Mason District Arts Action Agenda proposed

The Mason Arts Advisory Committee presented its report to Mason Supervisor Jimenez with recommendations for expanding the arts in the community through such means as hosting an arts festival and providing gallery and artist work spaces.

Jimenez launched the committee in February with the goal of exploring new directions for the community’s cultural landscape, says committee chair James Albright, a local artist and community activist.

“The supervisor engaged in a vigorous discussion about the presentation with the group. He promised to review the findings and give his feedback early in July,” Albright says.

The committee held four meetings. “A consistent group of around 20 participants, representing visual, music, performance, literary, and craft artists, laid out hopes and desires and then prioritized them for action,” he says.

The Arts Action Agenda identified five areas of cultural focus and selected two significant priorities in each area for further exploration:

Events – The committee proposed regular or one-time events or activities that involve some form of artistic expression or cultural dissemination.

This could include festivals, existing community events, and pop-up music or art events.

Related story: Ideas proposed for expanding art opportunities in Mason District

An annual Mason Arts Festival could include a multitude of art forms and vendors at a public location, such as Green Spring Gardens or the Eileen Garnett Civic Space.

The art community could also seek partnerships with existing community events, such as the Taste of Annandale and the KORUS festival, to share art and culture.

Facilities – Spaces or buildings could house temporary art activities, such as performances, workspaces, or art galleries. These activities could be located in donated vacant spaces or new privately or publicly owned spaces.

Vacant storefronts or offices could be used for one or two-year stints as studios or galleries.

This would requires compiling a comprehensive database of local artists (such as the one being developed by ArtsFairfax) and an analysis of potential vacant spaces identified by the county’s Community Revitalization Section or the Mason Land Use Committee.

Artistic resources/artistic community – Generalized needs of the artistic community should be identified, such as access to materials and information.

There is also a great need for artists to connect, perhaps through social and cultural events. These efforts can be supported by more communication about cultural opportunities, for which several vehicles already exist.

Related story: Annandale celebrates ‘Art in Daily Spaces’

Public art – Mason District could be further enhanced by the installation of permanent art for public enjoyment, possibly in community parks. Fairfax County is currently engaged in an effort to better coordinate public art through a master plan process. Using government facilities for display and performance spaces is also important.

Jimenez encouraged the Mason Arts Advisory Committee to continue its work by meeting regularly and following up with some of the proposals listed here.

In particular, the supervisor is a strong proponent for a Mason Arts Festival, to occur perhaps as early as 2025.

To this end, Albright says, the committee will establish a new meeting schedule, starting in late summer.