In the fall, City staff worked alongside a focus group made up of Commercial Street stakeholders and members of the local art community to develop an Art Collection Plan for the historic district.
In August of 2021, City Council approved a $40,000 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) allocation for new artwork for the Commercial Street Historic District. The purpose of the Art Collection Plan is to guide new art acquisitions, rotating pieces and exhibits and deaccessions. The current C-Street collection will be included in the plan. It will also summarize how to develop and refine the existing collection, identify gaps and major areas of focus (priorities for acquisitions) acting as overarching guidelines for art in the public realm of C-Street.
An online C-Street Art Collection Plan survey was made available to the general public in early November. Input from more than 266 survey responses was then used in the development of the draft plan.
“When developing the Art Collection Plan, it was important to include ideas from those who live and work in the district and assess the current collection, but we also needed to consult with the greater art community find out what might be appealing to future visitors,” explains Senior Planner Olivia Hough. “Based on what we have heard, the Art Collection Plan will be integrally related to enhancing economic vitality, placemaking, walkability and elevating the overall visitor experience in the district.”
The draft C-Street Public Art Collection Plan is expected to be distributed for review and comment in early 2022, with opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback at a public engagement meeting to be scheduled in January or February.
Feedback on other approved TIF-funded projects will also be gathered in early 2022 including input on a plan for installing directional signage, conducting public parking improvements, and developing designs for improvements to the Footbridge Plaza and historic district gateway signage. For more information on upcoming Commercial Street TIF-funded projects, visit springfieldmo.gov/cstreet or sign up to receive project update emails.