Imagine what’s possible
We embrace creativity, curiosity, and bold thinking, turning ideas into impact.
Policy Approach
The conditions under which work gets made determine what a city can expect to see. Artists need space they can afford, venues suited to the work they do, and a reasonable chance that what is made here can be shown here. Where those things are missing, practice contracts and people leave, usually without telling anyone why. Roanoke is losing ground on this. Studio rents have risen and options have thinned. One independent dance company described its situation to us as existential, not difficult. Companies are rehearsing in church basements and showing work in rooms built for something else. The city also holds more of the answer than it currently uses. There are structurally sound historic buildings sitting empty, a greenway running through the middle of town, and neighborhood centers like Grandin Village that already work as models. Roanoke will treat the physical capacity of its creative sector as public infrastructure, on the same footing as the facilities it provides for recreation. Roanoke will look first to what the city already holds, and will pursue new construction where adapting what exists cannot close the gap.Priority 1: Places to make work
Expand the supply of studio, rehearsal, and workshop space that working artists can afford.
- Increase the supply of affordable studio and shared workspace
- Provide rehearsal and performance space at rates small companies can pay
- Support dedicated dance space with proper flooring
- Invest in maker spaces and creative technology labs
I need affordable studio space. A shared workspace for creatives in northwest Roanoke would change everything for people like me.
Enable affordable artist housing and live-work space.
- Support live-work space for artists in new and rehabilitated development
- Enable resident-led studios in affordable housing communities
I’d love to see support for resident-led art studios and workshops in affordable housing communities.
Priority 2: Places to show work
Create regular opportunities for local artists to exhibit and sell work.
- Create standing exhibition and sales opportunities for local artists
- Prioritize local artists over touring or national acts in City-supported programming
- Promote local work rather than only presenting it
- Help residents find and buy from local artists
- Host live painting and making events where the work sells to benefit the artist and a local cause
- Re-establish an annual citywide visual art show
More opportunities for the public to see their art; more opportunity to be viewed
Develop a multi-use community arts center.
- Develop a multi-use arts center bringing several art forms under one roof
- Study comparable facilities in peer cities before committing to a model
- Replicate the Grandin Village model in neighborhoods that lack a cultural hub
Third spaces aimed at inspiring creativity and artistic endeavors.
Provide performance venues at the scales Roanoke currently lacks.
- Document the gap between Roanoke’s small venues and the Berglund Center, and publish what filling it would take
- Support a mid-size performance venue
- Provide performance space in Northwest Roanoke
also a lot of good artists rarely tour through roanoke, would be great to have a venue to attract more artists
Priority 3: Reuse what’s already here
Designate and support arts districts where creative activity is already concentrated.
- Designate arts districts where artists and activity already cluster, including Old Southwest and the Grandin corridor
- Support each neighborhood in developing its own visual identity
- Coordinate investment in districts rather than scattering it
some murals which i love but it feels scattered. would be cool to see something more intentional where neighborhoods have their own visual identity
Convert vacant and underused historic buildings into arts space.
- Identify vacant and underused buildings suitable for arts use
- Create an incentive structure for converting them
- Prioritize conversions outside downtown
The buildings are already here. Many of them are structurally sound and architecturally significant… The architecture itself is part of the cultural heritage. Let us use it.
Priority 4: Art built into the city itself
Build public art into streets, transit stops, and everyday infrastructure.
- Integrate art into bus stops, crosswalks, and street furniture
- Use street painting for traffic calming where it also serves safety
- Pair public art with seating, shade, and walkable routes
- Extend streetscape art along commercial corridors including Williamson Road
Public art in public spaces, especially the poorer areas feeds the soul and lifts the hearts of so many people who are struggling
Expand the mural program and maintain the murals the city already has.
- Expand the mural program across neighborhoods
- Simplify the process for artists and property owners to commission murals
- Support student-created murals through schools
- Maintain and restore existing murals
The mural at Eureka Park is beautiful. That’s the kind of investment that says ‘we see this neighborhood.’ We need more of it.
Integrate public art into parks, greenways, and trails.
- Place sculpture and installations in neighborhood parks
- Develop a public art trail along the greenway network
- Explore creating a dedicated art park
art at the Star (Star Art? StART? haha) would be so great, whether that is a running show or an installation or concert every month.
Pursue a landmark public artwork that gives Roanoke a recognizable cultural destination.
- Commission an ambitious work intended to draw visitors
- Commission light and nighttime installations
- Build around Roanoke’s natural setting rather than generic attractions
We need big exciting projects to create a buzz about Roanoke.