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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-14 Commission on Cultural Development Minutes City of Bangor, Commission on Cultural Development June 14, 2018 8:30 a.m. Council Chambers, City Hall, 73 Harlow Street, Bangor Attendance: Kim Stewart, Liam Riordan, Jared Hunnefeld, Andrea Littlefield, Lovern Stockwell, Owen Smith, Jane Bragg 1. Welcome Chair Kim Stewart called the meeting to order at 8:33AM 2. Approval of Meeting Minutes Liam Riordan motion, Owen Smith seconded the motion. 3. Budget Update Our current standings fall at $16,657.81 to disperse in grants. 4. Domestic Violence Awareness month- Hoping to host a Festival 11-3pm in Downtown, including an art support group for survivors, clothes line project, tshirt to commemorate loved ones lost to domestic violence, 5. Grant Application non-profit status approval Liam Riordan motioned, Lovern Stockwell seconded, vote in favor, one opposed. 6. Grant Application Discussion Andrea Beauleau for the Street Piano Project: This project is a way to have music flowing through streets of Downtown, giving those without access to an instrument a chance to play. The hope for this year is to build a stage, to help preserve the lawn and piano from wear. The requested funds of $250 would be used towards supplies to sand and paint the piano, make a weather-proof cover, go towards tuning the piano, building a bench, compensating movers and having insurance. Zakaria Allaf for a personal music project representing the Syrian immigrant experience: This project would be part of a new album he is creating, representing stress and the feelings of being along and not belonging. The music video would be shot in Bangor, featuring local businesses while Zakaria walks the streets and sings in an Arabic hip hop style. Zakaria would also be working with a local Portland artist to record the music. The requested funds of $1800 would be used to offset expenses of traveling to Portland, studio fees, compensation of artists playing musical instruments, and the video expenses. Additional information: - Zakaria would be collaborating with artists from Nepal & Asia, Lebanon. Free download tickets would be available in the Bangor area at locations including the Library, possibly the Art Museum and more. Bangor Ballet for Carnival of the Animals: - first season with a new th director and will be celebrating their 25 year as an independent non-profit organization where all income is based on donations and ticket sales. Derived from the French/Russian background, this new ballet, Carnival of the Animals would be the centerpiece to not only their 2019 ballet season, but also their outreach program involving local schools. The ballet includes 14 movements, each representing a different animal. The show in total is only 30 minutes in length, making it perfect for school performances to bring educational opportunities to local schools including Downeast. When they have had these outreach programs in the past they have seen excitement from the students who get to meet the dancers, touch the costumes and have a firsthand look at the ballet. The new ballet would debut at the Gracie in February 2019. The requested funds of $3500 would go specifically towards Bangor performance, support workshops marketing the ballet in August, provide a special ARTober performance and fund rehearsals throughout the winter. Bangor Historical Society for Drums on the Penobscot: A Civil War Experience:-This summer will be the second performance of Drums on the Penobscot: A Civil War Experience, which is a 3D event bringing patrons into real-life representations of encampments, cemeteries and more. This year the festivities will begin earlier in the week with workshops on Tuesday, Wednesday, and a membership reception on Thursday. Friday night event at the cemetery, with the encampment being set up for Saturday. Throughout the week there will be speakers touching on the impact of the Civil War on Bangor and Saturday evening will feature reinactor. The requested funds of $2500 Saturday evening. Additional Information: - Saturday night feature the Lincoln reinactor Steve Wood from New Hampshire. His presentation will last approximately 40 minutes which will be interactive and include mingling with the crowd. - The overall budget includes an estimated income of $12,000, expenses $7,000, leaving the additional $4,000 goes back into programming. - Last year the number of reinactors was around 60, but with a competing event in Southern Maine. This year the number of reinactors is estimated to be around 100- 150 coming from as far away as Canada & New Jersey. Bangor Symphony Orchestra for 2018/2019 fiscal season of programming at their new location, the Bangor Arts Exchange: Using their historic space downtown, the hope is to make arts more accessible to Downtown. Programming for this year will include a Kinder-Concert for children ages 3-8, a winter solstice cello concert, a holiday brass event, cabaret, and works by Bernstein to celebrate his centennial. The requested funds would be put strictly towards bringing new programming to the new Downtown location. Penobscot Nation for Wabanaki Confederacy Gathering & Birch Bark Canoe Regatta: The Wabanaki Confederacy gathering is a community gathering held each summer focusing on education and outreach of the Penobscot Nation. Each gathering holds drumming, dancing and singing components which are open to the public. The gathering this year will be hosted in the Penobscot River Valley, with the addition of a Birch Bark Canoe Regatta. The requested funds will help with marketing costs to bring awareness to the public. The hope is to hold two events, one at the Bangor Public Library and one over near the Bangor Mall, where a Birch Bark Canoe will be placed to draw attention and give a short presentation on the meaning behind the birch th bark canoes for the Penobscot Nation. The event will be helf on August 5. The requested funds will help advertise and market the events, as well as put together panels to hold regarding the Birch Bark Canoes as a functional craft for seasonal migration. Hospital for their Healing Arts Commission: The healing arts commission looks at healing by the mind, body and soul. It is a volunteer managed, new program brining art to the Currently the program has a revolving collection of art that patients can keep in their room for up to three months at a time, as well as bringing around an art card where a patient can check out an ipad with art on it to limit touching and also have the Bangor Symphony Orchestra come and play in family waiting areas on the floors so that music can be heard down the hallways which has been vastly popular. If approved, the requested funds would extend their program to their in-home patients as well, creating a revolving collection of art for the at-home and creating a traveling art cart. Ten Bucks Theatre for Shakespeare Under the Stars. Tent Bucks Theatre would like to expand to the Bangor area. They currently have shows at Fort Knox, Woodland Park, Orono Amphitheatre, Ellsworth and the Newport Public Library. The company is made up on Bangor based artists, and would like to bring the home-base back to Bangor. The requested funds would help continue programming in the Bangor region including finding practice space, storage and performance space. 7. Grant Vote Andrea Beauleau for the Street Piano Project: Kim Stewart motioned a vote to fund at the full amount of $250, Liam Riordan second, no doubt. Zakaria Allaf for a personal music project representing the Syrian immigrant experience: Liam Riordan motioned a vote to fund at the full amount of $1000, Jared Hunnefeld seconded, no doubt. Bangor Ballet for the Carnival of the Animals: Liam Riordan motioned to fund at the full amount of $3500, Owen Smith seconded, no doubt. Bangor Historical Society for Drums on the Penobscot: A Civil War Experience: Liam Riordan motioned for a vote in favor of partially funding in the amount of $2400, Jared Hunnefeld second, no doubt. Bangor Symphony Orchestra for the 2018/2019 season of programming: Jane Bragg motioned to fund at the full amount of $5,000, Liam Riordan seconded, no doubt. Penobscot Nation for Wabanaki Confederacy Gathering: Liam Riordan motioned to fund at the full amount of $4500, Jared Hunnefeld seconded, all in favor. Owen Smith suggested not funding at all due to their status as a large, self- sustaining organization. Liam Riordan motioned to decline funding, Owen Smith second, quorum met for votes. Ten Bucks Theatre for Shakespeare Under the Stars: Liam Riordan motioned to decline due to the lack of Bangor performances, Owen Smith seconded, quorum met for votes. 8. Other Business N/A 9. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 10:35AM. Future Commission Meetings (8:30 a.m. in Council Chambers): 2018 July 12 August 9 September 13 October 11 November 8 December 13