Minutes

ESTACADA ARTS COMMISSION

Wednesday, July 2, 2003

Present:

Commissioners – Jane Reid, Jami Berry, Barbara Mattson, Katinka Bryk, Miriam Hunt, Gloria Feider Polzin

Guests: Suzanne Dinsdale, Nina Hamilton, Joe Cotter

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 pm.

Minutes

The copy of June’s meeting minutes were read and approved with a minor correction.

Financial Report

The financial report and the latest donations were reviewed. Jami agreed to create a master list of 2003 donors.

OLD BUSINESS

Outreach

There was no Chamber of Commerce meeting held last month.

Americans for the Arts National Conference

Katinka attended this informational conference and made quite a few valuable contacts. She met an artist, Eichner of Eichner Studios, who was interested in opening an art school studio in Estacada.

Grant Workshop

The grant workshop was quite successful with standing room only. Attendees came from Redland, Oregon City and Milwaukie, as well as Estacada and Eagle Creek. Cheryl Snow presented a condensed but very practical introduction to grant writing and Katinka prepared a brochure about grant information available in the library and online. We agreed that events such as these are needed by and helpful to the community. Katinka will email Cheryl Snow regarding help for holding more of these kinds of workshops. Jami will send a thank-you to Cheryl.

Cultural Trust Meeting

Jane hosted this meeting, which was attended by about 10 community members representing a variety of interests. Estacada was chosen as one of the five towns to hold a cultural planning forum by the Clackamas County Planning Committee of the Oregon Cultural Trust. Cheryl Snow and David Porter, the director of the End of the Trail Museum in Oregon City, facilitated the meeting. Four questions were posed:

What cultural strengths do you see in your community and why are these important to you? Responses included: our strong core of artists, the river and national forest that surround us, interesting history, timber/mills/farms, active granges, large church community, strong arts commission, well-used library, art in the schools, infusion of new faces, ideas and energy, Hispanic population, art gallery, Phillip Foster Farm, Summer Celebration.

What do you think are the missing cultural links? What is needed in your community? Responses included: facilities for meetings, small performances, classes, youth services, links to Hispanic community, larger museum, effective communication between groups and school district, bringing arts resources from Portland and elsewhere, money, advertising and marketing of Estacada, and more businesses and employment that would be arts supportive.

Based on the described strengths, where are the best opportunities to meet the described needs? Responses included: school facilities, community center, churches, librarians, collaborative opportunities, Summer Celebration as a vehicle to involve Hispanic community, Spiral Gallery First Friday, Philip Foster Farm, engage reenactment folks with the town

If money were no object, where do you think community energies and efforts should be directed? Responses with total votes: Build new library (4), Convert amphitheatre at Timber Bowl to a Tanglewood-like place (3), Philip Foster Farm, Build an Art Center, Build a Museum, Buy PGE land by he river for riverfront access (2), and Downtown Development, Parks, Pass School Budgets (1)

The Clackamas County Cultural Planning Committee will take the information gleaned from these meetings and create a written plan to guide the creation of a Clackamas County Cultural Plan. An online, cultural inventory database of people and organizations involved in arts, heritage and the humanities is also being created.

Centennial Mural

The Arts Commission will begin the process of commissioning a public mural for the city this October. The initial steps are to send out letters and form a selection committee; by March 2004 we should be ready to talk with the selected artist. We will perform the fundraising and grant writing. Joe Cotter, representing Artback, showed the commission a walking tour brochure that Eileen Belanger (an Artback artist) created showing each mural. Joe asked if we could assist with the publication of this brochure and the commission agreed to provide the ink cartridges for the city’s color copier. Artback will provide the paper.

Summer Celebration

The posters were approved by the commission and are ready to be printed. Oregon Business Forms will print 150 posters 11x17” for $125. Jane will ask her about the table toppers. We decided to make our own inserts (approx. 2000) for the CCN. Rhea Rude, the Volunteer Coordinator, has asked for some assistance in coming up with volunteers. We each agreed to think of 5 people who are not on the list already and give Rhea a call with the names. The next Summer Celebration meeting will be held Wednesday, July 16^th at Jane’s.

NEW BUSINESS

Arts & Lecture Series

The commission agreed to hold the A&L series between January and April. Suzanne Dinsdale volunteered to find out about the Auditorium’s availability during those months and report back. Katinka suggested a Film Festival and it was discussed as to whether this would be the only type of cultural item to have. It was decided to discuss further after the Summer Celebration.

Policies and Goals

We created and adopted a job description and mission statement for the Commission. Katinka suggested we need a written statement of a plan on how to achieve our goals and visions.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Jami Berry, Secretary