We will increase awareness of and access to art and culture in the city. The Cultural Heritage Master Plan will identify access issues and strategies to address them. Possible directions include:
- Improvements to physical access by sidewalks, trails, pedestrian amenities, and transit services;
- Outreach programs that expand awareness and education on both the opportunities and benefits of the arts and culture in the city;
- Methods by which the City contracts with constituents can also be used to promote greater contact between arts institutions and grass-roots communities;
- Use of technology to provide greater access to public art and engage more people with its meaning;
- A process to fund, acquire, and locate significant works of public art.
We will incorporate arts and culture into City activities. The importance of the arts and culture in everyday life can be reinforced and encouraged through interpretive markers, public information efforts, special events and incorporating temporary art as solutions to urban issues, like vacant storefronts for art installations. These are opportunities that will showcase local talent and reinforce the economic benefits of arts and culture.
We will expand the City’s public art program. The City’s 1% for Arts ordinance is an important public investment to leverage private sector investment in public art throughout the City. Public art should continue to be included in City projects. Guidance and navigation can also encourage private development to include art in substantial developments as focal points in their developments. Public art, for example, could be a method of satisfying compatibility standards for adjacent land uses. The public art program should also include nationally used best practices to ensure high quality in the public realm.
We will help arts and cultural projects navigate the city’s approval process. The volunteers and staff of cultural districts, neighborhoods, and arts organizations are often not familiar with the review and approval process and can find the experience daunting. By developing clear guidelines and working closely with these organizations, the city will reinforce the importance of arts and culture in the community while ensuring that projects meet established quality standards.