October 23, 2024 — Boulder Arts Commission Special Meeting

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[0:00] Oh, just so, you know, we're recording. If you will post it on Youtube, there's 2 separate sections, because you have a formal meeting at first, st and then you have your retreat after that. So it's recorded. But nobody's has the information excellent? Yeah. Retreat is recorded as well. Well, we'll bring this meeting of the Arts Commission, October 23.rd To order with the bang of no God. Correct? Alright. 1st I will. We need our land acknowledgement. The city of Boulder acknowledges that the city is on the ancestral homelands and unceded territory of indigenous peoples who have traversed lived in and stored lands in the Boulder Valley since time in the morning. Those indigenous nations include the Apache. Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche. Kyiwa. 20 Shoshone, and

[1:03] we honor and respect people of these nations and their ancestors. We also recognize that indigenous knowledge, oral histories and languages, handed down to generations have shaped profound cultural and spiritual connections with boulder area lands and ecosystems. connections that are sustained and celebrated. To this day. The city of Boulder recognizes that those now living and working on these ancestral lands have a responsibility to acknowledge and address the past. The city refutes past justifications for colonization of indigenous lands, and acknowledges a legacy of oppression that has caused intergenerational trauma to indigenous peoples and families. So for those of you guys who were not able to make our meeting with on the indigenous perspective on the land acknowledgement. We generated a few ideas to start getting work on, and so I'd like to propose

[2:05] that Maria and myself, or Maria and another person who would really like to dive in and bring some more developed ideas to the Commission. Form a committee, and get that underway if anybody is interested. And if nobody would like you and me, Maria, how's that sound? Yeah, I think it's important. You know, I'm ridiculous. So I think it's important that these ideas are very preliminary, and that we actually need to run them through or have some feedback for the community that we're talking talking to or talking with. So I think that's an important thing to say in a public forum that we're going into a corner to do something. Yeah. And I didn't feel qualified to

[3:02] feel the need to sit on it, and I certainly certainly trust the 2 of you to lead the way on that and collaborate with the correct people. Excellent. Thank you, guys. Alright. Moving on to approving our agenda. For today, as noted, the 1st hour is a regular meeting abbreviated, and then we'll move into our retreats. Take a motion, I will make a motion awesome, all in favor. Aye. unanimous we have approval of not only the September meeting minutes, but also the August 2024, meeting minutes which were in the packet that was sent out to you. Any changes or edits to those? Oh, good. I'm decapitated. Okay, alright with hearing no edits. Someone would like to make motion

[4:10] and moving right along to the Grants program business. Sarah. Welcome, Sarah. Well, so many action items, too. Okay? Hmm. see? Made the bold choice to do orange for October, please. All right. So. And I'll just remind everybody. Speaking that historically, the owl has been having difficulty picking up the audio, so just project your voice

[5:03] better than what we had before. Yes, sorry. Can you help me pull that up. sure. But it's got full video, at least front and center meeting with zoom sounds good. Anybody in the meantime need a Wi-fi. Oh. all right. So the 1st action item on the agenda is the community Project grant to the outbound foundation. As a reminder. You can either approve the report, approve the report with questions, pending approval or postpone approval until questions are answered or not approve it and cancel to find a 20% payment. I move that we approve the Grant report file back. Second. all in Biblical.

[6:00] I do have one follow up question that doesn't impact my approval of it. I'm going to channel my inner Jeff the cash right now, and note that there weren't any numbers in terms of of how many were in the audience and and being taught so I would love to get a little sum of summary from from 3 different locations. Got it? Yeah, I'll follow up with them. I'm sure they're happy to answer that. Yeah. no. The imagery looked great. Yeah, the the number of kids versus adults. All the other demographics are great. But I noticed that also with the ticket sales, but they also said a lot of ticket sales were sponsored. So I'm I really am curious how many people did it reach? Next? You have the 2025 Grant program as a reminder. The main changes you'll notice from the previous year's program is the professional grants panel and the leadership pipeline funds. and thank you for reviewing all those materials. I know they were very extensive.

[7:03] I I have one question. I sent some some edits that were forwarded to you, Sarah, I think, in which the application language wasn't reflected in the overview page. So I think. how do you want to handle that comment in terms of. since it isn't. If it's our. So yeah. motion language. I move to approve the 2025 local children's program budget structure and to endorse the staff proposal for process schedule application and schooling system. I second that

[8:00] all the papers 6, 3. I'm looking forward to seeing how the panel works for us. It's really exciting. I am, too especially because it's new. I look forward to getting feedback from applicants, panelists. And this Commission to see how we can further improve the process for the 2026 program. So very curious about that. I did have a question. Just about recruitment of the panel they talked about who they would be. But how is it going to be people tapping their shoulder? Is it going to be an announcement. That's a good question. We haven't had an official meeting about how we'll do outreach yet. Okay, I didn't mean to add to your list any of you personally seen any models of success for something similar? Or is this kind of new to your eyes as well? I mean, I did increased outreach for panelists at Cci and the demographics definitely changed. And we got 1st time reviewers as well. I think the question will be how we are going to handle that if we want them all to come from boulder working in boulder versus perspective is the main question.

[9:08] Great? Well, no rush, but I'm curious to hear when you decide. Thank you. Don't stay late to me. all right. And then we skipped over something here. Oh, yes, the delegation of authority for administrative decisions. And this just for people who have not voted on this before. This is something that we do every year the Commission holds the authority to make the decisions about all the funding. But there are some that can be done, but at the staff level without a scored review. So we're just saying, Yes, Staff, we'd like you. We give you the authority to make those decisions. Anybody like to make a motion. I move that we delegate decisions for the following rank categories to staff the artist hiring incentive. cultural field trip fund, grant writing assistance fund, professional development scholarships and rental assistance for boulder venues

[10:05] a second all in favor. Thank you. Thank you. Save you guys some work. And then the sponsorship committee. We need 2 volunteers, and I don't know if Jeffrey or Cheryl would like to talk about their experience. I mean, I'm happy to do it again, but I'm also don't get anyone. It. It said, an hour, a month, which seems excessive. It was maybe an hour. I think we received 6 emails this year. Yeah, I think it was 6 total, and we were, and you know only because well, I I would say yes or no, and then you would say yes or no. We always said, yes, on what we saw. Yeah, I mean, it was not cumbersome at all. I'm happy to step aside if someone wants to. I'm happy to read likewise here also, and it was nice to have connections to most of the organizations that were putting requests and see see what projects they were working. So anybody else interested in taking this out. There was a requirement for 2 of us to be on there.

[11:06] I love reading emails. I'm happy to step aside. Well, how about? How about the 2 of you? Thanks, guys, thank you. And then the final thing is next steps. We have a couple info sessions, and I would love a volunteer for each one from the Commission to talk about your perspective. I know we have a Grant panel, but I think your perspective on reading applications would still be very helpful, especially if you're 1st time applicants. I am planning to be at both of those, I believe, and I am happy to step aside if somebody would really is really dying to go to them. But I will. I mean your safety net. I'll plan to be there. I think, as many people want to attend is wonderful as well. So it's not capped at one. Okay, perfect.

[12:08] Thank you. I'll say, from my experience last time. It was really helpful to see what questions people had about the process. It was. It gave a lot of insight as to where we might improve things, and I think it was really helpful to give, for people ask questions about the Commission's perspective on what was important and how to answer questions which I can give my personal opinion. But so they were conscious of the time. Thank you. And then we have 2 cultural organization summits. Thank you, Jeffrey for participating in the 1st one we have on fundraising on November 7.th So far we have over 30 Rsvps, and I still haven't completed the outreach process. So even more people than that. As an aside, my husband got the email. And he's like, Oh, this sounds really interesting

[13:04] surprise. And then we have the December Funders meeting, which it'll be full circle, because I presented the last 2 years so happy to do it again from a different perspective and then, finally, we have the Grant program training in January. Can you keep that up for just a second 1130 should help. Yeah. can you please email us this way, yeah, that'd be great. I just want to get it on my anybody here. 20 second of 4. Okay, great. Thank you. Yes, of course. So to review my follow up actions are to email bow Bao foundation and then email this to it as well. Hundreds. Yeah. thank you. Seamless job taking over that. Yeah, excellent. All right, Brendan and Jake.

[14:02] she couldn't be here today. So I'm gonna steer to show. Okay. okay, thank you. Okay. this one sorry pay no attention. Not a good one. Obviously, we're gonna figure it out. listen isn't work. interesting Hello, everybody. We have a, little 3 items of business today. The 1st is, I don't have any votes for this item just yet, but we will be updating the public art implementation plan

[15:05] with several new projects for next year. So there's a handful of transportation projects. Gregory Canyon Creek Project, East Boulder Community Center. Jake is working on a University Hill Project civic area phase, 2 Pearl Street Mall refresh, and then also 2 fire stations. So I'll come back to you in the spring with an up-to-date implementation plan. fire stations and stuff. Yes, one is in South Golden. Number One. Is that baseline? And probably so I will be reaching out to you all because I will need commissioners to serve on these public our selection panel. So any of these pop out to you that yeah. high interest. Just let me know. Otherwise I'll be reaching out directly. See if you're interested. So I will need to vote for this item for the public art policy. The standing selection panel is assembled to review and approve unique opportunities for public art, donations of public art, relocations of public art, and the accessions of public art.

[16:10] Our standing selection panel right now consists of Maria Cole, who's Commissioner Stephen Frost, Howard Rubin Nikki, anyways, and Aaron Winston. So I just need a motion to give them authority to make these decisions, which I will then bring to you. The application unlimited and delegate authority for unique opportunities, donations, relocations, and decession, extensions of public art to the standing selection. I second that own business. Great. Thank you. And finally, a fun update. We are. have gone through a process to commission a mural for the community vitality offices. It's this project kind of started out as more of an internal project using community vitality department funds. There wasn't really a public facing aspect. As the project progressed.

[17:06] We realized that it would be nice to have a couple of murals that actually are public facing. So this is why we're bringing this to you for review and approval. So these are the 2 areas where we'll where there'll be murals that are publicly facing. One is the kind of lobby and registration desk at the front desk of the community vitality department, and one is across from the 1st floor elevator on Pearl. So the process we invited 5 boulder muralists from our mural artist roster to submit proposals. 3 artists agreed and submitted a proposal. Then our it went. The those 3 proposals went to the entire community Vitality department. So Staff had a chance to vote on this new design. Julia Williams, Aka, the designosaur by far got the most votes.

[18:03] So we are hoping to complete this project by next summer. any questions? Yeah. Oh, always. Can you explain how the internal community vitality discussion interfaces with? Now, there's a public aspect like, how would that public mural normally be handled? There's not a committee that or that would be taken in front of a public art committee. It depends if I mean so if it's a if it was a classic, 1% for our project, it would be part of it would become part of our collection, and it would go through a public art process. But your duties as commissioners, if there's any work that is paid for by the city and is on public property, even public facing property. Then it would have to come to you for approval. Okay? Got it? Question as far as maybe process and direct hire. Is there any way that not to lay more criteria on it. But this is more criteria. Is there a way that we could also have a list of emerging artists or students that want to be part of this process. So when you do a direct hire, they also need to include, and they can pick them up after they win. They need to include someone. So just in, you know, in the spirit of trying to.

[19:20] But further, the education and involvement of younger people in the arts. So we we can definitely encourage young emerging artists to apply, to submit to be on our mural artist roster, which is how we've we went to our mural roster because that list of artists was already pre-approved. So we can always encourage those emerging artists to go to that neural roster if we suggesting separate roster for just emerging where you've had. No, maybe you have no public art experience, but you want to get into people. You know, someone wins, and then you're on that team. you know, and that's the artist's responsibility. And then they're going to bring them along through the process.

[20:03] Oh, I see you're saying so you're saying like, for example, Julia Williams. She was selected. But then we repair her with an emerging artist to yeah, just to give someone else's. That's it. I mean, we could look into that. So I will say, just from past experience, that sometimes artists, some artists, are going to be really excited by that opportunity to work with A to be a mentor. Some artists are going to be like, I got my got my thing, but we can always do. Yeah. But I mean, at minimum, they kind of go through the they hear the process. They know what it's like. It's just think one of our our initiatives should be to bring that new voices and young voices in the community. Maybe it's something we could talk about in the savings option now. is there. I mean anybody else interested in all of that? Or is that just off base? No, I don't like that. Yeah, that my 1st thought was, if I were an artist and I were painting. I don't know if I'd want someone alongside or watching, but maybe the process but you know.

[21:06] is that going to keep some of the folks on the current list away from list because they just want to do their thing. Wow! Or do we have to then provide a translator if there's a language barrier between the artist and the emerging artist. perhaps you know, perhaps lots of questions. And yeah, yeah, I'm just wondering if there's a way to help create a gateway for people that have done no public art that want to get into public art, they at least get a feeling what it's like. Maybe they're just observing, even though they're just hoping it's up to the artist, right? Someone might love it. I do feel like it's a barrier that I've heard a lot from people that they don't want to apply to new public art because they don't have any experience saying that. And so they're caught in this pitch. 22. So I like the spirit of what you're suggesting. I just don't know. Like I, I agree with that perspective that artists may be like.

[22:04] No summers will be really excited by that idea. I think it's just a matter of discussing, maybe, with this satisfaction panel about what that looks like and how he. what roster they apply for no qualifications except willing to do anything. Yeah, I mean, it's just an opportunity like you don't have to. But here's if you need some support. and they have to commit to the project. And you know you can't just sort of disappear. Right? Yeah, I wouldn't have thought about like a pipeline of artists so so nice to speak with you to be brought up. Sure. all right. I see the motion. For this all of that we approved. This process was properly conducted, and recommended forms of my artist, Julia Williams, advance to the city manager.

[23:04] One second. all of them great. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. And with this we're we're half an hour early already. I have some ideas. Do you have any ideas? Oh. no, I mean, we do need about 15 min, because we're gonna rearrange the furnishing to more kind of chill, like chairs and things like that. And our ebony's joining online at 3. That's kind of the. And we have 2 other Arts Commission. So we have 3 previous Arts Commissioners joining you some celebrities. To join you to talk about the 9 years with you. We also have 2 of our consultant team coming, so we'll have some. I think they'll just be more taking notes and things. We do need to wait till 3, really, or a little bit before 3 to get rocking. But we got about 15 min. Okay, a thought that I had. If you guys did take me up on the

[24:05] the homework to think about what topics might be on the agenda for next year. We could spend a little bit of time broaching those topics for everybody, and then we can keep them in mind as we're hearing the retrospective and the look forward and revisit them a little bit more briefly at the end when we're all tired. But at least this will kind of get our juices flowing and our perspective to listen through. Should not would that work for people? It's not like a valuable use of our time. Take it from the end of the agenda and move it up. Okay? Yeah. And the the only caveat that I would offer. Just as a reminder is that we're moving into our bridge year. So there's not going to be any major changes that we're doing to the grant programming. Yeah.

[25:02] So just bearing that in mind, what makes sense for the 2025 overall process. And you know, you mind if I add on to that too. So I think to this question it, the what topics would you like to be on the agenda for discussion? I will remind you that previously some of the topics that you discussed would be like the land acknowledgement work right? support for artists that are being experienced in harassment. That was one of them several quite some time ago. Now the The statement of social equity was something that came up as one of these topics for you to discuss. So it's kind of things that you want to work on as a commission, maybe a committee that you want to form. You know, topics that you want to talk about, that are of interest to you, to address in the upcoming year that you can work on as a commission, and then can maybe. Well. hypothetically, those can build into other projects and other things that we're working on, too. Right?

[26:00] Yeah, so yeah, absolutely, Amy. anybody want to start us off 2 things of interest to me in that like it was like A, and for it was like the infographics that you sent out. They have like models from other other places. 2. That really stood out to me was the like teen arts. Council was really was really intriguing. And then also the Hold your calendar. Yeah. And I think I I think that doing some sort of teams coming kind of in my mind overlaps with getting the university more involved and maybe teams in college. Yeah.

[27:00] And yeah, and then the culture calendar. I also had on my list like, how do we get better messaging out to the orgs about what opportunities are available for their outreach, so that we can get right. I thought, when we're done. but aligned with the youth. university. I feel like there's 3 areas we want to develop young people which is as artists as art professionals and as art slash don't integrate. So I yeah, it just occurred to me that if there was a way we could start to bring young people in in the upgrade, let me just talk about one of those streams.

[28:01] We do the second. yeah, just let me. And I don't have a specific answer. But just things to think about. How can we pull? You know people want to upgrade. Is there anybody in the city that is already doing work in youth? Outreach kind of within these Adrians. Yes, we have a Yoab. It's a youth outreach. Thank you very much, and we met with him 100 years ago. But it's something that we can certainly take back up. I haven't likes for them to get representatives since, I think in Covid, I think I just thought of shake up with that. Yeah. it's a good place to start, at least, right? I actually happen to know someone who runs the entrepreneurship center at the University of Colorado for music. and he could come in and talk about. you know, developing folks for running arts organizations as well as becoming artists and understanding about it.

[29:10] Wait? Yeah. And could we have someone on the Arts Commission that's a student, or I have to reach out and find them done. keeping in mind that we might have to look at something that's rather than a 5 year term. Make it something your parents will understand. You have to say the 5th year. So I think my suggestion in lines with what I was saying with the murals is, whatever we're doing. Can we bring someone that's the younger folks along a whole new program. We're just including them. So just to know, I think, Matt, I mean, these are looking out. If somebody under 18 can be added from the earth, or they could. Is that right? Or they could observe.

[30:07] yeah. yeah, maybe they can be perspective at the meetings in a non voting. Well, would it be someone of high school age, or are you? Are you thinking more college age? Well, college avoids the math research. What a way to start here. But maybe there's the Boulder Valley School district has a internship program where somebody can get credit for coming in, and even if they're not allowed to be a member of the Commission, but like thinking through the impact on education and the Board of Chambers kind of partnered with Bbsd for an intern program. Yeah. Exchange. When I talk about you, I was talking more about underground.

[31:00] not at the rest before, at the best. Yeah. not the college exam. not that most of people's room. I think that, like I'm thinking about next year understanding our role. If the Commission isn't spending as much time going through as much of the grant process. How can we best support organizations that are submitting, and have also have received Grant funds? And it's kind of piggybacks off what you were saying. Yeah, you can receive money and have an incredible event. But when everybody is struggling to get it out there, and. like, you know, achieve attendance and marketing and stuff like that. it's it. That's that's always a challenge. So how can the Commission be? Maybe a more active participant in supporting their process, not just giving out the money and reviewing it. You know the report. Yeah.

[32:11] yeah. But we can. we having our hands out of the the grants, we can be more of policy and cheerleading and support which kind of dovetails with something. I I started volunteering Jeffrey in my mind. He does these great sessions with his groups. We you're calling them coaching sessions. And just I would love a sharing out of that, just to see we all bring different perspectives, and not necessarily the financial acumen that you do, but at least to model what's possible means more in-depth conversations with our liaison groups well, and and with liaisons, with with folks that are receiving Gos support. There are a lot of I've been meeting with a lot of organizations that have been receiving Grants, but they're not part of the Geos program and providing them a lot of coaching as well. And so maybe there's a way where we assign.

[33:09] or we? We kind of split up. Okay, here are the folks that got grants this year, and we split it up the exact same way where we split up the liaisons with the Gos, where you have liaisons for grants, and they could, they can reach out to us, or they don't have to. That's 1 of the things where they have a commissioner at the ready, who who couldn't be a voice for them, and and try to understand the challenges and bring it bring it to us, and we can kind of figure out where we need to help or who needs the most help. That's appropriate. Yeah, I could. I could see also. I don't know if it complicates things, but identifying each of our areas in which we feel confident coaching, and then then being able to look to the person that feels like that, you know, like. I don't know some social media marketing.

[34:16] I love that So if I made the comment. One of the things on my list is moving some sort of conversation forward with the planning diverse on permitting for yeah. like for temporary art. And I don't know if there's somebody coming coming in to talk to us and hear us presentation from them. Because. yeah, I don't know. I think, having Devon in to explain budgets

[35:02] going back to what you've mentioned also, rather than even have assigned, like assigned commissioners. Coming up with the idea where? Okay, we each come up with 2 or 3 topics where you feel comfortable talking to an arts organization about, and then we just give a catalog of offerings, and they can pick, you know, one or 2 they want to talk to. And whoever's that that subject matter expert just is reached out to. Yeah. That's that's a much better idea rather than assign someone I'm noticing it's quarter till. So we're gonna put a PIN in it. We're going to come back and continue to add and extrapolate on it all but wonderful. So 15 min. Break if you can pick up everything in front of you other than we can get the glasses and things, and we're going to move into more cozy shapes. By the way, whoever decided to bring the coffee. Thank you. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Oh, my God, yeah, it was wonderful. Yeah, I think Lauren was like, caffeine. Yeah, I remember having coffee.

[36:14] Yeah. But I don't have parents.