Austin 组建红河文化区专责小组：市长称要为市中心音乐场馆群找出路
位于德克萨斯州特拉维斯县的 Austin 市，市长 Kirk Watson 近日在市议会留言板上宣布，市政府与多家本地机构将组建一个专责小组（task force），专责守护市中心红河文化区（Red River Cultural District）一带的音乐场馆群。该街区集中了大批以本地艺人为主的小型现场演出场馆，近年接连有场馆关门，未来不明朗。Watson 写道，市政府数十年来一直致力于维持和发展红河社区，但「我们还没有达到应有的位置」，同时他也表示，老 Austin 的宽松岁月已经过去，不能一味抱着「美好旧时光」不放。
专责小组由市中心战略官 Jonathan Stone 牵头，成员包括 Austin 经济发展局、市艺术文化音乐娱乐部门（ACME）、市规划局、红河文化区非营利组织、市中心 Austin 联盟、音乐场馆联盟、Rally Austin、Pecan Street 业主协会、市中心邻里协会以及 Waterloo Greenway 等机构。按市长的说法，小组的任务是「保住一个有品质的文化区，并鼓励该地区的经济活力」，最终将提出一系列可执行的行动指令。
红河文化区方面今年 9 月曾向市政府发出公开信，要求市府对近期一连串关门采取行动。公开信点名的已关门场馆包括 Koriente、Feels So Good、Empire Control Room & Garage、Marlow 与 Valhalla，并指出 Elysium 与 The 13th Floor 所在的建筑挂牌出售、两家场馆同样面临风险。文化区执行主任 Nicole Klepadlo 表示，感谢市长与市议员 Zo Qadri 听取社区声音，希望各方合作让 Austin 的独立音乐场馆与文化空间「不只是勉强求生，而是得到所需的支持与保护、世代延续」。（据 CultureMap Austin 10月21日报道及市长在市议会留言板的公开信息整理）
Austin Forms Red River Cultural District Task Force: Mayor Looks for a Path Forward for Downtown Music Venues
In Austin, Travis County, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson announced on the City Council message board that the city and several local organizations will form a task force to watch over the Red River Cultural District, a downtown strip of venues that platform mostly local artists with near-constant music programming. Several venues have closed recently and the district's future looks uncertain. Watson wrote that for decades the City of Austin has been committed to sustaining and improving the Red River community, but "we aren't where we want to be or should be," adding that the easiness of old Austin is not the reality of new Austin.
The task force will be led by downtown strategy officer Jonathan Stone. Its members include Austin Economic Development, the city's Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment department (ACME), the Austin Planning Department, the Red River Cultural District nonprofit, the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Music Venue Alliance, Rally Austin, the Pecan Street Owners Association, the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association and Waterloo Greenway. According to the mayor, the group's job is to "preserve a quality cultural district and encourage economic vitality in the area," and it will ultimately deliver a series of directives for action.
In an open letter in September, the Red River Cultural District asked the City to act on a series of recent closures, naming Koriente, Feels So Good, Empire Control Room & Garage, Marlow and Valhalla, and noting that Elysium and The 13th Floor were at risk after the building housing both was listed for sale. District executive director Nicole Klepadlo thanked Watson and Councilmember Zo Qadri for listening to the community, saying the hope is to build a future where Austin's independent music venues and cultural spaces "aren't simply fighting to survive, but have the support and protections they need to flourish for generations to come." (Compiled from CultureMap Austin, October 21, and the mayor's message-board post.)
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：Austin 红河文化区（Red River Cultural District）街景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons 文件 Storefronts Red River Cultural District 2019.jpg，Larry D. Moore 摄，CC BY 4.0 授权
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