Commission on the Arts

HAMPTON COMMISSION ON THE ARTS MEETING MINUTES March 2, 2017 Attending Present: Rick Allison, Rick Bagley, Linda Curtis, Jim Dees, Nancy Eason, Laura Fitzpatrick, Joshua Head, Richard M. Parison, Jr., Terri Vander Vennet Absent: Jackie Merritt, Lynda Burke, Gail Rehmert, Derrick Brooks Called to Order Chair, Nancy Eason called the meeting to order @ 4:04 pm. Reading/Approval of Minutes The minutes from the November Meeting were approved with unanimous consent – with the noted correction that Jim Dees was incorrectly marked Present at last month’s meeting. The meeting will be amended. Chair Report Ms. Eason gave an update to the Arts Education School Grants. Asbury School project is going quite well. Teachers report that students have having a wonderful time, with the ‘hardest’ part of the art project being matching skin tones. Asbury will contact Ms. Eason about a possible site visit in March or April. Jones School has two murals going up and the faculty and staff is very impressed with results thus far. Students are moving along quite quickly -- one mural in the Planetarium and one mural in the Nurses Clinic. Hampton High has reported that they have visited both the Fly Dance Company performance, the Hampton Roads Philharmonic and The Jones Family Singers thus far. Students have interacted with the artists and continue to be eager to expanding their theatre going experiences. Thus far all schools have expressed gratitude and success with their ongoing projects. Ms. Eason reported on the ‘Fish Project’ at her school which is not funded by HCA but has progressed regardless. Mr. Allison talked about his Choir Competition/Fundraiser at the end of March. Hampton Arts Report Artistic Director, Richard Parison, gave the report of artistic activities from The American Theatre and The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center. Mr. Parison indicated that he would be contacting leaders of various arts and cultural agencies in the city to engage them with the HCA, so that we would perhaps meet on occasion at other arts and culture locations and have a guest speaker discuss about the work they are doing in the arts here in Hampton. New Business Ms. Curtis and Ms. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Parison discussed the Creative Placemaking Presentation that was given by City Manager Bunting last month. There was general excited discussion about the HCA’s ability to be a conduit for ideas and concepts about this project back to City Council and the City Manager’s office. Members of the HCA were very in favor of continuing these conversations and at the next meeting, Ms. Fitzpatrick and Ms. Alexander from the Placemaking Office will address again the HCA to discuss the Placemaking Concept and facilitate further conversation and discussion. Mr. Head discussed an idea for an outdoor Battle of the Bands which could fall into this category, and he will move forward to discuss connecting the Office of Placemaking with the high schools with whom he has spoken. It was an idea with great potential and great energy for the city. Next Meeting Our next meeting is Thursday April 6, 2017 at 4pm at THE HAMPTON HISTORY MUSEUM. Adjourn There being no further business before the Commission, Ms. Burke moved to adjourn, Ms. Rehmert seconded. The meeting was unanimously adjourned at 5:05 PM.