Arts and Culture Commission Meeting

October 14, 2014 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING URBANA PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION APPROVED DATE: October 14, 2014 TIME: 4:30 p.m. PLACE: City Council Chambers, Urbana City Building, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, Illinois MEMBERS PRESENT: Robin Douglas, Kevin Hamilton, Barbara Hedlund, Eric Jakobsson, John Morrison, Pat Sammann, Ginny Waaler MEMBERS ABSENT: Ilona Matkovskzi STAFF PRESENT: Lisa Hatchadoorian, Public Arts Coordinator; Sukiya J. Reid, Recording Secretary OTHERS PRESENT: Brenda Koenig 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM The Urbana Public Arts Commission was called to order at 4:31 p.m. by Ms. Sammann. Ms. Reid took roll and a quorum was declared present. 2. CHANGES TO AGENDA There were none. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the September 9, 2014 meeting were reviewed by the Commission. With no changes proposed, Mr. Jakobsson made a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Morrison seconded the motion. All Commission members present were in favor of approval and the minutes were unanimously approved as presented. 4. PUBLIC INPUT There was none. 5. COMMUNICATIONS 1  October 14, 2014 • Presentation by 2013 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: Folk and Roots Festival Ms. Sammann introduced Brenda Koenig, co-chair of the CU Folk & Roots Festival. Ms. Koenig expressed her gratitude for the grant received. She showed a YouTube video and gave a slide-show presentation on their event that took place on November 1st & 2nd, 2013 in downtown Urbana. The festival included 91 free and low-cost participatory activities and high quality folk performances for all ages. There were over 1,500 people in attendance. Ms. Koenig stated that the 2014 dates for the Folk & Roots Festival would be November 7th & 8th. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. . • Presentation by Staff: Monthly Progress Report Ms. Hatchadoorian presented the City staff’s monthly progress report to the Commission, outlining projects in process, recent requests and recommendations from the public, staff activities, and upcoming events. For an update on current projects, she reported the following: • With regard to the Urbana Arts Grants Program, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that the process had been started to hire an intern for the Fall and Winter 2014 (Oct-early January) with the goal to have the intern work heavily on the grants program (presentations to the community, creating forms, working on the grants database, managing the application process). She stated that the deadline for intern applications would be October 19th with hopes that the intern would be in place by either October 27th or November 3rd. • With regard to the Fundraising subcommittee, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that the committee was preparing to fundraise for additional support for Arts in the Schools to supplement the programming to an additional school as well as funds to increase the pool of money available for Urbana Arts Grants. She stated that with both of these projects, they would be looking to raise an additional $5,500-$8,000. $3,000 for Art in the Schools and $2,500-5,000 for Urbana Arts Grants. She also stated that in terms of a fundraising event, the committee was looking at holding an event in conjunction with the opening of the Boneyard Park in the spring. • With regard to Marketing, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that City staff had been regularly updating the Public Arts Program’s Facebook page, which as of this meeting had 738 fans. She also stated that the Urbana Public Arts Twitter account, which could be followed @urbanapublicart, as of this meeting had 1,187 followers. She stated that Staff had also been promoting various Urbana Arts Grants Projects and the temporary sculptures through social media and various press contacts. She reported that once the slate of temporary sculptures were installed by late October 2014, staff was going to create a marketing brochure highlighting the public art in Urbana. • With regard to Downtown Arts Subcommittee, in updates for downtown sculpture Ms. Hatchadoorian reported: 1. Whirlwind is in Thorntree by V. Skip Willits (Camanche, IA) was installed in front of Cinema Gallery on September 26th. 2. Athirst by Sarah Deppe (Madison, WI) would be installed in the Boneyard Creek area mid-late October. 2  October 14, 2014 3. Maelstrom II by Craig Snyder (Plymouth, MN) would be installed at the corner of Philo and Florida Streets in October 23rd. 4. Stranger Reduction Zone would be installed October 31st around the perimeter of the Urbana Free Library. 5. Twistah Tous by Bennett Wine (West Kill, NY), is the final temporary sculpture coming to Urbana. The location will be near the corner of Washington and Philo Rd and will be installed in early November. • With regard to Art at the Market, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that on Saturday, September 13, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., the fifth and final Art at the Market was held at Urbana’s Market at the Square. Almost 500 people dropped by to make delicate and whimsical nature mobiles with Traci Pines and to hear local favorites, The Curses, performed “gritty old-school Rock & Roll tinged with Americana, Blues and Honky Tonk flavors.” Overall, for Art at the Market, attendance was good for the entire season. Staff estimated that there were roughly 1600 attendees for the 2014 slate of performances and art workshops. • With regard to Artist of the Corridor, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that the current exhibition of self-taught artist Jill Stroberger would be up through November 2nd. She stated that the next exhibition (November-end of January 2015), would feature the watercolors of Carol Diss Farnum. She also stated that the library had approached Staff about a small exhibition space within the library, and the idea was to mount a small exhibition of the current artist of the corridor and put them both on the same schedule. • With regard to Art Now!, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that in the October episode, painter Beth Darling was profiled with her paintings of Urbana’s gardens and views of the American Southwest landscape. Looking forward, next month’s episode will be the ground-breaking 50th episode of Art Now! Thank you to all of the Commissioners who have made this program such a success over the years. Episodes can be seen at: http://www.urbanaillinois.us/artnow • With regards to Art in the Schools, Ms. Hatchadoorian reported that Staff would be meeting with teachers from Prairie Elementary on Tuesday, October 14th and a proposal should be submitted for FY 14-15 in the upcoming weeks. • For upcoming events, Ms. Hatchadoorian stated that the date for the next Public Arts Commission meeting was set for Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. 6. OLD BUSINESS • Public Arts Commission Committees List for FY15 Ms. Sammann introduced this agenda item. She stated that the Committees List had been presented at the last meeting and was what everyone had agreed upon. Ms. Sammann asked if there were any additional comments/questions or changes from the Commission. There were none. 3  October 14, 2014 7. NEW BUSINESS • Public Arts Commission By-laws Ms. Sammann introduced this agenda item. Ms. Hatchadoorian presented the proposed by-laws for the Public Arts Commission that she created, as requested by the Legal Department. Ms. Sammann inquired as to if the recommendation by Legal of “limitations that public input be limited to topics germane to the agenda” had been included in the proposed by-laws. Ms. Hatchadoorian stated that there wasn’t. A brief discussion of the matter by members of the Staff and Commission ensued. The consensus from the Commission was to not include that part in the by-laws. Ms. Hatchadoorian stated that she would check with the Legal Dept to see if that would be allowed and get back with the Commission. • Non-Endowed fund agreement between the City of Urbana Public Arts Program and the Community Foundation of East Illinois Ms. Sammann introduced this agenda item. Ms. Hatchadoorian gave a brief background on the proposed agreement. She stated that if approved by the Commission, it would then go onto council. A brief discussion of the matter by members of the Staff and Commission ensued. Following discussion, Mr. Jakobsson moved to approve the agreement as presented. Mr. Hamilton seconded the motion. With no further comments or questions from the Commission, Ms. Sammann called for a voice vote. All Commission members were in favor of approval and the motion carried unanimously. • Mural Project in the Boneyard Park Ms. Sammann introduced this agenda item. Ms. Hatchadoorian gave a brief background on the proposed mural design by local artist, Langston Allston, to be painted on the side of 208 W. Griggs St. The property is owned by Mike Hosier, who approached the City and recommended the mural placement. Ms. Hatchadoorian also presented slides of the proposed mural. A discussion of the matter by members of the Staff and Commission ensued. Following discussion, several Commission members stated that they would like for the mural to be more reflective of the theme/nature of the Boneyard Park, and coordinate more with the design by Jack Mackie at the bottom of the wall. Ms. Hatchadoorian stated that she would contact the Landscape Architects to see what ideas they have. She would then take those ideas back to Mike Hosier to share with Langston Allston. Mr. Jakobsson also suggested that Ms. Hatchadoorian address City Council in a general way regarding the aesthetics of the area around the Boneyard, and what the public policy concerning this should be. 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS Ms. Sammann announced that the Folk & Roots Festival would be taking place on November 7th & 8th. Ms. Hatchadoorian also announced that Brandon Boys had been promoted to Economic Development Manager for the Community Development Department. 4  October 14, 2014 9. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Waaler made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Ms. Hedlund seconded the motion. With no further business, Ms. Sammann declared the meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Submitted, Sukiya J. Reid, Recording Secretary 5