ISSUE 003
17
The presence of art is critically important to creating a livable community �Councilwoman Nancy Brune
ATALEOFTWO ARTCITIES The City of Henderson is currently in the final stage of approving its Arts and Culture Master Plan. At the same time, a Public Art Master Plan is starting to take shape within the City of Las Vegas. Southern Nevada is experiencing a policy renaissance in terms of its public art programming. What is being decided now will have a lasting impact on the region’s future, and not only in the arts.
So what is public art? What is a public art master plan? And how would this benefit residents? For some insight, I talked with Dr. Nancy Brune, Las Vegas Ward 6 Councilwoman, and Brian Kendall, Parks and Recreation Manager for the City of Henderson. INTERVIEW WITH NANCY BRUNE SC: For those readers who are not familiar with you and your platform, please share with us a little of your background, interests, and why you are a supporter of the arts. NB: Artistic expression is a critical component of overall well-being. Even though I have no talent, I welcome those (rare) opportunities to just throw up a blank canvas on a Friday night and spend a magical evening painting with my husband and tapping into my creative neurons. I grew up playing the piano and we have supported our kids’ musical journeys with several instruments. Just as artistic expression is important for one’s personal well-being, it is also important to a community’s health and well-being. Art is linked to increased neighborhood livability, community identity, and social well-being. The presence of art can help foster connection and inclusion. Arts participants are more than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities. I am committed to creating a community that residents want to work, play, recreate, and raise their families in. The presence of art is critically important to creating a livable community. SC: How do you define “public art”? NB: Public art is art produced by artists (who are, hopefully, local to the community) that reflects the reality of the community and its history, celebrates the community, and invites reaction, conversation, and even participation. It is also displayed in areas that are accessible to the public.
SAPIRA CHEUK
SC: What are your hopes and dreams for the Public Art Master Plan that is currently taking shape for the City of Las Vegas? NB: I am hopeful that the Public Art Master Plan will: (a) acknowledge and celebrate the distinct cultures and histories across the city (e.g., East Las Vegas is very distinct from Northwest Las Vegas) while simultaneously finding ways to curate pieces that bring us together and honor our shared humanity; (b) prioritize and support local artists; (c) include a wide range of mediums, including those that invite public participation; (d) think creatively about ways to bring public art to nontraditional spaces (like utility boxes); and (e) identify new and creative partnerships that can help introduce public art in nontraditional ways. SC: Is there any benefit for a city to adopt a Public Art Master Plan, rather than, for example, more arts funding? NB: A Public Art Master Plan creates a framework to justify and inform arts funding. A Public Art Master Plan can identify the “need” that advocates can reference to ask for more public arts funding. It creates the “why” behind the request for (additional) public arts funding. SC: What would you say to those who don't believe public dollars should be spent on the arts? NB: Again, the presence of the arts is critical to creating social well-being and neighborhood livability. Research has found that in neighborhoods with limited economic resources, engagement with arts and culture can create social capital that exerts a strong, positive effect on well-being. For example, one study found that “low-income neighborhoods with cultural resources have 14% fewer cases of child abuse and neglect, and 18% less serious crime than low-income neighborhoods without cultural resources” (Source: Culture and Social Wellbeing in New York City, 2017). And “concentrated cultural districts are associated with reduced poverty without neighborhood displacement, improved child welfare, and lower morbidity” (Source: CultureBlocks Philadelphia, 2013). In short, there are real economic benefits from investing in the arts!
