Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

REGULAR MEETING of the ARTS COMMISSION May 19, 2025, at 6:00 PM Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001. 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 The ARTS COMMISSION convened in a REGULAR meeting on 19, May 2025 at Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001. 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 Commissioner Houston called the ARTS COMMISSION Meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Gina Houston, Acia Gray, Felipe Garza, Heidi Schmalbach, Faiza Kracheni Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Keyheira Keys, Monica Maldonado, Sharron B Anderson, Nagavalli Medicharla Board Members Absent: Celina Zisman, Muna Hussaini CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Gina Houston - Chair, Acia Gray - Vice Chair, Keyheira Keys, Monica Maldonado, Felipe Garza, Heidi Schmalbach, Muna Hussaini, Celina Zisman, Faiza Kracheni, Sharron B Anderson, Nagavalli Medicharla MINUTES CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL • Calder Kamin spoke on their canceled AIPP corridor project • Amanda Johnston from Torch Literary Arts spoke on the positive impact the Thrive grant has had on their organization, and voiced their concerns around the arts working group recommendations that create additional barriers • Stephanie Patrick from Early Era Collective spoke on their history with cultural funding grants and wanted to tell the impact that the Elevate and Thrive grants have had on their organization including increased pay to artists and increased programming. They voiced their concerns around the funding caps and matching requirements in the arts working group recommendations • Margo Sawyer from spoke on their convention center works that was being decommissioned and wanted to request that the ACME pay for half of the cost ($15,000 of the total $30,000) of deinstalling their work • Zac Zulch from Almost Real Things spoke on the positive impact that the Elevate grant has had on their organization and voiced their concern around ACME’s Creative Reset. • Marisa Rivera from SIMS foundation spoke on the positive impact the Elevat grant has had on their organization and voiced their concerns around proposed changes to the existing funding programs. They voiced their for clear transparent process that ____ • Bonnie Cullum from The Vortex voiced their concerns around prioritizing “legacy” organizations when that term hasn’t been defined. They stressed that the organizational growth that was made capable by • Piper Lamoine Ranche Allegre spoke on the need to extend the reservation policy for the Doris Miller from no more than 6 months in advanced to allow Cultural Funding programs up to a year in advance. • Joel Montel from Sandlot Baseball spoke to offer their support to • Rachael Garbowski from Forklift Danceworks spoke on their NEA grant that was rescinded and the negative effects that it has had on their organization. They stressed the need to advocate for the arts organizations that lost NEA funding in Austin. They also spoke on their concern that the grant evaluations will create funding gaps for organizations • Chris Cowden from Women and their Work spoke on their NEA grant that was rescinded and the negative effects that it has had on their organization. They stressed the need to advocate for the arts organizations that lost NEA funding in Austin. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Arts Commission Regular Meeting on April 21, 2025. The minutes from the meeting of April 21, 2025 were approved on Commissioner Gray’s motion, Commissioner Schmalbach’s second on a 9-0 vote with Commissioners Zisman and Hussaini absent DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the May 5, 2025 meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado An update was given by Commissioner Maldonado STAFF BRIEFINGS 3. Staff briefing regarding update on the Economic and Cultural District Framework Policy by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager The presentation was made by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager 4. Staff briefing regarding update on the Govalle Cultural District by Donald Jackson, Business Process Consultant and Zac Traeger, Executive Director of The Museum of Human Achievement The presentation was made by Donald Jackson, Business Process Consultant and Zac Traeger, Executive Director of The Museum of Human Achievement 5. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager The presentation was made by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager 6. Staff briefing regarding update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor and Candice Cooper, Interim Chief Administrative Officer Zac Traeger from Musuem of Human Achievement spoke on their concerns around ACME’s Creative Reset and the recommendations that were approved by the Arts Commission Working Group The presentation was made by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor and Morgan Messick, Assistant Director of ACME 7. Staff briefing regarding an update on Art in Public Places by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Manager The presentation was made by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Manager DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 8. Action to Approve the Selection Process Recommendations for the Substandard Streets Art in Public Places Project – Johnny Morris Road and Ross Road Projects Motion to approve the Selection Process Recommendations for the Substandard Streets Art in Public Places Project – Johnny Morris Road and Ross Road Projects approved on Commissioner Gray’s motion, Commissioner Maldonado’s second on an 8-0 vote with Commissioner Keys Abstaining and Commissioners Zisman and Hussaini absent 9. Action to Approve the Art in Public Places Panel’s process to select two new panel members, including review of applications submitted through June 8, 2025, and forwarding of nominees to the Arts Commission for appointment. Motion to appoint Commissioner Gray to the Arit in Public Places Interview Panel on Commissioner Schmalbach’s motion, Commissioner Medicharla’s second on an 8- 0 vote with Commissioner Keys Abstaining and Commissioners Zisman and Hussaini absent 10. Discussion & Possible Action on update on NEA Funding Cut Cultural Emergency. Motion to approve a recommendation for emergency support for arts organizations due to recently announced National Endowment for the Arts grant cancellations approved on Commissioner Houston motion, Commissioner Schmalbach’s second on an 7-0 vote with Commissioners Gray and Kracheni Abstaining and Commissioners Zisman and Hussaini absent WORKING GROUP UPDATES 11. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, and Schmalbach (chair). Update was given by Commissioner Schmalbach 12. Update from the Community Feedback on most recent release of the Cultural Funding Programs Working Group with Commissioner’s Schmalbach, Houston, Keys, and Anderson (Chair) Update was given by Commissioner Anderson FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Sunset Cultural Funding Programs Working Group Appoint new representative to the Downtown Commission. Calder Recommendations Discussion of the City of Austin’s Art Policy goals ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Houston adjourned the meeting at 9:29 P.M. without objection. The minutes were approved at the June 16, 2025 meeting on Commissioner Zsiman’s motion, Commissioner Anderson’s second on a 6-0 vote with Commissioner Hussaini abstaining and Commissioner’s Keys, Garza, and Kracheni absent.