A TALE OF TWO ART CITIES

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.

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!

SC: What role do you see your office playing in the larger process of creating a Public Art Master Plan?

NB: As a supporter of the arts, I will encourage residents to participate in the Public Art Master Plan survey. I will also continue to advocate for arts funding. I am committed to exploring ways to bring additional arts programming space (e.g., gallery space, performance space, etc.) to the City so that we can implement the Public Art Master Plan.

SC: How can residents get involved?

NB: The City of Las Vegas is committed to ensuring residents can share their ideas and input. The City already held two public workshops in June. Residents can email input to: info@artbuildscommunity.com. And they can sign up for the e-newsletter to stay informed here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NVLASVEGAS/ subscriber/new?topic_id=NVLASVEGAS_146

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN KENDALL

SC: In a short paragraph, could you summarize the current iteration of the Henderson Arts and Culture Master Plan?

BK: We envision this plan to be a roadmap that identifies our current arts strategies and efforts and what we need to bring to our residents. Over the past three years, we’ve spent a lot of time hearing from different groups, conducting resident surveys and holding stakeholder meetings to determine how to best implement this plan. At our core, we want to elevate arts and culture within our community. We are grateful that City leadership has recognized the need to do so as well.

SC: How will the residents of Henderson (and beyond) benefit from having an Arts and Culture Master Plan?

BK: The residents helped create this plan. Their input helped drive our decision-making, and we think putting public art into the community can only be a benefit for those living in it. Art for art’s sake can be its own reward, but we also believe promotion of the arts helps create a more well-rounded, diverse community. Our plan doesn’t mean anything if we don’t have a willing and eager community in which to implement it, and we’re grateful to all those who came out to give us their feedback.

SC: Could you provide some highlights that are included in the current iteration?

BK: We've added about 50 pieces of public art into our community throughout the last two and a half years. That includes murals, sculptures, you name it. We identified public art as an area we could really put our mark on, and I’m so proud of the work we’ve already done boosting the library of public art on display throughout the City. We’re bringing art to where people are. They can enjoy it at their local park, strolling down Water Street, etc. This works towards enhancing the quality of life for everyone in Henderson, which ultimately is the City's overall mission.

SC: What are you personally most excited about in this plan?

BK: Where do I even start? I am thrilled about the idea of embedding arts further into our community. Every pocket of the City can have more displays of art in whatever form that may take, and this plan details steps for how to make that happen. Arts celebrate culture, they celebrate our diversity, and this is a big step in making the arts as accessible and affordable as possible for everyone in Henderson.

SC: What were some of the challenges or gaps with the arts and cultural programming at the City of Henderson that could be improved with the approval and implementation of this plan? Why is a Master Plan necessary, rather than, for example, more arts funding?

BK: This community continues to develop, currently on its way to becoming Southern Nevada’s second-largest city. Some may see that as a challenge, but I view this as an opportunity. Now, we have more people to expose the arts to and additional public space to display different forms of arts and culture. As we continue to grow, it’s important to have this Master Plan as a sort of north star to guide our decisionmaking and to refer back to whenever we find gaps or areas primed for improvement.

SC: If this plan is approved, what are some of the first projects or initiatives your office plans to implement?

BK: I mentioned earlier about the work we’ve done in the sphere of public art displays, but arts and culture are about so much more than that. Everyone in the City should have easy access to a community gathering place so the performing arts have their time to shine. Same with community festivals. We want to help build a vibrant arts scene in what is truly a blossoming cultural hub in Nevada. This Master Plan will go a long way in achieving that goal.

SC: Are there any additional stories, remarks, statistics, or information that you would like to share with the audience?

BK: I’m just so excited to have this Master Plan approved and implemented. This has been years in the making with countless hours of hard work by too many people to name. Arts and culture are becoming the heart of who we are as a city, and now we’ll be able to put that on display for all to see.

A public art master plan can help municipalities to identify the needs and voices of the community and provide a roadmap for arts programming. But these plans also help secure funding for longer-term arts development in order to build sustainable public art infrastructure.

With a thoughtful and supportive infrastructure in place, artists and community members can enjoy more than beautiful murals in their neighborhoods. Master plans can support our creative economy by securing lasting investments in artists, and improve the health and well-being of residents with free or low-cost art programs.

Some would argue a new sports stadium can also provide similar economic value and entertainment for Southern Nevadans. This thinking may explain why so much recent investment and public interest has gone into planning for new sports arenas. Still, I wonder, with one of the major employers being arts and entertainment, shouldn’t planning for the future of our art also be a priority?

These are the personal opinions of Sapira Cheuk and not the views of her employer.

SAPIRA CHEUK

Sapira Cheuk is an ink painter and installation artist. Born in Hong Kong and based in Las Vegas, NV, she often utilizes a blend of sumi and india ink, symbolizing the mixture of her identities. Cheuk has exhibited in numerous institutions, including the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Masur Museum of Art, Neutra, The Center for Contemporary Arts (Abilene, TX), Yellowstone Art Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Cheuk works for the Nevada Arts Council, serves as the Art Editor for the museum of americana, and teaches at the College of Southern Nevada. She received her BA at University of California, Riverside and MFA from California State University, San Bernardino.