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Bastrop Cultural Arts Commission

BACKGROUND

In 2011, the Bastrop Arts In Public Places (BAIPP) Board was created and was instrumental in creating a strong display of public art in the downtown area.  Bastrop was designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts as a Cultural Arts District in 2012, because of its immense wealth of arts and culture institutions and offerings.

 

At a Joint Workshop between City Council and the BAIPP Board on December 6, 2017, City Council affirmed that BAIPP was the appropriate board to oversee the development of a Cultural Arts Master Plan (CAMP).

  

On January 3, 2018, BAIPP reviewed the Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking the services of a consultant team that would develop a plan to leverage existing assets, to help focus future funding for cultural arts, and to increase Bastrop’s appeal as a tourist destination. BAIPP, through a Master Plan Committee, reviewed and evaluated submitted proposals and selected a recommendation for the City Council.

 

On January 9, 2018, City Council approved the RFP, and the Master Plan Committee began reviewing the RFPs submitted and conducted in-person interviews with the respondents. After careful deliberation, the Master Plan Committee recommended that GO Collaborative be awarded the contract to develop the CAMP.

 

On March 13, 2018, the City Council approved Resolution R-2018-17 authorizing the contract between the City of Bastrop and Go Collaborative to develop the CAMP.  A task force was created on April 24, 2018, for the duration of the project to oversee the overall planning process and to assist with providing feedback and ideas as the various planning processes were mapped out.

 

From May 2018 through September 2019, the creation of the CAMP took place. Go Collaborative conducted various forms of public engagement, interviews with stakeholders, and research.

 

On September 4, 2019, the final version of the CAMP was discussed by the BAIPP Board, and the board unanimously voted to present the following statement City Council on September 10, 2019:

 

“The Cultural Arts Master Plan meets the requirement of the RFQ that was submitted. The BAIPP unanimously endorses this Cultural Arts Master Plan as a way forward to develop the cultural arts in Bastrop. The plan uses a broad brush to guide the vision and coordination of the arts and potential operational way forward with many options for the City Council to utilize this living document and make choices that are appropriate for our City. The BAIPP stands eager to assist with implementation.”

 

City Council adopted the CAMP as presented by the BAIPP Board in September 2019. The purpose of the CAMP is to harness the ideas and energy of local residents and combine them with national best practices. As a result, Bastrop can support the development of authentic environments and vibrant experiences for everyone. It provides a roadmap for harnessing partnerships with local artists and arts and culture organizations. 

 

A Cultural Arts Master Plan Ad Hoc Working Group was created shortly after City Council adopted the CAMP in February 2020. The group was assigned the task of making recommendations to the City Council regarding the approach to implement the CAMP. The CAMP Working Group identified the following priorities: diversity and inclusivity; partnerships and collaboration; political, social, and economic stability of the arts; accountability and transparency; effective management of the CAMP; and promotion of Bastrop as an Arts Destination. From this recommendation, the Cultural Arts Commission was formed in January 2021. 

 

Themes, Values, & Priorities

Diversity & Inclusivity: Founded on principle of diverse and inclusive community engagement.

  • Recruit people of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities to participate in the arts.
  • Weave local histories and neighborhood narratives into arts programming.
  • Actively involve all the arts.
  • Be culturally relevant and appropriate.
  • Take advantage of history and heritage.

 

Partnerships and Collaboration: Foster and promote partnerships and collaboration.

  • Develop strategic, cross-sector relationships and partnerships.
  • Encourage buy-in from the community.
  • Connect with schools, all arts organizations, individual artists, and businesses.
  • Build and maintain a network.

 

Political, Social, and Economic Stability of the Arts:

  • Unify local resources.
  • Define and perhaps create income-driven events that bring current resources together.
  • Structure in such a way that will be resilient despite changes to political office.
  • Utilize City staff support.
  • Define expectations for three transition phases: initial phase of creation, second phase of growth, and third phase of Cultural Arts Commission finding stability through grants and other funding sources.
  • Find secure and sustainable funding.
  • Elicit financial support.
  • Create an agile environment, versus a bureaucratic structure.
  • Explore “percent for art” funding which dedicated a % of capital improvement projects to funding arts and culture projects and programming.

 

Accountability and Transparency:

  • Provide evidence of growth, success.
  • Report to Council quarterly about progress and direction.
  • Define metrics for measurement and charting success.

 

Effective Management of the CAMP:

  • Create a Bastrop-centric process for implementation.
  • Define the goals of the commission.
  • Oversee the Cultural Arts Master Plan and use it as a blueprint.
  • Define roles for all groups involved.
  • Recruit volunteers.

 

Promotion of Bastrop as an Arts Destination: Arts & Culture Related Tourism

  • Create marketing for art destination travelers.
  • Build/Create bridges to Visit Bastrop and other boards, commissions, and organizations.
  • Bring back Main Street Festivals.
  • Sponsor annual art focused projects.

MEET THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION

 

 

Lisa Holcomb 

Theater 

Place 1

Luis "Chico" Portillo 

Bastrop Independent School District 

Place 2

Michael Jones

Film 

Place 3

 

 

Maria Montoya Stayton 

Art 

Place 4, Chair 

Amy Bailey 

Dance and Music 

Place 5

Kaye Sapikas 

Art 

Place 6

 

 

Nicole DeGuzman 

History

Place 7

MINI GRANTS

In April 2022, the CAC launched a “Mini Grants” program aligned with the Commission's core themes, values and priorities, specifically, Diversity & Inclusion, Partnerships and Collaborations, and Political, Social and Economic Stability of the Arts. The Mini Grant Program will help grow and strengthen the local arts community and creative economy by providing support to arts and culture events and activities that enhance the community.

 

Mini Grant Information and Review Criteria Documents

For more information about the Mini Grant Program and review criteria for applicants. Please click the graphics below. 

 

Mini Grants 
Art Grants 
Public Art
Mini Grant Review Criteria

 

Mini Grant Application 
Arts Grant
Art

ART CALLS

Cultural Arts Call for Iconic Art Installation – Veteran’s Memorial
09/12/2025

The Bastrop Cultural Arts Commission invites sculptors to submit designs for consideration for a
Veterans Memorial Sculpture. Bastrop has a large community of Veterans, and the Commission seeks
to honor the memory of fallen soldiers through the timeless beauty of iconic art.

The Commission requests that the image of Julius Thomas (the first Bastropian killed in the
Vietnam war) be included in the memorial sculpture.

The memorial will be placed in one of the following various outdoor locations, to be determined:

• In front of the Police Department building at 104 Grady Tuck Lane
• Next to the American Legion building at Mayfest Park
• Next to the Kerr Community Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Please read the following information and criteria carefully. Applications must be complete, and
projects must follow all guidelines for acceptance and consideration.

2025-26 Call for Entries

You are invited to submit your proposal to be displayed in a public space. The following criteria are
required:

1. The iconic art project must depict the image of Julius Thomas and imagery or verbiage honoring
fallen soldiers.

2. No minimum height and width requirements

3. The call is open to all artists without geographic distinctions or restrictions.

4. Required Medium: Bronze or Stone

5. Reproductions of original art will be accepted. No copyrighted logos or advertisements may be included.

6. Each artist may submit up to 3 images of the proposed original art for consideration. A highresolution
digital or hand-drawn image of at least 300 dpi and 5x7 size is required to be juried.

**You do not need to produce a detailed, polished representation of the project.

We simply require an image that will convey the project and style.
Please note that the quality of the image can influence the jury process. Artists must also
submit prior work examples and attach references such as websites or social media
account. No substitutions will be allowed after the juried process has been completed.
Send all images, including an artist’s photo by email listed below.

7. Upon artist selection and design approval, the project will begin production. Selection will be
done by jurying process by members of the Cultural Arts Commission for final decision.

8. Compensation will cover design, supplies, labor and installation for the project. Budget should be
submitted with your application. The selected artist will also be recognized at an
unveiling/appreciation event, the date of which is to be determined. Note** the City has up to
$500,000 for full completion of project (site development, lights, etc).

9. The artist selected to exhibit will be required to sign an Artist’s Agreement with the City of
Bastrop that will detail the rights and responsibilities of all parties related to staging, installation,
security, materials, liability and removal, etc.

Design Limitations

All project submissions must be “family appropriate” and pose no risk to public safety; nothing of
sexual, violent, or political nature shall be accepted. No advertisements or copyrighted material is
allowed, however, the Artist may incorporate his/her signature into the design. Project supplies and
submissions must be compatible with outdoor elements by using materials impervious to UV and
weather deterioration.

Upon acceptance, a representative from the Cultural Arts Committee will communicate sizing
limitations, once a site is approved by Bastrop City Council.

 

More information and application can be found HERE.


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The Mission of the City of Bastrop is to continuously strive to provide innovative and proactive services that enhance our authentic way of life to achieve our vision.