Norwich ARPA grants meant to lay groundwork for future city commitment to arts
Jul. 19—NORWICH — After the first $500,000 grant for public art from the city's American Rescue Plan Act funding dries up, the city should be prepared to take on a permanent commitment to arts and culture programs, the arts grants manager said Monday.
The Norwich City Council last year approved $500,000 in ARPA funding to the Cultural Coalition to help Norwich artists, creative arts businesses and nonprofits recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, coalition Executive Director Wendy Bury, who is managing the arts grants, gave a first-year progress report to the City Council on the $154,659 spent thus far and plans for the remaining $345,341.
Bury said the coalition's work with Norwich is "by far" the most intense effort the agency is doing for any coalition town. She said after two years, the regional coalition will need to back out and let the city run its arts programs.
"We can be the bridge, but not the permanent bridge," Bury told the council. She said Norwich needs a permanent government supported arts entity.
Bury described a pilot Ad Hoc Public Arts Committee now being formed to create a standard application, review and approval process for public art. The committee will include the mayor, city planner, and representatives from Human Services/Recreation Department, the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, Historic District Commission, city Monuments Committee, Public Works Department and Norwich Community Development Corp./Global City Norwich.
Bury wants to add three or four Norwich artists to the committee.
Norwich currently has no formal criteria for murals, Bury said, with the city planning director reviewing requests.
The committee will start by reviewing artist Faith Satterfield's plan to create a mural on the Bath Street side wall of the Sunlight Building downtown. The coalition has approved an ARPA grant of $9,850 for the project. Bury said the committee's review could provide a template for future mural requests, including design review, theme and steps an artist must take to apply for approval.
"We want to decide what the criteria should be," Bury said before her presentation Monday night. "What is the content? Do you want a collection (of murals)? What do they want to think about when approving it? Who needs to touch this before we approve it? And how do we think collectively about public art?"
Several murals have been painted in highly visible, public locations, including the new Public Art for Racial Justice Education on the Market Street parking garage, the new "Nevertheless" perseverance mural at Castle Church honoring two historic Black Norwich residents, and scenic murals at the Amazing Furniture building on Main Street and on a former mill on Eighth Street.
Bury said she has received numerous suggestions for public art to adorn the center of the new roundabout at Franklin and Main streets. A request for proposals will be advertised this fall for the next round of ARPA arts grants to fund projects next spring. Bury asked if the city wants to explore artwork for the six proposed roundabouts on Route 82-West Main Street.
"Let's not just think about downtown," Bury said. "Let's think about which way you're coming into the city, and about transportation projects. Where are there going to be opportunities? The roundabouts on Route 82 are one possibility."
The next round of grant applications promises larger grant awards of $25,000 to $30,000 each. Applications must show collaboration among three partner entities that have a lasting impact on the community.
