State issues grants to help install public art
by February 13, 2020 5:52 pm 856 views
Downtown Fort Smith and Siloam Springs are two of five areas to receive a combined $40,000 in state grant to help with public art.
The Division of Arkansas Heritage has awarded grants to five Arkansas communities to assist in the installation of public art. To be eligible for the grants, communities must be a member of the Main Street Arkansas program, administered by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of Arkansas Heritage.
The Public Art Grants assist Main Street and Downtown Network communities in enhancing the appearance of their environment by facilitating the collaborations necessary to build and strengthen an awareness and enjoyment of public art. The grants are funded by the 1/8 cent conservation tax (Amendment 75).
The following groups received the grants.
• 64.6 Downtown, Fort Smith (Sebastian County), in the amount of $10,000 for its art installation entitled “Notes to Strangers.”
• Main Street Siloam Springs (Benton County), in the amount of $10,000 for “Its History and the People That Make It,” a mural.
• Main Street West Memphis (Crittenden County), in the amount of $5,000 for its “Musical Heritage” outdoor mural.
• Conway Downtown Partnership (Faulkner County), in the amount of $10,000 for the art installation “Whimsical Toad.”
• Main Street Batesville (Independence County), in the amount of $5,000 for the mural “Blossoming Main Street.”
The Public Art Grant Program assists communities that participate in the Main Street Arkansas program in the planning and implementation (including purchasing and commissioning works of art) of public art for places viewable by the public within the Main Street district and on gateways to Main Street districts.
Projects must be new, site specific and public art, not memorial statues or works of religious nature. The artworks can include, but are not limited to, murals and tile work, paintings and drawings (of permanent nature), and sculpture. The artwork must be freely visible and accessible to the public for at least two years. After installation of public art, applicant will be required to coordinate an unveiling event with Main Street Arkansas.