Day one of the Discovery Charrette is over, and we're off and running. It was a day of neighbors meeting neighbors and artists connecting with prospective project hosts, a mock City of Bloomington Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting, and lots of teamwork on the part of project staff. The day culminated in a launch party, during which everyone gathered into an outline of the South Loop created with blue tape. Fun!
The mock DRC meeting was enlightening. We invited seasoned public arts administrators/advocates Regina Flanagan and Joan Vorderbruggen to describe several recent public art projects in St. Paul and Minneapolis, respectively. The members of the DRC considered what issues these projects would raise if artists proposed to implement them in Bloomington, and what barriers would need to be overcome in connection with everything from restrictive sign ordinances to fire marshal concerns.
I was encouraged by the conversation at the mock DRC meeting. One of the most salient comments was that the practical hurdles inherent in public art projects can readily be cleared as long as funding is available and the City's elected officials communicate their expectation that the City will say "yes" to public art and placemaking. Our Creative Placemaking in the South Loop project is about, among other things, finding sources of funding to carry out this work in the years to come, and making the case for "yes." After today, I am even more optimistic that we'll accomplish those objectives.