Minutes Arts Commission 3 27 07
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MINUTES
ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMISSION
REGULAR SESSION
Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 4:00 p.m.
Board Room, Carnegie Stout Public Library
360 W. 11th Street, Dubuque, Iowa
Meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. following staff assurance of
compliance with the Iowa Open Meeting Law.
Commissioners present: Sue Riedel, Ellen Henkels, Louise Kames, Amy Weber,
Mark Wahlert, Paul Kohl, Geri Shafer
Staff Present: Jerelyn O'Connor, Liz Willems
Approval of Minutes of February 15, 2007
Motion by Wahlert to approve, second by Weber, passed 7-0.
NEW BUSINESS
Special Projects Grant Program
John Woodin addressed the Commission with questions on the Special Projects
Grants Program. The Dubuque Community School District Foundation is
planning to be the lead applicant for grant funds for a multicultural festival.
Woodin asked if a partner organization receives funding for festival activities, are
they eligible to apply for another grant for their own project? Commission
suggested that grant funding could be used for joint marketing without
jeopardizing individual organizations ability to submit separate application, but if
funding is directed to a specific organization to pay for festival events, that
"counts" as a grant for that organization. Commission complimented the effort of
many organizations partnering on this project.
Question was posed to the Commission on whether the Friends of the Mines of
Spain qualifies as a "City of Dubuque" organization. The City of Dubuque owns
the Mines of Spain and 37 acres around it, although it is outside of the city limits.
Kohl said it was similar to the Dubuque Airport -although it is outside of the city
limits, it's a city organization and should be an eligible applicant. Motion by
Henkels, second by Kohl that Friends of the Mines of Spain is considered a city
of Dubuque organization. All approved.
Strategic Plan: _
Sue Riedel suggested Commission should be seeking other sources of funding
for the arts. She expressed concern that the number of arts organizations and
their annual operating budgets are increasing, although the city funding is at the
same level.
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There was a suggestion to form alliances with local businesses to allocate
funding for arts programs. It was also suggested that the Commission form a
partnership to do some "free" community based project. Could a commissioner
be an applicant to the NEH for a grant? There was discussion about the
importance of increasing accessibility to the arts.
The Arts Commission would like to prepare an annual report to show the impact
of the arts funding. Louise, Sue, Geri and Amy volunteered to work with staff on
an annual report with the goal of presenting the report to city council in early
August. There was a suggestion of producing a "Year in Review" power point
presentation on Channel 8 to show how the arts have impacted the local
community.
Louise suggested approaching the Dubuque Cultural Alliance to establish an
email alert for arts advocacy issues, i.e. to communicate on pending state and
federal legislative issues.
Information Sharing
Information on Architecture Days April 9-14 was presented.
O'Connor noted that Commissioner terms are expiring in June for Kames, Kohl,
Riedel and Wahlert. Commissioners wishing to be considered for reappointment
must submit application by May 2. There will be an opportunity to address the
City Council at the May 7 meeting, appointments will be made at the May 21
meeting.
The Americans for the Arts annual convention is June 1-3 in Las Vegas. Amy
Weber and Geri Shafer both indicated interest in attending this conference.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. Geri Shafer said she will be out of
town on May 22. In April, the Commission will determine whether the May
meeting is rescheduled. Motion by Shafer, second by Weber to adjourn. All
approved. Meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
l1~
Liz Will s
These minutes passed, approved and adopted on April 24, 2007
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Louise Kames, Secretary