HomeMy WebLinkAbout13 - Cultural Arts GrantsCITY OF
F NEWPORT REACH
City Council Staff Report
October 28, 2014
Agenda Item No. 13
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director — (949) 717 -3819,
thetherton@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Tim Netherton
PHONE: (949) 717 -3810
TITLE: Cultural Arts Grants for FY 2014/15
ABSTRACT:
The sum of $40,000 (Cultural and Arts, City Grants Account #4002 -8254) is provided annually for specific
cultural or artistic planning or projects as approved by the City Council. The City Arts Commission has the
responsibility to review all programs and requests for support from arts groups and make
recommendations for funding to the City Council for final approval.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve recommended recipients for FY 2014/15 Cultural Arts Grants as selected by the City Arts
Commission in accordance with City Council Policy 1 -10 — Financial Support for Culture and Arts.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
The current adopted budget includes sufficient funding for this purchase. It will be expensed to the City
Grants account in the Cultural and Arts Department, 4002 -8254.
DISCUSSION:
City Council Policy 1 -10 recognizes the importance of promoting culture and the arts within the city and
establishes a Reserve Fund for Culture and Arts. The sum of $40,000 is provided annually for specific
cultural or artistic planning or projects as approved by the City Council. The City Arts Commission has the
responsibility to review all programs and requests for support from arts groups and make
recommendations for funding to the City Council for final approval.
The Commission received grant proposals from ten cultural organizations for funding of approximately
$70,100 in free cultural arts programming for the Newport Beach community in fiscal year 2014 -15. After
careful deliberation the following recommendations, totaling $40,000, were approved at the City Arts
Commission Meeting held on October 9, 2014:
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Baroque Music Festival $1,500
The mission of Baroque Music Festival, Corona del Mar is to present, for the local community, quality
Baroque music performances at affordable prices in an intimate environment. Funding for this organization
will be used to provide five professional quality concerts during the week of June 21 to June 28, 2015.
The concerts will feature Baroque -era music selections chosen by Artistic Director Elizabeth Blumenstock
and performed by early music specialists and a Baroque orchestra and vocalists (Finale concert).
ExplorOcean $1,500
The mission of ExplorOcean is to inspire, educate, and engage the explorer within each child and develop
critical 21St century skills through interactive experiences centered on the seven essential principles of
ocean literacy, as formulated by a national assemblage of scientists, policy makers, and educators.
Funding for this organization will be used to help provide ExplorOcean's Maker Workshop, a STEAM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) based program for the community, including
local youth from ages 8 — 18. The program will provide participants with ocean - themed, guided activities
and open -ended projects that foster problem - solving and creative thinking.
Festival Ballet Theatre $1,500
Since its founding in 1988, Festival Ballet Theatre (FBT) has become one of Southern California's most
vibrant and accomplished ballet companies, presenting works that epitomize the artistry of professional
ballet. FBT proposes to bring its "Ballet to Schools" program to two Newport Beach elementary schools in
December 2014. FBT dancers will perform a narrated, abbreviated version of the Nutcracker, tailored for
children ranging in age from five to fourteen. The program coordinator and performers will then guide
students through an interactive lesson on how pantomime, music and costumes tell a story and express
emotions without words.
Newport Beach Film Festival $4,000
The Newport Beach Film Festival's goal is to provide cultural enrichment, family entertainment, and
education to the residents of Newport Beach and surrounding areas through the medium of cinema. With
this funding, the Newport Beach Film Festival is planning a multi - program series, covering several days of
the Festival similar to the 2014 Seminar Series. The program will take place during the first weekend of
the Festival scheduled to be held April 25 — 26, 2015, and will conclude on April 29, 2015, at a select
location in Newport Beach and the surrounding area.
Orange County Museum of Art $1,000
The mission of Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) is to enrich the lives of a diverse and changing
community through modern and contemporary art. OCMA provides arts education for the community that
both children and adults can enjoy and is the only modern and contemporary art museum in Newport
Beach. This funding will help to provide additional programming on the second and fourth Thursday
evenings when the museum is open to the public until 8:OOpm. The request for this programming was
received through community surveys to provide consistent Thursday programming.
South Coast Repertory Theater $2,000
South Coast Repertory Theater (SCR) presents an annual series of Theater for Young Audiences (TYA).
TYA's main purpose is to introduce the vitality and magic of professional theater to all Orange County
children. This funding will support this series of professionally produced plays created especially for
children. This year's productions are Charlotte's Web, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
Southland Opera (dba Southland Sings) $3,000
The goal of Southland Opera is to continue to provide relevant and responsive programming to Southern
California students, teachers and families beyond its 18 -year history in which over 7,000 workshops and
performances have been delivered to over one and a half million people. This funding will help Southland
Opera provide six performances to over 1,000 Newport Beach citizens and students in grades K — 6 in
which the audience interacts with the performers.
City Arts Commission $25,500
The City of Newport Beach Arts Commission is dedicated to providing a range of free cultural
programming that enriches the entire community, especially children and families. The Arts Commission
sponsors multidisciplinary arts programs funded by the Cultural Arts Grant Program such as arts lectures,
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public art projects, and visual art exhibitions in Central Library and at City Hall. The Arts Commission
extends the range of arts programming by providing additional funding for the Concerts in the Parks series
and the Shakespeare by the Sea held each summer.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality
Act ( "CEQA ") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably
foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as
defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3,
because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at
which the City Council considers the item).
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