New study aims to improve arts participation in Plano

The city of Plano has commissioned a study as part of the city's Cultural Arts Plan, an initiative to improve accessibility and engagement in the arts.

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.