City gets $25,000 from NEA for arts plan

Laguna Beach is one of 919 cities or agencies nationwide awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, according to a news release.

Endowment Chairwoman Jane Chu announced Dec. 2 that the city would receive $25,000 after a two-year grant application process.

The money will be used to update the city’s Cultural Arts Plan, adopted in 1995. Officials estimate that $100,000 will be needed to help the Arts Commission develop arts programming for the city.

In 2012, the City Council approved taking $50,000 from the Arts Commission’s special programs budget to match prospective funding from the NEA, an independent federal agency that promotes the arts, according to a city staff report said.

On Tuesday the council will consider taking an additional $25,000 from the Arts Commission budget to make up the shortfall.

The commission suggests that the city hire the Cultural Planning Group, which the NEA says has applicable experience, to help update the plan.

The plan update will take more than a year and will include community input.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce