over an hour just to train with theowner, Thomas Wakefield.

Most of the music academys competition comes from individuals who offer lessons out of theirhomes. Also, some competition comes from Hanovers Arts and Activities Center. Thecompetition is not stiff, but is worth noting.

Even in the recent economic downturn, lesson numbers have stayed steady. This is partly dueto recent budget cuts in the public school elementary music departments. Many parents still feelthe need for their children to be exposed to music at a young age, and if they are not going to


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get exposure in school, then they will have to go outside of school. It would be a greatopportunity for the music academy to partner up with local schools to run an after schoolmusic program.

Also, the addition of steady weekend hours would also be a good way to bring in new students,

as well as provide opportunities to people who may not be available to take music lessonsduring the week.

Hanover Arts and Activities CenterOrganizationHanover Arts and Activities Center contributes greatly to the arts and entertainment scene inAshland. The HAAC was established to advance the arts, sponsor community-building eventsand enhance the lives of the residents of Ashland and Hanover. Housed in the former FirstBaptist Church of Ashland, the center rents out its classrooms to artists and musicians. Thecenter strives to provide opportunities for civic groups, community organizations, andindividuals for their cultural enrichment, educational development, and personal growth.

Currently HAAC rents out classrooms to various individuals for music instruction in piano andvoice, bass and banjo, violin, viola, bass and cello, and banjo and guitar. Prices range based onthe instructor and the amount of time spent in each session. Students who attend these classesrange in age from 5 years old to adult. The hours of operation also vary from instructor toinstructor since they rent out individual studios. However, the center itself is open from 9am to9 or 10 pm during the week, and has shortened hours on the weekend.

Design

Located just off Center Street, HAAC has a unique and historic character to it. The HanoverArts and Activity Center used to be the First Baptist Church of Ashland. During the Civil Warthe church was transformed in to a hospital for fallen soldiers.

Promotion

Lots of promotion is done for the Hanover Arts and Activities Center. Their website is verydetailed and gives a lot of information on the various events and classes being held orsponsored by the HAAC. Ads are also run in the newspaper. Flyers are distributed aroundtown by local business, and word of mouth is always a very successful promotion mechanismfor the HAAC. In addition, many of the individuals renting space at the HAAC have their ownwebsites, MySpace accounts, and various other internet promotions.

Economic RestructuringHanover Arts and Activities Center is very successful in Ashland. It strives to include not only

residents of Ashland but citizens from surrounding areas as well. It provides a number ofopportunities for children and adults to engage in recreational activities. The HAAC sponsorsnumbers of events. However, if they were to expand the scope of their classes, the interest inattending HAAC classes would broaden. The major competitor of the HAAC is the Glen AllenCultural Center. Glen Allen offers courses in ceramics, fiber arts, glass arts, jewelry, literary,music, photography, as well as visual arts. To thrive off of each other HAAC should differentclasses than Glen Allen to ensure their nook in the arts education throughout Hanover andsurrounding areas.


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These three facilities, Diane Hales School of Dance, Ashland Music Academy and Hanover Artsand Activities Center are very influential in the current arts education market in Ashland andwill be important players in the expansion of the arts education field in the town. There are,however, other providers of arts education that are either smaller or less involved in thegrowth of the arts, but are worth mentioning as potential resources for residents of the town.

Ashland Music Lessons with Jake Moore: Business owner-operator provides privatemusic lessons.

Hanover Public Schools: Provides typical arts classes from elementary school throughhigh school, with several elective classes on the high school level.

Randolph-Macon College: Offers several courses of study in arts and music.


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Other Arts and Community Education

Ashland Public SchoolsThere are three public schools in the Ashland Corporation limits; Henry Clay Elementary (pre-kindergarten-2nd grade), John M. Gandy Elementary (3rd grade- 5th grade) and Patrick HenryHigh School. The Art Programs at Henry Clay Elementary and John M. Gandy have taken a backseat to academics for the last 5-7 years due to Ashland Schools scoring lower than the rest ofHanover County in Standards of Learning (SOL) testing. Fortunately, the scores are muchhigher today, but the arts programs are still not offered as frequently as they once were. AtHenry Clay Elementary students receive art instruction for 40 minutes once a week and for six

weeks every class receives art twice a week on a rotating basis. The students art has beendisplayed in parts of Ashland such as the Food Lion and Randolph- Macon College Library. Thestudents made a big birthday cake for Ashlands 150th birthday and it is displayed in the RichardS. Gillis Jr. Library. Brooke Viozzolo, the art teacher at Henry Clay, feels talented students donot receive the opportunity to shine compared to students who excel at sports or academics.

Kevin Layne, the Vice-Principal of John M. Gandy Elementary, states the school offers musicprograms for the children but parent involvement is minimal and there is only a core group ofparents who are actively involved. Many parents drop their children off for performances. Mr.Layne did note that the core group of parents are not specific to one demographic andrepresent the demographics of the school as a whole. Patrick Henry High School has a very

large and active Fine Arts Department. The program includes: Concert Band

Symphonic Band

Jazz Ensemble

Advanced Jazz Ensemble

Advanced Wind Ensemble

Theatre Arts: Acting

Theater Arts: Production

Advanced Theatre Arts

Art III & IV

Crafts Art History

IB Visual Arts

The Montpelier Center for Arts and Education is the home base for Patrick Henry High School.Jenn Inge, the department chair for Patrick Henry, states that they are more involved than theHanover Arts & Activities Center in developing a partnership with the community. The parentinvolvement at Patrick Henry is outstanding and the students art have been displayed in the


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town of Ashland at the Urkrops Caf, The Iron Horse Restaurant, The Henry Clay Inn andRandolph-Macon Colleges Welcome Center. Nancy Kozart, who is the Director of the ArtsDepartment for all Hanover County Schools, is working with the Ashland Main StreetAssociation for a fall window display in the storefronts throughout downtown Ashland.

Randolph-Macon CollegeRandolph-Macon College College offers various Lectures and Discussions that are open to thepublic free of charge. The Lectures and Discussions are held in various locations on campusdepending on the nature of the subject. Narrowly focused topics are held in large classroomsand the Cobb Theater, while broad, popular topics that will sell out such as An Evening withNewt Gingrich are held in the Blackwell Auditorium. According to Anna Marie Lauranzon, theDirector of Marketing and Communications at Randolph-Macon College College, The BlackwellAuditorium can seat between 350-660 individuals. Student events are funded through tuition(Student Activity Fee); events held for the public are funded either through the college budgetor endowments by private donors. Randolph-Macon College College promotes its lectures anddiscussions through a color brochure available at the Visitors Center and throughout

businesses in the Town of Ashland and their website.

Richard S. Gillis LibraryThe Richard S. Gillis Jr. Library hosts three book clubs. The Morning Book Club meets everythird Friday at 10:00 a.m. The Afternoon Book Club meets every third Monday at 1:00 p.m. TheEvening Book Club meets every third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Morning and Afternoon BookClubs host 10-12 members (mostly seniors) and the Evening Book Club host around six.Members of each book club come to a consensus on which book they will read for the month.The library pulls the books from other libraries in the Pamunkey Regional Library system sothere is no need to purchase the books. Each Pamunkey Regional Library branch has its ownbook club so attendees live in or right outside of Ashland in Hanover County.

The Friends of the Richard S. Gillis Jr. Library is a nonprofit community based support group forthe Ashland Branch of the Pamunkey Regional Library. The Friends sponsor a variety oflibrary programs and activities through donations from private donors. The events at the libraryare promoted through their website.

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ashland & the Ashland African American Heritage TrailThe Self-Guided walking tours of Ashland start at the Ashland/Hanover Visitor Center/Train-station and take you through 25 locations around Ashland. A color brochure of the walkingtour complete with a map and a brief history lesson is located at the front desk of the VisitorsCenter.

The Town of Ashlands African American Heritage Trail is a walking tour that explores thehistory and lifestyles of Ashlands 20th Century African Americans. The tour includes eightsites. Three are located in the downtown historic district and five are located in Berkley Town,which, until recently, was an entirely black community. Included are the Cab Theater,Ashland/Hanover Visitors Center, Shiloh Baptist Church, South Anna Elks Lodge #874, EuniceD. Bundy House, John M. Gandy High School, Hanover County Training School Site, and theVirginia Shelton House. Only the Visitors Center is open to the public, all others are private.


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This project is made possible by a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities andPublic Policy. The Heritage Trail is promoted though The Self-Guided Walking Tour of Ashlandbrochure and the Ashland/Hanover Events Guide.

Guided Walking Tours of Ashland

Every Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. throughout the months of May and October Ashlandoffers guided walking tours to the public free of charge. Knowledgeable volunteers, who live inthe Ashland area, give the tours. The tours are advertised in the Richmond-Times Dispatch,Hanover Herald-Progress, The Mechanicsville Local and Inside Hanover (published semi-annually). The volunteer guide dictates the tour, without any set stops along the way. In 2008the guided walking tour had a total of 72 attendees for May and October; in 2009 the tour had60 visitors for the month of May alone.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts PartnershipFor only $25 a year any community in Virginia can become a partner of the Virginia Museum ofFine Arts. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Office of Statewide Partnerships provides

educational exhibitions and programs to museums, arts centers, library galleries, schools anduniversities throughout the Commonwealth. The partnership program is open to independent,organized and permanently established non-profit institutions in Virginia. These organizationsmust maintain open membership, have a mission that is educational or aesthetic in purpose, andprovide open access to programs and exhibitions provided by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.Ten key benefits of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Statewide Partnership Program are:

EXHIBITIONSFREE* Ready-to-hang traveling exhibitions are available. They featureoriginal works by historic and contemporary artists many of them Virginiansorimage panels that explore diverse cultures and topics that complement VirginiasStandards of Learning objectives. * Shipping charges may apply.

RESOURCES FREE With the largest audiovisual loan collection of any Museum in the

country, VMFA provides statewide access to over 2,500 DVDs, CD-ROMs, videotapes,films, educational discovery kits, and posters.

ART ON THE SPOT-FREE Partners can facilitate access to this new in-school programwith a professional educator and SOL based resources for statewide elementaryclassrooms.

ARTIST WORKSHOPSPARTNER DISCOUNT Intensive master classes in the visualand performing arts allow children and adults to work closely with professional artists ofstate, regional, and national reputation.

SPEAKERS ON THE ARTSPARTNER DISCOUNT This lecture series featurescurators, educators, and art historians who share their expertise on a wide variety ofexciting and informative topics with adult audiences statewide.

EDUCATOR WORKSHOPSPARTNER DISCOUNT Information-packed workshopsshow educators how to use works of art to teach Virginias Standards of Learningobjectives across the school curriculum.

OPPORTUNITIES FREE Privately endowed financial awards are made annually toprofessional, graduate and undergraduate Virginia artists.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCEFREE VMFAs expert staff provides professionalconsultation on an array of museum subjects.


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PUBLICATIONSFREE Museum Partners receive a subscription to VMFA's quarterly MyMuseum and Annual Report; program promotional materials, press kits, etc.; andopportunities for publicity on the Statewide Calendar section of the VMFA website.

HYPERLINK TO YOUR WEBSITEFREE Your institution will be included on VMFA'slisting of statewide partners with a hyperlink to your Web site.

Ashland Street FestivalsThe Ashland Street Festival, Inc. is a non-profit organization that holds a community eventbehind the Richard S. Gillis, Jr. Library one Saturday between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. in May, Julyand September to celebrate the beginning of Summer, Summer and the end of Summer.Attendance ranges between 1,200-1,500 individuals and is advertised mainly through 98.1 (alocal radio station). Events include bands known for beach music and easy listening.Mainly residents who live in walking distance make up the majority of the crowd. Thedemographic is mostly children/pre-teens and adults over the age of forty-five. There is a moonbounce and a face-painting booth for the kids and, a little league stand selling food and vendorsselling beer and wine for the adults. Roughly forty volunteers take part in assisting with the

event. These volunteers take money, check age identification, serve the patrons and participatein the set up and clean up of the event. Diligently this organization works with a six membervolunteer committee who work to create a budget, organize fundraisers and advertise theevents. The total cost of all three events combined equal about $26,000 and the revenues takenat the door, percentages earned from other vendors go towards paying the band and security.


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Randolph-Macon College

Background on Randolph-Macon and the TownRandolph-Macon College sits quietly at the corner of Henry Street and N. Center Street,occupying a major quadrant of the Town of Ashland, and sheltered from the downtowncorridor. The town itself has around 7,000 residents, while Randolph-Macon College supports apopulation of roughly 1,200 students and 300 professors. The college plays a prominent role inthe towns economy, but town has never been considered a college town. The main streetarea has a few well established businesses, but it lacks urban vibrancy for several reasons.

Traditionally, downtown Ashland and the college have had a cold relationship. Students typicallydo not support and frequent the shops and businesses of downtown corridor. Downtownbusinesses have mixed emotions about appealing to students, due to some residents desires tokeep the main corridor family friendly. The most utilized stores by Randolph-Macon Collegestudents are on the Route 1 Corridor and England Street just off Interstate I-95. Most eventssponsored by the town are not catered to the student population, such as the StrawberryFestival and the Block Party, and have low student turnout.

Revitalization of the downtown corridor is a high priority as Hanover County completes itsnext master plan. To assist in revitalization, the Town of Ashland renewed its effort to establisha Main Street Association several years ago. In May of 2009, the association was award non-

profit 501(C) 3 status as an affiliate member of the Virginia Main Street Association. Therelationship between the town and college has become a focus of the Ashland Main StreetAssociation and the Marketing Ashland Partnership.

The Interaction between Randolph-Macon College and the TownAn interview conducted on Wednesday, September 23rd, with Anne Marie Lauranzon, shedlight on the relationship between the college and the town. She serves as a board member forthe Ashland Main Street Association and is the Director of Randolph-Macon CollegesMarketing and Communications Department. She pointed out many different ways the townand college work closer together on planning issues, and how the attitudes between the twoinstitutions has evolved in recent years. Analyzing this relationship is a key to understanding the

colleges role in the revitalization process of the town. This section will analyze the townsrelationship with Randolph-Macon utilizing the four-point approach touted by the National MainStreet Association.

Organization

The Marketing Ashland Partnership (MAP) is a business organization comprised of andestablished by Ashland business owners, which dates back to 1993. The group has grown toinclude over 150 members. The partnership assists startup owners with economic analysis,


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coordination of activities with tourist events, faade grants, and the facilitation of zoning andplanning issues, amongst other topics. According to Anne Marie Lauranzon, MAP now desiresto work with businesses to attract potential college customers.

Promotion

MAP hosts an annual Community Activities Fair in conjunction with Randolph-Macon College,which draws students into town to interact with business owners. This serves two purposes.The first purpose is to highlight employment opportunities for students, and the secondpurpose is to promote the diverse downtown businesses to students. According to a studentsurvey conducted in 2004, detailed later in this document, students consider this one event notto be enough to attract students to the downtown.

Another way in which the town will promote itself to Randolph-Macon College students isthrough a promotional book titled Taste of Ashland. The book is being produced by theAshland Main Street Association, with the purpose of being sold in town and on the collegecampus. The goal of the book is to attract more students to patronize the downtown corridor,

but it is not yet finished.

MAP is also responsible for the creation of a discount credit card program to help promotedowntown businesses. The partnership plans to distribute these sell these discount cards oncampus at Randolph-Macon College, which would then give the buyer discounts to participatingdowntown businesses.

According to Anne Marie Lauranzon, The Yellow Jacket campus newspaper of Randolph-MaconCollege is an underutilized asset for advertising. Only four businesses regularly use the paper toadvertise, despite the potential circulation of 1,500 copies. The cost of advertising in the paperis not beyond reach for most local businesses. Other digital methods of promotion are not

utilized by the town or Randolph-Macon College, such as Facebook or Twitter. Direct face toface marketing to students is not allowed on campus, which shelters students from the townsactivities and businesses.

The Town of Ashland, the Ashland Main Street Association are co-sponsors of an event calledMacon a Difference Day. Together, they work with Randolph-Macon Colleges EnvironmentalStudies Program to clean up and enhance the beautification of different parts of town inrecognition of Earth Day. The event involves students, faculty members, and volunteerresidents working together to beautify the town for the benefit of all, and serves to promotethe town through improved aesthetics.

Economic RestructuringIn 2004, the Marketing Ashland Partnership teamed up with Randolph-Macon College tocomplete an in-depth survey of the students to investigate where the colleges communitymembers spend their disposable income. The study survey was composed of two differenttypes of questions, quantitative information about where their money was being spent in townand out of town, and qualitative information about what type of business causes them to spendmoney elsewhere, and what the Town of Ashland lacks commercially. Just under one-fourth ofthe student population took part in the survey, which is a large sample percentage. 258 of the


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respondents were students while other 26 were faculty members. The purpose of the studywas to highlight a potential change marketing strategies for local businesses.

The study found that 138 of the 284 respondents spend zero dollars on entertainment inAshland on a weekly basis. On the other hand, 125 Randolph-Macon College community

members spend 1-20 dollars on entertainment outside of Ashland, while 105 respondentsspend 1 to 20 dollars per week in Ashland on entertainment. These 105 replies are about 37%of the total respondents. Applied to the whole Randolph-Macon College community of 1,500people, that implies about 555 community members are willing to spend 1 to 20 dollars perweek on entertainment. Most of those students are spending their dollars outside of thedowntown corridor, so using the middle of the range at 10 dollars per week, that amounts to$5,550 dollars leaving downtown Ashland and going to other parts of the town on a weeklybasis for entertainment. Using the same formula, 660 members of the college community spend$6,660 dollars outside of Ashland as a whole at a rate of 10 dollars per week. At the range rateof 30 dollars per week for entertainment, $5,535 dollars leave downtown Ashland for otherparts, and $10,125 dollars leave Ashland altogether. Altogether, this demonstrates that at least

$27,870 dollars leave the downtown corridor per week for entertainment purposes.

According to the survey, 184 college community members spend around 20 dollars per weekaround the Town of Ashland on restaurants, while 180 spend around 20 dollars per weekoutside the whole town on restaurants. Using the same formulas and assumptions to analyzethe survey data for restaurants as was used for entertainment, $19,410 dollars leave downtownAshland for restaurant services, while $18,990 dollars leave Ashland completely for the sameservice. Assuming that most money spent in Ashland is not in the downtown corridor, at least$38,400 dollars leave the downtown corridor weekly for restaurant service elsewhere.

The survey shows that Randolph-Macon College community members spend roughly $66,270

dollars on restaurants and entertainment weekly. The assumption is that most of that money isoutside the downtown corridor, because no where in the survey was a distinction madebetween downtown Ashland and the rest of the town. This assumption is based on the fact thatmost students say the downtown has nothing to offer for students. The qualitative side of theof the survey indicates that the two most desired business types by college communitymembers are bars and dine-in restaurants in the Town of Ashland. Some of the other missingbusiness types in Ashland as noted by respondents are movie theaters, bowling alleys, clothingstores, music stores and bookstores.


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Parks and Recreation

An inventory was done of the organized events, parks, trails and other recreationalopportunities. The Town of Ashland has many organized recreational events in which theresidents actively participate, but the needs of the everyday citizen seem to be underserved.People do not congregate, recreate, or simply enjoy the outdoors only in park land designatedfor recreation purposes. They use streets (preferably with sidewalks), greenways, town squares,plazas, marketplaces, conservation lands, and numerous other areas, both publicly and privatelyowned. Numerous indoor facilities, again both publicly and privately owned, also serve the

public in their desire for recreation and social contact. This inventory and a comparison to theTown of South Boston will show the similarities and difference in how these two small Virginiatowns handle their recreation needs.

Running

The Ashland Railroad Run is an early spring running eventheld in the heart of Ashland. This years race, held on April4, was the 31st year of this event. It is reported to be thelongest running 10K in Richmond. The race is hosted by theHanover Arts & Activities Center . It is organized primarilyby Faith Boyle aided by the HAAC board members. This is

the main fundraiser for the HAAC, total gross income was$20,000 and the total expenditure was $7,054. The numberof participants was up this year from the usual 400-500 to arecord 800 runners. It is believed that the increase inrunners is attributable to the Green Fair held inassociation with the race this year. The market area for thisevent is typically Ashland, Richmond, Chesterfield andRuther Glen. HAAC, located at 500 S. Center St is thestarting point for the race. The race proceeds along therailroad and through the historic downtown. The event receives sponsorships from localbusinesses and merchants including Wal-Mart and McDonalds. This years theme was Preserve

our Center of the Universe. Some of the ways the race went green were onsite recycling,recycled banners, a used running shoe drive, local organic farm samples and vendors, flourmarkings vs. spray paint, police bikes, and organic cotton, non-bleached t-shirts to name just afew.

As the fall season rolls around, the pace of activities in Ashland quickens. The next race held isthe Patrick Henry Half Marathon. The August 29 event marked the third anniversary. The HalfMarathon is organized by Richmond Road Runners and Richmond Sportsbackers. The

Railroad Run Promotional Poster


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Richmond Road Runners are all volunteers and the Richmond Sportsbackers have a staff of 10-15. There were approximately 125 volunteers working this event. There is no direct dollarsponsorship however services are provided by Hanover Parks and Recreation, including the useof Poor Farm Park. Of the 1264 race participants, most race participants are from a 35-mileradius of Richmond. In addition, there were 50 participants from out-of-state and 322 from out

of the 35-mile radius. The race starts and finishes at Poor Farm Park, a few miles outside ofAshland. Promotions are done on both Richmond Road Runners and Richmond Sportsbackerswebsites as well as Active.com and with area running groups.

There are two 5K races that happen in downtown Ashland back to back. These are the TigerTrot 5K and the Slay the Dragon 5K. The third annual Tiger Trot 5K happened on September19 this year. It is organized by and benefits the Henry Clay and John M. Gandy ElementaryPTAs. The two race directors are JoAnn Hunter and Tracy Brown. This event has a 5K and a 1-mile and -mile fun run for children. The Kids Fun Run had over 150 participants, themajority of which are students at the local schools with an additional group from Our Lady ofLourdes School in Richmond. The 5K has 175 participants. Among the 5K runners,

approximately half come from the Greater Richmond Area. This year there were participantsfrom as far away as Pennsylvania. The race begins at Henry Clay Elementary School (310 S. James Street) and follows the typical Ashland route along the railroad and through historicDowntown. The race is promoted on Townhound.com, a local Ashland website, Active.com,Runningmyraces.com and Raceit.com. Information is also provided to all of the area runningclubs including those in Fredericksburg and Charlottesville. Posters are hung around town andemail is used to spread the word.

The second 5K is Slay the Dragon. This is a fundraiser in memory of Richard Lloyd supportingthe National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation. The race, held this year on September 26, was thethird annual for this group as well. This years event drew approximately 225 participants from

the Greater Richmond Area with the farthest coming from Maryland. The start and finish of thisrace are at Carter Park (1112 Maple Street). Part of the route runs alongside the railroad.Promotions for this race are flyers, emails, mailings, banners around town and word-of-mouth.This event is also posted on the National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation website.

The final race of the season in the Town of Ashland is the Ashland Harvest Run (10K and5Kwalk-run), this year held on October 24. The race is organized by GFWC Ashcake WomansClub to benefit the St. James Free Clinic and WHEAT (Western Hanover Emergency ActionTeam) among various other charities. Local business owners and merchants participate assponsors. The runners for this race come from the Greater Richmond area as they do in theother events. There are a few participants from outside the area and outside the state as well.

Numbers are not yet available for the 2009 race. The 2008 race had 173 participants and thenumbers have increased each year. This race also begins at Carter Park, runs along the railroadand past Randolph-Macon College College before heading back to the starting point. Thepromotions for this race are similar to the others using the same websites but also advertisingin area newspapers and distributing registration forms to area churches and other groups in thearea.


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BicyclingAn active group involved in the bicycle culture ofAshland is Richmond Area Bicycling Association(RABA). The largest event this group holds inAshland is the Heart of Virginia Bike Festival. This

event has been held in Ashland for ten years and forthe past several years, base camp has been at thePatrick Henry YMCA (217 Ashcake Rd.) RABA is avolunteer organization with 14 board members.Year-round planning for the event employsapproximately 50 volunteers, using less on the eventweekend. Ashland Habitat for Humanity is thepartner charity. The ride also benefits Hanover Mental Health Association. This years eventheld on September 19 and 20 attracted 630 riders. Most riders are from the Greater Richmondregion although 81 were from outside the region and 29 were from out of state. This is atouring event through Hanovers countryside. There is something for all riders: a 30-mile family

ride, a 35-mile historic ride, a metric century (64 miles) and an English century (100 miles).Overnight camping is available at the YMCA. This and other RABA rides are promoted onraba.org. Some other websites used are Active.com, bikeride.com, vabike.org, and numerousVirginia website such as virginia.org, vcnva.org, and meetvirginia.org. Posters and brochures aredistributed to local bike shops and gyms.

RABA also hosts several informal rides in and around Ashland. There are two that originate inHenrico and have Ashland as the destination. The first is a Saturday morning ride called theAshland Breakfast Club. This ride is 20 miles roundtrip and stops for a break at Ashland Teaand Coffee. The second follows the same course but happens in the evening and is thereforecalled the Ashland Dinner ride. There are a number of other rides that originate in other spots

throughout Hanover County.

An interesting bicycle fact about Ashland is that two interstate bike routes, one north/southand one east/west, pass through the center of town. The Atlantic Coast Route (Route 1) is2,670 miles and runs from Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida. The TransAmerica Trail(Route 76) is 4,262 miles and runs from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia. This route wasstarted as a bicycle tour in the summer of 1976 to commemorate Americas Bicentennialcelebration. Just over 2000 cyclists completed the ride that summer. As an accommodation forthe riders, Bike Inns for indoor camping were set up in YMCAs and school gyms across thecounty. In Ashland, Randolph-Macon College served as the Bike Inn.

Ashland ParksThere are five parks within the Town of Ashland. These range in size from the half-acre SouthTaylor Park to the 14-acre Carter Park with uses varying from simply sitting and watching trainspass by to a pool, basketball court and playground. The majority of these parks were built ordeveloped in the 1980s. The budget for parks and recreation in Ashland is funded as part of thetowns general fund. The budget consists of personnel costs for the pool, maintenance funds forrepairs to facilities, purchase of safety carpets underneath playground equipment, and watercosts. Parks in Ashland are not typically used to host events. A few exceptions are the races

Heart of Virginia Bike Festival


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run out of Carter Park and an occasional skatecompetition at Pufferbelly Park. These parks aremore for walk-up use than to accommodateevents. Town events are more often held behindthe library (Street Party) or behind Town Hall

(Farmers Market).

The smallest of Ashlands parks is South TaylorStreet Park, located at 725 S Taylor Street. Thisis a half-acre park with a half basketball court, atot lot, a rebound wall and picnic tables. RailsidePark is a one-acre park at the end of Railside Trail with a few benches and a picnic table meantto be used while observing trains. Pufferbelly Park is a two acre park located at the corner ofRandolf and Murphy Streets behind the police station. There is a playground and a skate park.Dejarnette Park is an eight acre park accessible at the end of Beverly Road or Race Course.There is a one-acre pond and unmarked woodland trails. The largest park in Ashland is Carter

Park. This is a 13.5 acre site. Located here are a Junior Olympic sized pool, a half basketballcourt, a picnic shelter, picnic tables, and playgrounds. Most of the site is heavily wooded withgravel trails.

An additional park located approximately four miles out of town is 254-acre Poor Farm Park.This park is maintained by Hanover Parks and Recreation Department. It is located at 13400Liberty School Road. Poor Farm Park has picnic shelters, nature trails, soccer fields, softballfields, baseball fields and a football field. There are also seasonal concession stands, horse shoepits, beach volleyball courts and an outdoor amphitheater.

Ashland Trails

There are three maintained trails in Ashland: Ashland Trolley Line, Railside Trail, and StoneyRun Trail. The Ashland Trolley Line is an approximately one-mile section of natural surface trailalong the historic Ashland-Richmond Trolley Line. It is located at the intersection of GwathmeyChurch Rd and the historic Trolley Line and has been designated a greenway by Hanovercounty. The Railside Trail is a segment of trail that parallels the railroad tracks. This trail runsfrom West Vaughn Road on the north, along the west side of the tracks to the northern end ofCenter Street. This trail is meant for horseback riders, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, walkersand joggers. The Stoney Run Trail is a walking/jogging trail along Stoney Run Creek along an 8-acre tract of land. The trail heads are located at the southern end of James Street and atAshcake Road and are designated by signs. This trail connects to DeJarnette Park.

Another trail system easily accessible from Ashland are the multi-use trails at Poor Farm Park.There are approximately 15 miles of singletrack trails designed with mountain bikes in mindwith log climbs, tight turns and a few tough climbs. These trails are also used for technical trailrunning.

Other Area Recreational OpportunitiesThere are a number of other recreational opportunities in and near the Town of Ashland.Carter Park Pool offers swimming and lesson and is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In

Entrance to Pufferbelly Park


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the town of Ashland, there are two YMCA locations, a storefront location at 105 N.Washington Highway and the main location at 207 Ashcake Road. Ashland Skateland, located at516 N. Washington Highway, offers a skating rink, hockey league, lesson and competitiveskating. In the nearby area there are two public golf courses: The Hallows Golf Course inMontpelier and Hunting Hawk Golf Course in Glen Allen. Kings Dominion, a 400 acre theme

and water park, is located in Doswell. The nearest bowling alley is AMF Hanover Lanes inMechanicsville. To additional Glen Allen offering are Cobblestone Park and Splash Zone andGlen Allen golf offering miniature golf and batting cages.


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Appendix B: Case Studies

Case studies of various other downtowns and main streets were done to serve as comparablesfor the Ashland downtown plan. The findings of those studies as well as their relevance toAshland are found in this Appendix.

Performing Arts

Looking around Virginia, there are several examples of performing arts organizations and

performance spaces centrally located which often become anchors for the downtown and thelocal Main Street organization/identity. The scale and scope of these facilities and programs runfrom the rather small scale (BB&T Center for Performing Arts in Luray which is located inside aformer BB&T bank and puts on small scale theatrical productions and concerts) to larger, moresophisticated operations such as the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, the state theatre of Virginia.Other Main Street communities such as Lynchburg and South Boston have undertaken majorrenovation and fundraising campaigns to rehabilitate historic spaces for both performing andvisual arts in the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg and the Prizery in South Boston. In manyVirginia Main Street communities, the focal point of the downtown district revolves around afacility such as a theater. Communities around Virginia have seen the benefit of preserving andrestoring some of these facilities and one example within a Main Street designated community is

The Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia.

Opened in 2004 after a decades-long effort to preserve and re-open it, the Lincoln Theatre is a500 seat, former movie theater built in 1929 and one of only three Mayan revival theaters leftin the United States Centrally located on Main Street in downtown Marion, the rehabilitationto the historic structure has helped bring new activity to Main Street in Marion and along withthe renovation of the large hotel in downtown Marion, has provided new life to this small townof more 6000 residents. According to Executive Director Duane Cregger, the Lincoln currentlyis working with an approximately $540,000 a year budget. Reluctant to provide proprietaryinformation, Mr. Cregger stated that of that total, around half comes in the form of privatecontributions and contributions from federal, state, and local governments or government

entities. These organizations include the National Endowment for the Arts, the VirginiaCommission for the Fine Arts, Smyth County, and the Town of Marion. The Friends of theLincoln offer support through memberships and through their annual gala held each January andaimed at supporting the presentations throughout the calendar year. Local businesses andorganizations contribute significantly to programming support at the Lincoln. The remaining halfof revenues for the theater include approximately 25 percent of revenues from box office salesfor events and 25 percent from income through their historic tax credit development deal usedto renovate and reopen the facility. Where the Lincoln currently only has a quarter of its


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revenues from its presentations and performances, according to Cregger, the ideal balance forfunding a theater such as the Lincoln would be to have at least half of all revenues in the formof box office receipts. As far as expenditures, Cregger stated that around a quarter of itsexpenditures are used to fund management and operations activities and the rest is spent onprogramming.

Programming at the Lincoln is eclectic and according to Cregger, planned out at least a year inadvance. Currently, the theaters 2010 schedule is entirely planned and the theatre is lookingahead to 2011. The main production at the Lincoln Theatre is the monthly Song of theMountains program recorded at the Lincoln and broadcast on PBS affiliates across the country.Song of the Mountains presents regional bluegrass and old-time music artists with ticket pricesranging from $15 to $25 depending on the popularity of the performing acts. Currently, theSong of Mountains series has around 250 attendees each month, with variations depending onthe artist. Although not located on the Crooked Road (U.S. Route 58), the Lincoln is a point ofinterest off the Crooked Road, and ultimately somewhat tied to it through its promotion ofbluegrass and old-time music in Southwest Virginia with Song of the Mountains.

Other programming at the Lincoln includes such traveling performing acts such as the GlennMiller Orchestra and the Platters which typically draw 300 attendees depending on theperformance. These different types of performances have a range of ticket prices and overall,functions at the Lincoln rarely have ticket prices higher than $35. In planning out the yearahead, the Lincoln Theatre mainly aims to break even on its performances and aims inCreggers words to present a balanced season which draws not only on its staple, Song of theMountains, but other productions as well.

Organizationally, the Lincoln Theatre is a 501 (c) 3 corporation, governed by a Board ofDirectors. It is a member of the Marion Downtown organization (the local Main Street

organization), is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres and is also affiliatedwith the Virginia Museum of the Fine Arts. In response to questions about co-marketing theLincoln with other Marion Downtown events such as the Art Walk (held on the second Fridayof each month May-December), Cregger stated that the Lincoln had tried offering a programafter an Art Walk last year, and the response was poor and therefore not repeated.

Resources and InformationLooking at Ashland and the performing arts, there are several organizations working topromote the fine arts within Ashland currently. However, it seems as though there is a demandfor more performing arts activities, as evidenced by the development of the Fire House moviescreenings idea. The shuttered Ashland Theater also presents the Town of Ashland with a

historic structure and opportunity to help develop this regional arts destination vision thecitizens are promoting. The League of Historic American Theatres, Inc. (LHAT) is amembership-based organization of over 250 historic theatres that provides support andinformation to its members and potential members. With six tiers of membership, the LHAToffers guidance on a variety of topics including saving your theater from demolition todiversifying programming options. The National Trust of Historic Preservation published anarticle in its September 2006Main Street News titled Rescuing and Rehabilitating Historic MainStreet Theatres which lays out the organizational groundwork necessary to help bring a


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downtown theater back to prominence. From a brief review of the available information onrestoring historic theaters, it seems as though the Ashland Theater has many positive qualities(e.g. no imminent threat of demolition, seemingly good condition) which may make it amenableto re-use.

Finally, it is important to consider the types of patrons performing arts activities will draw to acommunity. In the performing arts industry, demand is difficult to conceptualize. However, inthis section we will attempt to establish some general ideas about those that attend performingarts events and attempt to develop ideas of demand for the performing arts industry.Performing arts encompass theater, dance, live music, opera and various other art forms.According to the National Endowment for the Arts, one in three American adults attends aperforming arts event within a twelve month period.

Attendance to performing arts events have declined with a declining economy and increasingtravel costs. This could mean that it is just as important for the community to support arts inthe local economy as it is for tourists to support them. The average age of those attendingperforming arts is also increasing. The average age of people attending performing arts eventshas increased two years over the last six years. In terms of attendance, the single mostimportant factor to watch is educational attainment. The percentage of attendance amonggroups increases as educational attainment rises as well. It seems that when evaluating possibleattendees to performing arts events, education has to be among the first attributes studied.


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Fine Arts

River Arts District, Studio Stroll Asheville, NC

The River Arts District host Studio Strolls twice a year inAsheville, NC. A town of nearly 75,000, Asheville is knownas a center of arts and culture. The Studio Stroll occurs thesecond weekends of June and November. Currently in itsfifteenth year, the Studio Stroll is a self-guided tour throughthe districts many art galleries and studios.

OrganizationThe River District Artists organize the events and arecomprised of artists in the area. Each artist pays 50 dollarsper year in order to be a member of the organization. As a member, they are included on theRiver Arts District website and in the studio guide. For an additional fee artists can have aphoto printed in the guide. The River Arts District requests their members volunteer ten hoursper year with the organization; however, volunteering is not required, some artists volunteerhundreds of hours while others do not volunteer at all.

Economic RestructuringDue to the self-guided nature of the Studio Stroll, and lack of central check-in point, little

demographic data is available. The ages of visitors, the average travel distance of patrons andthe typical participation levels are unknown. The River District Artists are currently working ona method for gathering such information, as it would benefit them.There is vast competition in the Asheville, NC area, including one very similar event - theWeaverville (NC) Arts Safari. However, Dawn Dalto, River District Artists membershipcoordinator, felt that so long as other events are respected (two events are not planned for thesame day), a multitude of events help to build a sense of community in the arts.

DesignThe nature of the physical layout of the studios may discourage people from visiting all studiosdue to their distance apart or difficulty to see. In order to overcome this physical hindrance, a

trolley is being utilized, which runs from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce to the River ArtsDistrict and between studio spaces along route. In previous years, the trolley has cost a fewdollars, but the River District Artists are currently seeking a sponsor for the trolley, with hopesthat making it free to patrons will encourage more visitors.

PromotionCosts of putting on the event are minimal, and come mainly from the advertisement of theevent. The event is funded through the 50-dollar membership dues to the River District Artists,


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which is comprised of 130 members. Advertisements are also sold in the studio guide in orderto raise additional funds. During the Studio Stroll weekends, a fifteen percent commission onthe profits made by the artists is paid back to the River District Artists in order to support themarketing of such events.

The association has a website and blog and utilizes Facebook. Commercials are also aired inlocal hotel rooms since Asheville is a destination location for arts and culture. Because thereare so many artists in the association, it is possible to receive deals on magazine advertisingthrough cooperative marketing. The River District Artists find the best form of advertisementto be press releases as they are a free source of advertisement.

Additional FactorsConcerning the topic of hobby business owners, problems also arise in the River Arts Districtwith inconsistent hours among artists studios and galleries. This is often due to artists workingmore than one job (as with Dawn Dalto who works as membership coordinator as well as anartist) or traveling for art shows and fairs. A core of businesses within the district have

consistent hours, and information concerning opening hours is located on the website, as wellas in the brochure. As the brochure is more difficult to update, artists with inconsistent hoursnote they can be reached by appointment or by chance. Word of opening hours is also spreadthrough the core businesses (when an artist plans to be in his studio he will ask the corebusinesses to please let their customers know he is open). Dawn Dalto said it is often like atreasure hunt when checking to see which artists are open.

Relevance to Ashland

Although the city of Asheville, NC is much larger in population than Ashland, VA, the ideas andstructure of the Studio Stroll can be applied. Especially relevant to the case of Ashland is theorganizational structure of the artists association and method of promoting the Studio Stroll.

Pawtucket Arts Festival Pawtucket, RIThe city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a city ofapproximately 72,000, with a 307-acre art district,which encompasses twenty-three mills and sixtystreets. Due to the low rental prices of the studiospaces, hundreds of artists have relocated to theformer industrial city to live and work. The city offersarts grants (of up to $2000) to any artists or artgroups in the country whose projects benefit the city.Many art gallery openings occur in the city, as well as a

Winter Wonderland event (organized by a non-profit organization), but the singular largestevent is the Pawtucket Arts Festival, which is planned by Herb Weiss. The Pawtucket ArtsFestival includes gallery openings, food, walking tours, a YMCA family fun night, music, and afilm festival.

OrganizationBoth the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and a member of the citys economic developmentdepartment work with artists in Pawtucket. Artists are seen as small business owners and


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therefore it is thought appropriate that the economic development department works withthem. The Pawtucket Arts Festival is planned by Herb Weiss and is a series of events over thespan of three weeks (end of August through middle September).

Economic Restructuring

The Pawtucket Arts Festival began in 1999 with a budget of 15,000 dollars and today, ten yearslater, has a budget of 150,000 dollars. Of the 150,000 dollars, 83,000 comes from localbusinesses, 22,000 comes from the city of Pawtucket, 11,000 comes from state grants, 10,000 israised by a gala, and the remaining money comes from t-shirt sales. Between 60,000 and 70,000dollars are used to pay for performances for the festival.

The event attracts individuals of all backgrounds and age-ranges and over the course of thethree-week festival, between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors attended. However, the city realizedthat the 20 35 year old demographic was not well-represented at the Pawtucket Arts Festivalevents and decided to institute an event titled Rocktucket, which featured bands that wouldspecifically attract viewers from the 20 35 year old demographic. Overall a success, the event

attracted nearly 900 visitors from the age range. A wide demographic is reached through theevent programming, which includes the Philharmonic Orchestra. Visitors travel from all overthe state of Rhode Island, as well as throughout New England, in order to attend the festival.Providence, Rhode Island occasionally has events that compete with those of Pawtucket;however, they tend to help rather than hinder. Pawtucket tends to stay competitive bylowering the fees and dues that must be paid by vendors, and therefore attracting businessaway from Providence.

PromotionThe event is heavily marketed, and nearly 50,000 dollars in local television commercials aredonated. A billboard was also donated, as were nearly 80,000 promotional items. Another

37,000 dollars was spent on marketing and was divided between radio time, newspapers, andanother 50,000 promotional items. A database of nearly 6,000 people is also used for sending e-newsletters and updates. Facebook and Twitter are both utilized, but are primarily use forredirecting people to the official festival website.

Additional FactorsIn the opinion of Herb Weiss, it is extremely important to have a mayor that is supportive ofthe arts. The Pawtucket website also contains information about the ABCs of Creating aCustomer Friendly Arts District. Concerning the problem of hobby business owners andinconsistent studio hours, it was recommended that an open studio time be held monthly inwhich all artists would have their studios open at the same time.

Relevance to Ashland

The Pawtucket Arts Festival is on a larger scale than would be capable in Ashland; however, asimilar event could be produced at a smaller scale. While the organizational aspects are of lessinterest in this case, as the Ashland government does not organize the artists, informationabout the market analysis and promotional methods may be useful.


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Carbondale, IllinoisCarbondale Community Arts ProgramCarbondale, Illinois is a small metropolis in southern Illinois. The city has a population ofapproximately 26,000 and it is home to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. The city pridesitself on a thriving arts and culture district in the downtown and is a designated arts district.The city has been an official Main Street since 1997 and has seen investments in the area that

total over one million dollars.

OrganizationThe program is a not-for-profit local arts agency serving Carbondale, Illinois and its environs,with re-granting outreach that extends throughout Southern Illinois. The organization isgoverned by a fifteen-member volunteer board and supported by major grants from the City ofCarbondale and the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency). The programs mission is to cultivate,nurture, harness, and celebrate the creativity of our total community.The program is guided by the following guidelines and goals to achieve this mission:

1. Enhance the cultural opportunities for Carbondales citizens and encourageexcellence in arts programming that reaches and reflects all populations of the city.

2. Promote the arts as a focus in the education and daily lives of our communitysyouth.3. Inspire community awareness of the arts in all forms and exploit their potential for

economic development.4. Promote Carbondale as a cultural leader in the region and the state.5. Work to build CCAs capacity as a dedicated and respected agent for achievement

in and through the arts.

Funding comes from several local and state sources. One major source is the Southern ArtsFund. This fund is part of an Illinois Arts Council Community Arts Access program offeringgrant support to artists and nonprofit organizations providing arts programming or outreach

activities in communities throughout Southern Illinois. Eligible applicants to the fund includecultural arts groups, community music groups, theater groups, dance collectives, film/video andliterary groups, artist collectives, libraries, public and private schools, and other communitycultural providers. Individual artists may apply in support of programs that have a significantpublic outreach component.

Another source of funding for projects under the fund includes donations from benefactors.Benefactors receive several benefits and recognition for donating to projects. A donation of$150 will guarantee acknowledgment in the monthly newsletters, reserved business space in thesummer program and discounts on larger ads in the program.

Economic RestructuringArtWorks is a program that is run almost entirely off of donations from benefactors andprivate donors and fundraising. Since the statues are placed in public spaces and there is nocheck-in, it is virtually impossible to obtain a count of visitors for each statue. Competition isnot an issue for this type of program.


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Artist Showcase is a free program run by the Carbondale Community Arts Program. Theshowcase itself is free to the publicall one has to do is register for the event. If a participantwould like to have lunch, there is a seven dollar fee.

Corridor Gallery is located in the Carbondale Civic Center. There is no admission to this

gallery and visitors are not counted. Competition does exist in neighboring areas. The city ofMount Vernon, Illinois has the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. This center contains fivegalleries and a sculpture garden.

Downtown Arts and Wine Festival occurs once a year in October. The event lasts for six hoursand is held on a Saturday. The event costs ten dollars for all day pass. [[waiting for info onnumber of participants, etc]] Competition does exist in neighboring cities. The city ofMurphysboro holds an annual Apple Arts and Crafts Festival every September. This event isattended by approximately 50,000 every year and is free to the public.

Design

ARTworks is a Carbondale Community Arts initiative to place fine art in public educationalspaces throughout the city and to heighten arts awareness and access for all of our students.

This event has been going on for five years and recently up its 5 th piece of art in the city. Thegoal is to put a piece annually, so far the program has been able to reach this goal. The statuesare scattered around the city making it difficult for visitors to have the opportunity to easilyvisit them all.

Artist Showcase isan event whereartists share their techniques with educators, librarians, andother arts programmers across the region. This event is free and offers lunch to those whoregister for it. The showcase is held in the civic center, which is located in the center of town

and closely located near many local galleries and public art pieces.

Corridor Gallery is in Carbondale's City Hall Civic Center Complex has been managed by CCAsince the building opened as an opportunity to exhibit works by local and regional artists as itexpands artistic horizons for incidental visitors, This event is held once a year and runs from9am to 4pm. The event is held in the Carbondale Civic Center in downtown Carbondale. Justlike the showcase, the gallery is located in the center part of town and is in close distance tonumerous local galleries.

Downtown Arts and Wine Festival is held on the towns historic square and local restaurantsparticipant as well. The festival is set up as a walking tour that spans most of the downtown.

Restaurants, wine shops, cheese shops and local retail stores all offer discounts and/or specialevents during the festival.

Promotion

The Carbondale Community Arts Program utilizes many forms of marketing. Some of thesetools include an extensive and very informative website, monthly newsletterARTifacts, andcalendar and posters. The program also has a Myspace, Facebook and Twitter page thatannounces up to the minute events and happenings in the city.


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Relevance to AshlandAlthough larger in size, Carbondale has many similarities with Ashland, Virginia. First, the city ofCarbondale was developed around the Illinois Central Railroad line, just as Ashland was pre-Civil War. Second, the city of Carbondale is home to a growing university as is Ashlandscollege. Although the population in Carbondale is larger to that of A

Ashland Plan Final Appendix-12!7!09

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