The Chadron City Council approved an application for a creative district development grant during its meeting Monday.
Upon being designated in July, the Open Frontier Creative District became eligible for the competitive development grant cycle through the Nebraska Arts Council. The City of Chadron serves as the district administrator for the creative district.
Creative districts can apply for up to $100,000 in funding, for which no cash match is required. The city’s application, prepared by Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp, includes funding requests that are designed to meet goals spelled out in the strategic plan written for the Open Frontier Creative District. Those goals include enhancing indoor and outdoor performance spaces, supporting Chadron Open Art and expanding arts and culture programming within the district. The request includes funding for the purchase of a fully-enclosed, portable outdoor stage for live performances, operational funds for Chadron Open Art, renovation and rehabilitation funds for the Chadron Arts Center and programming dollars for the Chadron Public Library.
“The strategic plan includes many goals and potential action steps for the Open Frontier Creative District over the next five years. The creative district committee looked at those projects and held discussions with several entities on what could be accomplished in this first grant cycle when determining what to include in the grant application,” said Rempp. “The request, if granted in full, will impact the community in multiple ways, which we believe is a strength for our application.”
The creative district footprint includes the Chadron State College and Chadron High School campuses, Railroad and Memorial Parks, the Dawes County Courthouse, Chadron Arts Center, Chadron Public Library and the Downtown Historical District.