Not Your Typical License Plate

The Nebraska Arts Council is currently seeking designs for the new “Support the Arts” license plate. Nebraska Legislative Bill 942, introduced by Senator Megan Hunt, was passed on July 31. This bill allows Nebraska Arts Council to create a new specialty license plate that will provide funding for the newly defined Creative Districts in Nebraska. Cost of the plates will be $5 for a regular plate and $40 for a message plate.

Monies generated by the plates will be used as grant money which participants in the “Creative District” program can apply for. Creative Districts are geographic areas that have numerous facets of cultural activity, such as music venues, theaters, and art galleries, among others. Communities need not be large in order to have a Creative District.  Venues can range from something large like the Holland Center or include smaller settings such as a county fair. The arts historically have been, and remain, an important part in Nebraska’s communities. A recent study estimated that Nebraska’s creative economy generates $5 billion in sales revenue while supporting over 40,000 jobs. Designating these Creative Districts will help to celebrate Nebraska’s creative engines and generate funds for Nebraska’s creative economy.

It is Nebraska Art Council’s desire that the license plates that support these Creative Districts be designed by the Nebraska arts community. The timeline is short with August 31,202 as the deadline for submissions, due to the Legislature’s late session. The artists whose design is selected will receive $500 and the opportunity to see their plate on cars throughout Nebraska.

Design requirements and eligibility information can be found here, on the Nebraska Arts Council website.

Nebraska Cultural Endowment is a proud partner of the Nebraska Arts Council. The creation of Creative Districts and the specialty plate will highlight Nebraska’s cultural communities as economic drivers and will help ensure their vitality for the future.