COEUR d'ALENE - It's like making downtown Coeur d'Alene a temporary art gallery.

Temporary, but with a little luck or generosity, partly permanent, too.

The Coeur d'Alene Arts Commission is pitching the idea of bringing its own art on loan program - Art Currents - to the Lake City.

If it's a go, the program could bring 10 more public art pieces on Sherman Avenue, Lakeside Avenue and City Park, by June.

And like in a gallery, the pieces will be for sale.

"We're trying to think of a different variety of ways to bring art into the community," said Joe Sharnetsky, art commission member who is presenting the idea to the Coeur d'Alene General Services Committee on Monday. "I think something like that is going to help open up Coeur d'Alene more."

The commission will spend $25,000 to start the program.

That will include costs for fliers to artists, $500 stipends to each selected artist to ship their pieces, insurance, and displaying the work.

The artwork will be for sale for one year. If it's sold and removed, the city would take 25 percent of the price to help cover costs.

While the program is based on revolving displays, cities with successful similar programs can end up with permanent showcases.

"It's a cost effective and reasonable way to bring as much art as we can to the community," said Steve Anthony, city recreation director and liaison to the art commission. "Hopefully, we can secure donations from this."

That's what happened in Sheridan, Wyo., the city with a similar program that Sharnetsky used to model Coeur d'Alene's proposal.

Since Sheridan implemented its program eight years ago, it has acquired 42 sculptures by donation. Artists sometimes donate pieces after the year, or residents buy them and allow the city to keep them in public view.

The commission from sales Sheridan earns isn't a money maker dollar for dollar, said Fachon Wilson, chair of Sheridan public arts committee. But Sheridan has taken in $600,000 worth of art for $180,000 in administrative costs during that span.

"It's really stimulated Sheridan," she said. "The philosophy is people stay longer and move slower as they walk down the street."

The tentative Coeur d'Alene spots could be corner locations of Sixth, Fifth, Fourth, Third, Second and First streets along Sherman and Lakeside avenues as well as a spot in City Park near Independence Point. The art won't require a theme, and a call to artists will be made to begin the selection process if the idea is approved.

The money is from Lake City Development Corp.'s annual contribution to the Arts Commission to promote public art inside the urban renewal agency's districts. If the program succeeds, it could spread around town, said Sharnetsky, who worked with the Downtown Association and Art Spirit Gallery owner Steve Gibbs to ensure the project would be well received.

"I don't think of it as competition," said Buddy Le, owner of the Coeur d'Alene Galleries, adding that the more art in the community means the better its artistic reputation could be. "As long as everyone has a fair opportunity to submit art to display. Overall, I think it's best for the community to try and promote the arts in general."

If it passes Monday, the proposal will go to the City Council.