Laurel Whitehurst sits with a bronze statue of Ilchee Moon Girl, a marker along the Waterfront Renaissance Trail erected by Eric Jensen in 1994. / Photo by Anni Becker

Laural Whitehurst’s desire is to improve the county’s quality of life through the arts. Whitehurst, a Hazel Dell resident, is behind the grassroots movement to create a Clark County Arts Commission (CCAC).

Whitehurst has written a “Draft Ordinance” — outlining the function, purpose and operation of the CCAC — for the Board of Clark County Commissioners (BOCC).

According to Whitehurst, the Arts Commission will exist to provide public programs to increase opportunities for citizens to experience and enjoy cultural, fine, visual and performing arts. It will use artists, performers and other specialists to develop these programs and services. It will advise county leadership, encourage grants and other support for the arts, reach out to arts groups and create a communications network.

In doing so, she hopes to make Clark County “a more desirable place to live by creating a sense of place with public art.”
In the 1970s, Whitehurst was part of a group of women living in Kent, Wash. who started the Kent Arts Commission. The commission used its vision of public art to lead the way for the installation of Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks, a part dam, part social and cultural gathering site designed by renowned Bauhaus artist, Herbert Bayer, in 1983. The designation became the city’s first historic landmark last year.

Whitehurst said dialogue concerning the CCAC keeps getting delayed due to the BOCC’s full agenda. She said she continues “to meet with folks and try to get people connected so we can be ready to hit the ground running once we are established.”
A hub of the discussions is the Art Conversations, “a monthly salon by local artists for the community, artists, galleries and the art curious.”

Jan Asia, Director of the Columbia Dance Center, hosted the October Art Conversations. The group learned about the creation of the dance center, talked about how to raise funds, what they want on the web site and spoke briefly with Vancouver mayor-elect Tim Leavitt and County Commissioner Steve Stuart.

“Right now, we’re facilitating the formation of the committee,” Stuart said. “We’ve told them that we aren’t in the position to help them financially, but we do have people who can help.”

Whitehurst said the first step is to create 501(c)3 foundation, “to accept the money, and to direct the money,” likening it to the Parks Foundation.

“It’s an uphill battle in a way, because this county doesn’t have a history of supporting the arts on a mass scale,” Whitehurst said.

The CCAC’s new website is being designed by Dr. Dene Grigar of WSU-Vancouver. The CCAC hopes to have the site online soon.

To find out how you can get involved, email Whitehurst streamsidelaurel@hotmail.com.

Art Conversations are held the third Wednesday of every month at various locations. Email arstconversations@gmail.com for more info.