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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - October 2, 2023, COTA Meeting MinutesMinutes COMMISSION ON THE ARTS Council Chambers, City Hall Monday, October 2, 2023 Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Nancy Gebhart. Members present were Dave Detlefs, Steve Kawaler, and Christa Knoll. Jaime Reyes arrived at 5:03 p.m. Public Forum There was no one to speak for Public Forum Approval of the September 11, 2023 Minutes It was moved by Dave, seconded by Christa, to approve the minutes of September 11, 2023. Motion carried unanimously. Spring Special Project Grant Hearings: a. Ames Chapter of the Des Moines Metro Opera Guild – Vern Ketcham described the proposal for a children’s opera (Beauty and the Beast) at the Ames Public Library. Nancy asked if the Library would support the event with funding since the grant request is a greater amount than the $1,000 limit in the grant. b. Creative Artists’ Studio of Ames – The organization was requesting funding for a fiber art space. It was acknowledged that the request was rushed before the deadline for the grant, which was why the funding request was much higher than the $1,000 limit. Dave and Nancy suggested that the request might be more appropriate for the annual grant process. Nancy asked whether the request would be allowable under the grant criteria. c. Story Theater Company – This request is for a spring special event called Royal Academy. There were no questions from the commissioners. d. Ames Desi Drama Association – Anand Balasubramanian and Balaji Narasimhan described that this was a new organization focusing on presentation of Indian drama for adults. There have been two plays produced so far. Subtitles are used in the plays to allow the plays to be presented in their original language. The group is planning a comedy for spring 2024. Although the shows are directed at adults, the shows are family-friendly and open to all audiences. It was clarified that this organization was distinct from India Cultural Association, since this group was focused on plays exclusively, while ICA was focused on a variety of Indian cultural activities. At Nancy’s request, it was clarified that the program would be completed by June 30. Dave asked what was meant by the option to watch free. It was responded that there is a “pay what you wish” system for those who cannot afford the full suggested price. e. India Cultural Association of Central Ames – Robbyn Anand thanked the Commission for the support of the arts. The event that is being proposed is a 5K run that is connected to the festival of Holi, which involves lots of color. The event provides the opportunity for kids to do color play as a part of the run. The event may be held at Alluvial, but it is not yet certain which venue will be used. Nancy asked how the venue rental was estimated since the venue has not yet been selected. It was responded that the amount in the budget was close to previous rentals. f. Ames Writers Collective – Jen Brockpahler described a proposal to partner with Stephens Auditorium for the Langston Hughes Project. Poems will be prepared by K-12 students and some of them will be selected to be set to music. Nancy described the next steps in the grant recommendation process. Adjourn There being no further business before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 5:37 p.m.