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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-13 CAC MEETING MINUTES APPROVED Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 13, 2021 Regular Meeting – 5:00 PM Civic Center Council Chambers 100 Civic Center Drive Newport Beach, CA 92660 I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER – 5:00 P.M. II. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Marie Little, Chair Arlene Greer, Vice Chair Leonard Simon, Commissioner Wayan Kaufman, Commissioner Ritch LeGrand, Commissioner Commissioners Absent: Miriam Baker, Commissioner Maureen Flanagan, Secretary Staff Present: Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director Camille Escareal-Garcia, Cultural Arts Assistant III. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC IV. PUBLIC COMMENT None. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Minutes of the April 8, 2021, City Arts Commission Meeting 1. Draft of 4/08/2021 Minutes Vice Chair Greer stated that on Page 7, handwritten page 11, the number of paintings should be three, not two. Motion made by Vice Chair Greer, seconded by Commissioner LeGrand, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve the April 8, 2021, meeting minutes as amended. AYES: Little, Greer, Simon, Kaufman, LeGrand NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Baker, Flanagan Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 2 B. Consent Calendar Items 2. Financial Report – Review of financial information Library Services Director Tim Hetherton reported there was little spending during the pandemic; therefore, the budget is flush with funds. Staff has tried to get as much maintenance done as possible because they have not executed programs. Vice Chair Greer hoped to use some of the funds before the end of the year to publicize the Newport Beach Art Exhibition. Additionally, after the Sculpture Garden pathways are repaired she hoped they would publicize that as well. In response to Commissioner LeGrand’s question, Library Services Director Hetherton confirmed that part of the funding for the sculpture garden came from a State Grant and the funds must be expended and the project complete by June 30, 2022. That is why they chose to fund Phases V and VI with the State Grant. 3. Cultural Arts Activities – Monthly review of cultural arts activities from the Library Administrative Office for upcoming Library and City arts events and services Library Services Director Hetherton explained that a lot of cleaning and maintenance work was being done. The Marine 1/1 Memorial was cleaned, and the vendor discovered the pieces were vandalized. Library Services Director Hetherton stated he is waiting for a quote on the repair and would report back to the City Arts Commission (CAC). The path in the Civic Center Park is being demolished and Phase VI of the Sculpture Exhibition is being installed. Motion made by Vice Chair Greer, seconded by Commissioner Simon, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve the Consent Calendar. AYES: Little, Greer, Simon, Kaufman, LeGrand NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Baker, Flanagan VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review and Possible Action 4. Plein Air Event Proposal – Staff updates the City Arts Commission on a proposed Plein Air Event. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that he, Chair Little, and Cultural Arts Assistant Camille Escareal-Garcia met with the Southern California Plein Air Painter’s Association (SOCALPAPA) to discuss the feasibility of the CAC sponsoring a Plein Air Event in Civic Center Park in Spring 2022. The CAC will sponsor the event and support it financially and SOCALPAPA would handle the logistics. It will be a judged event, artists can sell plein air paintings, and there will be plein air painting opportunities at selected sites within the Civic Center Park. The public can view the artists at work, purchase Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 3 finished work, and there may be food trucks and refreshments. SOCALPAPA’s Board must make the final determination, but they are enthusiastic about the idea with more meetings forthcoming. In response to Commissioner Simon’s question, Library Services Director Hetherton explained that SOCALPAPA’s Board has not provided guidance on funding yet. He stated that there is good support in the programming budget, but they would have to wait to hear back from the SOCALPAPA Board. Commissioner LeGrand loved the idea and thought the Civic Center Park was an excellent location. Chair Little agreed with Commissioner LeGrand. She confirmed with Library Services Director Hetherton that the CAC did not have to make a Motion on the event at this time. She called for the public comment. Jim Mosher stated that he had two questions. First, he wanted to know if the event would be over a weekend or on a weekday. Second, he asked if there was interest in painting architecture as well as landscape and suggested the Civic Center itself as a subject. Chair Little stated that painters would be able to paint anything within the park including flora and fauna, sculptures in the garden, and the horizon. Therefore, a building could appear in one or more paintings. 5. Central Library Gallery Exhibits – The Art in Public Spaces Library Gallery Ad Hoc Subcommittee recommends that the City Arts Commission approves an exhibition of Rex Brandt watercolor paintings in the Central Library gallery space. Library Services Director Hetherton said that the CAC was approached by a community member with an offer to display Rex Brandt watercolor paintings. This opportunity is exciting as both an art event and a local history event. The collection dates between 1950 and 1964 and are owned by Cort Fox, who is a founding member of the Balboa Bay Club and owned a car dealership that created the idea of automobile leasing. The paintings are great, normally Rex Brandt’s watercolors are seascapes, but these are from when he was younger and there are some street scenes. There was a show scheduled for the Central Library gallery space that was cancelled, making this exhibit possible. This would be a notable event for the CAC and a great opportunity for the public. Vice Chair Greer thought it was wonderful the Fox family had offered the paintings and thanked Chamber Director Steve Rosansky for making the connection. Mr. Rosansky also contributed to another exhibit in the library, the Ocean Awareness exhibit. She further thanked him for contributing the two boxes in the library. Chair Little called for the public comment, but there was none. Motion made by Chair Little, seconded by Vice Chair Greer, and carried (5-0-0-2) to approve an exhibition of Rex Brandt watercolor paintings in the Central Library Gallery as described by Director Hetherton to take place from May 17th through July 2, 2021. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 4 AYES: Little, Greer, Simon, Kaufman, LeGrand NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Baker, Flanagan 6. Deferral of Chairman of the Board Site Placement – Staff recommends that the site of the sculpture Chairman of the Board remain in its current location until a permanent site can be determined. Library Services Director Hetherton reported that the sculptor, Stephen L. Rieman, donated Chairman of the Board to Newport Beach. As part of the acceptance of a piece, the CAC must find a site for the work and reach an agreement with the entity that controls the site. He, Chair Little, and Vice Chair Greer identified a site, but it fell through. The piece is scheduled for deinstallation in early June; so, he recommended that the piece be left in the sculpture exhibition for the time being to save the cost of deinstallation and storage until a permanent site is identified. At that point, the CAC will make a recommendation to City Council that it accept the piece into the inventory. Commissioner Kaufman agreed that it made sense to leave the piece in place for now. Vice Chair Greer was pleased with the donation and thanked Chair Little for her efforts in having the artwork donated to the City of Newport Beach. Chair Little called for the public comment. Jim Mosher stated that he assumed that the current location of the piece was not chosen for the next Phase. Second, he thought the location at Marina Park was pretty definite and wondered what caused the location to fall through. Library Services Director Hetherton explained that staff had identified a site, but after presentation to the Ad Hoc Subcommittee they determined that the area was too tucked away for the piece, which is kinetic. Chair Little identified a second site, but the piece could not be sited there as it would detract from the use of that site. The Ad Hoc will continue to look for a site. Motion made by Vice Chair Greer, seconded by Commissioner Simon, and carried (5-0-0-2) that the sculpture Chairman of the Board remain in its current location at Civic Center Park until a permanent site can be determined. AYES: Little, Greer, Simon, Kaufman, LeGrand NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Baker, Flanagan B. Monthly Reports 7. Newport Beach Art Exhibition Ad Hoc Subcommittee - Commissioners Maureen Flanagan, Arlene Greer, Marie Little Chair Little stated there was nothing new to report. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 5 8. Newport Beach Student Art Exhibition Ad Hoc Subcommittee – Commissioners Wayan Kaufman, Arlene Greer, Marie Little Chair Little reminded the CAC that this 1st annual exhibition is for Newport Beach residents, specifically students Pre-K through Grade 12. The Ad Hoc Subcommittee met with staff and are putting together guidelines for entry. The exhibition will take place August 1st through August 28th with a deadline to enter of August 21st. More information will be shared at the June CAC meeting. 9. Performing Arts for Balboa Peninsula Ad Hoc Subcommittee – Commissioners Rich LeGrand, Arlene Greer, Marie Little Chair Little stated there was nothing new to report. 10. Summer Concerts on the Green Ad Hoc Subcommittee – Commissioners Leonard Simon, Arlene Greer, Marie Little Chair Little reported that the Ad Hoc Subcommittee held its first meeting with staff the previous day. Library Services Director Hetherton advised them that they should be able to host three performances, one monthly beginning in July. The Ad Hoc Subcommittee is reviewing its options and is keeping in mind the results of the recent Community Arts Survey. With respect to the Newport Beach Arts Foundation, Chair Little reported that the previous month’s meeting was disjointed due to technology issues. Therefore, she had nothing new to report. VII. CITY ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENTS OR MATTERS WHICH MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION OR REPORT (NON-DISCUSSION ITEM) • Announcements: None. • Future Agenda: ° Virtual programming will be planned before the end of the 2020-21 Fiscal Year in June. VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Jim Mosher apologized and explained that his comment was on an agenda item. He stated he entered the meeting during the financial report and understood that the CAC would end the year with a substantial surplus. The City published its budget for the next year that morning and he did not have a chance to look at it yet but wanted to know if the unspent balance would be carried forward into the next year and added to the CAC’s new budget or if it would be returned to the General Fund. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 6 Library Services Director Hetherton explained the funds would be returned to the General Fund. The only funds that would roll over are donations, funds from the Arts Foundation, and funds encumbered for previous phases of the sculpture exhibition. Anything in programming or cultural arts grants or art maintenance would be returned to the General Fund. He explained that there is often the perception that if a budget is not fully expended then the budget will be reduced, but that is not true in this case because most of the funds were for public programming and unspent because of the pandemic. Staff prepared a flat budget for submission to the City Manager. The next Council meeting will determine what the budget will look like. In response to Commissioner Kaufman’s question Library Services Director Hetherton explained the cultural arts grants would be returned to the general fund unless the remaining grant funds could be utilized before the end of the fiscal year. Chair Little stated that the programming did not necessarily have to be virtual. Library Services Director Hetherton said it was difficult to program inside buildings due to capacity limitations. The library is not doing any programming now due to the restrictions so if any in-person program were held it would have to be outdoors. Vice Chair Greer thanked Commissioner Kaufman for bringing up the cultural arts grants. Library Services Director Hetherton stated that the use of the FY 2020-2021 programming funds for summer concerts in FY 2021-22 was not on the agenda and could not be discussed. He suggested placing the item on the next agenda. Staff discussed virtual concerts, but ultimately thought people would watch the actual artists on YouTube rather than tribute artists. There are also pandemic concerns for the logistics of a virtual concert. Vice Chair Greer suggested a special meeting to discuss the use of funds since they would be lost otherwise. Chair Little said in her experience the audio on NBTV is rather poor. She was reluctant to vote to put something on NBTV that they would pay for due to that issue. She stated that the CAC should spend the money. Library Services Director Hetherton stated that they could hold a special meeting. He asked Chair Little to clarify which funds the CAC was discussing – summer concerts or Cultural Arts Grant funds. Chair Little said she was concerned about the remaining Cultural Art Grant funds the CAC reserved with a previous vote. Library Services Director Hetherton explained he thought she was discussing the funds scheduled for the 2020 Concerts on the Green. Chair Little stated they would figure it out. Library Services Director Hetherton said if the event was hosted on the Library website or YouTube then people would not experience the technical issues of NBTV. Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes May 13, 2021 Page 7 Chair Little agreed that was a better idea. In response to Commissioner Simon’s question Library Services Director Hetherton explained that if a program were scheduled for next year it would have to come out of next year’s budget. In response to Chair Little’s question, Library Services Director Hetherton stated an ad hoc subcommittee was not necessary as it would be under the cultural arts grant. Vice Chair Greer stated this was an opportunity to do something that the CAC had not done before without worrying about attendance. She suggested Latin music, dance, jazz, or classical music. Library Services Director Hetherton stated something like that would be simple to arrange because the Library continued with its Sunday Musicales during the pandemic. They would just need to select a performer and schedule a taping. ADJOURNMENT – 5:44 P.M. Chair Little adjourned the meeting at 5:44 P.M. Approved by: Marie Little