Breakfast Bites on May 20: Capitalizing on Cultural Arts

Georgetown’s historic downtown area became a state-designated cultural district in 2013. The official listing by the Texas Commission on the Arts recognizes the many arts and cultural offerings in the 40-block downtown overlay area. Georgetown has one of 26 cultural districts in 23 Texas cities.

The Breakfast Bites panel on May 20 will look at ways that retailers, restaurants, and other businesses can capitalize on Georgetown’s cultural district designation. The panel includes speakers from three anchor attractions in the Georgetown cultural district. Breakfast Bites is a quarterly business development event by the Georgetown Main Street Program.

The moderator for the May 20 panel is Jane Estes, writer and board member of Texans for the Arts. Estes served for two-terms as president and founding board member of Georgetown Art Works, the managing nonprofit of the Georgetown Art Center. Panelists include:

Marissa Austin is the executive director for the Georgetown Palace Theatre and holds an adjunct faculty position at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Georgetown Palace Theatre has been presenting live theater productions to packed houses since the restoration of their Art Deco building in 2001.

Mickie Ross is the executive director for The Williamson Museum, which offers a variety of exhibits highlighting local histories, people, and themes. In addition to providing cultural programming such as Hands on History, Summer History Camp, and the Salon, the museum holds the annual Chisholm Trail Days festival.

Amanda Still is a state-registered interior designer and art gallery director for Hill Design + Gallery in Georgetown. Still is a member of the Georgetown Arts and Culture board and the Georgetown Art Works board and serves as the fundraising director for the Georgetown Art Center.

The event on Wednesday, May 20 is from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth Street. Breakfast snacks, coffee, and drinks will be provided. Networking starts at 8 a.m.

Attendees should pre-register by contacting Shelly Hargrove, Main Street manager, by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 18 at shelly.hargrove@georgetown.org or (512) 930-2027. Main Street is a program of the City of Georgetown Downtown and Community Services Department.

Find out more about cultural districts in Texas at the Texas Commission on the Arts website at www.arts.texas.gov/initiatives/cultural-districts.