Fiscal Year 2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects Funding RecommendationCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Action Items # 01.
Copyrighted
July 5, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Fiscal Year 2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects Funding
Recommendation
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approve the recommended
recipients and funding levels of the Fiscal Year 2023 Arts & Culture
Special Projects grant applicants.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
FY2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects Funding City Manager Memo
Recommendation-MVM Memo
Memo to MVM re FY2023 Arts & Culture Special Staff Memo
Projects Funding Recommendation
FY23 Special Projects_ Scores and Funding Scenarios Supporting Documentation
THE CITY
DUOF
B TEE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Dubuque
All -America City
IN
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
SUBJECT: FY2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects Funding Recommendation
DATE: June 30, 2022
Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen -Brant is recommending City Council
approve the recommended recipients and funding levels of the FY2023 Arts & Culture
Special Projects grant applicants.
The Arts Commission voted to fund the following projects at the levels noted:
• $8,000 to Dubuque Museum of Art in partnership with Dubuque Community
Schools, and Dubuque Symphony Orchestra for "Arts Education Expansion
Project"
• $3,000 to Julien Dubuque International Film Festival in partnership with the
Carnegie -Stout Public Library for "Book It to JDIFF" project.
• $1,500 to Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque, Iowa in partnership
with Heritage Works for "Restoration of Historic Decorative Hand -painted Ceiling
and Community Engagement".
• $5,800 to Clarke University of Dubuque, Iowa in partnership with Crescent
Community Health Center for "Public/Private Art for Crescent Community Health
Center" project.
• $4,800 to University of Dubuque Heritage Center in partnership with the
American Midwest Ballet and Dubuque's Academy of Ballet for "The Wizard of
Oz — American Midwest Ballet" project.
• $3,600 to Voices Productions in partnership with the Scenic Art Loop for
"Voices Studio -Launching Engagement" project.
• $3,400 to Dubuque County Historical Society in partnership with Fly -By -Night
Productions and LC Productions for "Site -specific Production of a Christmas
Carol" project.
• $4,500 to Pacific Islander Rising Center in partnership with NICC, Project
Lantern, and Chikin Mejeje for "Integrating 21 st Century Skills in Pacific
Transnational Cultures" project.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
AAA4_4 k�4
Micha I C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenni Petersen -Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
Dubuque
THE COF
Ui!B E
All -America Cif
1 111 1®11
2007.2012�2013
2017*2019
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jenni Petersen -Brant, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
Economic Development Department
Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
1300 Main St
Dubuque, IA 52001
Office (563) 589-4393
TTY (563) 690-6678
http://www.cityofdubuque.org
SUBJECT: FY2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects Funding Recommendation
DATE: June 29, 2022
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum requests City Council concurrence with the recommended recipients and
funding levels of the FY2023 Arts & Culture Special Projects grant applicants.
BACKGROUND
The Arts & Culture Special Projects Grant program has been in place since FY2005, when
$30,000 was disbursed to five arts organizations for their work. This amount was increased to
$35,000 annually in FY2006.
Special Projects grant applications were accepted between March 15, 2022 and May 13,
2022. Twelve (12) applications were submitted, requesting $81,624 collectively. A three -
person independent jury reviewed and scored applications; scoring was then considered by
and a recommendation supported by the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission (Arts
Commission). Myself, as staff for the City's Arts Commission, has overseen the process
throughout.
DISCUSSION
The jury panel comprised of the following individuals reviewed applications:
• Amber Danielson, Executive Director, Marshalltown Arts Alliance, Marshalltown, IA
• Luke Tyler, Executive Director, Northeast Iowa School of Music, Dubuque, IA
• Whitney Sanger, Creative Communications and Development Director, Hawkeye
Area Community Action Program, and Co -Founder, Project Rooted, Dubuque, IA
Panelist scoring was based on a 15-point rubric, previously approved by the Arts Commission
for the FY2023 Special Projects grant application process. Said rubric ensured that
imperatives of proposed projects included:
• Uniqueness / Relevance = Projects should create unique and innovative arts and cultural
experiences or arts and cultural learning opportunities that stand out from the applicant's
previous offerings in significant ways. Activities may be produced within an established series
of programming.
• Partnership = Active and collaborative partnership with one or more entities, supported by the
submission of at least one letter of commitment that demonstrates active engagement in the
project development or implementation.
• DEI = Planning efforts and stated outcomes integrate practices that engage and/or represent
diverse populations, advance equity, and create inclusive access to project activities.
Scoring was received and compiled for Commissioner review by staff, with competitive
ranking of applications and corresponding funding levels provided to the Arts Commission for
consideration during a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Staff provided funding scenarios as outlined in the attached worksheet for the Arts
Commission's consideration. The 3 scenarios demonstrated:
1) The funding allocations if all requests could be fulfilled was based on the score as an
average of all 3 reviewers scores with all applications receiving funding; for example, if
an application receiving an average score of 14, or 93.3%, an award would be 93.3%
of the request. This option totaled $64,184 and was not viable as it exceeded the
program budget.
2) Option A: Funding allocations based on top ranking application receiving its full
request, as been the Commission's standard practice, and subsequent requests
receiving an award reduced proportionate to their scoring and rounded to the nearest
100. The four (4) lowest scoring applications, or those with an average score of 11, or
73.3% or less, were not awarded funds. This option totaled $41,900 and was not
viable as it too exceeded the program budget.
3) Option B: As Option A nearly fell within the program budget of $35,000, Staff further
reviewed all Special Project budgets for ineligible or indirect to be covered by grant
funds. Two (2) awards were adjusted accordingly, removing expenses considered
ineligible for program funding or indirect to special project implementation. This option
totaled $34,600.
Following discussion, the Arts Commission, with a quorum of four (4) Commissioners
present, voted unanimously to support Option B, which funds the following projects at the
levels noted:
• $8,000 to Dubuque Museum of Art in partnership with Dubuque Community Schools,
and Dubuque Symphony Orchestra for "Arts Education Expansion Project"
• $3,000 to Julien Dubuque International Film Festival in partnership with the
Carnegie -Stout Public Library for "Book It to JDIFF" project.
• $1,500 to Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Dubuque, Iowa in partnership with
Heritage Works for "Restoration of Historic Decorative Hand -painted Ceiling and
Community Engagement".
• $5,800 to Clarke University of Dubuque, Iowa in partnership with Crescent
Community Health Center for "Public/Private Art for Crescent Community Health
Center" project.
• $4,800 to University of Dubuque Heritage Center in partnership with the American
Midwest Ballet and Dubuque's Academy of Ballet for "The Wizard of Oz — American
Midwest Ballet" project.
• $3,600 to Voices Productions in partnership with the Scenic Art Loop for "Voices
Studio -Launching Engagement" project.
• $3,400 to Dubuque County Historical Society in partnership with Fly -By -Night
Productions and LC Productions for "Site -specific Production of a Christmas Carol"
project.
• $4,500 to Pacific Islander Rising Center in partnership with NICC, Project Lantern,
and Chikin Mejeje for "Integrating 21St Century Skills in Pacific Transnational Cultures"
project.
Funding recommended above totals $34,600. Projects will be implemented prior to June 30,
2023 with final reports due by August 30, 2023. The Arts Commission also noted in their vote
that the usage of the $400 program balance will be reviewed and determined at a later date.
BUDGETIMPACT
There are no new budget impacts. The FY2023 approved budget includes $35,000 for Arts &
Culture Special Projects Grants.
RECOMMENDATION/ ACTION STEP
I respectfully request concurrence with the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission
recommendation to fund the aforementioned FY2023 Special Projects grant applications for
approval by City Council.
CC: Jill Connors, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Finance Director
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Funding
based on
Applicant Organization Name
Project Title
Average
Request
Totatl Budget
scoring
Option A
Option B
Education Expansion
The Dubuque Museum of Art
q
IArts
Project
14.67
$
8,000
$
27,750
$
7,824
$
8,000
$
8,000
Julien Dubuque International
Film Festival
BooklttoJDIFF!
13.00
$
8,000
$
16,000
$
6,928
$
6,000
$
3,000
Restoration of Historic
Decorative Hand -painted
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Ceiling and Community
of Dubuque, Iowa
Engagement
12.67
$
8,000
$
30,000
$
6,760
$
5,800
$
1,500
Public/Private: Art for
Clarke University of Dubuque,
Crescent Community Health
Iowa
Center
12.67
$
10,370
$
12,170
$
6,760
$
5,800
$
5,800
-American
University of Dubuque
ITheWizardofOz
Midwest Ballet
11.67
$
8,000
$
63,000
$
6,224
$
4,800
$
4,800
Voices Studio -Launching
Voices Productions
Engagement
11.33
$
6,500
$
13,100
$
4,908
$
3,600
$
3,600
Dubuque County Historical Site -specific Production of
Society
Christmas Carol
11.33
$
6,050
$
12,536
$
4,568
$
3,400
$
3,400
Integrating 21st Century
Skills in Pacific Transnational
Pacific Islander Rising Center
Cultures
11.33
$
8,000
$
16,000
$
6,040
$
4,500
$
4,500
Artist in Residence Doreen
Dubuque Arts Council
KetchensJazz New Orleans
10.67
$
10,000
$
21,600
$
5,688
$
-
$
-
Creative Adventure Lab, Inc.
Creative Equity Initiative
10.331
$
8,000
$
24,256
$
5,512
$
-
$
-
Art & Support with NAMI
Dubuque and Centrally
NAMI Dubuque
Rooted
9.00
$
4,000
$
4,000
$
2,400
$
-
$
$
1,074
$
2,148
$
572
$
-
$
-
The Masterpiece Literary Center
Dubuque LitFest
8.001
$
81,624
$
64,184
$
41,900
$
34,600