Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church

Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting February 16, 2023 Meeting Minutes - In Person Meeting Falls Church City Hall - 300 Park Avenue - Dogwood Room Members Present: Laura Connors Hull, Ari Autor, Ron Anzalone, Ellen Gross, Jessie Labukas, Katharine Stewart (virtually), Nikki Graves Henderson (virtually) Liaisons: Regan Davis, Letty Hardi, Jacqueline Connors, Amy Young Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Laura Hull at 9:32 am. Public Art Policy Review: A continuation of the roundtable discussion was held to review the Public Art Policy. Ron Anzelone suggested dividing the policy into two different documents; the first would be a briefer and more broad Public Art Policy and the second would be the Program Guidelines (for how to implement the Policy). Highlights for each section below: Public Art Policy ● Discussion was held on using a consistent tense throughout the document and whether to use the term Is vs. Will Be; IS promotes more action/permanency ● Can the Policy itself be briefer and more broad to get passed through City Council in a more timely fashion? Program Guidelines ● Verify with the City Attorney that a 2-part document is possible. ● Program guidelines will be specific steps/instructions for how to implement the Public Art Policy. ● Define the role of the City Manager, Public Works and Park and Recreation Departments with regards to Public Art. ● Is there a maintenance plan for the City art collection? ○ Who takes care of each piece? ○ What happens if an art piece is vandalized or damaged? ○ Does each piece have a monetary value for insurance purposes? Next Steps: ● Ron will finalize edits to the main Policy document so they can be reviewed at the next AHC meeting  ● Letty will schedule a meeting with the City Attorney and appropriate people within the Falls Church City Government for an initial review. Arts & Humanities Council Business: Update on utility box Art Wraps was led by Amy Young. The City of Falls Church will provide funding for approximately 4 utility boxes to be wrapped. It was proposed to choose locations that are already within the Art Walk footprint to increase pedestrian traffic and visibility. Next steps on the City side are to provide the Public Works Department with identified utility box locations along the Art Walk route, hire a part-time project manager to facilitate the project, and put a call out for artists/designs. Round Table Discussion: Village Preservation and Improvement Society Ellen Gross reported that VPIS is considering holding the Attic Treasures sale again this year. VPIS has a collection of books on Falls Church City history they would like to donate within the community - library, schools, Cherry Hill Farmhouse, etc. Please contact her if you would like to have any of the books for your organization. Victorian Society Ron Anzalone reported that the Victorian Society is considering organizing an Architectural Art Tour of homes within Falls Church. They will also be hosting an event on April 22 in conjunction with Fairfax History and Earth Days Public Art Walk Ari Autor and Mary Sellers are spearheading an “Art Walk” that will be held on April 15 to promote awareness of public art in the City of Falls Church. Tasks include getting quotes for the plaques, writing descriptions of each art piece, finalizing the date of the event in April and recruiting volunteers to assist on the day. Any organization that would like to be more involved can reach out to Mary. Falls Church City Public Schools Meridian High School will host the student variety show “Meridian’s Got Talent” on February 17. The Falls Church Education Foundation will hold the Falls Church Home and Garden Tour on April 16. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 the day of the event. Meridian High School band members will travel to Nashville, TN on March 8-11. Band Boosters will host a Swing Time Jazz Night on March 19th to raise money for the program. Swing Dance lessons will be taught by an instructor from the Victorian Society. Meridian High School chorus members travel to Orlando, FL on April 13-16. Choral Boosters will host a Karaoke night at Clare and Don’s on March 30 to raise money for the program. Mary Riley Styles Public Library Jessie Labukas reported that the library offers numerous programs for students on early release Wednesdays. Friends of Cherry Hill Farmhouse Katharine Stewart reported that a print version of the Friends of Cherry Hill Newsletter will be coming out this week. Volunteer docent training will be held in March. The Farmhouse will open to the public for the season in April. A Victorian Tea will be held at the Farmhouse for Mother’s Day in May. They are very glad to have Holly Irwin on board and are looking forward to working with her. Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation Nikki Henderson reported that the mural slated for the Ace Hardware building is going slower than expected due to weather conditions and trouble accessing the site due to the adjacent property owner. It will probably not be finished in time for the Art Walk. They are exploring other building options in the area for additional murals. Creative Cauldron Laura Hull reported that the show “Diagnosed” opens this weekend. It will run through March 5 at Creative Cauldron. The show explores mental health issues that black women face in society. The show on February 26 will be a fundraiser for Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation. Falls Church City Council Letty Hardi reported that the City Budget for 2024 will be presented to the City Council on March 27. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 10:59 am