Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

REGULAR MEETING of the ARTS COMMISSION April 20, 2026, 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 April 20, 2026 at Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001. 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 Chair Houston called the ARTS COMMISSION Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Houston, Maldonado, Banskota, Pownall, Medicharla Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Garza, Schmalbach, Anderson, Kracheni, Keys Board Members Absent: Hussaini CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Gina Houston - Chair, VACANT - Vice Chair, Keyheira Keys, Monica Maldonado, Felipe Garza, Heidi Schmalbach, Kirtana Banskota, Muna Hussaini, Bailey Pownall, Faiza Kracheni, Sharron B Anderson, Nagavalli Medicharla MEETING MINUTES CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL • Luis Ordaz from Proyecto Teatro requested a working group between the Arts Commission, the ESB-MACC board, and the Hispanic quality of life to work with ACME to create recommendations for Spanish language access in the next round of Grant Fundings • Raquel Rivera from SUREM and Proyectos Baile Folkorico de Texas spoke on the recommendations from the Hispanic Quality of Life Commission • Hector Ordaz from Proyecto Teatro spoke on the recommendations from the Hispanic Quality of Life Commission be included in the May agenda for discussion and recommendation. They also asked for a working group to be created between Arts Commission, the ESB-ACC board, and the Hispanic quality of life commission APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Arts Commission Regular Meeting on March 23, 2026 The minutes from the meeting of March 23, 2026 were approved on Commissioner Maldonado motion, Commissioner Banskota second on a 8-0 vote with Commissioner Keys abstaining and Commissioners Medicharla and Hussaini absent DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Update on actions taken at the April 6th Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Schmalbach An update was given by Commission Schmalbach A motion to move to Item 10 & 12, 13 was approved on Commissioner Houston’s motion, Commissioner Schmalbach’s second on a 10-0 vote with Commissioner Hussaini absent 3. Update on actions taken at the April 15th Downtown Commission meeting by Commissioner Houston An update was given by Commissioner Houston 4. Update on the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA) Artist Residency Program, presentation by Cat Carter, DASA Artist Resident The presentation was given by Cat Carter, Our Future 35 Expansion Project Artist in Residence 5. Presentation on possible collaboration for expansion of the Latino Artist Access Program by Ivan Davila The presentation was given by Ivan Davila, director of Coalition for Austin’s Ars and Spsnish Language Theatre STAFF BRIEFINGS 6. Staff briefing on ACME-Long Center contract review by Morgan Messick, Assistant Director, ACME. An update was given by Morgan Messick, Assistant Director, ACME. A motion to move item 11 was approved on Commissioner Houston’s motion, Commissioner Schmalbach’s second on a 9-0 vote with Commissioners Garza and Hussaini absent 7. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. An update was given by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. 8. Staff briefing regarding update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. An update was given by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor. 9. Staff briefing regarding an update on the AACME Funding Programs by Laura Odegaard, Acting Division Manager, AACME. An update was given by Laura Odegaard, Acting Division Manager, AACME. 10. Staff briefing regarding an update on Art in Public Places by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Manager. The update was given by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Program Manager. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 11. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice Chair. A motion to elect Commissioner Houston as Chair is approved on Commissioner Anderson’s motion, Commissioner Medicharla’s second on an 8-0 corw with Houston abstaining and with Commissioners Garza and Hussaini absent A motion to elect Commissioner Muna as Vice Chair is approved on Commissioner Keys’ motion, Commissioner Medicharla’s second on 9-0 vote with Commissioners Garza and Hussaini absent 12. Approve a recommendation for updates to the Art in Public Places Ordinance, Guidelines and Policies per City Council Resolution No. 20250306-029. Presentation by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Program Manager, Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment. Jane Hervey from Future Front Texas spoke on noncompliance with the ordnance is now redefine what the two percent. They are advocating for the 2% to be defined as originally intended. The update was given by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Program Manager The recommendation for updates to the Art in Public Places Ordinance, Guidelines and Policies per City Council Resolution No. 20250306-029 does not pass. 13. Approve a recommendation for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport West Gate Expansion Sculptural Seating (formerly Playscape) Art in Public Places Project Final Design. A motion to approve a recommendation for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport West Gate Expansion Sculptural Seating (formerly Playscape) Art in Public Places Project Final Design was approved on Commissioner ___ motion, Commissioner ___second on a 10-0 vote with Commissioner Hussaini absent 14. Approve the recommendations by the Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) Funding Appeals Working Group. A motion to move to item 17 was approved on Commissioner Houston's motion, Commissioner ___’s second on a 9-0 vote with Commissioners Garza and Hussaini absent A motion to move to approve the recommendations by the Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) Funding Appeals Working Group was approved on Commissioner Kracheni’s motion, Commissioner Houston’s second on a 8-0 vote with Commissioners Garza, Banskota, and Hussaini absent WORKING GROUP UPDATES 15. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Schmalbach (chair). No update given 16. Update from Arts Commission Bylaws Working Group with Commissioners Houston, Garza, Keys, and Anderson (Chair) No update given 17. Update from Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) Funding Appeals Working Group with Commissioners Anderson and Hussaini An update was given by Commissioners Anderson FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Establish a working group with Arts Commission, • Discussion and possible action to approve possible collaboration with Coalition for Austin’s Arts & Spanish-language Theatre • Presentation on Creative Reset Part 2 • Explore a special called joint meeting with Music Commission ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Houston adjourned the meeting at 9:35 P.M. without objection. The minutes were approved at the May 18, 2026 meeting on Commissioner Maldonado’s motion, Commissioner Pownall’s second on a 7-0 with Commissioners Keys, Garza, Kracheni, and Schmalbach absent.