Building a vibrant arts and cultural environment for the City of Plano

State of the Arts in Plano

Plano’s art leaders, artists and patrons are united to advance the arts. Plano has achieved much, however much more needs to be done to extend the motto “City of Excellence” to equally apply to the arts. The arts are critical to Plano’s identity, strength of community, and quality of life.

The arts are much more than entertainment and aesthetics. Through the arts we share the human experience, we express our values, build memories, and develop life-long relationships. The arts allow us the celebrate our history, who we are, and who we aspire to be individually and collectively. The arts are always in the making, be it visual arts, performing arts, culinary arts, architecture, literature, or simple storytelling. The arts know no bounds, everyone is an artist and there is opportunity for the arts in everything we do.

A Collaborative Process

The Collaborative Arts of Plano, Inc. (“CAP”), formerly known as the Plano Arts Coalition, was created in 2015 to improve coordination and communication among the city’s arts organizations.

CAP has assembled a committee of leaders representing Plano’s numerous and diversified arts organizations – the Cultural Arts Plan of Plano Committee (the “Cultural Arts Plan Committee”). On October 20, 2022, after several months of organizational work with over 24 Plano arts organizations and community leaders, CAP presented a written Arts Plan Proposal to the City of Plano requesting the city council to charge the Cultural Arts Plan Committee with the responsibility of preparing the community’s Arts Plan in collaboration with the city.

The plan will define a vision that inspires. It will be ambitious and broad in scope. At the same time, the plan will also recognize the importance of the small and spontaneous to enriching the community. The plan will build our organizations, financial resources and facilities. It will build consensus on goals and priorities.

On behalf of CAP, the Cultural Arts Plan Committee’s immediate actions will be defining an inclusive organizational framework for developing the plan, defining the scope of work, and securing the needed resources. Most of the work will be performed by the city’s art organizations, while additional support will come from national non-profits skilled in community arts initiatives. The plan process also contemplates that the Cultural Arts Plan Committee would coordinate closely with the City of Plano staff and perhaps one or more City Council liaison members. Professional consultants will be required to assist with consensus building, resource development and defining facility needs.

The preliminary budget is between $75,000 and $100,000. The Cultural Arts Plan Committee has already secured $25,000 in pledges from Plano arts organizations, businesses, and philanthropy. CAP's Arts Plan proposal was presented to the Plano City Council on November 28, 2022 and was received favorably, subject to further discussion, coordination and direction with City staff and commissions. The plan is to be completed and delivered by December 31, 2023.

The preliminary estimated budget is between $75,000 to $100,000.

Arts Plan update as of February 2023

CAP's Arts and Cultural Plan Committee presented their Arts Plan proposal to the Plano City Council on November 28, 2022 and was received favorably, subject to further discussion, coordination and direction with City staff and commissions.

We are currently in continued discussions with the city officials, arts related city staff and commissions on how we may best coordinate and integrate our efforts within the scope of the city’s work and responsibilities.

The City has confirmed their financial support in connection with the costs of hiring an arts plan consulting firm and intends to place the estimated cost of consulting services in the city’s proposed FY 2023-2024 budget. Funding is subject to the city council’s modification and approval of the budget. The city council’s action on the proposed budget occurs in September and is effective October 1, 2023. Until then, the City has agreed to meet with the Arts Plan executive committee every six weeks during the process of developing the arts plan.

Social and Economic Impact

Plano has experienced amazing growth and transformation from a small farm community in 1960 to a major diverse and urbanizing city today.

Plano focused on ensuring the city’s infrastructure, open space, public safety, and educational needs. These accomplishments have earned the city many accolades. Plano is now a maturing city, and its sustainability is directly tied to its quality of life. While quality of life is multidimensional, it is directly tied to a city’s artistic and cultural resources. A vibrant arts and cultural environment builds and enhances a sense of community for its citizens and businesses and creates long-lasting ties.

The economic benefits of arts and culture are well documented.

$6B

added to the Texas economy annually by art and cultural activities

30%

growth of the arts portion of the Texas economy during the last decade

$23

spent per-event by local attendees (excluding admission)

$48

spent per-event by non-local attendees (excluding admission)

Data provided by the Texas Culture Trust and Americans for the Arts.

Some may ask why a cultural plan is needed now?

The real question is why we are late? Cities throughout the state and nation have recognized the importance of a community-wide plan. Now is the time to plan and invest in Plano’s future.

View Arts and Culture Plans from U.S. cities

Resolution

We request the Plano City Council Adopt by Resolution the following:

Delegation to the Collaborative Arts of Plano to coordinate the development, preparation and delivery of a draft a Cultural Arts Plan for the City of Plano for consideration of adoption by the Plano City Council

Define the plan’s purpose as enhancing Plano’s quality of life through advancement of the arts, including measures directed to community engagement and expanded organizational, programs, facilities, and financial resources

Direct that the plan’s preparation will embrace the city’s diverse population, cultural and artistic interests

Provide for Council and staff liaisons to ensure communication and coordination required for the success of the project

Specify the project is to be completed and delivered to the City Council by December 31, 2023

Allocate $50,000, to be managed by the city, for professional consulting services and specialists to support the project

Require the Collaborative Arts of Plano to secure a minimum of $25,000 to co-support development of the plan

Cultural Arts Plan of Plano Committee

Who we are

The Cultural Arts Plan of Plano is an independent committee formed by the Collaborative Arts of Plano, Inc., a Texas not-for-profit corporation (formerly known as the Plano Arts Coalition) comprised of representatives from the Plano arts organizations participating in a collaborative effort to develop, produce, promote and monitor a comprehensive arts and cultural plan for the benefit of the broad and diversified arts community of Plano and its citizens.

It is important to note that the Cultural Arts Plan committee is not an open-ended fund raising organization. Our sole purpose is to provide a valuable and unbiased resource to the City of Plano in a collaborative process to develop and deliver a Cultural Arts Plan for the benefit of the City of Plano and arts and cultural groups as a whole, and to assist in monitoring the plan’s progress. We propose this collaboration in a manner that respects the City’s ownership, financial commitment and ultimate direction of the Arts Plan.