Williamsburg Public Art Council

City of Williamsburg Agenda Williamsburg Public Art Council Meeting Monday, May 20, 2024 @ 3:30 PM Stryker Center (Room 127), 412 N Boundary St, Williamsburg, VA 23185 Page I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. April 29, 2024 - WPAC Minutes 2-4 WPAC - April 2024 Minutes - Draft III. CHAIR REPORT a. Williamsburg Poet Laureate Discussion with Guest Speaker Lacroy "Atlas" 5-8 Nixon Williamsburg Poet Laureate Proposal - draft IV. STAFF REPORT a. Community Appreciation Day 2024 b. Financial Report c. FY25 WPAC Officers d. City Nation Place Americas 2024 Conference V. NEXT MEETING The next meeting is Monday, June 24, 2024, at 3:30 pm in Room 127 at the Stryker Center. VI. ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 8 The Williamsburg Public Art Council met at 3:30 pm, Monday, April 29, 2024, in room 127 at the Stryker Center, 412 N Boundary Street, Williamsburg, Virginia. WPAC members present: Robert Currie (Chair), Harold Philipsen, Barbara Ramsey, Rachel Trichler, and Barbara Vollmer WPAC members absent: Pat Dent, Bill Hamilton, Scott Spence, and Sally Wolfe Staff members present: Joanna Skrabala (Tourism Division Manager), Sarah Seward (Economic Development Administrative Coordinator) I. Call to Order Mr. Currie called the meeting to order at 3:37 PM. II. Approval of Minutes a. March 25, 2023 – WPAC Minutes Ms. Vollmer motioned to approve the March minutes. Seconded by Ms. Ramsey. Approved by Mr. Currie, Mr. Philipsen, Ms. Ramsey, and Ms. Vollmer. Abstained by Ms. Trichler. III. Chair’s Report a. Marquee Wall Update – “Tulips and Lanterns” Mr. Currie and Ms. Skrabala reported that on April 12th the unveiling of “Tulips and Lanterns” took place. They shared that the unveiling was successful and that Muro enjoyed his stay in Williamsburg. Mr. Skrabala reported that social media commentary regarding the mural has been mostly positive. b. Mural Collaboration Opportunity Mr. Currie reported that Steve Prince has been selected as the artist to produce the mural in collaboration with ViBe/VAACC. Mr. Currie shared that he met with Hannah Warner, ViBe/VAACC representatives, and Steve Prince to discuss the mural. The mural will be painted alongside the FedEx wall within the “panels”. Page 2 of 8 IV. Staff Report a. Economic Power of Public Art Report by CODAworx Ms. Skrabala reported to the WPAC that she received the Economic Power of Public Art Report by CODAworx. Ms. Skrabala shared the document with the WPAC. b. RFPs Ms. Skrabala reported that staff are working on these and that it is taking some time as they must go through various City departments. c. Community Appreciation Day Ms. Skrabala shared information about the art project for Community Appreciation Day. She reported that she has collaborated with the City’s multimedia designer to put together a “paint by number” project that reflects the most recent mural. Ms. Skrabala discussed with the WPAC that they will need to discuss a prompt for people to paint their pieces. The prompt “What does Williamsburg mean to you?” was suggested. Ms. Skrabala said that she would workshop this prompt with the Communications Director. Ms. Trichler suggested that the time for Community Appreciation Day be moved up to accommodate parents picking up their children from school. The WPAC agreed that the event should start at 4:30 PM. Ms. Skrabala said that she will ensure that this is reflected in the special event permit. d. Financial Report Ms. Skrabala reviewed the financial report for the current fiscal year broken down into the categories of funding as outlined in the Public Art Plan. The WPAC discussed the funds that are to be allocated to the lantern installation. The WPAC asked if additional funds could go toward the lanterns in FY25. Ms. Skrabala said that she will discuss this proposal with the Finance Director to see if this is feasible. V. New Business a. Williamsburg Poet Laureate Ms. Skrabala and Mr. Currie met with Lacroy “Atlas” Nixon regarding a potential Poet Laureate program and were impressed. Staff drafted a document based on the meeting with Mr. Nixon and other locality programs. Mr. Nixon will be invited to speak at the next WPAC meeting. Staff requests that the WPAC review the draft document prior to the next meeting. Page 3 of 8 VI. Next Meeting The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2024, at 3:30 pm in Room 127 at the Stryker Center. VII. Adjournment Mr. Currie made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 4:51 PM. Seconded by Mr. Philipsen. Approved by Mr. Currie, Mr. Philipsen, Ms. Ramsey, Ms. Trichler, and Ms. Vollmer. _______________________________________________ Joanna Skrabala, Tourism Division Manager Page 4 of 8  -DRAFT- WILLIAMSBURG PUBLIC ART COUNCIL Williamsburg Poet Laureate Program Introduction Through this program, the City of Williamsburg will name a Poet Laureate to honor and highlight the City’s community and culture through the artform of poetry. The Williamsburg Public Art Council (WPAC) will facilitate a selection process to make a final recommendation to City Council who will then appoint the position. The City seeks to celebrate and support a poet who can engage new audiences and create new opportunities for poetry to be shared and encouraged. This program is a means to spotlight the City of Williamsburg community through a poetic voice that will champion the arts as a whole. Description of Position The Williamsburg Poet Laureate serves as an advocate for the City to build awareness of and appreciation for the impact of poetry through public readings and presentations in meetings, events, schools, libraries, and other public settings in the City. The Williamsburg Poet Laureate will have the following opportunities: • Present a reading of their original inaugural poem; • Work with the WPAC to create and execute a project during their tenure; • Help build networks and opportunities for poets and other literary, performing, and/or visual artists to create and engage new audiences; and • Present additional readings at events mutually agreed upon by the City and the WPAC Term of Service The Williamsburg Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term under the City’s fiscal year which runs from July 1 through June 30. The Poet Laureate will be awarded a $1,500 grant for each year. The Williamsburg Public Art Council will review requests by the Poet Laureate for additional funding to support programs and/or projects during their tenure. Eligibility & Requirements Updated 4/19/24 - JOS Page 5 of 8  -DRAFT- The following list of requirements is to be considered for the Williamsburg Poet Laureate: • Must be an upstanding citizen of the City of Williamsburg; • Must have permanent legal residence in the City of Williamsburg for at least three (3) consecutive years; • Must be 21 years of age at the time of submission; • Must have three letters of recommendation from poets, writers, literary organizations, and/or others in the writing community; • Must present a body of work that is poetry or poetry-based; • Must be willing and able to promote poetry and implement an approved project through the program; • Must be actively working in and/or deriving income from poetry; • Must have demonstrated experience publishing and/or presenting original poetry including at least one work by an established press (please, no self-publications or subsidiary press books), or a combination of at least two of the following: poetry journal, magazine, or website that are predominantly self-curated, personal websites, or personal blogs; and • Must not have been a previously appointed Williamsburg Poet Laureate. If the WPAC feels a candidate is more fit for the role without having met all of the above requirements, an appeal may be made. Grant Restrictions The Williamsburg Poet Laureate represents the City of Williamsburg through their commitment to the art of poetry and the community. The financial support provided shall only be used for legal activities. As Poet Laureate, the individual cannot engage in political advocacy, promote one faith over another, or participate in events that would be inappropriate for a diverse, multicultural, and multigenerational audience. Selection Process All submissions will be made via the City of Williamsburg’s online grant portal. Following the Williamsburg Poet Laureate submission deadline, City staff and the Williamsburg Public Art Council will verify eligibility. Staff may follow up for additional information as needed. Incomplete or ineligible submissions are subject to rejection without evaluation. The Williamsburg Public Art Council will review all eligible submissions in a public meeting. The WPAC may invite members of the literary community to provide additional evaluation and feedback. Evaluation criteria includes: • Merit of the submission itself, including eligibility requirements; • Record of professional poetry activity and/or achievement (i.e. publications, list of readings/lectures, awards, honors); • Artistic merit (i.e. reviews/critical acclaim, originality, innovation, audience reach, etc.); and Updated 4/19/24 - JOS Page 6 of 8  -DRAFT- • Proposed Community Engagement Project. A list of finalists no greater than three (3) will then be invited to present to the WPAC at a later date and time. Instructions will be given at that time. Of the finalists, the WPAC will select its recommendation for Williamsburg Poet Laureate. The recommendation will be presented to City Council for final approval and appointment. Conditions of the Poet Laureate Award The selected Poet Laureate must comply with the following conditions: • Announcement of Award: The Williamsburg Public Art Council will notify the applicants of a final decision via email by <INSERT DATE>. • Eligibility Status: The Poet Laureate must continue to meet all of the program eligibility requirements throughout the two-year appointment period. The Poet Laureate is required to notify the City of Williamsburg’s Tourism Development Specialist in writing of any major changes to their circumstances, such as a change in residency, performance plans, or similar relevant factors. • Publicity: Upon submitting the application, the applicant grants the City of Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Public Art Council a non–exclusive license to use, reproduce, record, exhibit, edit, broadcast, and perform in any manner and by any means or media of every nature, whether known or unknown, the name, biography, performance, film/new media, photograph, recording, literary works, and any and all copyrighted materials owned or controlled by applicant (including, but not limited to, any and all materials submitted in support of the Poet Laureate application), singularly or in conjunction with other materials, solely in and in connection with the promotion, advertising, and marketing of the Poet Laureate and/or the City of Williamsburg. • Publication: The Poet Laureate permits a non–exclusive license to the City of Williamsburg to produce a publication of their work and its use during their tenure. • Payment and Reporting Procedures: o The Poet Laureate is required to develop benchmarks at the start of each year and submit progress reports, as requested by the Williamsburg Public Art Council, based on their activities toward accomplishing benchmark goals. o At the end of their tenure, the Poet Laureate will compose a final poem as a reflection on their term. o The Poet Laureate will receive a $1,500 grant at the start of each fiscal year of their two-year tenure, contingent upon evaluation of the prior year. Updated 4/19/24 - JOS Page 7 of 8  -DRAFT- Submission Requirement Checklist The online application form will include the following documentation and materials. All written documents should be submitted in PDF format. ☐ Poet Biography (Suggested word count: 150 – 300 words) ☐ Poet Statement: A poet’s statement contextualizes your work and the ideas that form it. It should discuss your work as a poet, the role of a poet in society, and/or what experiences have shaped your own work. (Suggested word count: 150 – 300 words) ☐ Community Project Proposal: The Williamsburg Poet Laureate is expected to design and implement a community project that addresses the intent of the program. Specifically, the community project must use poetry to engage people in exchanges of ideas, stories, and traditions. Outline your vision for the project by describing the activities that you would pursue, including possible partners (organizations and/or individuals), settings, and audiences. Ultimately, this is your vision for the impact of your tenure and beyond. Explain how your qualifications and experience are directly relevant to the proposed community service project activities. If selected, you will dedicate a portion of the first year of your term expanding on this outline. (Suggested word count: 300 – 500 words) ☐ Three (3) Letters of Recommendation: Letters should be from poets, writers, literary organizations, and/or others in the writing community. ☐ Work Samples: o Poetry Portfolio: Submit up to 10 examples of original poems, published or unpublished. (Not to exceed 10 pages) o List of Publications: Submit a list of publication credits. Include individual publications of your work, followed by inclusion of your poems published as part of collections, journals, magazines, e-zines, and websites. (Not to exceed one page) ☐ Supplemental Materials: Materials may include, but are not limited to, programs and other promotional materials for readings or events, news articles/reviews, testimonials, letters of support, or awards. ☐ Video Introduction: Please select a favorite poem/poet and describe why you appreciate the work. Share the link via YouTube or Vimeo. (Not to exceed five minutes in length.) ☐ Resume (Not to exceed two pages.) Updated 4/19/24 - JOS Page 8 of 8