The founders of Winter Blues Jazz Fest have announced the creation of CultureFix, a Williamsburg nonprofit hoping to enhance the community’s cultural energy and vitality, according to the organization’s website.
“We needed an organization to house these larger events, like the Winter Blues Jazz Fest,” said Jennifer Raines, CultureFix co-founder and Quirks of Art owner.
Raines and Steve Rose, owner of Williamsburg Event Rentals, founded the jazz fest in 2015 to a nearly sold out crowd. Positive response to that, and previously Quirks of Art’s “Art & Soul” concerts at the Muscarelle Museum, encouraged the idea of a parent organization.
But as an events professional for 15 years, Rose has mulled the idea for a while, eyeing Norfolk’s Festevents as inspiration.
“The biggest difference here with other areas is that we don’t have a single event space,” Rose said.
“The main thing was,” he said, “if we didn’t have a central area, then we needed the different jurisdictions to start to use areas and be more flexible with the way they use them.”
The climate of support also seemed right, among both community members and leadership.
“The town I think is ready for some of these events,” Rose said.
The couple hope, through CultureFix, to continue creating and improving cultural events throughout Greater Williamsburg.
Rose observed a huge number of events already occur around town. Many are fundraisers, and many compete.
So why not “create larger events that last maybe a whole weekend, and that maybe four or five different nonprofits can benefit from,” Rose said. Instead of three separate food drives, he suggested, create one big food drive, that’s also a cool event.
“It’s the synergy that’s missing,” Raines said. “That’s what we’re trying to do is bring people together to create a multitude of things.”
Other events currently under the CultureFix umbrella include 2nd Sundays Art and Music Festival and Jamestown ChowderFest. Events in the works include a two-day blues festival and a food drive with a creative spin.
“That’s why it’s called CultureFix,” Rose said. “Culture covers a lot of different things.”
The board of directors reflects such diversity, including 2nd Sundays director Shirley Vermillion, Kimball Theatre production manager Todd Cooke and College of William and Mary lecturer Tim Barnard, director of the college’s Global Film Festival.
“This isn’t just another organization for the sake of an organization,” Rose said. “It’s a very motivated group.”
Raines said that CultureFix hopes to be about more than just events.
Other goals include working toward creation of an art-focused communal space, like the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. Such “creative placemaking,” part of the CultureFix mission, is defined on the group’s website as using “the power of arts, culture and creativity to serve a community’s interest while driving a broader agenda for change, growth and transformation.”
Raines mentioned Williamsburg’s tradition and history – “we want to honor that,” she said, “but grow the character of the community as well.”
Part of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance’s mission, said president and CEO Karen Riordan, is promoting more than just Williamsburg’s attractions, such as Busch Gardens or Colonial Williamsburg.
“To have CultureFix out there in the destination creating other events that will bring visitors here is great,” Riordan said.
Bridges can be reached by phone at 757-275-4934.
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