HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-08-14 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes
City of Bangor, Commission on Cultural Development
Minutes
August 14, 2014
8:30 AM
City Council Chambers
Commissioners Present: George Kinghorn (Chair), Tom Avila, Mary Budd, Kat Johnson, Kierie Piccininni, and
Caitlin Brooke (staff)
Commissioners Absent: Jamie Ballinger, Judy Boothby, Emily Burnham, Uli Guthrie, Councilor Josh Plourde,
Elisa Young
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Penobscot Theatre Company’s Final Report
Mary Budd (Commissioner as well as Executive Director of Penobscot Theatre Company) summarized the
final report of the production of “Our Town.” PTC was awarded $4,000 in City grant funding by the
Commission in support of the production. In addition to the actual show, PTC widened the reach of the
production by creating a community time capsule, an “Our Town” residency, and outreach to area high
schools.
Kat Johnson recommended that in the future, grant recipients should provide a detailed budget about how
the funds are allocated.
3. Timeline for Adoption of Arts and Culture Policy
George Kinghorn thanked the Commissioners for their individual hard work and for their dedication to
including a variety of people and organizations in the policy planning process.
The Arts and Cultural Policy will be sent to City staff for review. At the September meeting, Commissioners will
vote on whether or not to move forward with submitting the policy to the Business and Economic
Development Committee for approval on September 15. (He noted that if the policy is approved by the BED at
the September 15 meeting, it will then move on to City Council for approval on September 22.)
4. August Versus September as Arts Month in Bangor
Kierie Piccininni summarized the discussion at a recent Bangor Arts meeting about the organizations’ concerns
about having August as arts month in Bangor. Many of the organizations who were in attendance voiced
support for September as a dedicated arts month. Tom Avila noted that he was worried that the larger
organizations may overshadow the voice of the smaller organizations—it is important to have a culturally
strong month that represents the entire group of cultural organizations in the City.
5. Financials Update
In response to a question about the reserved funds for the plaque for the Waterfront statue “Continuity of
Community,” Caitlin Brooke will look into the status of the project.
6. Other Business
Kat recommended that the Commission do a better job at getting the information about applications out.
Caitlin will check with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra about their final report summarizing grant funds.
George noted that he will not be renewing his term for the Commission and the group should think about who
is interested in becoming the next chair.
Questions had arisen about the terms for each Commissioner and after meeting with the City Clerk, Caitlin has
clarified the date each Commissioner’s term expired and created a spreadsheet to define this.
The Commission agreed that the mural on Main Street, done by Annette Sohns is beautiful and is a
tremendous contribution to the public arts in Bangor.
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned.