City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve the recommendation of the Cultural
Affairs Commission and allocate funds for the 2007 Performing Arts Grant program.
BACKGROUND:
Culver City’s Performing Arts Grant Program was established in 1994. The Culver
City Municipal Code stipulates that 25% of the money deposited into the Art Fund in
the prior fiscal year be appropriated for this program for the current fiscal year. For
FY 2006-07, the budgeted amount from the Art Fund is $33,824 (this includes a
carryover of $8,824 from last year’s program). To this, an additional $15,000 is
expected to be allocated by the City Council from a larger contribution made in 2006
by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The total amount available for Performing Arts
Grants for 2007 is $48,824.
On June 26, 2006, staff and the Cultural Affairs Commission Grants and Artist
Services Subcommittee met to review the draft Notice of Funding Availability
(“NOFA”) for the 2007 Performing Arts Grant Program. Based on comments and
discussion last year, the 2007 NOFA eliminated fee waivers at City-owned or City-
controlled buildings or facilities. The 2007 NOFA also restructured the review criteria
and eliminated the ten points for PERFORMANCE HISTORY IN THE CULVER CITY
COMMUNITY. The ten points were added to ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE OF
PROPOSED PROJECT which gave that criterion a total of 50 points. The CAC
considered the 2007 NOFA at their regular meeting on July 11, 2006, and approved
the document. During the week of July 24, 2006, the 2007 NOFA was posted on the
City’s web site, notices distributed electronically to former applicants, individuals and
Meeting Date: 12/18/06 Item Number: __A-1___
AGENDA ITEM: Approval of 2007 Performing Arts Grant Awards and Allocation of
Funds as Recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission.
Contact Person/Dept.: Susan Obrow Phone Number: (310) 253-5762
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: 2007 Performing Art Grant Applicants (12/01/06); Cultural Affairs
Commission (12/01/06); Master Notification List (12/14/06).
Department Approval:
Susan Evans (11/30/06)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (12/14/06)
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang (12/14/06)City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
organizations included in the Cultural Affairs master contact database, the City’s
Master Notification System and the LACN (Los Angeles County Arts Commission)
listserv. Special outreach was conducted in the theatre and dance communities and
the application was sent to networking organizations in those communities.
On Wednesday, August 9, 2006, a workshop was held by staff at the Veterans
Memorial Building at which the grant guidelines and application were reviewed in
detail. Eleven individuals attended. Staff reviewed the new scoring structure as well
as the new policy regarding the elimination of fee waivers for buildings and facilities
owned or under the control of the City of Culver City or the Redevelopment Agency.
Also, staff reviewed the current list of possible performance venues in Culver City.
A total of fifteen applications were submitted by the deadline on Friday, September
8, 2006. One application was immediately disqualified as improperly prepared.
The panel review session was held on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, at City Hall from
10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Five distinguished panelists were joined by the two
members of the CAC Grants and Artist Services Subcommittee who attended as an
additional resource for questions and also as observers.
The 2007 Performing Arts Grant Review Panelists were:
1. Sofia Klatzker, Arts Education Manager, Los Angeles County Arts
Commission
2. Janice Pober, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs,
Sony Pictures Entertainment
3. David Stahl, Pianist/Musical Director and Professor of Music, Los Angeles
City College
4. Shay Wafer, Managing Director, Cornerstone Theatre Company
5. Renae Williams, Director of Dance Presentation, The Music Center
DISCUSSION:
Each panelist was sent an advance copy of the fourteen applications which were
first reviewed by Cultural Affairs staff for completeness. The panelists were also
provided a score sheet for each applicant (see attached) and an overview of Culver
City’s Performing Arts Grant program. There were three scoring criteria identified in
the 2006 NOFA which are as follows: City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
1. Artistic excellence of proposed project (50 points);
2. Realistic budget and diversified funding base (25 points); and,
3. Outreach programs to the Culver City community (25 points).
Staff opened the review panel discussion by providing a brief overview of the grant
program’s history, guideline changes from the previous year, and discussion of the
three review criteria listed above.
After the overview, each application was reviewed in alphabetical order. The
panelists first had the opportunity to ask questions of other panelists, staff or the
subcommittee, and then to offer comments to the group about the application. This
was followed by each panelist providing scores in each of the three categories
resulting in an overall average score for that applicant. The CAC subcommittee and
staff did not provide scores. In one instance, as noted below, Ms. Janice Pober
recused herself from providing scores because she had recently interacted with an
applicant and wanted to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest. In this
instance, the score listed is an average of four panelists’ scores rather than five.
Upon completing review of the individual applications, the fourteen qualifying
applicants were ranked from highest to lowest; average total scores for all fourteen
ranged from 96.75 to 64.2. The panel felt that those applicants with average scores
of 95 and above should receive 100% of the funding requested or an amount that
would guarantee the presentation of all the performances proposed. Those
applicants with scores below 95 received a portion of the funding requested and the
amount recommended is based in part on their prior year funding history.
The panel’s recommendation was reviewed by the CAC subcommittee. The total
amount recommended for award is $44,500. The review panel and CAC
subcommittee were satisfied with the scoring and recommended grant allocations for
this year’s applicants and recommend that the remaining funds ($4,324) be carried
over toward the 2008 Performing Arts Grants Program. Staff projects that there is a
strong possibility that another performing arts facility will be identified in 2008 and
that there will be many more grant applications from theatre companies. The
additional funding will be beneficial to attract more performing arts organizations of
artistic excellence to the City of Culver City.
At the conclusion of the review process, the panelists provided some
recommendations to staff for future years.
Below is a brief overview of the fourteen applicants (from highest ranked to lowest)
with summary comments as provided by the panelists:City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Culver City High School AVPA
Performance Venue: Ivy Substation
Panel Score: 96.75
(This average does not include scores from Ms. Pober)
Grant Request Recommended Award
$4,000 $4,000
The panel felt that this project was in line with what one would like to see in an
education-based arts program and noted favorably the tremendous community
outreach. The application was considered informative and to the point. One of the
panelists noted that they would have liked to see a sample of student video work on
the demo DVD included with the application.
Vox Femina Los Angeles
Performance Venue: Culver City Presbyterian Church
Panel Score: 96.6
Grant Request Recommended Award
$4,000 $4,000
The panel was unanimous in its enthusiasm for this project and the applicant’s high
artistic quality. The grant application was well written. Although it was not clear from
the application exactly how outreach to the community and to young people was to
take place, it was clear to the panel that the group had a strong consistent following.
Also, the panel noted that this free event was attractive in terms of the accessibility
of the program to the wider Culver City community.
We Tell Stories
Performance Venue: Culver City Julian Dixon Library
Panel Score: 96.4
Grant Request Recommended Award
$8,750 $7,500
The panel made a favorable note of this group’s diverse hiring and programming
choices. As noted in prior years, the panel felt this program was a wonderful
addition to those held at the Julian Dixon Library, and that it is an easy fit for a City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Saturday morning with a built in audience. One panelist observed that this is a
model arts organization that uses established standards well and that this applicant
is now included on the Los Angeles County’s Arts Education Resource Directory.
The Definiens Project
Performance Venue: Jazz Bakery
Panel Score: 95.4
Grant Request Recommended Award
$3,500 $3,500
The panelists were in agreement that this was a group of well trained musicians and
that combining contemporary and commissioned works with unique venues such as
Jazz Bakery is commendable. They felt the application included a comprehensive
outreach plan and a well-documented budget. Some concern was expressed about
the lack of a diversified funding base.
About Productions
Performance Venue: Senior Center
Panel Score: 92
Grant Request Recommended Award
$10,000 $5,500
The panel’s overall response was favorable with regard to the pairing of youth and
seniors in this project. The organization’s diversified funding base was favorably
noted as was the size of the grant request relative to the overall project budget. The
panel felt there was a great community outreach opportunity with this program. As a
constructive comment, it was noted that this group might have done more to partner
with the AVPA which may have also helped with regard to financial support. It was
also noted that the performance could be more fully realized. The proposed project
for 2007 clearly incorporates some of the recommendations from last year’s panel.
Westchester Symphony Society (Culver City Symphony Orchestra)
Performance Venue: Veterans Memorial AuditoriumCity of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Panel Score: 89.8
Grant Request Recommended Award
$7,500 $5,000
This applicant displayed a high quality sound on their demo CD and their budget is
consistent with their programming. It was suggested that in the future, this
organization may want to have their board membership better reflect goals of the
organization and the audience it wishes to attract.
Culver City Public Theatre, Inc.
Performance Venue: Carlson Park
Panel Score: 89
Grant Request Recommended Award
$10,000 $5,000
Overall the panel was impressed with this group’s commitment to diverse casting
and programming in a park setting. They felt the application was clear and
representative of the goals for the organization. The proposal included realistic
project and organizational budgets. There was a comment about the absence of an
artistic director and whether or not that showed a shift in the company’s direction. It
was suggested that perhaps hiring a consultant to help with future organizational
planning might be helpful. The panel noted favorably that although this is currently a
volunteer organization they should be commended for future plans to pay their
artists.
Los Angeles Doctors’ Symphony
Performance Venue: Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Panel Score: 85
Grant Request Recommended Award
$3,018 $1,500
The panel supported this applicant’s promotion of artistic excellence among youth as
well as the established partnership with the Music Teachers Association of
California. It was also noted that this organization was working towards extended
outreach. There was a question about the accumulated surplus shown on p. 15 of
the application and whether or not this was a cash reserve.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Culver City Chamber Orchestra
Performance Venue: Culver-Palms Methodist Church
Panel Score: 84.8
Grant Request Recommended Award
$5,000 $2,500
The overall consensus was that this is one of the better community orchestras in
Culver City as demonstrated by the quality of music on their demo CD. However the
panel struggled with assessing the merits of the proposed program given that it is
new and there was no support material included with the application. The panel
scored this group in part on the quality of the organization’s reputation for past work.
There was some reservation about whether the proposed project was a school
program, with tuition-paying students, and whether or not this grant was supporting a
business. In general the application could have been more specific and the panel
would have desired more focused supporting materials.
Three Chairs Theatre Company
Performance Venue: Black Box Theatre at West Los Angeles College
Panel Score: 84.4
Grant Request Recommended Award
$2,850 $1,500
The panel felt that this group showed promise and that this was clearly a young
organization with lofty goals. Clips included with the application showed artistic
promise combined with the organization’s participation in EdgeFest. There was
some concern for the fact that artists and production staff were not being paid. The
professional affiliations of the board members should have been included in the
grant application.
Benita Bike DanceArt, Inc.
Performance Venue: Veterans AuditoriumCity of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Panel Score: 84
Grant Request Recommended Award
$1,700 $1,500
Although this group has been performing this program for many years it has never
been presented in Culver City. It is an informative and accessible community-
oriented project. The panel felt that the multi-generational component was extremely
attractive.
Keith Glassman Dance and Performance
Performance Venue: Synergy Cafe
Panel Score: 84
Grant Request Recommended Award
$3,000 $1,500
Overall, the panel responded favorably to the unique venue and supported the
collaborative work presented by this group. There was some concern about the
submission of a handwritten budget and that the fact that the organization appears
to carrying a deficit.
contra-tiempo
Performance Venue: Teen Center
Panel Score: 80.2
Grant Request Recommended Award
$10,000 $1,500
This project appeared easy and tangible for the company to implement and the
panel responded favorably to the fact that this is a series. There was little concern
about attracting an audience considering the large salsa following in Los Angeles.
One panelist noted that this applicant has a very strong school program and that
they have a great deal of support through that program. There was some concern
about the budget and the fact that the fiscal receiver is based outside of California.
There were specifically concerns about the increase in personnel costs and the
amount included in the budget for marketing.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
The International Education Exchange Association
Performance Venue: Veterans Auditorium and Senior Center
Panel Score: 64.2
Grant Request Recommended Award
$35,000 $0
The panel was excited about the prospect of bringing an international group and
program to Culver City however the amount requested was disproportionate to the
total amount of grant funds available. Some of the panel’s reservations included the
ability for this applicant to garner the level of support needed from other sources to
make the program possible and the outreach as described in the application was not
well articulated. Furthermore the focus of this organization as described in its
mission statement did not clearly fall within the parameters as included in the grant
application guidelines.
* * *
At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Cultural Affairs Commission on November
14, 2006, the award recommendations as outlined above were approved 5-0.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The total amount recommended for the 2007 Performing Arts Grant awards is
$44,500, leaving $4,324 in reserve to be carried over into FY 2007-08. These funds
come from the combination of Art Fund monies as allocated pursuant to Culver
City’s Municipal Code and a contribution from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Overview of 2007 Performing Arts Grant Requests
Attachment 2 – 2007 NOFA, Score Sheet and Performing Arts Grant Applications
(Note: due to the large size of the attachment package, a copy will be placed with
the City Clerk’s office for public review rather than attached to electronic
distributions.)
MOTION:City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
That the City Council:
1. Approval of 2007 Performing Arts Grant program and allocation of funds as
recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission and as outlined above in the
staff report.