City of Boulder Launches Boulder Arts Blueprint Process

The City of Boulder is embarking on the Boulder Arts Blueprint, a two-phase planning project that will result in a roadmap for the Office of Arts and Culture for the next 10 years. The Blueprint will provide goals and strategies for the future of arts and culture investments in the city, paving the way for a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable arts ecosystem.

By drawing on extensive research, stakeholder input, community voices and expert insights in creative development, the Blueprint Phase One will build on the community’s vision that is found in the Sustainability, Equity and Resilience (SER) Framework. The Blueprint will then integrate with the update of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) to refine policies and create guidance for how the city can be a responsible steward of new funding made available by the passage of the Arts, Culture and Heritage tax in 2023.

The Blueprint team will be at several upcoming BVCP update events, including ‘Bolder. Boulder. Better. With Motus Playback Theater’ where community members can share their vision for the future of Boulder and watch as a professional improv group brings it to life through interactive theater and artistic expression. Events occur Jan. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library and Feb. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building. Community members are also invited to share their input by visiting the Blueprint project webpage.

“We know that Boulder supports a robust arts community,” said City Manager, Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “The National Center for Arts Research recently released its annual ranking of the 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the United States, which identified Boulder as number six in the list of 10 medium-sized communities in the United States. The Blueprint will pave the way for artists and cultural organizations to continue to thrive in our city.”

The Office of Arts and Culture has been working for the past decade toward community priorities derived from the 2015 Community Cultural Plan, including supporting cultural organizations through a grants program, reinventing the public art program and expanding art in neighborhoods and communities.

"We celebrate the achievements of the Cultural Plan - which include strengthening the resilience of cultural organizations, engaging the community in creativity through public art, and nurturing leadership among professional artists - while also eagerly looking toward the future," said Lauren Click, Arts and Culture Manager. "The Blueprint is designed to be shaped by and for our community. How do you want to experience art in Boulder? Do you dream of more venues, festivals, cultural events, youth-focused art programs, public art or greater support for individual artists? This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a shared vision for our future."

The Blueprint is currently in development with the Community Vitality Department’s Office of Arts and Culture team, supported by national planning and placemaking experts Public Sphere Projects and Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.). To learn more about the Blueprint and upcoming engagement opportunities, sign up to receive the Office of Arts and Culture newsletter and visit the project webpage.

Photo: Lan Vo Photography