This spring, mayoral candidate Marc Laredo met with leaders of some of Newton’s nonprofit cultural organizations to discuss how City Hall could make it easier for them to do what they do best—promote the arts, celebrate the city’s cultural diversity and enrich the quality of life in Newton—at a time when economic uncertainty threatens to dry up the philanthropic dollars that help the city thrive.

Now, if elected Newton’s next mayor, Laredo is planning to launch an Arts and Culture Department at City Hall.

“As I’ve been out talking to the community, particularly the arts and culture community, it became really apparent to me that arts and culture is very important in Newton and that it would be better off in the city as a free-standing department rather than part of Parks and Recreation,” Laredo said. “And so, Jan. 1, I am going to be docketing the item with the city council—if I’m elected, of course—asking for permission to set up a separate department for arts and culture.”

Laredo wants the new department to take the lead in promoting arts and culture throughout the city, to give arts and culture more visibility.

“I think it’s really good for our local economy, and I think it’s very important for building community,” he said.

Laredo has chosen Newton Community Pride (now Spark Newton) Board Chair Meryl Kessler as the department director.

“She’s energetic, she has a great vision, and I’m very excited that she’s willing to take on this role,” Laredo said.

Kessler said she was “delighted” to be chosen for the job and the work it brings.

“In this new role, I look forward to elevating arts and culture in our community and working with our many arts and culture organizations, with other City departments and the new mayor, as well as creatives throughout Newton to use the arts to build a stronger and more vibrant Newton,” she said.

Laredo said he plans to fund the department with money from the Parks, Recreation and Culture budget so it can be budget-neutral. And big city events, like the Fourth of July fireworks festival and Harvest Fair, would remain under control of Parks, Recreation and Culture.

Adrienne Knudsen, director of the Allen Center in West Newton operated by Newton Cultural Alliance, celebrated the idea and said it’s long overdue.

“The city has never had a good track record of really supporting Newton culture, and that is why the Newton Cultural Alliance was established in 2009, because the city had no capacity to support small creative organizations back then,” she said.

And arts and culture leaders are already brainstorming ideas.

“I am a total advocate for the city having a bigger role. Maybe we can start with a calendar that would appear on the homepage of the city website,” Knudsen suggested. “Maybe we could have a public arts commission.”

Not many communities in the commonwealth have arts and culture departments—the closest examples are Cambridge, Boston and Salem, although Brookline has an arts commission with members appointed by their elected officials—and having one in a suburb is rare.

Laredo said he’s not modeling his idea after what any other city is doing, and he wants to give Kessler a blank canvas to create a department unique to Newton’s needs. And if all goes according to plan, Kessler will work in collaboration with former Alderman and departing Hyde Community Center Director John Rice, who Laredo has picked as his chief community services officer.

“I just think that making sure there is leadership at City Hall, a direct place they can go to, somebody coordinating and promoting those activities, we’re giving them more visibility and that’s important,” Laredo said.