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Goal #10 Celebration
Highlight, protect, and share the County’s historic, arts, and cultural resources.
10.1 Inventory public art, historic resources and structures to prioritize for reinvestment and preserve local history.
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With a rich historical and cultural legacy, Mecklenburg County has many wellpreserved heritage sites and public art pieces. Mecklenburg Park & Rec owns and maintains a total of 21 historic sites and 48 historic or cultural resources, all of which are either standalone sites or structures located within countyowned parks. In 2016, Mecklenburg Park & Rec partnered with the Historic Landmarks Commission to inventory and assess all of the county’s historic sites and landmarks. The resulting report included a range of recommendations related to storytelling. Some included building interpretive signage to point visitors toward adjacent landmarks or developing educational programs and staff to teach about the cultural and historical significance of different sites. The stories of these historical landmarks could be integrated into an interactive online or app based platform providing information for tourists and Mecklenburg Park & Rec personnel alike.
Mecklenburg Park & Rec’s public art collection is integral to the culture of the county. In 2002, Mecklenburg County adopted a 1% for public art ordinance, which guarantees that the public art collection will continue to grow. It is paramount that an inventory exist to track the expansion of the program. However, there currently are no dedicated funds for public art maintenance. These objects need routine care if they are to be preserved for future generations. In order to fully understand the value of these important historic spaces and pieces of art, both a public art inventory and a historic resources and structures inventory should be conducted. These efforts would note the condition of artwork, structural integrity of buildings, sites, and the health of the overall cultural landscapes. This will aid in understanding the full historical significance of the County’s assets. Part of this inventory should also include an evaluation of current and prospective programming and interpretation potential. Revenue generated through public art, heritage programs, and event rentals could assist in maintaining the integrity of artworks, historic sites, and corresponding programs.
10.1 Key Actions
Create a public art inventory to identify and assess the condition of public art on County land. Partner with public art organizations and museums to develop a maintenance plan for public art. Build off of the CAPRA historic structures inventory with a comprehensive assessment of buildings and sites.
4.1 Investments in historic landmarks can support cultural, educational, and recreational use.
10.2 Offer experiences that authentically communicate the diverse historical, cultural, and artistic contexts in which parks and facilities are situated in order to reflect local identities and convene communities.
Arts and heritage programming greatly benefit from partnerships with other organizations. This is particularly relevant for Mecklenburg Park & Rec, as it can help to augment financial and staffing resources while enabling creative ways to grow and program unused public art and historic sites within Mecklenburg Park & Rec’s inventory. If Mecklenburg Park & Rec can maintain historic land and physical assets, it can seek programming partners to take on an educational and interpretive role. Increasing awareness of the public art program is integral to reflecting community identities. The program is run in partnership with the Arts & Science Council, who manages each project. The Arts & Science Council undergoes a community engagement process during artwork selection. However, a more targeted, intentional, and strategic approach to this engagement would be a wonderful tool for advancing Mecklenburg Park & Rec’s inclusion and equity goals. While the 1% for public art fund is a wonderful mechanism, it lacks flexibility. Public art funding tied to larger Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects can be difficult to access for smaller projects or grassroots art ideas. It is recommended that local partners, like the Art & Science Council, work with community members and artists to draft hyper-local public art plans ahead of funding opportunities. These plans should be flexible, serving guides and not mandates. Acting like “mini master plans,” these “wish lists” could help direct funds towards projects already approved by neighborhoods, should funds arise. If CIP funds are unavailable, other funding sources/strategies should be explored. Such a public art system would reinforce the distinctive and dynamic characteristics of neighborhoods. Re-imagining heritage sites and programming also allow the County to revisit its storied past by telling complete stories about the region’s original inhabitants, and the history of slavery and race relations in North Carolina. Mecklenburg Park & Rec has the opportunity to work with national institutions locally to better understand its historical sites and educate visitors of the indelible imprint that slavery had on the development of Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg Park & Rec should reach out to the Catawba Indian Nation and current tribes representing the Sugaree native people to understand the perspectives and priorities of indigenous peoples and to recognize that the history of Mecklenburg County and its open spaces does not start with the founding of the City of Charlotte. A mixed group of volunteers, college interns, staff, and an enchanced partnership with the Historic Landmarks Commission should run daily operations at these sites. Full-time staff supervise and expand the program model. Programming could occur at under-visited artistic or unused historic sites, increasing reservation opportunities and knowledge of Mecklenburg County’s history. These sites have potential to be the location for unique Mecklenburg artistic and historic celebrations, concerts, holiday traditions, or athletic events like Fun Runs.
Implementing this strategy also allows Mecklenburg Park & Rec to partner with local subject matter experts, whether in ecology, public art, history, science, or health and wellness. These local experts hold diverse and important knowledge. Coordinating and coworking with them allows Mecklenburg Park & Rec to tell deeper stories without the need to develop such specialized expertise in-house.
10.2 Key Actions
Maintain historic land and physical assets in keeping with their historic significance. Identify programming partners and national institutions to contribute to education and interpretation services for key historic sites:
• Reach out to the Catawba Indian
Nation and current tribes representing the Sugaree native people to understand the County’s history and appropriately represent this history and culture in County facilities.
