City explores arts center

SANDPOINT — City employees aim to expand the community’s arts-friendly reputation with preliminary plans for a unifying arts center.  

Aaron Qualls of the Sandpoint Planning Department received council approval Wednesday to begin exploring funding sources for a downtown arts center, beginning with a letter of inquiry to grant distributor ArtPlace America. If the organization approves the project for grant funding, Qualls plans to request assistance from the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency for match funding requirements.

Qualls is hopeful the project will gain traction, as he said it presents a variety of benefits to local arts organizations, artists and downtown health in general.

“This could be an opportune time to seek match grant funds through SURA and create an arts center downtown in a vacant building, activating a downtown block that will support arts organizations bursting at the seams,” Qualls said.

For local organizations like the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, the Pend Oreille Arts Council, the Northwest Film Institute and the Sandpoint Arts Alliance, Qualls said a centralized arts facility would help them address the growing pains they’ve experienced over the past few years. According to Qualls, POAC requires more gallery space, the Arts Alliance is forced to turn away instructors and the Northwest Film Institute has a business plan in place for future guidance. Meanwhile, the Music Conservatory is more popular than ever with its newly-accredited status. A center accommodating these organizations’ various needs would go a long way to maintaining healthy growth, Qualls said.

An arts funding organization established through 13 different foundations, ArtPlace America opened its grant writing season Oct. 15, with letters of inquiry acceptable through Dec. 13. Since the plan is still in its infancy stages, Qualls is uncertain whether or not the organization will advance his letter of inquiry to the next phase. However, based on a review of its previously-approved projects, he thinks Sandpoint has a solid shot at a grant award.

“There’s a lot of working parts to it, but we feel that this project fits their criteria perfectly,” Qualls said.