A new community art program that will bring art installations to a renovated Town Hall as well as to spots around town was approved last week by the Town Council.
Town councilors unanimously endorsed the “Our Town, Our Voices” program proposed by council Vice Chair Mallory Cook at their Jan. 27 meeting.
The program will include permanent art installations as part of the Town Hall renovation and rotating community exhibitions throughout town, according to Cook. Under consideration for one of the initial efforts of Our Town, Our Voices is a community mural located on Portland Street where the Dover Auto Supply sign is now.
Our Town, Our Voices seeks to “integrate local art into Town Hall and in community public spaces,” Cook said, adding it is meant to celebrate and support local artists; make civic spaces more welcoming; and provide art opportunities for students and emerging artists.
A “clear, fair and transparent” selection process will be used to choose the art, and the initiative will “align with existing town governance and operations,” she said. While the Town Council will retain final approval for the art pieces chosen, a community art committee will serve in a supporting role in selecting artists and their works, she added.
Initial funding will come from Downtown TIF funds, said Cook, who suggested a public art fund be included in future annual town budgets.
TIF funds are tax revenues generated by the increased valuation of property in a designated area, in this case the downtown area, that are kept by the town to be reinvested in other economic development initiatives in that district, rather than being shared with the State and York County.
