HomeMy WebLinkAboutOCAC Minutes 02-13-2023 Orange County Arts Commission
February 2023 Minutes
Attendees: Fred Joiner, Josh Rosenstein, Anita Mills, Chair, Saba Jordan, Linda Williamson, Sec,
John Bemis, Krista Bremer, Crystal Wu, Vice Chair, Katie Murray, Lindsay Metivier, Marlon Torres,
Sean Bailey, Mark Bettger
Meeting via Zoom Link
1. Call to Order at 6:39pm by Anita Mills.
2. January 2023 Board Minutes were approved with one correction on attendees. Moved by
Crystal and Seconded by Lindsay
3. Board updates from Katie Murray:
a. Application for Denise Duffy was reviewed. Mark moved to accept Denise's
application and Sean seconded. Katie will present the application at the next Board
of Commissioners meeting.
b. Application from Jenny Schultz-Thomas (ED ArtsCenter) is still in process. We are
waiting for the amended policy to allow exceptions to the requirement to live in
Orange County, which will go before the next Commissioner's meeting. Hopefully
that policy change will be approved in February so Jenny's application can be
processed in time to take over when Mark's term ends.
c. Josh's term on the Chapel Hill Cultural Arts Committee might be up, but that issue is
still being reviewed by CHCAC. We may need a new liaison from them.
d. Vacancy suggestions were discussed. Katie shared the breakdown of board
members in terms of area of expertise and geography. We have two additional
positions to fill. Could use more representation from Chapel Hill. Board discussed
possible candidates and recommended two people for Katie to approach.
e. New member orientation for our advisory board is still in the works and will be done
soon.
4. Director's Report - Katie Murray
a. Katie is asking for additional staff with the new County budget proposals. Currently
we have Jen who does Grants and Operations, but that position is not funded by the
County at this time. We also have Maris, who is in a part-time marketing position.
For the new budget, Katie is requesting:
i. a full-time programming person
ii. Changing the marketing position to full-time
iii. Adding an Arts and Education coordinator position to work with Eno Mill
educational events and serve as the County arts/education coordinator, which
has been a role provided by The Arts Center.
b. Grants
i. American Rescue Plan Award for $35,000 — Katie is using some of this
money to offer a DEIA Program with Aisha Adams for arts organizations in the
county. It will be a 4-part targeted program. This solution will allow us to use
the ARPA money the way it is supposed to be used and will allow our arts
organization to have access to this type of quality programming, which has
not been previously supported by their own budgets. The ARPA money must
be spent before June. Board discussed other options for outreaching to
BIPOC organizations and other organizations. One suggestion is to use the
money to help bring training to BIPOC artists on how to organize as an
arts/nonprofit organization. Another suggestion is to look at organizations that
are having festivals in the spring and help support their activity.
ii. Arts Educators — still in the works. Grant process has not gone out yet.
c. Big Night In for the Arts
i. It has been very difficult this year to obtain sponsors. Katie has only obtained
one sponsor. Individual contributions have always been good in Orange
County so please push out the information to everyone we can that might
donate on March 9t"
ii. An exciting in person Watch Party has been planned at Mayton hotel in Cary,
NC . Tickets can be purchased and discounted hotel rooms are available.
d. Eno Mill Update
i. 3rd Thursday Concert is this week and WRAL is coming to film for Big Night In.
Please come to the concert! Tickets are $20.
ii. Two studios are available at the Mill. Please spread the word.
iii. We need more volunteer support!!!
iv. Our camp lineup was published. All camps are an arts immersion format and
are full day.
v. Tom Stevens has joined the OC Arts Alliance as a new board member.
vi. Uproar's next big deadline is Artist Call, which closes 3/1
e. Liaison Reports
a) UNC Student Liaison Update — no updates
b) Chapel Hill Arts Commission — no meeting since last OCAC meeting. Next
meeting is this Wednesday. Current activities include outdoor basketball mural, last
stages of peace and justice banner, and the new Poet Laurette has been showing
up at places and doing a great job. At the next meeting, board is going clarify its
name and direction. Uproar will be on agenda as well.
c) UNC — celebrating wellness days at UNC today and tomorrow, Arts Everywhere is
still having issues due to staffing departures. Ackland has several exhibits up.
Carolina Performing Arts has Omar a new Opera. PlayMakers is finishing up with
Hamlett. Next up, at PlayMakers is a play about life of James Baldwin.
d) Hillsborough Arts Council -- fundraiser March 18th for spring equinox should be a
good event if anyone can come. John has been participating in Board Boot Camp
trainings via Zoom meetings by company ESC.
e) The ArtsCenter — new building walls are going up! Hard opening in May. Summer
camps just opened two weeks ago and are filling up. The ArtsCenter is completing a
big DEI initiative and providing money for organizations to come in for the
programming.
f) Carrboro Arts- no update
g) Visitor's Bureau — Katie presented at their last meeting on Uproar. The meeting
went really well.
h) Orange County Artists Guild -- Results of the member survey for last year's tour
is not finalized yet. The Guild's board is going to hold a retreat in March to help
figure out how the Board can better support the growing Guild membership. Also, a
survey about member satisfaction has gone out and results will be shared at the
retreat.
Meeting adjourned at 8:03 pm