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“We’re homegrown. I think we could definitely partner with our schools, bring in some local carpenters and make them unique to us.”
— Michaela Joyce, Main Street manager and Cultural Arts Commission liaison
BASTROP — From public murals to modular parklets, Bastrop’s Cultural Arts Commission has big ideas to brighten the city’s downtown district, and officials seem ready to support the efforts.
Michaela Joyce, Main Street manager and Cultural Arts Commission liaison, presented City Council with a list of goals she aims to achieve before the end of Fiscal Year 2025.
“We have a great river, we’ve got these birds, we’ve got so many great things going on—we should really be known for our arts and culture as well,” Joyce told the council at its April 22 meeting.
Funded by the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax, the Cultural Arts Commission plans to focus this year on improving marketing for existing projects, including the Bird Junction sculptures.
Joyce said she is also working on guidelines for an outdoor mural program and searching for a site for a new outdoor concert venue. She asked the council to consider hiring a part-time arts coordinator to help manage the growing number of initiatives.
One of the projects Joyce presented to the council is a Main Street Placemaking project that would create parklets— modular outdoor patios that take up two or more parking spaces in front of a business. The spaces could be used for public seating, outdoor dining or community events.
While premade parklet kits can cost about $20,000, according to Joyce, a do-it-yourself approach could bring the cost down to about $5,000.
“We’re homegrown. I think we could definitely partner with our schools, bring in some local carpenters and make them unique to us,” Joyce said.
Joyce also asked the council to consider implementing a Percent for the Arts program, an initiative authorized under Texas Government Code that allows cities to dedicate up to 1% of public construction costs toward art installations or public beautification.
Under the proposal, a project with a $1 million budget could contribute up to $10,000 to fund public art or access grants to support larger efforts, according to Joyce.
“It creates that vibrant destination, it lowers crime rates and all that good stuff. It gets people involved,” she said. “The color in a community really brightens people’s day. We already have such a unique culture and arts identity. This would just grow it and really make us stand out on the map.”
Joyce added that a committee could help determine which public projects would qualify for art funding—a bridge project might be appropriate, but a busy intersection might not.
City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said she is exploring the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone, referred to as TIRZ, as a potential funding tool for downtown improvements without placing a financial burden on local business owners.
Joyce’s next step is to incorporate council feedback and bring more detailed proposals to the next city budget session.
