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Minutes Arts & Cult. Adv. 4 13 05 MINUTES ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMISSION SPECIAL SESSION Tuesday, April 13, 2005,4:00 p.m. Third-Floor Auditorium, Carnegie Stout Public Library 360 W. 11th Street, Dubuque, Iowa Meeting was called to order at 4:10 p.m. following staff Assurance of Compliance with the Iowa Open Meeting Law. Commissioners Present: Rebecca Fabricius, William Intriligator, Jane Kenworthy, Paul Kohl, Amy Link, Susan Riedel, Mark Wahlert. Staff Present: Jerelyn O'Connor, Kevin Firnstahl Approval of Minutes of March 22, 2005 Motion by Link, Second by Intriligator, passed unanimously New Business FY 2005 Arts and Culture Grant Program for Special Projects Review/Rank Applications. Commissioner Fabricius suggested that Commissioners be timed to one-minute comments per application. The Commission agreed, and staff person O'Connor would time. After brief discussion, it was decided that any Commissioner having a conflict of interest with any application would step away from the table and recuse themselves from commenting on or ranking the application(s) in question. It was also decided that comments would be solicited from any applicant representatives present after the Commission reviewed their application. If no representative is present and there is a need for more information about an application, requests would be made in writing to the grant administrator. Application Review Cable Car Quilters Guild Sue Riedel Application met the City's goals, high tourism element, realistic timeline and good downtown placement. Amy Link Application was well done and organized but did not display a new or expanded element Mark Wahlert A solid application that met the City's goals. It has a niche focus that met the requirements but did not have a wide audience appeal. Questioned whether grant was needed since application indicated project income exceeds expenses by $2,500. Rebecca Fabricius Application is not new or expanded programming. Biennial timeline, historical experience, uniqueness, and all-volunteer event are positive components. William Intriligator Application is not new or expanded programming. Good downtown location would create interest and large audience draw. Application most other met requirements. Nice historical element. Recommends minimal award. Jane Kenworthy Well-organized and well-written application. Few craft applications received. Nice draw for senior audience. Paul Kohl Each application is capable of doing the proposed project. However, this application is not innovative, new or expanded. Although it is a unique art form, it is low-impact. Colts Drum & Bugle Corps. Amy Link Application was done well and fulfills a special need. However, it is similar to other Colts programming and would appeal to the mid-aged kid demographic. Mark Wahlert A worthwhile program, but not new or expanded. Similar programming. Rebecca Fabricius Program has odd weekday timeframe. Application does not meet goals, nor is it explained well. July 4 event date not detailed. Anticipated revenue indicates commercial purpose. William Intriligator The new band ensemble element indicates expanded program. Town Clock location is good and will draw audience. Program is accessible, affordable, organized, but low-impact. Jane Kenworthy Questioned eligibility of "opportunity cost" and "foregone revenue" as project costs. Also questioned the lack of detail for the July 4 event date. Programming has broad appeal. Paul Kohl Programming is not new and minimally expanded, but the Colts have a large following. Sue Riedel Good youth program. Presents opportunity to see our youth at their best. Daytime hours are odd. Nice to have them back to town. Applicant comment: This group strived for new and expanded programming. It is difficult to schedule dates for shows in town as out-of-town shows that are already scheduled and meet their expenses would have to be dropped. Rising costs also prevent the Colts from performing locally. They hope to gain funding from the Lunch with the Colts program. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Mark Wahlert Application is solid but not challenging. Large grant request. Rebecca Fabricius Good public access and on-going programming element. William Intriligator Good on-going programming, impressive application and organized event. Questioned other funding sources. Recommended partial funding. Jane Kenworthy Meets cultural goals. Affordable, impressive event. A timeline was not included in the application. Liked the idea of a real Japanese Garden. Paul Kohl New, unique project with good cultural and public access elements. Sue Riedel Too large to fund at this time. Interesting 20-year timeline. Event will have tourism impact and good attendance. Nice to have authentic Japanese garden. This project needs a partnership, other funding. Well- written application. Amy Link Liked the incorporation of expert talent. Although it is a high funding amount requested, project does meet the City's goals and will have community impact. Dubuque Arts Council Rebecca Fabricius Similarity to other applications may hinder audience draw. Connection to City's goals not detailed. Questioned organization contract. Recommend re-submission if not funded this time. Also recommended the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium as a natural partner. William Intriligator Project has broad appeal. Organization has 20 years of experience. No groups have been contracted and grant figures are misleading. However, good over all. Jane Kenworthy Project lacks planning detail. Questioned City funds being used for religious services. Lacks administrative capacity. No venues or headliners contracted. Paul Kohl Good timeframe to hold event. Project will have impact. Sue Riedel Good idea but questioned lack of planning details (who & what). Inclusion of private and business dollars adds to credibility and other granting. Liked variety of locations. Amy Link Liked the involvement of businesses and variety of venues as well as the appeal to high school students through workshops. Multi-day schedule nice. Needs more organization. Mark Wahlert Great idea at nice time of year. Questioned relationship with venues and possible profiting. Recommends re-submission for next year. Dubuque County Historical Society (Mark Wahlert recused) William Intriligator Impressive, organized grant. New project. Questioned how museum is different from Loras College Center for Dubuque History. High cultural impact and planned well. Recommend partial funding. Jane Kenworthy Tremendous tourism value. Pleased to see elements pertaining to the history of minorities in the community. Questioned if any of project costs are included in other grant applications. Appeals to all ages. Paul Kohl Good appeal. New project with high cultural value. Organization has capability of completing the project. Sue Riedel Favorite application. Well written with long-term value and impact on schools and public. High credibility with project having support already. Amy Link Liked this application. Organization has good reputation. Project involves every demographic, opens partnership opportunities, and involves many volunteers. Recommends partial or full support. Rebecca Fabricius Application reflects organization's expertise. Questioned whether or not script described the project's scope well enough. Large funding request. Project is already underway. How will be it be funded. Applicant representative - Mark Wahlert Since this project is open to the public and not just academic research, it differs from the Loras archive. Educational programming is also planned. In addition to Dubuque history, exhibits would include Dubuque's minority history and folklore; thereby, incorporating an underserved section of the community. Permanent museum exhibits would be supplemented with a variety of rotating ones. In contrast to other DCHS properties (e.g. the Ham House), this project would be open year round. Dubuque Museum of Art (Mark Wahlert recused) Jane Kenworthy Displays expanded programming. Limited impact with appeal to pre- schoolers. Excellent organizational capacity. Important, active programming. Big return on small investment. Paul Kohl Small potential audience. Minimal funding request is a positive element but not necessary to project. Sue Riedel Good program. Free admission and weekend timeline good for families. Project meets City's goals. Had questions regarding the use of a consultant. What will consultant be doing? Project provides life-long learning and accessible arts elements. Minimal request worthwhile. Amy Link Organization provides good after-school arts programs. This project is interpretive of the arts and hits a good demographic. Although it is a limited project, it has a non-recurring cost element. Also questioned the use of a consultant. Rebecca Fabricius Passed comment. William Intriligator Project is consistent with city's cultural arts goals. Application doesn't show expansion. Good planning, but questioned workshop and long-term impact. Impressive organization. Asked what other organizations would pay for. Request is for too much. Applicant comment: Mark Wahlert Group has only purchased some furniture, but no other implementation has taken place. There is no other activity as of yet. Questions regarding the use of a consultant should be directed to DUMA staff. Dubuque Music Men's Barbershop Chorus Paul Kohl Project is not new and does not broaden audience. Existing program. Sue Riedel Project is not new. It is successful but a continuing program. Budget shows successful, profitable event that is good for tourism. Organization has a reputable history and does bring in quartets. Amy Link Agreed with Riedel. Likes the musical theme. Project pulls good demographics, but is not new programming. Questioned why funding is needed. Mark Wahlert Project lacks new or expanded goals. Application has sound budget and questioned why funding is needed. Rebecca Fabricius Project is not new. City funding won't impact this project. William Intriligator Project is not new or expanded. Application didn't refer to City's arts goals or mission statement. Questioned whether airfare and stipends are the right use of funds. Project does not have a large audience draw. Jane Kenworthy Questioned large amount for lodging guest performers and suggested using volunteer homes. Not a strong application. Applicant representative This group is new to the grant process. Since the grant did not allow the purchase of equipment, they chose to expand the quartets. They are working on other ideas. Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (Intriligator & Kenworthy recused) Sue Riedel Unique festival idea especially with the national element. Liked the multi- event aspect, which provides educational opportunities. Would like to see more of the project groups meet regularly. Variety of programming offered. Organization is well established and makes use of volunteers. Amy Link Appreciated the element of many partnership forms coming together. Project would draw different demographics, met City's goals, shows commitment, and is a minimal request. Mark Wahlert Project has nice educational impact and uses a variety of media. It reaches a different audience, a strong application, and a reasonable request. Rebecca Fabricius Similar to other applications for funding. Marketing capacity and partnerships not spelled out well. Specific project goals not identified. Paul Kohl Project has a good, wide scope. Small request i~ a positive element. Applicant comment: Jane Kenworthy Jane noted that $15,000 from the Iowa Arts Council will help to publish the brochure, which in turn will help promote all of the groups involved. Project holds adult education and history opportunities with the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Additional funding would go toward special pieces of the festival that could not normally be done. Partial funding would mean paring down the festival elements not covered by other funding. This project is coordinated by the DSO, and they are capable of tracking the impact on attendance vs. an average audience. Fly-By-Night Productions Amy Link Liked the application and the aspect that the project uses a different venue idea, involves audience participation. The project brings name recognition to the organization. Offers a different style of theater. Recommended for partial funding. Mark Wahlert Top application. Project has potential and would be a unique production. High funding request recommended for partial funding. Rebecca Fabricius Highly rated application, which met the purpose of the funding. Project meets and dovetails well with the City's goals well. Project is timed well. Views this as a capacity building grant. Liked the non-traditional theater element. Questioned the use of revenue within the organization. William Intriligator Exceptional program that furthers the City's comprehensive plan. It is a well-planned, good idea. Questioned the exorbitant funding request and . asked if the grant would cover all expenses. Further questioned the lack of profit figures for a ticketed event. Jane Kenworthy. Noted the Commission should ask for revenue and expense outlines to be included with each application. Liked the pre-play/post-play discussions as well as the message and risk elements. Paul Kohl Unique and educational opportunity presented by a good group. High funding request recommended for partial funding. Sue Riedel Worthy project. Creative, interactive idea, which makes use of an interesting venue. Project is timed well for tourism. Organization is established with a large volunteer base. Affordable art form. Liked element of free discussions. Suggested that Fly-By-Night should consider scheduling play for a longer run. Applicant Comment: Lenore Howard FBNP is interested in theater that engages the audience and actors. They are a small group that fills a niche and is new to the grant process. The organization has never incurred debt and has no paid staff. Stipends are paid per project. Tickets for this project would be priced at $17, which included the venue service fee. It is an expensive, expanded project. Revenue from all projects is carried over to the next project. May consider longer run. Four Mounds Foundation Mark Wahlert Application presented some challenges. Application not signed. Section 2 C was not checked as new or expanded programming. Questioned funding a City-owned building. Rebecca Fabricius This application had potential obstacles. However, it is a significant structure that is linked to the City's cultural goals and comprehensive plan. Has public accessibility element. William Intriligatof Application not signed. Project is very impressive, outstanding, furthers the City's goals well, has a broad impact, good planning and timeline, as well as an additional donor. It is modest request. Jane Kenworthy Agreed with Commissioner Intriligator. Paul Kohl Project has broad cultural and architectural impact as well as an historical preservation element. It is not new or expanded and believes that Four Mounds is not well known enough. Sue Riedel Questioned the use of funding for a City Building. Project meets City goals and will promote visitors. It is a modest request. Amy Link Liked the historical element and the organization is good, but this is not the best use of funds. Grand Opera House (Sue Riedel and William lntriligator recused) Rebecca Fabricius Project is expanded but questioned why funding was needed to expand it. Unsure of what demographics the project is reaching. Limited participation. Jane Kenworthy Project has limited impact and is not expanded. Questioned why there are no to-date registrations. Project does involve low-income participants. Despite a very complete cover page, budget figures do not compare well on pages 14-16. This is an on-going project. Paul Kohl This is a good program, which is open to variety but has a limited audience. Amy Link The lack of other support appears fiscally irresponsible. Project is directed at youth in need, but questioned whether City funds should be spent out of the City. Mark Wahlert Project is not new or expanded and has limited audience. Funding should be keep within the City. Northeast Iowa School of Music/Bell Tower Theater (Sue Riedel and William Intriligator recused) Jane Kenworthy This is a new project that meets the City's goals. Liked kids' programming element. Questioned why the Bell Tower was not the project applicant as NISOM has a stretched organizational capacity. Paul Kohl Project has an innovative quality, but narrow potential audience. Amy Link Project appeals to the important demographic of children and families. Liked spacing of events. Partnership seemed stretched throughout application. Mark Wahlert Nice application that supports two organizations in need of programming, which is important to cultural success. Rebecca Fabricius Project is directed to only kids and needs an educational component. Questioned how programmed would be advertised and the number of performances. Applicant representative: Sue Riedel Performances are scheduled the first Saturday of each month over an eight-month period with different artists each month. This program would utilize the west end youth, many within walking distance. It is a true partnership with NISOM handling the artistic duties and the Bell Tower handling the facility/theatrical duties. This pilot program is designed for family activity. Ticket prices are only $5 with a 50/50 minimal revenue split between the partners. University of Dubuque William Intriligator This project furthers the City's goals. Organization is experienced, but questioned the off-campus impact. Project seems to be all about lecture. Jane Kenworthy Project is not available to adults off campus. Impact is on UD students only. Paul Kohl. Application has a nice sister-city aspect, but is not new or expanded. Impact is on UD students. Sue Riedel Application is written well. It is an interesting project that appeals to a selected audience, which creates an advertising problem. Program has a unique sister-city element, which is of benefit to the City, and recommends partial funding. Amy Link Project has an international appeal. Questioned ,how much of the funding would cover the different components of the program. Mark Wahlert Liked the application, but it is too narrow and specific to the University of Dubuque. Would consider funding if the program had broader appeal. Rebecca Fabricius Agreed with the other commissioners. Nothing new to add Discussion The Commission then agreed to rank the applications from 1-13 with 1 being the best. Staff member O'Connor will then tabulate the rankings and averages by the number of Commissioners who reviewed the applications. This information will be used at the April 26 meeting for developing a grant award recommendation to City Council. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn by Wahlert, Second by Intriligator, all approved. Meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 26 at 4 p.m. in the Carnegie-Stout Public Library board room. These minutes passed, approved and adO::,t:~/tdav:::n . Mark Wahlert, Secretary ~/ City Council: City Manager: File: