DEPARTMENT: Department of Arts & Culture
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Debbie Racca-Sittre
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All Council Districts
SUBJECT: Briefing on the Public Art Strategy
SUMMARY:
The Cul-TÚ-Art Cultural Plan is a coordinated planning document that is comprised of six focus areas including: Film, Centro de Artes, and Arts Agency Funding which have already been completed, Public Art which is currently being coordinated, a Music Plan, and Cultural Districts Framework which will be completed in the fall of 2018. The Arts, Culture, and Heritage Committee will consider the Public Art Strategy. The Strategy proposes to increase community engagement and the quality of new projects.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Cul-TÚ-Art Plan is intended to guide the City of San Antonio’s investments in the arts to provide equitable opportunities that encourage San Antonio’s arts community, residents and visitors to thrive in a culturally inclusive environment that celebrates San Antonio’s identity. The San Antonio Arts Commission is serving as the Steering Committee for the Plan.
The City’s Department of Arts & Culture has been evaluating existing public art procedures and master plan recommendations since the beginning of 2017 in order to prepare a public art strategy as part of a the Cul-TÚ-Art Plan. This process included a yearlong effort between Public Art San Antonio and the San Antonio Arts Commission’s Public Art Committee to consider ways that new public art strategies might impact the City’s Tricentennial in 2018, integrate an improved project approval process for 2017 Bond public art funds, and transform San Antonio’s public art program through active and engaging projects that will be implemented under a five-year rolling plan.
ISSUE:
The proposed Public Art Strategy and Plan was developed after the input from the community and art professionals, a policy review of the current public art strategy by a public art consultant, and benchmarking other cities. The proposed public art strategy enhances existing policies regarding the maintenance of art, expands the artist selection process to provide more flexibility, prioritizes community engagements, and incorporates a placement plan for art. The public art strategy provides a framework for the development of the Public Art Project Plan which identifies the projects that are to be funded out of the one percent for art policy. Staff will return to the Committee with the preliminary Project Plan prior to City Council adoption.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could choose to not move forward with this planning effort. As a result, the department would continue to operate under its current policies and following a plan that is outdated and does not have a focus on community input.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2017 and FY 2018 Department of Arts & Culture budget includes a total of $150,000, to support the Cul-TÚ-Art Planning efforts. These funds will be used for research and data collection, hosting the kick-off and community/stakeholder meetings, graphic design for the plan, technical review and oversight from the equity consultant.