Lawrence Arts Commission
August 15, 2007 minutes
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MEMBERS PRESENT: |
Evie Rapport, chair; Donna Griffin, Elizabeth Hatchett, Lara Jost, Tom King, David Loewenstein, Margaret Morris, John Reeves, Leslie vonHolten, Sandra Wiechert.
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MEMBERS ABSENT: |
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STAFF LIAISON PRESENT: |
Michael Tubbs |
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PUBLIC PRESENT: |
KT Walsh. Several staff from Spencer Museum of Art, including Saralyn Hardy, Director; Amanda Martin Hamon, Kurt Funke, Kristina Mitchell, Carolyn Chinn Lewis, Amanda Schwegler, Leslie Earl, Jill Easley, Yuri Zupancic, and Anne Brace. City: Dave Corliss, City Manager; Dennis Highberger, former Mayor. |
A. The meeting was called to order at 7 pm in the Jayhawk Conference Room at Fire Station #5 by chair Rapport. She introduced the many guests.
B. The minutes were accepted as corrected.
C.1. The chair announced the opening reception on Sept. 7 for the exhibit Thresholds at the new 6 Gallery located at 817 Massachusetts. She also announced the
Native Threads exhibit to be at Haskell Indian Nations University from Sept. 1-Oct. 5.
2.B. Commissioner Reeves cited his past Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibit report and will present an update at the Sept. meeting.
C. Chair Rapport reported on the Percent for Art current project, Beacon, at Fire Station #4. The change order contract for changing the bell to an aluminum shell has been approved by the City Commission. The sculpture team for Beacon is now in town and working at the site. Invitations from Chief Bradford will be sent for the dedication.
D. Commissioner Wiechert announced that awards for this year’s Phoenix Awards are almost completed, according to sculptor Cathy Hale Robins. The nomination form has been updated to list new categories and to have the City logo at the top. It is ready for the LAC website. Publicity about the forms is being sent out to all contacts on the Arts & Culture Roundtable, the Journal World and other media, members’ personal contact lists, etc. Copies are at the Lied Center, the Lawrence Public Library, the Lawrence Arts Center, and City Hall. All commissioners and guests were encouraged to publicize the Phoenix Awards and to give out forms as appropriate.
E. Commissioner Hatchett’s web site report will be given under New Business.
F. Commissioner King gave an update on locating LAC Strategic Plan champions.
D. Due to the resignation of Liz Kowalchuk, a new vice president needs to be chosen.
Commissioners Loewenstein and King moved and seconded that Commissioner Reeves be elected. The motion passed unanimously.
E.1. Andrea Wertzberger Herstowski gave a PowerPoint presentation on the LAC website proposals. Commissioner Hatchett suggested Andrea be listed on the site as its designer, and all agreed. Hatchett asked all commissioners to send Andrea their comments as to their color choices for the website. All are excited about Andrea’s work.
Lawrence Arts Commission Minutes, Aug. 15, 2005 Page 2
2. Chair Rapport announced the opening of the Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist exhibit to run Sept. 8-Dec. 2. This is an innovative and important exhibit, having been planned at the Spencer for the last seven years. It will tour nationally. In conjunction with this, David Loewenstein has been commissioned to design and oversee a community mural reflective of Douglas’ style and content. The proposed site is the north exterior wall of the Aquila building, 111 E. 9th St. Carolyn Chinn Lewis introduced Spencer staff and student staff and gave biographical information on Kansan/Harlem Renaissance artist Douglas and the importance of his art. She presented the complete Art Mural Proposal, a partnership of the Spencer, the City of Lawrence, Aquila, and community members. The submission included the site plan, area photographs, the mural design and explanation, studies, and letters of support. The mural will be a history lesson in itself, with plaques offering further explanation. There were questions over safety, vandalism, copyright, and teamwork. The projected unveiling will be Sept. 26 at 3 pm. Commissioners Griffin and Wiechert moved and seconded that the proposal be accepted. The motion passed unanimously and with great enthusiasm, with commissioners Loewenstein and Morris abstaining due to conflicts of interest. Museum Director Saralyn Hardy thanked the LAC and hoped for future LAC/Museum projects.
3. Liaison Tubbs has been working on a proposed Administrative Policy Manual for the LAC, using similar manuals from Missouri, California, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas, and Minnesota. He submitted his proposed manual, the first one the LAC has had in 30 years. It will be discussed at the September LAC meeting.
The chair distributed new committee assignments. She proposes these assignments start in October rather than January as has previously been the case.
4. Commissioner Reeves commented about the July meeting. He felt uncomfortable about the way concerns of the ODSE’s Prayer Booth being relocated had been handled.
He felt that due to the vote at the June meeting a second letter should not have been written, and that there should have been discussion allowed both by the commissioners and the public. He moved, seconded by Commissioner King, that in the future discussion always be permitted and that a 2/3rd vote of the Commission following discussion be considered binding. Motion passed. All commissioners spoke and generally agreed. Everyone stated the recent events had been uncomfortable and unfortunate.
F. City Manager Dave Corliss, who previously had served as the LAC staff liaison, reported the City Commission had received both letters from the LAC about the Prayer Booth concerns. He said procedural issues always seem to exist between city boards and his office. City Commission member and former mayor Dennis Highberger also spoke, as did KT Walsh. They hoped for better feelings and communications within the LAC and with the City in the future. Chair Rapport defended her actions, resulting from her research and interpretation of standard operating procedures. She was sorry for anything she had done incorrectly and hopes for future constructive and harmonious meetings.
Commissioners Griffin and Wiechert moved adjournment at 9:15 pm. Motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Wiechert, Secretary