Arts & Culture Commission - July 21, 2021 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Arts and Culture Commission of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
The Arts and Culture Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Deb Williams, Tracy Jordre, Jon Offutt, Denise Kolpack, Joe Williams, Monika Browne-Ecker, Ann Arbor Miller, Brad Bachmeier
Absent: Tracy Walvatne
Chair Jordre called the meeting to order and welcomed Members to the meeting.
Item 1: Order of Agenda
Member D. Williams 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 June 16, 2021
Member Browne-Ecke moved the Minutes of the June 16, 2021 Arts and Culture Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member Offutt. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 3: Public Comment
Alatera McCann (Community Programs Coordinator – Plains Arts Museum) spoke on their Buzz Lab Teen Internship. After giving history and details about the program she stated that the current group wants to create a pollinator path. She asked for collaboration to find sites specific to Fargo to include on the pollinator path as well as a site to house a 4x2 garden bed.
Member D. Williams recommended the sod buster statue and Ole Tangen park.
Nicole recommended meeting with Ms. McCann offline to further discuss locations with staff.
Item 4: Subcommittee Updates and suggested work plan
a. Capacity Building Subcommittee
Member J. Williams read the update from the material listed in the packet. The update included the suggested goal of ensuring the call for artists program is operationalized with consistency for broader local artist inclusion.
Member Bachmeier asked for clarification on city ordinances on who could paint where due to a recent mural by the Downtown Community Partnership.
Planning Director Nicole Crutchfield said it is a longer discussion that needs to take place but in short there are no current ordinances.
b. Neighborhood Subcommittee
Member D. Williams reported they found that the proposed amount for the utility box wrap program is insufficient. She said they are considering changing the program to ask how much is needed to do a utility box wrap program rather than starting with a proposed amount.
c. Development Subcommittee
Chair Jordre reported the need to reschedule meetings from the 4th of July week. One was scheduled for next week.
Member Kolpack reported they are looking to meet with staff about a draft communication plan.
Member Browne-Ecker reported she would be meeting with artists about how collaboration with developers would benefit them.
Ms. Crutchfield added that these are suggested goals and committee members should examine these to see if this is the direction they would like to go and that it still needs to be formalized.
Item 5: New Meeting Time Discussion
Discussion was held on various reasons for the 5 p.m. meeting time.
Item 6: Review of Bylaws
Chair Jordre noted the need to amend the Bylaws based on the 4 p.m. time listed in them.
Member Kolpack moved to amend Bylaws to read 5 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. for a start time. Second by Member J. Williams. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 7: Staff Update
a. Technical Support – Curating and Outreach
Ms. Crutchfield presented the need to reach out for Master Service Agreements (MSA). She noted it would be beneficial for a Sole Source Agreement with The Arts Partnership (TAP) to advance the neighborhood utility box wrap program, incorporating city buildings in the ArtWORKS program and facilitating the 2021 call for artists program. She was seeking the commission’s support to advance this request to finance committee.
Member Arbor-Miller asked about duration of contract.
Ms. Crutchfield said it is task specific and would end with the task(s).
Member Bachmeier moved to approve staff to seek a sole source contract with TAP subject to the finance committee and City Commission final approval. Second by Member Browne-Ecker. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
b. Arts for the Holidays
Member Offutt stated there was some concern from Rob Sobolik about the event using the Civic for free.
Ms. Crutchfield clarified the event would be paid for by the City.
Concerns were raised about booth fees and gathering volunteer support to staff the event. Both of which Member Offutt said was not an issue for concern.
Member D. Williams moved to approve staff to seek partnership with Fargo-Moorhead Veterans Administration and Civic Center with collaboration on Arts for the Holiday’s on December 11th. Second by Member Bachmeier. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
c. Kresge Project – Art of Belonging
Ms. Crutchfield presented Fargo Project II and how going forward it would combine the Core Neighborhood Master Plan and the Arts Master Plan so that local art would be sustainable. She asked members to consider how they would want to be engaged with this as a committee.
Item 8: Next Regularly Meeting – August 18, 2021
Member D. Williams moved to adjourn the meeting. Second by Member Kolpack. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 5:59 p.m.