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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20241009 - Arts & Culture Commission Minutes Page 1 of 4 Hastings Arts & Culture Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – 6:00 PM Hastings City Hall – Volunteer Room 1. Call Meeting to Order Meeting called to order at 6:02 p.m. Present: Chair Hollenbeck; Vice Chair Read; Commissioners Maner, McCoy, Tribe and Wagner; Economic Development Coordinator Menke Absent: Commissioner Humphrey 2. Approval of Agenda Commissioner Wagner motioned to approve agenda as presented; Vice Chair Read seconded. Motion carried. 3. Approval of Minutes – September 11, 2024 Regular Meeting Commissioner Tribe motioned to approve minutes as presented; Vice Chair Read seconded. Motion carried. OLD BUSINESS 4. Subcommittee Updates a) Policy & Procedures Update on Muralist List for Resource Page – Maner Commissioner Maner requested a deadline for the resource list to be posted on the Resource Page along with the starting number of muralists and maximum distance from Hastings. The initial idea was to start with 12 muralists within 50 miles of the City. Commissioner Maner mentioned that the City of Minneapolis has a page for artists to register and enter a directory, Commissioner McCoy reminded the Commission that this exists on the same page that the calendar is. Commissioner Maner asked if the muralist list is necessary if the artists could just register on the directory. Chair Hollenbeck expressed a desire for a list still to be used internally and that a separate list could be published externally. Economic Developer Menke mentioned that the City cannot publish a list of recommendations for artists as that would create a conflict of interest and show preference towards specific artists. After further discussion, it was decided that an internal document would be created to establish a list of muralists and that the Commission would encourage artists to register on the directory for public use. b) Finance & Fundraising No updates c) Outreach & Communications - Humphrey and Tribe Commissioner Tribe mentioned that all the items that were discussed are up for further discussion later in the agenda. Arts and Culture Commission October 12, 2024 Minutes Page 2 of 4 5. NAPAC/Author Visit – Humphrey Commissioner Tribe mentioned that the NAPAC event went well. There was no further discussion. 6. Recap of Fall Event: “Artistry in the Air” Chair Hollenbeck noted that Vermillion Falls Park was not an ideal location due to the noise making it difficult to hear the musicians. Vice Chair Read mentioned that bikers using the trail were happy to stumble upon the event. Commissioner Wagner stated that some artists expressed a desire in the event being hosted earlier in the day for weather and light considerations. Commissioner McCoy mentioned that he did not see the event marketed enough and early enough. Commissioner Tribe stated that they were originally waiting for confirmation of what artists would be attending before marketing it, but then changed course. Chair Hollenbeck brought up issues that she observed during the planning and follow-through for the event and there was general discussion about potential solutions going forward. Commissioner Tribe mentioned reaching out to the artists and musicians to get their feedback on the event. There was clarification on whether artists that did not show up were going to get payment; they will not be. There was general discussion about different locations for a future event that would create a closed loop instead of an out and back. 7. Creative Convergence Event – October 16th, 6-8pm at The Studio Downtown There was general discussion about what was needed for the event setup and logistics for the event itself. There will be a slideshow presentation and icebreaker to start. Chair Hollenbeck mentioned that she will reach out to the Mayor and City Administrator to invite them. 8. Commission Assessment – Hollenbeck Chair Hollenbeck will be providing feedback to the City Council on October 21st for them to make an informed decision about making the Commission permanent in December 2024. Chair Hollenbeck asked the Commissioners for their insights. Commissioner Tribe mentioned that being able to better verbalize the differences between the Arts and Culture Commission and the Hastings Prescott Arts Council (HPAC) would be beneficial in establishing an identity. There was a general agreement from the Commission. The Commissioners stated that they need a City Staff liaison that can provide more procedural input along with the administrative duties needed, especially with the news that Staff Member Elisabeth Lee has stepped away from the Commission. Commissioner Maner mentioned that if the Council were to not make the Commission permanent, that the City would be “falling behind” since other municipalities are adding Arts Commissions. Arts and Culture Commission October 12, 2024 Minutes Page 3 of 4 There was general discussion about the concern of losing institutional knowledge once commissioner terms start to expire, furthers the need for a Staff Liaison and for better understanding of where the Commission’s documents are stored. Chair Hollenbeck urged the other Commissioners to attend the City Council meeting if they were able to. NEW BUSINESS 9. Budget Chair Hollenbeck provided a to-date outline of the expenses over the last two years and expressed a desire for budget information to be included in each packet. The projected ending balance for this year is $27,000. Chair Hollenbeck said that the City Administrator has proposed a budget of $20,000 for 2025. She mentioned that $10,000 will be coming out of that as partial payment for the Ice Arena mural project. There was a brief discussion about how the payment for the mural will be coming out of the Commission’s budget over the next few years. 10. Start Planning for 2025 A discussion occurred for what the Commission wanted to accomplish in 2025. Commissioner Tribe expressed a desire to have bring the Classical Actors Ensemble back for another play, ideally in a different location. Additionally hosting Artistry in the Air again was generally agreed upon to host this event as well. Commissioner Tribe mentioned that being consistent with events is key with getting turnout year over year. She also mentioned that focusing on fewer events and executing them well instead of doing many different events. There was discussion about continuing the lease with Dale Lewis for his statues in public parks, it was mentioned that a lease to own clause is written into the contract and that the Commission could discuss specific sculptures that it might want to own outright; the dragonfly statue was specifically highlighted by Vice Chair Read. It was mentioned that the Ice Arena mural project will be time consuming and should be factored in when discussing what other events might be planned and executed. There is currently no Parks funding for painting another electrical box, which led to a discussion about looking into applying for grant funding to enable more projects to get completed. Commissioners mentioned that the Highway 61 reconstruction project and subsequent public spaces associated with it would be a good project for grant applications. 11. Recap of Action Items Arts and Culture Commission October 12, 2024 Minutes Page 4 of 4 - Menke to connect with Lee on the transition of duties as Staff Liaison 12. Announcements 13. Adjourn Commissioner Wagner motioned to adjourn at 7:40 p.m. Seconded by Vice Chair Read. Motion carried. The next Arts and Culture Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 13, at 6:00 p.m. in the Volunteer Room at City Hall.