Plano is looking for residents to contribute ideas to the city’s first Cultural Arts Plan.
The plan aims to enhance arts, culture and creativity for all residents, cultural organizations and visitors, according to a statement by the city, to keep arts and culture “a core value” of Plano.
The Cultural Planning Group, a company hired to help with the planning, will conduct four in-person discussions with community members seeking input on enhancing the city’s art and culture.
The 90-minute discussions will take place Oct. 2 and 3 at Haggard Library, Parr Library, Sam Johnson Recreation Center and the Municipal Center.
Residents can register to join a discussion online, and those selected to contribute will receive a confirmation email. Only confirmed registrants can participate, and each discussion is limited to 10 participants.
“[The planning group] wants to make sure that we get a broad section of the city,” said Michelle Hawkins, the planning team’s facilitator and Plano’s downtown manager. “The application will help them determine who they want in those conversations.”
If confirmed, each person will be limited to attending one discussion and will receive “modest compensation” in the form of a gift card for participating.
The city will also conduct a community-wide survey on the Cultural Arts Plan in early October and plans to do more community outreach over the next several weeks, Hawkins said.
By gathering community input, the plan seeks to assess priorities and opportunities, address inequities and create a shared vision, according to the plan’s website. The goal is to make Plano an “art destination,” attracting creative sector start-ups and boosting the economy.
“The arts and culture of a community has a citizen pride. I think that people can really point to the heart of Plano and supporting our local artists,” Hawkins said. “It gives the city a personality.”
The plan’s strategy spans at least five years. It includes goals to make a cultural asset inventory and map, make recommendations for grant programs, public art suggestions and public and private arts funding.