REPUBLIC, WASHINGTON

"Republic still remains a place that people come to looking for what they think they need. If they are patient, and fortunate, they can still find the things here that are truly worth having, things most people don't realize they've been doing without. The hardest part is leaving behind the things they were trying to get away from."

In the Pines, original live radio play (a Spirit of the Northwest project presented 6/11/00) Cynthia Larsen

Background and Impacts

Ferry County, located in north central Washington state, is a remote, mountainous frontier area of national forest sited near the Canadian border. Republic, the largest community in the county, sits high atop a mountain overlooking a glacial valley leading 24 miles north to Grand Forks, British Columbia.

Designated as a below poverty level Rural Empowerment Zone, the county is totally isolated by snowfall in the surrounding high mountain passes during the region's long, harsh winters.

"We've got two months of garden growth in Republic. It hits ­40 in the winter."

The county's economy has traditionally been dependent upon ranching, mining and logging. As these natural resource-dependent industries dwindled and welfare reform further impacted household income, Ferry County was left with little economic base. Families evacuated the county, leaving behind the remote mountain lifestyle, decreasing both school enrollment and school staffing.

Over half of the 6,000 residents are Native Americans living on the Colville Reservation. Republic, the county's largest community, has 1,700 residents, and ranks first in the state for alcohol abuse. In the changing economic climate, Ferry County social problems accelerated: mental health issues, domestic violence and substance abuse.

"The artist is the consciousness for what is being lost."

Charlene Payton, Republic photographer

A devastating flood swept through Ferry County in May 1998, with mudslides and washouts destroying major roads and further isolating the area. Fragile new tourism initiatives suffered, and the region was declared a national disaster area.

In August 1998, the Rural Empowerment Zone Focus Group established a goal to develop an arts center in Republic with a small business arts incubator, gallery, resource center and performing space as a priority for economic development. Investing in tourism as core to Ferry County's economy, leaders began exploring arts and culture as an economic development strategy.

Project Team and Partners

The Community Circle, a new arts group, was convened as the lead partner in the Spirit of the Northwest project. A small four-person team coordinated project activities from fall 1999-spring 2000.

The Community Circle worked at times uncomfortably with another new arts organization (neither a 501(C)(3) non-profit). Susan Davis, a local leader for both groups, was director/project manager for the Spirit project, leading the new Community Circle. The City of Republic was the local funding agency, managing budget and financial tracking.

Republic constructed a mini-grant program to fund a broad range of local artist-residents who partnered with local organizations and businesses, offering performances, classes or exhibitions from fall 1999-spring 2000. The projects all responded to and reflected the common theme "our community identity".

Local organizations and businesses collaborated on the projects, including the City Council and County Commission, the Republic Chamber of Commerce, local Waste Management Division, the Public Library, Washington State University Extension Service, Presbyterian Church, Beautification Committee, Police, Job Corps, AmeriCorp, the Colville tribe, and several local motels, restaurants, the county newspaper, and radio station.

Mini-grant projects included:

• Community Chorus
• Community friendship quilt project
• Guitar workshops and live performance
• Leather and bead applique community landscape
• Legacy Box with community history
• Native American storytelling
• Percussion class and drumming circle
• Play about Republic
  
• Radio Play about Republic
• Recycled glass mobile
• Recycled papermaking
• Cajun music and dance
• Classes in darkroom technique, painting, traditional beadwork
• Evening performance series

Key Learnings

• Severe economic conditions made it feel unfair for this community to spend $11,000 on a single project. It became critical to "spread the wealth around" to aid many individual artists in serious financial need.
  
  
• Sustaining enthusiasm and involvement over multiple months for multiple projects (without a break) was nearly impossible for a volunteer-based group. The community cultural leaders learned they needed increased skills in project planning, and that one project at a time is enough.
  
  
• Without a pre-existing organization there were few approved decision-making processes and no existing communications structures, resulting in confusion and conflict.
  
  
• Business community support providing in-kind services and arts
  locations was critical.
  
  
• Through the Spirit project, the City government embraced the idea that arts development can provide economic impact. While Republic now has the desire to become a "homespun arts and crafts destination," the multi-year leadership commitment and resources needed will be difficult to sustain.

Purpose

Establish the arts as a primary economic development strategy; strengthen community through performing and visual arts projects; celebrate the diversity of peoples and community in Republic.

"There's a lot of art up here in Ferry County. A lot of talent. People were very excited to see all this happen. It was new, it generated a lot of interest, and a lot of ideas for the future."

Kate Sanderlin, City Clerk

Project Outputs

• Leveraged $46,899 in-kind services and $3,616 in local matching
  contributions and earned income.
  
  
• Presented and produced a broad-ranging series of weekend festivals over the course of a calendar year, including: Fall Harvest Hoedown; winter Victorian holiday; Republic Art Fest (February); NE Arts Summit (May). Attendance: 906 residents.

  "...as an artist, I am no longer way up on a mountain unknown to my community."

  C. Payton

• Developed and awarded mini-project grants involving 69 selected local artists which encouraged arts/culture as the core offering of the community festivals. 104 other volunteer artists participated in Spirit projects.
  
  
• Presented 16 local artists teaching classes and workshops during festival dates. 201 student
  participants.
  
  
• Started a community chorus and fueled new community theatre effort.
  
  
• Purchased or developed tangible arts resources: stage backdrops, a lighting tree, 7 deckles for paper-making, easels, a restored kiln.

  "One of our sculptors got a commission because he showed his work for the first time in 12 years."

• Identified and employed 15 arts locations:
  the elementary school, the Kiwanis, public library, Presbyterian Church, police department garage, three restaurants, motel meeting room, bank, grocery story, town park, local guest ranch, craft shop.

Project Process

• Preceding seven years of cultural and tourism development (through ongoing technical assistance) laid foundation of support.
  
  
• Invited by Washington State Arts Commission to participate as Spirit community to replace Forks.
  
  
• No local 501(C)(3) arts agency; Ferry County Arts Alliance couldn't take on leadership.
  
  
• City agreed to partner as fiscal agent; provided tourism funds for advertising, promotion and printing.
  
  
• Open community brainstorming meetings: economic needs at core of issues.
  
  
• Conflict: difficulty choosing right convening body, right project on a short one-year time schedule.
  
  
• Intervention from Washington State Arts Commission Community Development Director to mediate conflict.
  
  
• Formed the Community Circle, a new group, to lead the Spirit project (four leaders).
  
  
• Chose mini-grant process to "celebrate what each person can do" and let "everybody do what they want."
  
  
• Developed and implemented formal call for artists.
  
  
• Convened eight-person panel of respected community leaders to review 45 applications. Selected 18 artist teams to perform or lead classes.
  
  
• Worked closely with applicants on project revisions and scheduling.
  
  
• Production of festivals and accompanying classes by Community Circle.
  
  
• City helped with costs and coordination for promotion, printing and advertising.

  "We will be an arts community."

  Barb Baum, Community Circle

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The Spirit of the Northwest is a regional partnership project of the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the Oregon Arts Commission and the Washington State Arts Commission, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal Agency. It is made available on the Web as a courtesy by the Community Arts Network. Questions or comments regarding this project can be addressed to Bitsy Bidwell, Community Arts Development Manager, Washington State Arts Commission, P.O. Box 42675, Olympia, WA, 98504-2675, (360) 586-2421 or email bitsyb@arts.wa.gov.