Cultural Commission

CITY OF DANBURY CULTURAL COMMISSION 256 Main Street Danbury, Connecticut 06810 203 797 4508 November 28, 2022 Minutes of the Meeting Meeting called to order, in person and as a video conference call, by Chairman Harvey Center at 6:55 pm with Commissioners: John Cooke, Alma Faham, Cheryl Hill, Ed Moore, Gregory Smith, and Coordinator Gregory Wencek. Absent: Mary Burke, Perry Price, and John Cherry. Also in attendance was a visiting resident. Prior to the meeting the Commission held an informal meeting with Mayor Dean Esposito and Chief of Staff Roger Palanzo discussing the Commissions projects, past, present, and future. Presentation of Minutes The Minutes of the October meeting were presented. A motion by GSmith to accept the minutes as presented, seconded by JCooke. Passed by unanimous voice vote. Correspondence EMail: Make Music Day, Designs for Danbury counsel discussions, With schools re: scholarships, With organizations re: grants, Commission on Ageing re: volunteers, Richter Arts and Danbury Brass Band follow up reports, Music Centre: thank you, Jack Rosenberg, Chair. CT Arts Council re: Congratulations on your Grant Award. Former Commissioner Sandy Chaleski wishes all of the Commissioners a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas. Reports on events, DCC sponsored ● Richter Association for the Arts Soprano Callie - Fall 2022 Sunday, October 30⋅2:00 – 3:30pm HCenter: This was a good season. There is still no heat in the building. The City has no repair budget. ● Danbury Brass Band Pre-Halloween Concert - Sunday, October 30⋅2:00 – 3:30pm ● Danbury Concert Association Andrew Armstrong and friends, Piano - Sunday, October 30⋅3:00 – 4:30pm Danbury events not sponsored by the Commission ● Danbury Music Centre ■ Danbury Symphony Orchestra - Danbury Music Centre Friday, October 28⋅7:30 – 9:00pm HCenter: The concert was well done. There was a good sized crowd. ■ Music for the Heart & Soul - Danbury Concert Chorus Sunday, October 30⋅3:00 – 4:30pm ■ DMC Community Band - Saturday, November 19⋅7:30 – 9:00pm ■ WMNR Piano Recital with Will Duchon Sunday, November 13⋅3:00 – 4:30pm EMoore: Very nice evening. A large attendance. ● Danbury Museum ■ Guided Tours of 4 Danbury Museum Historic Buildings on our Main Street campus ■ Guided Tours of the Ives Homestead ■ The outdoor exhibit panels are installed ● Danbury Railway Museum ● City Center Danbury ● Palace Theater Danbury ● Galleries ■ A Night with Alma Faham at Pink Lemon 3 West Street Friday, October 28⋅7:00 – 9:00pm Minutes of the Meeting Page 1 of 5 Approved: January 23, 2023 NOTE: Additional and supporting information can be found in the files at the Commission office.  CITY OF DANBURY CULTURAL COMMISSION 256 Main Street Danbury, Connecticut 06810 203 797 4508 AFaham: A small show, well attended and successful. State senator Julie Kushner attended and Governor Ned Lamont came to view the exhibit a few days later. Also included was an explanation of the artwork. ■ Gallery of the Visual and Performing Arts Center WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension ■ Gallery at Still River Editions 128 E Liberty St. ■ in VIEW project Main Street Danbury ■ Mural unveiling at Danbury Fair - CT Alliance of W. CT November 1, 2022 5:30pm AFaham: The event was well attended. ● WCSU ■ Bat Boy: The Musical - WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts Oct 20 Sunday, Friday, Saturday, until Oct 29, 2022 ■ Piano, Opera, Wind, Chamber choir and Jazz recitals Upcoming events See addendum Coordinator’s Report ● CT Arts Hero Award - CT Arts Review team, including the Commission Coordinator, had a Meeting and named the Western Connecticut Arts Hero. The public announcement will be in the Spring. ● Applications for Connecticut Funding Opportunities ○ The Supporting Arts Grant Program awarded the Cultural Commission a $6,708.00 grant. When the check arrives it should be added to the Cultural Commission account. ○ The CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant has a minimum $5,000 award. Award notification is the Week of December 19, 2022 ● The Coordinator continues working on implementing Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) NEA-SECTION-504-Self-Evaluation-Workbook. Waiting for information from the City HR department. RPolanzo noted that the Public Works Department has an ADA officer. ● Commission Podcast outreach: No work done on this project. Will restart in January. ● Designs for Danbury ○ Discussions with Corporation Council review of the rules. ■ The rules contain a reference to release of Copyright so that the ideas may be used for a ‘next step’. City counsel suggests a review by outside counsel, who has more expertise, for a cost of ∓$10,000. ■ Another method might be to make all entries the property of the City who would maintain sole rights to the proposal. ● PUBLICITY - Now that the number of events has increased, the Coordinator will begin to send a newsletter. It was weekly but will start out monthly through the winter and increase in the spring. ○ As of November, 3 people have unsubscribed from the newsletter list, leaving 188(ish). There has been one new subscription. ○ The open rate was 40% which is above industry standard response. ● Press latest release was opened by: Tribuna, Fox61, News-Times, Newtown Bee, WTNH DT. Minutes of the Meeting Page 2 of 5 Approved: January 23, 2023 NOTE: Additional and supporting information can be found in the files at the Commission office.  CITY OF DANBURY CULTURAL COMMISSION 256 Main Street Danbury, Connecticut 06810 203 797 4508 ● 2023 / 2024 Budget process will begin in December ○ There is a mandatory annual Budget Meeting on Monday, December 5th, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. ○ If any Commissioner would like to make suggestions about how the Commission formulates the budget please let me know. ● Commission projects ○ Literary Contests ○ Audio Drama - Canceled for December ○ Podcast interviews - will resume in January ○ Sidewalk Chalk Art slated for July 22, 2023 with Center City Danbury cooperation ○ City walking tours each quarter starting in the winter ○ Make Music Day funding $350 (Dues are lowest rate of $325.) Potential grant (2022 Mini-Grants was $750) ● The Coordinator asked the City Department of Elderly Services if they can provide some volunteers to glean events and also copy the Commission’s calendar of events into ‘other’ media calendars. Susan Tomanio, director, suggested a flier to promote my call for volunteers which she would post at the Senior Center. Appeals from Community groups: None Old Business 1. Designs for Danbury - GSmith, AFaham a. City Corporation Council requests a consultant to review copyright release license ~$10,000 DISCUSSION: Some ways to proceed - Remove the Creative Commons license. Suggest that all entries become the property of the City who will have sole rights to go forward. AFaham: Have the winning entries assign copyright to the city and all other entries be deleted from the files. All Commissioners debated the issue. CONSENSUS: Have the Coordinator notify the City Corporation Counsel that the Creative Commons license will be removed from the rules and the winning submissions will have the copyright assigned to the City with the cash award as compensation, and non-winning submissions will be destroyed. New Business 1. Vote to authorize Make Music Day 2023 funding at least $350. There is a potential grant available (In 2022 there was a Mini-Grant available from the State for $750). Moved by CHill to approve $350 for the Make Music Day festival. Seconded by AFaham. DISCUSSION: EMoore: Can the amount be increased in the future? CHill: Is there a budget? GWencek: The amount can be increased later and there is no budget yet. CALLED: passed by unanimous voice vote. Minutes of the Meeting Page 3 of 5 Approved: January 23, 2023 NOTE: Additional and supporting information can be found in the files at the Commission office.  CITY OF DANBURY CULTURAL COMMISSION 256 Main Street Danbury, Connecticut 06810 203 797 4508 Action on Grant Requests: None Other Business 1. AFaham: Had a discussion with Lisa Scales of the Western Connecticut Cultural Alliance re: how the Alliance and the Cultural Commission can work together. Commissioners agree that more cooperation with calendar coordination should be encouraged. GWencek: Lazaro Chavez, Manager of CityCenter Danbury, has already noted that CityCenter and the Commission will cooperate more next year. AFaham: Representatives from organizations should be invited to meet with the Commission to set up guidelines for cooperation. Motion to adjourn at 7:46 Made by GSmith. Passed by Unanimous voice vote. NOTE: Corporation Counsel has provided the Clerk's office with the following... Current as of 3/16/20: Effective with Gov. Lamont's Executive Order No. 7B issued on 3/14/20, the requirement of public attendance at all meetings of public agencies is suspended. Meetings are to be held remotely by conference call, videoconference, or other technology, provided that (in summary): 1) the public has the ability to view or listen to each meeting or proceeding in real time by phone, video or other technology. Therefore the Commission office had set up a video conference call which started at 6:15 on Monday evening. Commissioners and the public connected to Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82233993719?pwd=Y0M3Nnd1clA0S2MvUGlMNjNXeWlJUT09 Meeting ID: 822 3399 3719 Passcode: 816120 One tap mobile: Dial by your location +19294362866,,82233993719# US (New York) +1 929 436 2866 US (New York) Meeting ID: 863 4929 6848 Passcode: 816120 Meeting ID:822 3399 3719 Passcode: 816120 If the Zoom video connection is lost, call the backup phone conference at 1-605-475-5950 Access Code: 816120 The meeting started at 6:30 and was not recorded by the Commission. Minutes of the Meeting Page 4 of 5 Approved: January 23, 2023 NOTE: Additional and supporting information can be found in the files at the Commission office.  CITY OF DANBURY CULTURAL COMMISSION 256 Main Street Danbury, Connecticut 06810 203 797 4508 Upcoming events Addendum Handel’s, Messiah - Danbury Music Centre Saturday, December 3⋅3:00 – 5:30pm City Center Danbury First Congregational Church 2022 Light the Lights – Winter Festival 164 Deer Hill Ave, Danbury, CT 06810 December 3 @ 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm on the Ives Street Green Holiday Concert - Mad Hatter Chorus Saturday, December 3⋅3:00 – 4:30pm Trailer Box Gallery Church of Christ-Danbury 12 Francis J Clarke Circle- Bethel Ct. 90 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 Coming in October - Cathy Vanaria TUBAChristmas Performance - Danbury Library Saturday, December 3⋅12:00 – 1:00pm Danbury Public Library Western Connecticut State University 170 Main St, Danbury, CT 06810 Season's Greetings - WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts Friday, December 2⋅8:00 – 10:00pm All Aboard The Snow Clipper for the First Gift Daily, until Dec 3, 2022 Express - Danbury Railway Museum MainStage Theatre - Visual & Performing Arts Saturday, December 3 weekends until Dec 18 Center 43 Lake Avenue Extension Danbury, CT Danbury Railway Museum 120 White St, Danbury, CT 06810 Holiday Pops - WCSU Saturday, December 10 & 11⋅3:00 – 5:00pm Music at the Ridge with Geoff Kaufman MainStage Theatre - Visual & Performing Arts Concerts 2022-2023 - Sunday, Dec 4⋅4:00 – Center 43 Lake Avenue Extension Danbury, CT 6:00pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury https://www.eventbrite.com/o/visual-and-performi 24 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 ng-arts-center-at-western-connecticut-state-unive rsity-6275173871 * The Nutcracker - Danbury Music Centre https://www.wcsu.edu/art/category/art-events/ Thursday, December 8 through 10 ⋅Various times https://www.wcsu.edu/svpa/events/ Danbury High School 43 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 *Events sponsored by the Commission Danbury Community Orchestra - Danbury Music Centre Friday, December 16⋅7:30 – 9:00pm Rose Wilder Lane - Birthday Visual & Performing Arts Center Monday, December 5 43 Lake Ave Ext, Danbury, CT 06811 Noteworthy - Christmas Candlelight Concert Sunday, December 18⋅7:00 – 8:00pm Assumption Greek Orthodox Church 30 Clapboard Ridge Road Danbury, CT 06811 Minutes of the Meeting Page 5 of 5 Approved: January 23, 2023 NOTE: Additional and supporting information can be found in the files at the Commission office.