HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_ARTAB_04.16.2008Minutes of the Meeting of the
Arts and Culture Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Members Present: Charles Aguillon, Addie Busfield, Jane Paden, Penny Plueckhahn, Georgene Richaud,
Ruth Roberts, Mandy Solin
Staff Present: Eric Lashley, Library Director; Judy Fabry, Library Administrative Assistant
Regular Session
A. Call to order by chair, Ruth Roberts, at 2:04 p.m.
B. Announcements from the Chair and Board members. Ruth recommended four sculpture shows that
Board members might like to attend. Judy announced the City's intent to create an Arts and Culture
website. The website will not belong specifically to the Arts and Culture Board, but will be a place where
the Board can put news items, links to calendars, announcements of RFQs, and documents related to the
master plan that the Board proposes to create. The website also may contain a directory of arts
organizations and artists. The Board will need to help set the parameters for signing up for these
directories.
C. Citizens wishing to address the Board. None were present.
E. Consideration and approval of minutes of last meeting. Addie stated that the minutes should include
some notation about how many times Larry McCormick has previously addressed the Board. The
members agreed that he has spoken to the Board three times before. With that addition, Georgene moved
to accept the minutes as distributed; motion seconded by Penny, passed unanimously.
F. Consideration of and possible action on
1. Festival of the Arts - Penny Plueckhahn. Penny introduced Lynette Wallace, who is producing this
year's Festival of the Arts Ms. Wallace showed examples of the materials that will be used to advertise
the event and spoke about the quantity and quality of artists who will be exhibiting their work. A jury
of local judges selected 190 artists for the two-day show, which will be May 31 and June 1. She asked
for volunteers from the Board to serve on the jury to choose the award -winners for the show. Mandy,
Addie, and Ruth volunteered.
There also was discussion about the Board purchasing a work of art at the Festival and having the
purchase announced at the concert May 31. The group talked about how the selection might take place,
but no consensus emerged about whether a purchase will be made. The Board also discussed making a
donation to the Festival, or becoming a sponsor of the event All decisions were postponed until later in
the meeting, after Charles' presentation about the master planning process.
2. Report from Public Art Panel - Georgene Richaud. Georgene thanked Addie and Jane for the help
they provided to keep the process on track during the meeting of the panel. Ultimately, the selection
was made by a vote, with the majority prevailing. The citizens on the panel (Cheri Ihanos, Linda
Scarbrough, Chris Damon, and Tom Nichols) were interested in moving "boldly" and preferred one of
the proposals for an abstract sculpture, but the selected piece is "Waterin' the Work Mules," by Bob
Coffee of Austin. The members of the panel agreed that the subject is appropriate to the location on the
Square. Ruth noted that another casting of the same work will be installed at a park in University Park,
TX in September 2008.
Ruth has been checking Coffee's references and said that they have been glowing. During the meeting
she received a response from the remaining person she'dcontacted and he concurred with the other
assessments of Coffee's work and business practices.
Addie and Jane complimented Georgene's patience and guidance through the panel process.
Penny moved to accept the panel's selection; Mandy seconded the motion, which passed
unanimously. The Board will take their decision to Council on May 13.
3. Sponsorship/art purchase for Festival of the Arts - Ruth Roberts. Discussion postponed to later in
the meeting.
4. Arts and Culture Board contributions to City Reporter - Penny Plueckhahn. Postponed to June
meeting.
5. Timeline for master planning process - Charles Aguillon. Charles distributed a proposed timeline
for the master planning process. It mcluded a "Summit for the Arts' in September 2008 which would
be by invitation only. He proposed a budget that generated brief discussion about advertising being
unnecessary if the public will not be invited. Other discussion related to the summit included
suggestions of either Keith Hutchinson or Vic Figurelli as facilitator, and sending out a questionnaire
prior to the meeting, with the responses being used to set the agenda. Charles said he would work on a
more detailed timeline for the May Board meeting
Choosing a day for the summit presented some problems. Some felt Saturday was not a good day and
suggested two evenings instead which would greatly reduce the cost of food for the event. The group
agreed to make setting a date(s) for the event an action item on the May agenda.
Addie asked whether business owners, e.g., gallery owners, would be invited to the summit. The
consensus was that they should not be invited since their interests are not the same as those of non-
profits. Participation in the summit should be limited to two persons from each organization.
An outline of a proposed master plan should be available by the time of the summit.
Penny suggested that the Arts and Culture Board should sponsor a quarterly meeting of arts non-
profits.
After terminating the discussion of how much of the Board's budget would be needed for the proposed
Arts Summit, Ruth moved that the Arts and Culture Board become a sponsor of the Festival of the
Arts There was no second to the motion. Mandy said she thought it was a good idea to make a
donation to the Festival instead of purchasing a piece of art. Penny proposed that the Board pay for one
of the billboards that will advertise the Festival of the Arts. Georgene suggested that buying a piece of
art would eliminate the possibility of controversy with other organizations that have asked the Board
for donations. Jane said that there are many City buildings that could use a piece of art.
The cost of an ad in the Festival program is $500. Mandy said she thought that buying an ad would be
meaningless. What would the Board be advertising? Ruth responded that just getting the Board's name
in front of people would be enough. Charles then moved to purchase a one -page ad ($500) in the
Festival program that would feature a picture of Bob Coffee's sculpture, "Waterin` the Mules." Also,
the Board would write a letter of support for the Festival of the Arts that would be published in the
program. Ruth seconded the motion which passed 6-1 with Mandy opposed. Charles will work with
Penny to create the ad.
6. Certificate of Appreciation - Judy Fabry. None were proposed.
Respectfully submi
r
JanePaden, Secretary
% /
Ruth Roberts, Chair