Public Arts Committee

Public Arts Committee - Apr 07 2026 Agenda Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM 829 Sawyer St., Hauesser Conference Room, South Portland, ME 04106, Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/acd-btue-gyzr Or dial: (US) +1 504-800-6952 PIN: 885:149 359# Members of the public will need to use the raise your hand feature in Google Meets to be called on and heard during the public comment portions of the agenda item. Page A. Attendance / Roll Call 1. Attendance / Roll Call B. Administrative Items 1. Review and Approve Meeting Minutes 3 Committee to vote on March 10th, 2026 Draft Minutes Public Arts Committee Meeting Notes, March 2026 - Google Docs.pdf 2. Vote for Annual Officers Vote for Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary C. Member Update 1. Round Robin Discussion D. Old Business 1. Staff Updates  Budget Workshop Date - April 28th, 2026  Update on Chapter 2 Amendments to Public Art Committee heading to City Council  Update on costs for table cloth and tent 2. Fundraising/Grant Opportunities  Update on submission to Maine Arts Commission community art grant for additional funding for Trail Side Art Project. 3. Trailside Art Enclosure Update  Committee will discuss next steps on Trailside Art Project. Page 1 of 7   Committee will discuss creating a call for artists to paint murals on structures and designate subcommittee to draft call for artists. E. New Business 1. Creation of the Public Art Map Committee will discuss next steps to add locations to map and how to promote it as a community mapping project to highlight sculpture gardens, murals, sculptures, pop up art in the community to go see. Click here to see starting list to date . 2. Developing Supporting Public Arts Window Decal/Badges for local businesses  Committee will discuss workplan item to develop a sticker or badge for local businesses to support public art F. Public Comment Period G. Current and Future Projects 1. Future Agenda Items Discussion H. Adjournment 1. Adjourn Page 2 of 7 ​Public Arts Committee Meeting Notes,​ ​March 2026​ ​March 10, 2026 (​postponed from original March 3 due to snow)​ ​5:00 – 6:30pm​ ​829 Sawyer Street, Haeuser Room and Zoom​ ​Summary of This Meeting’s Passed Motions​ ​Motion​ ​Vote​ ​Section of meeting notes​ ​Approve​​minutes of​ ​Unanimous​ ​A.1​ ​February 2026 meeting​ ​Create a sub-committee of​ ​Unanimous​ ​D.2​ ​James and Deidra to draft​ ​the Creative Communities​ ​grant proposal​ ​A. Attendance/Roll Call​ ​Member​ ​Seat​ ​Present/Absent​ ​James LaPlante​​Chair​ ​4​ Present ​Deidra Levasseur​​Co-Chair​ ​3​ Present ​Willys DeVoll​​Secretary​ ​6​ Present ​Allison Dale​ ​1​ Absent ​Elizabeth Salamone​ ​2​ Present ​Eric Wittman​ ​7​ Present Page 3 of 7 ​Marc Chillemi​ ​5​ Absent ​Alexis Leo​ ​Youth Representative​ Absent ​(sent her resignation to the​ ​City Clerk’s office today)​ ​Marin Stephens​ ​Staff​ Present ​1. Review and Approve Meeting Minutes​ ​●​ ​MOTION:​​Approve​​minutes of February 2026 meeting​ ​○​ ​Passes unanimously​ ​B. Administrative Items​ ​1. Vote for Annual Officers​ ​●​ ​Postponed based on current attendance​ ​C. Member Update​ ​1. Round Robin Discussion​ ​●​ ​Member: Willys (info via Marin)​ ​○​ ​Western Ave. pedestrian project has fallen through because Washville was​ ​unable to complete purchase of the property​ ​○​ ​Washville is looking at other sites for potential purchase, so there could be​ ​a future opportunity​ ​D. Old Business​ ​1. Staff Updates​ ​●​ ​Board and Committee Upcoming Workshops Reminder​ ​○​ ​Optional workshop dates​ Page 4 of 7  ​○​ ​March 5 workshop was canceled​ ​●​ ​Budget Workshop Date​ ​○​ ​April 28 at City Council meeting​ ​○​ ​Any approved funds for the coming year will be controlled by the City​ ​Clerk’s office, rather than Planning Department, as they have been in the​ ​past​ ​●​ ​Update on Chapter 2 Amendments to Public Art Committee heading to City​ ​Council​ ​○​ ​Going to City Council in early April​ ​■​ ​Two meetings: a first reading and, if the changes pass that reading,​ ​a second meeting that includes public comment​ ​■​ ​If it passes both meetings, there will be a 20-day waiting period​ ​■​ ​Probably wouldn’t see updates implemented until May, even if the​ ​process is smooth and successful​ ​2. Trailside Art Enclosure Update​ ​●​ ​Deadline for Maine Arts Commission’s Creative Communities grant coming soon:​ ​March 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.​ ​●​ ​James has been talking to the head of sculpture at MECA&D about the project​ ​○​ ​Idea is to get the grant request up to the maximum account for the​ ​matching grant, including in-kind contributions from the Parks and​ ​Recreation Department for landscaping work they’ve agreed to do for the​ ​project​ ​○​ ​Need to ask Finance Department about rolling over the Committee’s​ ​existing funds from City Council for the current budget year​ ​■​ ​Marin will reach out tomorrow​ ​○​ ​Need to determine if all expenditures for the grant program must be​ ​spent after the start of the grant period (July 1)​ ​○​ ​MOTION:​​Create a sub-committee of James and Deidra to draft the​ ​Creative Communities grant proposal.​ ​■​ ​Passes unanimously​ ​○​ ​If the funds don’t roll over to the next fiscal year, we can attach the​ ​existing funds to an RFP, which would extend the implementation timeline​ ​for the funds​ Page 5 of 7 ​E. New Business​ ​1. Fundraising/Grant Opportunities​ ​●​ ​Committee will discuss crowdsource funding for public arts projects​ ​○​ ​Maine Arts Commission has launched​​Make it Maine​ ​○​ ​In South Portland, there’s an established mechanism for community​ ​donations, currently in use for tree planting by Parks & Recreation​ ​○​ ​Can we add something on the​​existing Committee site​​(currently under​ ​Planning on the City website)?​ ​■​ ​Marin will ask Scott Morelli​ ​2. Developing Supporting Public Arts Window Decal/Badges​ ​for local businesses​ ​●​ ​Committee will discuss workplan item to develop a sticker or badge for local​ ​businesses to support public art​ ​○​ ​Can we link the sticker to donations to a city public art fund?​ ​○​ ​Need to discuss criteria in a future meeting​ ​○​ ​Could we have a design contest for the sticker?​ ​F. Public Comment Period​ ​●​ ​No public comment​ ​G. Future Projects​ ​1. Creation of the Public Art Map​ ​●​ ​Committee map and how to promote it as a community mapping project to​ ​highlight sculpture gardens, murals, sculptures, pop up art in the community to​ ​go see.​​Click here​​to see the working list.​ ​○​ ​Marin: We could do a neighborhood walk as a committee (noticed as a​ ​workshop with posted agenda) and log public art throughout the city​ Page 6 of 7  ​○​ ​Can we bring a physical map to Art in the Park where people can note any​ ​public art we’re missing?​ ​○​ ​James: Data from the game Ingress could be useful for noting existing​ ​public art​ ​2. Discussion of Public Art Survey and action items from the​ ​survey​ ​●​ ​Committee will discuss the public art feedback and form and action items for​ ​this year based upon the survey.​ ​○​ ​Public Art Feedback Form Fall 2025​ ​H. Adjournment​ ​●​ ​Meeting adjourned without objection​ Page 7 of 7