e Community Development 589-3095
City of Nashua Planning and Zoning 589-3090
. wo Building Safet 589-3080
Community Development Division Code Enforcement 589-3100
. ; Urban Programs 589-3085
City Hall, 229 Main Street, PO Box 2019 Parking 880-0100
Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-2019 Transportation 880-0100
www.nashuanh.gov FAX 589-3119
Date: April 15, 2016
To: Jim Donchess, Mayor
Finance Committee
From: Sarah Marchant, Director of Community Development
Subject: City Arts Nashua Downtown Public Art Contract
The Community Development Division requests the approval of a $20,000 contract with City Arts
Nashua to continue ARTventures, Nashua’s Downtown public art program. This contract with a
local non-profit organization will allow the City to continue to implement projects that attract
people to Downtown Nashua with funding from the Downtown Improvements Committee
Expendable Trust Fund.
The purpose of ARTventurcs Nashua is to increase awareness and participation in Downtown
through art. As part of the first contract, artist Jerry Beck was contracted by City Arts Nashua to
facilitate the creation of temporary art by the public, especially children. Mr. Beck, who has a 33-
year history in this unique field, worked with about 400 students to create floats for the Gate City
Fall Festival parade, to create sculptures that were unveiled at the Holiday Stroll and to write poems
for the Totem Poems project. These students then came to Main Street to be in the parade, to see
their sculpture in the Holiday Stroll or to celebrate their poems, and they bring with them parents,
grandparents, neighbors and friends. Their teachers, school administration and in several cases their
Board of Directors also have a raised awareness of Downtown being a busy, fun place to be.
If awarded this contract, City Arts Nashua will again contract with Mr. Beck to continue the
program. One multi-facet community public art project will be completed, with the resulting ten
temporary artworks installed on the sidewalks and/or public spaces within Downtown Nashua. The
program will utilize an inclusive approach to include community members, including local artists
and children, with the creation of the art.
City Arts Nashua was selected for the first contract, and again for this contract, as a sole source
vendor in accordance with NRO Sec 5-84(A)(5). The organization has a long history of organizing
and encouraging successful public art events throughout Nashua. City Arts Nashua and Jerry Beck
contributed many additional hours during the first contract, laying the groundwork and developing
the relationships for a sustainable program. Continuing this program with City Arts Nashua, given
the successful completion of the first contract and their significant relationship building, is
reasonable and expedient.
The contract has been reviewed by the Legal and Risk Departments.
It is expected the work will take place over the summer and into the Fall, concluding in December
2016,
