Public Arts and Culture Advisory Council

PUBLIC ARTS & CULTURE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY September 21, 2015 Members present: Chair Lindsay Brubaker – Niles Park District Janet Spector Bishop – School District 63 Michael Crisci – Niles Historical Society Mary Dowd Demas – Artist Debi Gajewski – Artist Dr. John Kosirog – School District 71 James Kozak – VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Susan Lempke – Niles Public Library Carol Luc – Artist Jonathan Mazur – Artist Katie Schneider – Niles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Staff present: Mayor Andrew Przybylo Trustee George D. Alpogianis Village Manager and Project Manager Steven Vinezeano Staff Liaison Cathy Spadoni Members absent: Rossana Macejak – Niles Sister Cities Ericka Stoor-Burning – Artist I. Call to Order Chair Lindsay Brubaker called the meeting of the Public Arts & Culture Advisory Council to order at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 21, 2015 at the Niles Historical and Cultural Center, 8970 N. Milwaukee Avenue. II. Approval of Meeting Summary Trustee Alpogianis made a motion, seconded by Village Manager Vinezeano, to approve the meeting summary of August 27, 2015. On voice vote, all concurred. III. Old Business a. “Traveling WWII Memorial – Pillars of Honor” Event Feedback Those who attended the event reported that it was well-attended, and that the presentation – speeches, music, etc. – was inspiring. The mutual respect shown by the different generations of veterans was impressive.  Public Arts & Culture Advisory Council September 21, 2015 b. Open Meetings Act and E-Ethics Training Requirements Staff Liaison Spadoni reminded those who have not yet completed the Open Meetings Act and E-Ethics training to do so as soon as possible. IV. New Business a. LS+Team Logo Proposal Debi Gajewski made a motion, seconded by Janet Spector Bishop, to recommend to the Village Board the expenditure of $350 to LS+Team for two initial concepts of a Public Arts & Culture Advisory Council logo and one round of revisions. This logo will be very distinctive to this Council and will appear on anything the Council sponsors. On voice vote, all concurred. b. Questionnaire Workshop Chair Brubaker led a discussion of a questionnaire distributed to Council members. Comments are as follows: 1) How do you define arts and culture? Any event or activity that reflects on historic events, artistic endeavors or ethnic identifiers; intangible shared beliefs, values and practices of the community – language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and art; people themselves; arts and crafts – florals, fashion design, architecture; inclusion of all of Niles’ ethnic groups; art – tangible works of traditional art (painting, sculpture), music, theater, any performing arts; culture – traditions, festivals and celebrations from American culture as well as those of different countries; self-expression; what evokes emotion and inspiration 2) What arts and culture resources do you know of in Niles? Churches, schools, library (Creative Studio, songwriters group), Historical & Cultural Center, Senior Center, Park District, Teen Center, VFW; Village of Niles via community events – 4th of July parade, Taste of Sister Cities, Maria SS Lauretana festival, Night of Roses, concerts in the park; diverse community; gaming and comics; Niles Rain Garden; Leaning Tower; sculptures – indoor (library, roses) and outdoor (Abraham Lincoln at waterfall); Boy Scouts; Shakespeare Project; local artisans 3) What arts and culture resources does Niles lack? Theater/acoustical/performing arts space; general promotion of arts and culture; outdoor art; informational signage; art galleries; central information hub – either a physical space or a web resource; vehicle for artists to showcase their artistic talents; instruction in the arts Mayor Przybylo stated that this Council should think seriously about recommending to the Village Board expenditures for programs that it feels are important and necessary to promote arts and culture in Niles. 2  Public Arts & Culture Advisory Council September 21, 2015 4) If you could establish one goal for the Council, what would it be? To engage Niles residents in the mission of the Council; to have a budget to pursue an Arts & Culture Master Plan; to better utilize the Historical & Cultural Center, making it a hub for events and classes; to use public arts and culture to build community and create a strong Village identity; to bring out the hidden talents of residents; to promote the Rain Garden with better signage, sculptural art, contests, etc.; to redesign the Historical & Cultural Center and repurpose it to include a small theater; to create a perception that Niles is culturally and artistically rich, and that Niles has a baseline from which to grow and be measured; to aesthetically enhance the area at Waukegan and Milwaukee; that this Council have input in the redevelopment of the Milwaukee/Waukegan corridor to include an arts plaza; to turn Waukegan Road from Milwaukee to Village Hall into a “Main Street”; to have a gazebo and informational signage in each park; that this Council truly function as an advisory group to the Village Board. Village Manager Vinezeano stated that the Master Plan will determine current opportunities as well as obstacles, and will provide general guidelines and rules as to how to approach redevelopment areas in Niles. 5) What do you see as opportunities (outdoor sculpture, indoor/outdoor art fest, Sister City student art exchange/display, snow plow art program, etc.) that could be accomplished sooner than later? To be discussed at the next meeting 6) Where in Niles could you see public art installed (indoor or outdoor)? Dutchman’s Point (Milwaukee and Waukegan); Historical & Cultural Center; Leaning Tower; the library; municipal buildings; schools; Civic Center Plaza; gazebos in parks; a sculpture area on Lehigh between Touhy and Howard; farmers market; high end flea market at Golf Mill; front yard/garden improvements; holiday decorations. Create a large map showing the locations of retail stores/restaurants and art installations. 7) What are ways to integrate arts and culture to enhance existing community events (i.e. Holly Jolly, Taste of Sister Cities, Bike Niles and 4th of July)? To be discussed at the next meeting 8) Would you want to serve on an Arts and Culture Master Plan Steering Committee? To be discussed at the next meeting V. Open Discussion Arts and culture-related events can be listed on the calendar of the quarterly Focus on Niles newsletter. Give information about any upcoming events to Hayley Garard (the Village’s Communications Coordinator), Steve Vinezeano or Cathy Spadoni. 3  Public Arts & Culture Advisory Council September 21, 2015 VI. Public Comment None VII. Next Meeting – Agenda Items and Date Hayley Garard (Communications Coordinator) is looking at Evanston’s arts and culture web page to possibly use it as a model for our own and may make a presentation to this Council at the next meeting. The next meeting will be held on Monday, October 19, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. at the Niles Historical & Cultural Center. VIII. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m. 4