Temple Arts & Culture Plan

CREATIVE CROSSROADS

The Arts & Culture Plan for Temple, TX

Celebrating Culture, Cultivating Creativity | 2025–2035

Acknowledgments

MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL

Mayor Tim Davis

Jessica Walker, District 1, Mayor Pro Tem

Dr. Zoe Grant, District 2

Susan Long, District 3

Mike Pilkington, District 4

CITY OF TEMPLE STAFF

Brynn Myers, City Manager

Erin Smith, Assistant City Manager

Natalie Alvara, Libraries & Museums

Teresa Anderson, Tourism

Kelly Atkinson, Planning & Development

Nicole Barker, Executive Programs

Ayanna Batchand-Rowe, Historic Preservation

Heather Bates, Communications & Marketing

Kevin Beavers, Parks & Recreation

Buford Craig, Transform Temple

Belinda Garcia, Housing & Community Development

Nancy Glover, Housing & Community Development

Kassy Loftin, Housing & Community Development

Elizabeth Page, Libraries & Museums

Alysha Richardson, Railroad & Heritage Museum

STEERING COMMITTEE

Natalie Alvara, City of Temple

Teresa Anderson, City of Temple

Heather Bates, City of Temple

Robin Battershell, Temple Children’s Museum

Kevin Beavers, City of Temple

Bob Browder, Reinvestment Zone Board

Buford Craig, City of Temple

Annette Farmer, Cultural Activities Center

Kelly Garcia, Garcia Architects

Malinda Golden, Belton ISD

Gary Gosney, Temple Civic Theatre

Bo Harvey, Downtown Business Owner

Michael Morgan, Belton ISD

Christy Ponce, Temple College

Natasha Tolleson, Temple Civic Theatre

Jessica Walker, City of Temple

Keith Zuehlke, Belton ISD

ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDERS

John Bailey, Cultural Activities Center

Beau Benson, Temple Symphony Orchestra

Kylie Brooks, Bell County

Marie Brooks Hogan, Local Artist

Ashley Carter, Las Voces Chorus

Shelly Dennis, Academie Musique

Lea Goates, The Wreck Center & The Art Department

Larry Guess, Temple Symphony Orchestra

Adriane Hodges, Bold Republic Brewing

Larry Holmes, Las Voces Chorus

Heather Leedy, Keep Temple Beautiful

Devin Li, Cha Community

Catrina Lotspeich, Temple ISD

Renee Morales, Holy Trinity Catholic High School

Dr. Bobby Ott, Temple ISD

Anna Pineda, Local Dancer

Daniela Rodriguez, Turner Brothers Real Estate

Hector Sierra, Iglesia Cristiana Rosa de Saron

Emily Smith, Temple Children’s Museum

Brian Stokes, Local Artist

David Stone, Our Town Temple

Virginia Suarez, Temple ISD

Whitney Theriot, Temple Chamber of Commerce

Jacki Wright, Academy ISD

Dr. Kerry-Ann Zamore, Local Playwright

CONSULTANT TEAM

Amanda Golden, Designing Local

Meredith Reed, Designing Local

Andrew Gale, DLR Group

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Temple’s first Arts & Culture

Master Plan casts a bold vision for what the city will achieve through new investments in its cultural resources, artists, and community spaces. The plan, which is grounded in extensive community feedback, features several strategies to advance the city’s broader growth goals and enhance residents’ quality of life. By establishing a Downtown Cultural District and a Public Art Program, delivering unique arts and culture experiences, and nurturing the local creative community over the next ten years, Temple will find itself a more vibrant, beautiful place that people are excited to visit and proud to call home.

About This Plan

Developing an arts and culture master plan was a key initiative within the Places & Spaces focus area of the City of Temple FY 2024 Strategic Plan Update. The resulting Temple Arts & Culture Master Plan, completed in spring 2025, is one piece of Temple’s broader commitment to developing and showcasing the city as a unique place with amazing arts, culture, dining, and recreation experiences and amenities. The plan offers a new mission and vision for Temple’s art and culture scene; clear roles and responsibilities for plan implementation; an assessment of current arts and culture facilities; the means by which to launch a new Public Art Program and Downtown Cultural District, and inspiration for cultivating creative expression and appreciation in the city.

The Planning Process

The planning team employed a number of strategies to develop the Arts & Culture Master Plan and its recommendations, guided by a Steering Committee of representatives from local arts and economic development organizations, educational institutions, small businesses, and city government. First, the team conducted background research into Temple’s history, demographics, transformational development projects, and relevant plans. They then toured the city and its arts and culture facilities to understand Temple’s current public art, performing and visual arts venues, and creative amenities. They conducted focus groups and stakeholder interviews, and distributed an online survey, for a more in-depth take on the city’s issues and opportunities. And finally, they identified arts and culture initiatives in other communities, as a source of inspiration for key plan recommendations. The result is a plan grounded in who and what Temple uniquely is, but also an aspirational plan that will challenge Temple to expand into new, more creative ways of being — to the benefit of all who love to call the city home.

“Any public art makes a place more enjoyable, more “touristy,” makes people have positive feelings. Parks with nature does this even more by encouraging people to share happy spaces with family, friends, and the community. It creates a “together” atmosphere, a happier atmosphere. Thank you for trying to make Temple an even nicer place!

— Survey Respondent

Recommendations: Big Idea #1

CREATE A CULTURAL DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN.

ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

1.0 ESTABLISH THE DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT.

» Review the requirements to apply for the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural Districts Program designation (available at arts.texas.gov).

» Tap the City of Temple’s Communications & Marketing Department to be the Cultural District Management Entity (CDME), with responsibility for promoting the Cultural District, tracking data relative to its progress, fundraising on its behalf, and liaising between Cultural District stakeholders and TCA.

» Officially define the Cultural District boundaries as recommended (p. 89)

» Fill out the Cultural District application to establish a baseline from which to grow (p. 163).

» Meet with a Cultural District program coordinator at the Texas Commission on the Arts and establish a schedule of periodic check-ins with them.

» Take a group from the CDME, and other key Temple leaders, on a tour of several already-established Texas Cultural Districts.

» Begin creating and instituting required elements of the Cultural District Program, including a budget, a brand and marketing materials, and the specific projects and programs detailed in this plan.

» Develop Cultural District–branded wayfinding signage for placement throughout the District and at its borders.

» Based on the needs and projects identified in this plan; inspiration from other Cultural Districts; and recommendations from local developers, relevant city staff, and a TCA Cultural District program coordinator, identify the sequencing of projects to advance eligibility for a Cultural District application.

1.1 FUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT

» Task a Downtown Coordinator with aligning Downtown businesses around establishing a PID and helping define its boundaries.

» Work with Downtown businesses to support their PID petition to the city.

1.2 STAFF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.

» Hire a full-time Downtown Coordinator within the Tourism Division to be responsible, in part, for developing and maintaining the Downtown Cultural District.

FACILITIES RECOMMENDATIONS

1.3 MOVE THE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CENTER TO DOWNTOWN.

» Undertake a feasibility study to determine the viability of a new, shared-use cultural building and performance space in Downtown in which to house the Cultural Activities Center, provide space for local creatives to share their work, and support local arts organizations. Consider incorporating the MLK Festival Grounds into this study to explore siting the CAC therein.

1.4 ADD EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO MLK FESTIVAL GROUNDS.

» Add an amphitheater and other event amenities at MLK Festival Grounds to facilitate large-scale community festivals and events. Explore the possibility of partnering with the Levitt Foundation to develop these parcels into a world-class outdoor event venue.

1.5 FURTHER DEVELOP SANTA FE PLAZA’S EVENT CAPACITY.

» Add event infrastructure at Santa Fe Plaza to better support smaller-scale community programs.

» Enliven Santa Fe Plaza with public art and other placemaking elements.

1.6 RELOCATE THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TO A PERMANENT HOME.

» Continue efforts to make the 2nd Street site work as the Children’s Museum’s new home, whether by rehabilitating the current building or tearing it down for a new-build space. If it ultimately proves unworkable, seek another Downtown-area home for the museum.

» Make art vibrant and abundant within the new Children’s Museum and throughout its grounds.

1.7 DEVELOP AFFORDABLE ARTIST LIVE/ WORK SPACES.

» Partner with developers and funders to explore the development of an artist live/work space in the Downtown Cultural District.

1.8 CREATE FACILITY-SPECIFIC PUBLIC ART PLANS.

» Develop distinct public art plans for all significant community facilities that will be featuring multiple public artworks.

PUBLIC ART RECOMMENDATIONS

1.9 BRIGHTEN THE SANTA FE KIDS STOP UNDERPASS.

» Install a series of colorful, light-augmented murals on the posts and beams of the Santa Fe Kids Stop underpass.

1.10 MARK GATEWAYS INTO DOWNTOWN WITH PUBLIC ART.

» Install large-scale sculptures at Downtown gateways that creatively announce what Temple is all about.

1.11 CREATE HOMAGES TO TEMPLE’S RAILROAD HISTORY.

» Create an iconic monument to the city’s rail history that honors the legacy of all the rail workers who made Temple what it is today.

» Discontinue the Downtown Art Trains program and replace with fun, interactive, train-themed public art — including possible selfie spots.

1.12 MAKE A SAFE PATH FROM THE LIBRARY TO STORYBOOK GROVE PARK.

» Create a whimsical, storybook-themed artistic pathway, including a creative crosswalk across W Barton Avenue, from the library entrance to Storybook Grove Park.

» Place themed window clings on all windows along the north-facing library wall.

» Install a mural along the length of the library’s parking lot retaining wall.

» Install custom, artist-designed character sculptures and play structures at Storybook Grove Park.

1.13 TELL TEMPLE’S STORY USING LIGHT INSTALLATIONS.

» Commission artists to create a rotating series of video/sound projections for Downtown buildings that honor Temple’s history and people.

1.14 HOLD AN ANNUAL BANNER ART COMPETITION.

» Commission a different artist each year to develop a Cultural District banner that is installed throughout the district during times when seasonal banners are not in place.

1.15 MAKE A CANVAS OF DEAD SPACES.

» Commission works of art to adorn parking garages with screenings, paintings, and other artforms that beautify them and create wonder.

1.16 PROVOKE INTRIGUE ON A UNIQUE STRUCTURE.

» Approach the silos’ owner for permission to create a mural on them, and coordinate with that owner to commission a piece with themes meaningful to them and the people of Temple. If necessary to advance this project, consider purchasing the silos.

Recommendations: Big Idea #2

ESTABLISH TEMPLE’S PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.

2.0 FORMALIZE THE TEMPLE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION.

» Establish the Temple Public Art Commission by ordinance to advise the city on any matter pertaining to public art and to support staff with public art project implementation.

2.1 ADOPT PUBLIC ART PROGRAM POLICIES.

» Adopt the recommended Public Art Program Policies p. 177).

2.2 DEVELOP PUBLIC ART FUNDING MECHANISMS.

» Allocate $50,000 from the city’s General Fund to the Public Art Program each year for at least 5 years to establish the program.

» Make public art a line item in all relevant CIP budgets.

» Allocate 0.5% of TIRZ funds to public art annually, and/or to other projects that would advance the city’s case for Cultural District designation.

» Task the Public Art Coordinator with seeking external funding for public art and cultural projects.

» Support in whatever way is appropriate the development of community-based fundraising efforts, for example in the form of a community foundation for Bell County and/or the City of Temple.

2.3 STAFF THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.

» Hire a full-time Public Art Coordinator in the Tourism Division to launch Temple’s Public Art Program.

Recommendations: Big Idea #3

DELIVER UNIQUE ARTS & CULTURE EXPERIENCES.

3.0 IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ART ALONG TRAILS.

» Install a mural on any appropriate building that abuts a trail.

» Select a trail along which to hide fairy houses or, preferably, elements that trace more directly to traditional Texas folklore. Consider making this a community art project in which local artists support community members who contribute their creativity to the undertaking.

» Install Story Walks along park walking paths, in keeping with its playground themes when possible.

» Select a trail along which to install several largescale artworks in line with a theme relevant to Temple’s history and culture.

3.1 ENLIVEN THE SKATE PARK WITH ART.

» Border Skate Park with vibrant muraled wall panels, and/or add colorful art to the obstacles and concrete platform. Consider whether to relinquish some control over this art by allowing local graffiti artists to implement their own designs.

3.2 DELIVER ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAMMING THROUGH PARKS.

» Contract with local artists and other creatives to offer a broader array of arts and culture programming to Temple residents.

» Update the arts rooms at Wilson Park Recreation Center and Sammons Community Center to provide dedicated artmaking equipment, supplies, and storage in support of new and/or more nontraditional arts education experiences (e.g., screen printing supplies, a kiln, oil painting, etc.).

» Offer a full-day, arts-immersive summer camp.

3.3 OFFER A BROAD SLATE OF COMMUNITY EVENTS & PROGRAMS.

» Hire an Events Coordinator to consistently program the MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, and Santa Fe Community Market with, for example, free fitness classes, musical performances, family field days, a winter fest, food truck festivals, artmaking sessions, informal adult sports leagues, and more.

» Be creative in offering events that reflect the people of Temple, and especially those that bring many cultures together in one celebration. Such events might include World Music Day, International Food & Dance Day, a chili cook-off, a “Christmas Around the World” holiday celebration, a car show, Juneteenth, and/or Día de los Muertos.

» Ensure that proper deference is given to the cultural groups with whom the city partners to deliver events. Nonprofit cultural groups, or individual representatives of a culture, should lead the planning and implementation efforts for all events celebrating their heritage.

» Develop sponsorship packages for community events of different sizes that specify the in-kind and financial support available from the city to support them (on an application basis).

Recommendations: Big Idea #4

NURTURE THE LOCAL CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

3.4 REVEAL & PRESERVE UNTOLD STORIES.

» Create temporary exhibits, educational series, and arts shows in Temple’s libraries, museums, and galleries that highlight lesser known community heroes and their stories.

» In partnership with local community groups, commission permanent public art pieces that are meaningful to them and instructive to the broader community about their lived experiences and contributions to the city.

» Work with Black churches to preserve their buildings and their histories, by pursuing joint funding opportunities and conducting oral histories of the congregants.

» Work with cultural heritage groups, the city’s Neighborhood Services team, and the Chamber to identify and cultivate representative cohorts of future arts and culture leaders for the city.

4.0 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTS COUNCIL.

» Fund the Cultural Activities Center for five years to enable them to become an Arts Council for the City of Temple, with the stipulation that they continue their own fundraising efforts during that time.

4.1 RECONSIDER USE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

» Double the amount of HOT funding that is dedicated to the arts, and pass the totality of this funding through to the Cultural Activities Center. Approximately half should be used to fund Arts Council operations and half should be distributed to local arts organizations, in coordination with the city.

» Create a rubric specifying goals regarding the quality, diversity, organizational strength, and collaboration of entities that receive HOT funds and have them demonstrate how they are working towards these goals in their applications.

» Ensure that all city and neighborhood plans reference ways to promote art and culture in Temple — even those with seemingly limited connection to art and culture, or those for which art and culture does not organically arise in community engagement efforts. Tailor engagement to uncover residents’ arts and culture needs and preferences.

» Partner with the Arts Council to convene the local arts community annually to report on the prior year’s activities, offer an opportunity for feedback, communicate goals, and coordinate efforts.

» Update the Welcome Home Guide to feature a full spread of Temple’s arts and culture offerings.

» Encourage private businesses to install and display art as much as possible.

1

PROJECT OVERVIEW

As its population booms and construction overtakes its neighborhoods, the City of Temple is at a crossroads between its past as a sleepy railroad town and its future as a vibrant Central Texas destination.

The city is widely regarded by residents as a great place to live…if a bit “boring.” This Arts & Culture Plan — Temple’s first — details how to further develop the city’s current cultural resources and inject new vitality into its arts and culture scene. Chapter 1 outlines the thinking behind the plan, the process to create it, and how it can be used to bolster arts and culture in this special place.

The Temple Arts & Culture Master Plan

“Temple’s first Arts & Culture Master Plan marks a significant step in shaping our city’s future. As we embrace growth and change, this plan ensures that arts and culture remain at the heart of Temple’s identity — honoring our history while fostering a dynamic and creative community. Through public input and strategic investment, we are building a city where the arts thrive, local talent is supported, and Downtown Temple becomes a destination for cultural experiences. This is an exciting moment for Temple, and I look forward to seeing how this vision transforms our community for generations to come.

— Brynn Myers, City Manager

In 2019, Temple’s City Council adopted a Strategic Plan featuring five strategic focus areas for FY 2020–2028; the Places & Spaces focus area, in particular, reflects the city’s commitment to arts and culture. Council’s most recent Business Plan operationalized this focus area for FY 2024, in part through a goal to develop an Arts & Culture Master Plan that guides the development, promotion, and preservation of arts and cultural initiatives within Temple over the next 10 years. This plan builds on Temple’s commitment to arts, culture, and heritage by:

» Outlining a vision and mission for arts and culture in Temple that is grounded in community feedback, along with goals, strategies, and action items for accomplishing them

» Situating arts and culture within the broader context of Temple’s recent planning efforts and redevelopment initiatives

» Defining the roles of city staff, arts and culture organizations, and community members in advancing Temple’s arts and culture, and identifying a framework for collaboration among all stakeholders

» Providing the means for Temple to establish a Public Art Program, with policies, procedures, funding, and staffing recommendations

» Considering the viability of a Cultural District in Temple

» Assessing the status and capacity of all cultural facilities in Temple and identifying gaps in what is now available

» Recommending various strategies to strategically develop and promote Temple’s arts and culture

The Planning Process

Beginning in spring 2024 and continuing through that year, multiple methodologies were employed to develop this plan and its recommendations. An overview of these can be found on the following table; more information regarding the specifics of each is located throughout the document.

PLAN INPUTS

Background Research

Steering Committee Feedback

Facilities Assessment

Case Studies

Stakeholder Interviews

A review of Temple’s history, demographics, current and recent development projects, and plans provided context for plan recommendations.

A Steering Committee composed of representatives from local arts and economic development organizations, educational institutions, small businesses, and city government guided the planning process and offered critical feedback into the plan.

An assessment of Temple’s current cultural facilities identified gaps and formed the foundation of recommendations to expand available offerings.

Profiles of arts and culture initiatives in other communities were a source of inspiration for key plan recommendations.

Thirty-one 1-on-1 interviews with 36 leaders of local arts and culture organizations, City Council members and other city staff, business owners, local artists, and community members gave in-depth perspective to Temple’s opportunities and challenges.

Focus Groups

Community Survey

Site Visits

Three focus groups with artists, Spanish-speaking community members, and educational leaders expanded the understanding of key community issues.

An online community survey, to which 711 community members responded, pointed to how Temple residents experience art and culture, and how they would like to do so in the future.

Local tours on three visits allowed the consultant team to get a firsthand sense of Temple and its current art and culture.

“

There is an effort for the Arts in the Temple area, but it is a haphazard attempt. Lack of a trajectory in collective vision, under-utilization of strong leadership, and apathetic connections between those in the arts and cultural offerings in this area...Start something meaningful! Avoid the current trends in the arts. Create a communal effort.

—

Survey Respondent

CHAPTER 1 KEY TAKEAWAYS

This is an inflection point in the history of Temple, during which city leaders and community members must decide “Who do we want to be?” — and commit to the investments required to make that identity widely known.

Temple’s first Arts & Culture Master Plan provides a 10-year roadmap to attaining arts and culture goals that facilitate the city’s future growth and development. 1 2 3 4

The city, recognizing its critical role in driving the arts and culture initiatives that will be the cornerstone of Temple’s future growth, invested in the development of this Arts & Culture Master Plan.

Robust research and community engagement processes captured Temple’s current reality and future goals to inform the development of this plan.

2

TEMPLE, TEXAS

From its inception as a ramshackle railroad construction camp almost 150 years ago, the City of Temple has evolved into a thriving city with an increasingly diverse population and diversified economy. Honoring the people, cultures, and industries that have brought the city to this point will meaningfully bring this Arts & Culture Plan to life for all Temple residents. Chapter 2 therefore outlines key factors in the formulation of this place, and who is here now to carry forth its legacy.

Temple of Yesteryear

Make the history of Temple stand out; bring it forward as the most important parts of our city; find ways to draw it out for people to engage with this place.

— Survey Respondent

From its early days as a town of tents and shacks — called “Tanglefoot” for the difficulty of navigating its mud with all those saloons around — to its days as Central Texas’ railroad and medical hub, the City of Temple was on a fascinating trajectory right from the start.

RAILROADS

Temple was founded as a railroad town. In 1878, the Commissioners Court of Bell County offered directors of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) an agreement to bring their railroad through Bell County. A construction camp called Temple Junction, named for the railroad’s chief engineer, Bernard Moore Temple, was established to facilitate the building of track to Belton and Fort Worth and beyond. By 1881, a post office was established at the camp, Temple dropped the “Junction” and became a town, and the first train arrived; within a year, Temple had grown to become a city.

HOSPITALS

With Temple at the center of GC&SF operations, the company established the Santa Fe Hospital for railroad employees here in 1891. But because the hospital did not serve community members, its director, Dr. Arthur Scott, formed a partnership with his staff physician, Dr. Raleigh White, Jr., to launch a private clinic for all Temple citizens. By 1904, this clinic had grown into the Scott & White Hospital, which eventually expanded beyond Temple to serve all of Central Texas.

ADDITIONAL GROWTH FACTORS

Many additional services and industries grew up to support Temple’s railroad workers, their families, and travelers — and the others who increasingly chose to make Temple their home. In 1884, soon after the city’s incorporation, Temple Academy was organized and a public school was established. The Temple Harvey House served meals to train passengers and community members from 1899 to 1933, and operated a farm nearby to provide food for the restaurant. The American Desk Company launched in 1921 and the Coca-Cola bottling plant opened in 1925. Temple Junior College was established in 1926. In 1942, a VA hospital opened in Temple, and Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) opened in nearby Killeen, making Temple attractive to military families. Over the years, the population of Temple steadily grew with the city’s expanding medical, manufacturing, agricultural, and transportation industries, becoming Bell County’s second biggest city and a powerful regional draw.

Temple’s Cultural Influences

Temple is a place that benefits from a rich tapestry of cultural threads, both from its distant past and more recent history. Each deserves to be honored for making the city what it is today.

“PROGRESSIVE TEMPLE”

In the 1920s, signs throughout town proclaimed Temple’s “Progressive Temple” slogan, which was intended to communicate a welcoming attitude towards outsiders and business.

BLACK TEXANS

Former slaves migrated to Temple during its earliest days to find work with the railroads. The city’s first Black church — Temple Chapel Baptist Church — was founded in 1880. It is now named Corinth Missionary Baptist Church and forms part of the city’s African-American Churches Historic District, along with Eighth Street Baptist Church and Wayman Chapel A.M.E. The Cora Anderson Negro Hospital served Black residents from 1953–1963; the building is now a treatment center for women in recovery.

CZECH IMMIGRANTS

Czech immigrants flocked to Texas to escape the aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire, and to claim the state’s abundant farmland. Temple is home to the Czech Heritage Museum and the SPJST (Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas, or Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas) fraternal organization.

MEXICANS & OTHER LATINOS

Latinos in Central Texas came to the area primarily as farmworkers, and also to find work on the railroads. Those claiming Hispanic heritage today comprise almost 30% of Temple residents.

NATIVE AMERICANS

The earliest known occupants of Bell County were the Tonkawas, who were followed by Lipan Apaches, Wacos, Anadarkos, Kiowas, and the Comanches, whose tribe members infamously engaged White settlers in 1839 at the Bird Creek Indian Fight. By the time of Temple’s settlement, most of the county’s Indigenous populations had been decimated by disease or forcibly driven from the area.

THE RAILROAD

Temple was founded as a railroad town and continues to be one to this day, with an Amtrak station located inside the Santa Fe Depot.

HEALTHCARE

With multiple medical facilities and one of the best teaching hospitals in the country, Temple has been and continues to be a regional hub for medical care. Each year, the Baylor Scott & White Health Community Showcase welcomes new doctors, nurses, and residents to the Temple community.

U.S. MILITARY

Since 1942, when a VA hospital opened in Temple and Fort Cavazos opened in nearby Killeen, the city has been home to a disproportionate number of military families.

Temple of Today

Temple is growing and changing. The city’s population grew by 112% since the year 2000, and its racial profile has shifted significantly during that time. In particular, the proportion of White- and Black-alone residents decreased, while the proportion of those who identify as some other race or two or more races increased, along with the proportion of all races who identify as Hispanic. This is a profound change in a relatively short period of time. Art and cultural experiences that celebrate all who now call Temple home can bridge gaps and create cross-cultural understanding among groups who would otherwise remain siloed within their respective communities.

“

I am not originally from Temple. But now, Temple is a place that I am proud to call home. Many share my opinion [of the] broad culture and melting pot that is Temple, my home.

— Survey Respondent

Population Growth & Shifts

TEMPLE POPULATION,

*The U.S. Office of Management and Budget requires the U.S. Census to collect data on five minimum racial categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. The “Two or More Races” category is for those who self-identify as more than one of these racial categories. The “Some Other Race” category is for those who do not identify as any of these categories; 90.8% of people in the “Some Other Race” category in 2020 were ethnically Hispanic (“What Does the Census Mean by ‘Some Other Race’?”, 2024). “Hispanic” and “Latino” describe an ethnic identity that can be claimed by members of any race. The U.S. Census improved its race questions and coding methodologies between 2010 and 2020, meaning that comparisons between these years should be done with caution (“2020 Census Illuminates Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Country”, 2021).

Temple’s Identity & Character

As diverse and unique as Temple is, and as transformational as its redevelopment projects have been in recent years, feedback from multiple stakeholders and survey respondents is that the city lacks a strong identity — beyond simply “trains.” A word cloud generated from the survey question “What are the first three words that come to mind when you think of Temple?” (see below) suggests people strongly associate the city with family, home, diversity, and community, but also that they find it “boring” and “lacking.” The city’s forthcoming investment in art and culture should make a difference in this regard, with art and cultural experiences that expand Temple’s conception of itself.

While the railroad serves as the town’s identity, the bulk of the population does not identify with the railroad!

— Survey Respondent

Temple of Tomorrow

The 2024 Temple Arts & Culture Master Plan was developed in alignment with numerous prior planning efforts. While the city has never before had an arts and culture plan, other plans over the past several years have guided Temple to the place where this plan will have maximal impact.

RELEVANT PLANS

2014 Downtown Master Plan (2014)

2030 Temple Reinvestment Zone Quality of Life Master Plan (2019)

City Center Master Plan (2019)

2020 Comprehensive Plan (2020)

Parks & Trails Master Plan (2020)

Love Where You Live Downtown Neighborhood Plan (2021)

2024 Strategic Plan Update (Business Plan) (2024)

Santa Fe Community Market (2024)

Santa Fe Linear Trail Extension Plan (2024)

Temple Public Library Master Plan (2023)

Museum District Master Plan (pending 2025)

Downtown Wayfinding Master Plan (pending 2025)

This plan identified potential Downtown-area capital improvement projects, many of which have now been implemented, including the Hawn Hotel, Santa Fe Plaza, 1st Street, and Fred Springer Park.

This plan identifies investments that prioritize Temple’s people and the human experience of being in the city, in line with the Core Principles of Economic Prosperity, Placemaking, Connectivity, and Public Well-being.

This plan offers recommendations and renderings for the 4-block area anchored by the Hawn Hotel and Arcadia Theater buildings in Downtown, to include Hawn Plaza, a new pocket park, and a new parking garage.

This long-range planning document benchmarks key community indicators and offers strategies for how each element of city life should adapt to address population growth and other emergent challenges over the next 10 years.

This plan details all city parks and trails and identifies opportunities to support their improvement and growth.

This plan was developed through Temple’s Neighborhood Planning District program, which aims to apply the city’s Comprehensive Plan at the neighborhood level. It identifies 7 Downtown subdistricts by their current roles and how these might evolve to better serve residents and business owners in the neighborhood.

This is an annual update to the 2020 Strategic Plan, which outlines action items for the year that will advance the city’s primary goals in the categories of High-Performing Organization, Communication & Collaboration, Places & Spaces, Health & Safety, and Smart Growth.

This proposal offers design recommendations for the community market along the Santa Fe Trail at Avenue C in Downtown Temple that is now being developed.

This plan depicts a proposed extension of the Santa Fe Trail that would connect Woodson Field and MLK Festival Grounds, as well as trail amenities such as trailheads, signage, and restrooms.

This plan supports the expansion of library facilities and services to better serve Temple’s growing population.

A plan is underway to address the community’s need for new and/or reimagined museums.

A plan is underway to create a comprehensive wayfinding and signage strategy for Temple’s downtown.

The Places & Spaces focus area reflects our commitment to making Temple a place you love to call home. We are committed to fostering vibrant neighborhoods, beautiful spaces, and unique experiences to ensure that Temple is a unique place with amazing arts, culture, dining, and recreation.

— Temple 2024 Strategic Plan Update

CHAPTER 2 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1 2 3 4

Temple can be proud of its history as a railroad town and medical center, and how it has incorporated those legacies into the city’s modern-day landscape — but also moved beyond them to create a diverse, thriving economy and high quality of life for residents.

People of many cultures have made their mark on Temple, and contribute to its extraordinary vitality to this day.

Temple is rapidly growing and changing, both physically and demographically, in ways that excite many residents but also cause concern among some that the city’s smalltown feel will be lost.

Temple is a city with big plans and the will to act on them; the future is bright for this place.

3

FACILITIES ASSESSMENT

Creating and enjoying art and culture requires dedicated, intentionally designed spaces in which these activities can occur. For this reason, a key factor in the success of a city’s arts and culture ecosystem is the quality and capacity of its cultural facilities. Chapter 3 details the findings of a facilities assessment for Temple that helped determine how the city should support these critical cultural assets, and perhaps new ones as well, going forward.

Temple’s Arts & Culture Facilities

The consultant team toured 13 arts and culture facilities in Temple over a 2-day period in summer 2024 to inventory available resources and develop facilities-oriented recommendations. The tour allowed for a high-level assessment of each building that factored in its location, condition, age of systems, accessibility, size, and suitability for future renovation or additions. At each venue, short interviews with organizational leadership allowed further insights into the facilities’ strengths and challenges relative to their current programs and opportunities for growth. The key takeaways from this inventory study are on the next page; venue profiles can be seen throughout the remainder of this chapter. Overall, it was noted that Temple’s cultural resources are aging and in need of significant upgrades, and that their distance from one another and other amenities is stunting their economic and cultural impact.

We

have more than some cities but I feel like our facilities are aging, the venue[‘]s underutilized/underadverti[z]ed and the performers mis-targeted.

—

Survey Respondent

Facilities Assessment Findings

1. Temple’s arts and culture facilities need modern upgrades.

Many of the city’s flagship institutions are in aging buildings that will require significant capital investment to improve accessibility, replace end-of-life equipment and systems, and upgrade buildings to expand programming.

2. Temple’s arts and culture facilities lack visibility and accessibility.

For the most part, Temple’s flagship cultural institutions are difficult to locate within their landscapes and situated far from one another and other amenities. This lessens their economic and cultural impact, and does not well serve patrons.

3. Co-locating institutions Downtown can generate synergies.

If the Temple Children’s Museum, the Temple Public Library, the Cultural Activities Center, the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, and other experiences and amenities were located Downtown, local families and tourists could plan an entire day around enjoying the city’s best cultural offerings.

4. Many organizations would benefit from a new presenting theater.

The Temple Civic Theater and the Temple Symphony Orchestra, in particular, need new spaces in which to perform, but many other creatives and organizations would also be able to put such spaces to use — or benefit from having space freed up at other venues.

5. Current outdoor music venues need additional infrastructure.

All of the current city-owned outdoor music spaces are capable of hosting occasional events, but lack sufficient public amenities, performer and production support, and systems infrastructure to function as everyday music venues.

6. “Third places” should be hubs of art and culture.

On a day-to-day basis, most Temple residents will experience art and culture not within the city’s cultural institutions, but rather in their own neighborhoods. Third places — the cafés, restaurants, gyms, libraries, and other places people spend time outside of their own homes — should be encouraged to offer art and cultural experiences to the extent possible.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CENTER

The Cultural Activities Center (CAC) facility was built in 1978 and had one significant addition in the early 2000s. It offers a presenting theater with 422 seats; several art studios, including a ceramics studio with a kiln; art galleries; a large event space; and several classrooms and meeting rooms.

Facility strengths

» CAC serves as an incubator and home base for multiple other local arts organizations, who often use its performance and gallery spaces.

» CAC’s lobbies, galleries, and art rooms are well appointed and provide excellent flexibility for multiple programs.

» CAC’s spaces can be separated from others easily for rentals, and the facility has defined rental policies and rates.

» CAC’s dressing rooms and green room for performers function well.

Facility weaknesses

» CAC is isolated from restaurants and bars and complementary cultural spaces.

» CAC has no street presence — its signage is small and indistinct, and the building is not visible from the road.

» CAC may find that the Arcadia Theatre soon to open in Downtown is poised to compete on terms of location and visibility.

» CAC offers insufficient storage, shop space, and production space for community theater groups to use it for their productions.

TEMPLE RAILROAD & HERITAGE MUSEUM

The Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum is within the historic, 15,000 sq. ft. Santa Fe Depot, which was most recently renovated in 2013. The museum offers permanent and changing exhibits on the region’s railroad history, along with education programs, event rentals, school tours, and special events. It is co-located with an Amtrak stop and immediately adjacent to Santa Fe Plaza.

Facility strengths

» The building is historically significant to Temple and has been beautifully restored.

» The lobby and adjacent grounds have become popular sites for public and private events.

» The building is centrally located, and its adjacency to Santa Fe Plaza and other Downtown amenities allows for exciting synergies to occur.

» All of the museum’s public spaces are accessible.

Facility weaknesses

» There is insufficient gallery space for temporary or traveling exhibits in addition to the museum’s fixed galleries.

» Collections are currently stored in the attic, which does not have good climate control and, given the age of the building, puts artifacts at risk of exposure to roof leaks.

» Due to the historic nature of the building and its relevance to the museum’s collection, it would be difficult to add space or relocate programming elsewhere (though moving the stored collections to a climate controlled space could open up the attic space).

CADENCE BANK CENTER

The Cadence Bank Center (formally known as Bell County Expo Center), which opened in 1987, is located in nearby Belton, but serves the entire Killeen–Temple metropolitan area, which includes Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas Counties and is home to more than a half-million people. The center’s main venue has 6,000 seats and a flat floor that can hold an additional 1,500 general admission patrons for popular music concerts, car shows, and rodeos. In addition, there are multiple livestock barns that host events such as animal shows and craft fairs. The 90-acre site is also used for festival and carnival events.

Facility strengths

» The venue hosts large events that can’t be easily held elsewhere in the region, and multiple events simultaneously.

» The venue is centrally located with easy access to I-35 and ample parking.

Facility weaknesses

» Operational inefficiencies and poor calendar management lead to lengthy downtime periods between events.

» The sound/video system in the center’s main arena needs to be replaced.

» The narrow width of the concourse restricts the amenities that can be provided and makes it difficult to use for convention events.

FRANK W. MAYBORN CIVIC &

CONVENTION CENTER

The convention center is located in north Temple, adjacent to the CAC. It has one main hall of about 18,000 sq. ft. that can be subdivided into three smaller rooms. In addition, it has approximately 1,500 sq. ft. of breakout rooms on either side of the main hall.

Facility strengths

» The convention center is well utilized for conventions and trade shows, as well as community events.

Facility weaknesses

» The facility is dated, as is its event infrastructure (for example, its A/V and IT systems need substantial upgrades).

» The main hall’s relatively low clear height does not allow for competitive basketball, volleyball, or cheer events.

» The convention center’s location and distance from restaurants, hotels, and other things to do hinders its appeal.

TEMPLE CIVIC THEATER

Temple Civic Theater is located in a standalone building near the Summit Recreation Center, Temple College, and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. It offers a 180+/- seat black box theater in which a series of shows, from Broadway-scale productions to children’s theater, are offered each season.

Facility strengths

» The theater enjoys widespread community support and enthusiastic volunteers who help to produce its shows.

» The venue is sufficiently flexible to accommodate a wide range of programming.

» Patron spaces, while dated, are well appointed and appropriately sized.

» The venue offers an intimate experience for both performers and audience members.

Facility weaknesses

» Performers’ spaces are small and do not separate adult and child actors.

» Production spaces are also small and do not fully accommodate costume and prop storage.

» The theater is small and it can be difficult for patrons to get tickets for the shows they want to see; further, there are not enough accessible seating options.

» Adult shows and children’s shows are forced to compete for stage time because only one production can be offered at a time.

MARY ALICE MARSHALL

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND JACKSON-GRAETER BACKSTAGE THEATER

Temple College’s Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center features an auditorium with approximately 1,100 seats that serves as the school’s main performing arts space; it is also where the Temple Symphony Orchestra performs

The college’s Jackson-Graeter Backstage Theater is a classroom/laboratory with approximately 90 seats, located behind the performing arts center, that is connected via acoustically gasketed doors with the Performing Arts Center stage. It is used for jazz performances, rentals, and as a classroom for the theater program.

Facility strengths

» The Performing Arts Center has good acoustical volume that is appropriate for symphonic music.

» The stage and technical rigging are appropriately sized for full productions, making it a great learning space for students.

Facility weaknesses

» The street-to-seat experience for patrons is poor, lacking amenities, accessibility, or clear signage between parking and the undersized lobby space.

» There are no production spaces adjacent to the stage, for instance a scene shop or costume shop.

» The venue is on a college campus and can be difficult for patrons to locate.

» It is difficult for outside groups to share these spaces, as they are foremost reserved for Temple College students.

MLK FESTIVAL GROUNDS

The 10-acre festival grounds sit immediately southeast of Downtown and adjacent to the future Santa Fe Market and current African American Church Historic District. Though the site currently has no event infrastructure, if properly master planned and designed, the MLK Festival Grounds could support a variety of outdoor performances and community festivals, with support amenities including a hotel and restaurants within walking distance.

Facility strengths

» The scale of the space, and that it is contiguous and city-owned, allows for many possible future development opportunities.

» The site’s location is ideal for capitalizing on other downtown-area developments.

Facility weaknesses

» The grounds offer little to no infrastructure for events.

» The site abuts a residential neighborhood that could be negatively impacted by the traffic and noise spillover that it generates.

SANTA FE PLAZA

The Santa Fe Plaza is anchored by the historic Santa Fe Depot, and new office buildings for the Texas Workforce Commission, Temple Chamber of Commerce, and Temple Independent School District. The plaza itself is well designed, with a beautiful green space and an interactive fountain. It has become a popular site for small-scale community events since it opened in 2019.

Facility strengths

» The scale of the plaza, and the fact that it is surrounded by buildings that frame the space, make it a comfortable, intimate place to be.

» The plaza is flexible and equipped to accommodate many different types of events and activities.

» The plaza is close to several cultural institutions, a bike trail, a park, and other downtown amenities.

Facility weaknesses

» The plaza offers no dedicated public restrooms.

» There are no performer preparation spaces, such as dressing rooms or a green room.

» The space has no integrated performance systems or power for rented equipment.

SAM FARROW AMPHITHEATER

The Sam Farrow Amphitheater is located in Lions Park, southwest of downtown, on the site of a former public pool. The space consists of a small pavilion and stage surrounded by a bermed lawn for seating, which holds approximately 600 patrons.

Facility strengths

» The site is within a park that features multiple other uses.

» The amphitheater is new and attractive.

Facility weaknesses

» The space is remote and disconnected from other cultural amenities.

» Parking at the site is limited.

» The space offers little event infrastructure and is not broadly accessible to those with physical limitations.

» There is little sun protection on the event lawn.

REUBEN D. TALASEK BEND OF THE RIVER

The Bend of the River is located in South Temple, where I-35 and the Leon River intersect. It is the only park in Temple with river access. The park, a former ranch, is currently used for outdoor community events such as Halloween hayrides and Christmas festivities, and is available to rent for private events. The City of Temple’s vision is to develop approximately ⅔ of the former ranch as a mixed-use community and leave the remaining ⅓ along the river as public parkland. When the community development takes place, it makes sense that it would be leveraged to create an outdoor- and river-focused cultural space.

Facility strengths

» The site offers large spaces for community events and a rental facility for private functions. It is useful as a park, but less so as a cultural amenity (unless and until a mixed-used development is built on the land).

» The site has river access.

Facility weaknesses

» The space is remote and disconnected from other cultural amenities.

» The space offers little event infrastructure.

TEMPLE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The Children’s Museum features approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of hands-on STEM, building, and art activities for children aged approximately 3–8. The museum offers field trips and camps, and hosts fundraisers and guest speakers. They also rent out their space for birthday parties and private events. The city and the museum are now working to relocate this museum.

Facility strengths

» The building is suitable for its current purposes.

Facility weaknesses

» The building is too small for the museum’s current programming and precludes its growth.

» The museum does not own this building.

CZECH HERITAGE MUSEUM AND GENEALOGY CENTER

This museum features a fixed gallery of approximately 5,000 sq. ft. showing a variety of apparel, furniture, photography, printing, text, and glass artifacts. The museum also offers programs and services to the public, such as film festivals and live performances, and they rent out the space for a variety of private, community, and cultural events. It houses around 23,000 volumes of census records and immigrant ship rosters.

Facility strengths

» The building is suitable for its current purposes.

Facility weaknesses

» The museum is somewhat removed from other Downtown cultural institutions.

» The owners of the museum’s current building are attempting to sell it, and the museum will likely have to relocate when new owners take over.

TEMPLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Temple currently has a single branch public library, located Downtown adjacent to City Hall. The building was built in 1973, is approximately 75,000 gross sq. ft., and has been occupied by the library since 1993. In addition, the city is in advanced planning for Storybook Grove Park immediately to the north of the library, which will host additional family programming. The library completed a master plan in 2023 that addressed building and expansion issues.

Facility strengths

» The library is centrally located and has ample parking.

» The building is large enough to allow for varied public programs and rental opportunities.

Facility weaknesses

» The building’s age suggests that a significant investment will soon be required to replace its envelope and systems.

» Tenant leases on the third floor limit the library’s flexibility.

» The building’s brutalist architecture presents an unfriendly face to the community and obscures the vibrant activity going on inside.

CHAPTER 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1 2 3 4

The planning process included an assessment of arts and culture facilities in Temple, which clarified what would be necessary to optimize these amenities.

Temple has a fair number of significant cultural facilities, but most are outdated and need modern upgrades.

Multiple organizations within Temple would benefit from having access to a new shared-use presenting theater.

The dispersion of cultural facilities throughout Temple is depriving them — and the local businesses that could benefit from proximity to them — of profit and impact.

4

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The intention for this plan was that it prove deeply responsive to Temple residents’ cultural needs, and that it generate excitement as a result. Throughout the planning process, community engagement took the form of stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and an online community survey that reached hundreds of people. Chapter 4 describes these methodologies, as well as what they yielded and how they were used to inform plan recommendations.

Engagement Methodologies

Two primary methodologies — community conversations (via 1-on-1 stakeholder interviews and focus groups) and an online survey — were used to collect community feedback regarding art and culture in Temple, as it currently is and how it should be in the future. These methods are detailed below.

INTERVIEWS & FOCUS GROUPS

Thirty-one 30-to-60–minute, 1-on-1 stakeholder conversations with 36 representatives from city government, educational institutions, economic development entities, and local arts and culture organizations, as well as small business owners and local artists, were held via Zoom during summer 2024. These stakeholders were primarily identified by city staff and the Steering Committee as those with essential perspectives; some were identified by the consultant team as their discovery process unfolded.

Two small group conversations — one with 3 ISD leaders and another with 6 Spanish speakers — were also held. Focus groups for event organizers, religious leaders, and higher education leaders were offered, but did not garner participation.

All participants and common themes from these conversations can be found on pages 60–61 of this document.

COMMUNITY SURVEY

A non-scientific survey to discern the community’s arts and culture–related preferences was also available during summer 2024, in both English and Spanish. It was promoted on social media, via the email networks of local organizational leaders, and through print materials distributed at local businesses and in-person at a First Friday event and a Family Day event at the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum. Spanish-speaking city staff tabled at the Fiestas Patrias event at Our Lady of Guadalupe, where people could opt to take a print version of the survey. Ultimately, the survey received 711 responses.

Survey responses and key insights from them can be found on pages 62–73 of this document.

ARTS & CULTURE MASTER PLAN ARTS & CULTURE MASTER PLAN

Stakeholders Interview Findings

— Stakeholder Interviewee “

Whatever we do here, we’ll have to create it —and I hope it’s BIG.

The following individuals generously gave of their time and expertise to participate in a focus group conversation or stakeholder interview:

• Natalie Alvara, City of Temple

• Teresa Anderson, FCDME, City of Temple

• Kelly Atkinson, City of Temple

• John Bailey, Cultural Activities Center

• Ayanna Batchand-Rowe, City of Temple

• Kevin Beavers, CPRP, City of Temple

• Beau Benson, Temple Symphony Orchestra

• Kylie Brooks, Bell County

• Marie Brooks Hogan, Local Artist

• Bob Browder, Reinvestment Zone Board

• Ashley Carter, Las Voces Chorus

• Buford Craig, City of Temple

• Shelly Dennis, Academie Musique

• Annette Farmer, Cultural Activities Center

• Lea Goates, The Wreck Center & The Art Department

• Dr. Zoe Grant, City of Temple

• Larry Guess, Temple Symphony Orchestra

• Bo Harvey, Downtown Business Owner & Reinvestment Zone Board

• Adriane Hodges, Bold Republic Brewing

• Larry Holmes, Las Voces Chorus

• Heather Leedy, Keep Temple Beautiful

• Devin Li, Cha Community

• Catrina Lotspeich, Temple ISD

• Renee Morales, Holy Trinity Catholic High School

• Brynn Myers, City of Temple

• Dr. Bobby Ott, Temple ISD

• Elizabeth Page, City of Temple

• Anna Pineda, Local Dancer

• Christy Ponce, Temple College

• Alysha Richardson, City of Temple

• Daniela Rodriguez, Turner Brothers Real Estate

• Hector Sierra, Iglesia Cristiana Rosa de Saron

• Emily Smith, Temple Children’s Museum

• Brian Stokes, Local Artist

• David Stone, Our Town Temple

• Virginia Suarez, Temple ISD

• Whitney Theriot, IOM, Temple Chamber of Commerce

• Natasha Tolleson, Temple Civic Theatre

• Jacki Wright, Academy ISD

1. Temple’s fundamentals are strong.

People consider Temple to be a great place to live, with quality schools and robust youth arts programs, responsive city staff, friendly people, easy access to other places, and affordable amenities.

2. Temple is livable, but not exciting.

As livable as it is for many, Temple is not considered to be a dynamic place with a compelling cultural identity, especially as compared to surrounding cities.

3. Temple’s arts & culture venues do not meet the demand for them.

Temple’s arts and culture venues cannot currently accommodate the types or frequency of experiences people would like to offer and enjoy here.

4. Temple’s arts organizations would like promotional support.

Small businesses and arts organizations would appreciate knowing the city is aware of what they’re up to and actively promoting them to residents and visitors.

5. Temple lacks a connected creative community.

Artists and creatives do not feel they are part of a bigger community that is “up to something” here.

6. Temple needs a central contact for arts and culture.

People do not know who to call with their arts and culture–related questions, concerns, and requests. There is no city-designated staff person nor any arts and culture organization functioning in this role.

7. Temple residents go elsewhere to experience art and culture.

People tend to go elsewhere, or bypass the city altogether, when seeking to produce, sell, or enjoy arts and culture — taking their creativity and their money with them.

8. Temple’s culture is perceived to be competitive and exclusive.

Some stakeholders find Temple to have a culture that makes accessing nodes of power and influence difficult. Non-White residents feel their heritage is not celebrated and their stories remain untold.

9. Temple’s nonprofit arts organizations suffer a paucity of funding.

There is no entity comprehensively undertaking the work of fundraising in Temple, and many believe there is not enough funding to support multiple arts and culture organizations.

10. Temple has an appetite for big things.

People in Temple are eager to be inspired by the city’s art and culture, and though they can’t quite imagine what form it will take, they are ready for something big!

Survey Respondents

The survey responses detailed on this spread helped provide a sense of who completed the survey and how they interact with art and culture in Temple. Notably, several of these respondents volunteered their thanks to the city for seeking their opinions and for undertaking this art and culture plan.

“

Thank you for trying to make Temple an even nicer place!

— Survey Respondent

Who responded to this survey?

Survey respondents were overwhelmingly White, female Temple residents over the age of 45.

What is your relationship to Temple?

n = 674

What is your gender? n = 597

I live in Temple.

7% I work in Temple but live elsewhere. 32% I live and work in Temple.

I visit Temple.

What is your racial identity? n = 549

How old are you? n = 666

How do survey respondents interact with the arts?

Many survey respondents reported a relationship of some kind with the arts, whether they consider themselves to be an artist or a consumer or supporter of art and culture. Most commonly, respondents were arts spectators who experience Temple’s art and culture by attending a free or ticketed or event.

Do you consider yourself an artist? n = 673

What is your relationship with the arts (visual, literary, performing, etc.) in Temple? Select all that apply.

I am an artist, writer, and/or performer.

I experience the arts as a spectator.

I volunteer with an arts organization.

I donate to arts organizations.

I am an advocate for the arts.

I purchase works of art from local artists.

How do you most commonly experience arts & culture in Temple? Select all that apply.

Survey Insights

The following ten insights were culled from quantitative and qualitative survey data. The data highlighted on this page echoes a sentiment from the stakeholder interviews, which is that people leave Temple to experience art and culture. It affirms that many Temple residents would appreciate having more art and culture available locally.

1. Temple’s current arts and culture offerings are appreciated, but people want more.

Survey respondents are ambivalent as to their satisfaction with Temple’s current arts and cultural offerings, but clearly believe that having more support for art and culture in Temple would make it a better place to live.

To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

I feel the overall quality of Temple’s arts and cultural offerings is satisfactory.

I feel the arts and cultural offerings in Temple accurately reflect the community of Temple.

If there was more support for arts and culture in Temple, it would be a better place to live.

2. Temple residents go elsewhere to experience art and culture.

With the exception of local parks and natural areas, survey respondents leave the county to experience every type of art and culture.

In the last 12 months, which arts and culture activities INSIDE/OUTSIDE BELL COUNTY have you participated in?

“

I

am happy with the additions being made, but I think there is a lot of potential to grow and would love to see more.

— Survey

Respondent

I

do not know many arts and culture activities in Temple — we leave Temple for these types of activities.

—Survey Respondent “

Survey Insights (continued)

The survey question below suggests reasons people may not participate in arts and culture currently offered in Temple. The insights on the following page were gleaned from the open-ended question, “If you were to provide one piece of feedback to city leaders about how to improve arts and culture in Temple, what would it be?”

3. The main barriers to arts and culture participation in Temple are a lack of offerings and/or a lack of knowledge about offerings.

Respondents’ main barriers to participating in arts and culture are a lack of offerings and a lack of knowledge about offerings, begging the question of which is the more fundamental issue. It may be that both reflect a certain truth — that there aren’t enough offerings, and that what is available is not well communicated to the general public. Indeed, this sentiment is captured in the quote below.

What barriers, if any, have prevented you from participating in arts and culture activities in Temple?

Select all that apply.

— Survey Respondent “

There are not enough culture and art activities, and what we have are not advertised enough.

4. Temple could do a better job celebrating the cultures of all who call the city home.

Temple recently marked its third annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, which has been a welcome addition to the city’s event calendar. But for a city in which more than 30% of residents claim Hispanic heritage, one would expect that culture to be more prevalent. Multiple survey respondents expressed this sentiment, in fact, alongside suggestions emphasizing the need to connect youth to opportunities to learn and experience Hispanic music, dance, and art. Some further encouraged Temple to ensure its leadership more accurately reflects the city’s demographics.

The Hispanic culture is not paid attention to nor celebrated as [it] should [be]. There are no Hispanic-related recreation such as folklorico, mariachi or Hispanic dance classes. Temple also does not have any thing for Cinco de Mayo, Hispanic Heritage month.

Consider the demographic make up of Temple and have that reflected in leadership.

—Survey Respondents

5. Temple residents want the city to solicit their feedback on public art projects.

The sculptures associated with Temple’s gateway project have proven unpopular with residents, as reflected in many survey comments. Respondents cited the amount of public funds spent on this project, as well as dissatisfaction with its design, when requesting that the public have a chance to weigh in on future projects before they are implemented.

“ “

Never spend the amount spent on gateway project without public buy in.

Get the city’s feedback to prevent negative emotions around the displayed art.

Ensure you get the input of your average citizen before spending taxpayer dollars on projects/art — i.e. Gateway Project...

—Survey Respondents

6. Some prefer no arts-related investment until other issues, like crime and infrastructure, are addressed.

It is common for some to call for the resolution of other city problems before a public investment in art and culture is made. The city will need to remain mindful of this sentiment as it advances plan recommendations, to ensure widespread buy-in occurs as residents see the value of arts and culture investments demonstrated over time.

“

There are FAR more important things the city needs to focus on than art. Crime, roads, etc. Let’s make sure the citizens are safe and cared for 1st.

—Survey Respondent

Survey Insights (continued)

The questions on these pages provide a sense of what types of arts and culture people in Temple are seeking to experience locally, and where they would like for them to occur.

7. Temple residents want more options for live music, food, and theater, and they cite festivals and fairs as the most important community events.

Survey respondents indicate a strong preference for the performing arts, and specifically a desire for more live music and theater in Temple. They would also like more options for exploring culinary arts in the city, and more festivals.

What cultural activities do you want more of in Temple?

Select your top 3.

NatureMuseumsLiveMusic heritage,FoodCulturalarts,orfolkart Danceor choreography Film,video,or televisionHistoryorscienceLiteraryartsPublicartPhotographySpokenwordSymphony,choir,or

Which community event offering is most important to you?

Rank 1–5 in order of priority.*

*Chart reflects the number of times an option was respondents’ #1 choice.

8. Temple residents want to see more murals, functional art, and interactive art installations Downtown and in parks

Overwhelmingly, survey respondents want to see more murals in the city, though they also expressed a strong desire for functional and interactive art throughout Temple’s Downtown and parks.

What types of public art would you like to see more of in Temple? Select all that apply.

Where would you like to see more public art in Temple? n = 706

If you build it, they will come. Art galleries, festivals, beautiful parks and natural areas...all these bring people together and foster pride in our community.

— Survey Respondent

Survey Insights (continued)

Responses to the questions on this and the following page, which seek to understand what people in Temple want their art and culture to be and accomplish, will help inform the goals of the city’s program.

9. Temple residents want public art to beautify their public spaces and build pride in the city.

Respondents want public art to be a source of local pride by beautifying its spaces and giving the city a stronger sense of identity.

What impact should public art have on Temple??

Select no more than 3.

Celebrate the history of Temple

Strengthen the identity of Temple

Anchor places where people gather

Create whimsical surprises for pedestrians

Build pride in the city

Spark conversation

&

“

We all need more beauty in the world right now. Art which encourages social connection, invites possibility, and brings joy would be a wonderful addition to the Temple community.

—

Survey Respondent

Survey Insights (continued)

10. Temple’s art and culture should be entertaining, unifying, and representative of the city.

Respondents are not seeking arts and culture experiences that are controversial, divisive, “heavy,” or thought-provoking; rather, they want art and culture to be fun and to bring the Temple community together around unique, local offerings.

Which of the following motivations for experiencing the arts most resonates for you?

n = 698

Arts and culture in Temple should accomplish the goal(s) of: Select no more than 3.

Entertaining community members

Educating community members

CHAPTER 4 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1 2 3 4

The planning process for this Arts & Culture Plan was guided by a commitment to incorporating the feedback of as many Temple residents as possible.

Engagement with this planning process was high and fruitful, providing ample data from which to extrapolate recommendations.

Overwhelmingly, people reported appreciating the city’s current art and culture offerings, but desiring more to increase their pride of place.

Temple residents indicate a preference for art and culture that is entertaining, unifying, and beautifying.

VISION

Temple is a must-experience cultural destination with vibrant public art; high-quality arts and culture programming; and fun, unique community events celebrating the heritage of all who call the city home.

MISSION

The City of Temple provides the financial, organizational, and operational support necessary to grow its arts and culture community into a force that permeates and meaningfully improves the lives of all residents.

5

4 BIG IDEAS

Through implementing the following “4 Big Ideas” — to establish a Downtown Cultural District and a Public Art Program, program unique arts and culture experiences, and nurture the local creative community — Temple will pave the way for a vibrant, sustainable arts and culture scene that injects new vitality into the community. Chapter 5 contains a series of recommendations for each Big Idea, as well as case studies from other places that can provide inspiration for priority projects.

BIG IDEA #1

Create a Cultural District in Downtown

Temple has been working for years to revitalize its Downtown, with recent successes towards that end including the creation of Santa Fe Plaza and the redevelopment of Hawn Hotel and Arcadia Theatre. The city should now begin expanding on its Downtown revitalization efforts by taking the necessary steps to establish a Downtown Cultural District that is formally recognized by the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA). Doing so will place Temple on the map alongside other powerhouse Cultural Districts throughout the state — in Austin, Houston, Waco, San Antonio, Arlington, Fort Worth, and other cities — as well as open up new funding streams to support the Cultural District and its businesses.

TCA’s Cultural District program is designed not to launch new districts but to recognize places that have already succeeded at attracting people to experience their vibrant arts and cultural scene. For this reason, Temple can expect that another 5–10 years of work will be required to prepare for program eligibility. The Cultural District program application provides a roadmap to achieving the designation, and also to the creation of a thriving Cultural District; it therefore forms the basis for this segment of the plan.

About Texas Cultural Districts*

As authorized by H.B. 2208 of the 79th Legislature, the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) can designate cultural districts in cities across Texas. Cultural districts are special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community vitality. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development, and fostering civic pride. Cultural Districts have the opportunity to apply for TCA’s Arts Respond Projects and Arts Respond Cultural District Projects funding to support various district initiatives.

POSSIBLE CULTURAL DISTRICT GOALS

TCA recognizes that a thriving creative sector is a powerful economic development asset. Cultural district designation is a strategy to help communities boost their economies while realizing other cultural and civic benefits. The benefits associated with cultural districts often extend beyond the arts to all community members. Goals for these programs may include:

» Attracting artists and cultural enterprises to the community. Artists, cultural institutions, and creative enterprises all contribute to a community’s economic potential. Not only do they generate direct economic activity, but artists and creative entrepreneurs infuse communities with energy and innovation.

» Encouraging business and job development. Cultural districts can create a hub of economic activity that contributes to the community being an appealing place to live, visit, and conduct business. A thriving cultural scene helps an area prosper because consumers drawn to cultural attractions patronize other nearby businesses. This can result in the creation of new economic opportunities and jobs.

» Addressing a community’s specific needs. Cultural districts are a highly adaptable economic development approach that allows a community to make use of unique conditions, assets, and opportunities.

» Establishing tourism destinations. Cultural districts are marketable tourism assets that highlight the distinct identity of a community and encourage in-state, out-of-state, and international visitors.

» Preserving and reusing historic buildings. Some cultural districts are very involved in historic preservation. Adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of older buildings through preservation tax credits can result in structural and façade improvements. These rehabilitated buildings provide opportunities for affordable artist live/work space and new homes for cultural organizations.

» Enhancing property values. Successful districts combine improvements to public spaces (such as parks, waterfronts, and pedestrian corridors) along with property development. Redeveloping abandoned properties and historic sites and recruiting businesses to occupy vacant spaces can contribute to reduced vacancy rates and enhanced property values.

» Fostering local cultural development. The establishment of a cultural district provides a focal point for celebrating and strengthening a community’s cultural identity. Cultural districts highlight existing cultural amenities and work to recruit and establish new artists, cultural industries, and organizations.

*The content on these two pages was pulled from the Texas Commission on the Arts website and is reprinted here almost verbatim.

A cultural district is the anchor of a recognized, labeled, mixed-use area of a community in which there exists a high concentration of arts and cultural facilities, individual artists, and events that are promoted to attract cultural tourists.

— Texas Commission on the Arts

CULTURAL DISTRICT SUCCESS FACTORS

The factors below have been identified as common ingredients of success across cultural districts. Successful cultural districts feature:

» A unique and authentic identity that highlights what is special about it

» Community support

» Artists as valued partners, not products to be “packaged” and/or exploited

» Strategic partnerships that ensure ample resources for the district and its inhabitants

» A vision for the district that is based in inclusive cultural and strategic planning

» Sustainable artist live/work spaces that allow them the freedom to create

» A local developer that has committed to the district and understands the power of arts and culture in community and economic development

» Anchor institutions and special events

» Organized artist recruitment that demonstrates a community willing to welcome new creatives and facilitate their establishment

» Accessible events and venues that ensure participation is available to all

» Clear signage indicating district boundaries, which may be enhanced with distinctive logos, maps, and other visual materials

» A user-friendly website with comprehensive information about the district

» Marketing and promotion efforts to attract visitors, potential residents, and new businesses

» Strong amenities such as restaurants, lodging, and recreation

Why Downtown?

This plan calls for Temple to invest more in its Downtown to make it a Cultural District within the next ten years. Given the extent of recent investment in Temple’s Downtown neighborhood, it is natural to question whether other areas of the city should now be prioritized. Perhaps another question is why the Cultural District must be Downtown — could it be in a different neighborhood, or an altogether new development built specifically for that purpose? Indeed, other areas of the city should (and will) receive arts- and culture–related investments in the coming years. Research, however, supports Temple’s approach to focus foremost on developing its current Downtown district, in service of broader city goals that will ultimately benefit all Temple residents.

The International Downtown Association (IDA) has demonstrated that downtowns are essential to the vitality of an entire city, with a disproportionate impact relative to their size in terms of economy, vibrancy, inclusion, resilience, and identity (The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities, 2023). Downtowns are, by definition, compact places in which many different types of activities and amenities are co-located. Established downtown districts offer these activities and amenities in sufficient supply and proximity that many different types of people are attracted to partake of them at all hours of the day and night. The IDA would classify Temple’s downtown as “Emerging,” meaning the conditions necessary for it to achieve full potential are still being put in place. At this stage, continuing to invest in creative amenities and infill development projects that enhance walkability, reduce blight, and activate downtown spaces is essential for Temple to enter a “Growing” stage in which its citywide impact is more fully actualized.

For the purpose of this arts and culture plan, the role that Temple’s downtown plays in its identity is a key concern. When people imagine a city, its downtown — its heart, the place that holds so many memories in its buildings and its people — is what often comes to mind. So when stakeholders and survey respondents say that Temple lacks an identity, partly what they mean is that there is nothing distinctive or memorable about its Downtown. The art- and culture-based interventions in this plan are therefore concentrated in Downtown to help Temple more proudly and effectively communicate who it is, both to residents and to the outside world. This is a worthy goal unto itself, but one that further unlocks economic and quality of life benefits for the entire city

No city or region can succeed without a strong downtown, the place where compactness and density bring people, capital, and ideas into the kind of proximity that builds economies, opportunity, community, and identity.

— International Downtown Association

We need to DRAW PEOPLE TO DOWNTOWN! We need to invest more in anchoring downtown and finding ways to draw people to the area.

— Survey Respondent

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.0 ESTABLISH THE DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT.

» ACTION: Review the requirements to apply for the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural Districts Program designation (available at arts.texas.gov).

» ACTION: Tap the City of Temple’s Communications & Marketing Department to be the Cultural District Management Entity (CDME), with responsibility for promoting the Cultural District, tracking data relative to its progress, fundraising on its behalf, and liaising between Cultural District stakeholders and TCA.

» ACTION: Officially define the Cultural District boundaries as recommended (p. 89).

» ACTION: Fill out the Cultural District application to establish a baseline from which to grow (p. 163).

» ACTION: Meet with a Cultural District program coordinator at the Texas Commission on the Arts and establish a schedule of periodic check-ins with them.

» ACTION: Take a group from the CDME, and other key Temple leaders, on a tour of several already-established Texas Cultural Districts.

» ACTION: Begin creating and instituting required elements of the Cultural District Program, including a budget, a brand and marketing materials, and the specific projects and programs detailed in this plan.

» ACTION: Develop Cultural District–branded wayfinding signage for placement throughout the District and at its borders.

» ACTION: Based on the needs and projects identified in this plan; inspiration from other Cultural Districts; and recommendations from local developers, relevant city staff, and a TCA Cultural District program coordinator, identify the sequencing of projects to advance eligibility for a Cultural District application.

Recommended Cultural District Boundaries

The TCA stipulates that Cultural Districts should be contiguous, walkable areas, without large gaps in arts and culture offerings, that include public art, restaurants, hotels, performance venues, cultural arts centers, hotels, museums, historic landmarks, galleries, artist spaces, parks, civic infrastructure, etc. The Downtown Cultural District proposed for Temple has been drawn to include as many such amenities as possible. However, the city may want to expand the district’s boundaries to include adjacent properties — if plans for those parcels will augment the district’s offerings.

LEGEND

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.1 FUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.

As outlined in Chapter 372 of the Texas Local Government Code, a Public Improvement District (PID) is a defined geographic area within a municipality or county where property owners have agreed to pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund specific improvements or services within that district beyond what the local government provides as a standard service, including library and parks improvements and the acquisition and installation of pieces of art. A group of Temple’s Downtown property owners could petition the city to establish a PID for the purpose of funding such improvements within the Cultural District.* The process to get everyone on board with this idea may take time; conversations to explore the idea should begin as soon as possible.

» ACTION: Task a Downtown Coordinator with aligning Downtown businesses around establishing a PID and helping define its boundaries.

» ACTION: Work with Downtown businesses to support their PID petition to the city.

*While the boundaries of the PID and the Cultural District need not be the same, they would need to overlap at the sites of any proposed improvements.

1.2 STAFF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) requires that cities with a Cultural District identify a contact person who will liaise with them regarding the program. This person will further perform or assign tasks associated with fundraising, marketing, partner communications, data collection, and reporting for the district. Such tasks alone may not warrant a full-time position, but Temple may want to consider whether someone in a full- or part-time Downtown Coordinator–type role could accelerate the timeline along which Temple is eligible to apply for formal Cultural District designation, by focusing their exclusive attention on necessary Downtown revitalization projects.

» ACTION: Hire a full-time Downtown Coordinator within the Tourism Division to be responsible, in part, for developing and maintaining the Downtown Cultural District.

INSPIRATION

» Arlington’s Cultural District

The Cultural District in Arlington, Texas, seen below bordered in dark blue, is managed by Downtown Arlington Management Corporation, “a private, non-profit community development organization whose purpose is to forge alliances between property owners, business interests, residents and the City of Arlington to improve and enhance the economic vitality and overall environment of Downtown Arlington.” The organization also manages the Business Improvement District, which shares a boundary

with the Cultural District and helps fund it. In addition, the city has designated much of the Cultural District a TIRZ (red outline) and created a Downtown Business Zoning District (beige coloring) and Downtown Neighborhood Overlay (pink) to support redevelopment efforts there. Due to the success of these efforts, which have been ongoing since before the Cultural District was recognized in 2016, Arlington is now preparing a second Cultural District application to support its entertainment district.

A map of Arlington’s Cultural District and the zoning and funding mechanisms in place to support it. Source: City of Arlington

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.3 MOVE THE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CENTER TO DOWNTOWN.

The Cultural Activities Center has played a pivotal role in connecting Temple residents with art and culture since 1958, and its role is poised to expand through the implementation of this plan (see p. 142). This fact alone indicates the need to critically assess the CAC’s current facility, which was built for the organization in 1978, but additional factors strengthen the case. In particular, the building’s isolated location and lack of streetfront visibility, combined with its age and the expansion of need within Temple’s arts and culture community, suggest that relocating the CAC to a new-build facility is warranted at this time. Specific elements of this facility would be determined through a feasibility study, but ideally it would include a presenting theater with production, performer, and audience spaces to support 150–200 events per year; visual art galleries; arts education classrooms; flexible multi-purpose gathering spaces; and offices for CAC and other local arts organizations. Such a facility would be 40,000 sq. ft., at minimum, and located on one of several possible Downtown sites to complement the MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, and Arcadia Theatre.

» ACTION: Undertake a feasibility study to determine the viability of a new, shared-use cultural building and performance space in Downtown in which to house the Cultural Activities Center, provide space for local creatives to share their work, and support local arts organizations. Consider incorporating the MLK Festival Grounds into this study to explore siting the CAC therein.

INSPIRATION

Murphy Arts District

Community leaders in the former oil town of El Dorado, Arkansas sought to develop their cultural assets, including the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the South Arkansas Arts Center, within a 125,000 sq. ft. site to become the Murphy Arts District. The project to develop this vision included a 7,000-person amphitheater and festival venue adjacent to the historic Griffin Auto Building, which was repurposed to include

a 2,000-seat indoor music venue, 100-seat black box theater, 850-seat multi-use theater, restaurant/club with a stage, visual arts facility, and a rooftop gathering space that overlooks the outdoor event grounds. The site further features space for a farmer’s market, a children’s activity area, and a large city park. Combined, these elements have activated this area and turned it into a regional draw.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.4 ADD EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO MLK FESTIVAL GROUNDS.

MLK Festival Grounds is an underutilized green space in Downtown that has been slated for major community events, though these have not yet materialized to the extent desired. With infill development and site amenities to support live music performances and other events, however, this site will become a keystone of Temple’s new Cultural District. Its size permits the construction of an outdoor amphitheater that can accommodate several thousand people, as well as the possibility of a new visual and performing arts facility, a hotel, and/or apartment buildings. At minimum, this site should include load-in space for multiple semi-trucks; performer support spaces, such as dressing rooms and a green room; a stage, or perhaps two, oriented to block evening sun and direct sound away from neighborhoods to the east; permanently installed sound and lighting infrastructure; audience spaces offering a variety of seating options; shade and water and activities for children; public restrooms and concessions; and opportunities for private development to compliment its programming. It should be developed with care for the impact of traffic and noise on the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

» ACTION: Add an amphitheater and other event amenities at MLK Festival Grounds to facilitate large-scale community festivals and events. Explore the possibility of partnering with the Levitt Foundation to develop these parcels into a world-class outdoor event venue.

Columbus Commons

Columbus Commons is an award-winning 6-acre park in Downtown Columbus, Ohio that was built in 2010 on the former site of City Center Mall. Including the cost of demolition, the park’s development and construction was $25 million; to date, it has generated additional private investment of nearly $400 million. The Commons now employs a staff of 6 to support almost 250 free and ticketed events each year, ranging from

free fitness classes and kid-oriented field days to food truck festivals, Picnic with the Pops concerts, and holiday Wanderlights events. The grounds feature two permanent food vendors, a carousel, a pavilion, gardens, and easy walking access to numerous restaurants, theaters, office and apartment buildings, and more. An underground parking garage and other garages nearby allow people to park and explore Downtown by foot.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.5 FURTHER DEVELOP SANTA FE PLAZA’S EVENT CAPACITY.

The award-winning Santa Fe Plaza is a popular new outdoor event space, but could be improved with additional infrastructure to support patrons, production, and performers. Such features might include permanent restrooms, integrated performance systems (sound, audio, and lighting), a company switch/220V power for rented equipment, and/or dressing rooms or a green room. The space could also be enlivened with public art and creative amenities that provide visual interest, as long as these features do not hinder the event experience.

» ACTION: Add event infrastructure at Santa Fe Plaza to better support smaller-scale community programs.

» ACTION: Enliven Santa Fe Plaza with public art and other placemaking elements

INSPIRATION

International Plaza

La Marketa at the International Plaza in Rochester, New York was built in the heart of the city’s Puerto Rican community in 2020 after decades of planning. The site, which features an outdoor marketplace with several repurposed shipping containers, a bandstand, and restrooms, has become a community hub that offers neighborhood residents local music, arts, and entertainment.

The $3.6 million plaza takes inspiration from placitas, or outdoor Caribbean plazas that center around a Catholic Church and have nearby shops and eateries to encourage socializing. Its presence in a neighborhood that suffered decades of disinvestment has become a beacon of hope and community for residents, as well as a place to launch new business ventures and celebrate their culture.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.6 RELOCATE THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TO A PERMANENT HOME.

The Temple Children’s Museum is in a holding pattern in its rented facility as it awaits completion of the Museum Master Plan and next steps regarding the building it purchased in 2022. Though that space may prove prohibitively expensive to rehabilitate, the site it is on is ideally situated to take advantage of the other family-friendly cultural institutions in the area, as well as the new Santa Fe Community Market. With the understanding that this organization is one over which the city ultimately has no control, every attempt should be made to keep the museum here, in the heart of the city, to give families additional reasons to visit for the day.

» ACTION: Continue efforts to make the 2nd Street site work as the Children’s Museum’s new home, whether by rehabilitating the current building or tearing it down for a newbuild space. If it ultimately proves unworkable, seek another Downtown-area home for the museum.

» ACTION: Make art vibrant and abundant within the new Children’s Museum and throughout its grounds.

INSPIRATION

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum

The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is housed in a historic 2-story, 14,000 sq. ft. building in the heart of downtown Grant Rapids. It sits directly across the street from Veterans Memorial Park, on the other side of which is Grand Rapids Public Library. The museum’s proximity to other amenities and institutions enhances the visitor experience and enables innovative partnerships. For example, the library and museum are working with the city to create a new building and parking garage on a city-owned parking lot adjacent to the library, which would allow both organizations to significantly expand their programming.

The museum also centers art and is centered within a neighborhood that celebrates art. It has a permanent mosaic installed on its exterior wall, and a rainbow street mural was painted on the road in front of the building in 2019. A half-block from the museum’s front door is an exhibit of Grand Rapid’s “Women’s Way” initiative, through which local women leaders are honored with bold, colorful art in the city’s forgotten alleyways. A public art walk connects these pieces with others, and gives people another reason to visit the district.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.7 DEVELOP AFFORDABLE ARTIST LIVE/WORK SPACES.

Efforts to revitalize downtown and infuse Temple with creativity will be supercharged if there are spaces for artists to congregate and collaborate. Offering affordable live/work options for creatives will attract creatives to the community and allow them to focus on what they do best — creating!

» ACTION: Partner with developers and funders to explore the development of an artist live/work space in the Downtown Cultural District.

“

One piece of feedback I’d provide to city leaders about improving arts and culture is to prioritize accessible and inclusive community spaces where local artists can showcase their work and collaborate.

— Survey Respondent

INSPIRATION

Artspace El Paso

In 2016, the City of El Paso and the El Paso Community Foundation partnered with Artspace to transform a vacant downtown lot into the Roderick Artspace Lofts, a mixed-use development with 51 affordable live/work spaces for creatives and their families. In addition to its apartments, the 58,000 sq. ft. building features a large gallery; a shared-use workshop for creation, collaboration, and exhibition; and 6 commercial spaces for arts businesses and nonprofits.

Artspace Galveston

In 2001, the City of Galveston worked with Artspace and multiple funders to convert a historic, 36,267 sq. ft. opera house into a 27 unit live-work space for creatives and their families. The National Hotel Artist Lofts building also features ground-floor commercial space. This project has played a key role in the renaissance of the Strand, a National Historic Landmark District in the city.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.8 CREATE FACILITY-SPECIFIC PUBLIC ART PLANS.

Some facilities and grounds are so sizable and significant to the community that, if they are to feature public art, a plan to effectively implement that art is warranted. Such plans ensure that chosen art is appropriate for the spaces available, that all the pieces form a coherent offering, that temporary displays are programmed as appropriate, and that there is a process for adding and removing art from the collections. In Temple, facilities that could be considered for this treatment include City Hall, the Convention Center, the Children’s Museum, the Cultural Activities Center, and Temple Public Library, as well as Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, particularly as new buildings for these organizations are constructed.

» ACTION: Develop distinct public art plans for all significant community facilities that will be featuring multiple public artworks.

Richmond International Airport

With their vast open spaces and thousands of visitors each day, airports are ideal places to display public art. The facilities team at Richmond International Airport (RIA) recognized this, and worked to deliver art for guests that would introduce them to the Richmond region and improve their travel experience. When they recognized the need for their efforts to be more coherent and intentional, they decided to invest in an RIA Public Art Plan. That plan identified different zones within the airport based on what

B | STAY AWHILE GATES

travelers do in each space, and specified the public art, rotating exhibits, and performances that would best augment those activities. It further recommended themes, partnerships, and funding opportunities to help the airport actualize their public art program. The plan’s proposed interventions work together to make travelers’ experience of waiting at the airport more compelling and less stressful — and give visitors a positive impression of Richmond that community leaders hope will linger.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.9 BRIGHTEN THE SANTA FE KIDS STOP UNDERPASS.

The Santa Fe Kids Stop that sits beneath the S 3rd Street bridge and along the Santa Fe Market Trail is a dark, foreboding space that encourages vagrancy and discourages most people from using its amenities or passing through to explore Downtown by foot. Brightening the space with art and lights will help make this section of trail a safe, fun experience for pedestrians and families.

» ACTION: Install a series of colorful, light-augmented murals on the posts and beams of the Santa Fe Kids Stop underpass.

INSPIRATION

“Intersections”

In 2022, artist Nick Stull created a mural to brighten the bridge underpass along a section of Sullivant Avenue (Columbus, Ohio) that had been dark and unfriendly to pedestrians. His piece extends on both sides of the roadway with geometric shapes and depictions of organic life. Its full impact can best be experienced at night,

when rainbow-colored lights illuminate both the paintings and the beams above in a constantly changing display. The mural and light installation have simultaneously brightened and increased the safety of this transitional urban neighborhood.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.10 MARK GATEWAYS INTO DOWNTOWN WITH PUBLIC ART.

The Temple Comprehensive Plan and the Downtown Neighborhood Plan both have recommendations pertaining to the need for some kind of art or monument to mark gateway zones into Downtown. Art at these key intersections can creatively showcase the things Temple is best known for, such as being the Wildflower Capital of Texas or a Music Friendly Community.

» ACTION: Install large-scale sculptures at Downtown gateways that creatively announce what Temple is all about.

INSPIRATION

“The Roses”

During the first half of 2011, 38 rose sculptures and 20 rose petals by artist Will Ryman adorned Park Avenue in New York City. They ranged from 3–25 feet high, and each flower cluster featured a large insect crawling on it. Many of the sculptures were installed within beds of tulips similar in color to them, reinforcing the effect.

Grand Ole Opry

Nashville, Tennessee’s Grand Ole Opry has two giant guitar sculptures at its entrance — one electric and the other acoustic — that serve as photo backdrops for thousands of visitors each year. While technically not public art (they were created by the Opry Entertainment Group that manages the venue), these sculptures nevertheless demonstrate how well instruments lend themselves to depiction as large-scale artworks.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.11 CREATE HOMAGES TO TEMPLE’S RAILROAD HISTORY.

Temple’s rail history (and present) is fundamental to its identity, but currently the city features no iconic artistic homages to this influence, though its Downtown Art Train program has sponsored the creation and installation of eight small, local artist–painted fiberglass train locomotives throughout Downtown. While these have been popular with local residents, there is a sense that they do not fully carry the weight of communicating the city’s rail-oriented heritage. A monumental, unique, train-oriented sculpture is therefore warranted in the Downtown Cultural District. Conversely, there is an opportunity to express play and irreverence through Temple’s relationship to trains — and create an epic selfie spot in the process — by, for example, having a mural or sculpture in which a train appears to crash through a building and bear down on the selfie taker.

» ACTION: Create an iconic monument to the city’s rail history that honors the legacy of all the rail workers who made Temple what it is today.

» ACTION: Discontinue the Downtown Art Trains program and replace with fun, interactive, train-themed public art — including possible selfie spots.

I would rather see one monumental sculpture dedicated to Temple’s railroad history than a bunch of mini trains on street corners.

— Survey Respondent

INSPIRATION

“Brick Train”

The “Brick Train” in Darlington, England is an monumental structure composed of concrete and 185,000 bricks — including 20 intended for bats to nest within! — that took a team of 34 people 21 weeks to assemble into the shape of a 1930s-era steam locomotive. The sculpture measures 23

feet high by 130 feet long and weighs 15,000 tons. It was commissioned in 1997 as a way to celebrate the town’s rich railway heritage. Visitors to Brick Train can park at a nearby shopping center and take a footpath to it, then climb an overlook to view the train’s “steam” from above.

Hatch Street Train Crash

In 1900, a train carrying cattle in wet weather in Dublin, Ireland could not brake in time to avoid crashing through the station building. Though the train’s driver was seriously injured, no one — not even a cow — was killed in the crash. Damage to the building, however, was substantial.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.12 MAKE A SAFE PATH FROM THE LIBRARY TO STORYBOOK GROVE PARK.

Temple has purchased land across from the library on W Barton Avenue for Storybook Grove Park, which is now under design. Of concern is that children will need to navigate a street crossing and two parking lot entrance/exit points to travel between the library and the park, and there are currently no plans to safely connect them. Such a connection can be facilitated using public art that creates a pathway and reduces the risk posed by motor vehicle traffic. Other creative elements can beautify the library’s exterior and soften its brutalist architectural design.

» ACTION: Create a whimsical, storybook-themed artistic pathway, including a creative crosswalk across W Barton Avenue, from the library entrance to Storybook Grove Park.

» ACTION: Place themed window clings on all windows along the north-facing library wall.

» ACTION: Install a mural along the length of the library’s parking lot retaining wall.

» ACTION: Install custom, artist-designed character sculptures and play structures at Storybook Grove Park.

INSPIRATION

Creative Crosswalks

Hundreds of cities worldwide have taken creativity to the streets, in the name of making them both safer and more visually appealing. Creative crosswalks are often vibrant, colorful, and whimsical, but they can also be interactive and convey a sense of place. With a skilled artist in charge, crosswalk murals can further engage people of all ages in the co-creation of a beautiful community amenity.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.13 TELL TEMPLE’S STORY USING LIGHT INSTALLATIONS.

Downtown buildings can be activated through projected video installations that do not alter their structure or facade — which is especially important for historic sites and those the city does not own, such as the Extraco Bank building on 1st Street. Periodically unveiling new such installations during First Fridays events is a way to keep Downtown fresh and interesting.

» ACTION: Commission artists to create a rotating series of video/sound projections for Downtown buildings that honor Temple’s history and people.

INSPIRATION

“Vessels”

In 2020, the Massachusetts Design, Art & Technology Institute (DATMA) worked with the artist collective MASARY to present a series of installations honoring New Bedford’s fishing community. MASARY worked with the Fishing Heritage Center and members of the fishing community to develop a “media poem” centered

on the character, folklore, history, and people in and around fishing vessels. The resulting video and sound artwork was projected onto three building facades on Union Street every night for six weeks for the community to enjoy.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.14 HOLD AN ANNUAL BANNER ART COMPETITION.

Temple currently has a Downtown banner program, but its general banners are difficult to read and not artistic. This presents an opportunity to inject creativity into the program by enlisting local artists to create banners that reflect the “Spirit of Temple” and, in particular, its Cultural District.

» ACTION: Commission a different artist each year to develop a Cultural District banner that is installed throughout the district during times when seasonal banners are not in place.

Mississauga’s Banners INSPIRATION

In 2020, Mississauga’s Public Art Program and Tourism Mississauga commissioned a series of artist-designed banners to install on Downtown light poles, in support of the city’s COVID-19 recovery. The selected artist was paid $7,500 and the city covered costs associated with production and installation. In 2021, Mississauga’s five Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) joined this partnership, which commissioned another series of banners to represent the city’s six Cultural Districts. Local artist Asli Alin was selected to design these “neighborhood portrait” banners, which were then displayed June–November within their respective communities and as part of a cohesive installation collecting all the banners in Downtown. The 2021 designs can be seen below.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.15 MAKE A CANVAS OF DEAD SPACES.

Above-ground parking lots may be necessary for a thriving Downtown business district, but they take up vast chunks of valuable urban land and hamper the pedestrian experience. Adding artistic flourishes to these utilitarian spaces is a way to prevent these massive structures from dominating the public realm and reducing its vitality. Note that engineering elements, such as the colorful steel bars at the Strong Museum of Play, or screens — even those with artistic images — are creative elements, not public art. The distinction and its import will become clear in the next chapter.

» ACTION: Commission works of art to adorn parking garages with screenings, paintings, and other artforms that beautify them and create wonder.

WGI, a national design and professional services firm, was hired to design and construct the new parking garage at Rochester, New York’s Strong Museum of Play. To create “play” even in its utilitarian spaces, WGI installed a series of colorful steel beams of various lengths along the garage’s entire length. The result is an undulating rainbow that greets guests with a joyful burst of color and design.

Strong Museum of Play INSPIRATION “Formation”

Artist Mark Reigelman was hired by the San Diego Airport to beautify its garages with public art. He did so by creating three differently colored screens that each feature airplane models aligned in a pleasing pattern from floor to ceiling. From the stairwells they screen, people can get close enough to see that it is planes, not random shapes, that constitute the pieces.

“New Day”

In 2022, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Montgomery County Planning Department, Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, and Bethesda Urban Partnership partnered on a “Paint the Town” initiative to bring more public art murals to Downtown Bethesda. Local artist The Jah One was selected to paint a parking garage, which he did ingeniously with “New Day,” a depiction of his mother peeking out of window blinds.

Big Idea #1 Recommendations

1.16 PROVOKE INTRIGUE ON A UNIQUE STRUCTURE.

Silos around the world have proven effective canvases for statement-making, transformational murals. Given the size and location of Temple’s Downtown silos, it is advisable that these be considered for such a treatment, assuming their owner is amenable to sell or lease them for this purpose.

» ACTION: Approach the silos’ owner for permission to create a mural on them, and coordinate with that owner to commission a piece with themes meaningful to them and the people of Temple. If necessary to advance this project, consider purchasing the silos.

INSPIRATION

Monuments Project — Texas

Australian artist Guido van Helten visited McKinney, Texas in 2022 to create a mural for the historic concrete silos and grain elevator at East Virginia and Main Streets. He was there for weeks, talking with local residents and taking more than 5,000 images of the city and its people for inspiration; his aim was to capture the essence of Eastside McKinney’s working class community. The artist couldn’t get at it until, at the city’s second annual Juneteenth celebration, teenager Zoe King turned to look at van Helten and his camera. Van Helten’s photo-realistic mural depicting this moment now serves as a striking testament to the city’s diversity and to Eastside’s remarkable resilience.

“It’s easy to overlook the history of the Eastside, because those were not the folks who were immersed in civic leadership per se. They weren’t the decision makers for our broader city. So there’s this subset of our community that’s kind of doing its own thing and figuring out ways to thrive...There’s so many neat things that have happened there, so many neat people that you won’t hear their names, but there are things that they have done [that have] imparted such a legacy.” — Empress Drane, City of McKinney employee and longtime Eastside McKinney resident (artist interview, 2022)

BIG IDEA #2

Establish Temple’s Public Art Program

Cities thrive when their creative amenities are abundant. These pops of color and inspired designs make places worth visiting and instill pride in those who call a place home. Creative amenities can include everything from fanciful benches and bike racks to architectural flourishes, sculptural gateway structures, prefabricated sculptures, murals, and more.

Public art is a particular type of creative amenity that sits apart from the rest and demands the special treatment outlined in this chapter. Generally speaking, public art is a unique piece created by an artist for a specific site, in partnership with the local community — as opposed to created by an engineering firm through a construction project funded by a private developer, for example. While both public art and other types of creatives amenities may result in projects that are indistinguishable in terms of quality and impact, the difference between them remains important, for it is only public art that can be funded and maintained using publicly-sourced arts funding.

Indeed, it is the “public” in “public art” that necessitates a public art program to facilitate successful implementation of these projects. While a construction manager is free to order the bike racks and benches of their choosing, and engineering firms can single-handedly design sculptural elements to adorn their parking garages, publicly-funded art demands a public process. This ensures that a piece accurately reflects the desires, values, and personality of those who live in its vicinity, and therefore that it is a defensible use of public resources. Enacting such a process in Temple, and caring for the pieces arising from it, will require a Public Art Program featuring public art expertise, policies and procedures to support collection management, and other tools as described on the following pages (and in more detail within the appendix). Once established, the program can implement several projects in Downtown to grow excitement for public art and cultivate a demand for future investments in it.

Big Idea #2 Recommendations

2.0 FORMALIZE THE TEMPLE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION.

Temple will be well served by establishing a formal Public Art Commission, particularly as the city works to scale up its capacity to take on special projects in the arts and culture realm. Broadly speaking, the role of an arts commission is to advise a city’s governing body on matters of art and culture. The means by which it does so is particular to a city and outlined through an ordinance that specifies the commission’s authority, membership, and responsibilities. Commissions are typically charged with facilitating the selection, display, and removal of all a city’s public art pieces, and may additionally be responsible for promoting the arts, educating the public about art and culture, supporting local artists, allocating arts funding, helping preserve cultural resources, and addressing equity issues in the arts. Commission members are volunteers appointed by city leadership, with consideration for creating a group that is broadly reflective of the community and includes expertise in various artforms. These individuals become the city’s most ardent arts advocates, and strong allies in the implementation of any arts and culture plan. Further, their role in the public art process ensures transparency and accountability, engendering trust among community members and increasing their support for arts and culture initiatives over time.

» ACTION: Establish the Temple Public Art Commission by ordinance to advise the city on any matter pertaining to public art and to support staff with public art project implementation.

2.1 ADOPT PUBLIC ART PROGRAM POLICIES.

The City of Temple will need to adopt a number of policies to establish its Public Art Program. Each is to direct a specific aspect of the program and ensure the city is following consistent procurement practices; maintaining its commissions through long-term planning and maintenance; governing the program with strong public trust; and providing clear direction for artists, private developers, and donors to follow when participating in the program. These policies are described below, and can be found in their entirety beginning on page177.

» ACTION: Adopt the recommended Public Art Program Policies.

INTRODUCTION

This section (p.177) outlines the purposes behind these policies and the city’s Public Art Program.

DEFINITIONS

This section (p. 178) specifies what the listed words, phrases, and their derivations mean in the context of Temple’s Public Art Program.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

This section (p. 181) describes the roles of Temple’s elected leaders, the new Public Art Commission and Public Art Coordinator, the Tourism Division, and other city staff in implementing the Public Art Program.

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: ACQUISITION & ACCESSIONING

This section (p. 183) details the various means by which Temple can acquire artworks and when and how pieces should be accessioned into the city’s permanent collection.

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: MAINTENANCE

This section (p. 190) establishes the procedures by which Temple’s public artworks should be maintained over time.

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: REMOVAL & DEACCESSIONING

This section (p. 190) outlines the reasons an artwork may be removed from public view and when and how a piece can be deaccessioned from the city’s permanent collection.

USE OF FUNDS

This section (p. 195) details the allowable and unallowable uses of funds dedicated to public art.

MURAL GUIDELINES

This section (p. 197) offers guidance for publiclyowned murals on both public and private property.

Big Idea #2 Recommendations

2.2 DEVELOP PUBLIC ART FUNDING MECHANISMS.

Sustaining the Public Art Program calls for an ongoing commitment to budgeting for staff and to financing the purchase and installation of public artworks. Ideally, multiple funding streams will be identified to allow for art to continually be added to Temple’s public landscape. In addition to the PID recommended to help fund the Downtown Cultural District and the Hotel Occupancy Tax that Temple already allocates to art and culture, the city can further explore % for Art programs and negotiate the use of TIRZ funds for public art. The city will also want to more proactively seek grant funding from regional, state, and national sources; given the absence of a local community foundation or Arts Council, it will behoove the city to support any efforts to develop sources of private funding. Once the Cultural District has been officially designated, Temple will be eligible to pursue the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Arts Respond Projects and Arts Respond Cultural District Projects funding as well.

» ACTION: Allocate $50,000 from the city’s General Fund to the Public Art Program each year for at least 5 years to establish the program.

» ACTION: Make public art a line item in all relevant CIP budgets.

» ACTION: Allocate 0.5% of TIRZ funds to public art annually, and/or to other projects that would advance the city’s case for Cultural District designation.

» ACTION: Task the Public Art Coordinator with seeking external funding for public art and cultural projects.

» ACTION: Support in whatever way is appropriate the development of community-based fundraising efforts, for example in the form of a community foundation for Bell County and/or the City of Temple.

PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAMS

Hundreds of U.S. cities and more than half of U.S. states now maintain percent-for-art programs, through which a percentage of qualified publicly funded capital improvement projects (CIP) are encumbered each year — typically 0.5–2% — for the commissioning of public artworks. Percentfor-art funds from CIP typically arise from new roads, streetscape projects, the construction of new city facilities, and parks improvements, though municipalities have broad latitude to determine which CIP should contribute. Funds set aside can be used to purchase artworks in, on, or adjacent to the building or project under construction, or they can be redirected to a fund for use throughout the city. Regardless, percent-for-art programs guarantee a steady source of funding for public art projects citywide, for as long as municipal construction continues.

INSPIRATION

Corpus Christi % for Art

In 1987, Corpus Christi was among the first cities in Texas to enact a Percent for Art program to incorporate art into the design of the city’s civic spaces and capital projects. The program sets aside 1.25% of the city’s capital improvement projects over $50,000 towards public art. Since its inception, the city has used these funds to purchase more than 65 artworks; it now has more than 80 pieces in its public art collection.

The program’s goals are to involve the community in the selection of public art, promote tourism and economic vitality, and create an art collection that represents the community. The city uses its Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds for a $15,000 matching grant program to support local cultural events that will attract visitors. Together, these programs support a vibrant arts and culture scene in Corpus Christi.

Big Idea #2 Recommendations

2.3 STAFF THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.

A dedicated staff with public art–specific expertise is key to implementing new public art projects and maintaining a city’s public art collection at the scale Temple is anticipating, given the complex technical and administrative requirements associated with each installation. At minimum, a full-time Public Art Coordinator can establish a program that addresses the city’s short-term public art goals; ultimately, as the collection grows and the program expands to include broader cultural goals, additional staff will be required, whether through hiring or the reorganization of current city staff. The precise organization of these roles within city government does not matter as much as positioning them under a leader who views work to promote the arts as valuable. To the extent possible, it is also wise to insulate an arts and culture team from future administrations that may perceive their functions as dispensable. Establishing an Arts & Cultural Affairs Division is one strategy to ensure long-term program viability and adequate capacity for a wide array of arts and culture projects and programming.

» ACTION: Hire a full-time Public Art Coordinator in the Tourism Division to launch Temple’s Public Art Program.

— Survey Respondent “

Make investments in [art and culture]...foster it... coordinate and manage it...promote it!

SAMPLE PUBLIC ART COORDINATOR JOB DESCRIPTION

A full-time Public Art Coordinator would manage the city’s Public Art Program and ensure that each public art project is executed according to the city’s best interests. The person in this role would be responsible for:

» Developing and implementing an annual Public Art Work Plan in coordination with the Public Art Commission and appropriate city departments and representatives

» Overseeing the commissioning of new works of public art, including but not limited to:

» Project planning: Developing scopes of work and project budgets, coordinating with the project manager and project architect, and identifying community partners when necessary

» Artist selection process management: Developing and distributing RFQs and RFPs, staffing the artist selection committees, and conducting artist workshops

» Project implementation: Developing contracts; securing necessary approvals; coordinating with the project manager; reviewing preliminary and final designs; ensuring adequate insurance and liability protection is secured by artists, contractors, and the city prior to installation; developing any necessary management agreements with artists, contractors, community groups, private property owners, and/or the city; overseeing the work of project consultants; and monitoring artist progress and compliance with the project contact

» Documentation: Keeping records of contracts, photographs, construction drawings, maintenance manuals, and meetings.

» Community education: Assisting in garnering publicity for projects, facilitating public meetings, and developing educational materials.

» Monitoring private development projects to assist private developers in including public art in their developments and guiding them, when requested, through the process of placing public art within their projects

» Identifying and pursuing collaborations and funding opportunities

» Overseeing a comprehensive conservation survey of the city’s public art collection and ensuring all necessary repairs are undertaken

» Serving as a liaison between the city, artists, and/or business organizations relative to the Public Art Program

» Supporting the Public Art Commission

» All other duties as assigned

BIG IDEA #3 Deliver Unique Arts & Culture Experiences

As this plan nears completion, the City of Temple is also completing a new Libraries & Museums Master Plan and Parks & Recreation Strategic Plan. The alignment of these three plans is critical to the strength of Temple’s cultural ecosystem, because museums, libraries, and parks are where most residents will experience art and culture in Temple. Parks and recreation centers, in particular, present an opportunity to diffuse art and culture throughout the community — and residents have communicated they would appreciate this. The Parks & Recreation Department therefore has a major role to play in offering participatory public art opportunities, community art education for people of all ages, and other cultural programming.

Meanwhile, Downtown will be Temple’s priority investment area over the next several years as it develops a Cultural District there, and activating Downtown spaces will be critical to that undertaking. City staff can begin programming daily events at Santa Fe Plaza, MLK Festival Grounds, and other venues to cultivate a vibe that there’s always something going on in Downtown that can’t be found anywhere else. Unique arts and culture offerings will be, more than anything, what makes Downtown Temple a “mustexperience” destination.

Big Idea #3 Recommendations

3.0 IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ART ALONG TRAILS.

Temple’s network of trails and walking paths can be elevated with various artforms that surprise and delight those who travel them. Trails that abut vegetation and/or water can exploit the small spaces this creates to hide “Easter eggs” for people to seek and discover. Trails with wide open spaces would benefit from large sculptures that match the scale of the landscape. And trails with small structures, like maintenance buildings, can feature murals that punctuate trail travelers’ journeys.

» ACTION: Install a mural on any appropriate building that abuts a trail.

» ACTION: Select a trail along which to hide fairy houses or, preferably, elements that trace more directly to traditional Texas folklore. Consider making this a community art project in which local artists support community members who contribute their creativity to the undertaking.

» ACTION: Install Story Walks along park walking paths, in keeping with its playground themes when possible.

» ACTION: Select a trail along which to install several large-scale artworks in line with a theme relevant to Temple’s history and culture.

The Victory Fairy Trail is a community project featuring more than 30 unique fairy houses that began in 2020 as a COVID-era activity among several families and has since expanded. The trail and its fairy houses, which are located at Springdale Farm in Spencerport, New York, is now supported by the Monroe County Parks Department, several local businesses, and participants in Heritage Christian Services’ day program for adults with disabilities.

Victory Fairy Trail INSPIRATION Johnny Cash Trail

The City of Folsom, California has invested significantly in a 2.75-mile, Johnny Cash–themed bike trail that opened in 2017 and will ultimately feature several major public artworks honoring the singer. Artists have submitted renderings of their concepts for specific sites along the trail, and fundraising to develop these pieces is ongoing.

Van Gogh Trail

In 2014, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde developed a 600-meter cycle path in Eindhoven, Netherlands that depicts Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” using thousands of stones that are charged by the sun. The trail runs between the Oowettense Watermolen and Collse Watermolen water mills Van Gogh captured in paintings.

Big Idea #3 Recommendations

3.1 ENLIVEN THE SKATE PARK WITH ART.

The Temple Skate Park is located within Miller Park, just north of the pond. The park, which was designed by the American Ramp Company, offers a number of quality obstacles, but very little sense of place. The skate park sits in the middle of a large field with little else in view, and has no color. It should be transformed with bright, graffiti-inspired public art and enclosures that offer a more intimate experience of the space (as well as more robust gathering areas and potentially the addition of a skate bowl amenity).

» ACTION: Border Skate Park with vibrant muraled wall panels, and/or add colorful art to the obstacles and concrete platform. Consider whether to relinquish some control over this art by allowing local graffiti artists to implement their own designs.

Skate Park Art INSPIRATION

Skateboarding and graffiti are two counterculture scenes that have long been associated with one another. Many modern skate parks have leaned into the gritty, urban aesthetic that characterizes this relationship by allowing skaters to mark walls and other park elements with their own designs, while others have invested in more structured, if still graffiti-inspired, murals. The examples below show the range of possibilities along this spectrum. The Tallahassee Skate Park (top left) offers a wall framing the park’s obstacles to local graffiti artists, who provide an ever-evolving array of art to animate the space. An unknown

artist took it upon himself to cover tags at an unidentified skate park with more intentional designs, which park administrators allowed to remain (top right). A local artist in Shellharbour, New South Wales was hired to create bright designs that would add visual interest to its obstacles (bottom left). And a team of artists developed intricate murals within the bowl at Lugano, Switzerland’s skate park (bottom right), including one that features a working sundial. Each style, in its way, communicates to skate park enthusiasts that this is a place for them to be fully self expressed.

Big Idea #3 Recommendations

3.2 DELIVER ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAMMING THROUGH PARKS.

Though they appreciate the art classes now available through the Cultural Activities Center, a number of survey respondents shared their desire for more arts classes and camps. The City of Temple currently offers some art- and culture–focused classes for youth and adults through its recreation centers, but it seems there is ample opportunity to grow this offering and provide new programs for residents of all ages and cultural identities. This could include classes in visual art, photography, dance and music, cooking, writing workshops, jewelry making, and more; some of these will ideally be targeted to particular cultural communities within Temple (for example, the folklórico classes for youth aged 7–12 that are currently available).

» ACTION: Contract with local artists and other creatives to offer a broader array of arts and culture programming to Temple residents.

» ACTION: Update the arts rooms at Wilson Park Recreation Center and Sammons Community Center to provide dedicated artmaking equipment, supplies, and storage in support of new and/or more non-traditional arts education experiences (e.g., screen printing supplies, a kiln, oil painting, etc.).

» ACTION: Offer a full-day, arts-immersive summer camp.

There

— Survey Respondent “

aren’t enough classes being offered for adults. It would be great to have watercolor, drawing, cooking, theater, etc. I’ve taken the ceramics class offered at the CAC, and it was great! I just wish there was more of a variety.

Big Idea #3 Recommendations

3.3

OFFER A BROAD SLATE OF COMMUNITY EVENTS & PROGRAMS.

Temple delivers a number of unique events each year that are popular with local residents, including the Central Texas AirFest, Haunted Hayride, Christmas on the Plaza, Hot Summer Sounds, 4th of July, a Father–Daughter Dance, Petals & Pints, National Train Day at the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, First Fridays, the Ultimate Selena Experience, and more. But community feedback is clear that more live entertainment, and more family-friendly activities, are priorities for Temple residents. Temple will need to offer many additional events in the following years, in parks but especially at MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, and Santa Fe Community Market in Downtown (to generate the foot traffic demanded of a Cultural District). In general, these events should be broadly appealing to Temple residents and potential tourists, but they should also be thought of as an opportunity to celebrate Temple’s diversity. For example, Latino stakeholders mentioned International Dance Day as a way to showcase many local cultures — particularly if it were paired with an international food festival. December holidays are celebrated across all cultures, so local groups can each be invited to bring their unique flair to Temple’s year-end festivities. These and other such ideas will require additional staffing and event infrastructure to undertake on a grand scale, but providing them will have a transformational effect on the city.

» ACTION: Hire an Events Coordinator to consistently program the MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, and Santa Fe Community Market with, for example, free fitness classes, musical performances, family field days, a winter fest, food truck festivals, artmaking sessions, informal adult sports leagues, and more.

» ACTION: Be creative in offering events that reflect the people of Temple, and especially those that bring many cultures together in one celebration. Such events might include World Music Day, International Food & Dance Day, a chili cook-off, a “Christmas Around the World” holiday celebration, a car show, Juneteenth, and/or Día de los Muertos.

» ACTION: Ensure that proper deference is given to the cultural groups with whom the city partners to deliver events. Nonprofit cultural groups, or individual representatives of a culture, should lead the planning and implementation efforts for all events celebrating their heritage.

» ACTION: Develop sponsorship packages for community events of different sizes that specify the in-kind and financial support available from the city to support them (on an application basis).

INSPIRATION

Juneteenth in Bryan, TX

The City of Bryan, Texas celebrates Juneteenth with inspiring events throughout the month of June, planned by the Brazos Valley African American Heritage and Cultural Society and centered around the Brazos Valley African American Museum. The celebration culminates in a weekend of fun and commemoration that includes a gospel music festival, a parade and family picnic in the park, and Blues Fest. Though nonprofit organizations lead these efforts, the city is supportive and partners to ensure the events are safe and enjoyable for all.

Florida Day of the Dead

Fort Lauderdale celebrated its 15th annual Day of the Dead Celebration in 2024 — a “Memory for the Dead, Party for the Living” during the time of year when the gate between Florida and Mictlán, the mythological Aztec “Land of the Dead,” opens. The free event is offered by several nonprofit organizations and sponsored by the city and county. Thousands of people come each year to experience a processional of people dressed as skeletons and carrying large skeleton puppets, altars to lost loved ones, a festival with multiple music and dance stages, a block party that goes until 2 a.m., crafts, face painting, vendors, and food and beverages.

Big Idea #3 Recommendations

3.4 REVEAL & PRESERVE UNTOLD STORIES.

As discussed in Chapter 2, Temple’s cultural heritage traces largely to those who came to the city to work on the railroads and in the hospitals and small businesses that supported those workers and their families. Many of these settlers were Whites from the eastern U.S., but others were Black, Czech, or Mexican; Native Americans had mostly been forced from Central Texas by the time Temple was established. Unfortunately, the legacies and contributions of these groups have been largely lost to history, or have simply not had a forum in which to be told. All Temple residents would benefit from having these stories exposed and more fully integrated into the fabric of modern city life. To some extent, this is already happening — the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum has partnered with students at Temple College on an oral histories project, and the City of Temple Planning Department has worked to preserve the city’s historic Black churches and make a historic marker for the Bird Creek Indian Battle more accessible. But more could be done to reveal the untold stories that animate many who now call Temple home. Temporary exhibits, cultural events, and educational programs, offered in some fashion by all of Temple’s museums and libraries, will allow for a broad array of topics to be covered in various contexts, and ensure the stories are fresh and ever-evolving. Meanwhile, public art installations can be used to offer more enduring testaments to the value of Temple’s diversity.

» ACTION: Create temporary exhibits, educational series, and arts shows in Temple’s libraries, museums, and galleries that highlight lesser known community heroes and their stories.

» ACTION: Commission permanent public art pieces, in partnership with local community groups, that are meaningful to them and instructive to the broader community about their lived experiences and contributions to the city.

» ACTION: Work with Black churches to preserve their buildings and their histories, by pursuing joint funding opportunities and conducting oral histories of the congregants.

» ACTION: Work with cultural heritage groups, the city’s Neighborhood Services team, and the Chamber to identify and cultivate representative cohorts of future arts and culture leaders for the city.

As a Hispanic parent, I would like to see more of my culture around the city during events. I would like my children to live in a community that cherishes their heritage.

— Survey Respondent

BIG IDEA #4

Nurture the Local Creative Community

Feedback from Temple’s arts and culture community — both its individual artists and organizational leaders — has been that the support and collaboration they crave has been elusive since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their interpersonal relationships and professional partnerships. These schisms have exacerbated longstanding issues with organizational capacity among Temple’s smaller arts organizations and businesses, and the city has attempted to fill in the gaps — but there are insufficient resources to meet the demand. Given the need to maximize efficiencies, calls

to centralize key administrative functions among several organizations have increased. While understandable, a more productive way for the city to support local artists and arts organizations would be to facilitate the development of a local nonprofit Arts Council. This organization would interface directly with the arts community and work to meet its needs, freeing the city to focus on the new Public Art Program and Cultural District. The city could then provide targeted support to the arts community as appropriate, for example by sponsoring local events or incorporating art into neighborhood plans.

Big Idea #4 Recommendations

4.0 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTS COUNCIL.

Arts Councils vary widely in terms of their structure, funding mechanisms, and programs and services, but they typically offer the following to local artists and arts organizations:

» Opportunities for networking, education, mentorship, and professional development

» Technical assistance

» Artist and public art directories

» The use of free or low-cost tools, amenities, and facilities

» Arts advocacy

» Arts impact data collection and reporting

» A community arts calendar and other promotional support

» Funding (by acting as a regranting entity for federal, state, and local arts funds)

They may further offer their own arts and culture programming, and/or contract with a municipality to implement parts of its arts and culture programming

» ACTION: Fund the Cultural Activities Center for five years to enable them to become an Arts Council for the City of Temple, with the stipulation that they continue their own fundraising efforts during that time.

The Cultural Activities Center (CAC) is a longstanding community arts organization that is already being asked to handle key administrative functions for Temple’s smaller arts organizations. While this is seen as an efficient use of community resources, the model could quickly become unwieldy — and contentious — if CAC were called to provide similar services for multiple organizations. If CAC were to instead develop capacity within local organizations to manage their own operations more effectively, all could be well served by the arrangement. Becoming an Arts Council would provide CAC the mechanism to do just this. Under one board, CAC could bifurcate its offerings, continuing to deliver its own programming on the one hand while staffing a separate department to provide direct services to local artists and arts organizations on the other. This would allow the city to ensure the local arts community receives the attention and support it needs to thrive, but also to focus on establishing its new Public Art Program and Cultural District.

INSPIRATION

Creative Waco

Since 2015, Creative Waco has enacted a mission to grow and support a thriving cultural and creative community in Waco and McLennan County, Texas. The nonprofit organization is the area’s Local Arts Agency (i.e., Arts Council), and offers multiple programs to support its local arts community. Air Collaborative cohorts bring creatives of varied backgrounds together for multi-day workshops on how to improve their business skills. ARTPrenticeships pair high school students with professional artists to create murals from concept to completion. Waco Arts

Alliance is a networking group for arts leaders. The Arts Match program provides matching grants for art projects that will advance the Waco Cultural Plan. Creative Waco further offers a creative directory, public art map, community art calendars, and original festivals, exhibitions, and music series, in addition to implementing much of the city’s public art and serving as its Cultural District Management Entity. The organization has been one of the primary drivers of Waco’s success in the arts and culture realm over the past decade.

Temple’s Arts Ecosystem

Developing Temple’s arts and culture ecosystem to its fullest capacity will require that the city create new staff roles and establish or support new organizations, and that current organizations adjust to accommodate new functions. The tables on this spread provide a full picture of all parties tasked with implementing aspects of this plan, including both current and to-be-established roles and organizations.

Staff Roles Function(s)

Public Art Coordinator (1.0 FTE)*

Coordinates efforts to expand and maintain the city’s public art collection

• Organize and promote Downtown businesses

• Implement smaller-scale special events

Funding Home

Budget allocation

Tourism

Downtown Coordinators (2.0 total FTE)†

Downtown Events Coordinator (1.0 FTE)

Special Events Staff

Parks Program Staff / Contractors

• Liaise with the Texas Commission on the Arts to manage the Cultural District and grow its impact

Ensures MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe Community Market, and other venues are consistently activated

Supports event implementation

Provides arts and culture classes and programs for residents of all ages

Budget allocation

Tourism

Miscellaneous

Supports the implementation of specific public art projects

Budget allocation

Budget allocation

Budget allocation

n/a

Communications & Marketing

Communications & Marketing

Parks & Recreation

• Procurement

• Planning & Development

• Public Works

• Communications & Marketing

• Parks & Recreation

*Over time, the tasks associated with this role may expand to warrant a distinct Arts & Cultural Affairs Division.

†This plan recommends the addition of a second Downtown Coordinator position. These two staff members would share responsibility for developing Downtown and advancing projects in support of its Cultural District designation, as determined by senior leadership.

Organization Function(s) Funding

Arts Commission

Cultural District Management Entity (CDME)*

Downtown Public Improvement District (PID)†

Arts Council (Local Arts Agency)

Reinvestment Zone (RZ) Board

Home

Generates public art solicitations, manages the RFP process for each publicly funded piece, and recommends to City Council which projects and artists should be funded n/a n/a

Fulfills a requirement of the Texas Commission on the Arts’ (TCA) Cultural District program to develop and promote the Temple Culture District

Funds arts and culture, and general improvement initiatives, within its boundaries

Advocates for art and culture and provides direct services to local artists and arts organizations

Provides funding and expertise for public art and cultural amenities in the Downtown Cultural District

• Downtown PID

• General Fund Tourism

• Downtown property owners n/a

• City of Temple

• Grants

• Membership dues

• Contracts

• Sponsorships

• Fundraising

Cultural Activities Center (CAC)

• TIRZ funds n/a

*The CDME may be any entity charged with responsibility for the Cultural District and liaising with the TCA regarding it. If the CDME is part of a larger organization, it must have its own budget and marketing. The City of Temple may want to take responsibility for the Cultural District in the near term, then transfer ownership of it to a Downtown PID once it has been established, or another organization altogether; this can be determined as the program progresses and Temple’s arts and culture ecosystem becomes better defined.

†The Downtown PID will include the Cultural District but may have boundaries that extend beyond it.

Big Idea #4 Recommendations

4.1 RECONSIDER USE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

Temple allocates a percentage of its Hotel Occupancy Tax (5.57% in 2023) to the “promotion and improvement of the arts.” This allotment (approximately $145,000 in 2023) is then distributed to local arts organizations as operating support through the city’s Heritage Arts Program funding opportunity. Currently, the city has few requirements for this funding, and while it is critical to the organizations that receive it, the grants are not effectively advancing the city’s art and culture goals. This is a good time to reconsider the program and better align it with community needs.

» ACTION: Double the amount of HOT funding that is dedicated to the arts, and pass the totality of this funding through to the Cultural Activities Center. Approximately half should be used to fund Arts Council operations and half should be distributed to local arts organizations, in coordination with the city.

» ACTION: Create a rubric specifying goals regarding the quality, diversity, organizational strength, and collaboration of entities that receive HOT funds and have them demonstrate how they are working towards these goals in their applications

4.2 PURSUE SMALL, HIGH-IMPACT WAYS TO ADVANCE THE ARTS.

Some means of advancing the arts in Temple will not be major initiatives but rather small, high-impact strategies such as the following:

» ACTION: Ensure that all city and neighborhood plans reference ways to promote art and culture in Temple — even those with seemingly limited connection to art and culture, or those for which art and culture does not organically arise in community engagement efforts. Tailor engagement to uncover residents’ arts and culture needs and preferences.

» ACTION: Partner with the Arts Council to convene the local arts community annually to report on the prior year’s activities, offer an opportunity for feedback, communicate goals, and coordinate efforts.

» ACTION: Update the Welcome Home Guide to feature a full spread of and culture offerings.

» ACTION: Encourage private businesses to install and display art as much as possible.

Investment in the arts is the most efficient way I can think of to improve the overall quality of life for the community...Please support our local arts institutions with funding.

— Survey Respondent

CHAPTER 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS

While an Arts Council will assume many direct support functions for local artists and arts organizations, there are many small, high-impact ways the city can support them as well. 1 2 3 4

Helping the Cultural Activities Center become an Arts Council is a way to simultaneously nurture the local arts community and free the city to focus on its Public Art Program and Cultural District responsibilities.

Fostering a vibrant arts ecosystem in Temple calls for the creation of several new roles and organizations, each of which will each be responsible for a critical piece of the city’s new arts and culture initiatives.

If a greater percentage of the Hotel Occupancy Tax were to be assigned to art and culture, even over the short term, the city could significantly strengthen the local arts community.

APPENDICES

The Appendices contain:

1) Implementation tables for all plan recommendations,

2) The Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural District Application in its entirety, and

3) Public art guidelines recommended for the City of Temple.

PLAN

IMPLEMENTATION TABLES

Plan Implementation Tables

HOW TO READ THESE TABLES

The following tables pair all plan recommendations and action steps with opinions as to the relative cost, priority, phasing, and partners required to accomplish them. The following terms and symbols are used throughout:

COST

$ This recommendation will cost nothing or very little to accomplish, perhaps because it fits into a staff job description or regular city process.

$$ This recommendation will have a small cost that should not exceed approximately $25,000.

$$$ This recommendation will have a moderate cost that should not exceed approximately $100,000.

$$$$ This recommendation will have a significant cost that could exceed $100,000.

PRIORITY

Lower This recommendation is important, but somewhat less mission-critical than others.

Medium This recommendation is moderate-impact and should be implemented as soon as possible.

High This recommendation is high-impact and/or a prerequisite to accomplishing progress in other areas.

PHASING

Shortterm

This recommendation should be enacted within 0–2 years.

Mediumterm This recommendation should be enacted within 3–4 years.

Longterm This recommendation should be enacted within 5+ years.

Ongoing This recommendation will require ongoing work.

BIG IDEA #1: CREATE A CULTURAL DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN.

1.0 ESTABLISH THE DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT.

Review the requirements to apply for the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural Districts Program designation.

Tap the City of Temple’s Communications & Marketing Department to be the Cultural District Management Entity (CDME), with responsibility for promoting the Cultural District, tracking data relative to its progress, fundraising on its behalf, and liaising between Cultural District stakeholders and TCA.

Officially define the Cultural District boundaries as recommended.

Fill out the Cultural District application to establish a baseline from which to grow.

Meet with a Cultural District program coordinator at the Texas Commission on the Arts and establish a schedule of periodic check-ins with them.

Take a group from the CDME, and other key Temple leaders, on a tour of several alreadyestablished Texas Cultural Districts.

Begin creating and instituting required elements of the Cultural District Program, including a budget, a brand and marketing materials, and the specific projects and programs detailed in this plan.

Develop Cultural District–branded wayfinding signage for placement throughout the District and at its borders.

Based on the needs and projects identified in this plan; inspiration from other Cultural Districts; and recommendations from local developers, relevant city staff, and a TCA Cultural District program coordinator, identify the sequencing of projects to advance eligibility for a Cultural District application.

1.1 FUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.

Task a Downtown Coordinator with aligning Downtown businesses around establishing a PID and helping define its boundaries.

Work with Downtown businesses to support their PID petition to the city.

1.2 STAFF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.

Hire a full-time Downtown Coordinator within the Tourism Division to be responsible, in part, for developing and maintaining the Downtown Cultural District.

1.3 MOVE THE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CENTER TO DOWNTOWN.

Undertake a feasibility study to determine the viability of a new, shared-use cultural building and performance space in Downtown in which to house the Cultural Activities Center, provide space for local creatives to share their work, and support local arts organizations. Consider incorporating the MLK Festival Grounds into this study to explore siting the CAC therein.

1.4

ADD EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO MLK FESTIVAL GROUNDS.

Add an amphitheater and other event amenities at MLK Festival Grounds to facilitate large-scale community festivals and events. Explore the possibility of partnering with the Levitt Foundation to develop these parcels into a world-class outdoor event venue.

1.5 FURTHER DEVELOP SANTA FE PLAZA’S EVENT CAPACITY.

Add event infrastructure at Santa Fe Plaza to better support smaller-scale community programs.

Enliven Santa Fe Plaza with public art and other placemaking elements.

MUSEUM TO A PERMANENT HOME.

Continue efforts to make the 2nd Street site work as the Children’s Museum’s new home, whether by rehabilitating the current building or tearing it down for a new-build space. If it ultimately proves unworkable, seek another Downtown-area home for the museum.

Make art vibrant and abundant within the new Children’s Museum and throughout its grounds.

Partner with developers and funders to explore the development of an artist live/work space in the Downtown Cultural District.

Develop distinct public art plans for all significant community facilities that will be featuring multiple public artworks.

Install a series of colorful, light-augmented murals on the posts and beams of the Santa Fe Kids Stop underpass.

Install large-scale sculptures at Downtown gateways that creatively announce what Temple is all about.

Create an iconic monument to the city’s rail history that honors the legacy of all the rail workers who made Temple what it is today.

Discontinue the Downtown Art Trains program and replace with fun, interactive, train-themed public art — including possible selfie spots.

Create a whimsical, storybook-themed artistic pathway, including a creative crosswalk across W Barton Avenue, from the library entrance to Storybook Grove Park.

Place themed window clings on all windows along the north-facing library wall.

Install a mural along the length of the library’s parking lot retaining wall.

Install custom, artist-designed character sculptures and play structures at Storybook Grove Park.

artists to create a rotating series of video/sound projections for Downtown buildings that honor Temple’s

Commission a different artist each year to develop a Cultural District banner that is installed throughout the district during times when seasonal banners are not in place.

Approach the silos’ owner for permission to create a mural on them, and coordinate with that owner to commission a piece with themes meaningful to them and the people of Temple. If necessary to advance this project, consider purchasing the silos.

2.0

BIG IDEA #2: ESTABLISH TEMPLE’S PUBLIC ART PROGRAM

FORMALIZE THE TEMPLE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION.

Establish the Temple Public Art Commission by ordinance to advise the city on any matter pertaining to public art and to support staff with public art project implementation.

2.1 ADOPT PUBLIC ART POLICIES.

Adopt the recommended Public Art Policies.

2.2 DEVELOP PUBLIC ART FUNDING MECHANISMS.

Allocate $50,000 from the city’s General Fund to the Public Art Program each year for at least 5 years to establish the program.

Make public art a line item in all relevant CIP budgets.

Allocate 0.5% of TIRZ funds to public art annually, and/or to other projects that would advance the city’s case for Cultural District designation.

Task the Public Art Coordinator with seeking external funding for public art and cultural projects.

Support in whatever way is appropriate the development of community-based fundraising efforts, for example in the form of a community foundation for Bell County and/ or the City of Temple.

2.3 STAFF THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM.

Hire a full-time Public Art Coordinator in the Tourism Division to launch Temple’s Public Art Program.

BIG IDEA #3: DELIVER UNIQUE ARTS & CULTURE EXPERIENCES.

3.0 IMPLEMENT PUBLIC ART ALONG TRAILS.

Install a mural on any appropriate building that abuts a trail.

Select a trail along which to hide fairy houses or, preferably, elements that trace more directly to traditional Texas folklore. Consider making this a community art project in which local artists support community members who contribute their creativity to the undertaking.

Install Story Walks along park walking paths, in keeping with its playground themes when possible.

Select a trail along which to install several large-scale artworks in line with a theme relevant to Temple’s history and culture.

ENLIVEN THE SKATE PARK WITH ART.

Border Skate Park with vibrant muraled wall panels, and/or add colorful art to the obstacles and concrete platform. Consider whether to relinquish some control over this art by allowing local graffiti artists to implement their own designs.

3.2 DELIVER ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAMMING THROUGH PARKS.

Contract with local artists and other creatives to offer a broader array of arts and culture programming to Temple residents.

Update the arts rooms at Wilson Park Recreation Center and Sammons Community Center to provide dedicated artmaking equipment, supplies, and storage in support of new and/or more non-traditional arts education experiences (e.g., screen printing supplies, a kiln, oil painting, etc.).

Offer a full-day, arts-immersive summer camp. $

3.3 OFFER A BROAD SLATE OF COMMUNITY EVENTS & PROGRAMS.

Hire an Events Coordinator to consistently program the MLK Festival Grounds, Santa Fe Plaza, and Santa Fe Community Market with, for example, free fitness classes, musical performances, family field days, a winter fest, food truck festivals, artmaking sessions, informal adult sports leagues, and more.

Be creative in offering events that reflect the people of Temple, and especially those that bring many cultures together in one celebration. Such events might include World Music Day, International Food & Dance Day, a chili cook-off, a “Christmas Around the World” holiday celebration, a car show, Juneteenth, and/or Día de los Muertos.

Ensure that proper deference is given to the cultural groups with whom the city partners to deliver events. Nonprofit cultural groups, or individual representatives of a culture, should lead the planning and implementation efforts for all events celebrating their heritage.

Develop sponsorship packages for community events of different sizes that specify the inkind and financial support available from the city to support them (on an application basis).

3.4 REVEAL & PRESERVE UNTOLD STORIES.

Create temporary exhibits, educational series, and arts shows in Temple’s libraries, museums, and galleries that highlight lesser known community heroes and their stories.

Commission permanent public art pieces, in partnership with local community groups, that are meaningful to them and instructive to the broader community about their lived experiences and contributions to the city.

Work with Black churches to preserve their buildings and their histories, by pursuing joint funding opportunities and conducting oral histories of the congregants.

Work with cultural heritage groups, the city’s Neighborhood Services team, and the Chamber to identify and cultivate representative cohorts of future arts and culture leaders for the city.

Neighborhood Services Planning Dept Historic Preservation

4.0 SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTS COUNCIL.

Fund the Cultural Activities Center for five years to enable them to become an Arts Council for the City of Temple, with the stipulation that they continue their own fundraising efforts during that time.

4.1 RECONSIDER USE OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.

Double the amount of HOT funding that is dedicated to the arts, and pass the totality of this funding through to the Cultural Activities Center. Approximately half should be used to fund Arts Council operations and half should be distributed to local arts organizations, in coordination with the city.

Create a rubric specifying goals regarding the quality, diversity, organizational strength, and collaboration of entities that receive HOT funds and have them demonstrate how they are working towards these goals in their applications.

4.2

PURSUE SMALL, HIGH-IMPACT WAYS TO ADVANCE THE ARTS.

Ensure that all city and neighborhood plans reference ways to promote art and culture in Temple — even those with seemingly limited connection to art and culture, or those for which art and culture does not organically arise in community engagement efforts. Tailor engagement to uncover residents’ arts and culture needs and preferences.

Partner with the Arts Council to convene the local arts community annually to report on the prior year’s activities, offer an opportunity for feedback, communicate goals, and coordinate efforts.

Update the Welcome Home Guide to feature a full spread of Temple’s arts and culture offerings.

Encourage private businesses to install and display art as much as possible.

CULTURAL DISTRICT APPLICATION

TCA Cultural District Designation Application

Application Year:

City:

Name of Cultural District:

SECTION  A: GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Cultural District Management Entity (CDME):

2. Year CDME took formal charge of cultural district:

3. CDME employer ID number (EIN):

4. CDME is a: 501(c)(3) nonprofit governmental entity  other

a. If other, please describe:

5. CDME SAM‐UEI number:

6. CDME contact person:

7. CDME contact person title:

8. CDME chair/president:

9. CDME physical address:

10. CDME city, state, zip:

11. CDME mailing address:

12. CDME city, state, zip:

13. CDME email:

14. CDME website:

15. CDME phone:

16. CDME Texas Legislators:

a. Texas House:

b. Texas Senate:

17. Cultural district Texas Legislators (if district is covered by more than one, please list all):

a. Texas House:

b. Texas Senate:

S ECTION  B: CULTURAL DISTRICT GOVERNANCE

1. Describe the cultural district governance structure and membership makeup:

2. Describe the qualifications of the CDME staff and leadership (particularly in managing a cultural district):

3. How frequently does this group meet?

4. Are minutes of these meetings kept?

S ECTION  C: CULTURAL DISTRICT PROFILE BY‐THE‐NUMBERS

1. Year cultural district was established:

2. Number of annual visitors to the cultural district last year:

Take care not to double‐count any organizations listed in #3 to  #5:

3. Current number of nonprofit art organizations physically located in the cultural district (e.g., art museums, music,  dance, film, theater, literary arts, folk/traditional arts, visual arts):

4. Current number of nonprofit historical/cultural/natural heritage organizations physically located in the cultural  district (e.g., history museum, children’s museum, botanical garden, parks, heritage site, science museum, library):

5. Current number of arts‐related for‐profit businesses in the cultural district (e.g., commercial gallery, art supply store,  bootmaker, etc.):

6. Current number of artists living or working in the cultural district:

7. Current number of restaurants in the cultural district:

8. Current number of those restaurants that are locally originated (vs. chain or franchise):

9. Current number of hotels/B&Bs in the cultural district:

10. Total number of guest rooms/suites in those hotels/B&Bs combined:

11. Number of bars/clubs in the cultural district:

12. Number of bars/clubs with regular (at least monthly) live performances:

13. Number of festivals/art walks held annually in the cultural district:

14. Three biggest crowd drawing events/exhibitions/activities in the district last year:

15. Using Google Maps, what is the walk time, one‐way  between the farthest points of the district:

a. length of the district:

b. width of the district:

16. Are 100% of the sidewalks in the cultural district ADA compliant?

17. Total marketing cash expenditures made for cultural district last year (not to market individual institutions):

18. Total return on investment (ROI) of the cultural district last year:

S ECTION  D: CULTURAL DISTRICT PROFILE

1. Cultural district website:

2. Brief description of the overall community where the cultural district is located (proximity to other communities,  highways, airport, economy, assets, demographics, etc.):

3. Brief description of the cultural district and how it benefits the community:

4. Describe systems currently in place for tracking visitors:

5. Describe how the ROI of the district is calculated:

6. What are the three biggest challenges for the district?

S ECTION  E: ASSETS & AMENITIES

1. Describe the current artistic assets of the cultural district (may include arts, entertainment and cultural organizations,  local performing arts organizations, museums, commercial galleries, artist studios, arts schools, cinemas, and other  entertainment facilities):

2. Describe the other cultural assets in the cultural district (Cultural assets can be material, immaterial, emotional, or even spiritual. Examples are historic properties, events, heritage sites, gardens, libraries, parklands and even stadiums. Stories, too, might be cultural assets if they are attached to particular peoples and places.):

3. Describe the visitor amenities in the cultural district (hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping, etc.):

4. Describe the current and ongoing events and activities occurring in the cultural district, noting when the event began and providing some information about the audience and the event (exclude from this section any events that are planned and have not yet occurred):

5. Describe the visitor navigation and transportation options in and around the cultural district (parking availability,  biking, public transportation access, wayfinding, etc.):

PLANNING

1. Describe the assessment  that was conducted prior to the creation of the cultural district plan. Describe how the  general public, artists, arts organizations, cultural entities,  business representatives, and government  representatives were involved in the needs assessment.

2. Describe the assessment of the artists living and working in the cultural district and the amenities available to them  (studio space, affordable housing, rehearsal and art making space, etc.).

3. Describe the planning process and who was involved. Discuss how the assessment was used and if an outside  consultant was used in the creation of the plan. Make sure to describe how focus groups and/or public meetings  were utilized to gather feedback on the preliminary planning do cuments. Include a description of proposed events  and activities for the cultural district, noting how the event fulfills a need, what audiences will be targeted, and  when the event is expected to occur.

4. What is the vision for the cultural district?

5. What is the mission of the cultural district?

6. List five goals that resulted from the cultural district planning process (the plan should cover a five‐year period and  include a timeline, staffing, and resources required for each goal):

S ECTION  G: MARKETING THE CULTURAL DISTRICT

The primary goal of any cultural district is to attract visitor s to the activities and programs that occur in the district.  Summarize the top five marketing strategies for the cultural district outlined in the separate marketing plan document:

Notes to the budget (break out the detail of the budget and give a description of each category)

List any commitments for in‐kind/donated services  such as public relations, marketing, facilities, etc. (These may  include contributions and things  that do not run through the fi nancial books of the CDME)

S ECTION  I: ASSURANCES PAGE

Assurances

If designation is granted, the applicant hereby gives assurance  to the Texas Commission on the Arts that:

1. The activities and services for which designation is sought will be administered by the applicant organization;

2. The applicant agrees to complete annual reports and submit to a reauthorization process at the end of each ten‐year period in order to remain a TCA designated cultural distri ct;

3. The applicant has read, understands, and will conform to the intent outlined in the Guide to Programs and Services;

4. The applicant will comply with Ti tle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with labor standards under Section 5(j) of the  National Foundation of the Arts  and Humanities Act of 1965, with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments  of 1974, with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, wit h the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, with  the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988;

5. The applicant will comply with  Section 10(7)(b) of the Commission’s Enabling Legislation, which prohibits the  Commission and its grantees from knowingly fostering, encouragi ng, promoting, or funding any project, production,  workshop, and/or program which i ncludes obscene material as defined in Section 43.21 Penal Code of Texas;

6. If the applicant is a nonprofit entity as defined by the I.R.S. , an educational institution, or a unit of government, the  application has been duly authorized by an authorized official  for the applying organization.

7. The applicant assures and certif ies that they are not on the debarred or suspended list (System for Award  Management (SAM) Exclusions) and are eligible to receive federal and state funds.

Name of Authorizing Official:

Title of Authorizing Official:

Mailing Address:

City/State/Zip:

Email:

Phone:

PUBLIC ART PROGRAM

POLICIES

INTRODUCTION

The following policies establish the City of Temple’s Public Art Program and regulate its public art, in order for the city to:

» Ensure consistent decision-making processes for the acceptance, placement, display, longterm maintenance, and removal of public art funded in-full or in-part by the city, and/or public art installed on city-owned or city-managed property

» Develop a dynamic, high-quality collection of public artworks that are maintained with the highest degree of integrity

» Protect artists, the general public, and the city from potential harms

» Encourage economic development and cultural tourism

» Foster an understanding of and appreciation for public art among residents

These policies will have no effect upon other city codes or regulations.

DEFINITIONS

The following terms, phrases, words, and their derivations will have the following meanings herein:

» Accession means a procedure for the acceptance of artwork into the city’s Public Art Collection.

» Artist means an individual generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional practitioner of the visual, performing, or literary arts, as judged by the quality of that professional practitioner’s body of work, educational background, experience, public performances, past public commissions, sale of works, exhibition record, publications, and/or production of artwork. Not considered artists are the employees or associates of the architectural, engineering, design, and/ or landscaping firms retained for the design and/or construction of a project covered by these policies.

» City means the City of Temple, Texas.

» Creative Amenity means any non-standardized enhancement made to public space, with the exception of public art, which is a particular type of creative amenity to which these policies uniquely apply.

» Commissioned Public Art means artwork solicited by and funded through Temple’s Public Art Program.

» Community Art means a creative project that community members help to implement. If such a project is conceptualized and led by an artist, it may be considered public art; otherwise, it is a creative amenity.

» Deaccession means a procedure to withdraw artwork from the city’s Public Art Collection and determine its future disposition.

» Donation or Donated Public Art means any artistic asset accepted by the city for which the donor has received no goods or services in return, other than private acknowledgment of the donation and/or the placement of a small plaque on the donation, as desired by the donor.

» Donor means an individual, group, organization, or other legal entity that proposes or provides a donation of artwork to the city.

» Historic or Civic Objects means objects that are historically or civically significant.

» Lender means an individual, group, organization, or other legal entity that proposes or provides a loan of artwork to the city.

» Lifespan means the amount of time an artwork’s materiality will allow it to be displayed, whether for reasons of safety or artwork integrity, or the artwork’s contracted display period, whichever is shorter. An artwork’s lifespan can be:

» Temporary: 0–2 years

» Short-term: 2–10 years

» Medium-term: 10–25 years

» Long-term: 25+ years

» Loaned Public Art means temporary public art that is loaned to the city by a third party for display on public property for an agreed-upon period of time.

» Mural means a work of public art that is hand-painted, hand-tiled, or digitally printed, with property owner approval, on a building, structure, fence, or other object within public view. Murals are distinct from informative, creative, or commercial signage by virtue of their artistic nature; as such, they do not contain text, graphics, or symbols that specifically advertise or promote a business, product, service, religion, political party or candidate, or otherwise.

» Public Art means freely accessible artforms, conceptualized and created by an artist (or community members with the support of an artist), that include the following:

» Sculpture, statues, or monuments, in any material or combination of materials

» Paintings

» Murals

» Graphic arts, including printmaking and drawing

» Photography

» Crafts in clay, fiber and textiles, wood, metal, plastics, glass, and other materials

» Mixed-media (i.e., any combination of forms or media, including collage)

» Performing arts

» Functional art, such as street furniture

» Environmental art consisting of landforms and artistic landscape composition, or artwork created from natural (non–man-made) materials

Public art does not include:

» Reproductions of original works of art (except for limited editions, controlled by the artist, of their original prints, cast sculptures, photographs, or other works of art)

» Decorative, ornamental, or functional elements that are designed by a building architect, or consultants engaged by the architect, that are traditional or typical elements of architectural functionality or code standards

» Elements generally considered to be conventional components of landscape architectural functionality or code standards, including but not limited to plant materials, pools, paths, benches, receptacles, fixtures, and planters (unless designed and fabricated by an artist)

» Works that contain text, graphics, or symbols that specifically advertise or promote a business, product, service, religion, political party or candidate, or otherwise

» “Art objects” that are mass produced or of a standard design, such as playground sculptures or fountains

» Directional or other functional elements, such as supergraphics, signage, color coding, and maps

» Electrical, water, or mechanical services necessary for activation of an artwork

» Exhibitions or educational programs related to an artwork

» Art that displays slogans, logos, mascots, or commercial advertising

» Public Art Collection or Collection means the totality of art objects owned by Temple that have undergone the accessioning process.

» Public Art Commission or Commission means an officially constituted Commission that advises the city on all matters pertaining to Temple’s Public Art Collection.

» Public Art Coordinator or Coordinator means the Temple’s Public Art Coordinator role and the person who occupies it.

» Public Art Policies or Policies mean the policies approved by City Council for the administration of Temple’s Public Art Program.

» Public Art Program means Temple’s Public Art Program, through which the city acquires, installs, maintains, and removes works of public art.

» Public Space means any area or property, public or private, that is accessible and/or visible to the general public a minimum of eight hours per day.

» Publicly-owned Land means any land open to the public and managed by either the City of Temple or a public entity that has a shared-use agreement with the City of Temple.

» Public Art Program Workplan means an annual report developed by the Public Art Coordinator that provides a complete accounting of the Public Art Program’s activities and expenditures over the preceding year, the status of in-progress and upcoming artwork solicitations, plans for future projects, and maintenance updates.

» Purchased Public Art means artwork that existed prior to being purchased by Temple’s Public Art Program.

» Relocation means moving an artwork from one location to another.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

TEMPLE’S MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL

As the community’s elected officials, the Mayor and City Council are ultimately responsible for the Public Art Program’s outcomes.

PUBLIC ART COMMISSION

The Temple Public Art Commission will advise City Council on all matters pertaining to Temple’s Public Art Collection and related programming. Its responsibilities will include:

» Promoting the city’s public art to residents and visitors

» Proposing public art projects for the city to consider

» Recommending sites for public art projects

» Reviewing and making recommendations on city-commissioned or -purchased artworks and donation and loan submissions

» Reviewing and making recommendations for artwork relocation or removal

» Providing input on public art policies and procedures

» Helping to develop the annual Public Art Program Workplan

Commission Membership

The Commission will number no fewer than seven and no more than eleven members, including:

» A non-voting City Council liaison, appointed by the Mayor for a term not to exceed their current political term

» One or more arts professionals

» One or more members of local arts organizations

» One community member with an interest in the arts

» One design professional

Conflicts of Interest & Termination

While serving on the Public Art Commission, no member may participate in a discussion, decision, or recommendation on any matter affecting a person, entity, or property in which that member has

an interest, including situations where the member is reasonably likely to receive a direct or indirect economic effect or consequence. Any member with a conflict of interest relating to any public art proposals, submissions, or inquiries will declare that conflict and recuse themselves from any discussion on the subject, including discussions outside of scheduled meetings. Any member serving on the Commission is ineligible to contract with the City of Temple on a public art project during their service and for an entire year thereafter. Commission membership may be terminated by the Mayor or the member at any time.

TOURISM DIVISION

The Tourism Division, within the Communications & Marketing Department, will administer Temple’s Public Art Program in coordination with the Public Art Commission, other city staff members, outside contractors, and community partners. The City Manager will determine the appropriate staffing structure to implement the city’s Public Art Program.

PUBLIC ART COORDINATOR

The Public Art Coordinator will assume day-to-day responsibility for implementing the city’s Public Art Program. Additional staff resources or outside consultants may be required to assist in implementing public art projects, particularly those of a larger scale. Their responsibilities will include:

» Working with various city staff to develop potential projects for consideration

» Coordinating with other city planning efforts

» Presenting the Public Art Program Workplan to City Council as part of the city’s regular budget process, to include a complete accounting of the Public Art Program’s activities and expenditures over the preceding year, the status of in-progress and upcoming artwork solicitations, plans for future projects, and maintenance updates

» Managing the Commission and its monthly meetings

» Coordinating with the Commission on any matter pertaining to public art, including:

» The annual Public Art Program Workplan

» Artist selection committees and processes

» The acceptance, purchase, commission, and placement of artworks

» Public art–related programming and media

» Coordinating the hiring of an outside consultant or agency to administer public art projects, as needed

» Ensuring various city departments are following Temple’s Public Art Policy

» Developing and maintaining an inventory of Temple’s Public Art Collection

» Surveying Temple’s Public Art Collection periodically to determine if its artworks require attention

CITY STAFF

City staff members will support Temple’s Public Art Program as needed. Their responsibilities will include:

» Looking for opportunities to include public art throughout the city, particularly in locations identified as priorities in this plan

» Providing information to the Public Art Coordinator regarding any projects to be included in the annual Public Art Program Workplan

» Coordinating on the execution of any city-run public art project, upon request

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: ACQUISITION & ACCESSIONING

The City of Temple will acquire artworks by purchasing already-existing art, commissioning new art, and accepting donated art; at times, the city may also choose to temporarily display loaned art. Artworks acquired through the purchase and donation processes described herein are considered to have been accessioned into Temple’s Public Art Collection and must be cared for in accordance with the following Collection Management policies. Creative amenities in the city’s possession that were acquired outside of or before these policies were adopted will not be automatically accessioned into Temple’s Public Art Collection; the following policies will not apply to them unless and until this process occurs.

The following policies were designed to:

» Maintain the quality and value of Temple’s Public Art Collection

» Eliminate artworks that are unsafe or unrepairable, or that no longer meet the city’s needs

» Respect the creative rights of artists

» Guard against the arbitrary disposal of any pieces in Temple’s Public Art Collection

» Support an efficient workload for staff

CURRENT CITY-OWNED ART

Artworks on city-owned or -managed property at the time this policy is adopted will be evaluated for accession into Temple’s Public Art Collection. If they do not meet the criteria, the pieces will be considered creative amenities and managed accordingly.

PURCHASED PUBLIC ART

These policies will allow Temple to acquire artworks using rigorous, transparent processes that ensure artistic excellence within its Public Art Collection.

Purchasing Procedures

Pursuant to City of Temple Purchasing Policy, if the purchase of an existing artwork, or the award of a contract for a newly commissioned artwork, exceeds $50,000.01, the city’s Public Art Commission must submit its recommendation in favor of the purchase or contract to the city’s Public Art Coordinator, who will present that recommendation to City Council for final approval.

The Public Art Coordinator will work with the Public Art Commission to determine the appropriate artist selection method for each public art commission, in alignment with the following goals:

» Advancing the mission and goals of Temple’s Public Art Program

» Selecting an artist or artists whose existing public artworks or past collaborative design efforts have demonstrated a level of quality and integrity

» Identifying an approach to public art suitable to the goals and demands of the particular project

» Selecting an artist or artists who will best respond to the distinctive characteristics of the site and the community it serves

» Selecting an artist or artists who can work successfully as part of an overall project design team

» Ensuring that the selection process represents and considers the interests of all parties concerned, including those of the public, the arts community, and the city departments involved

» Ensuring that artists and selection committee members are broadly reflective of Temple’s population

Artist Selection Methods for Acquiring Existing Artwork

» Exhibitions: An Artist Selection Committee may put out a call inviting artists to submit artworks for possible inclusion in a competitive exhibition, from which the city could opt to purchase one or more pieces to add to their Collection.

» Direct Invitation: An Artist Selection Committee may invite a specific artist to offer one or more of their artworks for consideration.

» Direct Purchase: An Artist Selection Committee may determine that a project requires the purchase of a specific artwork, due to its exacting nature or to a tight project timeline.

Artist Selection Methods for Commissioning New Artwork

» Open Competition: An Artist Selection Committee may offer an open competition, through which any artist may submit their qualifications or proposal, subject to any requirements established by the Committee. The Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) and/or Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for such projects should be sufficiently detailed to permit artists to determine whether their art is appropriate for consideration. Open competitions allow for the broadest range of possibilities for a site and reveal new, otherwise unknown, and emerging artists.

» Limited or Invitational Competition: An Artist Selection Committee may invite just a few preselected artists to submit their qualifications and/or proposals for a project, particularly in cases where specialized experience or knowledge will be required to complete it.

» Direct Invitation: An Artist Selection Committee may invite a specific artist to develop new artworks for their consideration.

» Design Team Member: In some instances, the city may select an artist as part of a larger project design team. Language in an RFQ/RFP could stipulate the requirement that all teams responding to the project include a professional artist, based on the criteria outlined or from a pre-qualified list. The Public Art Coordinator would then sit on the design team selection committee to represent the interests of the Public Art Program.

» Pre-qualified Artist Lists: The city may develop a pre-qualified pool of artists from which it can choose artists for limited competitions, direct artist selection, and direct artworks purchase. This list should be developed based on a comprehensive review of artist qualifications and updated annually or bi-annually, depending on the frequency of new projects and interest from the local arts community.

Artist Selection Committees

Once the Public Art Coordinator and the Public Art Commission have decided upon an artist selection method, they will establish a jury process through which recognized experts will recommend which artist(s) should be invited to create an artwork or artworks for the city. If the budget for a single artwork will be less than $50,000.00, the Commission will act as the selection committee; if it will be or exceed $50,000.01, a separate selection panel must be formed. The Public Art Coordinator will recommend members for a non-Commission Artist Selection Committee to ensure that it is representative of the community demographic and contains at least five but no more than nine members of the following:

» Members of the Public Art Commission

» Artists or arts administrators

» Design professionals

» A City of Temple project manager, who may appoint the project architect or landscape architect in their stead

» A member of the project steering committee, if one has been appointed

» A community or neighborhood representative

Conflicts of Interest & Transparency

Artist Selection Committee members will declare any conflicts of interest for all projects and artworks under consideration at the beginning of their meetings. A conflict of interest exists if a committee member, an organization the committee member is associated with as a staff or board member, or a committee member’s family member can gain financially from the project under consideration by the Artist Selection Committee. In order to promote public confidence in this process, a committee member may also declare a conflict if they think there may be a perception that they have one. If a committee member has a conflict, they must not participate in the Artist Selection Committee’s discussion or decision regarding the project, including discussions outside of scheduled meetings.

During an artist selection process, Artist Selection Committee members will not submit applications for the placement of their own artworks and/or projects. City staff and Commission members may invite artists to participate in the process, but must refrain from giving advice to applicants or answering their questions during it; they must direct such questions to the Public Art Coordinator. The Commission must solicit public comment for all pieces of public art commissioned or purchased for more than $50,000.01. An opportunity for public comment must be given before a formal vote on such artworks. A formal vote recommending artist or artwork selection to City Council must be recorded in keeping with the city’s public record requirements.

Project Implementation Process for Site-specific Artworks

Upon the decision of the Artist Selection Committee, and with the assistance of the City Attorney’s Office, the Public Art Coordinator will prepare a contract that includes the scope of work, fee, schedule, and relevant terms and conditions to be approved by the city and artist. The city will follow the process for contracting required by law. The artist contract may be phased to include two scopes of work with separate pay schedules and deliverables. The first would include all design documentation, including the final design, stamped engineering drawings, installation details, and a revised fabrication budget and timeline, while the second would include all costs related to fabrication and installation. If the parties are unable to reach mutually beneficial contract terms, the contract process will be terminated.

Before issuing a notice to proceed with installation, the Public Art Coordinator will organize a meeting with all relevant staff and contractors to review roles, responsibilities, and schedules. They will further ensure all documents are signed and that insurance coverage is documented.

If specified in the contract, the artist will create design development drawings for review and approval from the city before fabrication. The Public Art Coordinator will schedule meetings with the appropriate offices to review and approve these plans. If the artist proposes any significant design changes, the Public Art Coordinator will secure the recommendation for approval from the Commission and the appropriate city departments before approving said changes in writing, per the terms and conditions of the contract.

The Public Art Coordinator will oversee project implementation and ensure the artist has completed all project requirements before interim and final invoice payments are made.

DONATED PUBLIC ART

Temple will consider donations of already-completed artworks on a case-by-case basis, when the city has established in advance and publicized a need for an art donation. The city has no obligation to accept a proposed art donation.

Donation Proposal Procedures & Review Process

Formal requests to donate artwork to the City of Temple will be made to the Public Art Coordinator through an Art Donation Agreement Application (Donation Proposal). Following a positive initial review, the Public Art Commission will evaluate the donation request, determine the appropriateness of the donation, as measured by the criteria for evaluation below, and provide a written recommendation to City Council, which will vote on whether to accept the donation. The city will notify the donor of this decision in writing, identifying final conditions if approval is granted. Donors will not be publicized without their permission, but their names will be noted internally and are a matter of public record.

Each donation request will be considered on the basis of whether the donated art:

» Contributes to and enhances Temple’s Public Art Collection

» Meets a high standard of quality and is appropriate and meaningful to the community

» Includes the submission of a Donation Proposal and a Maintenance Plan

» Is endorsed by the Commission and approved by City Council

» Meets the following criteria:

» Suitability: Donated public artworks will be suitable for public display on city-owned or -managed property.

» Relevance and Site Context: Donated public artworks will be appropriate for their proposed locations and surroundings and/or complement the architecture, topography, history, and social dynamic of the locations in which they are placed.

» Physical Durability: Donated public artworks will be durable against theft, vandalism, and weather for the length of their lifespans.

» Public Safety and Liability: Donated public artworks will not create any public safety concerns, nor any potential liabilities for the city.

» Sustainability: Donated public artworks will have minimal environmental impact and be reasonably sustainable, including in their operations and maintenance requirements/costs.

» Legality: Donated public artworks will be clear regarding donation terms, legal title, copyright authenticity, artist’s right to reproduce, etc.

» Originality: Donated public artworks will be of an original design, unless it is decided that duplication of an artist or artists’ previous work(s) is acceptable.

» Compliance with Sign Code: Donated public artworks will feature no copy, lettering, symbols, or any references directly promoting any product, business, service, religion, or political party or candidate.

» Supporting Costs: Donated public artworks will have secured funding for production, siting, installation, and ongoing operations and maintenance, either by the donor or through the approval of City Council, before they are accepted.

» Installation and Maintenance: Donated public artworks will be accompanied by Maintenance Plans, as agreed upon by the artist, the city, and the property owner, to guide their installation, restoration and preservation, and removal. These will include:

» The artwork’s lifespan and the prognosis of its durability in consideration of that lifespan

» Routine cleaning protocols, methods, cleaning agents, and frequency

» Itemization of long-range care considerations, highlighting maintenance and the anticipated need for conservation treatment or repairs

» A list of the materials used to create the artwork

» A guarantee against failures of workmanship over an agreed-upon period of time

» Proof of any manufacturer’s or fabricator’s warranties for the artwork and transfers of them to the city, as applicable

Memorial Gifts

Memorial gifts will have an additional review process, which will include:

» Timeframe: The person or historical event memorialized must be deemed significant enough to merit such an honor. If the artwork portrays a person in their likeness, the person so honored will have been deceased for a minimum of five years before consideration.

» Community Value and Timelessness: The artwork reflects broad community values and possesses timeless qualities that will be meaningful to future generations.

» Location: The location being considered for the artwork is an appropriate setting for the memorial; generally, there should be some specific geographic justification for the memorial being located at a particular site.

Acceptance & Accession of the Artwork

If the city accepts the proposed donation of artwork, a formal agreement will be negotiated outlining the responsibilities of each party (i.e., the city, sponsor(s), artist(s), and outside contractor(s), where applicable). The agreement will address project funding, insurance, siting, installation, operations and maintenance, project supervision, vandalism, the right of removal or transfer, public safety, and other issues as necessary.

Once a donated artwork has been formally accepted by the city, the city will be its sole owner and have the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to deaccession that artwork without providing notice to the donor or obtaining their consent.

The city upholds copyright law and the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (17 U.S.C.§ 106A). Any necessary changes to the art will be made in consultation with the artist and donor(s), when possible, or notification will be provided to them. The completed and installed artwork will be accessioned and added to the city’s inventory with all accompanying documentation.

Removal, Relocation, or Deaccession of the Artwork

In accepting a donation of artwork, the City of Temple will not be bound by any agreement with the donor that restricts the city’s ability to act in its best interest. Nothing in the acceptance of a donation of artwork shall prevent the city from approving subsequent removal, relocation, or deaccessioning of such donations if it serves the city’s best interest to do so. The city will deaccession and dispose of artworks in its Collection in accordance with the Collection Management: Removal & Deaccessioning section of this policy.

LOANED PUBLIC ART

Art on loan, or art on temporary display on city-owned property, is subject to the same review process as donated artworks and must meet the same standards. Loaned art will not be accessioned or added to the city’s inventory; however, it will be cared for in the same manner as any piece in Temple’s Public Art Collection during the loan period specified, unless otherwise specified in the loan agreement. The city may accept loaned public art from organizations and residents outside of the city. Upon approval of a loaned artwork and prior to its delivery and installation, the lender will sign an Art Loan Agreement with the city, to include:

» Loan Terms: Loan agreements will be for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years, with a provision for up to one year extension with written approval from the lender and the city. When determining the duration of a loan and its display, lenders and the city should consider an object’s material conditions, display location, and display context. At the end of the term of loan, the lender will be granted up to six additional weeks to remove the artwork.

» Costs: The lender will be responsible for all costs associated with the loaned artwork, including but not limited to those for transportation, installation, maintenance, removal, and repair, as necessary, unless otherwise indicated in a written agreement with the city.

» Insurance: The city will not assume responsibility for damage or theft of artwork that is on display in accordance with this policy. The lender will acknowledge that a risk of damage, loss, vandalism, or theft is inherent in a public display. The lender must furnish satisfactory evidence of liability insurance by submitting a Certificate of Insurance, Additional Insured Endorsement listing the City of Temple, and a Waiver of Subrogation. With approval from the city, the liability insurance requirement may be waived if the lender signs an Art Loan Release of Liability form.

» Maintenance Terms: Prior to accepting the loaned artwork, the lender will provide the city with a condition inspection report. Thereafter, the city will provide basic site maintenance for the artwork, as well as assistance with installation and removal, under the supervision of the lender or lender’s representative and as specified in the Art Loan Agreement. Vandalism or other damage to the loaned artwork will be reported to the Temple Police Department.

Removal

Lenders are required to remove loaned artworks by the agreed-upon termination date. The city does not accept responsibility for art not removed within the designated timeframe; any piece of art that is not removed by the deadline shall be treated as abandoned property. Loaned artworks may be removed from city property by the city in accordance with the Collection Management: Removal & Deaccessioning section of this policy.

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: MAINTENANCE

The City of Temple will maintain its Collection by means of artist- or donor-developed Maintenance Plans, provided before an artwork has been acquired, that detail the work and how it is to be cared for over time. Maintenance plans will:

» Inform the city’s process regarding whether to accession an artwork

» Bring potential problems with an artwork to light in its design phase

» Outline an artwork’s anticipated maintenance requirements and the costs associated with them

» Provide clear directives as to how the artist intends for a piece to function and age

» Create a checklist of critical elements to account for in post-fabrication and -installation inspections and reports

» Allow for reasonable expectations as to an artwork’s lifespan and durability

Maintenance Plans

Maintenance Plans for an artwork will be created by its artist and/or donor, in partnership with the Public Art Coordinator, qualified art conservators, and others as necessary, and submitted to the Public Art Commission for consideration before an artwork is accepted or commissioned. To create an artwork’s Maintenance Plan, its artist or donor will render an opinion on the following, with regard to both the artwork and the site it is intended for:

» Durability

» Type and integrity of materials

» Construction/fabrication technique

» Internal supports, anchoring and joining, and footings

» Landscaping

» Necessary maintenance schedules

» Vulnerable and delicate elements

» Drainage

» Potentially dangerous elements

» Security

» Proximity to other structures or design amenities

» Environment

» Whether the design encourages/discourages interaction

» Effects of skateboarding, graffiti, and any other potentially damaging activities

In addition to enacting the Maintenance Plans for each artwork according to the schedules outlined, the City of Temple will assess the condition of all public art in its Collection with a qualified professional conservator every five years to develop a prioritized list of works in need of conservation or maintenance.

Trained contractors may carry out routine maintenance on public artworks. The Public Art Coordinator will hire qualified specialists to support artworks that require a higher level of maintenance, specialized care, or conservation treatment.

The City of Temple, professional conservators, and others involved in maintaining an artwork will strive to enact its Maintenance Plan without unduly interfering with the artist’s aesthetic intent.

Post Fabrication/Installation Inspection

The Post-Fabrication/Installation Inspections conducted by city staff will be based on the Maintenance Plan that was developed during the artwork’s design phase. It will confirm that:

» The artwork has been executed as proposed and agreed upon

» The artwork has no missing or incomplete elements

» The quality of materials and fabrication is acceptable

» Installation is stable and secure

» Stainless steel is fully and properly “passivated”

» Protective coatings have been applied, as necessary

» Warranties for electronic and other media are submitted, as applicable

» Any vulnerabilities with the artwork have been identified and addressed

» No new damage has resulted from installation process

» The Maintenance Plan has been amended as needed and is now accurate

» The plaque/public notice meets program policies and is properly installed

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: REMOVAL & DEACCESSIONING

A permanent piece of public art from Temple’s Public Art Collection is subject to requests for removal or deaccessioning after a period of being on display for at least five years (assuming that its lifespan exceeds this length of time), or when it has become unsafe at any time. A piece has been “removed” when it is removed from public view within the City of Temple, whether to temporary or permanent storage or as a temporary loan to another organization or municipality. A piece has been

“deaccessioned” when it has undergone a formal process that culminates in the formal, permanent removal of a piece from the city’s Public Art Collection. The removal of an artwork from public view should in no way be construed to mean that it has been deaccessioned.

Access to Artworks

The city will seek to provide unfettered access to artworks in its Public Art Collection. However, the city reserves the right to limit their availability due to circumstances such as funding, public safety, lack of display space, and deaccessioning processes underway.

Removal from Public Display

If an artwork is removed from public display, and the removal is not an emergency removal, Temple may consider the following options for its disposition:

» Relocation: If the Commission recommends that an artwork be removed from its original site, and if its condition is such that it can be re-installed, the Commission will attempt to identify another appropriate site for it. If the artwork was designed for a specific site, the Commission will attempt to relocate the work to a new site consistent with the artist’s intention. If possible, the artist’s assistance will be requested to help make this determination. The city may, as necessary or appropriate, transfer city-owned public art from one public site to another, transfer public art to storage, or make a temporary loan of public art to another agency or organization.

» Storage: An artwork may be removed to storage until a new site for it has been identified or the city decides to pursue a deaccessioning process for it.

Provision for Emergency Removal

In the event that the structural integrity or condition of an artwork is such that it presents an imminent threat to public safety, the City Manager may authorize immediate removal without the artist’s consent, and have the artwork placed in temporary storage. If the artist’s agreement with the city has not been waived under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (17 U.S.C.§ 106A), the city must notify the artist of this action within 30 days. The city will then consider options for repair, reinstallation, maintenance, or deaccessioning. The city is not obligated to repair, reinstall, and/or replace temporary artworks (including but not limited to utility box wraps, murals, etc.) that have been removed either as a result of the Provision for Emergency Removal, or due to inadvertent damage or destruction.

In the event that the artwork cannot be removed without being altered, modified, or destroyed, and if the artist’s agreement with the city has not been waived under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (17 U.S.C.§ 106A), the city must attempt to gain written permission from the artist or their representative before proceeding. In the event that this cannot be accomplished before action is required in order to protect the public health and safety, the city shall proceed according to the advice of the City Attorney.

Criteria for Deaccession

Requests to deaccession artwork shall be made through the Public Art Coordinator to the Commission and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. One or more of the following may be grounds for the city to deaccession public art from city-owned or -controlled property:

» An artwork is not, or is only rarely, on display because of lack of a suitable site

» The condition or security of the artwork cannot be reasonably guaranteed

» The artwork has been damaged or has deteriorated, and repair is impractical or unfeasible

» The physical structure of the artwork endangers public safety

» The artwork was stolen from its location and cannot be retrieved

» Changes in the use, character, or design of a site specific to a particular artwork have substantially affected its integrity

» The artwork has become incompatible with the rest of the Collection

» The city wishes to replace the artwork with a piece of more significance by the same artist

» Costs to maintain the artwork are higher than anticipated

» Faults of design or workmanship make repairing the artwork impractical or unfeasible

» The artist or donor has submitted a written request for an artwork’s removal or return

» Significant, adverse public reaction to the artwork has continued unabated over an extended period of time

» The artwork has become publicly associated with racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, acts of assault or violence, or other offensive themes

» City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the city to remove the public art

Integrity of Artworks

The Temple Public Art Program will seek to ensure the ongoing integrity of artworks in its Public Art Collection and the sites for which they were created, to the greatest extent feasible, in accordance with the artist’s original intentions and consistent with the rights afforded by the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (17 U.S.C.§ 106A).

Lifespan

An artwork’s lifespan is either the amount of time its materiality will allow it to be displayed (either for artwork safety or artwork integrity reasons), or the object’s contracted display period, whichever is shorter. Lifespans assigned to the work during the commissioning process will be considered as part of requests for deaccession or removal. For artworks that have not been assigned a lifespan, the Public Art Coordinator may engage experts to assist in assigning it one, based on the artwork’s materials and fabrication methods.

» Temporary: 0–2 years

» Short-term: 3–10 years

» Medium-term: 11–25 years

» Long-term: 26+ years

Removal or Deaccessioning Application Process

» Preliminary Request: Permanent artworks must be in place for at least five years before deaccession or relocation requests will be considered, unless matters of public safety necessitate their removal.

» Deaccession and Removal Form: Persons who believe an artwork should be removed and/ or deaccessioned will be required to submit a written request to the Public Art Coordinator or the Public Art Commission for consideration.

» Review Process: In consultation with the Commission, the Public Art Coordinator will review deaccession or relocation requests and determine how to proceed with them.

» Public Comment: The city may hold public meetings or conduct other forms of community engagement to gather feedback on a proposed deaccession or removal, unless the removal is an emergency. The Public Art Coordinator may seek additional information about an artwork from artists, galleries, curators, appraisers, or other professionals before making their recommendation.

» Artist Involvement: The city will invite the artist (if available) to provide input into the future disposition of their piece. The City Attorney will review the terms of their original contract and other agreements or pertinent documents.

» Recommendation: The Public Art Coordinator will prepare a final report, in consultation with the City Attorney, outlining their recommendation to either dismiss the request for removing or deaccessioning the artwork or to modify, relocated, sell, donate, dispose of, or store the artwork. This report will include as many of the following elements as possible:

» Artist’s name, biographical information, samples of past artwork, and resume

» A written description and images of the artwork named in the deaccession or relocation request

» A description of the original artwork selection process

» A formal appraisal of the artwork

» Information regarding the artwork’s origin, history, current condition, and past ownership

» Information about and images of the artwork’s installation site

» Feedback from community engagement around the artwork’s possible removal or deaccession

» Feedback from the city department responsible for operating and maintaining the artwork

» A detailed budget including all aspects of the artwork’s acquisition, installation, conservation, maintenance, repair, operation, insurance, storage, and city staff support

» The artist’s contract with the city

City staff can recommend one or more of the following methods for an artwork’s deaccession:

» Sale or Exchange: The artist or their estate will be given the first option to purchase or exchange the artwork(s). A public sale of deaccessioned artwork will comply with the Texas of Texas and City of Temple laws and policies governing the sale of municipal property. Sales may be through auction, gallery resale, direct bidding by individuals, or other forms of sale in compliance with the Texas of Texas and City of Temple law and policies governing surplus property. Exchanges may be made through an artist, gallery, museum or other institution for one or more artwork(s) of comparable value by the same artist. No works of art shall be sold, traded to, or given to Commission members or City of Temple staff. Proceeds from the sale of artwork will be placed in a city account designated for public art purposes. Any pre-existing contractual agreements between the artist and the city regarding resale will be honored. An exception to these provisions may be required if the artwork was originally purchased with funds that carried with them some restriction, for example bond funds for street and sidewalk improvements, in which case the proceeds will be placed in an account designated for art allowed under similar restriction(s).

» Destruction: If an artwork is deteriorated or damaged beyond repair, or deemed of negligible value, it may be destroyed in an environmentally appropriate manner.

» Donation: If the City of Temple is unable to dispose of the artwork in a manner outlined above, the Public Art Coordinator may recommend that it be donated to a nonprofit organization.

Once an artwork has been deaccessioned from Temple’s Public Art Collection, it may no longer be installed on city property.

Costs

If the deaccessioning or relocation of an artwork accommodates an applicant’s interests or project, the applicant will be required to cover the full cost of removing, relocating, or disposing of it.

Conflicts of Interest

No works of art shall be given to or otherwise transferred publicly or privately to officers, directors, or employees or staff of the City of Temple, or to their immediate families or representatives of the City of Temple.

Compliance with Applicable Policies and Regulations

Deaccession and relocation of artwork will be done in a manner that complies with all applicable procedures, policies, laws, and regulations of the City of Temple, State of Texas, and United States.

USE OF FUNDS

Funding for Temple’s Public Art Program may come from:

» The General Fund

» Any dedicated source allocated to it by the city or its partners (e.g., portions of the city’s Capital

Improvement Fund, Hotel Occupancy Tax, TIRZ or PID funds, etc.)

» Grants from private philanthropic sources or other public agencies

» Other public or private entities

» Other sources, as deemed appropriate by the city

Appropriate Uses of Funds

Public art funds may be spent for:

» Calls for Entry, RFQs/RFPs, concept designs, maquettes, juror stipends, and other costs related to competitions and commissions

» Artist fees, including travel-related expenses

» Artwork acquisition, fabrication, installation, and relocation

» Site preparation and cleanup

» Permits and insurance required during artwork fabrication and installation

» Informational/promotional materials and public events directly related to an artwork

» Required equipment needed for installation

» Artwork appraisal

» Staffing and services of a Public Art Consultant

» Curators and contracted services

Appropriate Uses of Funds for Murals

Mural installation may necessitate expenses beyond artist fees and materials. Additional allowable expenses will include:

» Rent or purchase of painting equipment or supplies

» Preparation of the mural surface, including repairs and priming

» Rent of barricades and other equipment required of street or alley closures

» Lighting and electrical equipment

» Other expenses that are pre-approved by the city

Inappropriate Uses of Funds

Public art funds may not be spent for:

» Mass-produced work, with the exception of limited editions controlled by the artist

» Professional graphics, unless designed or executed by an artist or used in the development of collateral material

» Decorative, ornamental, or functional elements that are designed by a project’s architect or other designer

» Routine maintenance, conservation, repair, or restoration exceeding more than 10% of the annual budget

» Purchase of existing artworks outside of the selection process

MURAL GUIDELINES

Publicly-owned Murals

Publicly-owned murals may occur on publicly-owned buildings or privately-owned buildings where the property owner signs a mural easement allowing for the creation and maintenance of a publicly-owned mural during a specific timeframe.

Mural Easements

In order to create as many mural opportunities as possible within Temple, the city may enter into mural easement agreements with private property owners who will allow publicly-owned murals to be installed on their property and refrain from destroying, obstructing, altering, or removing them for an agreedupon amount of time; the city can further request that owners account for the nightly illumination of murals on their property. Mural easements typically last for a minimum of five years, but may be shorter or longer depending on the project. Property owners may receive positive benefits as a result of the installation of a publicly-owned mural on their building, but there must be no direct correlation between the content of the mural and the property or any business housed in the property.

Private Murals on Private Property

The City of Temple encourages the installation of private murals on private property in order to support artists and enhance the visual environment in Temple. Private property owners are encouraged to voluntarily follow the policies set forth in this document as applicable and are also encouraged to consult with the Public Art Coordinator with regard to any questions or concerns as they develop and implement private murals. If any privately-owned and/or -commissioned mural on private property has been recommended for Temple’s Public Art Collection, the mural in question must be reviewed for acquisition according to the procedures set forth in the Collection Management: Acquisition section of this policy. Privately-owned and/or -commissioned murals on private property are not automatically accessioned into Temple’s Public Art Collection.

Mural Content & Design

Murals in the City of Temple should be varied in both content and design, and accessible to as many members of the public as possible. Mural content is protected under the laws of free speech, though it must comply with Texas obscenity laws and cannot depict sexual conduct or sexually explicit nudity, nor advertise any activity illegal under the laws of Texas or the United States. Sponsor and artist names may be incorporated into a mural, but must be discreet and not exceed 5% of its design.

The following design considerations will help to ensure a successful mural project:

» Scale: How will the mural’s primary audiences be moving? A mural intended for pedestrians will be of a different scale than one intended for automobile drivers or cyclists along a bike trail.

» Accessibility: Can the mural be seen by someone using a mobility device?

» Maintenance: What are the long-term maintenance implications of the mural design? Is it easily repairable?

» Longevity: What is the mural’s expected lifespan? Is it intended to be a short- or long-term installation?

» Experiential Elements: Is there a potential for additional elements that could enhance the viewing experience, such as touch or sound elements, virtual (VR) or augmented (AR) reality elements, or social media interactions?

Mural Artist Selection

To select a mural artist for a project, an artist selection panel will be formed according to the Collection Management: Acquisition section of this policy. Artists will be selected based on criteria that includes:

» Experience with similar mural projects, as demonstrated through color images of one or more completed mural projects and three supporting professional references

» Willingness to work with city staff to develop and refine the mural design

» Timely response to the RFQ with color renderings/designs of the proposed mural, a written description of it, and photographs of the proposed site and physical surroundings

» Innovative and unique artistic vision, including technique, composition of visual art elements, and use of line, color, form, and texture

» Ability to project a realistic budget and timeline

» Understanding of proper mural materials (i.e., those that last at least five years and are graffitiand UV- resistant)

» Willingness to enter into a contractual agreement with the City of Temple

» Proof of liability insurance, automobile insurance, and workers’ compensation

» Agreement to allow images of the completed mural to be featured on the City of Temple website

Mural Implementation

Upon selection, the mural artist will work with the Public Art Coordinator to finalize a design, secure relevant permits, and implement the mural. Below is a general overview of the process:

» City Council will review and give final approval for the artist selection and mural design

» City staff will monitor the creation and completion of the mural

» The artist will create the artwork in a timely fashion. If more time is needed, the artist will notify the city so that any applicable permits can be extended.

» The artist will notify the city when the mural is completed

» When the mural is completed, city staff will organize a mural dedication event

END OF POLICIES