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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-08-29 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes City of Bangor, Commission on Cultural Development Minutes August 29, 2012 8:30 AM City Council Chambers Commissioners present: Tim Lo (Chair), George Kinghorn (Vice-Chair), Ben Sprague (Council Representative), Jamie Ballinger, Judy Boothby , Josh Plourde (Associate), and Jason Bird (staff) Commissioners not in attendance: Steven Ribble, Sandra Blake-Leonard, Patricia Stowell (Associate) 1. Welcome & Introductions (Tim) Chair Lo called the meeting to order at 8:34 AM. Those in attendance introduced themselves for the record. Josh Plourde introduced himself as the new member. Tim welcomed Jason as the new staff liaison for the Commission. 2. Approval of Minutes from May 23rd, 2012 meeting (all) George made a motion, which was seconded by Jamie, to approve the minutes as presented. The motion passed by a unanimous vote. 3. Bangor Museum and History Center Update Dana Lippitt, Director of Operations provided an update on their recent programs and activities. They include the Women in War series, the Great Fire of 1911 expose, Free Brown Bag Lunchtime series: Rough Justice: Marcellus Emery and my Mommy’s Mummy! Dana will leave copies of the handouts at the visitors desk downstairs at City Hall, at the Bangor Museum and History Center and other locations in the City. Tim stated his appreciation for the work of the Center and their proactive reporting on the grant funds they have received through the Commission. rd 4. Continued Discussion of Goals and Priorities from May 23 meeting Tim provided the group the notes he produced from that meeting. George discussed his work on mapping the cultural assets in the City and how it is a part of the Commission’s responsibility to provide a report to the City Council every 5 years. George read aloud aspects of the email survey he sent out to the year round cultural organizations in the City. The survey sought visitor information and data on their impact in the community. So far, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, the Bangor Public Library, The Penobscot Theatre, and the UMaine Museum of Arts have responded thus far. George went on to say that the information was helpful for a recent meeting with the Maine Arts Commission regarding a grant application the City will be applying for in the Fall. Councilor Sprague asked what the plan was for reporting back to the City Council. George said that he will compile the data and, with staff support, pull a presentation together. Councilor Sprague stated that one major issue that he sees is insufficient communication between the Council and the City’s various committees. He stressed the need for that communication to be improved. Councilor Sprague stated that there is a workshop scheduled for next week to discuss marketing and branding for the City and the region. It will take place at the Business th and Economic Development Committee meeting on September 4. He went on to say that the arts and downtown are the key assets in Bangor. Josh Plourde stated that he would be willing to offer design or other assistance in that effort given his experience. rd Tim discussed a committee that was created as a part of the May 23 meeting that was tasked with developing a logo, tag line and communications plan for the Commission. Tim stated that he and George met with the City Manager, who was enthusiastic about it, and planned to assess next steps in light of the City’s other marketing efforts. Tim also stated that he would like to assess whether the Commission should take on a larger role in facilitating the arts and culture work in Bangor. Members of the Committee are: Jamie, Judy, Councilor Sprague, Tim and George. George stated that, in regard to the branding and marketing, he would suggest having a coordinated approach with the city, CVB, Chamber, DBP and the region. He went on to say that Bangor is a tourist destination and the Folk Festival, the Waterfront Concerts and others reflect that. Jamie said that she will take on the research task of finding a best practice of a City and/or region that implemented a coordinated marketing approach and will report back to the Committee. Tim went through the tasks that were identified during that meeting. Tim stated that he would like to work with Jason on finding a communication tool that would meet the needs of the Commission and be transparent to the public. Tim stated that in his conversations with Manager Conlow, that she mentioned that it was too late to get additional financial assistance for the Commission in this fiscal year, that but it was not too late for next year. Councilor Sprague said that any time is the best time to start those conversations and to lay the foundation for a request. He said the process starts in February and goes through June. He stated that the Manager asks the Department Heads to provide a draft budget. The Manager will work with the Dept. Heads to present a draft to the Council and its Committees. The Council and Committees may amend. He stated that the process is like a conversation and there is a lot of back and forth. Tim stated that the Commission has financial constraints and should lobby for additional funding. Councilor Sprague stated that because of the success of the arts over the few years, the focus of this group has changed. Ben said that the group should think about the purpose and suggested that it could be used to educate the City’s leaders and support the individual arts and cultural efforts throughout the community. Ben said that unless the City’s leaders are educated, they cannot be expected to know of the importance the arts and culture plays in the City. George stated that there are a lot of conversations regarding a community mural space and it possibly being an outlet for graffiti artists. This group could champion that initiative. The group could encourage more grassroots efforts like painting the old Bangor Daily News paper boxes that the Penobscot Theatre did. Councilor Sprague said that because he sits on many Committees, he can put topics on a lot of agendas and have topics discussed. He also reminded the group that the council meetings have an open public comment period at the start of each meeting. Tim stated that a community bullet board would be a good idea. He also stated that the City should do more with integrating arts within the city landscapes like Belfast does. George said that having a seed grant could help to spur those ideas. Tim stated that he will look into doing an op ed regarding the arts in the community. Jamie stated that she would like to coordinate the schedules to go to the council meetings and other committee meetings. Jason was asked to get a list of the committee and other meetings that occur on a regular basis. 5. Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium Judy provided an update to the group on the Symposium. Since the last report, the Committee has provided volunteers to cover the tent and to count the total number of visitors during the week. Home cooked lunches were provided by volunteers to the sculptors. She went on to say that the artist doing the work for the Waterfront has met with a few cultural organizations throughout the months. As for a funding updated, a $100 donation was just received. City records indicate that there is $3,355 still to raise. Tim said that he would assist in getting the word out about the final event on Thursday and the need for additional funds. Judy stated that Art Morgan has the design of the foundation for the sculpture. The placement date has not been set. The City staff will coordinate it. Judy said that the plan going forward is to attend the 3pm event tomorrow, continue to raise money and plan a dedication ceremony. George thanked Judy for assisting with this project and stated the importance of public art. He asked if the City has ensured a proper placement/base that honors the artist, the work and the effort. There was then some discussion regarding the height of the foundation. The Commission has approximately $1,500 remaining. Tim said that it could be used for the remaining funding needs of the sculpture placement. The Downtown Countdown may use some of that money if they go through the proper channels to apply. Jason will look into the financial situation for the Commission and report back. 6. Other items George summarized the moving of the Continuity of Community sculpture. He stated that sculpture will be placed on a 4ft high base originally and was unsure of the height was it was currently being proposed. Jason said that he would follow up with the group regarding the matter. Jason was asked to get an updated calendar for the Commission’s meetings and to get a list of vacant or soon to be vacant Commission posts. George stated that Bangor was one of four finalists for the Maine Arts Commission grant. He said that Donna McNeil came to meet the organizers and stakeholders. He said it was a well organized day. Bangor Savings Bank sponsored a lunch for the cultural organizations in the City. He stated that Tanya Pereira did a great job in mapping out the cultural providers and organizing for the event. George went on to say that Donna offered feedback and the City will build a final proposal that is due in October. He said that he felt Donna was impressed with the City’s efforts. Jason will contact Niles Parker of the Maine Discovery Museum regarding the application and follow up with the group. George said that letters of support are important when the Arts Commission reviews the application. Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting: Next grant deadline: