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CULTURAL RESOURCES
PLANNING ISSUE
Arts and culture offerings have
thrived and expanded across
the county over the last ten
years, though the challenges
of being in the shadow of
Philadelphia and financial
instability during tough
economic times still persist for
many groups.
Historic Resources
Scenic Roads and Vistas
Libraries
Arts and Culture
Arts and Culture
The county’s location provides easy access to top-notch
museums, concerts, theater and film...both here and in
downtown Philadelphia. Arts and culture helps foster better
places to live. According to a 2008 survey by the National
Endowment for the Arts, Americans who attend art
museums and live arts performances are much more likely to
vote, volunteer, and take part in community events than
those who do not attend.
Outlets for people’s creativity abound in the county. There
are dozens of schools to learn ballet and tap dance...but also
hula, if you choose. Art centers, like the Abington Art
Center or the Greater Norristown Art League have classes
ranging from painting to pottery for students of all ages.
The county has a range of creative employment
opportunities—including creative organizations that employ
people with a variety of skills (such as an architecture firm
employing more than just architects) and traditional
businesses with creative employees (such as a writer for a
pharmaceutical company). The creative sector contributes
more than 35,000 jobs to the county’s economy.
There are world class contributions to arts and culture in the
county. Collegeville’s Ursinus College is home to the
Berman Art Museum, which houses more than 4,000 pieces
of art—as well as many large outdoor sculptures that are
placed throughout the campus. If comedy’s more your
thing, the Stoogeum is a local museum of Three Stooges
memorabilia. A love of the outdoors might bring you to the
Morris Arboretum or Norristown’s Elmwood Park Zoo.
What’s New
•
Norristown has thrown its support behind its
burgeoning “Arts Hill” neighborhood. This small
stretch of Dekalb Street is home to the Montgomery
County Cultural Center, Center Theatre, Iron Age
Theatre Company, and more recently, Theatre
Horizon.
•
A big arts and culture loss is the Barnes Foundation’s
move of its art collection to a new home in
downtown Philadelphia. However, the Barnes’
mansion and gardens remain in Lower Merion
Township; it will be interesting to see what becomes
of this site in the years to come.
•
The
Creative Montco
plan was released in 2012, with
background information and statistics showing the
local economic impact of arts and culture. It
recommends a variety of steps aimed at strengthening
local arts and culture. More information can be
found at its website: creativemontco.org.
•
Arts and culture is important for local revitalization
strategies. The county’s museums, movie houses,
and performing arts spaces have become focal points
for their surrounding communities—Abington’s
Keswick neighborhood, Bryn Mawr, Pottstown, and
Souderton are just some examples.
•
Historic movie houses have returned to prominence.
East Greenville’s Grand Theater, the Ambler Theater,
and Jenkintown’s Hiway Theater are a few of the
lovingly restored theaters that pack in the crowds.
And the Bryn Mawr Film Institute is considering a
future expansion to allow for a third screen at its
current home on Lancaster Avenue.
•
Theater troupes increasingly call the county home,
with dedicated facilities across the county.
Souderton’s Montgomery Theater, Ambler’s Act II
Playhouse, and Pottstown’s Steel River Playhouse—
all in the heart of their respective downtowns—
provide local theater patrons with plenty of
opportunities to see a show.
