At the June 10, 2016 meeting of the Sparks Tourism and Revitalization Committee, the group voted on amendments to the Victorian Square Master Plan, which was last amended in 2008. The committee directed $150,000 to be spent on public art as directed by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC). Staff applied for a National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town/Placemaking” Grant  and was awarded $50,000 for a downtown arts overlay plan.

Work on the plan will begin in August 2018. ACAC will convene a volunteer steering committee which will direct the project with community engagement, artist relations, media and event coordination.  

The ACAC and city staff plan to apply for an Art Works grant for the second phase of this project, which will include site specific commissioned artwork. This phase will begin in Spring 2020 or coincide with the end of Victorian Square construction. 

The last time the City of Sparks received funds directly from the National Endowment for the Arts was in 1999. It was to develop a Cultural Plan for the City.

1. The Council may elect not to accept this grant.

I move to accept this grant from National Endowment for the Arts in the amount of $50,000 to assist with development of an arts overlay masterplan for the downtown district.