Historic buildings and places are the physical expressions of local heritage. Public art, music, painting, sculpture, dance, and other forms of creative practice are ways in which a community expresses its history and culture. All provide a way of telling its stories of the past, its people and traditions.
Historic places, arts, and culture are the essential means in which people share common experiences and narratives, connect to past memories and associations, and make sense of their lives. They animate civic society and public spaces and stretch our imagination. Heritage and culture are key building blocks for enhancing a community’s authenticity and quality of life.
In 2020, the City of Sandpoint, Idaho appointed a community-based commission to create the Sandpoint Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Plan. After years of growth and change in Sandpoint, the planning process presents an opportunity to contemplate the next frontier for local preservation and arts and culture efforts. To Sandpoint stakeholders, this Plan will make the arts more accessible by building bridges to new arts patrons and participants, inspiring the next generation of preservation advocates, and creating new collaborations that leverage the ideas and energies of Sandpoint citizens. The Plan provides the framework for harnessing those ideas and energies for local action.
