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CAC - Consideration of (1) FY 2021-22 Cultural Affairs Work Plan Updates; (2) FY 2022-23 Cultural Affairs Work Plan Priorities; and, (3) Provide Comments and/or Make a Recommendation to the City Manager as Appropriate
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Meeting Date: February 15, 2022
Contact Person/Dept: B. Christine Byers / Administrative Services - Cultural Affairs
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (02/10/22);
Culver City Arts Foundation (02/10/22)
Department Approval: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager (02/10/22)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) (1) receive updates on the FY 2021-22 Cultural Affairs work plan; (2) an overview of the proposed FY 2022-23 Cultural Affairs work plan priorities; and, (3) provide comments and/or make a recommendation to the Assistant City Manager and the City Manager, as appropriate.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
As was the case in prior years, each of the City’s Commissions, Boards and Committees have an opportunity to provide input related to the budget and work plan for FY 2022-23 (deadline is March 24, 2022) before the City Manager presents his proposed budget to the City Council on Monday, May 9, 2022. The City Council is scheduled to receive individual department presentations on this year’s work plan updates and proposed FY 2022/2023 work plans on March 7 - 8, 2022 and on next year’s proposed budget on May 16 - 17, 2022. The FY 2022-23 budget is scheduled for adoption on June 27, 2022. CAC members are welcome to attend any of these meetings. The complete budget development calendar for Fiscal Year 2022-23 is attached for reference.
The 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Culver City and the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation (CCCAF) states that “CCCAF may provide input and recommendations on elements of the Work Plan …. CCCAF’s suggestions for the next year’s Work Plan, if any, must be submitted to the Commission’s liaison subcommittee prior the Commission’s consideration of the Work Plan and recommendations to City Council.” CCCAF is now known as Culver City Arts Foundation and Culver Arts.
Jim B. Clarke, Chair of the Culver City Arts Foundation’s Board of Directors, has provided a letter dated January 28, 2022 per the above-referenced section of the MOU. The letter includes recommendations for projects not currently in the Cultural Affairs work plan. Staff will review those project ideas and further discuss with the Culver City Arts Foundation and the appropriate CAC subcommittee prior to bringing to the full CAC.
Staff will provide a status update via PowerPoint on the FY 2021-22 Cultural Affairs work plan followed by an overview of the FY 2022-23 Cultural Affairs work plan priorities. What is outlined below will be forwarded to Council and included in the FY 2022-23 City budget book.
ADOPTED FY 2021-22 CULTURAL AFFAIRS WORK PLAN AND STATUS UPDATES
• Continue core division functions, including support of the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) and its various subcommittees in implementing Cultural Affairs programs and projects.
Status: Ongoing. The CAC meets on average 10 times per year with a small staff managing and coordinating all related activities and functions. Review and update of CAC’s public meeting minutes is ongoing. Approved minutes that are missing from the City’s website (41 sets from 2004 to 2017), were collected and are being prepared for posting. To date, for FY 2021-2022, the CAC considered and provided input on items pertaining to the General Plan Update, the revitalization of Media Park; considered recommendations for grants for the 2022 Performing Arts Grant Program; reviewed Artist Laureate Alexey Steele’s activities for calendar year 2021; and, reviewed two quarterly reports and an annual plan as presented by Culver City Arts Foundation. The CAC has seven subcommittees, three of which have been very active and meet up to 1-2 times per month: Public Art, 2022 Performing Arts Grant Program, and Artist Laureate. Of these, the Public Art Subcommittee is a standing subcommittee that requires noticing and minutes in accordance with the Brown Act.
• Continue to participate and implement various initiatives of the Economic Recovery Task Force as pertain to Cultural Affairs, including a Virtual Performing Arts Center.
Status: Ongoing. Cultural Affairs has coordinated with Economic Development staff and participated in the ERTF. Cultural Affairs has been involved in supporting and facilitating discussions of the ERTF Arts and Culture Working Group, implementation of the Virtual Performing Arts Center on the City’s website, and development of a pilot program involving temporary art in empty storefronts and businesses.
• Continue to implement the Art in Public Places Program, including commission of new artworks, development of new cultural facilities, completion of major restorations and ongoing maintenance. Review and recommend revisions to Culver City Municipal Code Chapter 15.06 pertaining to the Art in Public Places Program.
Status: Ongoing.
New Development/New Artworks:
Eight new permanent artworks in conjunction with development projects, were installed or completed installation since July 1, 2021:
o Sculpture by Rob Ley for Entrada (6181 W. Centinela Ave.)
o Sculptures by Sage Vaughn and Tomokazu Matsuyama
o Mural by Steph Hendrix for the hotel on the Ivy Station campus
o Glass art by Veronika Kellndorfer for Brick & Machine (9735 Washington Blvd.)
o Two Murals by Alex Prager for 8888 Washington Blvd.
o Sculptural entry canopy by Luna Ikuta for Haven (11924 Washington Blvd.)
Culver Current, a digital temporary artwork created and installed at City Hall in 2019 by Nate Mohler, was extended through spring 2022 with two new digital shows and additional public outreach.
Staff continues to work with Hackman Capital Partners, Redcar, Ltd., Hillside Memorial Park, and The Wende Museum, Bastion Development Corporation, and the developer for the project at 11111 Jefferson Blvd. on fulfillment of the Art in Public Places Program (APPP) requirement in conjunction with their projects. Coordination with Current Planning on new applications that trigger the APPP requirement is ongoing.
In conjunction with the City’s art consultants Dyson & Womack for the Washington/National TOD Gateway project, the CAC Public Art Subcommittee supported a recommendation by a selection panel for a concept by Los Angeles based artist, Charles Gaines, for the green open space; the concept is currently undergoing further review.
Artwork Collections Management:
o Completed major restoration of The Lion’s Fountain sculpture, fountain and surrounding plaza area which included fabrication and installation of a sphere, new signage, and new fabrication and placement of engraved donor bricks, and repainting of entryway columns.
o Annual cleaning of 19 City-owned artworks (including three with water components) has been completed, plus the City Seal and all the Heritage Courtyard plaques.
o Continued coordination with Hackman Capital Partners on the restoration and re-siting of the artwork Studio Pass by Jim Heimann, to a new location near Gate 2 at The Culver Studios.
Art in Public Places Ordinance:
Updating the CCMC regarding the Art in Public Places Program was placed on hold due to resources being devoted to emergency operations and other pandemic-related issues. The project is now moving forward with review at the staff and CAC subcommittee level and will include a cultural equity statement.
• Continue to improve outreach and marketing efforts (e.g. updating public artworks on City website and promotion of Cultural Affairs programs).
Status: Ongoing.
o Cultural Tours Book and Otocast Mobile Phone App - Staff is fulfilling weekly requests submitted online for the (red) tours books which are being distributed locally, regionally, and elsewhere within the US, plus updating image, sound, and text components to the mobile phone app walking tour. 530 copies of the second edition of the tours book were distributed in 2021.
o Augmented Reality Postcards - Two postcards (featuring The Lion’s Fountain and Culver Current at City Hall Courtyard) were created in the summer of 2021 to help attract visitors and locals to downtown. These are publicly available at site of the artworks in specially designed acrylic boxes and are replenished weekly. To date over one thousand have been distributed, with over two hundred video views on the app.
o Print Publications - January 2022 saw the first of monthly articles in the magazine Culver City Neighbors on the activities of the Cultural Affairs Division.
o Culver Blvd Urban Stormwater Project - Contributed with research in the form of images, captions, and didactic text for two of the three educational walkway panels.
o Public Events - Cultural Tours Books and postcards are distributed at events such as Fiesta La Ballona, the DBA’s Hip and Historic Halloween, and those sponsored by Culver City Arts Foundation.
o City Website News and GovDelivery Bulletins - Cultural Affairs staff post new promotional content weekly on the City website and send frequent email bulletins to subscribers about City-sponsored events. The public is regularly informed about cultural activities (public art improvements, virtual performances, and online art experiences) and is encouraged to visit public art and to attend local music, theatre, and dance events.
o Public Art Archive - In partnership with Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), staff is implementing a database. This will serve both as a collections management tool for artworks under the purview of the APPP, and simultaneously provide content for featuring Culver City’s art collection in the online Public Art Archive, the only database featuring public art throughout the US.
• Continue to implement the Historic Preservation Program in conjunction with new development projects. Review Historic Preservation Program and recommend updates as appropriate.
Status: Ongoing. Staff continues to work closely with Current Planning staff and developers on development projects involving historical resources to ensure conformance with the City’s Historic Preservation Program and CEQA. Current projects include Citizen Public Market, The Culver Studios, 5790 Washington Blvd., and Helms Bakery Complex. Work involves coordinating and monitoring improvements in conformance with the US Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
Updates to the CCMC pertaining to the Historic Preservation Program had been delayed due to COVID-19 and the necessity to reallocate staff resources to various Economic Recovery Task Force efforts. Per Council direction and approval, staff anticipates returning to Council with an update and recommendations in by spring 2022.
• Continue to implement and promote the Performing Arts Grant Program, including technological upgrades and focus on increasing the number of applications and diversity of the applicants.
Status: Ongoing. During 2021, Staff administered contracts and promoted performances on behalf of 21 grant recipients. Due to pandemic delays, contract extensions were given to five (5) of those grantees, resulting in overlap of the 2021 and 2022 performances. Ten (10) of the contracts were fulfilled with virtual performances on a variety of digital platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, Zoom). Eleven (11) of the contracts were completed with in-person music, theatre and dance events, that welcomed live audiences to outdoor and indoor venues. Various safety measures, including vaccination confirmation, social distancing and masking protocols were enforced at those events. Notably, most live performances took place at City events (Fiesta La Ballona) or City-owned facilities (City Hall Courtyard, Senior Center, and Ivy Substation). Based on evaluation reports collected from the grant recipients, over 2,500 people attended performances and 10,000 online viewers participated during 2021.
Grants for the 2022 season have been awarded to 23 performing arts organizations for in-person events that will begin in March. Virtual performances were not eligible in 2022.
Partnered with the LA County Department of Arts and Culture for a grant-funded intern from West LA College.
• Continue the Artist Laureate Program including new public programming and activities.
Status: Ongoing. With the continuation of COVID-19, public programming continued to take place online. In the fall of 2021, two additional moderated virtual live drawing sessions were held featuring Culver City residents Rich Yamashita and George Kahn. Alexey Steele travelled to Russia where he participated in celebrations honoring the work of his father and promoted Culver City and his work here as Artist Laureate. Mr. Steele provided the CAC with a detailed report of his 2021 activities in January of this year. Due to the pandemic, Mr. Steele’s term has been extended to a third year, through December 2022. Staff and the CAC Artist Laureate Subcommittee will begin working on the recruitment of a new Artist Laureate in late spring/early summer of 2022.
• Continue to partner with Community Development Department on the cultural and preservation elements of the General Plan Update. Incorporate goals identified in the Creative Economy engagement process.
Status: Ongoing. Worked with Advance Planning staff and the GPU consultants on completing tasks related to the General Plan Update as they relate to Cultural Affairs. These included participation in Technical Advisory Committee meetings, review and comment of an Arts and Culture Policy Framework and coordinating an update to the Cultural Affairs Commission in September 2021.
• Continue partnership with Culver City Arts Foundation to raise additional funds and promote awareness of the City’s cultural programming.
Status: Ongoing. Donations were received for 2021 and 2022 Performing Arts Grant Program and to support the Artist Laureate Program. Culver City Arts Foundation reported on their activities at the Cultural Affairs Commission meeting in October 2021.
FY 2022-23 WORK PLAN PRIORITIES
• Continue core division functions, including support of the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) and its various subcommittees in implementing Cultural Affairs programs and projects.
• Continue to assist and coordinate with other City departments/divisions on programs and projects that require specialized cultural knowledge.
• Continue to implement the Art in Public Places Program, including commission of new artworks, development of new cultural facilities, completion of major restorations and ongoing maintenance. Review and recommend revisions to Culver City Municipal Code Chapter 15.06 pertaining to the Art in Public Places Program.
• Continue to improve outreach and marketing efforts (e.g., updating public artworks online and promoting Cultural Affairs programs). Explore connections with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs regarding plans for the 2028 Olympics.
• Continue to implement the Historic Preservation Program in conjunction with new development projects. Continue review of Historic Preservation Program, including designation plaques, and recommend updates as appropriate.
• Continue to implement and promote the Performing Arts Grant Program and focus on increasing the engagement with audiences and diversity of the applicants.
• Continue the Artist Laureate Program including new public programming and activities.
• Continue to partner with Community Development Department on the cultural and preservation elements of the General Plan Update. Incorporate goals identified in the creative economy engagement process.
• Continue partnership with Culver City Arts Foundation on programs and projects, and to raise additional funds and promote awareness of the City’s cultural programming.
• Develop a new Community Cultural Plan for Cultural Affairs that aligns with the Cultural Element of the General Plan Update and includes a Public Art Master Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2022-22 and proposed FY 2022-23 work plans have a fiscal impact which includes staff costs, contract labor, and materials. Most of these costs are paid for from the Cultural Trust Fund (Fund 413); full-time staff costs for two employees are paid for from the City’s General Fund.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 22-02-15_ATT_Budget Development Calendar for FY 2022-23
MOTION:
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Receive updates from staff on the FY 2021-22 Cultural Affairs work plan;
AND
2. Consider the proposed FY 2022-23 Cultural Affairs work plan priorities;
AND
3. Provide any comments and/or recommendations regarding the proposed FY 2022-23 Cultural Affairs work plan priorities.