Arts & Culture Commission - November 17, 2021 Minutes

The Regular Meeting of the Arts and Culture Commission of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 17, 2021.

The Arts and Culture Commissioners present or absent were as follows:

Present: Deb Williams, Tracy Jordre, Jon Offutt, Tracy Walvatne, Joe Williams, Monika Browne-Ecker, Ann Arbor Miller, Brad Bachmeier

Absent: Denise Kolpack

Chair Jordre called the meeting to order and welcomed Members to the meeting.

Item 1: Order of Agenda
Member Offutt moved to approve the Order of Agenda. Second by Member Miller. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Item 2: Minutes: Regular Meeting of October 20, 2021
Member Miller noted two name clarifications. Member Browne-Ecker moved the Minutes of the October 20, 2021 Arts and Culture Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member J. Williams. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Item 3: Public Comment
Resident Christopher Coen shared comments on item 5d regarding conflict of interest.

Item 4: Subcommittee Updates
a. Fargo School District Project (Neighborhood Working Group)
Member D. Williams shared that group continues to work with the Fargo School District on a visual arts project of wrapping utility boxes with local children’s art, and will meet with the West Fargo School District for project opportunities.

b. Communication Plan (Development Working Group)
Chair Jordre shared that the group met with Planning and Development Director Nicole Crutchfield and City Commissioner John Strand, where they shared feedback from members of the development community and arts community, as well as communication opportunities.

c. Call for Artists (Capacity Working Group)
Member Bachmeier shared that the group has been reviewing and editing the Call for Artists document, and that they have also been discussing future selection committees.

Item 5: Discussion Items
a. 2021-2022 Introduction for Artists Opportunities, Presentation Included
Rachel Asleson, of Reach Partners Inc., presented on public art project types and upcoming public art opportunities, and work being done to identify needs within existing processes and ways to make art more often, and to be more accessible.

Discussion was held on the importance of culture within arts, future planning of projects, and ways of involving the community.

b. Call for Artist’s Timeline
Ms. Crutchfield shared that staff is working on communications to the community about upcoming arts activities. She also asked the Board for their expertise on the timing of arts projects into the new year.

Discussion was held on the amount of project dollars and the impact on the local arts community, timing of the project, communications in planning, and on the overall public art program.

c. 2022 Schedule
Ms. Crutchfield noted a change to meetings every other month. The Board was in favor of the change.

d. Conflict of Interest
City Attorney Erik Johnson provided the Commission with an overview of conflicts of interest and the memo he recently prepared on the topic.

Discussion was held on clarity for situations when Members serve on other local boards that may receive funding from The Arts Partnership, and whether the Board needed to discuss Members being employees of an arts organization.

Item 6: Announcements
Member Offutt shared the Arts for the Holidays event will be held on December 11th, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Civic Center.

Member Ecker-Browne shared that Theater B opens Yule B. Jolly on November 26th, 2021.

Member Offutt shared Dakota Fine Art is having an open house on the evening of November 18th, 2021.

Ms. Crutchfield shared that the Planning Department received the award Community Champion in Ending Homelessness from the FM Coalition To End Homelessness for their work in providing services to aid in ending homelessness and providing quarantine and isolation support in response to the pandemic. The award is a ceramic piece by artist Ken Omundson titled Muy Guapo, which will go into the City’s collection.

Item 7: Adjourn – Next Meeting: December 15, 2021
Member Offutt moved to adjourn the meeting. Second by Member Browne-Ecker. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

The time at adjournment was 6:00 p.m.