HomeMy WebLinkAbout12 - Cultural Arts Grants Fiscal Year 2023-24Q �EvuPpRr
CITY OF
y NEWPORT BEACH
<,FORN'P City Council Staff Report
February 27, 2024
Agenda Item No. 12
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director - 949-717-3801,
mhartson@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Melissa Hartson, Library Services Director,
mhartson@newportbeachca.gov
TITLE: Cultural Arts Grants Fiscal Year 2023-24
ABSTRACT:
The sum of $30,000 has been provided in Fiscal Year 2023-24 to fund specific cultural or
artistic programs 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. The Commission reviewed grant
funding proposals from seven local arts organizations and recommends funding for six
organizations, totaling $25,000.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because
this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly;
b) Approve recommended recipients for Fiscal Year 2023-24 Cultural Arts Grants as
selected by the City Arts Commission in accordance with City Council Policy 1-10,
Financial Support for Culture and Arts.
DISCUSSION:
City Council Policy 1-10, Financial Support for Culture and Arts (Attachment A),
recognizes the importance of promoting culture and the arts within Newport Beach. In
Fiscal Year 2023-24, $30,000 is budgeted for specific cultural or artistic programs as
approved by the City Council.
The City Arts Commission (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 its review and approval. City Council Policy 1-10 defines arts groups as those
involved in visual, musical, theatre, dance, crafts, performing and literary activities. The
Commission considers the following in order of preference for granting support:
1. Local arts groups located within the City of Newport Beach and offering programs
to City residents;
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February 27, 2024
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2. Regional arts groups located in Orange County and offering programs to City
residents; and
3. Arts groups located in California and performing or offering programs to City
residents.
Groups not offering programs or services to local residents are not eligible for support
from the City of Newport Beach.
The Commission received written grant proposals from seven organizations for funding
of approximately $33,500 in free cultural arts programming for the Newport Beach
community in Fiscal Year 2023-24. Grant applicants include:
Backhausdance
Balboa Island Improvement Association (BIIA)
$4,000
$3,000
Baroque Music Festival, CdM
$6,500
Laguna Playhouse
Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
South Coast Repertory
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
The City Arts Commission considered the seven applications using the guidance defined
in City Council Policy 1-10. Furthermore, each arts organization was evaluated
considering the following additional criteria:
Baseline Criteria:
• application and report complete and on -time
• arts organization (not individual artist)
• non-profit organization
• Newport Beach geographic focus
Selective Criteria
I. Service to the Public
• promotion and outreach
• audience development and participation
• safety and accessibility
• program diversity
• community service
II. Artistic/Programmatic Excellence
• ideas and creativity
• production
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III. Managerial/Fiscal Competence
• mission and goals
• organizational management
• financial management
The Commission paid particular attention to the fiscal prudence of the applicants. After
careful deliberation, the City Arts Commission approved recommending grant funding for
six local arts organizations, totaling $25,000, at its regular meeting on February 8, 2024.
The recommended grantees and funding include:
Backhausdance $4,000
Balboa Island Improvement Association (BIIA) $3,000
Baroque Music Festival, CdM $4,500
Pacific Chorale $5,000
_Pacific Symphony $3,500
South Coast Repertory $5,000
Backhausdance would present a dance education partnership program, Dance
Expressions. Creativity and Choreography, at three different Newport -Mesa Unified
School District (NMUSD) schools - Corona del Mar Middle/High School, Back Bay High
School, and Newport Harbor High School - in fall 2024. This program offers students an
immersion into working with a professional dance company.
The Commission recommends grant funding for the Balboa Island Improvement
Association for a ninth season of the Balboa Island Classical Concert Series, held at St.
John Vianney Chapel and Balboa Park on Agate. A minimum of five classical concerts
and five concerts in the park would be planned for the community.
The Baroque Music Festival funding would bring three vocal soloists and a trumpet soloist
from across the country to Newport Beach for the 44th season finale, All the Pleasures!
Funds would also be utilized as a Community Arts Partner with the NMUSD Arts
Commission to facilitate yearly workshops by Baroque Music Festival musicians at local
schools.
Pacific Chorale's chamber choir would present three performances at Our Lady Queen of
Angels Church, featuring Handel's Israel in Egypt and Carols by Candlelight.
Pacific Symphony would use the grant funds for the Class Act Music Education Program
at Newport Coast Elementary School. This program places union musicians into local
schools where students receive the value of music learning from teaching artists.
South Coast Repertory would utilize grant funding for the Theatre for Young Audiences
free school -day matinee performances of Alice in Wonderland for students, augmented
with weekend performances for the general public.
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The City Arts Commission did not recommend grant funding for the Laguna Playhouse
because the organization's proposed use of grant funds was intended to serve Title 1
schools in NMUSD, none of which are located in Newport Beach.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The adopted budget includes sufficient funding for this grant program. The funds would
be expensed in the City Grants account in the Cultural and Arts Division, 01060603-
821006.
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).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A — City Council Policy 1-10, Financial Support for Culture and Arts
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ATTACHMENT A
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CULTURE AND ARTS
The City Council hereby recognizes the importance of promoting culture and the
arts within the City of Newport Beach. A number of individuals and groups have
been organized with the express purpose of developing and promoting culture,
theatre and the arts.
The City would complement these efforts by establishing a Reserve Fund for
Culture and Arts that can be used for a) developing a master plan for the
promotion of culture and arts; b) acquiring land and/or the construction of
facilities to promote culture and arts and; c) instituting other cultural promotion
projects.
The sum of $55,000 shall be provided each year for specific cultural or artistic planning,
promotion and/or construction projects as approved by the City Council. It is the
policy of the City of Newport Beach that expenditures from the reserve fund should
be matched equally by the community in the form of contributions and donations.
In regard to the City's role in financially sponsoring art and cultural events, the
City Arts Commission shall review all programs and requests for support from arts
groups. The Commission shall forward its recommendations for funding to the City
Council for final approval. Any appropriation shall not exceed 50% of the Arts
Commissions' annual budget. For the purpose of this policy, arts groups shall be
defined as those involved in visual, musical, theatre, dance, crafts, performing and
literary activities.
The following priorities shall be considered by the Commission. The order of
preference for granting support shall be as follows:
A. Local arts groups located within the City and offering programs to City
residents;
B. Regional arts groups located in Orange County and offering programs to
City residents; and
C. Arts groups located in California and performing or offering programs to City
residents.
Groups not offering programs or services to local residents shall not be eligible
for support from the City.
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History
Adopted F-20 - 5-11-1981 ("Reserve Fund for Culture and Arts)
Amended F-22 - 6-22-1981
Adopted I-20 - 1-24-1983 ("Co -Sponsorship for Cultural Arts")
Amended F-20 - 11-14-1983
Amended F-20 - 1-23-1984
Amended F-20 - 3-28-1988
Amended F-20 - 10-28-1991
Created I-12-1-24-1994 (incorporating I-20 & F-20, renaming "Financial Support
for Culture and Arts")
Amended I-12 - 5-8-2001
Amended I-12 - 4-8-2003 (changed to I-10)
Amended I-10 - 8-8-2017
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