Facing multiple budget crises, when January 2016 came around and it became clear that Springfield wasn’t any closer to sending money this way, the city of Urbana knew it was time to take action. City departments held brainstorming sessions, rejecting no ideas suggested, and investigated each one that could possibly reduce the operating budget of the town. One successful idea, surprisingly, has come from federal grants funding local public art.
Inspired by a Champaign initiative to beauty public drains, the Public Arts Department has decided to go one, two, three steps further. Urbana has such a wealth of “creative types” that it’s time to put those hands to work – for the city. By pursuing some of the larger, more elaborate, and more specific federal grants out there, Urbana could put money in the hands of its resident artists, and make those art projects work for the overall community. Public Arts has raised millions of dollars in federal and matching-gift grants that will both beautify and benefit the town.
One of the grant proposals, residents will be happy to know, will specifically address the rampant and overwhelming pothole problem. In recent memory, one candidate for mayor actually ran on a platform of fixing potholes before commissioning 
sculptures, but now both can happen simultaneously. Using materials reclaimed from local recycling plants, local artists will be filling in potholes as hand-laid mosaics. Since artists like to work when the mood strikes them, and not really on a regular schedule, each participant will be given a range of orange construction-fence to erect around the pothole of their choice while they are working. Artists are also instructed to tweet the location (@UPAUPW) before they begin working, and all people who may be driving through the town are encouraged to check the Twitter feed in order to plan a driving path, before entering Urbana. As long as the mosaics are completed before Dec. 31st, 2016, all the materials and artists’ stipends will be paid for by the U.S. of A. and not cost one cent of Urbana Public Works budget.
Speaking of December, snow removal will also be outsourced to Urbana artists. Using a grid system, assignments have already been handed out and nearly 1,000 residents have volunteered to remove the snow from local streets, use it to create snow sculptures in their own yards or nearby public spaces, photograph the sculptures, and have the photographs featured in an exhibition come Spring of 2017. Under the umbrella of “Community Cooperation” and “Collaborative Beautification”, this matching-gift grant recognizes citizens’ time monetarily and will double the contribution at the current minimum wage to pay for the photography supplies. This way, the town will be dotted with beautiful, bizarre, and creative snow sculptures throughout the “ugliest” time of year. Areas like Carle Park, the football field of the Urbana Tigers, Meadowbrook Park, and the front lawns of municipal buildings will be adorned with creative expression, and all roads will be free of snow. Again, without a dollar coming from UPW.
While this does means some city employees will be on furlough, or reduced hours, they will still be able to keep their insurance benefits. And Urbana will need people to evaluate and approve all requests for building permits which – thanks to yet another public art grant – will require an element of outdoor art. Building a garage? Be sure to dress it with a mural. Want a gazebo? Carve some intricate designs into the railing and you’re set. Building a front porch? Toss a lawn gnome up in front of it, ironically, of course, and you will have a statement on your hands that will have critics analyzing it for weeks. As long as you can justify it is art, Urbana can get the government to pay for it. Check out the new website for all the legalese on the requirements.
So take that, State-Senate deadlock, we’ll just go over your heads. Think a few missing tax dollars can keep us down? We were the first town (of C-U) to legalize municipal chickens: if you won’t feed us, we’ll eat eggs. If you shut down our college, we’ll have plenty of work for all those almost MFAs.
The grants detailed above have already been awarded. If you’re a mosaic artist, expect to receive your first assignments today, April 1st, 2016. Today is also the first day Urbana Public Arts/Works will operate as a joint department, and will begin accepting requests for building permits under the new regulations.