Artists are hoping a new committee formed by the city will help enhance Westbrook’s rise as an arts community.

The recently formed Arts and Culture Committee’s first job will be to take an inventory of Westbrook’s artists, artist organizations and arts-related businesses.

Next steps may include the creation of a Web site, linked to the city’s Web site, that would showcase arts events, and taking over the running of the Riverwalk Festival from the Westbrook Community Chamber.

Caren Michel, a local artist and member of the committee, said this week that she’s not exactly sure what the committee’s responsibilities will be in the coming years, but, for now, the first order is to start bringing together the city’s artists to help them as a collective group.

“To help all arts – fine arts, performing arts,” she said. “To help the artists market events and to make others aware of what’s going on in Westbrook.”

Michel said the effort could help Westbrook grow. She said it’s fairly common that artists will move into an area of relatively low rent, and economic success soon follows.

“When arts come into a community, they develop the community,” she said.

Erik Carson, Westbrook’s director of Economic and Community Development, said the city has applied for a state grant for $10,000 to help the committee. He said he expects to hear back from the Maine Arts Commission about the grant, which it applied for in December, soon.