Roswell Museum Board of Trustees
Regular MeetingRoswell, NM · April 23, 2018
Minutes
ROSWELL MUSEUM AND ART CENTER
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Monday, April 23, 2018
REGULAR MEETING AT 3:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER
The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order by Chair Liakos at 3:09 pm.
ROLL CALL
The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees convened with members Priscilla Ornelas, Bill Siders, Peggy
Krantz, and De Angela Velasquez being present and member Lorrina Segovia participated by phone.
Members Nanette Schumacher, Anne Baker, and Jessica Parham arrived after the meeting started. A
quorum was established with members Jamie Barnes and Donovan Fulkerson being absent.
Staff present: Caroline Brooks; Executive Director, Sara Woodbury; Curator of Collections and
Exhibitions, Amanda Nicholson, Curator of Education; Amberly Meli, Registrar; Jeremy Howe,
Planetarium Coordinator; Cindy Torrez, Executive Director, RMAC Foundation; and Barry Foster, City
Council Liaison.
Community members present: Larry Connolly
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Member Krantz moved to approve the agenda. Member Velazquez seconded. A voice vote was
unanimous, and the motion passed, with Member Segovia participating by phone and with members
Barnes and Fulkerson being absent.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Member Velazquez motioned to approve the minutes for the March 19, 2018, board meeting. Member
Ornelas seconded. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed, with Member Segovia
participating by phone with members Barnes and Fulkerson being absent.
E. DISCUSSION OF THE MISSION STATEMENT
Executive Director Books and the Board discussed the Museum’s current mission statement in order to
determine whether it accurately reflects the institution’s activities, particularly with regard to an
increased emphasis on science and overall inclusivity. Adjectives such as scientific and artistic were
suggested. The Board also thought the final section, “and beyond” could be emended. Curator
Woodbury and Registrar Meli agreed that while the phrasing “and beyond” could be changed to global
or a different phrase, they emphasized that it remains and important part of the mission statement
because it opens up possibilities for more ambitious programming and justifies the Museum’s non-
Southwestern items, namely its international print collection. Outreach was also discussed, as the part
of the Museum’s ongoing efforts to provide relevant programming to the community. After the
discussion, the Board agreed to an ongoing informal review of the mission statement, rather than
forming an official working group. Member Krantz voted to continue considering the mission statement
at the next Board meeting, with the possibility of voting to finalize it if it is deemed satisfactory. Member
Velazquez seconded. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed, with Member Segovia
participating by phone with members Barnes and Fulkerson being absent.
F. SUMMARY OF 2017 MUSEUM ACTIVITIES
The Museum staff jointly presented a PowerPoint slide show sharing their activities and
accomplishments from 2017. Planetarium Coordinator Howe discussed the Planetarium
Renovation. Curator of Collections Woodbury reviewed exhibitions, publications, conferences,
research trips, and conservation projects from the Curatorial Department. She also announced her
departure as Curator with the intention of pursing her PhD, with her resignation effective July 27,
2018. Registrar Meli shared recent acquisitions, and loans to both the Albuquerque Museum and
the James A. Michener Museum of Art. Curator of Education Nicholson discussed classes,
workshops, and educational events such as the Family STEAM Night and the Planetarium Family
Day. Executive Director Brooks discussed all other events and shared final visitation numbers for
2017.
G. REVIEW OF PROGRESS OF 2017-2021 STRATEGIC PLAN
Executive Director Brooks reviewed the initiatives undertaken so far in fulfillment of the strategic plan,
with goal updates highlighted in red. She mentioned such events as pARTy After Hours, Space Look and
Story Book, and Family STEAM Night being examples of engaging the community. For Ongoing
partnerships, she described reaching out to YPAC, Roswell Next, and similar organizations to collaborate
on events such as pARTy After Hours. As part of the Museum’s ongoing education initiatives, she
described updating school tours, working with middle school teachers on the Art and Science Festival,
and RISD’s maintenance of the Planetarium’s Starball as examples of collaborating with educators in
town. She also mentioned that the Museum would like to see RISD become more involved with the
Planetarium and its upkeep in the future. Under financial support for education, Executive Director
Brooks mentioned Xcel energy’s sponsorship of the Art and Science Festival this fall, and the lecture
series funded through a grant from the New Mexico Humanities Council. She also discussed the recent
update of the Goddard cases, and the long-term goal of redesigning the Goddard exhibition with the
intention of providing a more interactive, thorough interpretation of the materials on view. She also
mentioned Registrar Meli’s work on updating PastPerfect and making it more accessible to website
visitors. As part of the Museum’s long-term sustainability, Executive Director Brooks discussed
modifying some of the staff positions in order to more evenly divide the workload. She also mentioned
her intention of adding a new educational assistant position in order to alleviate Curator of Education
Nicholson’s workload, which has increased substantially as more family-friendly programming has been
implemented. Executive Director Brooks also discussed the update of the bylaws and formation of
working groups, and provided an overview of facility maintenance, including updating the dire alarm
system, redoing the lighting systems, and potentially converting Horgan and Graphics Galleries into a
visible collections wing in order to provide greater collections storage.
H. MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Executive Director Brooks discussed her plan to have Communications and Events Coordinator Fulks
revise the membership report to provide greater detail on the actual visitation numbers.
J. DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Executive Director Brooks discussed the Public Art Challenge Grant the Museum had helped to recently
complete, with the intention of providing a public art exhibit in Roswell’s railyard district. Although the
project does not involve the Museum directly, she mentioned that the grant is an example of the
Museum collaborating with other cultural institutions in Roswell to benefit the overall community. She
also discussed the recent grant awarded from the New Mexico Humanities Council, which will fund a
lecture series on the upcoming exhibition Magical and Real. She then discussed the Museum’s
upcoming appearance on the New Mexico PBS program, Colores, which will highlight the Magical and
Real exhibition. She also mentioned the recent conservation of the Museum’s tin chandeliers, which will
be reinstalled in Founders Gallery. Executive Director Brooks discussed the recent retirement of
Librarian and Archivist Candace Jordan, who worked for the Museum for 23 years. As part of the
Museum’s ongoing discussion of relevance, the staff will be considering different options for the library
and archives, with the intention of finding a solution that best serves the public’s needs. Executive
Director Brooks concluded her report with a reminder of upcoming events such as the Brown Bag Talk
on April 25 and pARTy After Hours on April 27. She and Curator of Education Nicholson also mentioned
the need for volunteers at the Family STEAM Night on May 3.
K. RMAC FOUNDATION REPORT
Executive Director Torrez discussed the upcoming annual Foundation meeting on May 8, during which
time the Foundation will establish a timeline for upcoming Museum projects. She stated that the
Foundation likes to do a major project every five years, or at most every 2-3 years, in order to not
exhaust the donor base. She mentioned that the Foundation has raised approximately 500,000 within
the last two years, with most of that effort coming from the fundraising for the Planetarium renovation.
She also discussed the Foundation’s need to rebuild its donor base with a younger audience, as the
current base is growing older. She also reminded the Board that the Foundation does not meet during
the summer.
L. CHAIR’S REMARKS AND BOARD ANNOUNCMENTS
Chair Liakos mentioned that the board should determine a meeting schedule for its various working
groups soon.
M. PUBLIC COMMENT
None
N. ADJOURN
Member Schumacher motioned to adjourn. Member Siders seconded. A voice vote was unanimous and
the motion passed, with Member Segovia participating by phone with members Barnes and Fulkerson
being absent. The meeting adjourned at 5:08 pm.
Agenda
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGENDA
Monday, April 23, 2018 at 3:00 PM
Bassett Auditorium at RMAC
100 W. 11th Street
Chair: Cymantha Liakos
Members: Anne Baker, Jamie Barnes, Donovan Fulkerson, Peggy Krantz, Priscilla Ornelas,
Jessica Parham, Nanette Schumacher, Lorrina Segovia, Bill Siders, and De Angela Velasquez.
City Council Liaison: Barry Foster
RMAC Staff Coordinator: Caroline Brooks, Executive Director
RMAC Foundation: Cindy Torrez, Executive Director
A. Call to Order
B. Roll Call
ACTION ITEMS:
C. Approval of Agenda
D. Approval of Minutes of the March 19, 2018 meeting minutes
E. Discussion and consideration of update of museum’s mission statement
INFORMATION ONLY ITEMS:
F. Summary of 2017 museum activities
G. Review of progress of 2017-2021 strategic plan
H. Membership/Event Report
I. Director’s Report
J. RMAC Foundation Report
K. Chair’s Remarks and Board Announcements
L. Public Comment
M. Adjourn
Next Meeting: May 21, 2018
Notice of this meeting has been given to the public in compliance with Sections 10-15-1 through 10-15-4 NMSA 1978 and Resolution 17-
49.
NOTICE OF POTENTIAL QUORUM – A quorum of the City Council may or may not attend, but there will not be debate by the City
Council. The Council, acting as attendees to an informational presentation, will not be discussing public business and no action will be
taken.
If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of
auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact Human Resources at 575-624-6700 at least one
week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents including the agenda and minutes can be provided in various accessible
formats. Please contact the City Clerk at 575-624-6700 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.
Printed and posted: April 20, 2018
DRAFT DOCUMENT
ROSWELL MUSEUM AND ART CENTER
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Monday, March 19, 2018
REGULAR MEETING AT 4:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order by Vice Chair Siders at 4:07 pm.
ROLL CALL
The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees convened with members Anne Baker, Priscilla Ornelas, Jessica
Parham, Bill Siders, and De Angela Velasquez being present and member Peggy Krantz participated by phone. A
quorum was established with members Jamie Barnes, Donovan Fulkerson, Nanette Schumacher, and Lorrina
Segovia being absent.
Staff present: Caroline Brooks; Executive Director, Sara Woodbury; Curator of Collections and Exhibitions,
Cydney Littlejohn; Communications and Events Coordinator and Barry Foster, City Council Liaison.
Community members present: none
C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Member Siders moved to approve the agenda. Member Parham seconded. A voice vote was unanimous, and the
motion passed, with Peggy Krantz participating by phone and with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and
Segovia absent.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Member Parham motioned to approve the minutes for the February 26, 2018, board meeting. Member Baker
seconded. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and
Segovia absent.
E. APPROVAL FOR APRIL ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA
Executive Director Caroline Brooks explained she would like to include 3 topics for the April agenda including the
annual report from 2017, the strategic plan, and the mission statement. Member Siders moved to approve the
agenda. Member Parham seconded. A voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed, with Peggy Krantz
participating by phone and with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and Segovia absent.
F. TRAVEL TO SANTA FE FOR PROSPECTIVE ACQUISITIONS
The board discussed and considered approval of a visit to Santa Fe by board and staff representatives to
review possible acquisitions of Doris Cross, Signe Stuart and Joe Stuart. Curator Woodbury suggested she
set a date to travel that coordinates with the potential donors’ schedules. Member Siders motioned to
approve the visit. Member Parham seconded. A voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed, with Peggy
Krantz participating by phone and with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and Segovia absent.
G. MEETING TIME AND LOCATION WITH MUSEUM AND BOARD REPRESENTATIVES TO REVIEW POSSIBLE
ACQUISITION OF HELMUTH NAUMER’S PASTELS
Curator Woodbury discussed the willingness of the artist’s grandson, also named Helmuth Naumer to travel to
bring potential donations to Roswell or meet in Santa Fe. Through discussion the board expressed a preference
for Naumer to come to the museum and have the work available to review at May’s board meeting. Member
Siders motioned to approve Naumer’s visit. Member Parham seconded. A voice vote was unanimous, and the
motion passed, with Peggy Krantz participating by phone and with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and
Segovia absent.
H. INTRODUCTION OF NEW STAFF MEMBER
Cydney Littlejohn, Communications and Events Coordinator introduced herself to the present board members
offering background information and shared current marketing projects for the museum.
I. MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS REPORT
Executive Director Brooks presented the membership and visitation numbers for February. She discussed her
interest in redesigning the membership report and pointed out an error in the membership data comparing
2017 to 2018 with inaccurate numbers for 2017.
J. DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Executive Director Brooks discussed the Public Art Challenge Grant explaining that representatives from several
community and arts related groups have been meeting to discuss a potential application to Bloomberg
Philanthropies Public Art Challenge Grant. The grant provides significant funding toward temporary public art
projects that serve as a catalyst to address a civic issue. We have not yet determined whether we will be able to
develop a project to meet the April deadline. Regardless of whether an application is submitted, the group may
choose to apply to other grants with a similar focus. Brooks invited present members to attend or pass along an
invitation to other members of the community that would be interested.
Brooks announced the museum is having conservator Steven Prins visit the museum to view the painting A
Letter from Willy by Robert Colescott in preparation for a potential loan to the Peabody Essex Museum.
In upcoming events Brooks gave a summary of the Gratton Workshop, “Exploring Egg Tempera” to be given on
March 24 and 25. She also gave information about the upcoming pARTY After Hours with a date change from
March 30 to April 27 due to the realization that schools will be taking March 30 off for Good Friday and that it is
the start of the Spring Break week. Geared for adults, the after-hours event will feature artists Julie Alpert and
Andy Arkley with interactive sound and art installations as well as gallery games and tours. Volunteers will be
needed.
Brooks provided an update on the Brick Relocation Project. The concrete bases for the brick relocation project
are complete and a taller fence was added behind some of the structures for added safety. The bricks will not
be added to project until April to ensure the right temperature for the mortar.
K. RMAC FOUNDATION REPORT
Executive Director Torrez was not present to give an update.
L. CHAIR’S REMARKS AND BOARD ANNOUNCMENTS
None
M. PUBLIC COMMENT
Barry Foster, City Council Liaison introduced himself to the board.
N. ADJOURN
Member Siders motioned to adjourn. Member Parham seconded. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion
passed, with members Barnes, Fulkerson, Schumacher and Segovia absent. The meeting adjourned at 4:35 pm.
Director’s Report to the Board of Trustees
April 23, 2018 Board Meeting
Submitted by: Caroline Brooks, Executive Director
1. Public Art Challenge Grant
An application was submitted for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge Grant on behalf of
the City of Roswell and project steering committee made up of arts leaders, business owners, teachers,
artists and community organizations. The grant provides up to $1 million towards temporary art
projectst that address a civic issue. The proposal was for a public art exhibition and community
celebration in the Railroad District with the aim of encouraging economic development. The results will
be announced in the fall and other grants will be sought for Railroad District enhancements.
2. New Mexico Humanities Council Grant Received
We have been awarded a grant from the New Mexico Humanities Council in the amount of $4500 to
contribute to a lecture series that will support five lectures and a panel discussion to take place during
the Magical and Real: Henriette Wyeth and Peter Hurd exhibition this summer. The speakers will be
exhibition co-curators Sara Woodbury and Kirsten Jensen, art historians and catalogue essayists Leo
Mazow and Melissa Renn, and the Curator of the Brandywine River Museum of Art Christine
Podmaniczky.
3. Colores
The New Mexico PBS series Colores is going to do a segment on Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth that
will air in May ahead of the June exhibition opening. The series features local and national stories
about film, visual and performing arts, theater, photography, literature, painting, sculpture, poetry and
dance. They found out about the exhibition through the grant award from Humanities Council. Sara
traveled to Albuquerque on April 18 to be interviewed for the show. We may want to do a viewing
party at the museum in May or promote it widely for people to view at home.
4. Magical & Real Marketing
We are working on advertising for the upcoming exhibition, which opens June 15. We plan to have ads
in El Palacio, the summer Museums and Monuments Guide, New Mexico Magazine, Vision and the
Roswell Daily Record. We are also working to do at least one billboard in town, banners and signs
outside the Museum, as well as a rack card that can be distributed to travel centers and hotels locally
and at the entry points in the state.
5. Chandeliers Conserved
The last two chandeliers have been conserved by Bettina Raphael in Santa Fe and have returned to the
museum thanks to Brandon and Amberly’s couriering. They will be installed soon in the Founder’s
Gallery.
6. pARTY After Hours
pARTy After Hours will take place on Friday, April 27 from 6-9 pm (a date change from March 30 so as
not to conflict with Good Friday and Spring Break). The after-hours pilot event, sponsored by RMAC
Foundation Roswell Next with support YPAC, is geared for adults and will feature artists Julie Alpert
and Andy Arkley with interactive sound and art installations as well as gallery games and tours. The last
event attracted over 200 visitors and we expect at least the same for this time. Volunteers will be
needed. Let me know if you are available to help. We plan to hold one more this year in the fall.
7. Family STEAM Night
Family STEAM Night (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) will take place on Thursday, May
3 from 5-8 pm. The event was presented for the first time last May and offers activities provided by a
grant from the National Informal STEAM Education Network. Last year 400 people attended and we
anticipate a huge showing this year as well. Let us know if you would like to volunteer, we could
definitely use help. A training will be provided about a week in advance to review the flow of the
evening and instruct on how to run the activities.
8. Candace Retires
Candace Jordan retired as Librarian and Archivist from the Roswell Museum and Art Center on March
30. She worked at the Museum for over 22 years assisting scholars, students, teachers, volunteers,
artists and staff with research inquiries as well as caring for the Museum’s book collection and
extensive historic archives. She immensely enjoyed working in an art and history environment and the
personal and professional growth that accompanied her time here. The current (and many pervious
staff!) have admired her dedication to service and the contributions that she made to the Museum’s
many wide-ranging projects. She will be deeply missed.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, April 25, 12 noon – Brown Bag Lunch Talk: Staff Favorites
Friday, April 27, 6-9 pm: pARTy After Hours
Thursday, May 3, 5-8 pm: Family STEAM Night
Friday, May 11, 5:30-7 pm: RAiR Lecture and Opening with Louise Deroualle
More details are available in the current issue of the newsletter.
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