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HomeMy WebLinkAboutArts Commission - 12/04/2006 APPROVED MINUTES INFORMAL MEETING OF EDEN PRAIRIE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL ROAD THE PRAIRIE ROOM COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Mosow, Chair; Heather Olson, Vice Chair; Karen Busack, Farida Kathawalla, Ann Rorem, Diane Zielke COMMISSION STAFF: Sandy Werts, Staff Liaison Peggy Rasmussen, Recording Secretary STUDENT MEMBERS: Sarah Ericson, Kristy Shillock, and Cassie Warman SUPPORT STAFF: Bob Lambert, Director, Parks & Recreation Services Laurie Obiazor, Manager of Recreation Services I. ROLL CALL Vice Chair Olson opened the informal meeting at 7:05 p.m. Commissioners Mosow, Kathawalla and Zielke were excused. Due to lack of a quorum, no formal actions were taken. Guests in attendance were John Mallo, Allison Beckman and Shannon Peter. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Werts added an update from the Veterans Memorial Committee by John Mallo, as item IV. She also added information about The Nutcracker Ballet being performed December 16 and 17, as item IX. D. The agenda could not formally be approved. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 9, 2006 MEETING Olson noted the following corrections. On page 2, under IV. A., the last sentence in the second paragraph was changed to read " . . . advertising online, more actors have been auditioning . . ." On page 3, the first sentence in the second paragraph should read "Schulke said . . ." On page 4, under VI. A., the fourth sentence in the first paragraph should read " . . . artwork of students at City Center." The last sentence was deleted. The third sentence in the second paragraph should read " . . . featured at the same time." On page 5, under VII. A., the spelling of Amy Fogarty was corrected. Under B., the word "Cultural" was replaced with "Culture." The minutes for October 9, 2006 will be approved at the January meeting. INFORMAL MEETING OF THE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION December 4, 2006 Page 2 IV. VETERANS MEMORIAL COMMITTEE UPDATE John Mallo said he was told by the Chair of the Commission, at the presentation made by members of the Veterans Memorial Committee in August, to come back and ask for help if they needed it. The members are now raising funds for the memorial and have raised about $75,000. Of this amount, Walmart donated $50,000. In requesting a donation from the Carl Pohlad Foundation, Mallo was told that this foundation only contributes to the arts. The architect for the Veterans Memorial Committee told Mallo to consider the memorial to be public art because two sculptures are a part of it, and to approach fundraising from the art perspective. Mallo asked the Commissioners if they know which foundations offer grants for the arts. Schulke suggested contacting the Target Foundation. There is a specific time during the year when they take requests, beginning in January. Mallo said he did ask the Target Foundation and was told they are giving money to the veterans from Iraq at this time. Schulke said he understands that they divide their donations into several separate areas, which might include the arts. Olson suggested contacting the McKnight Foundation and 3M. Werts said she would give Mallo the name of the person to contact at the MRAC, and suggested he go after a grant from the position that there will be a sculpture contest. V. EDEN PRAIRIE PLAYERS AND COMMUNITY BAND UPDATE A. UPDATE ON CURRENT PROJECTS OF THE EDEN PRAIRIE PLAYERS Schulke reported auditions for `Barefoot in the Park" were being held that night and the following night. This is the winter production, and will be performed in February at the high school in the old auditorium. At a recent meeting of the group's Advisory Committee, a few informal decisions were made. In the winter show, there will be a role for a delivery person who has one line. The idea is to find a community leader to take that role in order to help promote the show. They decided to talk to Pastor Rod Anderson and Father Kennedy about performing this role. Another decision was to ask for food donations at all of their events, beginning with `Barefoot in the Park." In return, people would get a coupon for ten percent to twenty percent off the next event. This would be part of the promotion for that show. The Advisory Committee is working on fundraising ideas for next year. They are talking about doing a program that Theater Latte Da has done. They called it a 20-20-20 program. It involves holding 20 house parties with 20 people at each, and asking for a donation of$20 from each person. B. UPDATE ON CURRENT PROJECTS OF THE COMMUNITY BAND Shannon Peter and Allison Beckman introduced themselves. Peter plays the French horn and Beckman plays the flute. They reported that the band is in its INFORMAL MEETING OF THE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION December 4, 2006 Page 3 thirty-third season. Upcoming events included "Share the Warmth" concert on December 10, which is an event to benefit PROP. There is another concert at Eden Prairie Center on December 14. Events this spring and summer include the district bands performances in March. On September 16, the premiere of a newly commissioned work, "Streets of Honor" composed by Dan Kahlman, will be performed by the band. The band was involved in commissioning this piece, and paid $400 for performance rights. The Community Band rehearses on Thursday nights at Central Middle School. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. REQUEST TO ROBERT LAMBERT FOR AMPHITHEATER IMPROVEMENTS —DRAFT The Commissioners reviewed a draft of the memo to Robert Lambert that Werts prepared,based on the request made by the Commission at its October meeting. Olson recommended listing the three requests as "a, b, c"rather than as part of the paragraph titled "Recommendation." Under "Background", the third sentence from the end of the first paragraph was changed to read " . . . offering four days a week of musical programming . . ." The second sentence from the end was changed to " . . . the dance and active scenes in the musicals and other performances." The last sentence was changed to " . . . the stage is in serious need of replacement." Werts said she would make revisions to the memo and send it to Lambert so the requests could be included in the CIP budget. B. CEDAR HILLS GOLF CLUB HOUSE Werts said there is no new information to report. The Hennepin Village development is expected to be on the Planning Commission agenda again in December. C. STUDENT ART ON CITY WALLS Werts said further discussion on this item was requested at the October Commission meeting. She has just sent out letters to local artists regarding Art on City Walls for 2007. She also plans to send them to the art teachers in the local elementary schools when she has their names. Olson said she knows the names of the art teachers at Oak Point and Central Middle School, and offered to send them e-mails asking when the best time would be for them to exhibit artwork at the City Center. Rorem said she could contact elementary teachers to ask what month would be best for them to do an exhibit. INFORMAL MEETING OF THE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION December 4, 2006 Page 4 D. FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS The Festival of Lights takes place between mid-October and mid-November each year. Busack said Make-A-Difference Day is at the end of October and the people involved in it have been looking for projects for that day. Busack reported that the woman coordinating Make-A-Difference Day, Lois Croft, said to let her know if volunteers are needed to help with putting on the festival. She told Busack it would not have to be held right on the date selected for Make-A- Difference Day. Werts stated if this is something the Commission wants to do, it would be necessary to get funding because there is no money allocated in the budget. Olson suggested they might be able to get a grant. Werts said she has been thinking about the collaborative aspects of such a project; that is, people who would arrange for the dancing and other parts of the festival. Busack recommended they get more information from Commissioner Kathawalla. Olson said the Festival of Lights could be part of the Commission's work program for 2007, to be decided at the January meeting. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. TRAVELING EXHIBIT OF SCULPTURES BY J. SEWARD JOHNSON Olson said she received information about a traveling exhibit of sculptures by J. Seward Johnson. The life-size sculptures are set up all over the community. The organization is in California. They transport the exhibit to each location and leave it set up for three months. Eight sculptures cost $18,000. The information included many ideas about how the exhibit could be incorporated with other projects in town. One good suggestion included was to bring this in line with another sculpture exhibit the city might have. Werts said this exhibit might fit in as the City is starting to develop its downtown concept. Another idea would be to follow South Carolina's idea about a changing sculpture exhibit. That would not involve any cost except the pedestals for the sculptures. Busack said this exhibit might bring major publicity for Eden Prairie. Rorem said funding from the business community would be needed,but it could be part of the whole celebration of the downtown development. Regarding liability for the traveling exhibit, Olson said the organization has insurance to cover transportation of the sculptures. They are dropped in a central location and the city moves them to various places. Werts said she would include information about this in the Commissioners' packets for the next meeting. INFORMAL MEETING OF THE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION December 4, 2006 Page 5 VIII. REPORTS OF STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS A. FILLING OPENING ON COMMISSION There is a vacancy on the Commission with the resignation of Elizabeth Grant. Werts said the City Manager, in his weekly e-mail to the City Council, stated that open positions on commissions would not be filled until March 2007. Werts noted that Olson's term expires in March, as does Mosow's. They will receive information from Mike Barone on how to refile for another term. The Commissioners were urged to recruit people for the Commission. B. CONNECTING WITH THE NEW MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Olson noted that there are three new people on the City Council - the Mayor and two Councilmembers. She wondered if the Commission should make a slide presentation similar to the one they did at a Council workshop last year. Werts replied it is a good idea for the Commission to do that every two- to three years. She suggested making a request for mid-year of 2007. Rorem suggested letting the Council know what the Commission's work program for 2007 will include. Werts said they could be told about Art on City Walls and the winter play, `Barefoot in the Park", being performed in February. There was a discussion about sending the new members of the Council a letter of congratulations written on paper flip-flops, to bring the play to their attention. IX. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. UPCOMING EVENTS • Cummins House Christmas Werts said there were about 300 people who came to this event on Sunday, December 3. One likely reason is that many people came to hear a choir from the International School sing. Also, informational flyers were sent home from local schools. Commissioners recommended that in the future, flyers should also go to preschools in the area. B. BLOOMINGTON CHAMBER MEETING—DECEMBER 7 Olson said the Bloomington Chamber is hosting a tour of the Bloomington Center for the Arts on Thursday, December 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at a cost of $30, which includes lunch. Along with the tour, there will be a talk about the programming at that facility. INFORMAL MEETING OF THE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION December 4, 2006 Page 6 C. HONORING CULTURES & CUSTOMS IN OUR COMMUNITY — DECEMBER 15 Werts reported that this workshop to learn about different cultures will be offered through Eden Prairie Community Education, and is being held at Grace Church on December 15. Olson wondered if the City could do this program jointly with Community Education next year. D. THE NUTCRACKER BALLET—DECEMBER 16 AND 17 This ballet is being performed by the Russian Academy of Eden Prairie. Although free tickets were available for each Commissioner, Werts said they could not accept them because of the City's ethics rules. X. ADJOURNMENT The informal meeting ended at 8:30 p.m.