Prairie Village wants to ramp up its public art inventory.
After years of discussion in committee meetings, the Prairie Village City Council will soon consider establishing a public arts fund policy.
This policy would establish the way Prairie Village purchases public art, including how to fund it and where the art would be placed.
This is years in the making for the arts council
- Councilmember Bonnie Limbird, chair of the arts council, told the city council on Aug. 21 that the arts council has been talking about a public art fund policy since 2020.
- When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Limbird said, the arts council was unable to host its regular art receptions.
- That’s when some councilmembers and the arts council pivoted to create the Prairie Village Art Walk.
- Limbird said that while creating the art walk, the city realized there is not that much public art in Prairie Village.
- “If you look to Roeland Park to the north of us, Leawood to the south of us, they’ve got a great public art, outdoor art presence in this area, and we kind of are lacking that connection,” Limbird said.
The public art fund is anticipated to begin 2024 with $40K
- Deputy City Administrator Nickie Lee told the city council last week that the public art fund is already part of the 2023 budget, thanks to the city’s returns from the transient guest tax and the art council’s savings from the pandemic.
- Limbird said there is no specific dollar figure the arts council wants to keep in the fund because pieces of art are all priced differently. The city is also planning on funding future public art initiatives through a range of financial opportunities, such as grants, donations and carving out money from city budget.
- Limbird said the location of each piece of art will be discussed with the parks and recreation committee.
- Most art expenditures and placement decisions will come back to the city council for review and approval, she said.
- Additionally, Limbird said a priority list will be created for placement of public art pieces.
Next steps:
- The council committee of the whole on Aug. 21 unanimously agreed to move the public arts fund policy forward for city council consideration.
- The city council will consider approval at a future meeting.
- Prairie Village’s city council meets on the first and third Mondays of the month at 6 p.m.
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