But, possibly an outdoors cinema during the summer?

One of the favorite things I never have gotten the chance to do in Oly yet is outdoor cinema. The stand alone outdoor cinema disapeared a few summers ago, but it would be cool to get that going again. Possibly around this sort of event.

Maybe in concert with the Library. 

The next PBIA business meeting isn't until the Feb. 28th. The agenda hasn't been set yet for this meeting, but there is always time on the agenda for public communications, not limited to but especially from ratepayers. The PBIA and ODA don't have a joint advertising committee. Yet.

 That said, the closing of Otto's should give all of us who love downtown and have a vision of what it could be extra incentive to figure out a way to communicate that vision clearly and free of negativity.  The potential of the downtown community has never been greater, especially with the newer, younger business people stepping up to make change- like Mathais. 

I find my head wrapped around mostly infrastructure things. Reclaiming alley ways touches on a lot of great things about Oly: Sustainability (improved recycling/garbage/composting in safer, more attractive enclosures), pedestrian-friendliness, artistic & aesthetic endeavours, a real trademark (branding, if you must) of the best of downtown.  A big part of alley reclaimation, from my perspective, is resurfacing and lighting.  Art doesn't do anyone any good if you can't see it or don't want to see it for want of attractive walkways. 

Downtown business is very family friendly, and everyone I think could agree that  Oly is a great place to raise a family.  It would be great to get a bunch of family-friendly business together to host and OlyFamily night or event, to get kids downtown.   Linking this with bus transit (my mother-in-law's idea) could do a lot of good in furthering the perception of Oly as walkable for families. 

I think using the ODA's block captain program better is important.  Getting sections of downtown to step up to taking care of their store fronts, pressuring building owner to catch up on deferred maintenance, finding creative lighting ideas for the street side of business is great.  PBIA matching funds or block grants could be used, though the legality and private/public issues isn't clear yet to me. 

Flower baskets had a rough start last year and will be better this year.  Unfortunately, there aren't enough poles that can bear baskets in the downtown, especially along 4th and State.  I think it would be great (and this is mostly Janis Dean from Popinjays idea) to get flags for these areas.  To take it a step further, getting groups of Oly users-- neighborhood associations, non-profits, area schools etc--to create them to have a real representation of what the whole downtown is about. 

And we can't forget that we are a capital city.  I think there's a lot more we can do for our whole state in representing the best of Olympia and the best of the state.  Again, lawmakers and visitors should be leaving Olympia with how to make their own communities sustainable and beautiful. 

I'm with Rob. I'm for the development of our alleys as pedestrian thoroughfares. In that regard I'm for a mix of mural development and free walls. I think continued and directed development of our arts would have positive long term implications for community empowerment.

"In principle, I am an anarchist. Kurt Vonnegut once said he was an agnostic who respects Jesus Christ. I am an anarchist who loves democracy." - Kenzaburo Oe

and here we're intersecting with one of my theories about art - artist and the NW. I unfortuantely have a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to Art, the appreciation of the art and the artist behind it, the artist in community and the sustainablity of it.

If you think of our big twice a year Artswalk and how many people it attracts from all over the region. Isn't it great - yes. But for the artist it's a shame, because the spectators aren't buying anything the artist produces.

Now there are obvious different talents of artists and different levels of appreciation.

But wouldn't it be great, if an artist could actually live off his work.

If people not just "demand" it in coffee shops and goggle at it during artswalks but actually understand that the artist wants to feed his family with his talents, that would be something.

This is mostly a critism of the spectator, not the artist, unless he produces garbage.

But we pride ourselves so much with considering us ART-RESPECTING folks of the Northwest, but we're not willing to pay for it.

I want to see those people's homes, who comes out to Artswalk if any of them has a piece of art of a local artist hanging on their wall - or if they go to IKEA, Walmart and Costco to buy cheap prints of "famous" stuff hung in cheesey frames.

mathias