Stow City commissions Sabertooth to develop Arts Master Plan; participatory mural proposed

At its most recent meeting the Stow City Arts Commission heard an update from Drew, the city’s law director, that the city has engaged Sabertooth, a local arts firm, to develop an Arts Master Plan and has secured nearly full outside grant funding for the effort.

Drew told commissioners the project is in the research phase and Sabertooth has formed a steering committee that includes commissioners Floyd and Leila. "We were able to get funding from ArtsNow, Arts Forward grant. It is paying for as close to a 100% as possible, for the arts master plan," Drew said. He said Sabertooth is conducting a citywide inventory of potential public-art locations and other community assets as part of the first of four phases.

The plan will address more than siting. Drew said it will recommend funding mechanisms, maintenance criteria, and whether installations should be permanent or temporary. He said Sabertooth has been working with staff rewriting the zoning code so the master-plan recommendations and any code changes align before formal adoption. "They're proposing to approve the entire Arts Master Plan as a document," Drew said, adding that items affecting funding or zoning would still require City Council approval.

Commissioners heard that the firm has suggested a participatory mural as part of public engagement. Drew described the mural idea as a way to build community buy-in and said Sabertooth would include the activity in the plan budget. He also said Sabertooth has mural experience in the Akron area and is associated with the Artbomb Brigade project.

Drew said the firm expects to finish a deliverable in six to eight months under its current contract and that the full adoption process, including presentation to City Council, could occur in 2026. He asked commissioners to prepare for additional public-engagement sessions and to connect staff with community stakeholders.

Commissioners asked whether the master plan would be binding; Drew said the city would use the document as a guiding plan and that specific recommendations involving funding, code changes, or new staff positions would require council action.

Next steps spelled out during the meeting include continued public outreach by Sabertooth, steering-committee work with the Arts Commission representatives, and staff coordination of any zoning-code language that must change before formal adoption.