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HomeMy WebLinkAboutArts Commission - 12/11/2004 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2004 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Susan Dickman, Chair; Steve Mosow, Vice Chair; Lois Larson, Heather Olson, Ann Rorem, Soni Styrlund, Diane Zielke STUDENT MEMBERS: Casey Carlson, Evan Estrine, Carly Hofstedt COMMISSION STAFF: Sandy Werts, Staff Liaison Peggy Rasmussen, Recording Secretary SUPPORT STAFF: Bob Lambert, Director, Parks & Recreation Laurie Obiazor, Manager of Recreation I. ROLL CALL Chair Dickman called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Commissioners Larson and Styrlund, and Student Member Hofstedt, were excused. Student Member Casey Carlson was introduced. She is a Junior at Eden Prairie High School. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Mosow moved, seconded by Olson, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 8, 2004 Werts made a correction on page 2, the second sentence in the fourth paragraph from the bottom of the page, which should read " . with approximately 1,500 copies being distributed at drop sites each time." MOTION: Mosow moved, seconded by Zielke, to approve the minutes of the Arts and Culture Commission held on November 8, 2004 as published and corrected. Motion carried 5-0. IV. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & COMMUNICATIONS A. EDEN PRAIRIE PLAYERS (COMMUNITY THEATER) REPORT — JAY LUDWIG ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MINUTES December 13, 2004 Page 2 Jay Ludwig, who serves on the Advisory Committee of the Eden Prairie Players, reported the committee hopes to have a Web site that would give people specific information about the Eden Prairie Players, such as when auditions are coming up, and that would show pictures from previous productions. He said they would like help in designing the Web page. Olson said her daughter, Kristin Olson, has studied media graphics, and has expressed an interest in designing this Web page. Ludwig said he would call her to discuss it. Werts said Eden Prairie is going to launch a new Web site in January that will be a big improvement over the current one. It will also display the new logo the City has chosen. There will be a link to the Eden Prairie Players. She would advise them to build onto the City's site,rather than spending money for a separate site. She suggested that they discuss this at a January meeting. Ludwig said auditions have just been held for the winter show, "I Remember Mama." The play will be performed the last two weekends in February. Werts said the cast would be posted on the City's Web site. She said the winter show really needs to be advertised; there are usually only 60 to 100 people at each performance. One new idea for publicity is contacting the Eden Prairie Center for permission to put up a display or a booth on a weekend before the show, with actors in costume. There will be publicity through the Eden Prairie News and Werts will send out flyers to those on the arts and events mailing list. Flyers would be posted around town also. Ludwig said most people don't know Eden Prairie Players exist and that the winter show is happening. Mosow suggested putting out flyers at the Southwest Metro station. Olson suggested advertising the play at half time during a high school basketball game. Rorem said the middle school jazz ensemble is performing in January, and she suggested the actors have a table to advertise the play. Carlson said she is in the drama club and could announce the show at drama club meetings. Werts said she would give Carlson flyers to hand out to the drama club. Carlson said she could also post flyers and pass them out to her friends. She wondered if the Eden Prairie Players and the drama club could hold a clinic together sometime. Werts said she researched what other community theaters are charging for tickets. Some theaters only charge $5 the first night. The idea is to get a lot of people there on the first night who could spread interest in the play to others. That is something the Eden Prairie Players might look at in the future. Mosow suggested they market to seniors. Ludwig said, depending on the show, they might be able to bring the play to the Senior Center. Ludwig wondered about the feasibility of having an art exhibit set up outside the auditorium during the winter show. Swedish rosemaling would be appropriate for that show. Werts pointed out there would have to be someone watching it constantly to make sure nothing was stolen, and it would have to be taken down after each night's performance. ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MINUTES December 13, 2004 Page 3 V. OLD BUSINESS A. ARTS PROMOTION BROCHURE • Proposed Layout Commissioners had been sent a mock-up of what the Eden Prairie Arts Resource Directory might look like, as proposed by the subcommittee of Commissioners Dickman and Mosow, who met with Werts. Werts said articles in the booklet would be very short. She had talked to Dickman about doing an article on "Art is Alive in Eden Prairie", and perhaps Renee Stewart of the Eden Prairie News would interview Dickman and write the article. An advertisement for the Staring Lake concerts would be under "Concert Series", including information about when the concerts start and where to look for more information. Werts said she hasn't received enough responses to her request for exhibitors in 2005 for "Art on City Walls" to cover a full year;however, articles under"Artist Bio" and "Art on City Walls" could include people who have exhibited in the past. The Senior Center also has art displays, and that would be included. Werts said a list of events for the coming year would be included on the page for "Eden Prairie Players." She can get a graphics package for the upcoming musical "Pajama Game." With regard to Eden Prairie High School's calendar, Werts remembered there was a person on the Commission's Focus Group who works with the high school, and who could be asked to be the contact person for obtaining information on the high school's drama, art and music programs for 2005. The Art Department would be included under "Other Venues." There are two pages allocated for "Community Calendar." "Parks and Recreation" would include some of the programs the City offers, as would Community Education. Under "Other Community Offerings", it was pointed out that there are no art galleries in Eden Prairie. This page is followed by the "Directory", arts-related businesses, which might take up the four pages allocated to it. It was agreed that all the churches in Eden Prairie should be phoned to find out what concerts or art-related activities they offer. Rorem and Zielke offered to make the phone calls. • Findings Werts said she met with a printer that day, who promised to come back later in the week with some costs based on printing 16,000 copies of the directory. Werts also talked to the person who worked on the Lakeville arts brochure. The design was done by a person who works for Sun newspapers and charged very little. Selling ads was fairly easy because Lakeville is a smaller community. The city did a bulk mailing to residents and the advertisers. However, it took a lot of staff time to put the brochure together. ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MINUTES December 13, 2004 Page 4 Werts said Eden Prairie would not spend the money to mail the directory to all residents, but might mail to those on the arts and events mailing list. It would be distributed through the Eden Prairie News. Mosow said it might be more effective to place the directory in venues where people who are interested would pick it up. Rorem said she noted that the Eden Prairie Magazine lists jewelers and artisans who advertise in it. They might also be possible names to include in the City's directory. She finished calling her list of artists and found people were very interested in the directory. Some businesses were not really arts- related,however. Dickman said she was able to get the name of the contact person at each place she phoned. Werts said she discovered that some places on her list are no longer in business. Werts asked the Commissioners to send her e-mails of their revised lists. It may be necessary to go through the whole list again to review it after the revisions are made. Rorem offered to put together a new list from the e-mails and compile the sheets for the next meeting. Werts said she would have the letter and form ready also. • Ad Sales Werts said she planned to call Todd Pernsteiner. She is also going to talk to Marie Esch, the person in charge of sales and marketing at the Eden Prairie News. • Flyer Mosow explained this flyer would be used to sell advertising. It would have a description of what will be in the directory and what the benefits of advertising in it would be. B. DEVELOP 2005 GOALS At the November Commission meeting, several goals for 2005 were suggested. Werts said she would not recommend the last suggestion, which was to hold the first Eden Prairie Art Fair at Purgatory Creek Recreation Area, because "Arts and Antiques in the Garden" will be held at the J.R. Cummins homestead during the second week in June. There were 35 vendors at the event in 2004. Also, vendors would not be happy that there is no shade at the Purgatory Creek Recreation Area. Werts said that the goal of meeting with the City Council at a workshop could wait until next fall. It is an opportunity to have some dialogue with the Council about what role they see for the arts in Eden Prairie. She recommended meeting with the Council after the directory comes out, to show them what the ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION MINUTES December 13, 2004 Page 5 Commission has done and to let them see art as an integral part of community development. The directory could serve as a platform on which to build. Werts said she saw an excellent power-point presentation at a session put on by the Minnesota Parks and Recreation Department and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Werts plans to ask the person who did the presentation if she can use some of those power points as part of the Commission's presentation to the Council, and also include photos that belong to the City. Mosow agreed that would make a good discussion piece for the workshop. It could be called "Celebration of the Arts in Eden Prairie." The following goals for 2005 were agreed upon: (1) Complete, distribute and evaluate the Eden Prairie Arts Resource Directory. (Meet with arts focus group to evaluate.) (2) Hold a workshop with the City Council after goal number one is met. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. DECEMBER ART ON CITY WALLS Werts said there are two exhibitors for December. She invited the Commissioners to look at their work while it is up. VII. REPORTS OF STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS A. CUMMINS HOUSE CHRISTMAS Werts reported this event was held on December 5. There were around 100 people in attendance, but that was not as many as last year. It was advertised in the "Arts & Leisure" section of the Eden Prairie News. High school volunteers helped with the activities. In the future Werts said she is going to try to have road signs along Pioneer Trail to advertise the event. Rorem said she has some plywood figures of carolers that could be put out near the road next year VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Rorem moved, seconded by Mosow, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Dickman adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.