City of Lawrence

Lawrence Arts Commission

Meeting Minutes April 12, 2006

 

 

Member Present:

Marlene Merrill

Sandra Wiechert

Elizabeth Hatchett

Liz Kowalchuk

John Reeves

Mary Kennedy McCabe

Dave Loewenstein

Evie Rapport

Judi Geer Kellas.

 

Member absent:

Margaret Morris

James Schaefer.

 

Staff Liaison:

Michael Tubbs

 

Meeting was called to order at 6:40 PM by Marlene Merrill, Chair.

 

Approval of minutes of last meeting:

 

Recommended with amendments to minutes of March 2006 meeting; misspelling of Commissioner Schaefer's name; Trent Flory's name; traditionally replacing traditional. Wiechert moved to approve with amendments; Loewenstein seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

 

Regular Agenda Items:

 

1) Announcements from the Chair:

 

Welcome to newly appointed Arts Commissioner John Reeves; John has lived in Lawrence two years and is with Sabatini Architects, Inc.

 

2) At the City Commission meeting of April 25th Comm. Merrill will present the Arts Commission Grant recipients with the award money.

 

3) Loewenstein announced the opening of Eastside Pride Art Show, a two-weekend event to showcase the artistic character of East Lawrence. Opening Friday, April 14th 6-9 pm. Continuing Saturday, April 15th and Sunday, April 16th from 12-5 pm; Saturday, April 22nd and Sunday, April 23rd from 12-5 pm. Venues: Kansas Key Press, 900 New Jersey and 4-1-1 Studio, 411 East 9th.

 

4) Guest Kelvin Shartz asked about art being installed in the roundabouts; queried if Percent for Art would apply. Liaison Tubbs will investigate funding possibilities.

 

 

5) Budget 2006-2007: Merrill plans to ask for a $1,300.00 increase in LAC funding with $300.00 used for web hosting and $1,000.00 increase for grants. She plans to argue that we are "fostering art" to the community & need the proposed increase. Kennedy McCabe volunteered to investigate the possibility of matching grant monies for the ODSE.

 

6) Committee Reports:

 

ODSE: Geer Kellas reported that she, Kowalchuk & Tubbs met with juror Terry Oldham April 7 to consider placement of the 8 accepted sculptures.

 

% for Art: Kowalchuk reported the Fire Station #5 had chosen 6 finalists (2 local & 4 national); these 6 will make a presentation to the committee. There will be a small honorarium paid to the artists for the presentation & maquettes. The public will be able to view the finalist's maquettes.

 

Phoenix Awards: Rapport reported that she had communicated with Mindie Paget of the Lawrence Journal World re: publicity. She plans to contact her later re: possible article in the newspaper.

 

Grants: all Commissioners were asked to send additions &/or corrections for the Grant Application form to Morris. It was suggested that there needs to be a longer time period for the applications & that the time should not overlap the December Holidays.

 

Web Site: Asst. Professor of Design, Andrea Herstowski, will begin work with Trent Flory of Flory Design in June.

 

7) New Business:

 

Kowalchuk: thinks money can be raised to support the Arts Commission; suggested a foundation.

 

Kennedy McCabe: announced that the Kansas Arts Commission has a new director, Llewellyn Crain.

 

Kennedy McCabe: ask if we could have a calendar with all deadlines recorded. That way we could track committee events by date. Tubbs will check into doing that.

 

Geer Kellas-ODSE: will have images of the 8 sculptures for the May meeting. She asked about having selling prices on ODSE sculpture in the brochure. The discussion among commissioners was generally against any active participation of the Arts Commission in selling the sculptures.

 

8) Meeting adjourned at 8:25PM

 

Respectively submitted by

 

Secretary for April Meeting (Judi Geer Kellas)

 

Judi

 

The Lawrence Arts Commission's

19th Annual Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibit Opens May 27th 5:30 PM with Juror's Walking Tour Reception follows Meet us at the Lawrence Arts Center at 5:30PM www.geerkellas.com