An ongoing effort to designate a portion of Chadron as a Nebraska Arts Council creative district will take its next step in January, and the community is invited to help shape the priorities during a strategic planning session.

The proposed creative district includes the Chadron State College and Chadron High School campuses, Memorial Park, the Dawes County Courthouse, Chadron Arts Center, Chadron Public Library and the Downtown Historical District. A task force that includes representatives from the college, tourism, city, chamber, Museum of the Fur Trade and Chadron Open Art has already completed the initial application steps and conducted a site visit with the Nebraska Arts Council.

“The next step is to prioritize what we as a community would like to see happen within the proposed creative district boundaries over the next five years,” said Discover Northwest Nebraska Director Kerri Rempp. “We had several public meetings in 2022, but want to solicit additional public comment before submitting our strategic plan.”

The community is invited to attend the upcoming session of the Northwest Nebraska Regional Planning meeting where the focus will be on the creative district’s development. The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Platte Valley Bank Community Room in Chadron.

“We’d love to hear from artists and creators and those who enjoy their works as we determine priorities for the next five years,” Rempp said. “The designation as a creative district through the Nebraska Arts Council has the potential to increase exposure for the downtown area, along with our local and regional artists and businesses.”