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CULTURAL CENTER <br />Cultural and entertainment activities bring <br />people together dozuntozun and fuel the <br />imagination and creative soul of our city. <br />Downtown Eugene is rich in cultural and entertain- <br />ment events. Programs at the Hult Center attract <br />visitors from all over the region. The Saturday <br />Market and Farmers' Market bring residents and <br />visitors to the Park Blocks, and tens of thousands <br />of people attend yearly events such as the Eugene <br />Celebration and Eugene First Night. Other <br />events and locations include downtown theaters, <br />restaurants, and art exhibits. <br />These activities are as much a part of downtown <br />Eugene's identity and character as the local weather. <br />Ours is a creative, unique community, a city that <br />takes itself seriously...but not too seriously. To <br />maintain this identity, attitude and market cache, <br />the City will encourage and accommodate an <br />inviting variety of creative activities and venues. <br />The City will reinforce downtown as a destination <br />for all ages, from January to December. <br />Visual and Performing Arts <br />The arts community in Eugene is creative and <br />enthusiastic, visible and vocal. Numerous arts <br />activities are downtown, including local arts at the <br />Saturday Market, gallery exhibits, monthly First <br />Friday art walks and theatre performances. Special <br />events such as the Mayor's Art Show, the Salon <br />des Refuses, and the occasional tuba concert <br />complement ongoing work of artists, writers, even <br />The Eugene Celebration <br />is a yearly affair of pure <br />fun and entertainment, <br />with much of the community <br />coming downtown to be <br />a part of the event. <br />instrument makers. These activities reinforce <br />downtown as a creative, distinctive place, with <br />people coming together to exchange ideas and share <br />results. <br />Downtown needs to be a place for the production <br />and display of artistic endeavors. An art museum, <br />an idea still in its conceptual stages, could be a key <br />cultural venue for Eugene's center. Studio spaces <br />and places for live performances are encouraged, <br />as are live/work units in and near downtown. This <br />plan also promotes arts activities in the special places <br />downtown. <br />The McDonald Theatre has been a popular place for films, plays and civic <br />events for decades. <br />Local History <br />History is an important part of the cultural heri- <br />tage and identity of downtown. Many buildings <br />of historic importance are located within the <br />traditional grid of downtown streets. Many older <br />structures are key downtown locations, such as the <br />former Ax Billy Building, now the Downtown <br />Athletic Club, and Swift Company Poultry Plant, now <br />the 5th Street Market. <br />EUGENE DOWNTOWN PLAN APRIL 2004 31 <br />Piedmont blues artists Cephas and Wiggins at Oregon festival of <br />American Music 200 L <br />