Lawrence Arts Commission Meeting

April 14, 2004

Commissioners present: DiAnne Damro, Kay Henry, Paul Hotvedt, Judi Kellas,

Marlene Merrill, Margaret Morris, Jeff Ridgway, Janet Satz, Lew Tilford, Sureva Towler,

and Sandra Wiechert.

Absent: none.                          Staff liaison present: Michael Tubbs

A.  Recognition/Proclamation/Presentation:

      Commission Chair DiAnne Damro called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm in the

      City Hall Meeting Room. All members introduced themselves to each other.

B.  Committee Items/reports

1. The “Conflict of Interest” statement as presented in the March 10 LAC Minutes

      has been approved by the City Commission.

      2. The 2004 Grant Application Review commenced. Chairman Damro reported that

      application #14 was included by mistake. It actually was a report, and thus should be

      disregarded.

3. Commissioner Ridgway, due to a need to leave, asked to give his report on     

      orphan sculptures. The donated piece, “Inside Out,” has been destroyed, possibly due  

      weather, poor handling, the sculpture’s porous material, and/or vandalism. It cannot

      be repaired. Commissioner Kellas asked what the options are in telling the artist.

      After discussion, Commissioner Kellas moved, Commissioner Hotvedt seconded, that

      the City Commission be requested to write the artist, stating that his donated sculpture

      which previously had been a part of the Downtown Sculpture Exhibit had somehow

      regrettably been damaged beyond repair. Michael Tubbs said a second letter would be

      sent to document the gift so that the artist could claim its value for tax purposes. The

      motion passed.

      Commissioner Ridgway reported the City has now agreed to store orphan sculptures,

      those still left behind after an exhibit is over and after one written notice to the artist

      requesting sculpture pick-up, in a protected appropriate environment. At that point,

      the City Manager assumes sculptures have become City property and there is no   

      further responsibility to the artist.

      Commissioner Ridgway hopes to show slides of the upcoming Downtown Lawrence

      Sculpture Exhibit at the May 12 LAC meeting. He departed.

B. 2. The Grant Application Review recommenced. There was discussion on what the

      phrase “benefit to the community” really means. Commissioners decided we could

      use a variety of interpretations successfully. Commissioners decided we would 

      discuss each application, but not rank them until all 14 had been discussed.

            #1 Judi Kellas excused herself as she is on this group’s board. Commissioners

                        found the application well written with a clear focus.

            #2 There was concern over how the project could be implemented and controlled.

            #3 As equipment and supplies would be purchased from the grant funds, this

                        makes the application somewhat invalid.

            #4 The application was unclear and confusing, and there was not a clear “arts”

                        focus. Still, LAC members liked the concept.

            #5 The budget seemed high; a history of problems with exhibitors, artists,

                        and international personnel conflicts was cited. The application did not

                        have a clear plan for the project’s success.

            #6 The application was vague and the project not fully planned. Still the

                        commissioners loved the idea for a future year.

            #7 Commissioners found the application excellent and the project exciting.

            #8 The application was well done and the project a worthy one. Commissioners

                        Damro, Tilford, and others wondered why this group had not sought other

                        possibly available funding.

            #9 The proposed website was questioned as to fitting grant guidelines. The                                application was regarded as rather general.

            #10 The requesting group is known nationally and has many funding resources,

                        although financial support for such a large group is always a problem.

                        Commissioners felt it was important to make a show of support.

            #11 Commissioner Merrill excused herself from the discussion as she is on the

                        applying group’s board. Commissioners hoped the project requested

                        could be repeated more than once.

            #12 Commissioners felt this application was not clear and had not been thought

                        through. Commissioner Morris explained the professional qualifications

                        of art and music therapists and how they probably could not work with the

                        with the program as stated in the grant application.

            #13 Commissioners thought this was a neat idea, but the planned project might

                        not be able to be maintained in a timely way. It possibly should be tied to                                   other existing arts agencies. The need for an ongoing artist registry does

                        exist in Lawrence.

            #14 This was a report included by mistake, not a grant application.

            #15 Commissioners agreed this was an extremely well written application,

                        clearly detailed with careful planning.

Commission chair Damro and the other commissioners hope that many of the above applicants plus others will attend Commissioner Toler’s grant-writing workshop being planned for next fall. It was agreed, following discussion, that all commissioners would

submit their total scores for each application and their rank for each application to Michael Tubbs during a 15-minute recess. Mr. Tubbs would tally all scores and ranks.

The welcomed recess began at 8:15 pm.

C. Regular agenda Items

1. The Minutes of March 10 were reviewed. Names of those making Minutes approval

            motions for the January and February LAC meetings were corrected. The spelling

            of Commissioner Judi Kellas’ first name was corrected. Commissioner Morris

            moved, Commissioner Towler seconded, that the Minutes be approved as

            corrected.

D. Remarks from the Chair

    1.  Commission chair Damro reported she has asked for a budget of $21,800 for      2005, up from the current $20,300. Specifically she has asked for an extra $500      for the  outdoor sculpture exhibit, $200 for development workshops, an extra $100        to cover administrative costs, and more money for grants and the Phoenix

            Award costs.

     2.  Commission chair Damro thanked Michael Tubbs for the excellent orientation

            session held Saturday, March 13. Other commissioners joined her in thanking

            Mr. Tubbs for this session, and for the commissioners’ notebooks.

     3. Commission chair Damro referred to the March Minutes E.1. concerning the

Journal World story about the Lawrence Public Library’s Sesquicentennial

            project of acquiring a Van Go Mobile Arts mural. LAC review had not been     sought, as is the policy for public buildings. Commissioner Wiechert had contacted the Sesquicentennial Chairman, Clenece Hills, who in turn had

            contacted Library Director Bruce Flanders, asking him to follow through on the             review policy for this mural. Nothing had been heard since. City legal counsel           Dave Corliss has said this was unfortunate, but probably nothing could be done.

B. Committee Items (continued)

    4.  Commission chair Damro said that some new members had not yet been assigned to

            work on committees. The Phoenix Award committee has just two members, so

            perhaps more would be welcomed. Commissioner Kellas asked for definitions   and procedures of this committee and indicated a possible interest.           Commissioners Henry and Wiechert, both serving on the Phoenix Award             committee, thought for the time being they could easily do the committee work.

    2.  At this point, staff liaison Michael Tubbs read off the scores and ranks of all the

            grant applications. Commissioner Henry read off the money amounts each

            applicant had requested, and noted that several of the top-ranked ones did not ask

            for the full $1000 limit. Commissioners agreed to award the top-ranked three

            applicants with the full amount requested, with lowered amounts going to the next

            ranked applicants until the $5000 appropriated for these grants runs out.

            Commissioner Merrill moved, Commissioner Morris seconded, that grant money

            be awarded in the following way:

            #15 Van Go Mobil Arts, Inc. --$1000

            #07 Kansas Public Radio --$700

            #08 Langston Hughes Elementary School --$500

            #01 Lawrence Committee for the Advancement of the Visual Arts--$500

            #11 Lawrence Civic Choir--$500

            #10 Lawrence Children’s Choir--$500

            #04 Ecumenical Ministers Fellowship--$500

            #06 Juneteenth Community Planning Committee--$500

            #09 Lawrence Art Collective--$300

            Commissioner Wiechert asked when commissioners could talk about these        awards. Liaison Tubbs and Commissioner Damro stated that nothing is official         until after the City Commission receives and approves LAC recommendations.

            When that happens, Mr. Tubbs will issue an official press release.

F. Calendar

     1.  The next regular meeting of the Lawrence Arts Commission will be Wednesday,

      May 12, in the City Hall meeting room.

      2.  At a May City Commission Meeting, the grant checks will be awarded to the

      winning applicants. Mr. Tubbs will notify LAC members of this meeting and all are

      encouraged to attend this presentation.

Commissioner Satz moved, and Commissioner Henry seconded, that the meeting be

adjourned. The motion passed at 8:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra Wiechert, Secretary