Interview provided with support by Natalie Gerad, Karel Fellow with NLC’s Digital Engagement, Marketing & Communications Team
Arts and culture are fundamental to the vitality and well-being of our cities, towns and villages. The arts can inspire, heal and help our communities grow. NLC helps local leaders to leverage the power of the arts to improve the health, cohesion and resilience of their communities.
To showcase the amazing ways cities across America have used the arts as a tool for public health, NLC produced the Crative Cities video series. It profiles three communities: Loveland, CO; Providence, RI; and Tampa, FL.
In Tampa, art is helping the city honor its diverse cultural heritage and build a healthier future. NLC met with Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa to discuss the city’s 46-mile-long arts project “Soulwalk” and how the community is finding unity through creativity.
National League of Cities: What would you say the arts and the arts community mean to Tampa?
Mayor Castor: It’s a way that you can bring your community together, and you can tell a story. For example, one of the things that our amazing arts and cultural director, Robin Nye, did, especially during COVID, was to bring the community together by painting murals. We started with a recreation center, and the mural depicted the life of a renowned football coach and teacher in that community. We brought all the kids together, told the story of his life and then they were able to actually participate in the painting of that mural.
You’re teaching these young people the history of their neighborhood that they weren’t aware of, and then they also get to share in the expression and maintenance of that history. So, that’s exciting. Our street murals, I’ve participated in so many of those events where we bring the community together, others decide what is going to be depicted in an intersection and then everybody comes together at the direction of an artist and creates a remarkable piece of art.
NLC: How do you think living in a community that embraces the arts benefits the mental health of Tampa residents?
Mayor Castor: By embracing arts and culture in your community — in every square inch of your community — you can talk about the contributions that were made by so many to build that city or that neighborhood, and then also ensure that everyone in your community feels a part of that community and that they are individually and collectively valued. The best way to show that is through arts and culture.
NLC: Why is it important for city leaders to support the arts?
Mayor Castor: What I would say in the way of advice is to never, ever underestimate the role that arts and cultural events play in the success of your community.
Soulwalk expands across the whole city, so it kind of touches every area and every neighborhood–25 neighborhoods and 46 miles. Soulwalk is an example of telling Tampa’s history, and it is able to thread together into the fabric of Tampa’s history all of the contributions that African Americans have made through the history of Tampa…how our city wouldn’t be the incredible community that it is today without the contributions of African Americans, Latinos, Italians and Spaniards. The reason I ran for mayor is to help grow Tampa into the future, but also at the same time ensure that we maintain our history, our diversity and our culture.
NLC: Have you noticed a change in how communities feel about the city itself?
Mayor Castor: Well, I think anyone from our community that can traverse the entire Soulwalk has to feel such an incredible sense of pride. And even for me as mayor, I was born and raised in the city of Tampa, I’m 64 years old, and I learn something new every single day. So, you think about those young children, especially young girls that are able to go on the historical walking tour … and learn that it was a freed African American slave that helped create the City of Tampa. How inspiring is that?
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Celebrate National Arts & Health Day
Join NLC in celebrating National Arts & Health Day on Saturday, July 26 by highlighting how the arts contribute to the wellbeing of your community. Proclaim the 26th as National Arts & Health Day in your city, town or village and then join the conversation on social media by showing off artwork from your hometown with the official National Arts & Health Day social frame. Download the proclamation template and social media graphics now and get ready to celebrate on July 26!
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