Village of Oswego Cultural Arts Commission met Aug. 12.
Here is the minutes provided by the commission:
ROLL CALL
Attended, in person: Karen Kulzer, Jenette Sturges
Attended, remotely: Tamzin Ritchie, Kristie Vest, Jennifer Putzier, Anthony Pastore
The meeting was called to order at 6:12 p.m.
PUBLIC FORUM
Opened and closed at 6:13 p.m.
MEETING MINUTES
Jenette presented written copies of the July 8, 2020, minutes for approval. Motion to approve by Tamzin, seconded by Karen. The minutes were approved.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Public Art Plan
a. Jenette sent the Commissioners the four-part purpose statement for the Commission as outlined by the Village’s code.
b. The Commission workshopped a one-sentence vision statement to guide decisions about the activities of the Commission as it works on the Public Art Plana and other projects that is vague enough to not limit the Commission to a specific direction but offers some focus for helping to select projects.
c. After discussion, the Commission landed on: The Cultural Arts Commission supports public arts by creating opportunities for the enrichment and enjoyment of the Oswego Community through the facilitation and encouragement of diverse forms of art, while contributing positively to the Oswego aesthetic.
d. Tamzin suggested a space on the website for artists who are interested in projects to be able to contact the Commission. Karen suggested it be broken down into ‘For artists, For corporations, For donors …’ Tamzin said she envisioned an ‘amazing visual website’ with images of what has been done, because we have to get ourselves out there. Jenette said that the Village is in the process of the website redesign. She said she could flesh out the current site with additional content, including contact information for artists and donors in the short term. In the long term, additional design/visual elements could be added post-launch of the new website, though, depending on the desired elements, there would be an associated cost depending on how extravagant a buildout is desired.
2. Public Art at the Amphitheater Site
a. Jenette proposed having a plan for the current fiscal year’s projects and expenditures and for concurrent projects that are not constrained by the Commission’s budget.
b. The Amphitheatre Committee was supportive of art at the Amphitheater. Options could include a free-standing piece, or something that is integrated into other things that will exist at the site, such as donor wall. In the case of an integrated piece, the cost could be more easily wrapped into the amphitheater’s overall budget. A freestanding piece would likely require more fundraising. That could be a part of the overall sponsorship ask.
c. Tony said he liked the idea of a combination of art for art’s sake and an object that already needs to be on the site, for example the donor wall that also projects color onto the ground.
d. Kristie said she wanted to avoid spreading ourselves too thin and fundraising and a public art project on Block 11 might spread the commission too thin. She suggested taking the $2,000 and using it for a Block 11 project.
e. Jenette clarified that she sees the amphitheater project apart from the Commission’s annual $2,000 budget. There is a lot of political will to make the amphitheater happen and that either funding or fundraising for a public art piece there might be handled by those working on the amphitheater fundraising overall.
f. Karen suggested that it might be possible to tackle a couple different art integrations at the site, in something like a donor wall and something like the landscaping, if we can be creative and roll it up into the funding for those different aspects of the amphitheater.
g. Jenette said she would work with staff to determine next steps for finding specific opportunities at the site, perhaps a brainstorming meeting with some members of the Commission and the amphitheater committee or architects.
3. Oswego Lit Fest
a. Tamzin said that she reached out to authors by email and social media, but the authors that have not responded, perhaps because she’s not the person who typically contacts them about the LitFest.
b. Jennifer asked what the timeline is. Jenette said that we typically contact authors in early July. At this point, there are just six weeks left to secure authors, produce videos, and do all the promotions. She suggested alternatives to the full online festival, especially since online festivals have not been engaging people. She proposed instead promoting those authors on the current LitFest site and on social media channels when, for example, they have new books out, which could be done without a specific timeline and keep the LitFest top of mind for patrons and would be virtually free and have payoff for the authors.
c. Tamzin asked if we could do that once a month leading up to the next year. Jenette said yes, that would help build our social media presence and excitements for the event leading up to next year.
d. Karen said she feels as though we should be doing something.
e. The Commission agreed that a monthly promotion of a local LitFest author accomplishes the goal of promoting the literary arts. Tamzin suggested that we might get more of a response from authors if all they have to do is tell us about what’s new. Jenette said she’d work with IT about an email account for the LitFest and work with Julie to create a form for LitFest authors that could also be put on website for the authors.
f. Tony suggested setting a date for next year so we can be building up to next year. Jenette said she’d work with Julie with the aim of the last Sunday of September.
g. Kristie said Michael Leali is no longer at Sourcebooks but she will contact him this week about using his contacts to secure bigger name authors for next year’s event. Tamzin asked if he was interested in being a commissioner, and Kristie said she would approach him about it.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Block 11
a. Jenette presented two options vetted by staff for public art project sites, the brick wall around the trash compactor or the utility box, either of which could be an achievable project between now and April.
b. Jenette asked what the vision for success is between now and April
c. Tony said success is something permanent in Block 11, that the brick wall already looks OK but the utility box is an eyesore that could benefit from art, and painting directly would be nicer than a vinyl wrap, and also potentially longer lasting and more cost effective. He showed the Commission some examples of what other communities have done. Karen concurred on the utility box as it’s an eyesore.
d. Jenette asked whether it’s a problem that Aurora has already done this. Kristie said Naperville has done it too, and it’s common enough and looks cool. She also said that StoryWalks are cool but the Park District did that already and it’s very temporary and thus not a priority.
e. Jennifer suggested not discounting vinyl wraps because it allows digital artists to participate. Tony said if they don’t get touched they can last years, but if people want to damage them they can get peeled off. But paint can get damaged too. Jenette said if the Commission wants to pursue the utility box, she would research the constraints related to materials, etc. with staff and the utility company, and develop a project plan/scope of work with the goal of having something on the box by the end of the fiscal year.
f. Tamzin said a spring installation is better so it doesn’t get damaged by a first winter.
g. Jenette said this project would help with writing and refining the public art process that will go into the Public Art Plan and also build our track record for requesting funds for bigger projects.
2. Pop-up Community Based Art project
a. Jenette presented two options for a pop-up project during the COVID crisis, a StoryWalk or a project like “For the One Who Finds Me” that provides little artistic gifts around town like flower vases for people to stumble upon.
b. Unless it’s done really cheaply, and even if it is cheap, it’s an either or between a Block 11 installation or a pop-up community project, because of time constraints.
STAFF REPORTS
1. Jenette recapped that the agreed upon projects for the Commission between now and April would be: (1) painting or wrapping the utility box, (2) working to get an installation at the amphitheater site, continuing to flesh out the Public art Plan, (3) LUNAFEST, and (4) ongoing promotion of LitFest authors.
COMMISSIONER REPORTS
1. Tamzin asked whether there could be a mechanism for recapping on what will go on the agenda for the following month and what would be shelved. Jenette said her goal is to approach the Commision’s goals as projects and provide brief project updates, ideally weekly, on the status of each of those projects.
ADJOURNMENT 7:26 p.m.
http://www.oswegoil.org/pdf/2020.08-cac-minutes.pdf
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