From Sirena to Salado Legends to the Sculpture Garden to artists working in many media, Salado has been a home to the arts and to artists.

Public Arts League of Salado is working to apply through the TCA Cultural District program to designate much of the downtown and historic district as a Cultural District.

The program is not a grant program, but a designation program with a deadline of June 15.

PALS held a meeting May 16 to garner support for the Cultural District.The group is working on the notebook to present as part of its application. A video will also be part of the application.

The Cultural District designation may help Salado in securing arts and restoration grants. PALS secured a matching grant from TCA to bring Blue Lapis Light to Salado in 2014 and 2015.

The Cultural District designation will also help with marketing Salado as an arts and culture destination. Just two dozen districts have been designated by TCA and Salado would be one of the smallest communities in Texas to receive such a distinction.

This will be the second time that Salado  has applied for the designation. PALS led an unsuccessful effort last year.

Among the communities to receive the designation are these: Abilene, Alpine, Austin, Bastrop, Clifton, Dallas, Denison, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, Georgetown, Houston, Hunstville, McAllen,  Rosenberg, San Angelo, San Antonio, San Elizario, Smithville and Winnsboro.