City of Lawrence

Lawrence Arts Commission

September 12, 2007 Minues

 

Present: Evie Rapport, chair; Elizabeth Hatchett, Matt Herren, Lora Jost, Tom King, David Loewenstein, Margaret Morris, John Reeves, Leslie vonHolten, Sandra Wiechert.

Absent: Donna Griffin.

City Liaison: Michael Tubbs

Public present: Kassie Edwards

 

A. The meeting was called to order at 7 pm by the Chair, Evie Rapport, in the McSwain Room of Fire Station #5.

B. The minutes of August 15 were corrected. Spellings and titles of guests were corrected. The motion in E.4. was restated to read “Commissioners Reeves and King moved and seconded that 2/3rds of the commissioners present at any meeting need to vote affirmatively before discussion can be limited or curtailed.” The minutes were accepted.

C.1.a. The chair introduced Lora Jost, now beginning her second month as a commissioner, and Matt Herren, new this month. Jost is an award-winning visual artist; Heren is a professional cellist.

       b. The chair noted the new city budget for city-wide Fine Arts Funding reflects raises in all arts programs, including the Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibit, grants, the Phoenix Award, and LAC administrative expenses. Commissioners felt this shows strong city support for Lawrence as a city of the arts.

       c.  Kassie Edwards was introduced. She is serving as the chair of the steering committee for the Sunday Oct. 14, 2007 River City Reading Festival, to be held at the Lawrence Arts Center. Started by Altrusa and co-sponsored by several other entities, the festival will be a celebration of reading for children, teens, and adults. It will feature workshops, lectures, book signings, poetry, and book appraisals. Kansas native and PBS newsperson Jim Lehrer will be the keynote speaker. LAC members expressed support.

    2.A. Commissioner Morris said she and former LAC member Mary Kennedy McCabe had previously prepared a Grants timeline which she would begin using in October.

    2.B. Commissioner Reeves had attended a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting and has invited chairman Kelly Barth to attend LAC meetings to develop procedures for the annual Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibit. He has sent Maintenance Supt. Mark Hecker the old 1993 policy manual. Reeves also recently attended the initial meeting of the  Kansas City Metro Public Art Consortium.

     2.C. Commission chair Rapport stated there has been a setback on the completion of the Percent for Art sculpture at Fire Station #4. The subcontractor has just completed the concrete base, and now the ladder needs to be wired for electricity. Fire Chief Mark Bradford will send invitations once the project is finished.

      2.D. Commissioner Wiechert reported that the bronze sculptures for this year’s Phoenix Awards are completed. Several nominations have been submitted and others are known to be in process. She encouraged all to publicize nominations before the Sept. 26

 

 

Lawrence Arts Commission Minutes, September 12, 2007                                                            Page 2

 

 

due date. Once copies of the nominations are available, she encouraged LAC members to read and learn all we could about the candidates, then come to the Oct. 10 ready for group decisions.

      2.E. Commissioner Hatchett stated that two commissioners had responded to her about website color choices. Commissioner King will assist with text oversight.

      2.F. Commissioner Wiechert distributed schedules of the many cultural arts events she had received at the Arts & Culture Roundtable. Other members may attend meetings.

     2.G. Commissioner King commented that the KREOS (Kansas River Expression of Soul) group may be becoming active again, although he has had no response to inquiries. He will attend a planned Monday Sept. 17 meeting.

D. There was no unfinished business.

 

E. The remainder of the meeting was spent reviewing and revising the draft Policy Manual. Liaison Tubbs had read and adapted numerous arts commission manuals from throughout the nation in writing this one.

Commissioner King felt this was the time to definitely consider a commission name change, due to continual confusion and misinterpretation. Commissioners Loewenstein and King moved and seconded that the Lawrence Arts Commission be renamed the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission. The motion passed.

 

Commissioner Jost thought the Mission Statement should be included. Others agreed.

Under Purpose, 3.1 shall read The mission of the Lawrence Cultural 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.

Thereafter 3.1 shall be renumbered 3.2, 3.2 shall become 3.3, 3.3 shall become 3.4.

 

In 3.2. 4 . (which will become 3.3. 4) the word “recommend” will be replaced with sanction. There was discussion on how this inventory is going to be done.

 

After discussion on 3.2. 5. (which will become 3.3. 5), it was decided to leave in as it. The same with 4.6. 3.

 

In 5.2 second paragraph, “regular December meeting” will be replaced by last regular meeting of the calendar year.

 

In 5.6 the last sentence of the first paragraph shall start with A quorum of six….

 

In 6.1 in the first sentence, the phrase “are held” shall be changed to are normally held.

 

There was discussion about both 6.5.a. and 6.7. Both were left as previously written.

 

In 6.9, remove the third paragraph entirely.

 

Section 7.2 was discussed and kept. It is strong but will make for a better commission.

 

 

Lawrence Arts Commission Minutes, Sept. 12, 2007                                                                     Pg. 3

 

The second paragraph of 9.2 was changed to read Approved amendments with a fiscal impact are placed in the policy manual at the end of each year. All other amendments are effective immediately upon City Commission approval.

 

Under the Standard Agenda Format in Appendixes, Announcements/Commissioner Items will come after “Approve Minutes.” Next will appear a reworded Public Comment (A three-minute limit for individuals; five-minute limit for organizations). The Agenda Format continues with “Reports” on through to “Adjournment.” 

 

F.1. Commissioners agreed the draft Policy Manual is a good one and expressed appreciation to Liaison Tubbs for his efforts to make it so.

   2. Commissioner Wiechert was encouraged to write a policy and procedures manual for the Phoenix Awards.

   3. Discussion on new committee assignments will be delayed until the October meeting.

   4. All commission members were encouraged to attend the Sept 26th dedication at 3 pm of the Aaron Douglas mural at the Aquila Building.

 

G. Commissioners Morris and Reeves moved and seconded that the meeting be adjourned. The motion passed at 9:15 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Sandra Wiechert, Secretary