Northshore Magazine

133 were here have now been developed. We don't want to paint a picture that we are just struggling; we are doing really well— things are moving forward." From private galleries to juried studios to a National Historic Park, Lowell's cultural scene crosses many genres and includes the Merrimack Repertory Thea- tre—the only professional theater in the Merrimack Valley. It has been, according to director of marketing Kate Brandt, do- ing well since the renovation campaign. "We are working to put more actors on the stage and grow the audience," she says. "I think things are going in a positive direction. We see a lot of support from the corporate community." As one of 74 members belonging to the League of Resi- dent Theatres, Brandt says, "We have a place in audiences' minds. They are aware of us. We just need to [be at] the front of their minds more often." The same could be said for the majority of Lowell's arts associations. The Cultural Organization of Lowell (COOL) supports nearly all of those as- sociations. Having merged with the city in 2008, its function is promotional; it guides the city's marketing of cultural activities. "We try to know what everybody is doing," says director Susan Halter. "There is a solid group of Lowell-based artists who have a very clear identity, and know what they want. Now, it is a matter of making it known." Toward that end, Halter is work- ing with the city council on an initiative to get the downtown recognized as a state- wide cultural district. With 12 different annual festivals to its credit—including the Southeast Asian Wa- ter Festival, the Puerto Rican Festival, and the African Festival, as well as the Cambo- dian Kiln Project and performances by the Angkor Dance Troupe—Halter says, "The [city's] cultural activity is reflective of the diversity of the community." But making surrounding communi- ties aware of such offerings is another challenge. There is a "Cultural Road Map," which aims to "increase the visibility of Lowell in the national and international cultural world," but many feel it doesn't truly address their indi- vidual and organizational needs. More recent efforts, however, have led to a new arts committee at the city council with three appointees. COOL is prepar- ing a presentation. And Halter has done her legwork. She met with representatives from Cam- bridge, which, she views as "the model for cultural affairs offices," and Somerville to determine what led to their cultural boon. She learned, among other things, that the "voice" for the arts must come from the city's voters. "When the city council "partnership park," according to superin- tendent Celeste Bernardo. "They used to say, 'the park is the city and the city is the park.'" Meaning, it makes up a good bit of the city's fabric. It was, in fact, the first park to celebrate a city's urban culture. As such, part of its mission is to support Lowell's different communities and em- phasize revitalization of the city through arts and culture. Though Bernardo admits to the challenges faced by artists, she stresses how far the city has come. "We have to put it on a continuum of where we are now compared to 30 years ago—all of the defunct factories that Apr14 Lowell.indd 133 2/21/14 3:11 PM

• Cover