Urbana Arts and Culture Commission

On April 21, 2008, the Urbana City Council established the Arts and Culture Commission (formerly Public Arts Commission) to foster a city where all residents may engage with the arts and where artists thrive and are valued. In 2018, the program was renamed "Urbana Arts and Culture Program," in recognition of the inextricable relationship between arts and culture and with the goal of uplifting cultural work and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. The revised mission became "celebrating Urbana's artistic and cultural diversity."

Unless otherwise noted, the Commission meets regularly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m., in the *City Council Chambers, at 400 South Vine Street in Urbana.  All meetings are open to the public.

For more information on how you can attend or submit public input, please visit the Arts and Culture Commission page, and click on the upcoming meeting you would like to attend for instructions.

Members

On July 14, 2008, the Public Arts Commission was appointed. This 9-member volunteer commission represents various segments of the community and has the experience, expertise, and/or interest in the areas of the arts, arts education, planning, neighborhood organizing, event planning, business, or another related field. Members are chosen from a diverse range of backgrounds, occupations, and artistic realms, with the intention of reflecting the full diversity of the Urbana arts community.

APPLY NOW by completing the FillableBoardApplication and emailing to vlkrishnan@urbanaillinois.us

Duties

The Public Arts Commission holds the following duties, as described in the Ordinance Establishing a Public Arts Commission and Permanent Public Arts Program for the City of Urbana:

1. To explore and recommend to the Mayor, City Council, City staff, and other groups, ways to further the development of, and interest in, the arts and the local cultural heritage, as well as to offer advice on relevant city projects;

2. To propose to the Mayor and City Council an Annual Public Arts Program Plan that identifies specific program goals for the year, means of achievement, proposed expenditures, sources of supplemental revenue, schedule of execution, necessary resources and responsibilities, and an implementation plan to address the goals;

3. To propose to the Mayor and City Council policies regarding the selection of proposed public arts projects, such as the involvement of artists in selected building projects, criteria for artist and site selection, evaluation criteria for all programs, and other policies relevant to the Public Arts Program. Such policies should reflect the following three priorities:

   1. Community accessibility to the arts;
   2. Artist accessibility to resources; and
   3. Opportunities for collaboration and partnerships

4. To review relevant proposals and assist in the process by which artists, arts organizations, neighborhood organizations, businesses, developers, merchant associations, charitable foundations, or any other member of the general public proposes and creates projects in the arts which are located in public places owned and maintained by the City of Urbana;

5. To convene temporary selection committees to review and recommend proposals to Urbana’s Public Arts Program for approval by the commission.

6. To approve proposals that are not permanently placed on municipal property.

7. To submit, for confirmation, proposals to the Mayor and City Council confirming the receipt, purchase, maintenance, dispossession, and de-accession of works of art to be permanently placed on municipal property;

8. To oversee subject to provisions under the section on Administration, the receipt, purchase, maintenance, dispossession, and de-accession of works of art to be placed on municipal property;

9. To research and seek additional funding including donations, grants, and other support to further expand public arts programs;

10. To encourage public participation in local artistic and cultural events and programs

11. To cooperate with other entities on matters regarding the arts;

12. To offer educational programming to the public regarding the arts;

13. To coordinate events and outreach related to the arts;

14. To recommend updates to the public arts ordinance; and

15. To take such other actions as the Mayor and City Council may direct from time to time.