Plano spends more per capita on arts grants than many neighboring cities and around 23% of Plano residents attend arts events in the city, according to a new study from the Cultural Planning Group. The Cultural Planning group is a firm specializing in city cultural development.
By the numbers
The study compared Plano to eight different cities of similar size and found Plano spends $5.10 per capita on arts grants, more than Frisco’s $1.33, Irving’s $1.97 and Richardon’s $3.07 per capita.
“People often don’t know what’s being offered or can’t find what they’re interested in in Plano,” Cultural Arts Group representative David Plettner-Saunders said in a presentation to council. “Many residents, as you know, leave the city to attend arts elsewhere.”
What’s next
Some ideas to increase attendance at arts events include developing a “go to” place for arts events and information, and creating a singular city department to manage arts and culture. Currently, arts and culture management is split across several different departments, according to the study. A single department that handles arts and culture will likely create better policy coordination, Plettner-Saunders said in the presentation.
Other ideas include creating more arts facilities like a community center and gallery spaces, and developing a marketing plan to promote local arts events.
