Arts and Community in Kennett Square

by Dennis Melton

I have always believed that quality of life matters.  Not just on rare and special occasions, but each day.  Seeking quality of life, nourishes the senses and, as a result nourishes the soul.  The arts are an important source of this nourishment. So is the opportunity to live in community with others who are also seeking the fellowship of shared arts & cultural experiences.  I have also come to believe that communities which support the arts are enriched economically as well as culturally.

I grew up with a passion for music and, as a part of the Melton Brothers Band, the opportunity to share my passion with fellow musicians and audiences.  As I grew older, I also discovered a passion for architecture and it  has been a pleasure to learn the ways in which one enhances the other.  

About 15 yeas ago, I started working in Kennett Square and realized that Kennett is a community where quality of life matters.  The manner in which this small town married arts and cultural activities with restaurants, shopping and related services was exciting, and through meeting and getting to know the artists, community activists, business leaders and government officials, I have had the opportunity to become involved with some exciting initiatives.

An initiative begun in 2000 looked at the feasibility of a cultural center, and although not creating a cultural center at this time, has blossomed into the Greater Brandywine Cultural Alliance which focuses on opportunities for artists and arts & cultural organizations in Southern Chester County.  The Nixon Park Summer Concert Series was created in 2007 giving the Kennett community free concerts every Wednesday evening with food, ice cream and family oriented performances.  Costs are paid for by sponsors including businesses and arts patrons.  “Culture as Catalyst for Economic Development” was the theme of the  2008 Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at Longwood Gardens combining music, theater, dance, visual arts, culinary and horticultural arts in an evening where business and arts came together with speeches by Longwood Garden’s director Paul Redman and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance president, Peggy Amsterdam.  The Flash is the newest venue to come out of the cultural initiative, an intimate performance venue seating 110 people with limited food menu and byob.  I see The Flash as the realistic beginning of a Kennett Area Cultural Arts Center.