City of Lawrence

Lawrence Arts Commission

Minutes of January 10, 2007

 

Commissioners present: Marlene Merrill, Donna Griffin, Elizabeth Hatchett,

Liz Kowalchuk, David Loewenstein, Margaret Morris, Evie Rapport, John Reeves,

Sandra Wiechert.

Commissioners absent: Judi Geer Kellas, James Schaefer

Staff Liaison present: Michael Tubbs

 

A. Chairwoman Merrill called the meeting to order at 6:40 pm.

B. Commissioner Morris moved, Commissioner Rapport seconded, that the December Minutes be approved as corrected.

 

C.1.a. Chairwoman Merrill encouraged all to attend the dedication this Saturday,

January 13 at 2 pm of the Percent for Art sculpture at Fire Station #5. Commissioners should wear their badges.

       b. The chair reported having received a form requesting input of questions for a future City Services survey. The survey will seek to know how much Lawrence citizens are aware of city services and functions. LAC members were asked to submit questions.

       c. The LAC recommendation to the City Commission that Beacon be accepted as the Percent for Art sculpture for Fire Station #4 was on the Consent Agenda for last night’s meeting, Jan. 9. It was approved; thus the City Manager will enter into an agreement with artists Gail Simpson and Aristotle Georgiades of Actual Size Artworks.

 

   2.a. Commissioner Morris reported she had no Grants committee members as commissioners McCabe and Geer Kellas had resigned and retired from the LAC. Commissioner Griffin accepted to serve. Chairwoman Merrill circulated a committee sign-up sheet. Typically three are needed for each committee. New committees will include Percent for Art and Marketing. Commissioner Loewenstein will chair the Marketing committee. This updated information will be needed for the LAC website.

      b. Commissioner Reeves passed out copies of this year’s Call for Entries for the

Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibit. Entries are due Feb. 12; selection will be in April. Glen Gentele, Dir. of Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, is the juror. The project has a $12,000 budget.

     c. Commissioner Kowalchuk will meet with her subcommittee about possible modifications to the Firestation #4 sculpture Beacon.

     d. Commissioner Rapport hopes more of the new Phoenix Award budget can be used to pay future artists. The 2006 Phoenix Award by Edward Robinson is now on display in the City Manager’s office. Commissioner Hatchett moved, Commissioner Kowalchuk seconded, that three new categories may be included in next year’s nominations: arts administrator or manager, arts advocate, and design arts. Up to 8 awards would still be given. Motion passed. Next year’s nomination forms will also suggest letters of support, websites, CDs and other support materials be submitted. Discussion on Phoenix ceremony invitations followed.

      e. Currently there is no chair for the 2007 Developmental Workshops committee.   

Lawrence Arts Commission Minutes, Jan. 10, 2007                                 Pg. 2

 

     f. Commissioner Hatchett said each LAC program is to be on the website. Descriptions should be sent in PDF format to Andrea Wertzberger during February.

 

D.1. Commissioners Wiechert and Rapport presented a Mission Statement. Commissioners Morris and Kowalchuk moved and seconded it be accepted and forwarded on to the City Commission for approval. Motion passed. The accepted Mission Statement reads:

 

The mission of the Lawrence Arts Commission is to enhance and enliven the community through the promotion of cultural opportunities and arts education while nurturing an environment of aesthetic vitality.

 

2. Commissioner Hatchett brought up priorities for the website: what direction do we want to go? What kind of information on local artists, kids’ art, arts website links should be included? Commissioners should send responses to commissioners Rapport and Hatchett who will give them to Andrea. She will be invited to the February meeting.

3. There are no updates on the Beacon Percent for Art sculpture at this time.

 

E.1. There was discussion on what should be emphasized for future Percent for Art projects. This committee has wide latitude in choosing art and/or artists. Would having a project manager be possible/feasible? Should the City Manager and/or the City Commission be involved? Commissioners shared observations of larger cities’ management of public art projects which are more formalized. Commissioner and recent Percent chair Kowalchuk stated that the process of Fire Station #4 was an exception, and that LAC needs to remain fluid enough to provide for just such happenings. Upcoming Percent for Art projects could be quite large, and we need to be ready for them. Commissioners Rapport, Kowalchuk, and Wiechert will hope to meet with City Manager Dave Corliss to discuss funding for Percent for Art projects and other LAC matters.

Commissioner Loewenstein commented that as each LAC meeting agenda is crowded, commissioners might want to have an open retreat for visioning, away from an agenda.

Commissioner Reeves passed out a flyer on an Arts Congress, to be held Jan. 23.

2. Commissioners Reeves and Loewenstein both read in the newspaper about proposals to the City Commission by an artist to have statues created for Lawrence’s two sister cities. Once again, the LAC needs to remind the City Manager and the City Commission that such proposals need to go through the Arts Commission.

3. Commissioners were encouraged to sign up for the 2007 committees.

4. Commissioner Loewenstein invited all commissioners to a Jan. 18 meeting at his studio, 411 East 9th, to hear a 7 pm lecture by Kendra Herring. This meeting is in response to concerns about recent gallery closings.

5. The meeting recessed to honor outgoing commissioners Marlene Merrill and

Judi Geer Kellas.

 

F. Commissioners Merrill and Morris moved and seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Motion passed. The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 14, 6:30 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,