The overview
The park is owned by the Bee Cave Arts Foundation,a nonprofit formed in 2009 with the goal of providing education and integration of art into public spaces, according to city documents.
The foundation previously applied for funding from the Texas Commission on the Arts for a total of $6,000, which the city agreed to match in an effort to support the park. At the city’s May 13 meeting, council members agreed to source the amount from the city’s hotel occupancy tax fund.
The details
Funding will help the foundation add five new sculptures, name plates, a new map and brochures to the park, said Deby Childress, Bee Cave Arts Foundation director, at the meeting. Other parts of funding will be dedicated to events, awards and other celebrations to attract artists.
Many sculptures currently at the park have been there for eight to nine years, and some are not in ideal condition, Childress said.
The park currently has 30 sculptures, 10 of which are owned by the foundation. The foundation’s goal is to have the other 20 sculptures appear at the park on a rotating basis, with 10 being switched out each year, Childress said.
“People are really interested in the park, people are always at the park, and we really want to keep it where it looks great,” Childress said.
Although the foundation looked into repairing any sculptures in disrepair, it was ultimately decided that replacing some sculptures would be a better option.
“It would be much cheaper to change out the sculpture park, do a refresh, and also it would be much more exciting for the community,” Childress said.
What’s next?
The city has not yet agreed to supply funds to the park on a yearly basis, but will look further into the issue once future plans for the park have been solidified, city officials said.
The city has previously discussed placing the park on the grounds of a proposed new library building, Mayor Kara King said, which may affect any agreements between the city and the foundation.
“Now that we’ve got the [public safety building] passed, we’re going to start having these library conversations within the [Capital Improvement Plan] committee and get it to council for a vote, and I think that the library and the sculpture park and all that goes together,” King said.
