Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/18/2025 - Meeting Minutes SALT LAKE CITY AID]"Id June 18th, 2025 SALT LAKE CITY ARTS COUNCIL BOARD MEETING (Anchor location: 54 Finch Lane Gallery)5:30— 7:00 P.M. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81351967257?pwd=TmsK24oOYlBAQQNGHzgPNDhpWAdChX.1 ATTENDANCE: Board Members in Attendance: • Travis English • Hannah Nielsen • Susan Koles Rickman • Kathy Davis • Jeff Driggs • Cuauhtemoc"C-moc" Sandoval • Matthew Coles • Eugenie Hero • Caitlin Tursic Board Members in Attendance Online: • Ignacio Rosenberg • Gabriella Huggins Board Members Excused: • Lana Taylor • Sabrina Martinez • Ryan Canter Council/Cft Staff/Public in Attendance: • Felicia Baca,Arts Council Executive Director • Laurel Cannon Alder,Arts Council Deputy Director • Lindsey Day,Art Council Office Facilitator • Amy Childress, Public Art Program Coordinator • Lorena Riffo-Jenson, Director, Department of Economic Development • Jacob Maxwell, Deputy Director,Department of Economic Development • Wendy Evanoff,Office Facilitator(online) • Syliva Richards,City Council Liaison(online) MINUTES: Call to Order and Welcome Guests • Ms. Koles Rickman called the meeting to order,and Ms. Baca noted that moving the Arts Council to the Communities and Neighborhoods division was approved. • Ms. Baca expressed gratitude for all the support the Department of Economic Development has provided to the Arts Council over the years. • Ms. Riffo-Jensen expressed her thanks to the Arts Council staff and board. She shared an anecdote that a year ago the Economic Development team shared the Art Barn offices for a period of time, and during that time the personal bonds grew, and it was bittersweet to see the council move into a different department. • Mr.Maxwell also expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the patience of the Arts Council staff during their work with the city. It was noted that many valuable insights were gained from working together, and there is excitement to see what the Arts Council continues to do. MISSION: To promote,present and support artists and arts organizations in order to facilitate the development of the arts and expand awareness, access, and engagement. SALT LAKE CITY AID]"Id Mission Moment(Future events&SLC worthy recognition) • The board discussed the latest arts&culture events they have attended around the city and look forward to attending in the future. Some events that were mentioned included Heart&Soul Music Stroll,the Utah Arts Festival, Bald Separano at the Alliance Theater,the Odd Couple at the Off Broadway Theater, and the new Les Chingones show at Material Gallery. • Ms. Baca noted that the Arts Council held a press conference related to the Utah Arts Festival with Mayor Wilson and stated the Mayor's Artists Awards that will be handed out on Friday. Approve Board Meeting Minutes • No board members had changes to the May board meeting minutes. Mr. Coles motioned to approve, and Ms. Davis seconded.The motion carried unanimously. Management Program/Administrative Update: • Ms. Baca shared photos from recent events and initiatives.These included Living Traditions Festival, Springboard Arts program,Matt Monsoon's"What We Build Together"installation, Foothill trailhead bike racks,Vanishing Voices exhibit at Mestizo Arts Gallery, GSL Hopeline, and Seven Canyons fountain writing workshop. • Ms. Baca discussed some upcoming events,which included the Jordan River Stroll, Oscar Tuzaon opening at UMOCA, and Finch Lane openings for Sandy Brunvand and Mitsu Salmon. • Ms. Baca discussed an overall focus on safety and security at live events,given the recent events at Salt Lake area events. • Ms. Baca noted that the council had not yet received an update on the pending NEA grant, despite being informed that other Utah organizations had been notified last week. Public Art Collection Database: • Ms. Childress provided an overview of the efforts she has led to input the city's art collection into a new software system aimed at making management of the city's collection easier and more efficient. • Ms. Childress provided a quick overview of the city's public art program,including its funding and the oversight of over 15o artworks across the city, as well as the art collection in the City and County building. It was noted that additional projects and funding originate with other departments,with the UTA being indicated as an entity the council partners regularly with. • Ms. Childress walked through the software and noted some key benefits of the software as: o Providing a more real-time/up-to-date view of the collection o Ability to track and access essential documents related to specific pieces o Repository for contact information for artists,fabricators, and related vendors o Creation of documents and reports (ex: budget spent on maintenance). o Easy upload of proposal and maintenance documentation • Ms.Tursic asked about the maintenance budget process, and Ms. Childress explained the yearly process to request maintenance funds as part of the city-side budget.This is informed by a 2021 report created to provide a recommendation on a phased maintenance approach. • Ms. Childress noted that the airport and the sister cities program have also adopted the software. • Ms. Childress noted that the process for deaccession involved providing a recommendation to the City Council. Budget/Financial SALT LAKE CITY AID]"Id • Ms. Baca noted that the final FY25 budget had not yet been fully reconciled, as some May numbers still needed to be finalized,but that she was feeling good about being on budget and year-end numbers. • Ms. Baca provided a summary of the proposed FY26 budget.This included the following key points: o The overall decrease in budget is driven by decreased budget tied to Wake the Great Salt Lake. The total proposed decrease is $242K. o It was noted that the City Council approved an additional $25K increase for Twilight, and the team was grateful for that approval. It is a one-time budget increase, so a longer-term funding strategy is still needed. Mr. Coles noted Ms. Baca's great effort in securing the increase. o It was noted that there was less state funding for the Division of Museums. o It was noted that the city approved a 4%cost-of-living adjustment for all city employees,which is reflected in the budget. o It was noted that the ZAP budget line item is projected as it is based on sales tax and might see some changes to the allocation Tier 1 organizations receive. o It was noted that overall,given the potential for uncertainties in the next year,the team feels confident about the budget. • Ms.Tursic made a motion to approve the FY26 budget, and Mr. English seconded the motion. It was approved unanimously. • Ms. Baca provided additional context on the budget presentation to the City Council. Some key points included: o It was noted that this year was unique in the sense that individual departments don't usually present budgets to the council outside of the division they are housed within. o During the presentation,Councilmember Puy expressed both his excitement and shared some criticisms about the council. o Ms. Hero requested a summary of the feedback.Ms. Baca relayed concerns about project timelines being too long, and the councilmember shared the need for support for specific types of projects.Ms. Baca said she would share the recording of the council presentation with the board. • Ms. Baca noted that it was an excellent opportunity to educate key stakeholders further and take the feedback as input into the next strategic plan,which currently goes through 2026. o Ms. Huggins asked how the board could help support, and Ms. Baca noted that the council was at the beginning of the process to help ensure expectations with the council and stakeholders were clear and that she would engage the board as needed. o Ms. Koles Rickman noted that she felt Ms. Baca and Ms. Cannon Alder did a great job presenting and handling the council's questions. Public Comment • No public comments were given. Other Business • Ms. Davis noted that her tenure on the preservation board was ending. Ms. Baca stated there was a potential to recruit from new board members or revisit the ordinance that required an arts council board member to sit on that board. • It was noted that the board is off for the month of July and that Mr. Coles would be taking over as chair in August. • The board also discussed a mask given to the council from an artist at Living Traditions. Mr. Coles motioned to end the meeting, and Ms. Davis seconded.The motion was approved unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned.