Editor’s note: Beverly Brown cc’d Park City Council members in her letter to the editor.
I do not understand why the arts do not seem to be valued in Park City as much as in other resort towns. Yes, our Park City athletic opportunities are amazing, but so too should we all understand the value of the fine arts.
We need gallery and studio opportunities close to the town center to create that vibrancy. I have enjoyed the arts and culture of the various ski towns we have visited over the years, and that is why I always returned. The Park City local artists have a lot to offer. Tourists do visit Park City for the art as well as the physical activities.
Without a vibrant arts center, the council is having Park City miss out on an important attraction.
Now that I live here, it makes no sense to me that the local artists are not included in a plan for the Bonanza parcel. I would argue that much of their work is actually superior to that of the non-local artists represented in some of the galleries and in the yearly arts festival.
Check out The Torpedo Factory in Old Alexandria, Virginia: torpedofactory.org/ People come from all over to enjoy the visual arts there. And yes, they spend money and thus those taxes contribute to the community.
I am aware, of course, that there will be a new arts museum and education center in Kimball Junction. But an arts center that includes working artists, that could host shows and events, and that people (including tourists) can walk to would be a big benefit to the town. Please do not miss this opportunity.
Beverly Brown
Park City