Over the past eight months, Urbana’s Public Arts Task Force (encompassing seventeen local working artists), with the support of Urbana’s Art Coordinator, Anna Hochhalter, have developed a Public Arts Program for Urbana. In order to directly support the arts in our community, the new program calls for the creation of a permanent Public Arts Commission and Public Arts Trust Fund, with an allocation of $4 per capita going into the fund to support an Arts Director and Annual Grants. One percent of any city building construction or renovation project over a half a million dollars will be put aside for project costs for the arts as well. Their mission statement is as follows: “The Urbana Public Arts Commission is established to recognize the arts as essential to the vitality of our city. The commission fosters a dynamic, innovative Urbana, where all residents — emerging artists, established artists, and ‘non-artists’ alike — may engage with the arts in its many forms and where artists thrive and are valued.”
Art supporters of Champaign-Urbana are highly encouraged to come out tonight at 7 p.m. to City Hall, located at 400 S. Vine St, in Urbana, and voice their opinion on the Public Arts Program. Each person will be allowed up to five minutes to speak before the council, or one may simply fill out a form and write in either support or rejection for the Public Arts Program.
The Urbana City Council will vote to create a Public Arts Program for the city, and you can make your voice heard in multiple ways. If you are unable to make it out tonight, you may also email your support for the Public Arts Program to the City Council and Mayor Laurel Prussing. Simply send a note of support to them by cutting and pasting the following addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]