Arts Commission

AGENDA/Minutes Template April 24, 2019, 7pm Room 208, 245 deKoven Drive, Municipal Building Middletown, CT Present Also Present Absent Charlotte McCoid, Vice Chair Sebastian Giuliano Cassandra Day, Chair Julia Faraci Council Member Barbara Arafeh Lee Godburn Kisha Michael, Arts Commissioner David Bauer Crystal Laffan Robert Santangelo Pamela Steele Council Member John Basinger Cheryl Hale (Poet Laureate) Joyce Kirkpatrick (arr 7:07pm) Franca Biales (arr 7:21pm) 1. Call to Order – Secretary Faraci, leading the meeting in the absence of Chair Day, called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Public Session – No members of the public in attendance 3. Minutes a. March 27, 2019 Godburn moved to approve the minutes of the March 27 meeting, seconded by Giuliano, approved unanimously. 4. Approval of Agenda Giuliano moved to approve the agenda as published, seconded by Godburn, approved unanimously. 5. Remarks from the Chair Faraci expressed appreciation to the Commissioners on their assistance at this meeting. 6. Old Business a. Budget Report Arts Coordinator Michael delivered the Arts Office budget on April 15 at the 2019-2020 Budget Hearing. The Council is scheduled to vote on the budget on May 13 at their budget meeting. b. Program Update i. Arts Calendar Michael passed around a draft of the May/June calendar. Kirkpatrick wrote the article on the front page about the “Carmela” portrait by Abby Carter. Michael was thanked for making the calendar easier to read. ii. Grants An email notice went out on April 17 advising of the new grant cycle. The deadline is May 6, for projects commencing after June 1. Interviews have tentatively been set for Friday May 10 after 5pm. Godburn, Laffan, Faraci said that they may be available to serve on the panel. iii. Fireworks Festival / Summer Sounds a. Fireworks June 29 has been confirmed as the date for the Fireworks Festival. The Arts Coordinator passed around the poster. She gave a brief rundown of the acts that were booked by the producer Jeff McQuillan through Arts Office. Thanking the Commission for their offer of  help, Michael said that she is in the process of getting the contracts out to the artists. She noted that the timing of the Festival is causing the event’s budget to straddle the fiscal year, leaving some $9000 to contract artists. The sound tech and musicians will be paid first, and the Symphonic band will be paid after July 1. Next year’s budget includes startup for next year. b. Summer Sounds The Arts Office has made changes to Summer Sounds to attract more families. The concerts will now start at 6pm, with a half-hour long preview show suitable for children. Food trucks will be in attendance so that families can have dinner and enjoy a concert and be home by 8pm. There will be five concerts, including the symphonic band in September. The dates will be publicized in the newsletter and at the Fireworks Festival. iv. Kids Arts 2019 Enrollment in Kids Arts is continuing. Enrollment for Circus is about halfway full, at 66 children, and the Teeny Tiny Troupe is full at 30. 7. Committee Reports a. Executive Committee – No Report b. Public Art Committee i. MCAAAA Award The two Awards will be presented at Middletown High School on May 22 at 930am. One for two-dimensional art (painting/drawing) and the other for sculpture. ii. Palmer Field Sculpture It has been suggested that she create maquettes and mockups for the full body sculpture, and to get estimates for all sizes to consider. The Arts Coordinator will compose a package for another conversation with the artist. They plan to contact the recommended artist to come and view the site (at the City’s expense) to see its scale, and answer questions, rather than investing first in time and money and waiting months for her to create the work first. The full body statues of the athletes in their prime will be a “finishing touch” to the field and meaningful to its visitors. As the project was commissioned and will be paid for by the City, the Arts Coordinator will draft the professional services content detailing the process for the selection of the artist. McCoid noted that the artist has stated in her artist statement that when she commits to a project, she always delivers on time. c. Nominating Committee – No Report d. Planning and Projects – No Report e. Music Committee – No Report f. Public Relations Committee – No Report g. Poet Laureate Committee Biales and Laffan met with Poet Laureate Cheryl Hale to discuss her ideas and plans. Hale is enthusiastic about collaboration with the public schools to create poetry programs. Biales and Laffan suggested some schools to start visiting and gave her contacts. Hale wants to de-mystify poetry and share it with everyone. Commissioners commented that she attends readings throughout the state and is a great representative for her position and for Middletown.  8. New Business a. Grants Process and Revisions - The Arts Coordinator asked that a subcommittee work with her on revising and simplifying the grants application procedure forms. Discussion of grantees’ understanding of rules; current forms have too much information and can be simplified. b. Flag Raising Painting – Per the chairs request, the Arts Coordinator sent Mayor Drew an email requesting to relocate the painting from the south stairwell in City Hall to the Veterans Memorial Museum. Giuliano said to make sure the Museum wanted the painting. Kirkpatrick noted that the painting was not part of the City Art Collection, and was intended as a loan until the completion of the Museum. The Arts Coordinator will follow up. c. Mislabeled painting in the City Art Collection - Discussion of a child’s self portrait labelled “Melia Timmerman”. Kirkpatrick said that it was one of the children’s portraits purchased by the City in 1984. Timmerman’s mother said that she did not do the portrait. Commissioners brainstormed on how to track down the artist, including posting the portrait on social media and on the City website. 9. Announcements a. Middletown's Plan of Conservation and Development - McCoid encouraged the Commissioners to participate in the Middletown Plan of Development, which will be an important part of the decision-making in the City’s future. There will be two Community Workshops for Middletown's Plan of Conservation and Development, on April 25, Thursday evening and on April 27, Saturday morning. There is also a multiple choice survey. Contact is Stephen Devoto, the Chair of Planning and Zoning. b. The Arts Coordinator read a letter from Dic Wheeler at Oddfellows, thanking the Commission for its recent grant award of $10,000. c. Greater Middletown Chorale will be performing a program of Bruckner choral music on May 5 at 4pm at the Santo Fragilio Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School. d. Middletown High School Goes to the Symphony - Commissioners commented that the performance was “terrific” and a great showcase of local talent, but underattended. The concert did not appear to have been promoted heavily and was not well advertised. e. Greater Middletown Concert Association will be presenting musical programs at the Santo Fragilio Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School i. The Hal McIntyre Orchestra will be performing on Saturday, April 27 ii. The Connecticut Lyric Opera and Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra will be performing Verdi’s “Don Carlo” on Saturday, May 11. f. Windham Theatre Guild will hold a Broadway chorus concert, at 7:30 p.m. April 27-28 at the Burton Leavitt Theatre in Willimantic. 10. Adjournment Godburn moved that the meeting be adjourned, McCoid seconded. Meeting adjourned at 8:15pm. Respectfully submitted Julia Faraci Secretary Middletown Commission on the Arts cc: Town Clerk Mayor Daniel T. Drew