
A print invitation to explore Arlington, starting with the Arlington Cultural District (ACD) –that’s the best way to describe our new brochure, which just hit countertops and brochure racks this summer. You can pick one up at Quebrada, Artbeat, the Fox Library, the Book Rack, and Town Hall, just to name a few. The ACD’s goal in the months ahead is to distribute the brochures outside of town and attract visitors who may not be familiar with all that Arlington has to offer.
The energy and momentum of Arlington’s arts and culture scene is reflected in the new brochure, vibrant with color and images from around town including the Menotomy Hunter statue, Uncle Sam Plaza, the farmer’s market, and Capitol Square artwork by local artists Gail McCormick and James Weinberg. The Cultural District was officially designated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council in 2017, and immediately became part of an era of dynamic growth for Arlington’s cultural life that’s going strong today. Public art has proliferated with projects like the Pathways installations on the Minuteman Bikeway, the town adopted a far-reaching arts and culture plan, and the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture launched artsarlington.org as one-stop shopping for opportunities in Arlington.
The goal for the first-ever ACD map was to make it an easy-to-pick-up pocket-sized folding brochure, visually exciting enough to be frame-worthy, or at least fridge-worthy. It also had to be effective in advertising the richness and walkability of the ACD, and help out-of-towners understand how easy it is to get here from Boston and surrounding towns, as well as the variety of culinary options available in town.
The project team included the Managing Partners of the ACD from the Chamber of Commerce, the Capitol Square Business Association, the Planning and Community Development Department, Arlington’s Libraries, the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture, and the Arlington Center for the Arts. Funding for the project came from a Cultural District grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.