Program aims to turn cultural activities into economic growth

A group of Washougal residents are hoping the Washington State Arts Commission will soon name their city a certified “creative district.”

The 10-person group of city of Washougal arts committee members, artists and business owners started working on the city’s creative district certification application in the fall of 2024 and said they plan to submit the application to the state’s arts commission by the end of this month.

“In our application, we’ve identified a lot of the creative businesses and art and artists and events that are already here,” said Joe Walsh, the city of Washougal’s director of community services and strategy. “We’ve also articulated a vision for what we think Washougal could grow into and become.”

The state’s Creative District program, established in 2018, works to grow cities’ creative sectors by turning their cultural activities into economic growth, according to the program’s website.

The state defines a creative district as a “geographically defined area of cultural and economic activity.”

“We’ve got a lot of great art, especially for a small town,” said group member Lori Reed, owner of Reed Creative, a Washougal graphic design and marketing firm, and the president of the Washougal Business Association. “But how do we celebrate that and make it a little bit more structured? The benefit that certification brings is a little formalization … to help guide people so they’re not just like, ‘What do I do now that I’m here?’ It would be a differentiator for Washougal.”

Though 16 Washington cities have earned the creative district certification, Washougal would be the first in Clark County.

According to the state’s website on the Creative District program, gaining certification can help communities promote their creative identities, grow creative-sector jobs, increase tourism, attract artists and creative businesses, boost livability and redevelop historic assets.

“We’ve got a lot of cool stuff happening here,” Walsh said. “We’ve got a lot of musicians, we’ve got a lot of artists. But what’s the cohesive brand around that? There isn’t one. One hope is that just going through this process helps.”

Walsh said that an identity started to develop through group discussions about the Washougal Songcraft Festival, established in 2023 by Washougal residents Stephanie and Christopher Corbell to provide opportunities for local songwriters to perform in public settings.

“From that, we really started to think about Washougal specifically as a place for originality,” Walsh said. “I think it fits the Washougal history of doing things on our own, doing things our own way, forging our own path.”

The state’s arts commission provides certified communities with a $10,000 startup grant and up to $50,000 to fund small-scale projects inside the creative districts.

“We want to try to concentrate some of the businesses and the artists and some of the activities that are happening in a defined geographical space,” Walsh said. “That’s the longer-term dream. The funding isn’t enough to create that space, but it might be enough to sort of plant the seed. Maybe we could potentially use the funding to put together a concept plan.”

The state’s arts commission will likely schedule a site visit and decide later this year whether or not to include Washougal on the state’s list of creative districts, Walsh said.

Reed said she is confident the city will earn its creative district certification.

“We’re putting in the work,” Reed said. “We’re making sure that we’re meeting all their criteria, so I don’t know why we wouldn’t.”

Doug Flanagan: 360-735-4669; [email protected]