Lia
Arts and Culture Commission Meeting Date: September 12th, 2022
To: Commission Members
From: Natalie Draper, Library Director
Title
Discuss proposal to bring on consultant for placemaking project.
Body
Action Requested:
Discussion/Information Only.
Summary Report:
1. Background: The 2022 NW mill and overlay project put 30k in the 1% for the Arts budget for public art. The ordinance states that the funding may be used for the planning of public art. Last month I had a 30-minute meeting with Forecast to discuss the possibility of working with them as consultants on a 1% for the Arts project which addresses placemaking in/around Viking Terrace. I am looking for creative ways to incorporate art into the planning for public amenities on the north side by first working with the community to find out what they want. Community engagement and active participation would be central to the success of this project. Their recommendation was to bring in a local person with connections to the community, and they suggested asking Cecilia Cornejo if she could consult based on the work she has already engaged in with the community. She and her work are well known to Forecast, and the trust she has established with the community will guide the engagement forward.
2. The project:
o a group of artists connected to the Viking Terrace community, under Cecilia’s guidance, will work with Viking Terrace residents and neighbors to conduct community engagement with the purpose of creating a plan for placemaking in and/or around Viking Terrace which will:
§ Identify desired amenities and how art can be integrated into the planning of those amenities (e.g. playground equipment, park shelter, garden space, etc.);
§ Create a sense of place and belonging for residents; and
§ Provide an opportunity for dialogue and building bridges within our community through creative placemaking.
3. Precedent:
o The Wandering House project <https://thewanderinghouse.com/>. Supporting this archive will ensure the city and its residents and visitors have permanent access to a valuable trove of community voices speaking on the subject of home and belonging.
4. Deliverables:
o Community designed project that we can put into grant proposals
o Permanent access to the Wandering House archive
5. Budget:
o $20k
6. Rationale:
o The cultural plan calls out:
§ Raising awareness of multicultural assets and impact, and fostering and encouraging new and diverse artists and other creative entrepreneurs to live and work in Northfield;
§ Generating a breadth of cultural programming that represents the diversity of Northfield’s residents;
§ Developing stronger relationships with organizations that support our residents; and
§ Supporting expansion of creative placemaking activities, with particular attention to showcasing the breadth of cultures present in Northfield.
o The Art in Public Places policy lists among its objectives:
§ Involving artists in the creation and development of art by encouraging a variety of creative opportunities for artists with a range of experiences;
§ Contributing to community identity and place by building awareness of and celebrating the community’s diverse history, identity, cultures, and geography,
§ and inviting community response to proposed installations of public art, and involving a broad range of groups, neighborhoods, and organizations in the planning or creation of public artworks.
o The city’s mission statement:
§ The City of Northfield works for the common good of our residents and businesses and the improvement of our community by providing excellent, innovative municipal services that carry out the City's vision for a high quality of life for all.
o The city’s strategic plan lists as a desired outcome under its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion priority:
§ City is a community leader on diversity, equity and inclusion
o Consulting services would be required to do the engagement essential to laying the groundwork for a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town <https://www.arts.gov/grants/our-town> grant and/or a Bush Foundation Community Innovation <https://www.bushfoundation.org/community-innovation-grants> grant.
Attached is a public engagement report prepared by Forecast, shared as an example of a similar project.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
N/A
Tentative Timelines:
N/A