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Commission outlines arts budget sources, plans new master plan and details mural grant
Summary
Commissioners reviewed that Chamblee’s public‑art funds come from hotel/motel tourism fees routed via Discover DeKalb, heard that an Arts Master Plan will be funded in 2026, and clarified a $50,000 matching mural grant and outreach plans for the Chamblee Gateway mural.
At the March meeting the commission reviewed how its 2026 budget is funded and discussed next steps for a new Arts Master Plan and the recently launched matching mural grant.
The chair explained the commission’s operating funds come from hotel/motel tourism fees collected by DeKalb County and filtered through Discover DeKalb to cities; Tanisha said Chamblee typically earmarks about 10% of its share for arts programming. Elmer, a commission member, added that the city projects $170,000 in hotel/motel income but cautioned revenues depend on hotel bookings and the county’s tax digest.
Tanisha told the commission the city plans to commission a new Arts Master Plan in 2026 to set priorities for the next five to ten years; staff had obtained a quote the prior year and will proceed with the procurement and community engagement phase.
On murals, commissioners asked about the Chamblee Gateway mural timeline, procurement approach (RFP/RFQ) and outreach. Tanisha described the matching mural grant: a $50,000 pool that will match business contributions; in certain census areas businesses can apply for up to $10,000 without a match. Staff committed to targeted outreach, multilingual flyers and working with the community improvement district and business development channels to raise awareness.
Commissioners agreed to revisit unused line items in June and to plan targeted outreach to potential mural applicants if matching funds are not spent earlier in the year.
