Lawrence Arts Commission

City of Lawrence

Meeting Minutes for October 11, 2006

Members Present

Marlene Merrill, chair

Elizabeth Hatchett

Liz Kowalchuk

Dave Loewenstein

Margaret Morris

Evie Rapport

John Reeves

James Schaefer

Sandra Wiechert

Members Absent

Judi Geer Kellas

September Secretary

John Reeves

Staff Liaison

Michael Tubbs

A. Meeting was called to order at 6:33p.m. by Marlene Merrill, chair.

B. Minutes of September meeting approved.

C. Commissioner Schaefer will be secretary in November.

D. Regular Agenda

1. Announcements from the Chair

a. Budget

i. FY 2006 budget was $21,700. Actual expenses have exceeded budget by $1,000-$1,200 to date. Staff Liaison Tubbs noted that the Parks and Recreation special fund, where LAC funds are allocated, is solvent and no financial hardship is foreseeable. An end of year expenditure report will be completed and filed by Staff Liaison Tubbs.

ii. FY 2007 budget is $23,000. This is an increase of $1,300 to the 2006 budget, but an increase of $8,000 was requested.

2. Subcommittee Updates

a. Grants: no news.

b. Percent for Art, Fire Station 4

i. Forty artists and artist teams submitted their qualifications for consideration by the selection committee.

ii. On September 26, the committee met and selected three finalists for interviews on December 1.

iii. The finalists are from Wisconsin, Cleveland and Lawrence.

c. Website

i. Commissioners Hatchett & Kowalchuk stated that Andrea Wertzberger has been working with Trent Flory to redevelop the LAC website content and interface with the hope of integrating pod casts and interactive educational components into the site.

d. Roundtable

i. Commissioner Wiechert reported that Liaison Tubbs was a very well received special guest at the last Roundtable meeting.

ii. One topic of discussion at the Roundtable was the need for the LAC to communicate its mission to the public.

iii. Commissioner Loewenstein inquired, “What is the Roundtable?” Commissioner Wiechert explained that it is an informal group of Lawrence arts and cultural groups that meet on the second Wednesday of each month to discuss and share current information. It is open to all local arts and cultural organizations.

e. Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit

i. Commissioner Reeves reported that he and fellow Commissioners Geer Kellas and Loewenstein met to select Glen Gentele (Director of the Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis) as the 2007 OSDE juror.

E. New Agenda Items: Phoenix Awards

1. Commissioner Rapport led the discussion of the Phoenix Awards.

a. Commissioner Rapport asked if there were any nominees that should not be considered prior to review of nominees. None were cited.

b. Nineteen nominations were submitted with many duplicates, leaving fourteen unique nominees.

c. There was a general discussion of the possibility of awarding more than one award in a given category. Commissioner Morris noted the high number of nominees in volunteer and performing arts. Commissioner Rapport mentioned the range of volunteer nominees and the breadth of their volunteer efforts. Commissioner Loewenstein felt there were strong nominees for two awards in either the visual arts or the performing arts categories. Commissioner Schaefer moved to award two performing arts awards; motion did not pass.

2. There was general discussion about volunteering, advocacy, patronage and support of the arts. These activities are related, but they do not all easily fit within the “volunteer” category. This will need to be addressed by the 2007 (and future) Phoenix Awards committees before nomination forms are released.

3. Commissioner Hatchett recommended that support letters be strongly encouraged for future nominees.

4. Commissioner Rapport recommended that reviews, CDs and other support materials to be encouraged for future nominees.

5. Review and selection of 2006 Phoenix Award recipients

a. Education in Arts Award: Laurie McLane Higginson, moved by Commissioner Morris. Motion carried.

b. Exceptional Artistic Achievement Award: Bob & Trish McWilliams, moved by Commissioner Kowalchuk. Motion carried.

c. Literary Arts Award: Pat Kehde & Mary Lou Wright, moved by Commissioner Sandra Wiechert, seconded by Commissioner Loewenstein. Motion carried.

d. Musical Arts Award: Clyde Bysom, moved by Commissioner Schaefer; seconded by Commissioner Rapport. Motion carried.

e. Performing Arts Award

i. The Commissioners’ scores for three nominees were tallied by Liaison Tubbs.

ii. Karen Christilles received the highest score.

f. Visual Arts Award

i. The Commissioners’ scores for three nominees were tallied by Liaison Tubbs.

ii. Mary Anne Jordan received the highest score.

g. Volunteer in the Arts Award

i. The Commissioners’ scores for five nominees were tallied by Liaison Tubbs.

1. Commissioner Reeves abstained from voting for nominee Dan Sabatini. His vote for Sabatini was equal to the average vote of all of the other commissioners’ votes for Sabatini.

ii. Jane Malin received the highest score.

iii. Dan Sabatini received the second highest score.

h. Commissioner Schaefer moved to give a Phoenix Award to the two highest ranked volunteer nominees and to the highest ranked nominees in the performing arts and the visual arts categories (listed below). Motion carried.

Performing Arts Award Karen Christilles

Visual Arts Award Mary Anne Jordan

Volunteer in the Arts Awards Jane Malin

Dan Sabatini

6. Commissioner Rapport stated that the Phoenix Awards committee would contact the award recipients.

7. Phoenix Award Ceremony will be Sunday November 5, 2 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center.

8. Commissioner Kowalchuk stated that Andrea Wertzberger will be at the November meeting to discuss the LAC website. LAC marketing, image and vision will be among the topics discussed.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:05p.m.