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Local artists and organizers urge Boulder to direct 2A funds to nonprofits and support downtown visual-arts spaces
Summary
Two public commenters asked the commission to ensure voter-approved Measure 2A funds benefit nonprofit arts programming and to seek city support for subsidized downtown gallery space for local visual artists.
Two members of the public addressed the commission during the May 28 public comment period, urging elected officials and staff to ensure dedicated arts funding is spent on the activities voters approved and to provide more support for downtown visual-arts spaces.
Jan Bershick, who identified herself as an arts supporter and organizer for the Measure 2A campaign, told commissioners the measure’s dedicated funding should “support direct grant funding for arts and cultural nonprofits, professional artists, arts education, venues and workspaces, public art, and multicultural programs,” language she said reflected the ballot measure text. She said the general fund should continue to pay for city arts staff and overhead while 2A funds be used for community grants and programming.
Maria Julia Byrd, founder of the nonprofit New Local, described two-and-a-half years of running a creative community space on West Pearl Street and said the downtown environment makes it difficult for visual-arts venues to survive. Byrd asked the city to explore a commercial subsidy model—similar to performing-arts venue grants—that would help subsidize rents for small, public-facing gallery and studio spaces to keep local artists visible downtown.
Why it matters: Both speakers tied their appeals to broader conversations about how voter-directed and city resources should support artists, venues and audiences. Commissioners acknowledged receipt of the comments and discussed ways to carry the feedback into planning and grant-program reviews.
