Arts and Culture Commission

SPECIAL MEETING – ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION AGENDA JULY 8, 2025, 6:00 PM BY ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings. Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Sabrina Godeski at sgodeski@norwalkct.govwith the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment prior to the meeting. I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Regular Meeting: May 6th, 2025 IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION V. OLD BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Authorize a payment of one thousand dollars ($1,000) to Ash Nichols for the creation of the Cultural District logo. ACCT: 01-14-50-5258 Page 1 of 36  B. Authorize the inclusion of the three submitted proposals to be released in a public survey for the Ely Avenue Fencing Project. VII. DISCUSSION A. Event Updates - Make Music Day - Resident Meeting on July 29th for Cultural Plan - Mixer on July 31st at Space67 for Cultural Plan B. Arts and Cultural Plan Updates C. New 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets - $20,000 Special Events line item added to Operating Budget - $100,000 Art in Public Places Capital Budget VIII. ADJOURNMENT Page 2 of 36  CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 VIA ZOOM VITUAL MEETING ATTENDANCE: Brian Kaspr; Chair, Robert Abriola, Mark Alan, Janay Sylvester, Melissa Matuska, Kevin Huffman; Ex-Officio, Nori Grudin (6:17 p.m.) STAFF: Sabrina Godeski OTHER: Jagger Little (Artist), Amanda Atunes; Art Teacher, Ash Nichols (Artist/Graphic Designer) I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Kaspr called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Mr. Kaspr called the roll as reflected above. A quorum was present III. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Regular Meeting: March 4, 2025 ** MR. ABRIOLA MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. ** MS. MATUSKA SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED WITH FOUR IN FAVOR AND ONE ABSTENTION, (JANAY SYLVESTER) IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 Page 1 Page 3 of 36 No members of the public were present to comment.. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Approve the Rowayton School Traffic Graphic Box design Ms. Matuska gave an overview of the project, noting the box’s location and the fact that it is an eyesore, and Rowayton School wanted to paint it. She explained that the students created renderings of what they would like. With the help of Amanda Atunes, art teacher, who coordinated the effort, the school chose the work of Jagger Little. Mr. Little discussed his inspiration for his piece and the reason he chose to make the sky a sunset. Mr. Kaspr asked how long he had been painting and drawing and being an artist. Mr. Little discussed what he has been working on currently, noting he likes doing abstracts. Ms. Matuska went into further detail about the project logistics. Ms. Atunes commented there were seventeen students in the Artistically Talented program including Mr. Little. She hoped that all of the program students would pitch in. She stated the idea was a group effort. She then noted that Mr. Little’s submission took the theme and turned it into a seamless and cohesive. She discussed her plan to include any fifth grade student who wants to participate. Mr. Abriola asked about the age of the traffic box. Ms. Matuska indicated the box was likely older. Mr. Abriola indicated there was prep work and steps that needed to be done on older boxes. He offered the commissions help in the process. Ms. Grudin joined the meeting at 6:17 p.m. ** MS. MATUSKA MOVED TO APPROVE THE DESIGN. ** MR. ALAN SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Kasper requested a vote to change the order of the agenda to place item C before item B on the agenda. ** MR. ABRIOLA MOVED TO APPROVE THE CHANGE TO THE AGENDA. ** MS. SYLVESTER SECONDED THE MOTION. CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 Page 2 Page 4 of 36 ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. C. Approve the Norwalk Cultural District branding. Mr. Kaspr provided a brief overview of the project and an introduction for Ash Nichols. Ms. Nichols discussed the three directions and presented slides showing logo ideas based on the preferred mood board. She noted there may be an opportunity for an acronym. This idea was not met with great enthusiasm. Mr. Kaspr and the Commission members discussed their preferences. Ms. Nichols stated she appreciated the feedback from the Commission members. Feeling a need for another round of refinement, Mr. Kaspr suggested everyone email him with their choices. Ms. Nichols brought up the issue of time and the fact that she was being asked to do revisions on two design directions. Mr. Kaspr stated that if they wanted Ms. Nichols to explore revisions in two directions, they should approve more money for her. He asked Ms. Godeski about the process. Ms. Godeski said it was best to wait till the next meeting and have a proposal for the amount of money they will need. Mr. Kaspr asked for a motion for Ms. Nichols to continue to explore concepts two and three. ** MR. ABRIOLA MOVED TO HAVE MS. NICHOLS EXPLORE CONCEPTS TWO AND THREE. ** MR. ALAN SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED WITH FIVE IN FAVOR AND ONE NO VOTE (MR. KASPR). B. Discussion on the Ely Avenue Fencing RFQ. Mr. Kaspr stated they were not selecting artists at this time. He noted they would be putting together a subcommittee composed of Dajuan Wiggins, Darlene Young, and three commission members. Mr. Kaspr explained that the subcommittee would select the two or three artists or groups of artists who will be offered a proposal stipend. Mr. Kasper referred to the agenda packet containing resumes of various artists. He stated that personally, he wasn’t impressed with what he had seen so far. He listed those that he felt deserved consideration. He also listed those he would like to extend an invitation to. Ms. Godeski indicated she agreed with Mr. Kaspr. She noted choosing people who were already part of the community would eliminate some of their previous issues with artist selection. Mr. CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 Page 3 Page 5 of 36 Kaspr added that it would immediately exclude some of the applicants. Ms. Godeski said the community-driven nature of the piece lends itself to being done by someone who is part of the local community. Mr. Kaspr provided a brief description of the project to Mr. Abriola. He stated that the artists or artist groups could define the content. He noted the project requires the community to participate in its creation. He explained they would be looking first at Norwalk residents, then slowly growing to Fairfield County, and if necessary, further out into Connecticut. Mr. Huffman wanted to know if there was impetus on the part of the commission to present something that might nudge people to behave or engage in pro-social behavior. Mr. Kaspr indicated it was something to consider. In response to Mr. Alan, Mr. Kaspr explained this was an update and discussion allowing everyone to chime in. He also stated he was hoping to find commission members to be part of the sub-committee. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. Update on the NEA grant for the Heritage Wall. Ms. Godeski stated the NEA has been defunded and is not paying out to people who were already approved. She said they did submit, but unless something changes, she doubts it will go anywhere. She suggested they start looking elsewhere for grant funds.. VII. DISCUSSION A. Budget Review Ms. Godeski presented the budget review as provided in the agenda packet. She indicated there was no real change. She said they had a small amount if they wanted to do something. She noted the available amount had to be used by June 30th. There was discussion about where the money should go, with suggestions including another mixer, supplies for the traffic graphic boxes, and hiring people to touch up or repaint the tagged traffic graphic boxes. Ms. Godeski pointed out the People's Gallery needed an update, and there were walls in City Hall that were just sitting empty, waiting for a project.. CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 Page 4 Page 6 of 36 Ms. Matuska asked if something could be done to highlight local musicians. Mr. Alan said they had planned on something like that, and he described his original idea. Ms. Matuska said she had several ideas for making it look nice. She wanted to know how many pieces would be involved. Mr. Alan said he had all the necessary materials but was looking for someone to help him with the visuals. Ms. Sylvester mentioned sponsoring another Factory Underground Open Mic Night. She also mentioned discussions about Make Music Day. Ms. Grudin wanted clarification on how they would handle Traffic Graphic Boxes that were painted as much as 20 years ago. Mr. Kaspr, considering the artists, explained how he felt it should be handled. B. Member Updates Ms. Syvester and Mr. Alan provided updates on the mixer and poetry open mic. He noted they had taken video, and the poetry had been recorded and will be turned into a live record that will be coming out on Spotify. VIII. ADJOURNMENT ** MS. SYLVESTER MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. ** MS. MATUSKA SECONDED THE MOTION. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. Kaspr adjourned the meeting at 6:27 p.m. Respectfully submitted China Mayhew Telesco Secretarial Services CITY OF NORWALK ARTS AND CULTURE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MAY 6, 2025 Page 5 Page 7 of 36 FIVEFINGAZ – PROPOSAL FOR ELY AVENUE FENCING PROJECT. Page 8 of 36  “GENERATIONS” Digital hand drawing/illustration render Page 9 of 36  Idea breakdown Industrial boom: The expansion of the New York & New Haven Railroad and its Danbury spur through South Norwalk transformed the area into a thriving industrial hub. Factories for hats, locks, shirts, corsets along with oyster processing drew waves of immigrant labor—especially from Hungary and Italy—settling on ELY Ave and what became Whistleville Page 10 of 36  Idea breakdown Cultural shifts: The demographic makeup evolved over the decades—Italian and Hungarian populations gave way to Hispanic, Jewish, and African-American residents, further diversifying the area Page 11 of 36  Idea breakdown Cultural shifts: The demographic makeup evolved over the decades—Italian and Hungarian populations gave way to Hispanic, Jewish, and African-American residents, further diversifying the area Page 12 of 36  Price may vary Would also need black and white Page 13 of 36  Cost Breakdown *Remaining balance would be for construction and labor *More unexpected costs may occur from the community participation portion Page 14 of 36  COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION As part of this project, I will host a community engagement event at Art Monster Studio, inviting both current and former residents of the neighborhood to participate in painting select mural panels. This gathering will include a shared food spread and non-alcoholic beverages for guests, fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. We will also document personal stories and memories from participants, capturing reflections on the neighborhood—past and present—for potential inclusion in the mural’s interactive components. Page 15 of 36 POTENTIAL PLUS UP’S • QR Codes featured in mural to drive viewers to a landing page to learn more about the project • Augmented Reality (AR) markers embedded within the mural will allow viewers to scan specific sections using their mobile devices to access behind-the-scenes footage of the mural’s creation. Page 16 of 36 THANK YOU! Page 17 of 36 JAHMANE: Fabric of the City Ely Ave. Mural Installation Details Mural Inspiration and Concept. The inspiration for this mural installation is derived from a series of public art I call “Fabric of the City”. The artwork draws from the deep history of Gee’s Bend quilt makers and the communal connection of quilt-making societies. The use of bright, bold colors, abstract patterns, recycled elements, and historic references represents the diverse soul of the neighborhoods in which my murals are displayed. As a Norwalk native and past resident of the Roodner Court Housing apartments, I would often travel down Ely Avenue to this neighborhood to visit family in the area, play, buy penny candies, fresh fruit, and watch the trains go by. The Concept for my mural captures the essence of those times and hopefully will inspire current and future residents to cherish the community. Key Elements: Mural will be installed using up to 40 4x4ft weatherproof wood panels in a patchwork quilt style pattern. This will allow heavy winds to pass through more easily with less stress on the fencing Community engagement: I plan to partner with the Norwalk Library and use the South Norwalk Library to hold a series of workshops for public input. These workshops will allow the community to suggest names of respected individuals and historic references that may be added to the mural, as well as paint selective mural panels. I also plan to use the front of the library to temporarily display a few panels, bringing attention to the newly remodeled library and project. Page 18 of 36 Estimated Supply List: 30 sheets of KLEER ½ inch 4x8 panels from Rings End Paint supplies *see attached 5 roller handles / 20 medium nap roller covers 5 buckets w lids / small paint containers 20 large rolls of green frog tape 1 20 ft POD container Custom fabricated hanging brackets and hardware Approximate Budget / Cost Breakdown: $70,000.00 30 sheets of KLEER ½ inch 4x8 panels from Rings End 30 x $181 plus cutting and delivery ………………………….$7,000.00 Paint cost TBD / Approx with discount……………………….$2,500.00 Misc supplies, rollers, buckets, tape etc………………………$500 to $1000 Pod container for panel storage during project……………….$500.00 Bracket fabrication for panel hanging 30-35 set ups………,,,$2,000.00 Project assistant budget……………………………………..…$5 - $8,000.00 Lead Artist fee……………………………………………………$50,000.00 Page 19 of 36 Page 20 of 36 Page 21 of 36 Page 22 of 36 Page 23 of 36 NORWALK Mural “Town Scape” featuring remarkable places of Norwalk historical buildings, streets, parks, beach. Address: Ely Street Mural Project Norwalk, Connecticut Project Idea, Description, Mission “Norwalk City Scape” is a project that presents a view of the cityscape of Norwalk and historical buildings of the city. These are also the moments from everyday life of citizens of Norwalk on the beach, in parks, on the streets, in cafes, captured scenes in the process of shopping, and the life of the city's business people. The mural will be done in the style of silhouettes (people, trees, and other objects), by using monochromic colors technique (several shades of blue, grey from light-blue sky to the darkest blue front line objects as peoples’ silhouettes etc). The adds of the objects in bright colors will make the art more vivid and unique. The mission of the mural is to capture the most characteristic moments from the life of the residents and to decorate Norwalk City (Ely street) with unique art. Project Size Estimate: 1. Mural Fence Size: Length 445ft Height 8’ ft _____________ 3,560 sq ft. - mural size Page 24 of 36 Page 25 of 36 Page 26 of 36 Page 27 of 36 Page 28 of 36 ESTIMATE SUMMARY: Total Estimate of the Mural Project: $122,379 Preparation Process of the Dura-Bond Panels “Digital” by The Willow Construction and Custom Woodworking, LLC (the quote attached) Job/Materials Price Labor Costs for one coat acrylic bonding primer and one coat paint - full preparation of the aluminum sheets for the artist’s work Materials Costs Primer, Paint, Tools Storage, work shop for spray painting preparation process Total Costs $6,280 Installation Process of the Dura-Bond Panels “Digital” on the existing fence by The Willow Construction and Custom Woodworking, LLC (the quote attached) *** Per contractor’s advise, the fence posts foundation to be sound and without any visible defects, the trees and branches to be trimmed prior to installation. Labor Costs, Materials Installation Process of the Panels on the Posts and Railing Tubes Materials: stainless steel bolts, nuts, washers Total Costs $9,500 Page 29 of 36  Final Anti-Graffiti Protection Coating Process of the Dura-Bond Panels “Digital” by The Willow Construction and Custom Woodworking, LLC (the quote attached) ***(The final coating will be done after the panes will be installed on the fence) Labor, Materials Anti-gra ti Varnish, tools Labor Process Total Costs $4,150 Total Costs for Panels Spray Preparation, Installation Process and Final anti-graffiti coating _________________ $19,930 Art Painting Process of Mural according to the mural samples and digital rendering created by Oksana Tanasiv (Oksana Tanasiv Art LLC) (samples attached) Art Servises, Labor, Materials Painting Process of 34 art (for each art $89,000 will be used 3 panels) To create a City of Norwalk cityscape look in silhouettes style. Materials (paint, brushes, thinner, $2,000 sprays) Artist’s assistant labor costs $1500 Total $92,500 Page 30 of 36 ffi Final Stage of the Mural Process - working with kids. Per artist’s idea, the final touches to the mural will be added by kids under artist’s guidance. The final details as birds, flowers, branches, butterflies etc will be added by kids of Norwalk Public Schools. Artist will organize art classes-workshop involving kids to create additional details for the mural . (This process includes division of the mural sheets between all schools who are going to participate in the project. Leading and directing kids group though the steps of mural painting , details creation. ) Material for Workshop with Kids Stencils, paint, brushes, gloves etc $500 Total Costs for Artist’s Work, Workshop and Art Materials _________________ $93,000 Additional Materials for Mural (quote for 115 panels provided by S&F Supplies Company ) Material for Mural Quantity Fence Dura-Bond Aluminum 115 Sheets “Digital” 3mm, 10x4’ Total Costs $9,449 Total Costs for Mural Project: $122,379 Page 31 of 36 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age 32 of 36  The Willow Construction and Custom Woodworking, LLC. HIC-0700635 PO BOX 3191, Milford, CT 06460 203-313-5036 // 203-701-8387 // mele@willowconstruct.com // thewillowconstruction.com QUOTE Quote for Oksana Tanasiv Art LLC 3 Woods End Lane Norwalk, CT 06850 Currently Running Project Description Price Project 1. Prepare as needed, apply one coat of acrylic bonding primer and one coat of acrylic urethane paint on approximately 100 4'×8' aluminum composite DURA- BOND panels. Panels to be delivered to Willows shop in Milford by supplier and paid for by a customer. Price includes cost of labor and cost of paint and primer. Panels to be stored in the shop and will be painted and delivered to the customer $6,280.00 as needed in quantity approximately 15-20 at a time as needed. Materials: $1,780.00 Cost of labor to prep and paint: $3,400.00 Cost of labor to handle and deliver to customer: $275 x 4 shipments = $1100 Storage fee: $150.00 per month waived. No charge until 12.30.2025 Page 33 of 36  2. Install panels as per specification provided by customer. Stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers to be used. Labor cost for panels installation only. The ground should be free of any debris and shrubs, all trees and branches are trimmed by others prior to installation. $9,500.00 All posts and post foundation to be sound and without any visible defects. Customer has been advised about condition of existing fence and posts. Labor to install panels: $9,500.00 3. Apply clear coat of acrylic finish to all panels once murals completed and panels installed. $4,150.00 Labor and materials: $4,150.00 Down payment: Cost of materials. $1780 Payment plan: 25% for the total labor price every time part of panels is painted and dropped of at customer's property, except for the final 25% which will be due after completion of the project. 100% of business profit will be donated to the organization supporting Ukraine. All changes or adds-on to above proposed work must be done in writing/text message/email and will result the price and completion date changes. Deposits are non-refundable. Projects placed on hold by customer will resume at customer’s written request at contractor’s earliest convenience to avoid interference with other work that may be in progress and to ensure that each customer receiving the most attention to each project. Project Total: $19,930.00 Down Payment Due: $1,780.00 Accepted Payment Method: please pay this invoice upon receipt via Zelle, Venmo or by Check to The Willow Construction and Custom Woodworking LLC. *Please note that some services provided may have been performed by independent contractors. While we have chosen contractors who meet our quality standards, The WCCW is not liable for actions, omissions, or errors by independent contractors. Our company holds no responsibility for liabilities that arise directly from contractor services. Page 34 of 36 Norwalk Arts and Cultural District Plan – Information Sheet What is the Norwalk Arts & Cultural Plan? The Norwalk Arts & Cultural Plan is a collaborative effort to create a unified vision for arts, culture, and creative expression across the Wall Street/West Avenue and South Norwalk districts. This plan will serve as a strategic roadmap to celebrate Norwalk's cultural diversity, enrich the community, and foster economic vitality. The City of Norwalk has partnered with the Cultural Planning Group (CPG), a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in cultural planning. CPG will guide the planning process, ensuring it incorporates best practices and reflects the voices and aspirations of the community. Purpose of the Plan 1. Enhance Community Identity: Highlight Norwalk’s unique cultural assets and rich heritage. 2. Foster Creativity: Support local artists, cultural organizations, and creative enterprises. 3. Strengthen Connections: Create synergies between the Wall Street/West Avenue area and South Norwalk to unify the cultural landscape. 4. Stimulate Economic Growth: Leverage arts and culture as drivers of tourism, commerce, and innovation. 5. Expand Access: Ensure arts and cultural opportunities are inclusive and accessible to all. What Will the Plan Propose? • Public Art Initiatives: Expansion of murals, sculptures, and artistic installations in public spaces. • Community Programming: Events, workshops, and festivals that engage residents and visitors. • Cultural Infrastructure: Investments in venues, studios, and performance spaces to support creative endeavors. • Economic Incentives: Grants and programs to empower artists and cultural entrepreneurs. • Heritage Preservation: Celebrating and protecting Norwalk’s historic sites and narratives. How Will the Plan Be Used? Page 35 of 36  • Guide Decision-Making: Inform policies and investments in arts and culture. • Catalyze Partnerships: Encourage collaboration among artists, businesses, and local organizations. • Promote Community Pride: Build a sense of identity and belonging through shared cultural experiences. • Attract Support: Secure funding from public and private sources to implement projects. Your Role We invite you to join a discussion group to share your insights, aspirations, and ideas. Your voice is essential in shaping a plan that reflects the community’s collective vision. Page 36 of 36