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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-16 - Minutes -Fayetteville Arts Council MINUTES June 16, 2021 6 — 7:30 p.m. Virtual Meeting Members Present: City Council member Sonia Gutierrez, Nick Zazal, Barb Putman, Joelle Storet, Anthony Ball, Cindy Morley, Bob Stafford, Jake Hertzog, Oliva Trimble City Staff: Linda DeBerry / City Communications Project Manager/assigned staff person Guest: Devin Howland, Director of Economic Vitality: Report on Economic Recovery and Vitality Plan survey. Discussion of notification for expiring terms Arts Council members Jake Hertzog and Anthony Ball's terms expire at the end of June, and City Council has voted in two members in their place. Jake and Anthony were not informed that their terms were ending, and Jake Hertzog requested a discussion about the protocol for notifying committee and board members of impending expiration of their terms. Jake Hertzog: Suggested that members receive notification a couple of months ahead of their term ending so they can take steps. Feels that it is inappropriate that the City not inform members so they know to take steps if they want to continue service. Linda DeBerry: I checked with the clerk's office. There has not been a policy in place that any member whose term is expiring receive a formal notice. But this past year a system has been set up so an automatic notification will go to the clerk 60-90 days before the term expires so the Clerk's office can notify those members via email. Olivia Trimble: We may be looking at the attendance stats for this year and keeping up with those. Next spring we may have several members rolling off, and we can let Jake and Anthony know so they can rejoin us if they like. Cindy Morley and Bob Stafford discussed the fact that when they each joined the council as temporary fill-ins, they did receive a notification from the City Clerk's office that the date for renewal was coming up, though that may have been because they came in part -way through a term. Joelle Storet: We should discuss an effective way to communicate. Maybe the date of our terms could be included in our email signatures. Bob Stafford: Suggests looking at the Arts Council page on the City's website so that you can make note of the end of your term and make a calendar item. Mailing Address: 113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 Linda DeBerry: Other committees have started listing term end dates on the agendas so everyone will see it every month. We will begin doing that going forward for this committee. Anthony Bell: Has moved from S. Fayetteville to Springdale, though his business is still in Fayetteville. Sonia Gutierrez: To be eligible, your residence must be in the Fayetteville City limits. Suggested that in April we set a time to thank those whose terms are ending, to recognize their service and remind anyone wanting to serve again to reapply. Guest: Devin Howland, Director of Economic Vitality, presents ongoing results of Economic Recovery and Vitality survey. Currently building an in-depth labor analysis for the City of Fayetteville, taking a particular look at poverty within the City. The Steering Committee has been developing subcommittees for various sectors within the City, but the Arts Council will serve as the subcommittee for the arts sector. New subcommittees will be for the Childcare, Restaurant and Food Services, Technology, and Black and Latinx median household income inequality. The structure of the new plan will focus on Small Business Growth, Development and Retention; Workforce Development and Economic Mobility; Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic; and Growth Concept Oriented Economic Development (Housing, Employment, Placemaking and Quality of Life), and the arts are components of each of those sectors. Discussion of Percent for the Arts and its benefits Bob Stafford: In cities that have Percent for the Arts, you see robust art programs, educational programs, art walks, gateways for various sectors of the city. Fayetteville's Parks and Rec budget is insane and the arts budget is zero. It's frustrating. Every study shows that when you invest in the arts it pays back. I's an investment, not a cost. Fayetteville needs to accept that, or let Bentonville and Rogers and Springdale own the arts. Devin Howland: In my research different means. Sometimes sales tax based, sometimes attached to capital projects. I'd like to know an example of a city where such a dedicated funding stream has been used to do things that the market won't do. Are there examples of cities that have put in studio space or housing for artists? There's a benefit to artists being in a centralized location because it activates the area. N Bob Stafford: I know that Art House came to Fayetteville, which builds studios and housing for artists, but they were told Thanks but no thanks Olivia Trimble: It was Art Space who came in and held meetings. They are doing some projects in cities to the north. The town that I remember had done those things was Colorado Springs. Discussion of Workforce Development The City's Earlier Workforce Development Plan was ready to be presented to Council in April 2020, but got derailed and now has to be reconsidered. Discussion of what programs are missing that can serve a need in developing the artistic workforce. Jake Hertzog: Dance and Film are not represented at the University and are missing in our workforce development. Some investment in those at the college level could go a long way. Devin Howland: We are starting to see apprenticeship programs in IT healthcare, analytics, etc. outside the traditional fields. We are considering those for the arts. Anthony Ball: Mentions a program in South Arkansas called SeeArt, which has funding to send musicians into the school in South Arkansas. That would be a good opportunity for our area as well. Bob Stafford: We need to see skills like stonework, welding, bronze casting, textile and fashion, music production, film and video production as part of the creative economy as well, and additional creative areas in which we can offer training programs. There are not many opportunities to learn about those here. Olivia Trimble: Has been talking with Rachel Reynolds about a rural/urban artist exchange where artists from Fayetteville go to Mountain View to the Arkansas Craft School where they can learn and/or teach. It might be facilitated through the library. Discussion of Industry Sectors and Employment Opportunities in the Creative Economy we would like to see us pursue for Fayetteville Devin Howland: We would like to see more galleries in Fayetteville. We are always proactively looking for new film projects to bring to Fayetteville. Jake Hertzog: Recommends video game design, software development Sonia Gutierrez: Toy design is another area Nick Zazal: Audio technicians are worth their weight in gold, and its' very hard to find highly qualified ones in the market. They are in very high demand. 3 Discussion of how to raise the survival rates of creative small businesses Devin Howland: This plan will set very specific measurable goals to help get businesses beyond the five-year mark. This is closely associated with location of the business adjacent to population density within a walkable distance. Do we need exposure? A venue to sell artwork? Bob Stafford: Suggests incentives such as tax breaks and/or seed funding, business coaching, promotion and exposure of creative startups, or shared office space. Barb Putnam: Suggests marketing support and financial support such as an accountant, help raising money. Devin Howland: Discusses a celebration of the arts where artists can come showcase and sell their work. Barb Putnam: There are several local craft markets that do that, but they are run by local artists and it's quite a time drain. So to have a city group that ran the event so artists could just participate without having to run the logistics. Olivia Trimble: Some of these programs cost $400 - $500 for a booth. We could pull it off in Fayetteville, but we'd need more support than we have had in the past. Experience Fayetteville has historically funded things like that. It would be helpful to have City dollars to support that. Discussion of Live/Work/Play and Maker Spaces Devin Howland: Are there assets that are not currently offered in Fab Lab and other maker spaces that are needed? Olivia Trimble: We have Bo Dutton, who started the NWA Makers Group, which focuses on trying to connect people to trade materials or services. Devin Howland: Affordable housing for families is part of this discussion, as well as shared studio spaces. Are there other cities who have done that successfully? Jake Hertzog: What happened to the Art Space conversation? Olivia Trimble: We had several meetings and they considered a few spaces, such as the old Jefferson School and South IGA location, and they ultimately decided to go into Springdale and Rogers, but I haven't heard anything in over a year. It seems that here in Fayetteville we have a lot of meetings and consultants with ideas, but nothing ever seems to happen. Bob Stafford: We seem to spend a lot of time planning and then nothing happens until the next consultant is brought in. If we spent half as much on art as we do on consultants we could get somewhere. Devin Howland: The goal is to make the plan specific, actionable and measurable. 4 Jake Hertzog: Subsidized housing for artists is very successful for artists in other cities such as New York. We may be at the point here in Fayetteville where the affordability of housing for creative works is down enough that we need to make up that cost through subsidization. Discussion of what measurable goals should be included Jake Hertzog: There have been Master Plans for the arts, before and that seems to create more jobs for the planners than the artists. I'm in favor of increasing the investment, but with minimal planning infrastructure. Olivia Trimble: I'd like to know what the City's investment in the arts over the last 3-4 years has been at all. If we want to talk about goals: among the artists I know, people want to own a home. That's a good measure of whether or not people are making it. Devin Howland: I'm seeing a need for shared workspace and affordable housing. I know it's been done successfully. We have to look at other states that have done that and what tools they have and whether or not that can be adapted to Arkansas. Other states can go into rent agreements on housing, but that's not a focus here in Arkansas. And right now we have no live/work spaces. Nick Zazal: I respectfully disagree with Jake when it comes to Cultural Master Plans, though the point is well taken that you can't stop at planning. This city has master plans in a lot of other areas. I think having the roadmap for how to invest is incredibly important, not only in having measurable goals to define success, but to illustrate that the City has goals at all when it comes to the creative sector. When the City is ready to invest, and up to now that has been minimal, the plan guides how to invest. Olivia Trimble: I don't think the arts has ever been part of the City budget. There was money for the WAC, but that's not adequate. We will be treading in a new area with this. We have never before had a shepherd inside the City staff to help make that happen. Discussion of status of the staff position for the arts at the City level: funding still has not been secured. Olivia Trimble sees this as a good example of a goal we could set. Jake Hertzog: Re: Insurance for artists. Do you have any draft analysis of what that would cost and who would benefit. In lieu of being able to provide buildings for artists, something like this could help offset the cost of living. Devin Howland: One of the most compelling comments from our Steering Committee was about a benefits cooperative for small businesses, so they can make insurance available to their employees at a manageable rate. That's a path we will certainly be investigating. That will definitely be part of the draft plan. Sonia Guttierez: Recommends contacting Arkansans for the Arts, which might have suggestions or ideas. Jake Hertzog: Recommends you invite Sandy Martin, one of the main people in charge of that organization, to join the Arts Council meeting. Olivia Trimble: Kate Shaefer, Cody Ford, and Will Watson are the district representatives to that organization for our area. Devin Howland will send out the presentation to Arts Council members to begin considering what specifically is needed and by when. We can create other avenues of collaboration between Arts Council meetings as well so we can continue working. Approval of May Minutes Motion to pass: Barb Putnam. Bob Stafford Seconds. Passed unanimously Arts Council Community Awards Criteria Jake Hertzog: There was no subcommittee meeting to develop criteria, but the committee talked about the need for the artist / work to be specifically Fayetteville. Sonia Gutierrez: Recommends a follow-up meeting to finish hammering out details. Robert and I are the remaining subcommittee members, and anyone who's interested can join us. Jake Hertzog: The categories were approved by council, so we only need to set the criteria and the nominating process. Public Art GIS Map review Joelle Storet: Has volunteered her time to locate and identify nearly 180 public murals and sculptures in Fayetteville. She is currently rying to get additional information from the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks regarding artworks on their grounds. Linda DeBerry: Demonstrated the new public art interactive map on Speak Up Fayetteville and encourages council members to help to identify any additional public artworks in the city they may know about or encounter. The information will eventually be added to the City's official Artwalk GIS map. Joelle Storet: The Speakup map can also include businesses and identify artworks there. There are also murals in the women's prison that are not accessible to the public, done by Fayetteville artists. There are some 33 artists represented. Is there a way people can filter the data to see works by, say a specific artist or the utility box project so users can choose their experience? Sonia Gutierrez: Suggests an app that would allow visitors to search/organize the artworks that is less technical, more user-friendly and interactive. That's something we can perhaps suggest to Devin. Linda DeBerry: I think we should include those murals in the prison because they do have a specific audience. They are Fayetteville artists, and I think we should recognize their work and make it accessible to those who wouldn't otherwise be able to view it. Discussion of Arts Council projects to take to Economic Vitality steering committee for funding Bob Stafford: I think the one obvious thing is the hiring of an Arts Coordinator for the City. This is a great topic, but it's going to take substantial thought. Stafford motions that they table this until the next meeting. Cindy seconds. Sub -committee updates Robert Stafford: Suggests getting together with Nick to meet with Kyle Kellums Other business and public comment Olivia Trimble: Nick Zazal has just accepted a new position at the Amp. Congratulations to him. Are there other projects coming up that we can support and share? Robert Stafford: Fayetteville will have its first Trans March on June 24, before the main Pride event. Sonia Gutierrez: There will be programming at Crystal Bridges for Juneteenth Nick Zazal: SONA will be doing their fourth of July concert with fireworks. Robert Stafford: Suggests we send a certificate recognizing their service to Nick and Anthony? Linda DeBerry: I can do that and get it to Olivia. Olivia Trimble: This month, let's brainstorm about what we can bring to the Economic Vitality Steering Committee while the interest is there and we have the opportunity Sonia Gutierrez: Kit has asked that things resume to being in person. Will we be meeting in person next time? 7 Olivia Trimble: As long as we are observing health protocols. As chair I think it's time to get back to in -person meetings. Nick Zazal: Has there been a discussion of continuing Zoom meetings. Is there an option for having hybrid meetings? Everyone is exploring how to work more efficiently post -pandemic. IT's a welcome option for many people. It's at the discretion of the Chair if we all need to be there, but I'd like to extend the opportunity to do hybrid meetings. Linda DeBerry: There is a state mandate that City Council meet in person. I don't know if that applies to committees. That's a question for Kit. Hybrid meetings are a bit of a drain on our media services staff. Presentations all need to be made via Zoom so everyone can see them. Olivia Trimble: Can we get a hard answer on legality before we make the decision? Linda DeBerry: Yes, I can put that question to Kit. Robert Stafford: I believe Kit sent out a notice that the strict FOIA rules apply only to the governing bodies, not to advisory groups like ours. Rick from Media Services: (Currently monitoring the meeting via Zoom) If Kit says we can do it, you can request it, we have the rooms for it, but there may be a scheduling issue with staff. If we don't have the employees to cover it because other things are going on, that would be the main restriction. Rooms 111 and 326 are both set up to handle hybrid meetings. Barb Putnam: Walton Arts Center has an open call for artists from Northwest Arkansas 18 and older for an exhibition September 30 through November 5 to celebrate their 30t" anniversary. Additional information is on their website. Jake Hertzog: I want to say thank you to everyone. I've enjoyed this experience and have learned a tremendous amount. This is a strong, impressive group with a great future ahead. I want to extend a welcome to the new folks who will do a great job. Adjournment at 8:10 p.m. E;1