Buckeye City Council will review a proposed 10-year Arts & Culture Plan during a workshop Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The workshop begins at 4:30 p.m. in the first-floor Executive Conference Room at Buckeye City Hall, 530 E. Monroe Ave. City staff and consultant Keen Independent Research will make an approximately one-hour presentation.
The workshop agenda says the presentation will seek feedback from the mayor and council. Council will not consider approval of the plan during the workshop.
City staff expects to return with a finalized plan in the coming months. Council could then consider recommending its approval.
First citywide arts plan
The document is Buckeye’s first citywide Arts & Culture Plan. It would guide public art and cultural programming decisions for the next decade and beyond.
The draft proposes more public art, live events, youth programs and cultural spaces throughout Buckeye. It also recommends dedicated funding, community grants, additional staff and possible art requirements for private development.
However, the 162-page report provides no total price tag, annual budget or construction schedule. The plan would establish direction, not authorize specific projects or spending.
Buckeye hired Keen Independent Research in January to develop the plan. More than 700 people participated through questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, community events and voting boards.
Residents favor performances and venues
Questionnaire participants showed strong interest in expanding Buckeye’s arts and entertainment offerings. Among those responding, 89% expressed interest in attending live performances in Buckeye.
Another 88% supported events that highlighted local artists, musicians, performers, and makers. Eighty-six percent expressed interest in more theater and event spaces dedicated to arts and culture.
Local arts and crafts events received the most support among the proposed city events. Professional live music and theater performances followed closely behind.
Residents identified downtown, parks and trails as the leading locations for additional art and cultural activities.
Plan proposes new funding options
The draft recommends creating a formal public art ordinance and dedicated public art fund. It also suggests tying art funding to Buckeye’s Capital Improvement Program.
Under that model, the city could reserve a percentage of eligible capital project funding for public art. The report cites Phoenix’s 1% program and Surprise’s 1.33% program as examples. It does not recommend a specific percentage for Buckeye.
The plan also opens the door to greater private-sector participation. Buckeye could encourage or require qualifying developers to provide public art or contribute to a city fund.
Possible tools include development agreements, design standards, incentives and fee-in-lieu options. The draft does not establish a fee, project threshold or mandatory program.
Additional recommendations include micro-grants for community programs and a maintenance reserve for city-owned artwork. Buckeye could eventually add a public art coordinator as its collection grows.
Cultural venues would require more study
The plan recommends feasibility studies for several possible facilities. Options include a community theater, multipurpose creative space, outdoor performance venue and larger regional touring venue.
Those studies would examine demand, locations, construction costs, operating expenses and potential partnerships. The report recommends starting with one or two facility types.
Until then, Buckeye could make greater use of schools, libraries, parks, plazas, community rooms and outdoor spaces. Shared-use agreements could expand programming without immediately constructing new facilities.
The plan also identifies downtown as a potential cultural hub. An area north of the Buckeye Canal, between First Street and Apache Road, could eventually support studios, galleries, workshops and small businesses.
The draft recommends recurring music nights, art walks, markets, workshops and pop-up performances. It also calls for more youth, family and multicultural programming across Buckeye’s 640 square miles.
