Arts and Culture Commission Meeting

April 14, 2015 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING URBANA PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION APPROVED DATE: April 14, 2015 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, John Morrison, Jason Patterson, Pat Sammann, Ginny Waaler MEMBERS EXCUSED: Eric Jakobsson MEMBERS ABSENT: Ilona Matkovszki STAFF PRESENT: Brandon Boys, Economic Development Manager; Pauline Tannos, Public Arts Coordinator; Sukiya J. Reid, Recording Secretary OTHERS PRESENT: Joe Madden, Cara Maurizi, Ann McLaughlin, Patrick Singer 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM The Urbana Public Arts Commission was called to order at 4:33 p.m. by Ms. Sammann. Ms. Reid took roll and a quorum was declared present. 2. CHANGES TO AGENDA Ms. Sammann stated that Ann McLaughlin would give her presentation first under Communications. . 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the March 10, 2015 meeting were reviewed by the Commission. With no changes proposed, Mr. Hamilton made a motion to approve the minutes. Ms. Hedlund seconded the motion. All Commission members present were in favor of approval and the minutes were unanimously approved as corrected. 4. PUBLIC INPUT There was none. 1  April 14, 2015 5. COMMUNICATIONS • Presentation by 2014 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: Ann McLaughlin Ms. Sammann introduced artist, Ann McLaughlin. Ms. McLaughlin gave a presentation on her project titled, Scheherazade, a multimedia harp show that involved singing, harp playing, and percussion all done with theatrical effects. It was created as a synthesis of musical, visual, and theatrical arts. There were 3 performances given in the Champaign-Urbana area, on September 6th at the Parkland College Theatre; on September 26th at the Courtyard Café in the U of I Union; and on November 9th in collaboration with storyteller Kim Sheahan at the Spurlock Museum in Urbana. Ms. McLaughlin thanked the Commission for the grant received. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. • Presentation by 2014 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: Joe Madden from CUSO Ms. Sammann introduced Joe Madden, Executive Director of Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. He gave a brief background on the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and presented a slideshow on the 2014 Youth Concerts. There were three performances on April 1st and 2nd, 2014 with a theme of “It’s All About Style” where approximately 3,250 area students were able to hear a full symphony orchestra in the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center. The program was designed, conducted, and narrated by new CUSO Music Director & Conductor Stephen Alltop. Mr. Madden thanked the Commission for the grant received. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. • Presentation by 2014 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: Daniella Pavlic Ms. Sammann introduced artist, Daniella Pavlic. Ms. Pavlic gave a presentation on her project, Rhizome of Izil video game. She stated that her idea for the game came from the 2013 genocide trial of the former dictator of Guatemala, Efrain Rios Montt. The dynamics of what happened in the court inspired her to start to develop the video game. Ms. Pavlic stated that a Game Launch Party took place on July 19th at the U-C Independent Media Center, where about 25 people participated in game play and the screening of “How to Nail a Dictator”. Ms. Pavlic thanked the Commission for the grant received. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. • Presentation by 2014 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: ILLIAC Music Festival Ms. Sammann introduced Patrick Singer, Director of Development at the Pygmalion Festival. He gave a presentation on their project, The ILLIAC Spring Festival, which took place on Saturday, May 10, 2014 on Main Street and Race in Downtown Urbana. The family-friendly festival featured two touring bands, as well as six local bands, and three local DJs. There were 2  April 14, 2015 over 2000 people in attendance. He thanked the Commission for the grant received. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. • Presentation by 2014 Urbana Arts Grant Recipient: Cara Maurizi from King Elementary Ms. Sammann introduced Cara Maurizi, Music teacher at King Elementary School. She gave a presentation on the Arts in the Schools pilot project at King Elementary School. Their grant was used to bring meaningful experiences to the students, tying in the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the dedication of the Preston Jackson sculpture in King Park by using visual art, classroom materials and music. During the project, teachers taught lessons about civil rights to the students; took the students to see Preston Jackson’s sculpture; and put on an all- school assembly that involved all the students in singing, viewing art, listening to guest speakers and playing guitars. Ms. Maurizi thanked that Commission for the grant received. At the conclusion of the report, questions and comments from the Commission were heard. • Presentation by Staff: Monthly Progress Report Ms. Tannos 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. Tannos reported that on March 27th, a grant announcement celebration was held at Pizza M. During this event, staff announced the 2015 recipients and highlighted completed projects from the 2014 cycle. • With regard to Artist of the Corridor, Ms. Tannos reported that the current exhibition, which started on February 2nd and ends on May 1st, features costume design works by students from Wiley Elementary School. Some of the works are on display at the Urbana Free Library. Both sites are registered as Boneyard Arts Festival venues. The next Artist of the Corridor exhibition will begin on May 4th and feature artist Beth Darling. • With regard to Art Now!, Ms. Tannos reported that the March episode of Art Now! featured photographer Jorge Amaya. In the April episode, John Morrison interviews Jerry Savage. Episodes can be seen at: http://www.urbanaillinois.us/artnow • With regard to artwork donation, Ms. Tannos reported that through 8 to Create, a 2014 Urbana Arts Grant recipient, Chicago artist Matthew Woodard donated a large drawing to the City of Urbana. The drawing was created at a live event at [co] [lab] in March 2015, and drew inspiration from the Illini Union. This donation has been approved by Mayor Laurel Prussing, and will be displayed at the Civic Center. • With regard to Marketing, Ms. Tannos reported that City staff had been regularly updating the Public Arts Program’s Facebook page, which as of this meeting had 774 fans. She also stated that the Urbana Public Arts Twitter account, which could be followed @urbanapublicart, as of this meeting had 1,383 followers. She stated that the Program’s Instagram account, which was created last month with the username 3  April 14, 2015 @urbanapublicarts, has 39 followers. A new template for the program’s e-newsletter, which currently has 668 subscribers, has recently been completed by design firm VE Websites, and will be used for the April newsletter. A brochure of the Urbana Sculpture Project has also been completed by designer David Michael Moore, and will go to print in mid-April. • With regard to Urbana Celebrates the Boneyard!, Ms. Tannos reported that on April 8th, thirty street pole banners were installed near the Boneyard Creek Improvements Project. The sixteen banners along Broadway Avenue, between Water Street and University Avenue, feature works by Beth Darling and Paula Chmiel, who are the two winners of Urbana Raises Your Art, a call for entries. The rest of the banners around Race and Griggs Streets are by students from local elementary schools Leal, Wiley, Prairie, Thomas Paine, Yankee Ridge and King; and Urbana Middle School. All works and artists were acknowledged at a community event at the park on April 11th from 10:00am-3:00pm. The event, titled Urbana Celebrates the Boneyard!, was a part of the 13th Annual Boneyard Arts Festival. It featured performances by members of the Community Center for the Arts, and by Djibril Camara & Ballet Allah Tantou. There were also family-friendly arts activities, food trucks, and buskers. • For upcoming events, Ms. Tannos stated that the date for the next Public Arts Commission meeting was set for Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. • Discussion: Urbana Celebrates the Boneyard! Ms. Sammann introduced this agenda item. Ms. Tannos shared a little more about this event that took place on April 11th. She then asked Ms. Sammann and Ms. Douglas, who helped out at the event, to share their thoughts, comments, and highlights from the event. 6. NEW BUSINESS There was none. 7. OLD BUSINESS There was none. 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS There were none. 9. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Morrison made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Ms. Hedlund seconded the motion. With no further business, Ms. Sammann declared the meeting adjourned at 5:26 p.m. 4  April 14, 2015 Submitted, Sukiya J. Reid, Recording Secretary 5