Arts Commission

Minutes of the Meeting Regular Meeting, Middletown Commission on the Arts Wednesday, May 22, 2024 5:00pm, Room 208, Municipal Building 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT Hybrid – Held in Person and Via WebEx Commissioners In attendance Also in attendance Sandra Russo-Driska, Chair Arts Office Staff: Anthony Pandolfe, Vice Chair Kisha Michael, Arts Coordinator David Wolfram, Secretary Julia Faraci, Admin. Secy Phil Pessina Ad Hoc, Common Council Members: Sharon Riley Absent: Sari Rosenblatt Jon Pulino Pamela Steele Steven Kovach Domenique Thornton (arr: 5:13pm) Members of the Public in Attendance Gary Wallace Elena Grossman 1) Meeting Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chair Russo-Driska at 5:01pm. 2) Public Session: Elena Grossman, an artist and Middletown resident, spoke about a banner series that she discussed with to the Arts Coordinator. The eight 5x5’ banners, incorporating women- created art that explores ritual, have been displayed in Connecticut and beyond. Grossman proposes to display the banners in public parks and outdoor locations throughout the City. The Arts Coordinator has vetted this project and is coordinating with the Public Works Department and the Department of Economic and Community Development. 3) Approval of Minutes April 24, 2024 Motion to approve Minutes by Pandolfe, seconded by Pessina. Votes in favor: Russo-Driska, Pandolfe, Wolfram, Pessina, Riley, Rosenblatt, Thornton, Wallace. Abstaining: Steele. 4) Approval of Agenda Motion to approve Agenda by Pandolfe, seconded by Steele, approved unanimously. 5) Remarks from the Chair – June will be busy downtown with Memorial Day, Pride, Cruise Night, Juneteenth, and the Fireworks Festival. The Chair complimented the Arts Coordinator on handling it all. 6) Old Business a) Staff Report MCAAA gift card for 2023 Awardee: The 2023 MCAAAA awardee lost her uncashed award check for $250.00; the Arts Coordinator will reissue the award as a gift card and stop payment on the check. Pessina brought a motion to reissue a check in the amount of $250.00 made payable to Jerry’s Artarama for a gift card for the 2023 awardee, seconded by Riley, passed unanimously. Checking account: $13,302.61 remains in the MCA checking account. Balance includes $85.43 for new checks and $500.00 to purchase Jerry’s Artarama gift cards for the 2024 MCAAAA awards.  Minutes of the Meeting Regular Meeting, Middletown Commission on the Arts Wednesday, May 22, 2024 5:00pm, Room 208, Municipal Building 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT Hybrid – Held in Person and Via WebEx 2024 MCAAAA Award: Riley attended the Senior Art Award ceremony at Middletown High to present three seniors with their awards. The Arts Coordinator is switching out the art from the 2023 awards. Commissioner candidates: A letter has been sent to the Mayor nominating Richard Pelletier for Commissioner and Amber Michael for Student Representative. To be added to the Common Council agenda. MCA Officer Slate: Michael presented Article V of the MCA ByLaws, which requires the Nominating Committee to present a slate of officers at the meeting before the Annual Meeting in July. The Committee has tentatively scheduled to meet June 12 to select the slate of officers. Brochure: The revised brochure has been sent to the printer. Michael thanked Wolfram for his work updating it. Grants: The Arts Coordinator has been receiving grant inquiries, and she plans to schedule a Q & A session in June before the end of the City’s fiscal year. Arts Coordinator will build an instructional Powerpoint for the Arts Office website. Resolution for Fonda Grant Award: The Arts Coordinator will seek the support of Common Council, requesting a resolution reflecting that Joe Fonda and Kaleidoscope declined their $500.00 FY24 grant award. CT Office of the Arts Awards: The Arts Coordinator shared the recently announced FY24 COA awards. The spreadsheet noted that several MCA grantees were COA awardees. She noted the COA high grant award amounts to arts organizations throughout the state. The spreadsheet will be attached to these meeting minutes. Publicity Graphics: The Arts Coordinator shared various “Greetings From” postcard-style publicity graphics from other cities, continuing discussion for similar publicity for Middletown. Banner: The MCA Banner for PRIDE has arrived. Poet Laureate: The Arts Office released a “soft announcement” of the call to Poets on May 15. Michael has had inquiries but no applications yet. Through July 15, the program will be advertised and nominations will be taken; an application form will be posted online. Display case: Middletown PRIDE is using the display case for the month of June. Resource Projects: The Office is working on listings of nonprofit arts organizations and places where people can buy art; these listings will be loaded onto the Arts Office webpage. PRIDE: Activities are being planned for the booth at the event. A face painter has been hired and colorful backdrops have been ordered. The Arts Coordinator will staff the MCA booth; Commissioners’ presence will be welcomed. Discussion of a decorated vehicle for 2025.  Minutes of the Meeting Regular Meeting, Middletown Commission on the Arts Wednesday, May 22, 2024 5:00pm, Room 208, Municipal Building 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT Hybrid – Held in Person and Via WebEx Fireworks Festival: The Arts Coordinator has collaborated with Russell Library and the Rec Dept to hire a carousel. Nekita Waller will emcee; she will sing the National Anthem and “Lift Ev’ry Voice”. Musical artists will also include the MHS Jazz Band and the Afro-Semitic Experience. Arts Excursion: The final trip until the fall is an excursion on May 31 to see “Stomp” at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven; this event is full. In the fall, the Arts Coordinator will work with the art teachers to take Middletown High students to colleges and universities with art concentrations, so students can meet with art departments and learn about building their portfolios. Open Air Market: The Office has purchased products for distribution at the booth. Children’s Circus: Registration for Kids Arts closed a month early; the waitlist is full and no registrants are being accepted. b) Subcommittee Reports i. Planning & Projects – Report by Chair Pandolfe a. Criteria Drafts: Commissioner input has been incorporated into drafts. i. Music Ambassador: Committee agreed to open this Award to musicians as well as composers. Final draft presented by Pandolfe revised criteria to require that the awardee “must have a recording of their work that is owned by the artist.” Steele moved that the MCA approve the Final as revised; seconded by Rosenblatt. Clarification that a group should be based in Middletown; approved unanimously. to be reflected in the document attached to these minutes. ii. Arts Advocacy: The Award to take place in the fall. Wallace moved that the MCA approve the Final as revised; seconded by Pessina, approved unanimously. Pandolfe clarified that the Awardee does not have to be a Middletown resident but their impact must be in Middletown. b. PRIDE: Committee Chair Pandolfe said that Commissioners are invited to stop by and help with the MCA booth; The Arts Coordinator noted that the booth and supplies are ready to go and should run “on auto pilot”. c. Juneteenth: Pandolfe made a motion to approve the MCA expenditure of $500.00 to support MCA sponsorship of Juneteenth at the Copper level. Seconded by Pessina, approved unanimously. ii. Public Art – Committee Chair Steele reported on meeting of May 21, 2024. Michael will create meeting minutes. a. Mayor’s Arts Show: Steele reported that the Committee discussed working with the yearly Middletown Public School Art Show at the Zilkha. The Committee proposed  Minutes of the Meeting Regular Meeting, Middletown Commission on the Arts Wednesday, May 22, 2024 5:00pm, Room 208, Municipal Building 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT Hybrid – Held in Person and Via WebEx that Commissioners choose four or five works to be framed and displayed in a hall at the Municipal Building. A “Mayor’s Choice” award would be created, with the winning work to be displayed in the Mayor’s office. Michael recommended that the Public Art Committee connect with Middletown Public Schools for this initiative. b. Art Banners: Following up on his presentation at the April Regular Meeting, Pessina will reach out to the Sarasota FL project that displays banners with student art on the city’s Bayfront. iii. Nominating – no report. The Committee is still seeking a Republican or Independent Commissioner. A meeting date will be set to discuss the Executive Committee slate, which be on the agenda of the June Regular Meeting. 7) New Business – none. 8) Announcements a) Sawney Freeman project: Pandolfe shared his work with his church in Essex in the rediscovery of the work of the emancipated Black Connecticut composer named Sawney Freeman. The compositions were recorded and included in an episode of Diane Orson’s NPR show “Unforgotten”. Michael suggested that Pandolfe share his work with Deb Shapiro and Jesse Nasta of the Historical Society. b) Sylvain opening at Mosaics on Main: On May 2nd, Pierre Sylvain celebrated the viewing of his mosaics honoring Black history at the former Irreplaceable Artifacts storefront on Main Street, with about 60 people in attendance. 9) Meeting Adjournment Motion to adjourn by Pessina, seconded by Thornton. Meeting adjourned at 6:01 pm. Respectfully submitted, Julia Faraci Admin. Secretary III, Arts & Culture Office CC: Mayor’s office Attachments: Updated 2024 MCA Brochure CT Office of the Arts CAEF FY24 Grantees Poet Laureate Announcement Music Ambassador Arts Advocacy Juneteenth Sponsorship  Minutes of the Meeting Regular Meeting, Middletown Commission on the Arts Wednesday, May 22, 2024 5:00pm, Room 208, Municipal Building 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown, CT Hybrid – Held in Person and Via WebEx