Loudoun County Comprehensive Arts Plan
Loudoun County, Virginia
WHY
The Loudoun County Comprehensive Arts Plan (CAP) presents a vision, goals, and strategies to develop and establish Loudoun County, Virginia as a thriving arts and culture destination within the state. The actionable strategies outlined in this plan include public art investments, strategic artist support; and diverse, arts-focused programming and facilities that enrich and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the community. With vital input gleaned from community members, stakeholders, and experts, the plan emphasizes art that reflects Loudoun County’s culturally rich heritage.
HOW
The proposals outlined in the CAP were developed directly from extensive community engagement that was conducted from Fall 2024 through Spring 2025. Engagement for the CAP was split into two phases: Setting the Baseline and Ideating on the Future.
Phase 1: Setting the Baseline - Designed to elicit a comprehensive understanding of the arts and culture amenities and resources available in Loudoun County, and the direction in which participants wanted to see it progress. It consisted of a public survey, which received over 1,100 responses, over 60 one-on-one stakeholder interviews, 12 focus groups, and tabling at community events.
Phase 2: Ideating on the Future - Offered the community opportunities to review the findings of Phase 1 and rank them. This consisted of 4 public meetings and 3 virtual meetings totaling over 150 attendees, as well as additional targeted outreach.
The ideas developed in Phase 1, which included concepts such as increasing publicity and marketing efforts around the arts, and creating more visual spaces for artists, were prioritized during Phase 2 and then narrowed down into 5 guiding principles. Engagement from both phases helped our team develop a concise vision for arts and culture in Loudoun County.
WHAT
The Loudoun County Comprehensive Arts Plan will invigorate Loudoun County’s Arts and Culture Programming by consistently helping to create engaging public art, elevate and promote the value of the arts, while also fostering it as an accessible and inclusive community. The CAP proposes more investments in arts education for all ages that instills the importance of the arts in day-to-day life, but also supports a range of affordable, quality facilities for both visual and performing artists to work on and share their craft. The CAP will help Loudoun County to integrate arts and culture further into its identity, through leveraging existing infrastructure, expertise, and community connections to maximize impact and efficiency. These strategies will help to facilitate seamless collaboration, expand public access to the arts, and ensure that cultural initiatives are woven into the fabric of the community.