CITIES BENEFIT FROM USING
THE ARTS AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL
Two decades ago, Kerner founded Live Arts, a community theater organization that started in an old building offered at below market rent by a savvy landlord who knew that cultivating an arts community would eventually give him a large return on his investment.
Today, Live Arts is located in a modern, funky, steel building know as the Community Center for the Contemporary Arts, which houses gallery and performance space worthy of a city 10 times the size of Charlottesville. Live Arts produces everything from traditional to experimental theater filling the theater space about 100 nights per year.
"When you support the arts with money, space and volunteers, pretty soon you become know as a regional spot where a lot of cultural activity is happening," Kerner said.
"And now you have lots of downtown living -- with significant conversions, renovations and brand new construction over the past 20 years. The once sleepy downtown now has dwellings selling for a half million dollars."
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