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Minutes 02-09-17MINUTES OF THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017, AT 6:30 P.M. IN THE WEST WING CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BOULEVARD, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT: Kim Weiss, Chair Robyn Lorenz Cindy Falco-Dicorrado Susan Oyer Louis Golene Lauren Huff Clovis Moodie, Alternate ABSENT: Anderson Slocombe Ms. Coles-Dobay, Public Arts Manager ALSO PRESENT: Rein Triefeldt, Artist; Andy Kaplan, Artist; Tom Brewitz, Artist; Rick Beau Lieu, Artist and volunteer; Ann Miller, volunteer; Bill Combs, volunteer; Amanda Johnson, Artist and owner of Amanda James Gallery; Pat Sanders, volunteer; Ann Al- exander volunteer, Ralph Gschwend "Ralfonso",Artist; Patricia Gabaldon, volunteer. 1. CALL TO ORDER Susan Oyer acted as Chair and called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. II. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS Self -introductions were made. A quorum was present. III. AGENDA APPROVAL Motion Ms. Weiss moved to approve the agenda that unanimously passed. IV. APPROVE MEETING MINUTES A. Oct. 13 minutes Motion Ms. Falco-Dicorrado seconded the motion Ms. Lorenz moved to approve the minutes as written. Ms. Weiss seconded the motion that unanimously passed. Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 B. November 10 minutes Motion Ms. Lorenz moved to approve the November minutes as presented. Ms. Falco- Dicorrado seconded the motion that unanimously passed. V. ANNOUNCEMENTSIREPORTS: NONE VI. PROJECT UPDATES/APPROVALS: NONE VII. INTL KINETIC ART EXHIBIT AND SYMPOSIUM PLANNING A. Kinetic Art Event recap Ms. Coles-Dobay thanked the attendees for their time and efforts in being part of the 3rd Biennial Kinetic Art and Symposium Exhibition and for attending the meeting. She ex- plained the focus of the meeting was to obtain feedback. She left marketing materials for the attendees to view which marketed the event and requested attendees write a statement of what they thought about the event. She received emaiis giving feedback and she made categories to list the comments and suggestions for the next event. The categories were: artists, artwork, marketing, presentations, operations, technology, dis- play, music, food, volunteers and other. Ms. Coles-Dobay read an email from Richard Jay indicating the event was a great suc- cess and the turnout, the artists and work was impressive; all were nice and helpful. "Neil Slater and Richard Jay" were thrilled to be chosen as the People's Choice award winner in the Indoor Exhibition for The Portal. They would like a copy of any Certificate or press release. They were gratified to observe the expressions of both young and old who saw The Portal the first time. Ms. Coles-Dobay explained they will receive some- thing. Another attendee wrote they were very impressed with the artist and artwork. It was noted winners will receive a letter. Ms. Coles-Dobay also posted the winners of the People's Choice Award and the International Kinetic Art Organization on City's AIPP Facebook page. Guy Williamson congratulated Ms. Coles-Dobay for establishing a space and voice for artists in Boynton Beach which can serve as a catalyst for the kinetic art market. He commented the slogan "Art in Motion" attracts attention in the community and South Florida. The volunteers associated with the event are hardworking and a pleasure to know. The event can become a world-class event given the necessary resources. Boynton Beach can be a destination to buy world class kinetic art, coupled with an edu- cation forum. He suggested marketing aggressively to art collectors, galleries, major museums, curators, institutional buyers, corporate partners and sponsors. They need significant marketing campaigns in art journals, and become a Palm Beach County event, culling all resources together in Boynton Beach to benefit the City and County. He felt the event should shift gears to a global event with a Boynton Beach spotlight on reknown and emerging kinetic artists, with adjunct private corporate donations. He 2 Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 suggested having a dedicated person for fundraising and positive public relations would be enormous for the town. Current competition in kinetic art is evolving. Tom Brewitz thought Boynton Beach can be the headquarters for kinetic art and he thought Palm Beach has great name recognition. Integrating the Palm Beach County name in the marketing might help. A suggestion was made to market the event taking place in Boynton Beach in the Palm Beaches. Ms. Coles-Dobay explained they will rank the ideas and suggestions and return with a session to discuss and identify what they will address for the next event. The Garden Group commented the volunteers were knowledgeable with the art and art- ists. Cheryl Mader liked the event. Chef Dane Ja who provided the food had commented he did not get enough attendees to make and sustain the cost. He suggested having some type of activity or booths to attract attendees in the street west of the food tents. Ms. Coles-Dobay noted E. Ocean Avenue to 1St was blocked off and he thought activities on the west side of the street would be beneficial. More attendees were needed. Tom Brewitz thought the highest traffic flow was between the Library and the tent and Civic Center. There was enough signage, but questions were raised if the cafe was open as it was open on Saturday, but not Sunday. Another suggestion was made to improve on the map. The layout was good, but more information would be helpful. Elayna Toby Singer had previously indicated to Ms. Coles-Dobay the map had numbers at each art site and suggested there be an onsite number to coordinate which display attendees were physically seeing to correspond to the number on the map. Ms. Falco-Dicorrado commented people who voted for their favorite art had voted for the Portal, but it had a different name on the vote sheet. Ann Nevis, a volunteer docent, wanted something to put their things in, and several people asked where they could purchase a tee shirt or tote. They loved the logo. Ange- la Budano thought the signage could be better at the Library. Clovis Moodie advised at- tendees at the Library needed a tote as they picked up information about the art and needed something to hold it in. Tom Brewitz asked if the Arts Commission priced tote bags. Ms. Coles-Dobay explained they did not offer promotional items. The purpose of the totes was for volunteers to have something to hold the programs in which they would distribute. Tee shirts were not sold; they were to assist the public recognize volunteers. Ms. Weiss thought it was a great idea to sell tee shirts, but it was noted they have to carry different sizes. Mr. Brewitz also noted if they sell the tee shirts, they could add the year of the event on the back or the words Boynton Beach. Umbrellas and water bottles were suggested as it was hot. Kj Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 Another email indicated a volunteer, Mya Breman, spent the first day as a docent across from the community center answering questions where to start their tour. She was excited to show them the application from Otocast that was available. She sug- gested there be a shaded information booth in front of the Schoolhouse Children's Mu- seum as many people park behind it. If the information for the Otocast application were done earlier, there would not be a need to have so many docents. Attendees could download the application prior to coming. A large board near the suggested information booth describing lectures would be helpful as many attendees were unaware of the classes, and many attendees did not take the time to read the information in the handouts. Ms. Nevis suggested listing the times of the presentations at various loca- tions. Some people could not download the Otocast application. They could download the app in the Library as the Library has guest WiFi by the parking lot in front of the Civic Center and outside the Library, but not in the street and that is as far as it went. It was also noted there were many people with flip phones. Guided tours were available for the blind and/or deaf. It was suggested having an area where people gather if they want a tour. A trolley or golf cart would be helpful. Ms. Coles-Dobay invited the attendees to categorize their comments on the sheets she provided. Donations of art or auctions and lunches with the artist was discussed as was a pro- gram signed by every artist that could be bid on. Tom Brewitz maintained even though the year is on the tee-shirt, it could be a record of the event or be a collectable item. Bill Combs explained the Arts Commission did not create a poster, but had two years ago. They ordered many and had a great deal of them left over. They had plenty of places to sell brochures. Ralfonso asked if the Arts Commission considered selling the brochures now with the CD. Ms. Coles-Dobay explained the last few years no one bought them even at a re- duced price. Rein Triefeldt asked how a permanent exhibit space was progressing and about ex- panding the indoor exhibition for one month. Susan Oyer suggested displaying the top five voted pieces or top three indoor pieces for a month. Rein Triefeldt commented they are discussing a permanent first class venue. The event is an international event and art is displayed in a tent with a plywood floor and in a Li- brary on tables. European visitors will not see a serious sophisticated international event. He suggested there is a need to develop a permanent venue, gallery or museum. ►a Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 Ms. Oyer explained the City will redo the historic high school and there should be space there, but until they rebuild, and the City selects a final developer, they will immediately get started on the building and free up space. Everyone wants art there. Rein Triefeldt commented Boynton Beach is facing competition from other communities for kinetic art. He thought the City would have to keep pace which would increase artist stipends and the Arts Commission should consider housing for the artists. Other com- munities pay for artist hotel stays and meals. This must be addressed in the budget Ms. Falco-Dicorrado asked if a contribution box could be used. Ms. Oyer noted some- one stuck money in the ballot box, which was returned to the donor. Ms. Weiss thought the interiors and exhibits were beautiful, but the street looked vacu- ous as people are used to seeing activity and movement. She thought the Arts Com- mission should consider how to increase attendance, because if increased, merchan- dise would sell. If there is a scant amount of people, they will not buy. She asked if ar- tisans were selling. The food court looked way too big, but if kept that size, more peo- ple were needed. Mr. Triefeldt explained that goes into the planning; however, the Su- per Bowl was occurring on the same Sunday. Ms. Weiss emphasized more people was important. Mr. Triefeldt explained other enti- ties pay strict attention to the calendar to ensure there are no conflicting events or na- tional events such as the Super Bowl. Ms. Weiss noted during season there are art fairs everywhere. Tom Brewitz felt there will always be something to compete, but the Arts Commission was blindsided by the Super Bowl. Ms. Lorenz noted the Super Bowl started at 6:30 p.m., however, people were preparing for it during the day. Ms. Gabaldon commented attendees at the Library commented they had a problem be- cause they had Super Bowl parties scheduled. If it had been on another day, they would have come. The Garlic Fest was also coming up and the Arts Commission did not want to compete with that either because it is a huge event. Ms. Moodie was aware count clickers were used and asked about the overall count and how it compared to prior years. Ms. Coles-Dobay commented they did not have a final count. Ms. Lorenz noted 2,000 people were counted in the tent on Saturday. A sug- gestion was made to have one entrance to obtain an accurate count. Discussion followed the count goes to planning. Ms. Moodie inquired how the City will measure the success of the activity. The committee in charge of planning needs to have a concrete idea how to measure success. The suggestions may or may not have aligned. 5 Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 Tom Brewitz noted the sculptors and artists were on site until 8:30 p.m. packing crates and trailers. Part of the issue some people may have overlooked was if they could just leave afterwards. Bill Combs would have liked to see more schoolchildren and youth involved. He sug- gested a direct mailing to serious purchasers of artwork may benefit the artists resulting in more serious sales. It would make the event more inclusive in the future. Ann Alexander commented on the reception tent where the food was located and pointed out food should never be at the entrance of the building. It should have been at the far end to allow people in. People had to wait to get in. She agreed something must be done with the floors. An elderly woman was with her and the floor was moving. Ms. Falco-Dicorrado thought the areas should be split to two sides of the room and Ms. Alexander suggested getting a larger tent or a different venue. Patricia Gabaldon commented the tent was large and white. It did not look like an art tent. There was no color, pendants, banners, streamers or lights. If they had done more to make it festive, it would have added to the draw. Ms. Weiss noted Art Miami tents are usually plain. Ms. Gabaldon commented the attendees did not know if they could go in, there was no signage and they were unsure what it was Susan Oyer suggested using projectors, such as the kind used for Halloween images and using the Kinetic Art in Motion logo, but it would only be visible at night. Amanda Johnson advised her gallery was located at the end of the street and she had a phenomenal weekend. They worked hard to secure Tom Hare, but it was important the artist was a kinetic artist that had an affordable price point. He sold two pieces on each day at a higher bracket. On Saturday she needed help. They were there for the Mer- maid Splash and Pirate Fest, and she noted there was a big difference in events. They had less numbers, but the people who came in were interested in what was happening in the area. A huge group that walked from Ocean Ridge to the neighborhood was great to tap into and they are good customers and clients. As a gallery, they heard the event was disorganized as they were unsure where they needed to go. She did her best to direct them. She did not get to explore on her own until Sunday and she saw that Elayna's piece was lost. The tent felt scattered, but somewhere either a booth at the front and a booth behind that sandwiches everything that has the information for people to be able to go between both ends would be beneficial. She thought LED light- ing would look great projected on the tent with the logo. It is a fabulous event and all the art was amazing. She heard only positive things other than it being disorganized. Pat Sanders wanted to do something similar to what is done by the Garden Club on Ocean Ridge. They wrote a manual for coastal residents on plants and how to design yards. She commented she was in a yard working and noted the owner could have used a piece here or there and the owner could have bought a piece. She noted Tom Brewitz and Ralfonso made a presentation at Art Palm Beach. It would be helpful if Mr. Brewitz, or any artist could share photographs of their work to give people ideas how to 9 Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 incorporate kinetic art into their homes, yards, cities and towns. She would like to see a piece purchased for Ocean Ridge. Mr. Brewitz inquired if a booklet could be designed. Ms. Saunders commented if artists supply photographs, artists could self -publish booklets. Ms. Oyer suggested a video monitor so artists could use pictures of their own installations for people to view. Most artists have a website which could also be used. Ms. Weiss commented the lectures were fascinating, but she commented the lectures were remote, although City Hall is a great space. It was disconnected and she sug- gested having everything under one roof. She had a problem with the award format be- cause there were People's Choice Awards, and then the International Awards. It seemed like there was a missing piece that the winners were not present. She thought perhaps the art should be juried instead of having popular art. She thought awards should be made to those present. There would be a People's Choice Award, a juried award, and then an International Art award. Further discussion followed the People's Choice Award is degrading and it has created divisions within artist communities. Mr. Triefeldt commented some artists will not return to Boynton Beach because they travelled halfway across the country, and a local per- son wins the prize. He noted the event is losing top artists. Ms. Weiss thought it was important to let people feel like they have a vote. Ms. Moodie supported the People's Choice Award. She has lived in Boynton Beach since 1980 and was never aware of the event. She noticed, people were very serious about the People's Choice. Mr. Triefeldt explained the event it is an international event, not a local event. Mr. Brew- itz agreed there be a juried award as well as a People's Choice Award. He had heard the People's Choice Award was a stuffed ballot with local artists who had taught clas- ses. He noted Elayna Toby Singer has great art and she holds classes and her stu- dents then vote for her because their artwork was part of hers. He also noted it brought in a lot more people. Ann Miller explained they felt they created the art. She agreed a juried exhibit may be more appropriate. Ms. Weiss explained a lot of the ideas have been floated through the Arts Commission. They are always excited to have wonderful ideas. She appreciated the comments and noted implementation is important. The Arts Commission has to figure out great ideas and a practical way to get them done. Every time something is identified, they have to ascertain who will pursue it. The Arts Commission needs money, manpower and plan- ning. Ralfonso was impressed with the development of the event and agreed they can always do better. People came from China because kinetic art is evolving. Others came from the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland for the second time. Word is getting out and the event is turning into an international event. It is a lot of work by the team, Commission 7 Meeting Minutes Arts Commission Boynton Beach, Florida February 9, 2017 and the volunteers. He was impressed with Ms. Coles-Dobay and thought she was do- ing a fantastic job. Ms. Coles-Dobay advised she will collect the information and bring it back to the Board. Emphasis is about getting a corporate sponsor, marketing and outreach to get collec- tors, patrons and curators involved. Mr. Triefeldt suggested getting Ms. Coles-Dobay some help with project management. There may be a volunteer in the community with project management experience. It may be the Arts Commission needs more of a high level committee. She suggested Don Redman may be a great resource. They do not have to be physically present in Boynton Beach. It could be helpful to have a kinetic art committee that can reach out to their contacts for corporate sponsors. Eleanor Krusell, Communications Manager, noted the City Commission has made fi- nancial contributions for both this year's event and for the prior event. They have sup- ported it more than any other City event as they believe in the program and want to see it grow. VIII. EXHIBITS: NONE IX. NEW BUSINESS: NONE X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NONE XI. FUTURE BUSINESS A. Ocean 500 Albert Paley artwork XII. ADJOURNMENT Motion There being no further business to discuss, Ms. Weiss moved to adjourn. Ms. Huff se- conded the motion that unanimously passed. The meeting was adjourned at 7:38 p.m. i Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 0