Background
In partnership with the Mariposa County Arts Council, the Planning Department received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town program to support the development of a countywide Creative Placemaking Strategy. The project resulted in a planning document that proposes using art and design to make Mariposa's economy stronger. The Strategy recommends projects, programs, and policies to:
- Promote a portfolio of authentic, engaging experiences that encourage tourists to stay in--rather than simply pass through--Mariposa en route to Yosemite. In turn, this will have a profound impact on local businesses and artists;
- Increase community attachment and civic engagement by promoting equitable placemaking investments and production of placemaking deliverables that are more representative of Mariposa’s diverse and rich identity;
- Establish cross-sector partnerships between the arts community, government agencies, conservation and agricultural interests, tribal populations, human services organizations, and businesses to increase our community's capacity to apply creative placemaking in support of our economy; and
- Integrate creative placemaking efforts into existing and future infrastructure and other community assets.
On August 17, 2021 the Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the Creative Placemaking Strategy and authorized county departments and agencies to pursue implementing its recommendations.
