Minutes_Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission 10 26 10MINUTES
ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMISSION
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Library Board Room 3rd Floor, Carnegie -Stout Library,
360 W. 11 Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
Meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m. following staff assurance of
compliance with the Iowa Open Meeting Law.
Commissioners present: Paul Hemmer, Ellen Henkels, Louise Kames, Marina
O'Rourke, Sue Riedel, Julie Steffen, and Geri Shafer. Staff present: Jerelyn
O'Connor, Jan Stoffel.
Approval of Minutes of August 31, 2010. Two corrections were submitted.
Motion by Henkels and seconded by Riedel to approve the minutes as corrected.
Motion carried 7 -0.
OLD BUSINESS:
Review of Annual Planning Session. Chair Shafer led a discussion to refine a
commission values statement, finalize priorities and make assignments from the
August planning session. Commissioners analyzed what the value statement
would mean to the Commission. Steffen offered that a values statement would be
an ethical approach to the mission, perhaps defining guidelines for making
decisions toward goals. Shafer noted that a values statement would show the
public how and why the current Commission members make decisions. After
much consideration a statement was proposed by O'Rourke:
"The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission will:
• Act with integrity
• Increase accessibility to the arts
• Exercise fairness and impartiality in decision making
• Support life -long engagement in the arts
• Preserve cultural heritage for future generations
In supporting these values, we strive to create a community whose art and
culture exudes so much energy, vitality and creativity that there are not
enough (figurative )containers to hold it all."
Commissioners also narrowed goals toward three indentified priorities.
• Priority I: AdvocacyNisibility — Expand the Commission's Role as a
leading action /policy /networking organization for the arts: Increase
funding for grant programs, continue to send a consistent message to
Council on funding needs, continue advocacy on other local and state
levels, and position the Commission as leaders of the arts in Dubuque.
Shafer volunteered to work on the establishment of a Business Committee
for the Arts with the Chamber. Shafer and Steffen will work on talking
points.
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• Priority II: Grantmaking- Ensure appropriate criteria exist and
policies are in place for grantmaking to be unbiased and above
board: Reconvene subcommittee on grant process prior to grant cycle,
final reports on Special Project Grants provided to Commissioners, and
review protocol for Commissioners and applicants for grant review
sessions.
• Priority III: Access to the Arts for all: Ensure that everyone in
Dubuque has the opportunity to participate in the arts: Use of a Ning
page or other strategy to replace communication formerly provided by the
Cultural Alliance, and development of a community wide calendaring
system to meet the needs of unique members of the arts and culture
organizations, including artists themselves, utilizing both existing or new
efforts.
Steffen offered to chair a subcommittee to investigate options for the calendaring
effort.
Update on Arts and Humanities Month. Shafer accepted a proclamation from
the City Council at the September 20 meeting. O'Rourke arranged for three
dancers from the Youth Ballet to dance before the meeting in the chambers.
Their performance received accolades from Council members and attendees.
Steffen wrote an article for the October issue of Julien's Journal. Hemmer will
produce PSAs for distribution to three area radio stations to air in October and
Stoffel will contact art groups to schedule a recording time. Henkels will send a
letter to the editor of the Telegraph Herald to mark the month.
Arts Index Study /Arts and Economic Prosperity Study. Nothing concrete has
yet been released for activities related the Local Arts Index. Due to the
Commissioners willingness to give up funds for a commissioner to attend the
2011 American for the Arts conference, the City Council approved funding to
conduct an Arts and Prosperity Index that will begin in January 2010. Stoffel will
be assembling a committee of Commissioners and local art leaders to assist in
the execution of both studies. These studies will provide valuable information
about the health and vitality of the arts in Dubuque and surrounding areas.
NEW BUSINESS
Discussion of FY12 budge O'Connor advised that staff is preparing the FY12
budget improvement requests. O'Connor asked whether the Commission
planned to submit any improvement requests for City Council consideration.
Shafer requested that this item be placed on the October 26 Commission agenda
for further discussion.
Discussion of Art on the River Committee. The Art on the River Committee
will gather soon as time approaches for the call for entries to be distributed by the
first of January 2011 for the 2011 -2012 exhibit. The committee meets only 1 -2
times yearly and Stoffel would like to increase the involvement of the committee.
She wondered about making it a "Public Art Committee" to consider a wider
range of projects than just Art on the River. After discussion by the
Commissioners and Staff, it was agreed to keep the committee as is for now.
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Art on the River. New brochure holders have been installed on the two map •
kiosks on the RiverWalk. They have been stocked at least weekly and have had
no reports that they have been discarded at the RiverWalk. Several sculptures
from Art on the River have been damaged or vandalized. A police report has
been made and attempts are underway to determine if the video surveillance
down at the RiverWalk can be helpful.
Ning Site. Kames will forward more information to Commissioners concerning a
Ning site, which may be an economical and effective way to encourage dialogue
among Dubuque area arts groups or provide a "landing page" for easier access
to arts and cultural information online.
Items from the Commission. Henkles attended the opening reception of the EB
Lyons interpretive exhibits, a project partially funded by a City Special Project
Grant. O'Rourke will be the keynote speaker at the Mediacom Grant luncheon.
Shafer reported that over 800 people attended the opening reception of Voices
from the Warehouse 2010.
Information Sharing. Stoffel reported that through her work on the Five Flags
Anniversary Lobby Renovation Committee, she has been involved in Five Flags
cataloging City owned art there. The original "Cellist" by Frank Licciardi will be
repaired, framed and hung in the lobby by October 16. This project is a start
toward the Commission goal of having all City art catalogued.
Adjournment
Riedel moved and O'Rourke seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:00 p.m. The
next meeting will be held on October 26, 2010, at 4:30 p.m., at the Carnegie
Stout 3rd floor Board Room.
Respectfully submitted,
A% J. � /_�/
Jan 'toffel, Arts an' t' tural Affairs Coordinator
These minutes were passed and approved on
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