The City of Concord was honored Oct. 17 with the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in the category of Economic Development through the Arts for its Creative Concord public arts program. The League of California Cities bestowed the honor to Concord in an awards ceremony at the organization’s annual conference being held in Long Beach.
Concord Mayor Edi Birsan accepted the award on behalf of the city.
“We are grateful to be recognized for this program, which sparked public interest in the arts, spurred economic activity, and spotlighted Concord’s efforts to strengthen our community spirit through an arts and culture experience,” Birsan said.
Established in 2022 as an effort to reignite Concord’s vibrant downtown, the program brought three annual multi-day events to the city, featuring mural installations, live canvas paintings, live music, sculptures, and community involvement…