Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2025

Home

setbacks. The inclusion of public art in the city's strategic plan gives public art a documented purpose and value toward meeting broader community goals. 2) Build a strong foundation for public art. Communities that had a strong and active arts commission or arts council, led by passionate volunteers, demonstrate resiliency and are the foundation for strong community support. 3) Planning for public art should include different segments of the community in the discussions. Specific groups have a vested interest in promoting public art and should be recruited for those efforts. For example, business owners are good advocates for projects that provide a return on investment for the community, the school district and educators can provide the perspective of opening opportunities for students, and the historical society can play a key role in cultural and historical grounding of community artwork. Artists can explain the value of art for the city from an artist's perspective. 4) Public administrators need to demonstrate leadership to their staff, the art community, and the council in regard to public art. This can take the form of developing policies and procedures that align with the values and culture of the council and the community, or the visible endorsement and support of the arts by attending events, advocating for projects that meet city objectives, and supporting staff members in their support roles. 5) Funding sources need to be clearly identified and communicated. The public needs to understand if private donations and grant monies are used instead of general tax dollars. In addition, cities need to remember that "free is not necessarily free." Poorly executed and planned sculptures can create a social and political liability for 149