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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-04-22 Arts Culture Commission MinutesDiana Hedges From: Diana Hedges Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:15 AM To: 'Hwrite4u@aol.com' Cc: 'Hafed Bouassida'; 'LeoCarlson©msn.coml; 'Bill'; 'Megan Norman'; 'John Swon'; John Keprios; 'Renee Usem'; 'jini washburn'; Phil Johnson Subject: Edina Art Center April 2010 minutes Hi All Here are the minutes from the April meeting. See you soon! Diana Diana Hedges, Director Edina Art Center 4701 West 64th Street Edina MN 55435 952-903-5783-Office 952-903-5781-Fax 952-920-5856-Home 952-406-1608-Cell Become a Member today! www.EdinaArtCenter.com www.CityofEdina.com Edina Art Center Board Meeting April 22, 2010 4:30pm at EAC Edina Art Center Mission Statement: The Edina Art Center mission is to provide facilities, programs and services that meet and reflect the needs of our residents and neighbors for participation, education and enjoyment in the Arts with emphasis on fine arts. Members present: Steve Carlson, Rick Fesler, Bev Fischer-Soshea, Heather Randall King, Bill McCabe, Megan Norman, John Swon, Jini Washburn and Renee Usem Members absent: Sharanya Srinivasan, Hafed Bouassida Staff present: Diana Hedges, Phil Johnson and John Keprios CALL TO ORDER: Heather Randall King, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER MINUTES The minutes for the December 10, 2009 meeting were read and approved. INTRODUCTIONS OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS Two newly-appointed Board members, Jini Washburn and Steve Carlson, were introduced by the Chair and asked to say a few words about themselves. Jini, an Edina resident and a bead artist, noted she has served on the Minnesota Crafts Council Board. Steve said he has been an Edina resident for 14 years and is an attorney with Dorsey & Whitney Law Firm. He currently serves on the American Swedish Institute Board. His wife is an EAC Instructor and his son, a former Art Academy student. COMMUNITY COMMENT Gwen Kline, an artist vendor, presented a request for modification of current EAC Privacy Policy pertaining to art-for-sale items in the Clark Gift Shop. She distributed copies of a January 28, 2010 letter from her to John Keprios, Edina Park & Recreation Director, in which she described the problem presented to her by the privacy policy and her request for a waiver to that policy. She had produced and had professionally printed over 2,000 note cards for sale. Those cards were imprinted with her name and phone number. When putting them on display, she was informed that displaying those cards for sale at the EAC would violate the privacy policy. This policy, which was instituted in 1981, protects artists by channeling customer referrals through Art Center staff who contact the artist without revealing the phone number or address of the artist. It is then up to the artist to contact the prospective customer. Showing this information on the display merchandise would negate the precautions contained in the privacy policy. Ms. Kline stated that she had not been informed of the policy and that changing or covering the contact information on her cards would be a financial hardship and degradation to the appearance of her art. Her request is to allow individual artists to waive this requirement. Chairperson, Heather King, asked EAC Director Diana Hedges to explain the policy and its purpose. Diana stated that the policy was devised to protect the privacy of students, faculty, artists, volunteers and staff and that it protects the City of Edina from liability in the event someone should use personal information to harass, stalk, threaten or intimidate using information we had provided to them. The staff has tried to communicate this policy as broadly as possible and it is unfortunate if some had not received it. Staff had contacted other centers and venues to determine their policies. For instance, Minnetonka Art Center does currently allow personal information of art sold there but they are considering a change due to increased concerns for privacy. Another consideration is the ease with which a customer wishing to contact an artist can do so by simply Googling the name. A secondary reason for restricting personal information on display items is to support the 15% referral fee that is to be donated by the artist when they make a sale as a result of a direct or indirect referral. Diana stated that the staff recommendation to the Board is that the present policy be maintained without a waiver for individual circumstances. Gwen Kline responded that an individual waiver would relieve the Art Center and the City of Edina from liability. Diana responded that having some of the several hundred artists displaying this information and others not would be a recordkeeping nightmare for the EAC staff. Renee Usem commented that she had made some phone calls to other venues. The Walker Art Center Gift Shop, as one example, displays the artists name and bio on artisans' works but not the phone number or address. She suggested that the Board do some research to determine what the policy of the Gift Shop should be. Should it be to display and sell the work or to promote and advertise for the artisan? Gwen commented that there is a difference for a piece of sculpture that will probably be purchased for local use and merchandise such as a packet of 6 hand-made cards, each of which might end up all over the United States. Locating and contacting the artist in the latter instance would be much more difficult. John Keprios added that he would recommend that the present policy be kept. Renee added that doing a computer search is so commonly done that it should not be a huge disadvantage. Diana reiterated that the current environment makes it critically important to protect individual privacy and the City of Edina. Heather King asked if the Board agreed that this topic should be tabled for further study and consideration at a future Board meeting. The consensus was to do so. GREER GARDEN — Renee Usem and Bill McCabe Bill McCabe described project progress since its approval in fall 2009. A deck (wood) and walkway (concrete) have been completed and a retaining wall and drainage system installed. Railings, landscaping and flowers will be in place by Garden dedication date, Monday, June 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. Bill commended Four Quarters Contracting Firm for their fine work, sometimes in inclement weather conditions. Renee Usem announced a budget shortfall of about $1,000. As a result, planned downspouts, air conditioner cover, some plantings and rain barrels are "on hold." All are expected to be added when funds become available, hopefully in June. When funds are available, these final touches will be installed. The plan is to get the basics in place for the Dedication ceremony scheduled for June 28th from 5 to 7 p.m. Over the course of the next year, refinements can be added to move closer to the vision of the garden. Another building improvement should be in place by the 28th also; a full-length glass door will open to the deck from the hallway between the gallery and the gift shop. Earlier, it was reported that $21,000 of the project's $29,000 cost had been raised. As a result of efforts by Renee and Bill since then, additional monies have been contributed: $3,000 from Dow Water and Process Solutions, $300 from Edina Lions Club and another $300 in individual donations. Invitations to dedication will be sent to donors, city officials and friends of the Greer family. They declined offer of a private family reception to precede public event. Renee and Bill were given a round of applause by the Board for outstanding efforts to create the garden and orchestrate fundraising, very challenging in the current fiscal climate. Renee thanked John Keprios for suggesting the Dow and Lions Club contacts. She added that "Dow is very supportive of any efforts to 'go green'." 2 FILM FESTIVAL — John Swon John announced that he had received City Council approval on April 6th for the planned Edina Film Festival. He showed a Sun Newspaper article in which Rick Fesler was interviewed concerning the Film Festival. The festival is scheduled for the Landmark Cinema, Thursday, October 7 thru Saturday, October 9, 2010. Films will be shown on one screen on Thursday and Saturday; two screens on Friday for a total of 23 hours screening time. John has been told by Landmark that the event could be cancelled as late as three weeks before the event. That flexibility is much appreciated although it likely that the decision would be made much earlier than that if sufficient funds are not available. The 50th and France Business Association is very excited because they feel the festival will bring a lot of traffic to the area. They have agreed to promote the festival and negotiations are continuing to hopefully have them help out financially with the rental of the theatre. They have indicated that they would be willing to fill in a gap. The theatre rental is $10,000 out of a total projected budget of $22,800. That should reduce the financing gap as well. John is working with Dick Crockett, Edina Foundation, to arrange a vehicle for receiving and disbursing funds. This will allow deductibility of donations and a transparent paper trail for all funding. The committee is getting great help from Bob DeForrest, who is using his contacts in the film world much to the festival's benefit. At this point, all that remains is finding films and raising money — the "easy" part. Renee Usem asked about the expectation for revenues from the festival. John responded that the projected ticket price is $10 for a two-hour movie or a two-hour block of short films. They project ticket revenues that would at least cover the cost of renting the theatre. Ideally they will start with a significant sum in hand from sponsorships and grants, perhaps more than needed. Tickets and entry fees would make up the rest of the expenditures budget. The goal is to not have to go to an organization like 50th and France to make up a gap and to make a small profit. That money might fund the startup for future film festivals. If future festivals are profitable, some of those profits might be donated to other Edina Art Center programs. PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE (EPAC) Heather King reported that she and John Keprios had met with EPAC members to review the relationship between EPAC and the Art Center Board. EPAC had questions about the relationship and as a result of this meeting, Linda Kieffer, EPAC Chair, has been invited to the May Board meeting to continue the discussion. Heather and John Keprios provided some information to prepare Board members for the May discussion. Heather distributed copies of the City of Edina Code: Section 1221. John Keprios stated that some of EPAC members concerns were about expectations, their duties, who should be doing the fund raising and are they subject to terms limits, etc. John clarified for them that they are not subject to term limits or attendance policies that apply to commissions and boards. Several EPAC members felt that their committee might function better independently. They were reminded that, according to City Code, EPAC was formed by, and is a committee of, the Edina Art Center Board, not the City Council. They should be reporting to the Board for some of the larger issues. The relationship needs to be defined a little better. What is the level of empowerment and what are some of the expectations? There needs to be a dialogue over the next month or two to clear the air and clarify roles and expectations. Heather has asked EPAC members to put their concerns and issues in writing prior to the May meeting so Board members can be prepared for the discussion. John is confident that issues can be ironed out and the relationship can be strengthened. Steve Carlson asked how many and who the members of EPAC are. John Keprios clarified that EPAC is a long- term committee — a standing committee — unlike various other task forces and groups formed for specific short term tasks or campaigns. Rick Fesler replied that EPAC has nine current members and is looking for several more to replace some recent retirees. Steve Carlson asked why EPAC does not have a majority of its members coming from the Art Center Board. He stated that if the majority were to be Board members, there would be no control issues. Jini Washburn asked how people got appointed to EPAC and how long do they serve. Rick Fesler replied that previously there had been no term limits but that recent discussions had tended toward observing the same term limits as the EAC Board but some members did not agree. John Keprios asked what has been the practice in appointing EPAC members. Diana Hedges replied that EPAC submits nominations for approval by the EAC Board. Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that when she first joined the Board, she was under the impression that EPAC was the governing organization and that the Art Center Board reported to EPAC. Heather King asked Board members to familiarize themselves with the excerpt from the City Code and that she expected to receive a document from EPAC that can be distributed to Board members before the May Board meeting. Steve Carlson asked who is Chair of EPAC. Heather replied that it is Linda Kieffer. Steve Carlson asked if her possibly leaving EPAC would present an opportunity to indicate that the Chair of that committee should be a member of the EAC Board. Diana Hedges commented that the original rule was that EPAC's chair should be a member of the Board but the City Council changed that requirement. The chair could be a Board member just as could any committee member. John Keprios added that it is important that Board members understand that he and Heather King had met with a sort of executive contingent from EPAC, not the entire membership. It is not accurate to say that all members of EPAC are of the same mind as those in the April 3 6th meeting. The discussions to come will be based on the issues voted on by EPAC. Diana Hedges announced that the bicycle mosaics are almost completed for the York Avenue Bridge. They are beautiful. Alex Dirr, from the Bicycle Task Force, and Adam Sow, from the Art Center, have found the right kind of weatherproof glue to avoid some of the past adhesion problems and will be finishing this up. Bill McCabe reminded that EPAC meetings are open to the public and the meetings are on the first Thursday of each month at 4 pm in the Mayors conference room at Edina City Hall. Diana added that Bill McCabe had suggested that Linda Kieffer nominate EPAC for the Mayor's Service Club Commendation Award and they had won. That award will be conferred at the Edina Volunteer Recognition event on April 29th at Edinborough Park. FUND RAISING — Renee Usem Renee began her report with a review of recent fundraising efforts. Her experience with Greer Garden project confirms that the current recession had affected ability of local service organizations (Rotary, Lions and others) to respond to deserving requests. She feels that especially in this fiscal environment, it's important that EAC forms a committee focused specifically on fundraising. Purposes would be to devise a strategic plan for the next several years and seek alternative sources for donations and grants. Members who agreed to join this effort were Steve Carlson, John Swon, Beverly Fischer Soshea and Megan Norman. (Note: Beverly Soshea has since resigned her Board position.) Renee also reported that she and Diana Hedges have been working with Lisa Diehl, Fairview Hospital Auxiliary on a possible wine-tasting event in November, 2010. Primary objectives would be to introduce new people to EAC and raise monies for EAC and EPAC. Event would include artist demonstrations, wine-tasting stations, silent auction and a "passport" activity. MEDIA STUDIOS — Phil Johnson Phil Johnson updated plans for utilizing thank-you letters from satisfied Media Studio clients to bring positive publicity to EAC. Such letters would be edited for distribution to media sources to generate coverage and elevate visibility. A primary contact is a local TV reporter who has indicated in his online bio that his "dream assignment" is presenting a story on his family history. Other contacts will follow. Phil also plans to do another "Mr. Media" column for Sun Newspapers formatted similarly to one printed a few years ago. BOARD MEETING CHANGES — Bill McCabe Bill brought for discussion the scheduling of twelve monthly Board meetings rather than the eight meetings which have been the schedule in recent years. Omitting meetings in December, January, February and March had been a response to the fact that three or more very active Board members were wintering away from Minnesota. He suggests that the Board has new members who would be available on most months of the year and that regular monthly meetings would be beneficial to the Art Center. To know what is going on and to get the work of the Board done, more frequent communication would be an advantage. A discussion ensued. John Swon asked for the Staff's opinion about more meetings. Diana Hedges replied that staff will respond to the Board's needs. She added that she feels that she is in frequent contact with Board members as they work on committee projects and help with EAC exhibitions and events. Steve Carlson commented that some Board members had volunteered on the basis of having nine meetings per year. There are other ways to accomplish the same thing. For instance, he is on the Board of the American Swedish Institute. That Board meets six times per year but its committees meet at other times. As one example, he is also on the Executive and Finance Committees which meet once a month, so there is plenty of continuity and communication. It sounds to him as though the EAC Board operates as a Committee of the Whole. Renee Usem interjected that she would not agree with that, indeed, EAC does have a number of regular and specially designated committees. She feels that it more productive to have smaller groups committed to various programs and tasks. Jini Washburn asked if EAC committees report regularly to the Board on their progress. Renee replied that committees would proceed with actions previously authorized by the Board and come to the Board for bigger issues. Heather King suggested that there are other options. For instance, December and March could be skipped while the Board would meet in January and February. John Swon added that he is in favor of having more communication, whether that means more meetings or not. Bill McCabe stated that, for him, not meeting from December until April is too big a gap. He feels that a monthly meeting lets the Board be more effective. Phil Johnson asked if individual participation via telephone during a meeting would count as attendance by that individual. Diana answered that this question had been raised previously and the answer is "No". Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that scheduling meetings to avoid Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter is commonly done but some of the Jewish holidays can also fall on a fourth Thursday. Renee Usem asked if some members were feeling the need for more meetings based on a lack of cohesiveness or do we feel we would get more accomplished. From her experience working 4 on the Greer Garden, she feels as though more meetings, for instance to find out more in detail about what John Swon is doing on the Film Festival, would be just impossible. It would be information overload. Renee asked what Heather's recommendation would be. Citing the Juried Show as an example of a very large committee project, Heather felt that meeting every other month would be a serious detriment to getting all of volunteers on board and following up on all of the details. A lot of people are needed and coordination is a huge challenge. Heather also suggested options of omitting meetings in December, because of holidays, and perhaps March or April, because of spring breaks. Renee asked if the requirement to attend 75% of the scheduled Board meetings is the main problem. The response is that it is part of the problem. Jini Washburn asked if adding a meeting in the middle of the winter gap would help. Bill McCabe replied that he would like 10 or 11 regular meetings. John Keprios cited the Park Board which has 12 scheduled meetings per year but they will cancel a meeting if there is no substantive business that has to be handled. They find other ways to maintain communications in lieu of a meeting in those circumstances. Perhaps the EAC Board could do the same. If the Chair decided no meeting was needed, it could be cancelled. In keeping with that line of thinking, Bill McCabe made a motion to schedule 12 regular monthly Board meetings each year. Renee Usem seconded the motion. Discussion ensued. The motion passed. Affirmative votes were Bev Fischer-Soshea, Rick Fesler, Renee Usem, Megan Norman and Bill McCabe. Voting Nay: John Swon. Steve Carlson and Jini Washburn abstained. Chair Heather King did not vote because a majority voted to accept new policy and her vote would not have affected outcome. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — Diana Hedges Diana announced that Jini Washburn had volunteered to be the Co-Chair for Juried Show 2010 and Lori Tolonen, Co-Chair. Diana also distributed postcards announcing the Garden Sale and Reception which she urged Board members to give to friends and neighbors or to drop off to businesses in their neighborhoods. NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm. Next Board Meeting will be May 27, 2010, at 4:30pm. 5 Edina Art Center Board Meeting April 22, 2010 4:30pm at EAC Edina Art Center Mission Statement The Edina Art Center mission is to provide facilities, programs and services that meet and reflect the needs of our residents and neighbors for participation, education and enjoyment in the Arts with emphasis on fine arts. P 0 Members present; Hafe0ouassicla, Steve Carlson, Rick Fesler, Bev Fischer-Soshea, Heather Randall King, Bill McCabe, Megan Norman, John' Swon, Jini Washburn and Renee Usem Members absent: Sharanya Srinivasan, Staff present: Diana Hedges, Phil Johnson and John Keprios CALL TO ORDER: Heather Randall King, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER MINUTES The minutes for the December 10, 2009 meeting were read and approved. (. C CM/S e• 1 to r NTRODUCTIONS OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS 94404° New Board member Jini Washburn introduced herself. She was previously involved with the Minnesota Crafts Cortfeweee. She is a bead artist. Steve Carlson introduced that he has lived in Edina for 14 years and is an attorney with the Dorsey Whitney law firm. His wife has been an instructor at the Art Center and his son has been an Art Academy student. He is also a Board member at the American Swedish Institute. COMMUNITY COMMENT Gwen Kline, an artist vendor, asked to present to the Board regarding a modification of the current privacy policy pertaining to art-for-sale items at the EAC. She distributed copies of a letter dated January 28, 2010 (attachment A) to Parks and Recreation Director John Keprios in which she described the problem presented to her by the privacy policy and her request for a waiver to that policy. She had produced and had professionally printed over 2,000 note cards for sale. Those cards were imprinted with her name and phone number. When putting them on display, she was informed that displaying those cards for sale at the EAC would violate the privacy policy. This policy, which was instituted in 1981, protects artists by channeling customer referrals through Art Center staff who contact the artist without revealing the phone number or address of the artist. It is then up to the artist to contact the prospective customer. Showing this information on the display merchandise would negate the precautions contained in the privacy policy. Ms. Kline stated that she had not been informed of the policy and that changing or covering the contact information on her cards would be a financial hardship and a degradation to the appearance of her art. Her request is to allow individual artists to waive this requirement. Chairperson, Heather King, asked EAC Director Diana Hedges to explain the policy and its purpose. Diana stated that the policy was devised to protect the privacy of students, faculty, artists, volunteers and staff and that it protects the City of Edina from liability in the event someone should use personal information to harass, stalk, threaten or intimidate using information we had provided to them. The staff has tried to communicate this policy as broadly as possible and it is unfortunate if some had not received it. Staff had contacted other centers and venues to determine their policies. For instance, Minnetonka Art Center does currently allow personal information of art sold there but they are considering a change due to increased concerns for privacy. Another consideration is the ease with which a customer wishing to contact an artist can do so by simply Googling the name. A secondary reason for restricting personal information on display items is to support the 15% referral fee that is to be donated by the artist when they make a sale as a result of a direct or indirect referral. Diana stated that the staff recommendation to the Board is that the present policy be maintained without a waiver for individual circumstances. Gwen Kline responded that an individual waiver would relieve the Art Center and the City of Edina from liability. Diana responded that having some of the several hundred artists displaying this information and others not would be a recordkeeping nightmare for the EAC staff. Renee Usem commented that she had made some phone calls to other venues. The Walker Art Center Gift Shop, as one example, displays the artists name and bio on artisans' works but not the phone number or address. She suggested that the Board do some research to determine what the policy of the Gift Shop should be. Should it be to display and sell the work or to promote and advertise for the artisan? Gwen commented that there is a difference for a piece of sculpture that will probably be purchased for local use and merchandise such as a packet of 6 hand-made cards, each of which might end up all over the United States. Locating and contacting the artist in the latter instance would be much more difficult. John Keprios added that he would recommend that the present policy be kept. Renee added that doing a computer search is so commonly done that it should not be a huge disadvantage. Diana reiterated that the current environment makes it critically important to protect individual privacy and the City of Edina. Heather King asked if the Board agreed that this topic should be tabled for further study and consideration at a future Board meeting. The consensus was to do so. GREER GARDEN — Renee Usem and Bill McCabe Bill McCabe described the progress on the project since its approval last Fall. A wood deck and concrete walkway had been completed, a retaining wall and drainage installed, with railings, landscaping and flowers to come. The Four Quarters contracting firm had done a fine job, at times in terrible weather conditions. Renee Usem continued that there was a bit of a budget shortfall, approximately $1,000. As a result, the planned downspouts and rain barrels were put on hold as were the cover for air conditioner unit and plantings. When funds are available, these final touches will be installed. The plan is to get the basics in place for the Dedication ceremony scheduled for June 28th from 5 to 7 p.m. Over the course of the next year, refinements can be added to move closer to the vision of a :act,garden. Another building improvement should be in place by the 28th also; a full-length glass door will open to the deck from the hallway between the gallery and the gift shop. At Kt' the last Board meeting, we had reported that $21,00 of the project's $29,000 cost had been raised. Since that time, Renee and Bill had knocked on some doors and called a number of possible donors. Dow Chemical had Tr, donated $3,000 The Lions Club donated $300 and another $300 in individual donations had been received. The 4,6*Greer fa .d decided that they will participate in the public dedication event rather than having a private Cs . ion. Invit ons will be sent to donors, city officials and friends of the Greers. Renee and Bill were given a round of applause •r their work on this project, especially the fundraising which was particularly challenging in the current fiscal e 'ronment. Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that it was very gutsy for them to go to Dow Chemical to solicit a don. ,s. Renee responded that Dow Chemical is very supportive of "going green." 0° FILM FESTIVAL — John Swon ri% ' nootet. Swot) John announced that he had received City Council approval on April 61th for the planned Edina Film Festival. He showed a Sun Newspaper article in which Rick Fesler was interviewed concerning the Film Festival. The festival is scheduled for the Landmark Cinema, Thursday, October 7 thru Saturday, October 9, 2010. Films will be shown on one screen on Thursday and Saturday; two screens on Friday for a total of 23 hours screening time. John has been told by Landmark that the event could be cancelled as late as three weeks before the event. That flexibility is much appreciated although it likely that the decision would be made much earlier than that if sufficient funds are not available. The 50th and France Business Association is very excited because they feel the festival will bring a lot of traffic to the area. They have agreed to promote the festival and negotiations are continuing to hopefully have them help out financially with the rental of the theatre. They have indicated that they would be willing to fill in a gap. The theatre rental is $10,000 out of a total projected budget of $22,800. The committee is hoping to have a number of £cc time donationste that should reduce the financing gap as well. John is working with Dick Crockett, Edina Foundation, to arrange a vehicle for receiving and disbursing funds. This will allow deductibility of donations and a transparent paper trail for all funding. The committee is getting great help from Bob DeForrest, who is using his contacts in the film world much to the festival's benefit. At this point, all that remains is finding films and raising money — the "easy" part. Renee Usem asked about the expectation for revenues from the festival. John responded that the projected ticket price is $10 for a two-hour movie or a two-hour block of short films. They project ticket revenues that would at least cover the cost of renting the theatre. Ideally they will start with a significant sum in hand from sponsorships and grants, perhaps more than needed. Tickets and entry fees would make up the rest of the expenditures budget. The goal is to not have to go to an organization like 50th and France to make up a gap and to make a small profit. That money might fund the startup for future film festivals. If future festivals are profitable, some of those profits might be donated to other Edina Art Center programs. PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE (EPAC) :Rick-Fos4w Heather King reported that she and John Keprios had met with EPAC members to review the relationship between EPAC and the Art Center Board. EPAC had questions about the relationship and as a result of this meeting, Linda Kieffer, EPAC Chair, has been invited to the May Board meeting to continue the discussion. Heather and John Keprios provided some information to prepare Board members for the May discussion. Heather distributed copies of the City of Edina Code: Section 1221. John Keprios stated that some of EPAC members concerns were about expectations, their duties, who should be doing the fund raising and are they subject to terms limits, etc. John clarified for them that they are not subject to term limits or attendance policies that apply to commissions and boards. Several EPAC members felt that their committee might function better independently. They were reminded that, according to City Code, EPAC was formed by, and is a committee of, the Edina Art Center Board, not the City Council. They should be 2 reporting to the Board for some of the larger issues. The relationship needs to be defined a little better. What is the level of empowerment and what are some of the expectations? There needs to be a dialogue over the next month or two to clear the air and clarify roles and expectations. Heather has asked EPAC members to put their concerns and issues in writing prior to the May meeting so Board members can be prepared for the discussion. John is confident that issues can be ironed out and the relationship can be strengthened. Steve Carlson asked how many and who the members of EPAC are. John Keprios clarified that EPAC is a long- term committee — a standing committee — unlike various other task forces and groups formed for specific short term tasks or campaigns. Rick Fesler replied that EPAC has nine current members and is looking for several more to replace some recent resignees or retirees. Steve Carlson asked why EPAC does not have a majority of its members coming from the Art Center Board. He stated that if the majority were to be Board members, there would be no control issues. Jini Washburn asked how people got appointed to EPAC and how long do they serve. Rick Fesler replied that previously there had been no term limits but that recent discussions had tended toward observing the same term limits as the EAC Board but some members did not agree. John Keprios asked what has been the practice in appointing EPAC members. Diana Hedges replied that EPAC submits nominations for approval by the EAC Board. Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that when she first joined the Board, she was under the impression that EPAC was the governing organization and that the Art Center Board reported to EPAC. Heather King asked Board members to familiarize themselves with the excerpt from the City Code and that she expected to receive a document from EPAC that can be distributed to Board members before the May Board meeting. Steve Carlson asked who is Chair of EPAC. Heather replied that it is Linda Kieffer. Steve Carlson asked if her possibly leaving EPAC would present an opportunity to indicate that the Chair of that committee should be a member of the EAC Board. Diana Hedges commented that the original rule was that EPAC's chair be a member of the Board but the City Council changed that requirement. The chair could be a Board member just as could any committee member. John Keprios added that it is important that Board members understand that he and Heather King had met with a sort of executive contingent from EPAC, not the entire membership. It is not accurate to say that all members of EPAC are of the same mind as those in the April 6th meeting. The discussions to come will be based on the issues voted on by EPAC. Diana Hedges reminded that the bicycle mosaics are almost completed on the York Avenue bridge. They are beautiful. Alex D$rr, from the Bicycle Task Force, and Adam Sow, from the Art Center, have found the right kind of weatherproof glue to avoid some of the past adhesion problems and will be finishing this up. Bill McCabe reminded that EPAC meetings are open to the public and the meetings are on the first Thursday of each month at 4 pm in the Mayors conference room at Edina City Hall. Diana added that Bill McCabe had Stillifit nominated EPAC for the Pu. • Service • and and they had won. That award will be conferred at the Edina Volunteer Recognition event on • pn 9 at • . • .h Park. Kpel, eV \rte._ er cstitivv-49"40•4P-444-1 FUND RAISING — Renee Usem L.%) Renee began with a review of recent fundraising efforts. Her experiences with the Greer Garden fundraising effort confirmed that the current recession has seen many of the usual sources, such as the Rotary, Lions and other service organizations unable to meet all the requests from deserving organizations. In this environment, it is even more important that the Art Center have a committee that is focused on fundraising so we can look out a year or two and seek out other sources for donations and grants. She is proposing formation of a fund raising committee that will devise a strategic plan. Members agreeing to serve on the committee are Steve Carlson, John Swon, Bev Fischer Soshea and Megan Norman. Renee added that Diana and she had been working with the Fairview Slwathdefe Auxiliary to design and sponsor a Wine Tasting fundraiser scheduled for November 2010. The primary objective is to get people to the Art Center. There are still people in Edina and the metro area who still don't know of the Edina Art Center. The i; event will include artists demonstrations, wine tasting stations, silent auction and a passport activity. Or, FtM'tCA C-Pit f‘P MEDIA STUDIOS — Phil Johnson Phil updated the ideas for using letters from satisfied customers to be sent to local media in the hope that this will generate coverage of the media studios. The first of these contacts will be a local TV reporter who has indicated in his online bio that his dream story is to write about his family's history. Other contacts will follow. Phil also plans to revisit writing a "Mr. Media" column which had been printed in the Edina Sun newspapers a few years ago. BOARD MEETING CHANGES — Bill McCabe Bill brought for discussion the scheduling of twelve monthly Board meetings rather than the eight meetings which have been the schedule in recent years. Omitting meetings in December, January and February had been a response to several Board members spending those months in warmer climates. He suggests that the Board 3 has new members who would be available on most months of the year and that regular monthly meetings would be beneficial to the Art Center. To know what is going on and to get the work of the Board done, more frequent communication would be an advantage. A discussion ensued. John Swon asked for the Staffs opinion about more meetings. Diana Hedges replied that staff will respond to the Board's needs. She added that she feels that she is in frequent contact with Board members as they work on committee projects and help with EAC exhibitions and events. Steve Carlson commented that some Board members had volunteered on the basis of having nine meetings per year. There are other ways to accomplish the same thing. For instance, he is on the Board of the American Swedish Institute. That Board meets six times per year but its committees meet at other times. As one example, he is also on the Executive and Finance Committees which meet once a month, so there is plenty of continuity and communication. It sounds to him as though the EAC Board operates as a Committee of the Whole. Renee Usem interjected that she would not agree with that, indeed, EAC does have a number of regular and specially designated committees. She feels that it more productive to have smaller groups committed to various programs and tasks. Jini Washburn asked if EAC committees report regularly to the Board on their progress. Renee replied that committees would proceed with actions previously authorized by the Board and come to the Board for bigger issues. Heather King suggested that there are other options. For instance, December and March could be skipped while the Board would meet in January and February. John Swon added that he is in favor of having more communication, whether that m more meetings or not. Bill McCabe stated that, for him, not meeting from December until April is too big a gap. He feels that a monthly meeting lets the Board be more effective. Phil Johnson asked if individual participation via telephone during a meeting would • count as attendance by that individual. Diana answered that this question had been raised previously and the answer is "No". Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that scheduling meetings to avoid Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter is commonly done but some of the Jewish holidays can also fall on a fourth Thursday. Renee Usem asked if some members were feeling the need for more meetings based on a lack of cohesiveness or do we feel we would get more accomplished. From her experience working on the Greer Garden, she feels as though more meetings, for instance to find out more in detail about what John Swon is doing on the Film Festival, would be just impossible. It would be information overload. Renee asked what Heather's recommendation would be. Citing the Juried Show as an example of a very large committee project, Heather felt that meeting every other month would be a serious detriment to getting all of volunteers on board and following up on all of the details. A lot of people are needed and coordination is a huge challenge. Renee asked if the requirement to attend 75% of the scheduled Board meetings is the main problem. The response is that it is part of the problem. Jini Washburn asked if adding a meeting in the middle' of the winter gap would help. Bill McCabe replied that he would like 10 or 11 regular meetings. John Keprios cited the Park Board which has 12 scheduled meetings per year but they will cancel a meeting if there is no substantive business that has to be handled. They find other ways to maintain communications in lieu of a meeting in those circumstances. Perhaps the EAC Board could do the same. If the Chair decided no meeting was needed, it could be cancelled. In keeping with that line of thinking, Bill McCabe made a motion to schedule 12 regular monthly Board meetings each year. Renee Usem seconded the motion. Discussion ensued. The motion passed. Affirmative votes were Bev Fischer-Soshea, Rick Fesler, Renee Usem, Megan Norman and Bill McCabe. Voting Nay: John Swon. Steve Carlson and Jini Washburn abstained. Chair Heather King did not vote. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — Diana Hedges GO The Director's Report is Attachment C. Diana announced that Jini Washburn had volunteered to be the Chair for Juried Show 2010 and Laurie Tolfanen ,Co-Chair. Diana also distributed postcards announcing the Garden Sale and Reception which she urged Board members to give to friends and neighbors or to drop off to businesses in their neighborhoods. 541U NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm. Next Board Meeting will be May 27, 2010, at 4:30pm. 4 Edina Art Center Board Meeting April 22, 2010 4:30pm at EAC Edina Art Center Mission Statement: The Edina Art Center mission is to provide facilities, programs and services that meet and reflect the needs of our residents and neighbors for participation, education and enjoyment in the Arts with emphasis on fine arts. Members present: Steve Carlson, Rick Fesler, Bev Fischer-Soshea, Heather Randall King, Bill McCabe, Megan Norman, John Swon, Jini Washburn and Renee Usem Members absent: Sharanya Srinivasan, Hafed Bouassida Staff present: Diana Hedges, Phil Johnson and John Keprios CALL TO ORDER: Heather Randall King, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER MINUTES The minutes for the December 10, 2009 meeting were read and approved. INTRODUCTIONS OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS Two newly-appointed Board members, Jini Washburn and Steve Carlson, were introduced by the Chair and asked to say a few words about themselves. Jini, an Edina resident and a bead artist, noted she has served on the Minnesota Crafts Council Board. Steve said he has been an Edina resident for 14 years and is an attorney with Dorsey & Whitney Law Firm. He currently serves on the American Swedish Institute Board. His wife is an EAC Instructor and his son, a former Art Academy student. COMMUNITY COMMENT Gwen Kline, an artist vendor, presented a request for modification of current EAC Privacy Policy pertaining to art-for-sale items in the Clark Gift Shop. She distributed copies of a January 28, 2010 letter from her to John Keprios, Edina Park & Recreation Director, in which she described the problem presented to her by the privacy policy and her request for a waiver to that policy. She had produced and had professionally printed over 2,000 note cards for sale. Those cards were imprinted with her name and phone number. When putting them on display, she was informed that displaying those cards for sale at the EAC would violate the privacy policy. This policy, which was instituted in 1981, protects artists by channeling customer referrals through Art Center staff who contact the artist without revealing the phone number or address of the artist. It is then up to the artist to contact the prospective customer. Showing this information on the display merchandise would negate the precautions contained in the privacy policy. Ms. Kline stated that she had not been informed of the policy and that changing or covering the contact information on her cards would be a financial hardship and degradation to the appearance of her art. Her request is to allow individual artists to waive this requirement. Chairperson, Heather King, asked EAC Director Diana Hedges to explain the policy and its purpose. Diana stated that the policy was devised to protect the privacy of students, faculty, artists, volunteers and staff and that it protects the City of Edina from liability in the event someone should use personal information to harass, stalk, threaten or intimidate using information we had provided to them. The staff has tried to communicate this policy as broadly as possible and it is unfortunate if some had not received it. Staff had contacted other centers and venues to determine their policies. For instance, Minnetonka Art Center does currently allow personal information of art sold there but they are considering a change due to increased concerns for privacy. Another consideration is the ease with which a customer wishing to contact an artist can do so by simply Googling the name. A secondary reason for restricting personal information on display items is to support the 15% referral fee that is to be donated by the artist when they make a sale as a result of a direct or indirect referral. Diana stated that the staff recommendation to the Board is that the present policy be maintained without a waiver for individual circumstances. Gwen Kline responded that an individual waiver would relieve the Art Center and the City of Edina from liability. Diana responded that having some of the several hundred artists displaying this information and others not would be a recordkeeping nightmare for the EAC staff. Renee Usem commented that she had made some phone calls to other venues. The Walker Art Center Gift Shop, as one example, displays the artists name and bio on artisans' works but not the phone number or address. She suggested that the Board do some research to determine what the policy of the Gift Shop should be. Should it be to display and sell the work or to promote and advertise for the artisan? Gwen commented that there is a difference for a piece of sculpture that will probably be purchased for local use and merchandise such as a packet of 6 hand-made cards, each of which might end up all over the United States. Locating and contacting the artist in the latter instance would be much more difficult. John Keprios added that he would recommend that the present policy be kept. Renee added that doing a computer search is so commonly done that it should not be a huge disadvantage. Diana reiterated that the current environment makes it critically important to protect individual privacy and the City of Edina. Heather King asked if the Board agreed that this topic should be tabled for further study and consideration at a future Board meeting. The consensus was to do so. GREER GARDEN — Renee Usem and Bill McCabe Bill McCabe described project progress since its approval in fall 2009. A deck (wood) and walkway (concrete) have been completed and a retaining wall and drainage system installed. Railings, landscaping and flowers will be in place by Garden dedication date, Monday, June 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. Bill commended Four Quarters Contracting Firm for their fine work, sometimes in inclement weather conditions. Renee Usem announced a budget shortfall of about $1,000. As a result, planned downspouts, air conditioner cover, some plantings and rain barrels are "on IyAjo.," All are expected to be added when funds become available, hopefully in June. When funds are available, -these final touches will be installed. The plan is to get the basics in place for the Dedication ceremony scheduled for June 28th from 5 to 7 p.m. Over the course of the next year, refinements can be added to move closer to the vision of the garden. Another building improvement should be in place by the 28th also; a full-length glass door will open to the deck from the hallway between the gallery and the gift shop. Earlier, it was reported that $21,000 of the project's $29,000 cost had been raised. As a result of efforts by Renee and Bill since then, additional monies have been contributed: $3,000 from Dow Water and Process Solutions, $300 from Edina Lions Club and another $300 in individual donations. Invitations to dedication will be sent to donors, city officials and friends of the Greer family. They declined offer of a private family reception to precede public event. Renee and Bill were given a round of applause by the Board for outstanding efforts to create the garden and orchestrate fundraising, very challenging in the current fiscal climate. Renee thanked John Keprios for suggesting the Dow and Lions Club contacts. She added that "Dow is very supportive of any efforts to 'go green'." FILM FESTIVAL — John Swon John announced that he had received City Council approval on April 6th for the planned Edina Film Festival. He showed a Sun Newspaper article in which Rick Fesler was interviewed concerning the Film Festival. The festival is scheduled for the Landmark Cinema, Thursday, October 7 thru Saturday, October 9, 2010. Films will be shown on one screen on Thursday and Saturday; two screens on Friday for a total of 23 hours screening time. John has been told by Landmark that the event could be cancelled as late as three weeks before the event. That flexibility is much appreciated although it likely that the decision would be made much earlier than that if sufficient funds are not available. The 50th and France Business Association is very excited because they feel the festival will bring a lot of traffic to the area. They have agreed to promote the festival and negotiations are continuing to hopefully have them help out financially with the rental of the theatre. They have indicated that they would be willing to fill in a gap. The theatre rental is $10,000 out of a total projected budget of $22,800. That should reduce the financing gap as well. John is working with Dick Crockett, Edina Foundation, to arrange a vehicle for receiving and disbursing funds. This will allow deductibility of donations and a transparent paper trail for all funding. The committee is getting great help from Bob DeForrest, who is using his contacts in the film world much to the festival's benefit. At this point, all that remains is finding films and raising money — the "easy" part. Renee Usem asked about the expectation for revenues from the festival. John responded that the projected ticket price is $10 for a two-hour movie or a two-hour block of short films. They project ticket revenues that would at least cover the cost of renting the theatre. Ideally they will start with a significant sum in hand from sponsorships and grants, perhaps more than needed. Tickets and entry fees would make up the rest of the expenditures budget. The goal is to not have to go to an organization like 50th and France to make up a gap and to make a small profit. That money might fund the startup for future film festivals. If future festivals are profitable, some of those profits might be donated to other Edina Art Center programs. PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE (EPAC) Heather King reported that she and John Keprios had met with EPAC members to review the relationship between EPAC and the Art Center Board. EPAC had questions about the relationship and as a result of this meeting, Linda Kieffer, EPAC Chair, has been invited to the May Board meeting to continue the discussion. Heather and John Keprios provided some information to prepare Board members for the May discussion. Heather distributed copies of the City of Edina Code: Section 1221. John Keprios stated that some of EPAC members concerns were about expectations, their duties, who should be doing the fund raising and are they subject to terms limits, etc. John clarified for them that they are not subject 2 to term limits or attendance policies that apply to commissions and boards. Several EPAC members felt that their committee might function better independently. They were reminded that, according to City Code, EPAC was formed by, and is a committee of, the Edina Art Center Board, not the City Council. They should be reporting to the Board for some of the larger issues. The relationship needs to be defined a little better. What is the level of empowerment and what are some of the expectations? There needs to be a dialogue over the next month or two to clear the air and clarify roles and expectations. Heather has asked EPAC members to put their concerns and issues in writing prior to the May meeting so Board members can be prepared for the discussion. John is confident that issues can be ironed out and the relationship can be strengthened. Steve Carlson asked how many and who the members of EPAC are. John Keprios clarified that EPAC is a long- term committee — a standing committee — unlike various other task forces and groups formed for specific short term tasks or campaigns. Rick Fesler replied that EPAC has nine current members and is looking for several more to replace some recent retirees. Steve Carlson asked why EPAC does not have a majority of its members coming from the Art Center Board. He stated that if the majority were to be Board members, there would be no control issues. Jini Washburn asked how people got appointed to EPAC and how long do they serve. Rick Fesler replied that previously there had been no term limits but that recent discussions had tended toward observing the same term limits as the EAC Board but some members did not agree. John Keprios asked what has been the practice in appointing EPAC members. Diana Hedges replied that EPAC submits nominations for approval by the EAC Board. Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that when she first joined the Board, she was under the impression that EPAC was the governing organization and that the Art Center Board reported to EPAC. Heather King asked Board members to familiarize themselves with the excerpt from the City Code and that she expected to receive a document from EPAC that can be distributed to Board members before the May Board meeting. Steve Carlson asked who is Chair of EPAC. Heather replied that it is Linda Kieffer. Steve Carlson asked if her possibly leaving EPAC would present an opportunity to indicate that the Chair of that committee should be a member of the EAC Board. Diana Hedges commented that the original rule was that EPAC's chair should be a member of the Board but the City Council changed that requirement. The chair could be a Board member just as could any committee member. John Keprios added that it is important that Board members understand that he and Heather King had met with a sort of executive contingent from EPAC, not the entire membership. It is not accurate to say that all members of EPAC are of the same mind as those in the April 6t1 meeting. The discussions to come will be based on the issues voted on by EPAC. Diana Hedges reminded that the bicycle mosaics are almost completed on the York Avenue Bridge. They are beautiful. Alex Dirt-, from the Bicycle Task Force, and Adam Sow, from the Art Center, have found the right kind of weatherproof glue to avoid some of the past adhesion problems and will be finishing this up. Bill McCabe reminded that EPAC meetings are open to the public and the meetings are on the first Thursday of each month at 4 pm in the Mayors conference room at Edina City Hall. Diana added that Bill McCabe had suggested that Linda Kieffer nominate EPAC for the Mayor's Service Club Commendation Award and they had won. That award will be conferred at the Edina Volunteer Recognition event on April 29th at Edinborough Park. FUND RAISING — Renee Usem Renee began her report with a review of recent fundraising efforts. Her experience with Greer Garden project confirms that the current recession had affected ability of local service organizations (Rotary, Lions and others) to respond to deserving requests. She feels that especially in this fiscal environment, its important that EAC forms a committee focused specifically on fundraising. Purposes would be to devise a strategic plan for the next several years and seek alternative sources for donations and grants. Members who agreed to join this effort were Steve Carlson, John Swon, Beverly Fischer Soshea and Megan Norman. (Note: Beverly Soshea has since resigned her Board position.) Renee also reported that she and Diana Hedges have been working with Lisa Diehl, Fairview Hospital Auxiliary on a possible wine-tasting event in November, 2010. Primary objectives would be to introduce new people to EAC and raise monies for EAC and EPAC. Event would include artist demonstrations, wine-tasting stations, silent auction and a "passport" activity. MEDIA STUDIOS — Phil Johnson Phil Johnson updated plans for utilizing thank-you letters from satisfied Media Studio clients to bring positive publicity to EAC. Such letters would be edited for distribution to media sources to generate coverage and elevate visibility. A primary contact is a local TV reporter who has indicated in his online bio that his "dream assignment" is presenting a story on his family history. Other contacts will follow. Phil also plans to do another "Mr. Media" column for Sun Newspapers formatted similarly to one printed a few years ago. 3 BOARD MEETING CHANGES — Bill McCabe Bill brought for discussion the scheduling of twelve monthly Board meetings rather than the eight meetings which have been the schedule in recent years. Omitting meetings in December, January, February and March had been a response to the fact that three or more very active Board members were wintering away from Minnesota. He suggests that the Board has new members who would be available on most months of the year and that regular monthly meetings would be beneficial to the Art Center. To know what is going on and to get the work of the Board done, more frequent communication would be an advantage. A discussion ensued. John Swon asked for the Staff's opinion about more meetings. Diana Hedges replied that staff will respond to the Board's needs. She added that she feels that she is in frequent contact with Board members as they work on committee projects and help with EAC exhibitions and events. Steve Carlson commented that some Board members had volunteered on the basis of having nine meetings per year. There are other ways to accomplish the same thing. For instance, he is on the Board of the American Swedish Institute. That Board meets six times per year but its committees meet at other times. As one example, he is also on the Executive and Finance Committees which meet once a month, so there is plenty of continuity and communication. It sounds to him as though the EAC Board operates as a Committee of the Whole. Renee Usem interjected that she would not agree with that, indeed, EAC does have a number of regular and specially designated committees. She feels that it more productive to have smaller groups committed to various programs and tasks. Jini Washburn asked if EAC committees report regularly to the Board on their progress. Renee replied that committees would proceed with actions previously authorized by the Board and come to the Board for bigger issues. Heather King suggested that there are other options. For instance, December and March could be skipped while the Board would meet in January and February. John Swon added that he is in favor of having more communication, whether that means more meetings or not. Bill McCabe stated that, for him, not meeting from December until April is too big a gap. He feels that a monthly meeting lets the Board be more effective. Phil Johnson asked if individual participation via telephone during a meeting would count as attendance by that individual. Diana answered that this question had been raised previously and the answer is "No". Bev Fischer-Soshea commented that scheduling meetings to avoid Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter is commonly done but some of the Jewish holidays can also fall on a fourth Thursday. Renee Usem asked if some members were feeling the need for more meetings based on a lack of cohesiveness or do we feel we would get more accomplished. From her experience working on the Greer Garden, she feels as though more meetings, for instance to find out more in detail about what John Swon is doing on the Film Festival, would be just impossible. It would be information overload. Renee asked what Heather's recommendation would be. Citing the Juried Show as an example of a very large committee project, Heather felt that meeting every other month would be a serious detriment to getting all of volunteers on board and following up on all of the details. A lot of people are needed and coordination is a huge challenge. Heather also suggested options of omitting meetings in December, because of holidays, and perhaps March or April, because of spring breaks. Renee asked if the requirement to attend 75% of the scheduled Board meetings is the main problem. The response is that it is part of the problem. Jini Washburn asked if adding a meeting in the middle of the winter gap would help. Bill McCabe replied that he would like 10 or 11 regular meetings. John Keprios cited the Park Board which has 12 scheduled meetings per year but they will cancel a meeting if there is no substantive business that has to be handled. They find other ways to maintain communications in lieu of a meeting in those circumstances. Perhaps the EAC Board could do the same. If the Chair decided no meeting was needed, it could be cancelled. In keeping with that line of thinking, Bill McCabe made a motion to schedule 12 regular monthly Board meetings each year. Renee Usem seconded the motion. Discussion ensued. The motion passed. Affirmative votes were Bev Fischer-Soshea, Rick Fesler, Renee Usem, Megan Norman and Bill McCabe. Voting Nay: John Swon. Steve Carlson and Jini Washburn abstained. Chair Heather King did not vote because a majority voted to accept new policy and her vote would not have affected outcome. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — Diana Hedges Diana announced that Jini Washburn had volunteered to be the Co-Chair for Juried Show 2010 and Lori Tolonen, Co-Chair. Diana also distributed postcards announcing the Garden Sale and Reception which she urged Board members to give to friends and neighbors or to drop off to businesses in their neighborhoods. NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm. Next Board Meeting will be May 27, 2010, at 4:30pm. 4