Arts & Culture Commission - October 17, 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 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 17, 2018.
The Arts and Culture Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Arlette Preston, Jon Offutt, Tracy Walvatne, Denise Kolpack, Denese Odegaard, Tracy Jordre, Joe Williams
Absent: Deb Williams, Mark Johnson
Chair Preston called the meeting to order and welcomed Members to the meeting.
Item 1: Order of Agenda
Member Offutt moved to approve the order of agenda. Second by Member Kolpack. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Minutes: Regular Meeting of August 15, 2018
Member Walvatne moved the minutes of the August 15, 2018 Arts and Culture Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member Offutt. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 3: The Arts Partnership Regranting Request
Dayna Del Val with The Arts Partnership presented on the regranting request for The Arts Partnership. Chair Preston informed the Commission that the City has a history of regranting dollars to The Arts Partnership, who then regrants those dollars to local arts organizations. Member Odegaard spoke in favor of The Arts Partnership regranting as a recipient of those dollars. Member Kolpack made note that for such a small dollar amount they receive, how impressive it is that it touches so many organizations. Chair Preston noted that the Arts and Culture Commission is still working on their 2019 work plan and will vote on this request once the work plan is completed.
Item 4: Capital Improvement Project (Capital Art Project)
Nicole Crutchfield, Director of Planning and Development, informed the Commissioners that the City is working on setting up a meeting with stakeholders and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to come up with a public art project. There will also be an outside facilitator who will help with the meeting. The meeting will hopefully be set before the end of this year. Chair Preston noted that this will be a slightly different process than what the Commission has used for previous projects. This project is an opportunity to develop partnerships with businesses and local artists in the community.
Item 5: City Hall Art
Chair Preston noted that there is a lot of great pieces of art in the new city hall and encouraged members to take a look at the art. Chair Preston would like to know what the role of the Arts and Culture Commission (ACC) should be in the new city hall, as well as expressed that it may be valuable to write to the mayor and let him know that the ACC is an asset to the city hall. Commissioner Strand noted that it would be important for the ACC to ask for a meeting, and that there are other public buildings that need art as well. He can help facilitate a meeting with the mayor’s office.
Item 6: Communication Plan
Member Kolpack presented on the communication plan – this is the second time that the Commission has seen this document. Member Kolpack recommended that the next step of the communication plan is to sit down with staff to go over the plan. Chair Preston made a note that the Commission should sit down with the City of Fargo Communications Director to go over the digital media communications piece. Ms. Crutchfield noted that the City of Fargo has a communications policy and all releases go through this office, and the City also has a social media policy.
Member Offutt wondered if there would be other art mediums happening during the grand opening of the City Hall. Member Odegaard mentioned that she would be happy to help the City find music for the grand opening if that is the direction they would like to go. Chair Preston noted she has two upcoming presentations regarding the Arts and Culture Commission and will share the at the next Commission meeting. Chair Preston has met with the Forum, the High Plains Reader, as well as the Fargo Youth Initiative and is scheduled to meet with a service club in November.
Member Offutt would like to know if there are leave behind items when they present to the community. Chair Preston noted that there is a two-page handout but it would be helpful to have.
Member Odegaard moved to adopt the communications plan but meet with staff to go over the plan. Second by Member Offutt. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 7: Strategic Planning Workshop Report
Chair Preston noted that the documentation in the packet is from the strategic planning workshop. Staff took the five different categories and filled in action steps that relate to those categories and included resource needs, financial needs, and priorities which were not completely filled in. Member Kolpack would like the acronyms be spelled out for clarity.
Item 8: 2019 Workplan Discussion
This item was discussed after the meeting adjourned.
Item 9: Other Business or Public Comment
The time at adjournment was 5:43 p.m.