HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_ARTAB_01.21.2014Minutes of the Meeting of the
Arts and Culture Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
January 21, 2014
The Arts and Culture Board met on Tuesday, January 21 at 4:30 p.m. in the Classroom of the
Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street
MEMBERS PRESENT: Gary Anderson, Philip Baker, Shana Nichols, Dar Richardson, Betty
Ann Sensabaugh, Liz Stewart, Amanda Still
Regular Session — began at 4:30 p.m.
A. Announcements of upcoming events. Liz Stewart announced that at 7 p.m. on February
13, Fred Burton, the author of Under Fire, will speak in the Sun City Ballroom. The
lecture is one of the free offerings of Senior University. Regular Senior University
classes begin on January 27 and run through March 3. On February 16 the Georgetown
Symphony Society presents the Round Rock Symphony in a Spanish Fantasy with
guitarist Thomas Echols.
Eric Lashley announced that Dar. Richardson had installed two new sculptures on the
south side of the library, Blue Healer by Faith Schnexnayder and Richardson's The Last
Lollipop Tree. The sculptures are part of the renovation of the south entrance gardens
that is being done by the local chapter of the Texas Native Plant Society in cooperation
with the City of Georgetown.
B. Citizens who wish to address the Board. None were present.
C. Consideration and approval of minutes of the December 17, 2013 Board meeting.
Richardson moved to approve the minutes as distributed. Betty Ann Sensabaugh
seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
D. Discussion and possible action to support City Council adoption of the 2013 Downtown
Master Plan Update — Matt Synatschk, Historic Planner. Synatschk provided a brief
overview of the update process. The Master Plan creates a vision and is not a regulatory
document. The first Downtown Master Plan, adopted in 2003, set goals for 10 years. The
update process looked at the goals and what has been accomplished and then set new
goals for the coming decade. Input for the update came from three public meetings and
an online survey. Nore Winter is the consultant who has been involved in both the
creation of the original plan and this update.
A change has been proposed to enlarge the boundaries of the Downtown Master Plan to
include two blocks on the west side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Street, between 8th and
10th Streets, on which the old library and the Georgetown Communications and
Technology Building (GCAT) is located. These blocks would be part of the largest
"catalyst project" that the updated Plan proposes—a Municipal Center. Synatschk
believes there is a good chance that a parking structure will be built at the corner of MLK
and 8th Streets, an improvement that would facilitate the development of a Municipal
Center.
Synatschk asked for a letter of support from the Board which would be sent to the Mayor
and Council members prior to the March 11, 2014 meeting at which he will present the
updated Downtown Master Plan. Richardson moved to endorse the plan and Stewart
seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
E. Report about the renovation of the Art Center building and operation during the month of
December 2013-- Eric Lashley and Gary Anderson.. Lashley reported that the reception
for the next exhibit, part of the Prints/Austin show, will be on Sunday, January 26, from
2-4 p.m. A print-making demonstration will be part of the event. He said that the exhibits
continue to be good and are lined up through May. The gift shop is making money, and
the volunteers are working hard and making a good impression on visitors. Misty Adair is
getting classes booked. Art Works executive board is going through a 60-day transition
period before they select a new president to replace Jane Estes, who has retired. Vic
Figurelli and Bob Novello, members of the Williamson County Institute for Excellence in
Nonprofits, are working with the board to identify key qualities that a new president will
need.
The reception desk has been installed but still needs some work to be complete. The
park elements are finished and planting should begin within the next month. The historic
plaques that had been in the park area will be returned except for the one honoring
Emzy Taylor, which will be installed in a yet-to-be-determined place. The plaque
commemorating the standpipe will be installed across 9th Street from the Art Center park,
oriented to match where a person would have stood to view the standpipe as it appears
on the plaque.
F. Report regarding expenditure of funds from the Arts and Culture Board budget -- Judy
Fabry. Fabry reported that the only expenditure since the December meeting was to pay
$888.05 for 3,000 Sculpture Tour brochures. She said that the Galleries rack card
should be finished soon.
G. Consideration and possible action to make a contribution to a gift for Jane Estes. retirina
president of Georgetown Artworks. Philip Baker and Judy Fabry. Sensabaugh moved
to donate $50 to Art Works, as the Board's contribution toward a thank-you gift for the
work Estes did to help open the Art Center. Amanda Still seconded the motion, which
passed unanimously.
H. Consideration and possible action regarding grant proposals received from local arts-
related organizations in response to the November 2013 call for proposals. Judy Fabry.
Fabry distributed a spreadsheet (made a part of these minutes) that summarized and
compared the proposals that had been submitted. Eight organizations submitted
proposals: Community Montessori, Ensemble VIII, the East View High School
Percussion Group, Georgetown Festival of the Arts, Georgetown Heritage Society,
Georgetown Symphony Society, the Palace Theater, and the Williamson County
Symphony Orchestra. The requests totaled $18,000 but the Board had budgeted only
$17,000 for grants.
Discussion followed that examined the qualities of each proposal. Awards were
proposed as follows:
1. Community Montessori -- $1,500
2. Ensemble VIII —no award because of the small audience expected, that the
event is not free, and that the group is based in Austin.
3. East View High School Percussion Group -- $500
4. Georgetown Festival of the Arts -- $3,000
5. Georgetown Heritage Society -- $2,000
6. Georgetown Symphony Society -- $3,000
7. Palace Theater -- $2,500
8. Williamson County Symphony Orchestra -- $2,000
Shana Nichols moved to grant the awards as proposed, in a total amount of
$14,500. Richardson seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Fabry will
confirm the actual dates of the Heritage Society and Palace Theater events and will
issue checks to them not more than one month in advance.
1. Consideration of dates of future meetings—Eric Lashley. Although Chair Baker will be
absent for the February 18 meeting, the board members agreed to meet on that date.
Chair Baker adjourned the meeting at 5:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Li I Ste rt, Secretary Philip Bak Chair
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