Iowa Public Art Network Conference Letter of InterestMasterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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All-America City
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Letter of Interest to Host the Iowa Public Art Network Conference
DATE: May 1, 2012
Neighborhood Development Specialist Jerelyn O'Connor recommends City Council
approval to submit a letter of interest to the Iowa Arts Council to host an Iowa Public Art
Network Conference in partnership with the Iowa Arts Council, Dubuque Museum of Art
and the Voices from the Warehouse Organizing Committee.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development Specialist
THE CITY OF
DUB TE MEMORANDUM
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
April 30, 2012
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jerelyn O'Connor, Neighborhood Development Specialist
RE: Letter of Interest to host the Iowa Public Art Network Conference
Introduction
The Iowa Arts Council is interested in partnering with an Iowa community to host a one
or two -day Iowa Public Art Network Conference during the next two fiscal years.
The Iowa Public Art Network (IPAN) is a peer -group of Iowa Arts Council's Public Art &
Design Program that seeks to advance the role, value and support of public art in Iowa
and the professional standards and practices in the field of public art. IPAN represents
artists, public art administrators, and public art enthusiasts.
The initial IPAN conference was held in 2006, about the time the City of Dubuque was
starting the Art on the River rotating public sculpture exhibit. IPAN has served as a
great resource for city staff. The City has been asked by Iowa Arts Council staff to
consider hosting the next conference in cooperation with the Iowa Arts Council.
Discussion
Staff discussed the possibility of submitting a letter of interest to host the conference
with the Dubuque Museum of Art and the Voices from the Warehouse organizing
committee. After discussions, these partnering organizations are proposing to the Iowa
Arts Council interest in hosting a one day conference in Dubuque on a Friday in
September or early October in 2013. The theme of the conference would be on
temporary public art installations. Venues for the conference would be The Dubuque
Museum of Art, the Historic Millwork District and Voices from the Warehouse Exhibition
Gallery, and Dubuque's riverfront/Port of Dubuque area. Hosting the conference would
be a great opportunity to bring a state -wide, arts - focused audience to the City.
Recommendation
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission discussed this opportunity at their
April 24, 2012 meeting and has unanimously endorsed submitting a letter of interest to
Iowa Arts Council to host the conference.
Budget Impact
If Dubuque is selected to host the conference, it is expected that the Iowa Arts Council
financial contribution, conference registration fees, and sponsorships would cover the
costs of hosting the conference.
Action
I recommend that the City Council concur with the Arts Commission endorsement to
submit a letter of interest to host the conference with partners Iowa Arts Council,
Dubuque Museum of Art, and the Voices from the Warehouse Organizing Committee.
Encl. Letter of Interest to host the Iowa Public Art Network Conference
cc: Jan Stoffel, Arts and Cultural Affairs Coordinator
April 20, 2012
Bruce Williams
Coordinator of Cultural Leadership Program, Iowa Cultural Trust, & Public Art Programs
Iowa Arts Council
600 E Locust
Des NIomes, IA 50319
Dear Bruce:
On behalf of the The Dubuque Museum of Art. The City of Dubuque and the Voices From The
Warehouse organizing committee, please accept this letter as official notice that Dubuque would be
honored to host the Iowa Public Art Network (IPAN) conference during FY2014. For the purposes of
this application, please consider the Dubuque Museum of Art as the primary contact for this effort
(contact information included below). In addition to the three host organizations listed above, there are
other interested organizations that could also be potential partners and hosts for the conference as well.
The partnering organizations propose to host a one day conference in Dubuque on a Friday in
September or early October in 2013. The theme of the conference would be on temporary (a year or less).
public art installations. Venues for the conference would be The Dubuque Museum of Art, the Historic
Millwork District and Voices From the Warehouse Exhibition Gallery, and Dubuque's riverfront/Port of
Dubuque area. If larger venues are needed, the conference could potentially be held at the Grand River
Center or the Julien Hotel as well. We envision a conference that will include some speaker sessions as
well as opportunities for guided tours of and open dialogue sessions at the Museum. the Art On The River
public art exhibition and the Voices From The Warehouse temporary art exhibition.
Dubuque is interested in hosting this program in order to showcase the tremendous role that art
and culture are playing in our community's continued renaissance. Over the last decade or more.
Dubuque has seen an incredible growth in the vitality of its downtown and riverfront areas, and the arts
have been a key component in that development. As mentioned above, the proposed focus of the
conference would be on temporary public art and would explore the effect that those kinds of installations
and programs can have on economic development, tourism, and a growing public interest in art and
artistic expression as a whole.
Thank you for your consideration of our interest in hosting the IPAN conference in FY2014. Of
course, should you want to discuss the opportunity further, we would look fonward to answering your
questions and providing you with whatever information you may need. Thank you, in advance, for the
opportunity to apply for the honor of hosting the conference.
Sincerely,
Mark D. Wahlert Michael C. Van Milligen Geri Shafer & Gene Tully
Director City Manger Co- Directors
Dubuque Museum of Art City of Dubuque Voices From the Warehouse\
701 Locust Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
563 -557 -1851
mwahlerGi dbgart. com