HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_ARTAB_10.09.2008Minutes of the Meeting of the
Arts and Culture Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Members Present: Addle Busfield, Jane Paden, Penny Plueckhahn, Georgene Richaud, Ruth
Roberts, Mandy Solin
Members Absent: Charles Aguillon
Staff Present: Eric Lashley, Library Director; Judy Fabry, Library Administrative Assistant
Others Present: Judy Ommen (Georgetown Art Works and Sun City Visual Arts Club), Sue Fuller
(Georgetown Heritage Society), Barb Ramsey (Festival of the Arts), Steve Proesel (Festival of the
Arts)
Special Session
CaII to Order at 6:40 PM
1. Chair Ruth Roberts called the meeting to order at 6:40 and briefly summarized the discussion
that took place on Tuesday evening (October 7). The main points were development of a master
plan for the arts in Georgetown, sharing resources, funding, arts partnerships a unified
calendar, interns from Southwestern University, and grant -making. She then asked the
representatives to introduce themselves and the organizations they represent.
2. Sue Fuller, representing the Georgetown Heritage Society, said the purpose of the organization
is to promote the preservation of historic architecture. The organization is 31 years old.
3. Judy Ommen, representing Georgetown Art Works, reported that the organization is operating
on a grant receivedfrom the Texas Commission on the Arts and that their first major event, Art
Hop, opened the previous weekend. the organization partnered with the Williamson Museum
recently to provide art experiences for kids at the Chisholm Trail event. they were aided at this
event by students from Southwestern. Judy is a member of the Sun City Visual Arts Club, which
she reported is large (350 members) and has a very diverse array of interests
4. Barb Ramsey, representing the Georgetown Festival of the Arts, said that the festival is a two -
weekend event: the first is Art in the Park, with its emphasis on the visual arts; the second
features a composer and emphasizes the musical arts. The long-termgoal of the organization is
to make money.
5. Ruth Roberts asked whether anyone knew a grant writer who would be willing to work at no
cost with arts organizations Addie Busfield said that Phyllis Moses worked with the Hill
Country Book Festival. Mandy Solin said that Southwestern's grant writer might be willing to
speak to a group. Judy Ommen said that Art Works had benefited from a grant writing class
offered by Texas Commission on the Arts Barb Ramsey said she had spent many hours writing
a grant proposal to the Texas Commission on the Arts which ended up being a lot of work for
not much money.
6. Eric Lashley spoke for Jane Estes (Art Works) about seeking a. public art tax for Georgetown.
Jane attended the meeting on Tuesday evening but failed to bring up this topic, which she
believes the Arts and Culture Board should pursue.
7. Steve Proesel spoke to the subject of resource sharing. He said the Festival of the Arts was
investigating software, called Tessatura, that manages donations and ticketing. The cost is
between $25,000 and $40 000, but management software of this type is a big dream of the
Festival board. He speculated that something like this could be shared by a number of arts
organizations.
8. Ruth Roberts said that the Arts and Culture Board dreams of having a staff person dedicated to
their work and Art Works is looking at taking over the oldpolice station when it becomes
vacant. Perhaps those dreams could be combined. Eric Lashley asked how the group could get
the political clout to accomplish that. Judy Ommen said it would be possible with enough arts
organizations behind the idea.
9. Ruth Roberts suggested that the Arts and Culture Board needs to "sponsor" (financially) more
arts events to raise awareness of the need in the community.
10. Judy Ommen asked about the relationship between the Arts and Culture Board and the
Chisholm Trail Foundation. Ruth responded that the Foundation has an arts component and
Tamara Hudgins is a great supporter of the arts, but there is no direct relationship between the
Foundation and the Board. Barb Ramsey said that Tamara wants the local arts nonprofits to join
the Foundation.
11. Judy Ommen asked what the "big plan" of the Arts and Culture Board is. Ruth responded that it
is the development of a master plan for the arts. Barb Ramsey asked what that means. Eric said it
will explain what the Board wants to accomplish inthe next 20 years, and how to do it. At this
point the Board needs a road map
12. Arts and Culture Board members reiterated some of their accomplishments: Certificates of
Recognition; an arts calendar on the City website; recognition of artists who have donated their
work to the City. Mandy Solin suggested that the Board work with the CVB to get an arts
organizations component into the City tourism brochure.
Ruth adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m..
Respectfully submitted,
dy Fabr Acting Sec ""ary
Ruth Roberts, Chair