The Board of Selectmen at its July 23 meeting unanimously approved a resolution allowing the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission to apply with the state to have Newtown designated a Cultural District.

The designation will require the creation of a Cultural District Commission that will be a subcommittee of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, and include people connected with Newtown’s arts and business scene, including artist Bill Glass; Rhonda Cullins, who is the exhibit chair and board member for the Flagpole Photographers Camera Club of Newtown; and Economic Development Coordinator John Voket, among others.

Laura Lerman, a member of the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, told the selectmen that Ridgefield was the first town to gain the designation in Connecticut in 2021. Fairfield has a district, and Bethel and New Milford are applying.

The designation requires a contained, walkable area with arts-related businesses, and Lerman said Newtown has that from Main Street down towards Sandy Hook, as well as connecting with the Fairfield Hills Campus, a total area of three to four miles. Newtown is also one of the only area towns with a municipal art gallery, located at the Municipal Center.

According to the ct.gov website, “Cultural Districts are walkable, compact areas that are easy for visitors to recognize. They are centers of artistic and economic cultural activities. They are special places where community members congregate. And because each community is unique, each Cultural District looks different.”

The site says that reasons to establish a Cultural District include: “Market arts and culture attractions to visitors, promote and encourage artists, entrepreneurs, and creative businesses, promote tourism and increase visits, improve residents’ quality of life, strengthen the distinctive character of communities, create a plan to drive economic growth and expand the tax base, solicit and attract investment, grants, donations, and other funds, support Sustainable CT certification, contribute to Connecticut’s cultural assets, and highlight your community’s culture and history.”

Lerman said that the district will make the town eligible for in-kind marketing, promotional support, and other services.

She said that Edmond Town Hall draws lots of visitors from out of town for shows, and if Newtown is a Cultural District, they could see other things they can do in town, capitalizing on that.

“Helping drive that traffic further will go a long way,” said Lerman.

Of the resolution, First Selectman Jeff Capeci said the resolution was a “good way to get them [the Cultural District Commission] started.”

“This sounds like a great thing for the town to take advantage of,” said Selectman Dan Cruson.

Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.