HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-09-2016 - City Arts Commission - 04 Staff Master Plan for Arts and Culture
TO Newport Beach City Arts Commission
FROM: Library Services Department
Tim Hetherton, Library Services Director
949-717-3810, thetherton@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Tim Hetherton
TITLE: Master Plan for Arts and Culture
RECOMMENDATION:
The Master Plan for Arts and Culture Ad Hoc Subcommittee requests that the City Arts Commission add a
vision statement to the draft Master Plan for Arts and Culture and recommend the draft for City Council
approval.
DISCUSSION:
In September 2013, the City of Newport Beach contracted with Arts OC to develop a Master Plan for Arts
and Culture. Arts Orange County (Arts OC) is the non-profit, county-wide arts council of Orange County,
California. It has served as the official local arts agency and state-local partner of the County of Orange
since 1995.
At the April 8, 2014 City Council Study session, staff presented the Arts OC proposal for the preparation of a
Master Plan for Arts and Culture. City Council reviewed the proposal and recommended that the City Arts
Commission proceed on the Master Plan for Arts and Culture. The City Arts Commission appointed a
Steering Committee as an Ad Hoc Sub Committee to guide the actions of the plan and make strategic
decisions.
To evaluate the arts, culture, and community resources within the City of Newport Beach, Arts OC engaged
in an inventory and assessment process known as cultural asset mapping. Their activities consisted of:
• 25 one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders;
• 6 focus groups comprised of 75 leaders from the arts, business, education, and city affiliates;
• An online survey: Arts OC contacted approximately 39,000 citizens via multiple e-mails, as well as
distributing information through every Homeowners Association and a variety of arts and community
organizations, in order to make them aware of the opportunity to attend the public forum and to
participate in the online public survey;
• A community forum was held on September 29, 2014, to gain an in-depth perspective on the wider
community’s opinions on several emerging themes derived from previous stakeholders and focus
groups input.
Using the results of these findings, Arts OC prepared a Newport Beach Master Plan for Arts and Culture
document that was presented to City Council at the November 25, 2014 Study Session. Council reviewed
the plan and the City Manager directed staff to present the document again in early 2015.
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At the Council Study Session on April 14, 2015, staff presented a draft Master Plan for Arts and Culture to
the City Council to consider. This plan included the following 9 recommendations:
1) Grow public investment in arts and culture;
2) Establish an appropriately-staffed Division of Arts and Culture;
3) Establish arts-friendly City policies;
4) Develop a 21st century arts and culture communication plan;
5) Develop a multi-faceted approach to arts and culture programming;
6) Refine the City’s Public Art Policy;
7) Develop new accessible creative spaces;
8) Animate existing City parks, beaches, and other public spaces with unique programming, signature
events and neighborhood festivals;
9) Establish key partnerships that support arts education;
10) Include aesthetic considerations in City processes which review and approve public and private
development of the built environment.
At the Study Session, City Council considered the draft plan and provided direction to the Commission. City
Council requested the City Arts Commission to:
1) Identify goals and objectives based on the Master Plan for Arts and Culture recommendations and
develop a long- term vision for arts in the City;
2) Remove the Master Plan for Arts and Culture recommendation # 10, “Include aesthetic
considerations in City processes which review and approve public and private development of the
built environment.”
3) Focus on ways to expand private support for public arts programs to lessen the burden on public
funds;
4) Provide options for Council action.
City Council also questioned the amount of public engagement conducted by Arts OC. The City Arts
Commission responded by scheduling three (3) Study Sessions devoted to soliciting input from the public in
regard to the Master Plan for Arts and Culture.
In response to these directives, the Master Plan for Arts and Culture Steering committee drafted the
following goals and objectives for each recommendation:
1. Grow Public Investment in Arts and Culture
A. Support and augment the efforts of the Newport Beach Arts Foundation (NBAF) to provide private
funding, promote donations, increase membership support and volunteer support to enhance arts
and culture activities in the City of Newport Beach. The City arts will be available and engaged in
the NBAF’s efforts to grow membership through the establishment of multiple guilds, each with a
signature event.
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B. Establish, via the NBAF or City Arts Commission, an annual signature event with the goal of raising
$50,000. The event will provide financial support for arts and cultural programming in the City. The
event will raise awareness for the arts in the community and encourage businesses and residents to
invest in the arts. These invitational events will also serve as opportunities for local businesses,
foundations, service organizations to meet and facilitate investment for the growth of City Arts
Commission programming.
C. Leverage the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park’s status as the signature program of the City
Arts Commission to raise private money, expand the membership of the NBAF, and provide an
opportunity for the community to invest in City arts programming:
• Provide sponsorship opportunities for the sculptures in the Exhibition and encourage business,
corporate and high level sponsorship for each of the 20 works of art.
• Use I-13 funds to provide for acquisition and maintenance of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic
Center Park program as a permanent public art installation.
• Continue to use the rotation art into the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park as a means to
promote cultural tourism as a source of revenue.
D. Continue to support the efforts of non-profit, private and community organizations to apply for
public and private grants and promote donations to support arts and cultural activities. The recent
Cultural Arts Grants to the Newport Beach Film Festival, Baroque Music Festival, ExplorOcean,
Southland Opera, Festival Ballet Theatre, OCMA and the Balboa Island Improvement Association
are good examples of this support. Increase the amount of funds available through Cultural Arts
Grants which directly benefit community organizations, residents, and businesses – a significant
benefit as the administrative liabilities are absorbed by the funded entities.
E. Use City funds to leverage private investment in public art, and use public art to leverage private
investment in other City ventures and programming:
• Implement a mechanism in which the City provides matching funds to private funds for a specific
public art project.
• Make the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park available for public events to engender the
financial support of the Sculpture Exhibition, as a Civic Center amenity/attraction for private
local events that generate revenue for the City.
• Use the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park to drive economic support for all events on the
City Civic Green, Community Room and Central Library.
F. Continue to budget support for arts and culture in the community. Utilize the Master Plan for Arts
and Culture to increase funding to support programming via public/private collaborations and
financial support.
G. Stage annual arts awards to stimulate arts programming.
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3. Establish an Appropriately-Staffed Division of Arts and Culture
A. For the sake of prudent fiscal management, a better aesthetic, and community engagement, use
contract labor to manage, coordinate, and consult on City Arts Commission special projects.
B. Designate a portion of Visit Newport Beach funds to hire a NBAF Development Manager. This
position would be funded for a period of up to three (3) years. During that time, the Development
Manager would develop the NBAF Board, work with the community to implement the vision of the
Master Plan for Arts and Culture, write grants, and fundraise.
C. Retain a contracted arts management entity to consult on arts and cultural programming for
specific projects.
4. Establish Arts-Friendly City Policies
A. Encourage the incorporation of public art into larger commercial projects that enhance the City’s
community character as well as its built environment, i.e., sculpture, murals, monuments,
decorative way finding signage, for the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park.
B. Research concepts and ideas from other governmental entities at the local, regional, state, and
national level to support arts-friendly policy positions in the City of Newport Beach, i.e., art and
culture master plans, public/private partnerships, etc.,
C. Use I-13 funds to provide for the acquisition and maintenance of permanent art structures and
installations, and ongoing projects such as the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park.
D. Reduce and/or waive fees for City sponsored arts and cultural events, as recommended by the City
Arts Commission.
E. Create more venues for the display of banners and kiosks for the dissemination of arts and cultural
information throughout the City, to engage residents and businesses in the community. Ideally,
there should be 2 banners for each of the 7 Council districts, as well as kiosks in the Civic Green and
Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park.
F. Encourage City and private investment in the preservation of City historical assets and to raise
awareness of the City’s history and cultural assets.
G. Establish a list and continue to monitor City historical assets such as photos, plaques, public art,
monuments, historical buildings and architecture. Establish a maintenance schedule and log for
historical preservation and maintenance of historical assets. Collaborate with the local historical
societies and Sherman Library and Gardens.
H. Collaborate with the historical societies, Recreation & Senior Services and local organizations to
promote, protect and enhance arts and culture and history in the City of Newport Beach. Establish
a local wall for NBAF donors in order to recognize their contributions to arts and cultural
programming in the City.
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6. Develop a 21st Century Arts and Culture Communication Plan
A. Promote Newport Beach as a nationally and internationally recognized arts city and tourist
destination, by allying with Visit Newport Beach to promote cultural tourism in Newport Beach to
attract visitors and tourists interested in cultural events.
B. Build public awareness and encourage participation in the City’s arts and cultural activities through
social media; define the target audience(s), and determine when and how frequently to
communicate with stakeholders.
C. Use social media and NBTV to promote performances and events to create interest and encourage
public participation. Collaborate with NBTV to create and broadcast arts and cultural activities in
the City.
D. Create a master arts calendar that includes both City Arts Commission and private sector arts
events throughout the City. The calendar should be inclusive local schools, chambers, homeowners
associations, businesses, and individual residents.
E. Establish a City arts and culture newsletter to highlight events, to raise awareness in regard to
available programming, and to encourage business and community investment in arts and culture.
F. Encourage opportunities for civic dialogue about important City issues, and enhance opportunities
for all citizens, neighborhoods and organizations to participate in the planning and creation of art
and arts programming. Utilize the City Arts Commission speaker’s bureau to visit each City district
and deliver updates for arts programming to engage the community.
G. Create increased public engagement through outreach in regard to public art and performing arts,
and encourage more public participation in the selection of public art and public arts programming.
H. Convene community forums, to explore and share ideas, policy, and private sector best practices at
the city, county, state, and national level.
I. Implement post-event surveys to gather community input on the quality of programming and
suggestions for enhancement.
J. Perform an annual arts survey to evaluate City Arts Commission programs and to evaluate resident
and business interest in the arts.
K. Utilize homeowner association websites as a cost saving vehicle to distribute arts and cultural
information.
5. Develop a Multi-Faceted Arts and Culture Program Plan
A. Expose children, teens, adults, and seniors to artistic, cultural, and historical experiences.
• Children:
o Stage art exhibitions showcasing the art of local school children.
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o Provide art instruction and educational opportunities that support school curriculums,
including the use of technology for artistic pursuits.
o Implement a Young Master’s program for children in K through 8th grade.
o Explore potential to use larger facilities indoors to stage cultural performances and increase
outreach in programming K-8.
• Teens:
o Provide opportunities to participate in performing arts to create an original theatrical work
or film, musical composition and performance, spoken word performance, etc.
o Provide an opportunity for a “Battle of the Bands” competition in the Civic Center Green for
both local musicians with planning for long range regional competition.
o Implement a Young Master’s program for Young Adults, 9th through 12th grade; use this
program to develop talent with arts scholarships for exceptional individuals.
o Provide a summer theatre arts conservatory.
o Provide opportunities to present an original two-dimensional or three-dimensional art
work; include opportunities to create set design and construction to support a summer
theatrical production from the theatre arts conservatory.
• Adults:
o Provide opportunities to participate in arts activities, such as community orchestras,
symphonies, quartets, jazz and rock ensembles, spoken word events, film productions, and
juried art shows.
o Create a signature lecture series similar to the Witte Lecture series, bringing renowned
speakers to the City, and providing the public with a forum for ideas and conversation
about the arts and other contemporary cultural issues.
o Plan and implement arts tours in which local residents open their homes and art collections
to the public. These events will be used as NBAF fundraisers.
o Plan and implement a major culinary or wine event.
• Seniors
o Partner with OASIS to provide art instruction and art exhibitions for seniors.
o Partner with OASIS to create opportunities for seniors to participate in performing arts, i.e.,
senior tap dancing, theatrical performances, choirs, quartets, a cappella groups, etc.
B. Continue to provide established City Arts Programming, such as the Concerts on the Green, the
Newport Beach Art Exhibition, and special events augmented with new programming, such as an
outdoor series in collaboration with the Newport Beach Film Festival, and theatre and dance
programming in the Civic Center Green and other City venues.
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C. Stage a cultural arts fair, with food, music and performing arts, in celebration of the City’s diversity.
6. Refine the City’s Public Art Policy
A. Establish a vision for art in public places in the City:
• Enhance the aesthetic environment of public places within the City through engaging, unique
and high quality public artworks.
• Incorporate art into the design of public buildings, infrastructure, and even private development
that receives public support. Artists now commonly work on projects involving workaday
elements—electrical substations, pedestrian bridges, storm water retention ponds, and parking
garages—in addition to traditional civic sites like parks and libraries. Murals of historic
importance may be considered in the planning or revitalization of publicly accessible City spaces.
• Place public art in prominent locations that are visually accessible to the public, and places
where public life occurs, i.e., murals and exhibitions, may be provided at Central Library, Marina
Park, Newport Coast Community Center, and the Interpretive Nature Center, in collaboration
with Parks, Beaches, and Recreation.
• Select public art projects that are related to the nature of the facilities or the places where they
are located, as well as to the identity of the City as a whole – in particular, beaches, coastal
areas, canyons, and the Back Bay.
• Encourage public art that engages aspects of the Newport Beach’s landscape, history, and
culture: all the elements that make the City distinct. Public art projects should be integrated, to
the extent possible, into architectural, landscape, and infrastructure design.
• Identify art that creates a sense of identity, community, and connection to local history and
culture. The story of the City is layered and complex, and art projects should document,
celebrate, and explore the community, i.e., the 2014 Rex Brandt Centennial, 2016 Joan Irving
Brandt Centennial, the proposed 2017 Phil Dike exhibition, and the proposed Surf Culture
exhibition.
• Create an endowment fund through the NBAF for the maintenance of City-owned public art,
similar to the Lenahan fund.
• Provide a master plan for public art and exhibitions of art in a variety of city accessible spaces
and venues.
B. Revise Council Policy I-11, Acquisition of Art by the City of Newport Beach, so that the donation of
funds for long term maintenance of art acquired by the City of Newport Beach is a condition of
acceptance.
C. Collaborate with Community Development so that the placement of public art is in harmony with
the General Plan.
D. Facilitate a master plan for public art in collaboration with Community Development, Parks,
Beaches, and Recreation, and a public arts consultancy.
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7. Develop New Accessible Creative Spaces
A. In order to establish a vision for performing arts in the City:
• Evaluate existing sites and venues in the City suitable for arts programming: waterfront, harbor,
beaches, canyons, and Back Bay.
• Encourage the continuation and expansion of cultural arts events and programs such as festivals,
seminars, workshops, concerts in the parks, parades, and community cultural festivals.
• Create a facility plan to address the community’s need for a 350 - 600 seat auditorium for
lectures, Newport Beach Public Library Foundation programs, and performing arts, including
dance, concerts, and theatre.
• Create a facility plan to address the community’s need for gallery and exhibition space to
showcase local historical assets and collections.
• Create a facility plan to address the community’s need for a center for art classes, open studio
programs, and events for all ages in fully equipped art studios.
• Create a facility plan for an outdoor amphitheater in a City park to stage plays, dance, concerts,
and films.
• Increase the use of NBTV and podcasts to make arts programming more accessible to everyone.
8. Animate Existing City Parks, Beaches and Other Public Spaces With Unique Programming, Signature
Events and Neighborhood Festivals.
A. Maintain the Civic Center, with all of its accessibility and amenities, as the nucleus of arts activities
in the Newport Beach. Signature artistic and cultural events in the Civic Center Community Room
and Civic Center Green, include the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park, the annual Newport
Beach Art Exhibition, Shakespeare plays, and Concerts on the Green, as well as monthly art exhibits,
signature arts and culture events, film festival programs, and lectures at the Central Library.
B. Provide opportunities for the community to come together by supporting cultural festivals and local
history celebrations to raise cultural awareness in the City.
C. Create a signature annual arts event for each of the City’s seven districts, bringing art and music to
City spaces in each district several times per year. Draft an event plan for art, music, and food in
collaboration with Parks, Beaches, and Recreation.
D. Add arts programming elements to signature neighborhood events: CDM Christmas Walk, Newport
to Ensenada Race, Chalk Art Fest, Murals Under the Stars, Balboa Art Walk, Balboa Island
Improvement Association, Baroque Music Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Christmas Boat
Parade, and Sister Cities events. Collaborate with the NBAF, local businesses, chambers of
commerce, Sherman Library and Gardens, historical societies, OASIS Senior Center, Corona del Mar
Residents Association (CdMRA), to host community events.
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E. Engage the support of local businesses and community organizations, homeowner’s associations
and residents to promote and support arts and music programming at the neighborhood level.
F. Identify ways to engage new developments, new residents and new businesses with public art and
performing arts programming.
Provide a “Welcome to the City of Newport Beach” (arts and culture passport and package) to
inform, engage, and encourage investment in arts and culture in the City, possibly generating a
relationship and membership in the NBAF.
G. Engage the public in the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park by providing tours and by hosting
arts events in Civic Center Park.
9. Establish Key Partnerships That Support Arts Education - Partner With The Community to Encourage
and Strengthen Arts Education for Children, Youth, Adults and Seniors in the City.
A. Augment arts education in the schools through lecture series targeting young people.
B. Implement educational arts opportunities for local students.
C. Support field trips from Newport-Mesa Unified School District students to City arts programming.
D. Foster relationships with local community colleges and university arts programs.
E. Promote City arts programming to local schools, and collaborate with local schools to engage the
public and create programming in the City for the benefit of the residents.
F. Provide lectures and seminars focused on applied arts where arts and commerce meet:
landscaping, textiles, culinary arts, fashion design, etc.
At the May 12, 2016 Regular Meeting, the City Arts Commission requested that staff arrange for a facilitator
to assist with crafting a vision statement for the plan and to bring the plan to a Study Session for Arts
Commission and public review. Staff retained the services of art consultant Vincent Kitch who met with the
Master Plan for Arts and Culture Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Thursday, June 2, 2016, to assist the
Subcommittee in completing the Master Plan for Arts and Culture document.
Pending City Arts Commission approval, this draft plan will be submitted to City Council for approval.
NOTICING:
This agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at
which the City Arts Commission considers the item).
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