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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - COTA Meeting Minutes 11/02/2013MINUTES COMMISSION ON THE ARTS Council Chambers City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue Saturday, November 2, 2013 The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. by Chair Fred Lewis. Also present: Jennifer Brockpahler, Malinda Cooper, and Craig Zywicki. Andrew Zehr was absent. 2014-2015 ANNUAL GRANT HEARINGS a) Ames Choral Society ($3,200): Steve Hoifeldt presented for the Ames Choral Society, which is celebrating its 50th season in 2014. Ames Choral Society is not an auditioned group, but one that takes all comers and has mixed choirs. The group serves as a transitional platform for singers who leave the school environment and want to find an organization that celebrates singing. In order to celebrate the anniversary year, the organization would like to present “Oedipus Text” by Composer Sheckley, who has an Ames background. Director Hoifeldt informed the commissioners that musical scores for the group can cost anywhere from $500 to $3000. Ames Choral Society also participates in the summer band concerts and has applied for other grants. The organization has raised its dues and sought other funding through donations and applying for other grants. Commissioner Zywicki asked about the cost of publicity. Director Hoifeldt said the cost of publicity continues to climb. b) Good Company ($2,000): Steve Hoifeldt serves as the director of the women’s group Good Company, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary in Ames. Singing a variety of pop and classical music, Hoifeldt said the women use music to keep their sanity. Currently, there are 23 members. Good Company has not asked for funding for several years. The two permanent staff members for the organization are the director (Hoifeldt) and the accompanist. The December venue will employ a harpist and a cellist. It should be an event for all ages. Chair Lewis asked about the cost of musical scores for the company. The price is approximately $2 - $4 per copy. The cost of advertising an event has gone up in price. c) Ames Community Arts Council ($10,000): Rhonda Scott was the spokesperson for ACAC, which provides scheduling and advertising coordination for arts events in the City of Ames. On a weekly basis, ACAC publishes a calendar of Ames events. Scott has just begun serving as the director and is the group’s only paid employee. ACAC assists in coordinating events for the 35 member organizations and serves as an umbrella group. Area artists and arts supporters are also involved with ACAC. Each spring ACAC honors people who have served promoting the arts in the Ames community. Chair Lewis complimented Scott on the wonderful work that ACAC does for its organizations and for the community. One new concern for ACAC is that Main Street Cultural District no longer wants to co-sponsor the Tune into Main Street summer concert series. The concert series may need to reorganize in the future to deal with this change. Chair Lewis asked if ACAC had ever worked with Public Art Commission on its projects. PAC did help with the bike rack. d) Ames Town and Gown ($17,000): Tom Jackson discussed the grant request from Ames Town & Gown. The group has been sponsoring chamber music concerts in Ames since 1950. Jackson thanked COTA for its support and the process improvements that have been made with the application form. The concert series that Town and Gown presents is considered first class. Performers are at the top of their profession Generally, the performers present a master class with students during their stay in Ames. Jackson discussed the planned concert tour and how costs have risen for both auditorium rental and advertising. Town & Gown has become more active in seeking additional grant sources during the last few years. Director Paula Forest has been with the organization for 25 years. Her professional contacts have been invaluable in allowing the group to bring top performers to Ames. e) Dancenter Dancer Company Foundation ($2,800 Jim Nelson presented background information on the Dancenter Dancer Company Foundation, which supports the Robert Thomas Dance Studio. The organization consists of approximately 52 dancers; their average age is thirteen. The grant asks for funding for Showcase 2015. Commissioner Zywicki asked what the organization cannot do since it lacks funding. The group is focusing on the money for the end of season symposium and finding funds to pay for renting the auditorium advertising, and purchasing insurance. Dancenter has a “no cut” policy; however, the dancers do have to audition for the sake of the experience and for placement purposes. Chair Lewis encouraged the organizations to look for alternative funding and that groups should contact Ames Community Arts Council for organizational help. f) Ames Children's Choir ($12,000): Cheryl Montabon discussed the goals of the children’s choirs. The three choirs involve various ages and tuition is required for preparatory, concert, and chorale groups. The choirs sing at various venues throughout the state. The COTA grant helps pay for tuition scholarship, bookkeeping, advertising, performance space rental, and various advertising. Tuition ranges from $375 to $595. Musical scores for the group cost approximately $3 each and the choir may need 30 copies. Chair Lewis discussed the unique musical opportunity presented to the area students. Craig Zywicki questioned the Children’s Choirs budget since it looks as if there currently is a surplus. In response, the group’s treasurer noted that the Midwest Children’s Choir Festival that they sponsor takes place in alternate years. As a result, the bank balance rises during the year between festivals. g) Ames Chamber Artists ($4,000): Connie Hardy represented Ames Chamber Artists, which is in its 26th season. It is a mixed choir of 42 men and women. It is an auditioned choir. Each year, the choir does two performances locally and then joins with other musical groups in the Story County and central Iowa area to promote music and enjoy other communities. All people who audition are admitted to the choir. Since the City of Ames will be celebrating its 150th anniversary, next year’s theme involves bringing together motifs of freedom and civil rights. The group hopes to arrange with other choirs to join them in celebrating these themes. Added costs of performers come from bringing soloists and commissioning works. December 1 and December 7 are the dates for the outreach concert in December. Commissioners Lewis and Zywicki complimented Ms. Hardy on the straightforward application. h) ACTORS ($19,922): Lynne McElrath and Stan Rabe presented for this group. The community theater troupe presents five shows annually. All work is done by volunteers. ACTORS is supported by approximately 325 volunteers and has 178 members. ACTORS needs to update its ticketing system so that tickets are available from more sources. Much of their costs are used to keep the theater going. The organization seeks to broaden its appeal to various audiences. Financially due to overhead costs, ACTORS has found both the advantages and disadvantages of having its own building. Script rental and royalties costs vary from a few hundred to a few thousand. However, ACTORS benefits from “in kind donations” because it’s all volunteer labor. i) Octagon ($50,000): Heather Johnson presented for the Octagon. She noted that in the last four years, the staff has gone from eight full time people to four employees. The Octagon has been effected by late payments from the government, due to the shutdown. The group has outreach to three senior centers and several area schools and to home schoolers. The Octagon Art Festival has been a growing success each year. Last year nearly 1800 people visited the Festival of Trees. The Octagon has increased its use of social media in the last few years. The Octagon does rent some of its space (especially the Community Gallery) at special rates for non-profits, and it charges a regular rental fee for weddings, galas and similar events. Responding to Chair Lewis about how many other cities are able to provide for local artists with a forum to present their art to the community, Ms. Johnson said that many other towns have waiting times of several years before space is available for local artists. Commissioner Zywicki complimented the Octagon how its “story has changed.” Johnson responded that the COTA grants made the improvements possible. Chair Lewis asked about the Ames 150 Years Celebration. Johnson says that they are planning to be a part of the celebration and are already working with Ted Kooser, an Ames High School alumnus and a former United States poet laureate, to be a part of the city’s celebration. f) Central Iowa Symphony ($10,000) Julie Stroud said that CIS has been a part of the Ames arts scene for 27 years. This community orchestra provides opportunities for local musicians for mentorship and leadership. The group likes to feature local performers and composers. This year the young artist concert symphony will team up with the Ames High School Orchestra. One expense the symphony has to deal with is “per seat” fee for use of the City Auditorium, which continues to be a large expense. Rehearsal expenses remain affordable. The symphony board continues to discuss this problem with Parks & Recreation, specifically. Ticket prices have been increased to pay the fee; however, the symphony’s ticket prices are already the highest in Iowa for local orchestra. Chair Lewis said he would ask Melissa Mundt to look into this. Commissioner Cooper asked about membership fees, to which Ms. Stroud said it looks as if the musician is buying a seat in the orchestra, which works against the idea of presenting the best musicians in each chair. In response to questions, Ms. Stroud said there is no annual fee or membership drive. Currently there is some trouble developing consensus on the board. Chair Lewis asked if CIS had asked for other community grants. Ms. Stroud said the advanced planning has been difficult, partly due to the consensus issue. Chair Lewis asked about revenue inconsistency on the application. A corrected budget will be submitted. Ms. Stroud says the group does four subscription concerts plus a free concert in the summer. Further questions were asked about the budget. g) Story Theater Company ($9,900): Troy Rutter presented the information about the Story Theater Company grant application. The organization, which is in its seventh year, hosts “pro forma” auditions and each child who tries out is accepted. The organization produces three main shows annually. The group has begun an endowment. During the summer, workshops are presented where students are helped to develop their monologue, auditioning, improvisational, and acting skills. The group is looking for space to combine its theater, workshop, and costuming space. COTA funds are used for workshop fees and the accompanying scholarships, both full and partial. The need for scholarships has increased. The group has worked with Story County Community Foundation to begin a teen theater club. ISU theater instructors help with the acting and improvisation workshop. The main source of expenses is the costs for rental including the City Auditorium, the Octagon, and the ACTORS club. Commssioner Zywicki asked questions about anticipated growth. Mr. Rutter said the group would like to expand some current services and offer the workshop training to younger children, including first and second grade students. At this time, there is no plan to add a fourth performance. h) Co’Motion Dance ($7,000): Valerie Williams presented for the Co’Motion Dancers, which is a professional, modern dance organization in Ames. The support allows the group to do more outreach in Ames and to involve local dancers, who are looking for the opportunity to continue their interest in dance. Ames is a “dance rich community” with more opportunities for social dance per capita than Des Moines has. Women in Motion is a performance workshop for adults that allows women to dance expressively. Co’Motion Dance will be working with the Ames Sesquicentennial. This will allow the group to focus an Ames as a “people.” A commissioned work will be performed outdoors there and at three places in the City of Ames during 2014. Dancers are paid per performance and are permanent line items. The two office staff members are paid. i) Kids Co'Motion ($4,460): Ms. Williams presented the information for Kids Co’Motion, which accepts any child who is interested in dance. In three weeks, the group puts together a program which is performed at various locations in Ames, including at the Farmers’ Market. Since the program is Kids Co’Motion, the group can prepare dances about locomotions. The work involves costuming for 25 children, working with lighting, programming, and choreography. The goal is that children learn to express an idea in movement and to move an audience. j) Friends of Ames Strings ($1,500): Jodi Held serves as a booster program for area middle and elementary school music students who are string players. Last summer served as a record breaking year for participation. This involved 55 students. If the numbers continue to grow, the group will need to add another conductor. Students pay a participation fee of $80 for the two week summer program. At the end of the two weeks, a performance takes place. The group is looking to find another place for the performance because the group has grown so much. With a larger space the group will be able to invite more people. Currently, the estimated attendance is 180 people. One main reason for requesting COTA funding is to keep the cost down so that students can afford it. Some of the grant money would be used to offer scholarship funding to students who cannot afford the summer workshop. Chair Lewis asked if the organization had considered working with the City’s sesquicentennial celebration during 2014. Commissioner Zywicki asked some questions about growth and planning for more than one performance. He encouraged the idea of joining with some other organizations in order to allow the students to present their skills to a larger audience. Mr. Zywicki also mentioned that the group had used an old form. k) Ames International Orchestra Festival Association (AIOFA) ($10,000): Patti Cotter discussed the partnership between AIOFA and the ISU Center. The two organizations join together to present three concerts annually, which makes Ames a standout when it comes to orchestra audiences. Karl Gwiasda serves as president of the AIOFA board. Orchestras have come from all six inhabited continents. Anticipated orchestras are the Russian State Symphony and the Mexico Orchestra. Preconcert talks by the visiting musicians are sponsored by AIOFA, which serves as a way to help educate students of all ages. The business end of the ISU Center handles the contractual arrangements. AIOFA concentrates on education and allowing students to see and hear world class musicians and orchestras, which are usually composed of 80 to 90 participants. When the Library reopens, pre-concert programs will be sponsored there. COTA moneys are used to sponsor the discount for the Concert for Youth and the matinee and for other concerts. Much of this funding goes to support funding for Youth in Ames to attend the world class presentations, where the students pay 30% of the individual adult rate. l) India Cultural Association ($3,000): Sreeparna Mitri and Radhika Giri spoke for the group. ICA has participated with COTA for 15 years, primarily utilizing special project grants. This year the group has requested an annual grant to use for funding a major dance program of classical and folk dance. This organization plans to sponsor a musical group from Kansas City that combines music and dance from a variety of ethnic groups. The requested money would pay for 40% of the cost of the planned program. The group uses the City Auditorium for the majority of its performances. Commissioner Zywicki encouraged the group to plan for projects that would occur throughout the year, as opposed to a single project. This would add continuity to the proposal. m) Stars Over VEISHEA ($7,500): Karl Kerns and Josh Sonnabend represented Stars Over VEISHEA. COTA money was used last year to help pay for the production. This year the money would be used to support the bottom line general costs of the performance including the set. In response to Chair Lewis’s question about how SOV benefits the Ames community, Mr. Kerns replied that ticket prices are supported and that generally two-thirds of the audience are members of the Ames community. Six performances are presented in the Fisher Theater and normally sold out Chair Lewis asked about other funding from the VEISHEA budget. Mr. Kerns replied that Government of the Study Body and student fees generally make up most of the budget. Chair Lewis requested more information about the budget. Since SOV is not a free event, the GSB cannot support the SOV program. Member Zywicki clarified that audience fees should ideally cover the costs of the event. Mr. Zywicki discussed the way to fill out the budget form and to use the first paragraph of the application as the paragraph that will be presented to the City Council. Chair Lewis asked about the location of the performance. Ms. Brockpahler asked about royalty fees. Mr. Kerns said this year the group is anticipating royalty fees of $6,200. The Commission asked the VEISHEA representatives email an updated introductory paragraph justifying their grant request, so that the City Council members will understand the thinking of the Commission in working with SOV. APPROVING SPRING SPECIAL PROJECT GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS The Commission agreed to make decisions about the Spring Special Project Grants after the India Cultural Association presented its proposal. Chair Lewis suggested that each project be voted on individually. a) Ames Chamber Artists requested $700. It was moved by Malinda Cooper and seconded by Craig Zywicki to fund the Ames Chamber Artists spring proposal with a grant of $536.40. Motion carried unanimously. b) Stars Over VEISHEA requested $750. It was moved by Member Cooper and seconded by Member Brockpahler that the commission not grant any money to this organization. Member Zywicki seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. c) India Cultural Association requested $750. It was moved by Member Brockpahler, and seconded by Commissioner Zywicki that the group be granted $559.00. Motion carried unanimously. d) Ames Community Arts Council requested $250. It was moved by Member Cooper and seconded by Zywicki to fund a grant of $193.15. Motion carried unanimously. e) Story Theater Company requested $750. It was moved by Member Brockpahler, and seconded by Commissioner Zywicki to approve a grant of $465.60. Motion carried unanimously. NEXT MEETING: December 2, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. (Council Chambers) ADJOURNMENT: The Commission adjourned at approximately 12:10 p.m.