HUNTINGTON COMMUNITY ARTS PLAN

In 2018, Anderson + Bohlander partnered with Harrison Center for the Arts to work with the Pathfinder Services and the citizens of Huntington to develop a Community Arts Plan. The effort was intended to develop a set of goals for the arts with a community focus that could be included in a 2018 update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Brooks Fetters provided critical insight and leadership to the team, as did Pathfinder Services and a number of stakeholder partners, including the LaFontaine Arts Council, the University of Huntington, and Huntington High School.

The plan was organized around the LOVE framework - an acronym formed from the terms Livability, Opportunity, Vitality, and Education. This framework was used to gather public input about how the arts could be incorporated into all facets of community development. Several public meetings were held and public input was directly responsible for the goals. The result is an arts and arts district (mainly downtown) plan that intends to grow excitement and energy in Huntington and to maximize the benefit of the great local artists, artisans, and arts-related entrepreneurs that live and work there.