Concerts in the Square

Concerts in the Square is a free summer concert series hosted in St. Lawrence Square; a pocket park in the Warsaw Avenue Neighborhood Business district of East Price Hill. Every other Friday from late May through early September, the Price Hill Arts Council, in collaboration with Price Hill Will, will offer 8 free community concerts featuring Price Hill musicians; with an accompanying Price Hill artist offering a collaborative art-making activity for kids.

Early February 2019 - Outreach to bands and sound engineer

Late February 2019 - Outreach to local businesses, vendors, and food trucks

Late February 2019 - Secure all bands and sound engineers

Mid March 2019 - Update and order all promotional materials (posters, postcards, social media)

Late March 2019 - Distribute promotional materials

Early April 2019 - Secure vendors and food/beverages

Mid April 2019 - Seek volunteer help

Late April 2019 - Buy any necessary equipment

May 31st, 2019 - First concert

August 23rd, 2019 - Last concert

St. Lawrence Square is a newly created community pocket park smack dab in the middle of East Price Hill's Warsaw Avenue Neighborhood Business District. By hosting a bi-weekly concert series in this easily accessible park, we aim to support the business district by promoting walkability, connectivity and placemaking and to showcase the neighborhood’s artistic talent. By investing in local talent – hiring Price Hill musicians, inviting and supporting local artisans to the event and seeking out local restaurants to sell concessions – we anticipate that the Concerts in the Square summer music series will greatly impact East Price Hill’s economic development and local investment.

According to primary data collected through community surveys and focus groups as part of the 2014 Price Hill Plan process, many residents feel that community building spaces and activities that ensure that Price Hill are welcoming and inclusive are a top priority. Hence, for several years, Price Hill Will (PHW) has been creating community gathering spaces such as St. Lawrence Square, the Olden Tot Lot, a Percussion Park, a neighborhood orchard, and community gardens. In collaboration with community groups, we program these spaces with arts, culture, and healthy lifestyle events. PHW is currently shifting it's focus to help more residents, particularly lower income or ethnic minority residents, build their skills and connect them with resources to grow their ability to develop even more resident-led community programming. Leadership development is a critical next step in ensuring that community building is both sustainable and authentic.

For our Community Leadership Development program, our long-term goal is to help residents become community leaders who play an active role in serving as stewards and advocates for their community. We help emerging leaders develop skills around project management, community engagement, and resource/asset identification. We encourage leaders to intentionally reach out in new ways to their neighbors who are not already involved in community life. We have learned that helping residents reach out to their neighbors who might come from a differing cultural background, income level, or political perspective is critical to (re)building a sense of community and common purpose.

The 2019 Concerts in the Square series is one of our first efforts in fostering resident-led programming. The Price Hill Arts Council (PHAC) - a resident led group of artists focused on building and connecting the Price Hill community through the arts - is leading this endeavor with PHW's support. We believe that by assisting and leveraging the efforts put forth by the PHAC, this resident-led group will have a greater impact at improving the quality of life for Price Hill residents.