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CAC - 1) Consideration of a Proposal for a Public Art / Performance Series Titled, 1988, Created for Culver City’s Centennial; and, 2) Recommendation to the City Council Regarding Funding.
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Meeting Date: December 13, 2016
Contact Person/Dept: B. Christine Byers/Cultural Affairs Division
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (12/07/16); (E-Mail) Marla Koosed & Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre (12/07/16)
Department Approval: Serena Wright-Black, Director of Administrative Services (12/07/16)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Cultural Affairs Commission (“CAC”) consider the material of record together with comments and updates provided during discussion of this item, and make a recommendation to the City Council about supporting a proposed public art / performance series titled, 1988, with full-funding from the Cultural Trust Fund (Fund 413).
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Project Overview: Marla Koosed, Culver City resident and former Culver City Cultural Affairs Commissioner has partnered with Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre (“HDDT”) (<http://www.heididuckler.org/>) in developing a unique performance series titled, 1988, (“Project”) that highlights four permanent artworks commissioned under the City’s Art in Public Places Program. The Project is designed to serve as a yearlong exploration of both the performing and visual arts, with performances taking place in April, May, August and September 2017. HDDT will choreograph original site-specific dance performances for each artwork which, depending on the venue, will be accompanied by live or recorded music (the latter either amplified via sound system or available via smartphone). All performances will be recorded on video, and edited together into a film commemorating the series. Future film screenings allow for additional public access after the live performances have concluded.
Each event in the series features an educational component explaining the inspiration for the series and the specific artwork presented. Where possible, the artist or artist team responsible for creating the permanent artwork will be invited to participate. HDDT’s rehearsals for each of the performances are free and open to the public and provide an additional opportunity to audience members to meet the dancers and ask questions.
A detailed description of the series, including information on the public benefit/participation, is attached together with the project budget. A brief summary is provided below:
Cloud - located at Access Culver City (8770 Washington Blvd.)
• Sunday, April 2 or 23, 2017; 4 - 7 PM
• Features one dancer and one musician
• 3 performances, each accommodating up to 100 viewers; 300 audience members total
• All performances free and open to the public
• 3 free publicly-accessible rehearsals (totaling 12 hours of rehearsal time) that will be publicized in advance and allow audience members to meet the dancers and ask questions
• Cost: $4,350.00
Punctuation Station - Westfield Culver City (6000 Sepulveda Blvd.)
• Sunday, May 7, 2017; 2 - 5 PM
• Multiple dancers with amplified music
• Two performances - one teaching event for AVPA students and one public performance event; Sunday foot traffic at the mall is estimated to be up to 40,000 for the day
• All performances free and open to the public
• One 8-hour free publicly-accessible rehearsal and one rehearsal with AVPA students; rehearsal will be publicized in advance and allows audience members to meet the artists and ask questions
• Cost: $4,400.00
Technicolor Drip - Platform (8850 Washington Blvd.)
• Sunday, August 6, 13 or 20, 2017; 1 - 3 PM
• Multiple dancers with recorded music accessible via smartphone
• Multiple performances at 12 minute intervals
• All performances free and open to the public
• Between 100-200 active and passive audience members (passive being Expo Line passengers, pedestrians along Washington Blvd., etc.)
• Public screening later that evening
• One free publicly-accessible rehearsal (totaling approx. 8 hours) that will be publicized in advance and allows audience members to meet the artists and ask questions
• Cost: $8,960.00
Hanging Garden, Quotation Courtyard and Panormic, and La Ballona - City Hall Courtyard, 9770 Culver Blvd.
• Saturday, September 9 or 16, 2017; 5 - 7 PM
• Five dancers accompanied by live chamber music
• Two performances, each accommodating at least 200 viewers, with a total of at least 400
• Three free publicly-accessible rehearsals (approximately 5 hours each) that will be publicized in advance and allows audience members to meet the artists and ask questions
• Cost: $9,730.00
Cost: The total cost of the four components to the performance series is $27,440.00. An additional $38,914.00 is budgeted for production overhead which includes fees for the Producer (Marla Koosed); Artistic Director (Heidi Duckler); an Independent Technical Production Manager; administrative costs (insurance, marketing, public relations, etc.); City permits and insurance; design and printing of materials about the event series; photo and video documentation; and, contingency. The Project total is $66,354.00.
Sponsorship: Producer Marla Koosed is asking for full funding from the Cultural Trust Fund but conceived of the project from the beginning as a public/private partnership that included sponsorship support. While Ms. Koosed has secured support for use of the three privately- owned sites, at the time of the drafting of this report, she had not yet secured any cash sponsorship from private sources. As has been the case with the Summer Concert Series for the past two years, staff recommends that if the Project is approved, sponsors make a tax-deductible donation to the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation. Sponsorship money would then be deposited to the Cultural Trust Fund to offset the total cost to the City for the Project. Ms. Koosed plans to provide a verbal update about efforts toward sponsorship at the CAC meeting.
Marketing: Publicity for the Project will be via several outlets including printed and electronic documents. The City’s GovDelivery system and website are resources for outreach as are websites and social media platforms of HDDT and each of the three private venues (Access Culver City, Westfield Culver City and Platform). On November 15, 2016, the Culver City Centennial Celebration Committee (“CCCCC”) voted to support the project which allows use of their logo and publicity through the CCCCC’s website and social media platforms.
Staff Resources: Based on staff’s recommendation, Ms. Koosed has budgeted for an Independent Technical Production Manager who will be responsible for every part of the technical elements and works closely with the Producer and Artistic Director. While this does not eliminate the need for City staff involvement, it would reduce the impact on staff as would regularly-scheduled all-hands production meetings to address questions and issues at specific junctures during the planning phase.
Public Art Subcommittee Meetings and Comments: Ms. Koosed and Heidi Duckler met with the CAC Public Art Subcommittee (Vice Chair Cherry and Commissioner Pali) on October 24, 2016; Vice Chair Cherry was unable to attend the meeting due to a last minute conflict. Ms. Koosed met again with the subcommittee on November 8, 2016 to provide follow-up information and allow Vice Chair Cherry the opportunity to provide in-person feedback. While it was acknowledged by all present at both meetings that the budget was realistic given the nature of the Project (site-specific and a unique creation), there was concern expressed about the total cost to the City relative to the public benefit as measured by audience capacity. Ms. Koosed is committed to the number of venues and the dates of the performances as outlined here. Since the second CAC Public Art Subcommittee meeting, Ms. Koosed has secured the CCCCC logo which could help with sponsorship efforts and she also coordinated with HDDT regarding attendance at performance rehearsals to further increase audience participation. Conservatively, the current active audience participation is estimated to be about 1,000 for all four performances which excludes rehearsals and film screenings. At the conclusion of the November 8, 2016 meeting, the subcommittee did not have a recommendation for the CAC.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Currently there is $50,000 available for Temporary Art in the Cultural Trust Fund in account number 41310400.619800 PZ 676 and the option of transferring an additional $16,354.00 from Art Conservation (41310400.730100 PZ 824) to cover the balance (leaving more than sufficient funds in the Art Conservation budget line to complete projects in FY 2016-17). There will be an additional impact on staff resources to assist with coordination, planning and execution of the Project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 16-12-13_ATT No. 1_1988 Event Concept
2. 16-12-13_ATT No. 2_1988 Event Description
3. 16-12-13_ATT No. 3_1988 Event Budget
MOTION
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Recommend the City Council support the proposed Centennial event titled, 1988, with a total of $66,354.00 in funds from the Cultural Trust Fund;
OR
2. Recommend the City Council support the proposed Centennial event titled, 1988, with a total of ______ in funds from the Cultural Trust Fund;
OR
3. Not recommend that the City Council support the proposed Centennail event titled, 1988, with any funds from the Cultural trust Fund.