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CAC: ACTION ITEM - 1) Discuss review and timeline change for Artist Laureate program 2) Vote to align Artist Laureate program with City of Culver City’s fiscal year calendar.
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Meeting Date: May 23, 2024
Contact Person/Dept: Sally Unsworth / City Manager - Cultural Affairs
Phone Number: (310) 253-6001
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (05/20/24)
Department Approval: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager (05/16/24)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) approve a change to the schedule of the 2024 - 2027 Artist Laureate Program to align with the City’s fiscal year; including a revised start date to the Artist’s term of July 1, 2025 and completion date of June 30, 2027.
BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION
The purpose of the Artist Laureate program is to raise community consciousness to a greater appreciation of the arts within the City of Culver City by having the Artist Laureate serve as a cultural ambassador; recognize artistic excellence and support continuing development of the artist’s work; and, spotlight the important role individual artists play in contributing to a vibrant and creative community, enriching the City’s creative economy and positively impacting the quality of life for people of all ages.
Culver City appoints an individual artist from one of three arts discipline categories-fine and visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts-to serve for two years as cultural ambassador and advocate for the arts within Culver City. The award recognizes artistic excellence, supports the continuing development of the artist’s work, and spotlights the important role individual artists play in contributing to a vibrant, equitable and healthy community, enriching the city’s creative economy, and positively impacting the quality of life for people of all ages.
After recent successful cycles, the City of Culver City’s Artist Laureate program has engaged the community in multiple ways. Each element of the program has benefitted from updates, enhancements, and professionalization through time and experience on the part of the Artist Laureate, the City, and its partners. As the program evolves out of its pilot phase and into a more established entity, there is an opportunity to formalize, refine, and align the best practices of the program. To allow for learning and programmatic growth, a period of feedback, data collection and thoughtful recommendation is advised. As such, the Cultural Affairs Division is recommending a 6-month delay to the launch of the next cycle to audit and refine the program. This delay would include a process to gather and assess information, make recommended revisions, and launch the next Call for Artists. The new timeline would shift from a calendar year cycle to the City’s fiscal year cycle to allow for the time needed to complete the program audit and make any appropriate changes to the program’s process, roles and responsibilities, and overall scope of work.
The CAC Artist Laureate Subcommittee (Commissioners Tania Fleischer and Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin) as well as the CAC Public Art Subcommittee (Chair Brenda Williams and Commissioner Ehsaan Mesghali) had discussions related to a possible timeline change and programmatic data and feedback gathering period in their May 2024 meetings. Commissioners agreed that there were lessons to be learned based on previous Artist Laureate program cycles.
One topic of interest discussed with the Commissioners was reviewing how the program might become more flexible to allow for additional enhancements or projects outside the initial scope of the Artist Laureate’s contract. Creating a flexible model based on the Artist Laureate’s time and interest in extension work would require careful thought and research into the availability of possible outside resources and additional partnerships to support a tiered option for programmatic additions. There is a precedent for extension projects as noted with the recent mural project work led by Artist Laureate Katy Krantz at 11029 Washington Blvd. This project was added to the scope of the Artist Laureate program and enhanced with additional support from the Culver City Arts Foundation in 2023-24. The process for documenting and learning from programmatic partnerships like the Washington Blvd. project could be considered and formalized while reviewing the overall goals and outcomes of the Artist Laureate program.
Staff is requesting that CAC adjust the timeline of the Artist Laureate program as follows:
Review and revision of the program guidelines from June 2024 - October 2024
Recruitment and selection from January 2025 - March 2025
Cultural Affairs Commission recommendation in April 2025
City Council approval and appointment in April or May 2025
Artist Laureate term beginning July 1, 2025; completion on June 30, 2027
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Other than staff time, there currently is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item related to timeline. Fiscal impact of the overall Artist Laureate Program will be reviewed and discussed at future meetings.
ATTACHMENTS
None
MOTION
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Vote to approve a change to the programmatic schedule for the 2024 - 2027 Artist Laureate Program to align with the City’s fiscal year, including a revised start date to the Artist’s term of July 1, 2025 and completion date of June 30, 2027.