By Katie Logisz
September 27, 2004

In the mid-1980s, Gadsden (AL) Mayor Steve Means knew that something needed to be done to revitalize downtown, bringing cultural renewal to the city and its citizens. Means wanted to rejuvenate part of downtown Gadsden that was 80 percent vacant. Thus, the idea for the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts was born. This center would bring a rebirth of the arts to downtown Gadsden and its surrounding area. Means and other community leaders joined in a collaborative effort with the corporate citizens of Gadsden to make the construction and operation of such a center a reality. The leading corporate citizen that played an integral role in the creation of the Center for the Cultural Arts was Coca-Cola USA, a Business Council member of the United States Conference of Mayors, and the Alabama Coca-Cola Bottling Company. From the very inception of this Center to its present-day operations, Coca-Cola has been an exemplary model of good corporate citizenship and a vital component to the continuing success of the Center.

The Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts in Gadsden opened in 1990, and is operated by the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation. The center is a public-private partnership in the truest sense. Roughly 40 percent of the Center's budget comes from private contributions. Twenty percent comes from the city of Gadsden, and 40 percent is from the Center's earned income. Coca Cola is the largest corporate contributor, giving approximately $375,000 to date. There are more than 1,000 private contributors made viable by the generous donations of large corporations.

The Center for the Cultural Arts is undeniably a gem in the revitalized downtown of Gadsden. In 2000, Means was awarded top honors with a City Livability Award, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, Inc. According to Bobby Welch, Executive Director of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, "Business is good downtown." Last year, the Center had 948 different special programs, drawing over 119,000 visitors. The Center is open 7 days a week, offering live music performances, a children's museum, a restaurant, Starbucks, and a model of 1950s Gadsden. Over 300 students come to the Center to take weekly art and music classes. In fact, the Center is home to the nationally recognized Etowah Youth Orchestra.

Means comments that the Center really has turned downtown around. "I was delighted when Coke became a primary sponsor for our Center for Cultural Arts. The center, and all it means to Gadsden, would not exist without the cornerstone support of our corporate citizens. Having their names and reputations associated with our cultural arts program inspires others to contribute to our success." Means notes that while this is not a new story, it is one worth repeating. He knows that it is never untimely to laud the private partners that are instrumental to so many best practices in so many cities.