The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05/04/2021 - Minutes RENTON MUNICIPAL ARTS COMMISSION MINUTES Tuesday, May 4, 2021 (via Zoom) Members Present: Bill Huls, Brianna Burroughs, Caren Sumption, Christie Randolph, Dave Samek, Evelyn Reingold, Kaie Wise, Kiley Thornton, Mary Clymer, Neil Sheesley, Susan Jessick Staff Present: Jessie Kotarski, RMAC Staff liaison Call to Order: Meeting was called to order by RMAC Chair, Mary Clymer at 6:03 pm. Announcements/Correspondence: • Council approved the appointment of Caren Sumption to fill the vacant position on the Arts Commission at the meeting on May 3. Caren’s term will expire on December 31, 2021. • The City’s Chalk your Walk event is going on this week. Commissioners are encouraged to take note (and participate) in the event and post their art (or findings) to social media with the hashtag #ChalkOutRenton • 425 Magazine highlighted the Art Commission’s grant program with a recent piece on the Postcard project coordinated by Franchesca Vargas and honoring the artists who participated in the 2020 BLM art walk. https://425magazine.com/grant-to-highlight-artists-from-rentons-blm-art-walk/ • A Call for Art RFP was posted on the City’s site on April 29 requesting proposals for designs to wrap the 4 monument signs planned for downtown. The Art Commission will review submissions and work with CED to select the artists for the project. The call for art closes on May 28, 2021. Approval of Minutes: A motion was made to approve the minutes from the April 2021 meeting. MSC (Caren/Susan) Promotions Committee update: • The April newsletter was sent using GovDelivery (transitioning away from Mailchimp) – there are currently 1,151 subscribers o The most popular articles (highest click rate) were the Call for art for the downtown monument signs and the Allied Arts Community Art Contest. • Most popular Facebook post in April was the livestream at the roadshow on April 19 (Denis Wilcox) • The Arts Commission will be participating in the Kindness Crawl put on by the Renton Chamber of Commerce on May 15 and 16. Bri is putting together a Kindness tree that will be set up downtown for the event and will invite the public to add a leaf with their hopes for the future and to the RMAC tree. • Little Art Supply Libraries – The Committee has secured 3 old newspaper stands which will be converted into Little Free art “Libraries” that will offer free art supplies for the public to take and share. The goal is to brand these with the RMAC logo and spread the gift of art around the City. Outreach Committee: • The Roadshow program is scheduled through May (there is $1,800 remaining in budget from the original $7,500 earmarked for the program). The Committee would like to see the program continue, and in June would like to add a weekly roadshow in Piazza Park on Tuesdays during the Farmers Market. • The Committee is seeking outside funding options (or program partners/sponsors) and will put together a budget for the remainder of the season (proposed through the end of September) to bring back to the Commission for consideration. Grants Committee Update: Neighbors #2 Artist Will Schlough is requesting $14,000 for a temporary public artwork that uses a panel cutout application to dimensionally activate an unused, but iconic building at Renton's Rainier/Grady Junction. The primary goal of this project is to activate a very visible, but currently unused site in Renton’s prominent Rainier/Grady Junction. While the project is temporary, the work itself is removable, creating the option to activate future sites in similar situations. The Committee recommends funding the project with a grant of $10,000. • Seven Public Performances in the Park Drama Kids of South and East King County and Carco Theatre are requesting $7,150 for 8 weeks of Summer Camps and Public Performances. They responded to questions regarding their plans for adhering to COVID restrictions and the Committee is confident the program will be run safely according to State regulations. A motion was made and approved to accept the (two) grant applications for funding as recommended by the Grants Committee with a total allocation of $17,150. MSC (Christie/Evelyn) The Grants Committee is seeking additional information and clarification on the following received applications: • Black Lives Matter Wall Mural An application from Renton Residents for Change was reviewed and approved for funding at the December 2020 RMAC meeting, pending approval from the City for the use of the proposed image. The City has approved the design under the 2020 RMAC grant guidelines, and the Committee would like to confirm the Commission’s intent to fund the project with an award of $6,915. The project is currently waiting on the property owner to sign the Master Application for the Art Exemption. • D.R.A.G.O.N. Wall Mural: Ashis Joshi, AmeriCorps VISTA Community Dev Specialist requested $12,000 for a mural on the Sherwin Williams in downtown Renton. The Committee would like to see consideration for an art project of a different nature in downtown. The recommendation is to work with Ashis to identify other ways to incorporate art in the downtown or to build a stronger proposal for a community art project in the district. Budget Update: • $22,500 has been awarded in grants from the 2021 Arts & Culture Project budget. • 16 road shows have been scheduled to date and 11 more scheduled through the end of the month. • Out 120 egg kits were handed out for the Dragon Egg contest • 200 score cards were turned in following the Hatch Day Celebration • $40,649 has been committed (including the grants) this year. • The 2021 budget for Arts & Culture Projects is $102,350 • RMAC anticipates a carryforward from the 2020 budget of $40,928.89 (pending approval in 2nd Quarter budget adjustments) • RMAC has received a grant of $10,580 from the 4Culture. • A motion was made and approved to provide each of the (3) committees $500 in discretionary funds to spend as they deem appropriate. MSC (Bri/Neil) New Business: • Utility box wrap at RCC Community Services has requested assistance with wrapping the utility box at the corner of Maple Valley Highway and the entrance to the Renton Community Center. The department has funds available to pay for the wrap and is asking for help with project coordination. • Renton Pride Passport – The Renton LGBTQIA+ Community is encouraging businesses to promote their allyship with the LGBTQ community by displaying a pride flag of their choosing for the month of June and consider joining the Safe Place program with the Renton Police Department. The passport will be a printable document of allied businesses (shown on a map and listed), through which participants can collect a stamp or sticker from the business. The kick off will take place on Saturday, June 5th, with businesses using a sidewalk table promoting the event and any Pride promotion/discounts they would like to share. The activity will begin June 1st and conclude June 30th. • The Arts Commission will produce a rainbow logo and produce stickers to pass out as part of the event. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:36pm.