Redistribution of city funds helps La Crosse Arts Board move forward with projects

A big boost in funding will help bring ideas for art in La Crosse to life.

The La Crosse City Council voted Thursday to re-appropriate $30,000 of carryover funds in the 2020 capital budget to the City of La Crosse Arts Board.

“The Mayor recognized the existing priorities as well as some new ones having to deal with public art and recognizing La Crosse as a cultural destination,” La Crosse Arts Board Chair Jennifer Williams said. “He wanted to make sure the board would have funding to complete its work for 2020.”

Of the $30,000, $10,000 will be for taking inventory and assessing current public art, $5,000 is to create a new marketing plan, $10,000 for rural development, $5,000 for fund-raising, and another $5,000 for the sculpture park.

Two of the projects that were put on hold prior to the vote include the COVID Art Purchase Initiation and Arch of Nature.

The COVID Art purchase award would be for artwork that documents the city during the pandemic and would involve the city purchasing work from local artists.

“They are representing some of the challenges of this time and the resiliency,” Williams said. “We are fine tuning a call to artists. It is an opportunity for people to give examples of their work to leave a legacy that tells the story of COVID.”

Williams also expressed optimism for completing the Arch of Nature which has been on the Arts Board agenda for more than two years.