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CAC - 1) Consideration of Draft Guidelines and Application for an Artist Laureate Program; 2) (As Appropriate) Provide Comments and Direction to Staff and the CAC Artist Laureate Subcommittee; and 3) (As Appropriate) Make a Recommendation to the City Council.
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Meeting Date: 08/15/17
Contact Person/Dept: B. Christine Byers / Administrative Services - Cultural Affairs
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: Dr. Janet Hoult (08/10/17); Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (08/10/17)
Department Approval: Serena Wright-Black, Administrative Services Director (08/10/17)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) consider the information included with the staff report and provided at the meeting pertaining to a potential Artist Laureate Program; (as appropriate) provide comments and direction to staff and the CAC Artist Laureate Subcommittee; and, (as appropriate) make a recommendation to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
On May 11, 2015, the City Council considered an agenda item pertaining to the creation of a Poet Laureate position. Upon consideration of the material of record and public comment, the City Council directed the CAC to investigate the creation of a Poet Laureate position and to make a recommendation. The CAC created an ad hoc subcommittee at its meeting on June 9, 2015 tasked with evaluating the creation of the position of Poet Laureate and appointed former Commissioners Thomas Small and John B. Williams to that subcommittee. The CAC subcommittee conducted research and considered public comment on the subject and made the following recommendations for consideration at the September 8, 2015 CAC meeting:
1. That the City Council establish a Culver City Artist Laureate Program to include all the arts (visual, performing, musical, written and spoken word);
2. That Dr. Janet Hoult be appointed Honorary Artist Laureate (for poetry) for a two year term ending December 31, 2017; and,
3. As Honorary Artist Laureate, Dr. Hoult’s duties would include facilitating public awareness and expression through the poetic arts, working with the Culver City Centennial Celebration Committee and events leading up to the City’s Centennial in 2017, and serve in an advisory capacity to the CAC in creating guidelines and selection criteria for a longer-term Artist Laureate Program.
The CAC Poet Laureate subcommittee felt strongly that creating an Artist Laureate Program provided an opportunity for a more inclusive and diverse program that would also set Culver City apart from other public agencies (there are many local and state Poet Laureate Programs but relatively few Artist Laureate Programs in the United States). The CAC voted 4-0 to support the subcommittee’s recommendation (former Commissioner Williams was unable to attend the meeting but provided comments supporting the recommendation). The CAC’s recommendation was forwarded to the City Council for consideration on September 28, 2015. The City Council supported the CAC’s recommendation, appointing Dr. Janet Hoult as Honorary Artist Laureate for a two-year term expiring December 31, 2017 and directing the CAC to continue to work with Dr. Hoult on development of an Artist Laureate Program.
In December 2015, the CAC dissolved the Poet Laureate subcommittee, created an Ad Hoc Artist Laureate subcommittee and appointed former Commissioners Small and Williams to that subcommittee. The subcommittee met with Dr. Hoult and staff through the spring of 2016 before having to suspend meetings until early 2017 due to transitions on the CAC and within Cultural Affairs, and the need to focus on other competing work program priorities.
DISCUSSION
The Artist Laureate subcommittee and Dr. Janet Hoult (for FY 2016-17 subcommittee members were former Commissioner Williams and Vice Chair Wisnosky Stehlin) concluded its work on creating draft program guidelines and an application in the late spring of 2017. The draft documents are attached, together with documents provided by Dr. Hoult that summarize criteria and guidelines for some other poet laureate and artist laureate programs, mostly in California.
The two draft Culver City Artist Laureate Program documents include text only and would be reformatted to accommodate any requirements of the selected application platform (City website, SlideRoom, etc.).
In summary, the proposed Artist Laureate Program would:
• Provide access, recognition and a cash award for up to three individuals (one for each of the three categories) for one year;
• Be available to professional artists residing in Culver City; and,
• Be a new, on-going Cultural Affairs Program requiring annual funding and staff support.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
An Artist Laureate cash award of $2,500 (for each appointed artist) is proposed which if approved, would total $7,500 for up to three Artist Laureates per year. In addition, implementation of the program from release of the application through convening of the review panels, CAC and City Council review and approval, would require contract staff support. Initial estimates for contract assistance range from $6,400 - $9,600. Therefore, the total estimated annual cost for such a program would not exceed $20,000 which could also cover some related out-of-pocket expenses, including panelist honoraria, printing costs, etc. If only one or two Artists Laureate were selected in a given year, then costs would be less. There would likely be a nominal additional impact on City resources in terms of in-kind support.
The Cultural Trust Fund (Fund 413) is very limited per the City’s Municipal Code in use of those moneys for soft costs which funding would include funding for an Artist Laureate Program. The amount available through the CTF is spoken for in covering existing contractual employee costs, Commission costs, office supplies, etc. Funding for an Artist Laureate Program would have to come from the City’s General Fund and/or through the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation (CAF). With regard to the CAF, fundraising efforts would fall to the CAF Board and/or CAF staff.
Staff recommends that if approved by Council, that the Artist Laureate Program be included in the FY 2018-19 Cultural Affairs budget.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 17-08-15_ATT_Artist Laureate Program Overview and Guidelines
2. 17-08-15_ATT_Artist Laureate Program Application
3. 17-08-15_ATT_Background Information on Other California Poet Laureate and Artist Laureate Programs as Compiled by Dr. Janet Hoult
RECOMMENDED MOTIONS
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Request that staff and the Ad Hoc Artist Laureate Subcommittee make changes to the draft documents as provided and forward the revised documents to the City Council with a recommendation to begin implementation of a program in 2018;
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2. Request that staff and the Ad Hoc Artist Laureate Subcommittee make changes to the draft documents as provided and return to the CAC for further consideration.