Arts & Culture Commission - July 18, 2018 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Arts and Culture Commission of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the City Commission Room at City Hall at 4:00 o’clock p.m., Wednesday, July 18, 2018.
The Arts and Culture Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Arlette Preston, Deb Williams, Jon Offutt, Tracy Walvatne, Denise Kolpack, Joe Williams, Mark Johnson
Absent: Denese Odegaard, Michael Olsen
Chair Preston called the meeting to order and welcomed Members to the meeting.
Item 1: Order of Agenda
Denise moved to approve the order of agenda. Second by Jon. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Minutes: Regular Meeting of June 20, 2018
The minutes were not included in this packet. It will be included in the August packet.
Item 3: Presentation by Buzz Lab
Netha Cloeter, from the plains art Museum presents on the Buzz Lab with her three interns. The Buzz Lab started as part of the pollinator garden which was a way to bring garden spaces into the downtown urban environment. The planting was done by youth and community members. The buzz lab program started in 2014. Buzz lab is student led and project based. The youth creates either public art projects or community based projects. The goal of buzz lab is to be informative on the bees and educate others. Integrates art and science and the community members. Buzz lab is a paid internship program for youths ages 11-18. www.plainsartbuzzlab.com
Item 4: Master Plan Review - Budget
Nicole Crutchfield, Planning Director, gives an update on the 2019 budget process. The ask for 2019 is the same as last year, $150,000. The budget should not stifle new projects or creativity that the Commission may have during the 2019 year. With the Commission being new, the City Commissioners set aside $85,000 for a capital budget amount, which came out of the Public Art Master Plan. In roughly two weeks the Mayors first draft of the budget will come forward following with final adoption.
Ms. Crutchfield states in the past the commission has funded the curating in the city hall, RFPs for public projects, projects that have come forward from the public. Ms. Crutchfield states that she and Chair Preston would like to have a working session to go over the budget for 2019
Mr. Offutt asks when the fiscal year ends, Ms. Crutchfield states that it ends in December and follows the calendar year. Ms. Walvante wants to know if we need to reapply for the capital project funds each year. Ms. Crutchfield states that this process is yet to be defined but the commission would need to reapply to the city commission. Chair Preston reminds the commissioners that they should use the master plan to help guide the budget. The brainstorming for how to spend the capital fund will be moved back another month.
Ms. Crutchfield states that the regranting program with The Arts Partnership has a long standing relationship with the City of Fargo. The City gives funds to The Arts Partnership who then regrant smaller amounts of money to local artists and nonprofits.
Item 5: Communication Plan
Chair Preston states that the communication plan is on the agenda in order to keep it in the forefront of the commission. Ms. Kolpac will be looking over the communication plan since her background is in communication. Shortly the commissioners will take their message to the editorial board and media as well as other city boards and commissions as well as the public.
Item 6: Update on Previously Approved Projects
Ms. Rakowitz states that the utility box wraps which were brought forward by the BID along the Broadway corridor will be coming forward in the next few weeks. A wrap has already been placed along Broadway and 6th St N.
Item 7: ACC Accomplishments
Ms. Rakowitz states that the document provided over the last year shows what the commission has accomplished over the last year as well as any media development and documentation that staff has accomplished on behalf of the commission.
Mr. Johnson states that the creative bike racks has been a very well received project and was wondering if there could be a description clarifying what the project is, who was involved. Ms. Elshaug, Planning Coordinator, states that the welder will be doing a final paint coat and then an anti-graffiti coat will be added. In order get a sign in front of the bikes this would need to be approved through city processes. Staff will pursue the signage with other city departments and the artists.
Item 8: Artistic Screen Project
Ms. Rakowitz states that Mark Johnson with the Kilbourne group has brought forward a project that will fulfill the commissions goals of encouraging public art citywide, cultivating partnerships and working with developers on projects.
Mr. Johnson presents the artistic screen project. The Kilbourne Group would work with a fabricator and do a call for artist for what the screen would look like. The art would need to meet the City’s Land Development Code as well as Kilbourne Group’s ideals. This would be a functional project that would be able to withstand the elements as well as an artistic element. As part of the project the neighbors would also like to be involved in the project which would expand the screen onto their property.
Ms. Williams asks who would be selecting the art. Mr. Johnson states the fabricators, himself, another member from Kilbourne as well as someone from The Arts Partnerships for their expertise. Mr. Offutt states that the timeline is very aggressive and feels that this is not enough time for the arts community. Mr. Johnson states that the deadline was put in place to meet the opening of the business that will be coming in. Ms. Kolpak asks if there is consideration for long term maintenance to which Mr. Johnson states that Kilbourne will be maintaining the screen long term.
Mr. Strand wants to know what the process was with receiving this application and if there is a process for the public and developers to come forward with ideas. Ms. Rakowitz states that there is a form on the website which allows the community to come forward with ideas. Ms. Crutchfield states that in the past the commission has sent out RFPs for public art but that did not happen in the 2018 year.
Ms. Walvatne asks Mr. Offutt how long a call for artist should go out for, Mr. Offutt states a month would be ideal.
Mr. Johnson recuses from voting.
Ms. Walvatne moved to approve the project with the condition that the project manager consider a longer time for the call to artists. Second by Mr. Offutt. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 9: Curating
Ms. Rakowitz introduces that there will be a new artist, Jon Solinger, in the City Hall Skyway. This will be at very little cost.
Item 10: Other Business or Public Comment
There is a laydown item that was forgotten to be conveyed when the order of the agenda was approved. Ms. Rakowitz presents the city hall panel artwork final two artists. The mayor narrowed down the 16 artist to two and asks that the commission decide how to create a final artist. The commission can vote the finalist, have the mayor decide or send it to the public.
Mr. Offutt would say no to opening up to the public he would like to see an artist pick the images. Ms. Crutchfield states that a RFP went out to the public stating that the mayor would pick the finalist. The RFP had a concept of past, present and future.
Mr. Johnson would like to see the images be decided on sooner than later due to the opening of the new city hall. He agrees with Mr. Offutt to not have it open to the public. In the interest of time the commissioners decide to narrow down the city hall panels to one proposal to bring forward to the Mayor. The commission discusses.
Mr. Offutt moved to recommend the folk art panel to the mayor’s office. Second by Ms. Williams. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 6:22 p.m.