Cultural Plan Subcommittee

In December 2021, the Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Nonprofits, established to assist that sector in pandemic recovery, made a report to the City Council.

One of the recommendations in the report was, “The extension of this Blue Ribbon Committee for 24 months (the duration of the incoming City Council’s term) to work with city staff to develop budgets and oversee the above projects and to create a new cultural plan for the city of Portsmouth

It is the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hope that a cultural plan would determine the need and structure of any permanent arts commission for the city of Portsmouth.
As was the case in 2002, we believe that key aspects of a new cultural plan could be adopted into the City’s 2035 Master Plan.

In January 2022, the City Council created the Portsmouth Arts & Nonprofits Committee as a successor, appointed Councilor Kate Cook as their representative on the Committee and approved the Cultural Plan project giving the City Manager authority to identify available funding.

In February, the City Council gave their unanimous consent for the City Manager’s identification of funds with the flexibility to get the process started. process so that all of the community plays a role in the result.