Titled “The Bandit,” the piece is one of many that have been commissioned since the city enacted its public art master plan in 2018. Through the plan, officials are increasing public art throughout the city that captures the past, present, future and the area’s nature while creating a cultural identity for the city, said James Kunke, community relations and tourism director. As art expands into more public spaces, officials hope that it encourages economic activity, he said.
Two-minute impact
Prior to the plan’s enactment in 2018, Lewisville public art was fairly minimal apart from a few private murals and pieces at the library, Kunke said.
The master plan provided a process for city officials to implement this vision in conjunction with the Arts Advisory Board. Operating from the Lewisville Grand Theater, the city board recommends various actions on public art commissions.
Around 90% of the completed art projects in the city occurred after adopting the plan, Kunke said.
This year, City Council approved a $320,000 sculpture for the new Tittle McFadden Public Safety Center and $80,000 for a glass sculpture that will adorn a column at the Lewisville Public Library.
“The growth of the program has expanded and evolved out into the community in projects like the painted crosswalks and traffic signal boxes,” board vice chair Michael Gortz said.
The city has spent between $1 million-$2 million on public art since 2018, mostly funded through hotel occupancy taxes and some donations, Kunke said.
The details
City park and trail system updates outlined in the $263.4 million bond passed in May will provide additional opportunities for public art, Kunke said. City officials also expect to see an impact on economic activity, especially in areas like Old Town, he said.
Business owners in spaces like Old Town, which have the most public art, have seen an impact too. Prairie House Restaurant off Main Street features the “Giant Appetite” mural, depicting two knife-and-fork wielding cowboys painted in 2017.
“We get a lot of people who stop by just to take a picture with that mural, it’s iconic,” said Karlie Casillas, Prairie House Restaurant general manager. “The mural draws them over here, then they realize this is a restaurant and they pop in.”
Lewisville also participated in a study conducted by Americans for the Arts in 2022 that gauged the economic impact of cultural arts in cities across the nation, Kunke said.
Put in perspective
In addition to performances, the city hosts several events that are built around art. Having public art in these spaces can help enhance the atmosphere and experience, Kunke said. Public art can also entice event-goers to return to the area in the future to see the artwork, he added.
City and board officials use events such as ColorPalooza and Lewisville Western Days to engage with the community on public art, Gortz said. When the “Migratory Perch” sculpture was being built, the artist brought the piece to ColorPalooza where attendees helped piece together its mosaic base.
While public art is a large investment, it does have a return albeit somewhat difficult to measure, Kunke said. The hope is that the investment circulates back through the local economy through sales, hotel occupancy, and food and beverage taxes, Kunke said.
City staff hope the investment in public art will help celebrate Lewisville’s diversity and heritage, enhance community gathering spaces, improve gateways into the city and create a unique sense of place for pedestrians and cyclists, according to the public art master plan. Additionally, the plan seeks to implement public art to help express the identity of each area of the city and strengthen tourism.
What to expect
Along with the library and public safety center projects, the city and arts advisory boards are eyeing several endeavors in the next year.
Courtyard renovations for the Lewisville Grand Theater will set the stage for a rotating sculpture exhibit next year, Art Center Manager Denise Helbing said. The renovations also include locations for six sculptures that will be on two-year rotations, changing three works out per year.
Other projects include a sculpture accompanying the Timber Creek Trail updates that will be installed in 2025 by late summer as well as an initiative to recycle portions of the old fire station’s metal framing into a bench along Valley Ridge Boulevard.
City officials are also working to develop a procedure that would provide grant money to assist artists and help businesses fund the commission of murals.
