Politics & Government

Westminster Recognizes Supporters of Local Arts Community

Blue flags can be found along Main Street, designating businesses and organizations that support the local arts.

As you travel down Main Street in Westminster during these crisp fall days, you may notice the addition of blue flags hanging from businesses and organizations.

The blue flag designates a business or organization that adds value to the Arts and Culture community of Westminster.

According to a news release, the flags were developed based on recommendations from the Westminster Arts and Culture Task Force. The Task Force has been working to highlight Westminster arts facilities, businesses, resources and programs and provide focus to these cultural assets.

There are three types of art flags along Main Street.

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The first type of flag is the “Art Center” flag, which represents public or nonprofit organizations that add to the Arts & Culture Assets of Westminster including but not limited to: visual art, literary art, cultural art and/or musical art.

There are three centers of arts and culture along Main Street: the is Westminster’s center of heritage and culture; the is Westminster’s center of literary art and new ideas; the Carroll County Arts Council is Westminster’s center of visual art and musical art.

The second type of flag is the “Art Business” flag. This flag symbolizes the many  arts and culture businesses found along Main Street. These are businesses that sell visual art, literary art or musical art, as well as those that provide art related services such as dance classes or music lessons. The first “wave” of art business flags are found at , Off Track Art, Carousel Stained Glass, , Ain’t That a Frame, , Birdie’s Café, , d.a.n.c.e Inc; with more flags to come at businesses such as the Main Arterie and the , according to the news release.

The third type of flag is the “Resident Artist Flag,” which is used by residents of the "Tri-Street Arts and Culture Neighborhood” that produce visual art, literary art and/or musical art. The Tri- Street Arts and Culture Neighborhood was formed in the fall of 2010 with the passage of the arts and culture overlay zone, which promotes a mix of artistic, cultural and creative uses and specifically allows for artists to open public studios in their homes along West Main Street, Union Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The first resident artists of the Tri-Street Arts and Culture Neighborhood to participate include Sara Deluca, Ed Maiello and Lyndi McNulty.

Mayor Kevin Utz stated in the release that “Westminster is a city that celebrates and supports its artists, along with its arts and cultural organizations.”

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The Task Force plans to continue to develop new ways to portray arts and culture as key elements in creating desirable places to live, work and visit in Westminster.


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