The effort to turn La Conner into a Certified Creative District has been gathering steam.

During the Arts Commission’s meeting at the La Conner Swinomish Library on Tuesday, community members learned more about the application process and how they can help promote their community to artists and visitors from Skagit and beyond. 

According to Commissioner Sarah Dalton, La Conner would be the one of the smallest creative districts in the state, which currently counts 22, including Anacortes, Coupeville and Edmonds, each certified for five years.

Several people have already stepped up to become part of the advisory committee that will be in charge of completing the application and developing a five-year strategic plan. The committee will first meet at 10 a.m. on Feb. 10 at the library, and will convene four or five more times until November, when the application is submitted. The letter of interest is due in September.

If successful, La Conner should get the certification in February. The benefits include eye-catching signs on state highways, up to $50,000 in funds for small projects, technical assistance and training and tracked progress of the local creative economy. According to the Washington State Arts Commission, new districts also receive a $10,000 cash grant to launch the program, but have to match it. Rural and under-resourced communities can use up to $5,000 of in-kind donations to supplement the match, ArtsWA states. 

Dalton said the committee welcomes as many folks as possible, as she expects a number will drop out at some point. Artists, nonprofit representatives, business owners and anyone with ideas and an interest in enhancing the town is welcome to join.

A few audience members inquired about the role of the Swinomish Tribe in the project, acknowledging the many talented Swinomish artists and the Tribe’s proximity to the town, and expressing a need to bring the two communities closer.

“The art community is the bridge we need,” said Ava James, a community member whose children are tribal members. 

James mentioned she was also involved in the effort to make Coupeville a Certified Creative District about a year ago, in which Beaver Tales Coffee — a cafe and coffee roaster owned by Swinomish member Tony Cladusbid and his wife Michelle — became the district’s sʷədəbš Cultural Center and Creative Hub. 

Chairwoman Holly Redell Witte said the intention is to include the Tribe, adding that she is expecting to meet with tribal members later this month to discuss the idea. There haven’t been any meetings with tribal leadership yet, with Mayor Marna Hanneman adding they have been very busy and stating La Conner has to be respectful of that.

Though the proposed district map consists of the town’s historic district and extends north to the marina, Redell Witte and Dalton didn’t exclude the possibility of expanding those borders to include the Tribe. ArtsWA requires districts to be walkable and contiguous, but Redell Witte said they could have a talk with the agency about the unique situation in hopes that both La Conner and Swinomish can become one creative district, if the Tribe agrees.

If the proposed merger isn’t approved, the Tribe could still be part of the district through its waterfront property on S. First Street, as someone pointed out during the meeting.  

La Conner Community News could not get a comment from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community before press time.

Luisa Loi is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.