Creating a realizable vision and making it happen

(Via the mainstreetlist) From Richard Kurylo, Business Improvement District Council, San Diego:

We have a very successful gallery walk in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego called "Ray at Night." The event takes place monthly on the second Saturday of the month mostly along a street called Ray Street.

North Park Main Street did not have any art galleries (or upscale dining opportunities or unique gift shops!) when the Main Street program began in 1996. One of the first things we did was declare the business district an Arts, Culture, & Entertainment district.

This generated press and slowly began attracting artists and restaurants. The Main Street program was very proactive in educating everybody about our vision for arts, including business owners and property owners.

One of the major property owners on Ray Street began recruiting artists into her buildings, and the artists themselves developed Ray at Night. The event has since spread throughout the business district. North Park Main Street encouraged all businesses to participate by remaining open during the event, displaying artwork and changing the art every month.

Some spaces have dance shows. Others have music. Most galleries provide snacks and beverages. Guests are informed about participating businesses through Ray at Night maps that are printed by the businesses and distributed throughout the district. The website provides information about goings-on during the event. Also, individual galleries print postcards abouttheir particular shows, which are distributed throughout the neighborhood.

Map for Ray at Night. Image from the website.

Streetscape improvements on Ray Street helped attract people to the event. Trees, tree grates, benches, and attractive trash containers made the street more pedestrian-friendly.