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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Approval of a Recommendation from the Cultural Affairs Commission to Appoint Victoria Marks as Culver City Artist Laureate for Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27; and (2) Approval of Related Artist Laureate Agreement.
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Meeting Date: June 9, 2025
Contact Person/Dept: Sally Unsworth / City Manager Office of Economic and Cultural Development
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [X] No [] Date: May 20, 2025
Commission Name: Cultural Affairs Commission
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - City Council (06/05/2025); Culver City Arts Foundation (06/05/2025)
Department Approval: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager (06/03/2025)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve the Cultural Affairs Commission's recommendation to appoint Victoria Marks as Culver City's Artist Laureate for a two-year term beginning July 2025 and ending June 30, 2027; and (2) approve a related Artist Laureate agreement.
BACKGROUND
On May 11, 2015, the City Council considered the possibility of creating a Poet Laureate position and directed the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) to investigate and provide a recommendation. The CAC formed an ad hoc subcommittee which researched and considered public comment on the subject. This subcommittee recommended establishing an Artist Laureate Program that would encompass all arts disciplines. They also recommended appointing Dr. Janet Hoult as Honorary Artist Laureate for poetry for a two-year term, with duties including facilitating public awareness of poetic arts and advising the CAC on program guidelines and selection criteria.
The program was formally established by the City Council in March 2018. The City Council appointed Alexey Steele as the first Artist Laur...
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