HomeMy WebLinkAboutArts & Culture - 2011-05-17 Minutes
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
May 17, 2011 CITY OF KITCHENER
PRESENT: Helena Ball REGRETS: Laura Lee Dam
Juan Bohorquez Julie Robbescheuten
Don Bourgeois Ashley Dean
Cheryl Ewing 4:15 STAFF: Cheryl York, Arts/Culture Coordinator
Councillor Frank Etherington Ingrid Pregel, Mngr, Cultural Dev
Jamie Grant (until 4:45) Carrie Kozlowski, Recording Secretary
Ann Marie Hadcock
Allan Hoch
Earl McCluskie
Catherine Mombourquette (until 5:15)
Aaron MacFarlane, DAC rep to ACAC
GUESTS: Shirley Madill, Director General, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
Jeff Young, Manager, Special Events
CALL TO ORDER Don Bourgeois, Chair
1.0 Acceptance of Agenda
Agenda accepted as circulated
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2.0Acceptance of April 19, 2011 Minutes
Minutes accepted as circulated
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DELEGATION
3.0Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, new director general: Shirley Madill
Joined Winnipeg Art Gallery in 1979.
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Over 20 years progressed from assistant to associate curator; became senior curator with a
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contemporary art and photography focus. Experience encompassed dance, theatre,
literature and film in addition to visual art.
In 1999, assumed administrative responsibilities at the Art Gallery of Hamilton as chief
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curator and director of programming. Appointed vice-president and chief operating officer
in 2003. Despite a period of funding cutbacks, gallery’s financial base was significantly
expanded over five years and a major capital expansion was completed.
Returned to BC in 2006 as director & chief executive officer: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
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Returned to Ontario in 2008. Accepted a position in St. Catharine’s as director of Rodman
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Hall Art Centre, an independent gallery associated with Brock University. Steered the art
centre through a crisis, stabilizing programming, reconnecting with the community and
increasing the art centre’s national profile.
Has taught curatorial and museum studies, photography and art appreciation at Mohawk
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College, Brock University, University of Victoria and University of Manitoba.
Served on the board of the University and College Association of Canadian Art Galleries, the
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International Council of Museums and the Ontario Association of Art Galleries.
Special interest: role gallery plays in community.
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Goals for KW Art Gallery: banner projects, touring exhibitions, organizing exhibitions on site
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to attract outside visitors, increasing profile of gallery, reaching out to community,
encouraging business mixers, working with Chamber of Commerce, promote gallery as a
social space where activities happen, building collaborations and increasing existing
collaborations.
Public can meet Madill at the gallery’s annual general meeting: May 30, 7pm.
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Madill will speak on “ACE-ing It: Art, Community and Engagement,” which examines the role
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the gallery plays in building a creative community.
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May 2011 - ACAC Minutes
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
May 17, 2011 CITY OF KITCHENER
4.0Special Events initiative: Animating Civic Square: Jeff Young, Manager, Special Events
Goal of ‘Civic Square Live’ program (launched as a pilot last year): to program/animate civic
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square (and/or the Rotunda)daily between 11:30-1pm; initially programming from April – fall
in order to contribute to:
Downtown vitality
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Expectation that there’s always something going on 11:30-1:30, Monday to Friday
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Give emerging local artists an audience
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Civic Square Live is a portion of the larger Downtown Live project, which focuses on
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Thursdays and Fridays after work.
Target audience: People who live/work downtown.
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So far, performances have been mainly musical; would like to find other types of arts
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activities such as drama groups.
Collaboration with other groups (TheMuseum) are possibilities; young performers are
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acceptable.
Staff reviews artists’ portfolios and performances to make selections.
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Artist fees are paid for performances; no busking allowed.
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Performers are positioned where pedestrian traffic is highest.
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Branding of the program is underway: signage and web promotion.
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“Taco Tuesdays” are a new initiative as part of the program; Latin music and food
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Suggestion: Artist Marketplace one day a week.
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ACTION: ACAC to send ideas for performers to Jeff Young: jeff.young@kitchener.ca.
ACTION: Staff to discuss Civic Square Live program with Shirley Madill
DISCUSSION ITEMS
5.0ACAC Work Plan: all
On a motion made by Jamie Grant, seconded by Juan Bohorquez:
“That staff present report CSD-11-070 ‘Arts and Culture Advisory Committee Work
Plan 2011, 2012’ on May 30, 2011 to Community and Infrastructure Services
Committee.”
Discussion
Committee confirmed report is straightforward and aligns with corporate priorities. ACAC’s
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tasks tie in with City’s strategic plan.
Committee reordered the bulleted list of tasks assigned to the group focused on Arts
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Clusters/Multi-use Arts Centre. New order:
Consider lack of rehearsal/storage/performance space and solutions
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Develop an arts and culture cluster strategy; consider EDAC work
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Contribute to a feasibility study terms of reference for a downtown multiuse arts
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centre
6.0City’s Official Plan Status Report: Cheryl York
The Official plan recommendations from the subgroup, “Role of the City in Arts and Culture”
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were forwarded by staff to the Planning Department.
Arts and Culture staff will also provide suggestions, mainly requesting clarity and consistency
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with semantics.
Public draft Official Plan will be presented on June 20, 2011, which commences the public
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review phase (June 21 to September 28, 2011).
Arts and Culture staff will make some points; definitions and use of language needs to be
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clear. Needs to be consistent.
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May 2011 - ACAC Minutes
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
May 17, 2011 CITY OF KITCHENER
Committee agreed that it’s acceptable if its recommendations are not incorporated into the
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plan, so long as an explanation regarding the reasons for the omissions is provided.
7.0Report from Subgroup: ‘Arts Clusters/Multi-use Arts Centre’: Aaron MacFarlane and Allan
Hoch
Assumption: City has no intention of building a multi-use arts centre from ground up. More
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likely: piggybacking on existing facilities, which is a practical way for things to happen in the
present.
ACTION: Subgroup will develop a survey to determine artists’ / arts community’s needs and budget
for space. Staff and other committee members could help disseminate the survey.
This subgroup’s mandate is not to solve the problem, but rather to identify and demonstrate
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the need.
Must confirm priority of needs. Could include affordable storage space, rehearsal space,
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live/work and studio space, workshop space. Business skills training could also be a need.
All needs needn’t be addressed at one location. E.g. storage needn’t be located downtown,
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but exhibition space should be.
Zoning could be an issue (aligns with current Official Plan review).
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As a starting point, Aaron MacFarlane is compiling a list of available facilities to assist in
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identifying gaps.
Subgroup will tour various facilities and do further research.
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Staff notes that ‘space needs’ is a hot topic in the community. At least four different groups
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are concurrently discussing the issue. The survey will help capture the input from the
various groups.
ACTION: ACAC members to visit inventory of spaces document on BaseCamp and either edit it, add
to it, or advise Aaron of changes.
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Committee discussed the future for the soon-to-be defunct provincial courthouse building in
the Civic District. The process dictates that the Ontario Reality Corporation will give the
right of first refusal to another provincial agency, then the Region, then the City. It’s an
awkward building, but using it as a multiuse arts centre would fit with the goals of the Civic
District plan.
8.0Update on Council Orientation: ACAC members meetings with Councillors
ACTION: ACAC members to sign up for assignments for Councillor meetings on BaseCamp
ACAC members who Indicated interest but didn’t sign up yet: Jamie Grant, Ann Marie
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Hadcock
Assignments:
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Councillor John Gazzola: Aaron MacFarlane, Earl McCluskie
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Councillor Kelly Galloway: Ashley Dean
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Councillor Zyg Janecki: Earl McCluskie, Aaron MacFarlane
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Councillor Dan Glenn Graham: Allan Hoch, Catherine Mombourquette
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Councillor Scott Davey: Don Bourgeois, Cheryl Ewing
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Councillor Berry Vrbanovic:
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Councillor Yvonne Fernandes: Don Bourgeois, Helena Ball
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Councillor Paul Singh: Cheryl Ewing
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Councillor Bil Ioannidis: Cheryl Ewing
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Councillor Frank Etherington: N/A
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The meetings with Councillors will help ACAC to identify their hot-button issues, so that we
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can make a plan on how best to address Councillors’ concerns with arts and culture issues.
ACTION: Cheryl York to provide talking points on Public Art for ACAC members to use during their
meeting with Councillors, as the Public Art program seems to be a contentious issue.
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May 2011 - ACAC Minutes
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ACAC) MINUTES
May 17, 2011 CITY OF KITCHENER
INFORMATION ITEMS
9.0Public Art Working Group (PAWG) Report: Ann Marie Hadcock
Council approved the public art project for Kitchener Public Library by Moss and Lam.
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Now open: Call for Proposals for 2012 Artist in Residence. 2012 is centennial year; artists
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could incorporate that idea in project proposals.
Berlin Tower ARTSPACE programming and exhibitions are now underway. Separate from
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Rotunda Gallery. Can be used by Artist in Residence, other groups and arts organizations.
Sean Puckett, 2011 Artist in Residence, will have an exhibition of “Portrait of Kitchener” in
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the space in June.
ACTION: Staff will discuss possible opportunities to collaborate on exhibitions in this space with
Shirley Madill, KW Art Gallery
10.0Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) Report: Aaron MacFarlane
Committee considered sign bylaw changes, including limiting the amount of advertising
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permitted on window signage to 25%. DAC did not support the idea of digital projection of
ads for commercial ventures on buildings (Delta Hotel and other locations nightly throughout
the city).
As the city owns the projectors that display digital images on the Cube, which is on City Hall,
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the City can dictate content.
Rapid transit was also discussed.
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11.0Council Report: Councillor Etherington
Some Councillors balked at the $125,000 budget for the public art project at Kitchener
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Public Library (KPL) by Moss and Lam (of Toronto). However, report was passed.
Some Councillors object to the 1% allocation to public art, and that the project wasn’t
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awarded to a local artist.
Observation: next Public Art project to be approved by Council may be a challenge. Some
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Councillors want to review the Public Art policy.
In response to negative reaction of some Councillors to KPL project, staff provided
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information and forwarded a link to the Public Art web page.
Observation: ACAC members’ meetings with Councillors may help.
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12.0Members’ Updates
Registry Theatre: gallery space is available for exhibitions. Artists are invited to contact the
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Theatre.
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Homer Watson House and Gallery: preparing for 21 annual Watson exhibition. Other artists
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exhibiting: Endla Loney, Helena Pravda, Terry Torra.
Waterloo Dance Project: next performance May 28, 2011 “InDance”. Pay as you leave for
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value received. Traditional and contemporary dance.
JM Drama: Auditions for Putnam County Spelling Bee take place May 26 and 27. Visit
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www.jmdrama.org for more details.
ADJOURNMENT
The chair adjourned the meeting at 5:45 p.m.
NEXT MEETING
June 21, 2011, 4:00 p.m., Conestoga Room.
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May 2011 - ACAC Minutes