Several months ago, a well-respected business leader and board director commented, "Why is our small staff spending so much time on events?" The Pawtucket Foudation has a breakfast series, hosts an annual meeting, puts on a big award celebration, organizes Pawtucket Proud Day, the Pawtucket Foundation Prize Exhibit, and even helps the BVTC organize the RI Cherry Blossom Festival among other smaller events.
These events take considerable planning logistically, not to mention producing the multi-media content that comes with a Pawtucket Foundation production (we really like technology, YouTube videos and flying animated graphics on keynote presentations).
Well, in response to the concern, these events are a necessary touch-point with the community. Much of our ambitious planning and larger vision will take years to complete -- commuter rail, real estate development and other big economic development initiatives.
Pawtucket values the arts, stock of historic buildings, the river and its important place in history. We make sure our events tie into these important assets. We helped plant 120 cherry trees along Roosevelt Avenue, an important mill riverfront corridor. It only makes sense that a cherry blossom festival would reinvent this area and showcase the beautiful river, the new trees, our creative mill adaptive reuses and the potential for future investment.
Last month we awarded a $1,000 art prize to local artist Holly Gaboriault at The Pawtucket Foundation Prize Exhibition organized by Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. Dozens of high-caliber artists from all over New England submitted work for this show and came out to the reception in Downtown Pawtucket.
It's simple. Our events have a purpose: (1) showcase the City's assets, (2) bring people together to network and (3) expose Pawtucket's second revolution (if industry was the first revolution, our new market repositioning efforts should certainly qualify as a second revolution).
Perhpas Patrick Hanlon said it best in his article published in Urban Land (2008), "Vibrant communities have a brand narrative that is a compilation of origin, creed, context, symbols and action that attracts people and commerce, and consumes resources. The brand narrative begins with an origin that relates the public saga and gives residents a role in the great continuum of community experience."
There is a place for these events in our new strategic plan: envision pawtucket. A center of influence purpose and community friend-raising are worthy objectives.
These events take considerable planning logistically, not to mention producing the multi-media content that comes with a Pawtucket Foundation production (we really like technology, YouTube videos and flying animated graphics on keynote presentations).
Well, in response to the concern, these events are a necessary touch-point with the community. Much of our ambitious planning and larger vision will take years to complete -- commuter rail, real estate development and other big economic development initiatives.
Pawtucket values the arts, stock of historic buildings, the river and its important place in history. We make sure our events tie into these important assets. We helped plant 120 cherry trees along Roosevelt Avenue, an important mill riverfront corridor. It only makes sense that a cherry blossom festival would reinvent this area and showcase the beautiful river, the new trees, our creative mill adaptive reuses and the potential for future investment.
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| Holly Gaboriault wins $1,000 art prize |
It's simple. Our events have a purpose: (1) showcase the City's assets, (2) bring people together to network and (3) expose Pawtucket's second revolution (if industry was the first revolution, our new market repositioning efforts should certainly qualify as a second revolution).
Perhpas Patrick Hanlon said it best in his article published in Urban Land (2008), "Vibrant communities have a brand narrative that is a compilation of origin, creed, context, symbols and action that attracts people and commerce, and consumes resources. The brand narrative begins with an origin that relates the public saga and gives residents a role in the great continuum of community experience."
There is a place for these events in our new strategic plan: envision pawtucket. A center of influence purpose and community friend-raising are worthy objectives.
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