HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC 09-08-22 Approved Meeting Minutes
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes Thursday, September 8, 2022 Regular Meeting – 5:00 PM 1000 Avocado Avenue Newport Beach, CA 92660 I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER – 5:01 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present: Leonard Simon, Secretary (Acting Chair) Barbara George, Commissioner (Arrived at 5:20 p.m.) Wayan Kaufman, Commissioner Marie Little, Commissioner Meghan McNulty, Commissioner Commissioners Absent: Arlene Greer, Chair (excused) Maureen Flanagan, Vice Chair (excused) Staff Present: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director Camille Escareal-Garcia, Cultural Arts Assistant
Staff Absent: III. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Minutes of the August 11, 2022, City Arts Commission Meeting 1. Draft of 08/11/22 Minutes Acting Chair Simon called for revisions/edits to the minutes but heard none. He then called for the public comment, but there was none.
Motion made by Commissioner Little, seconded by Commissioner McNulty, and carried (4-0-0-3) to approve the August 11, 2022, meeting minutes as presented. AYES: Simon, Kaufman, Little, McNulty NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Greer, Flanagan, George
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes September 8, 2022
Page 2 B. Consent Calendar Items
2. Financial Report – Review of financial information Library Services Director Melissa Hartson reported that through August the Concerts on the Green were the most significant expenditures for the fiscal year (FY). The photography installation and routine maintenance/cleaning were also included, and the finances were on track. 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 Hartson stated that the Young Guns concert was well attended, and the children’s activities were well received. The photography exhibition was coming
to an end and the upcoming Britain’s Finest concert was expected to also be well attended. Children’s activities were planned for both the September and October concerts as well as food trucks.
Commissioner Kaufman asked why the August 26 expense for children’s activities for the concerts was $2.00 more. Library Services Director Hartson explained that was due to the event being in the new FY. Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia explained that vendors who don’t have a Newport Beach business license had to apply for a temporary one. The fee was raised by $2 for the new FY. She also explained that they also made a change from two face painters and one balloon artist to two balloon artists and one face painter due to interest. Acting Chair Simon asked if the concert attendance had been increasing.
Library Services Director Hartson said attendance had been consistently about 3,000 people at the past concerts. The Young Guns concert may have had slightly less attendance, but the event was still successful with good attendance.
Acting Chair Simon noted that there were more children at recent concerts. Commissioner Little agreed that the Young Guns show was not as much of a draw as other concerts, but there were still lots of people in attendance. Library Services Director Hartson noted that the school year started the next morning, and the weather was a little chilly. Commissioner Kaufman heard from a neighbor that they left the concert as it was extremely loud. She was not sure where that person had sat.
Acting Chair Simon called for the public comment but heard none.
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes September 8, 2022
Page 3 Motion made by Commissioner Little, seconded by Commissioner Kaufman, and carried
(4-0-0-3) to approve the Consent Calendar. AYES: Simon, Kaufman, Little, McNulty NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Greer, Flanagan, George VI. CURRENT BUSINESS A. Items for Review and Possible Action 4. Ad Hoc Subcommittees for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Chair Greer will appoint ad hoc subcommittee assignments for Fiscal Year 2022-23.
Acting Chair Simon announced that as Chair Greer was absent the item was moved to the October 13, 2022, CAC meeting.
5. Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park, Phase VIII Staff recommends that the City Arts Commission request that City Council
approve a contract with Arts Orange County for project management of Phase VIII of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park for a total amount not to exceed $119,000. Library Services Director Hartson reported that staff needed a Motion to move forward with the Arts Orange County (Arts OC) contract for Phase VIII of the Sculpture Exhibition. Phase VIII would contain 10 pieces and be installed after Phase VI was removed. Arts OC has managed the Sculpture Exhibition well since Phase I. The contract remained at $119,000 and did not increase from Phase VII. Some funding would be moved in order to pay for the phase, including a $10,000 donation from the Newport Beach Arts Foundation (NBAF). The CAC had requested $25,000, but the NBAF was only able to commit to
$10,000. Therefore, the $24,000 shortfall would be pulled from the programming and professional services budgets. The CAC would send an additional ask to the NBAF later in the year. The CAC would provide input on the selections put out to the public and then
the community would vote in an online survey for Phase VIII. She provided the CAC with a timeline for Phase VIII beginning with a City Council meeting on September 27. The Call for Artists would be issued by Arts OC and then the CAC would choose sculptures for the
online survey in a public meeting. Final recommendations for Phase VIII would be heard by City Council in February 2023 with installation scheduled for June 2023. Acting Chair Simon confirmed that to fund Phase VIII they would take $14,000 from the programming budget and $10,000 from professional services. He asked what that would do to programming as it would leave only $24,800 in the budget for the FY. Secondly, there would only be $10,600 remaining in professional services. He asked if that would be sufficient for the remaining FY. Library Services Director Hartson admitted that the budget would be tight after the funds were moved. The remaining programming funds would be used for the Student Art
Exhibition, the remaining concerts, and the Newport Beach Art Exhibition. The CAC would
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes September 8, 2022
Page 4 need to carefully consider expenditures going forward. The professional services funds
were used in past Phases by Library Services Director Hetherton and should be able to absorb the $10,000 move. Acting Chair Simon requested that Library Services Director Hartson provide a breakdown of the numbers at the next CAC meeting. Commissioner Little asked about the annual maintenance expenditures related to sculptures around the City. Library Services Director Hartson indicated that she did not have the numbers.
Commissioner Little noted that some pieces required more maintenance than others. Former Commissioner Miriam Baker contacted her about Sunset Years and its poor condition. She suggested a discussion at a future meeting about maintenance with some
of the foundations. Acting Chair Simon announced that Commissioner George arrived and was now present
for the meeting. Commissioner Kaufman asked if they would be unable to host a Concert on the Green in June due to the money being moved from the programming budget. Library Services Director Hartson said that was correct and that it was possible they would need to cut the season by one performance. Commissioner Kaufman appreciated the fact that the Cultural Arts Grant Budget was not used to cover the shortfall.
Acting Chair Simon called for the public comment. Jim Mosher, Newport Beach resident, wished to confirm that the shortfall in the Sculpture
Exhibition budget was due to the honorariums for sculpture artists, which amounts to about $20,000. He asked if there was any flexibility for the honorariums to be lower than $5,000 for each sculpture.
Library Services Director Hartson explained that in the past the honorariums were larger and had been scaled back to $5,000. Acting Chair Simon clarified that they were not to exceed $5,000. Commissioner Little asked if all artists automatically received $5,000. Library Services Director Hartson stated it was not automatic. Acting Chair Simon recalled that the artists asked for different amounts and if someone
only asked for $3,500 then that would be what they would receive. Hearing nothing further he called for a Motion.
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes September 8, 2022
Page 5 Motion made by Commissioner Little, seconded by Commissioner McNulty, and carried
(5-0-0-2) to approve the contract with Arts Orange County for project management of Phase VIII of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park for a total amount not to exceed $119,000. AYES: Simon, Little, Kaufman, McNulty, George NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Greer, Flanagan Commissioner Little asked if it would be useful for the CAC to lay out the projected expenses to the NBAF in order to provide clarity about its monetary request.
Library Services Director Hartson said that was a possibility and as the budget developed it would be shared with the CAC first.
Acting Chair Simon thought the information was public knowledge and should be shared with the NBAF. The CAC had a reason to request $25,000 and had received $20,000 in
the past, but this gift was only $10,000. B. Monthly Reports
6. Student Art Exhibition Ad Hoc Subcommittee Commissioners Barbara George, Leonard Simon, and Arlene Greer Commissioner George reported that she personally visited about 5 schools to provide materials related to the Student Art Exhibition. She was also in contact with art teachers and clubs to see if they would help promote the event. She indicated that she planned to visit all the schools in the Newport Beach area and hoped to see interest and potentially early entries. Commissioner Little pointed out that the materials said that there would be nine winners
per category, but that number was supposed to be three per category. Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia confirmed that was correct and that she would
update the material. There were three prizes in each grade division and she will list them on the website and in the guidelines. The Call for Entries has opened, and people have inquired about it at the Library. She would check every Friday for entries and would send
them to the ad hoc subcommittee. She hoped to exceed the 2021 numbers. Commissioner George thanked Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia. Acting Chair Simon asked how the schools received Commissioner George. Commissioner George said that she was well received by the offices at the schools and requested that they make announcements about the materials. She also determined the potential point of contact with an art teacher to further encourage student participation. For schools without art programs, the Student Art Exhibition was an excellent way to get children involved in art. She planned to continue visiting schools and dropping off
materials.
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Page 6
Commissioner Little suggested that the school offices could provide Commissioner George with contact information for the art teachers. Commissioner George said that she was requesting that information. Many of the elementary schools did not have art programs so she thought she would have better success with the upper grades. Acting Chair Simon asked Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia how she contacted the schools. Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia explained that she worked with the Marketing
Specialist to use various outlets for reaching out to students, such as a program called Peach Jar, the Library’s mailing list, and contacting local art studios. She also reached out to the previous participants and let them know the Exhibition was open.
Acting Chair Simon suggested creating a newsletter to reinforce the program and stress that students did not want to miss out. He noted that the school district was a joint one
and asked if they reached out to Costa Mesa. Commissioner George understood the exhibition to be for Newport Beach and asked if that was incorrect. Cultural Arts Assistant Escareal-Garcia stated that they were focusing on promoting the Exhibition locally, but there was nothing in the guidelines that stated that it was exclusive to Newport Beach students. Commissioner Little noted that there were children who lived in Newport Beach but did not attend school there. She suggested that Commissioner George request the schools put
information in the teacher’s lounge because that information is always looked at. Acting Chair Simon suggested that they contact the Parent/Teacher Organizations as well.
He then called for the public comment, but there was none. 7. Newport Beach Arts Foundation Liaison
Commissioners Maureen Flanagan and Arlene Greer Library Services Director Hartson explained that Vice Chair Flanagan attended the August meeting and reported the NBAF voted to fund $10,000 towards the Sculpture Exhibition Phase VIII. Commissioner Little asked if the NBAF had elected new officers. Library Services Director Hartson did not believe that had happened yet. Acting Chair Simon thought that was planned for the next meeting.
Library Services Director Hartson stated that the NBAF also closed the applications for artists for Art in the Park and were working on promoting the event for the public.
Newport Beach City Arts Commission Meeting Minutes September 8, 2022
Page 7 Acting Chair Simon asked if Art in the Park had reached capacity.
Library Services Director Hartson believed that it had. The NBAF said it was full. 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:
° Utility Box Program Proposal
° Ad Hoc Subcommittee Appointments VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
None ADJOURNMENT – 5:39 p.m.
Approved by: Arlene Greer