Arts grant to go toward beautifying runoff pond

FARGO - One neighborhood here may have a chance to spruce up its runoff pond thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Fargo received a $100,000 Our Town grant that will match city funds dollar to dollar. Fargo was chosen among 51 other projects.

"The Our Town is an inaugural grant program. They've had similar programs in the past," said Fargo planner Nicole Crutchfield. "We're very excited to make it this far,"

She said the project will have a total budget of $260,000.

Fargo's plan is to spruce up one of the 20 retention/detention basins throughout the city with the help of ecological artist Jackie Brookner.

"I'm going to be working with the city and eventually with local artists and designers to transform one of those detention basins into a neighborhood commons," Brookner said.

Brookner, a New York-based artist who creates remediation and public art projects for wetlands, rivers and storm water runoff areas, heard of Fargo's water battles a few years ago through a friend.

Brookner came to Fargo and saw the opportunity for art within the city.

Crutchfield said the city will first examine detention and retention ponds in neighborhoods to decide which ones may be eligible.

Neighborhoods can then apply to be a part of the project.

"The residents of the neighborhood will be deciding together what this will be," Brookner said. "The idea is to have the people in the neighborhoods work to help design, help build, and eventually help maintain it."

Crutchfield said one basin likely will be chosen for this year's project, but there may be room for future designs.

"Ideally this would be a pilot project for more sites in the future," Crutchfield said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Wendy Reuer at (701) 241-5530