Williamsburg Area Arts Commission

AGENDA City of Williamsburg Williamsburg Area Arts Commission Wednesday, November 16, 2022 A meeting of the Williamsburg Area Arts Commission will be held Wednesday, November 16, 2022 in the Stryker Center (Room 127), 412 N Boundary St, Williamsburg, VA 23185 commencing at 3:00 PM. Page I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. WAAC Minutes - September 21, 2022 2-3 B. WAAC Minutes - October 18, 2022 4-5 IV. CHAIR'S REPORT A. FY24 Application Review Preparation V. STAFF REPORT A. FY24 Applicant Updates VI. OLD BUSINESS A. 2023 Forum Planning VII. LIAISON REPORTS VIII. NEXT MEETING The next meeting is scheduled for January 18, 2023. This is the all-day grant review meeting. IX. ADJOURN Page 1 of 5  Williamsburg Area Arts Commission Stryker Center, Williamsburg, VA September 21, 2022 Call to Order: Chair Thomas Phelps called the meeting to order at 3:06 pm. Attending: Patricia Rublein, Georgianna Avioli, Susan Corbett, Nancy Sullivan, Barbara Vollmer, and Joanna Skrabala, Tourism Development Specialist. ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION A proposal to adopt an Electronic Participation Policy was unanimously approved. A request to participate remotely by Vice Chair Robin Phillips was approved unanimously. MINUTES Minutes of the May 18, 2022, minutes were approved as corrected. FY23 GRANTEE PRESENTATIONS Virginia Stage Company - April Le, director of development, gave an overview of the theater’s operations including the upcoming 44th season, their first full season since the onset of the pandemic. Le spoke about the many challenges they had to put in place to meet Covid protocols. They are very enthusiastic about doing more education programs, workshops, and school tours and welcome any introductions the commission can make for them which will smooth their entry into local youth organizations. They are also looking for local partners for a production of Every Brilliant Thing, a one-hour show focused on mental health that can act as a catalyst for discussion. Williamsburg Players - Rosemary Allmann (director) & Cynthia Gordon (treasurer) spoke to the commission about their 65th season. Allmann is new to the Players. She comes from a background in theater in Wisconsin and New York. She updated the commission on how Covid interrupted what had been planned as a big season and the impact that made on their fiscal year. The Players are actively looking for ways to increase attendance by “casual” theater goers, people who may by single tickets but not a season package. Their focus is on adding more musicals and matinees to their schedule. Improvements to the theater including the replacement of curtains and light fixtures, an upgrade to the flooring and the addition of another shed for prop storage were discussed. There is also a plan to add more shows with accessibility for the hearing and sight impaired. They need volunteers, especially men. They are working to improve the diversity of participants, both onstage and off. They could also use help growing their audiences, especially from underrepresented populations. Page 2 of 5 STAFF REPORT FY23 Grantee Updates: All FY23 grantees have received their funding except Virginia Opera, which has not made its request in writing. The Public Art Council is looking for artists to submit designs for two public murals. There is funding available. The Tourism Development Fund, which paused for the pandemic, will reopen this year. Joanna will provide details about the application process when it is available. CHAIR’S REPORT The commission approved the FY24 grant application materials with minor changes as discussed. Applications will go live on Oct. 3, applications must be submitted by Dec. 1. The FY24 grant review date will be January 18, 2023. OLD BUSINESS Fall Forum - Vice Chair Phillips presented feedback from commissioners about proposed fall forum. Panel idea is good but consensus was to move date to February 2023. Phillips and Corbett will meet again to fine tune the topic along the lines of engaging new audiences in the challenging post-pandemic climate. Next meeting: Wednesday, November 16 The meeting adjourned at 5:10 PM. Susan Corbett, Secretary Williamsburg Area Arts Commission Page 3 of 5  Williamsburg Area Arts Commission Municipal Building, Williamsburg, VA Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Call to order: Chair Thomas Phelps called the meeting to order at 3:02 p.m. Roll Call: Present for the meeting were Phelps, Barbara Vollmer, Nick Vrettos, Robin Phillips, Susan Corbett, and Joanna Skrabala Motion to Approve Remote Participation by Commissioners Bob Leek and Nancy Sullivan: Approved unanimously Forum Planning discussion: Commissioner Rublein wants to establish that we agree on a project outcome for the forum, which she suggests should include a networking opportunity for attendees, a white paper on the discussion, and a plan to “get the dialogue going?” Skrabala to ascertain whether we can offer the forum via Zoom or an equivalent streaming service. Commission agreed to plan for a February 9, 2023 event, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. A backup date in case of inclement weather would be Feb. 16, 2023. Skrabala to check on availability of City Council Chambers and seating capacity for other meeting rooms in the Stryker Center. Commissioner Phillips outlined a timeline of steps necessary to organize the event, beginning with selecting a keynote speaker and panelists. A tentative list of potential invitees was approved by the commission and several commissioners agreed to invite those panelists and communicate back to the commission whether they could in fact appear. The title of the forum was agreed to be A Full House: Building Audiences for the Arts Adjourn: The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m. Page 4 of 5 The focus will be on the concept of encouraging people to return to in-person events, grow audience numbers, including reaching out to nontraditional groups who may be underserved. Page 5 of 5