BRADENTON — Participants in the Realize Bradenton effort planning for art, culture and heritage in the area said their plan will not be put on a shelf and forgotten.
That has proven true with various agencies and organizations becoming involved since the approval of the Realize Bradenton Cultural Plan in March.
On Thursday, Mike Kennedy, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, told his board the Realize Bradenton group has had many accomplishments since it rolled out the plan.
Along with the DDA, which was a leading sponsor of the project, the Bradenton City Council and Manatee County commission have endorsed the plan, as did several local arts and historical groups.
“In the three months since the plan was approved we have made progress in securing many partners,” Kennedy said after the DDA meeting, “and finding funding to hit the ground running.”
He said the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has budgeted $50,000 for the next two years to help with marketing arts and cultural events, which is important when seeking additional funding.
“As the DDA makes funding commitments, along with other community groups,” Kennedy said, “it shows funding sources, such as foundations, that the local community is committed to Realize Bradenton’s efforts.”
The DDA board approved several Realize Bradenton requests for funds Thursday, including $14,000 for coordinating existing cultural and arts events and $10,000 for a “Guide by Cell” project.
The $14,000 will be used to capitalize on the city’s baseball heritage and promote next year’s American Water Color Show, which has been a great success at ArtCenter Manatee over the past two years.
The Guide by Cell technology allows visitors to use cell phones on a self-guided tour of downtown and the riverfront that will highlight natural, historical and astronomical points of interest.
Also funded Thursday was $62,500 for an executive director and administrative assistant for the soon to be formed Realize Bradenton non-profit organization.
Vernon DeSear, chairman of the Realize Bradenton board and a member of the DDA board, said after the meeting that he was excited with the progress the organization has made.
“I’m impressed with the enormous positive response of the community,” DeSear said. “People want to see the revival of downtown, and people want to actively participate in that revival.”
He said when the Realize Bradenton project started a little more than a year ago the community embraced the concept and became involved.
“It started taking on a life of its own,” said DeSear, who is the vice president of marketing and business development for Manatee Memorial Hospital.
One of the goals of the Realize Bradenton plan is to have more public art throughout the city, and the DDA has approved the hiring of Ann Wykell as the public arts coordinator.
Because funding for Wykell’s position will come from the selling of commemorative bricks along Barcarrota Boulevard, she will report to the DDA executive director.
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