A $100K gift jumpstarts efforts for new Fridley public arts program

Officials in Fridley have long contemplated starting a public arts program. A $100,000 donation from a citizen is now pushing that idea forward.

"We want to elevate our community," said Mayor Scott Lund. "And elevate public comment about Fridley."

On Monday, the City Council will hear the first reading of an ordinance that would create the north metro suburb's first arts commission. Work to form a nonprofit to oversee it is currently underway. The city also is in talks with the Rice Creek Watershed District and an artist to create a water-themed installation to go up in Moore Lake Park where the city will finish a $6 million renovation this year.

"Art has such a value to the image of a city," said Scott Hickok, Fridley's Community Development director.

The idea for an arts program first surfaced in 2018 when the city opened its civic campus housing City Hall, police and fire, and other city services in a splashy building on the site of the former Columbia Arena. The city used some of the rebates it received from Xcel Energy to create a sculpture in the building's atrium. The 26-foot sculpture sitting atop a large hockey puck features letters from the former ice center's sign used to spell the word incomparable. It was the first effort to bring art to the city.

Momentum stalled until an anonymous city resident gave the city money and rekindled the effort.

Last fall, the city had the public place dots on an interactive map on the city's website to share ideas of where they'd like to see art and what kind. City leaders reached out to other communities with similar arts programs for advice. A task force was assembled to compile a report for the City Council, set up a structure for planning, reviewing and accepting art, and form a nonprofit called the Fridley Creative Arts Foundation to oversee donations and partner with other organizations.

No city money has been allocated for the arts initiative, but the idea is already gaining interest.

An artist has told the city that she believes Moore Lake Park would be an ideal spot for one of her creations.The city is set to meet with her April 12 and the artist will likely be commissioned in June to officially kick off the city's art program, Hickok said.

Beyond that, there is no timetable for the build out, the mayor said.

"We plan to take it slow," Lund said, "We are laying the groundwork and doing it right."

But the the long-range plan envisions art work all throughout the city of about 31,000.

"We have world-class Medtronic, a first-rate hospital and a 128-acre nature center," Lund said. "It will be nice to have public art throughout the community."