Loading...
RAC_OCT_09_minutesRICHFIELD ARTS COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY OCT. 1st, 7:00 PM, IN COMMUNITY CENTER Present: Peter Dysart, Kevin Klos, Willie Falwell, Jackie Mihalik, Judy Goebel, Ellen Stinger, MaryKaye Champa, Ron Wilson, Kimberly Tornoe, Marilyn Anderson, Guest: Justin Delzer Report from MaryKaye: Our registry has started and we currently have the number at 9. In other news, we can’t have a quarm through email, and we can’t make any decisions or ask for feedback through email since our meetings (and thus any voting/decisions we make) are open to the public. Cattail Days: Once we put signs up, people started visiting the arts center, and there was also interest at our booth. Nine visitors signed up for the RAC art registry. Ron suggested adding the RAC to MNArtists.org, as there is a place for organizations on there, and it would make the RAC better known to other art organizations. We could include a link back to our page on the city website. Justin Delzer’s Book: An author living in Richfield came to the RAC meeting to talk about his fantasy novel for young adults that he will soon be publishing, and is looking for some support in his book launch, which he thinks will be around the first week of December. He will have 1,000 copies made. His book is about a 14 year old that joins a merchant crew to learn about his father and finds a treasure map. Much like placing Ron Wilson in front of a blank canvas with a paint brush, adventure ensues. Judy suggested he get in touch with the library as well, as there is opportunity there to promote his book. We suggested Delzer give a press release to the Sun Current and get in contact with Scott Bradley. MaryKaye suggested using the big room in community center, and probably from 4-7pm. She can reserve the room for him, but he needs to lock down a date asap. Since the RAC is helping him with this, he agreed to include a “sponsored by the RAC” in any press related to the book launch event. Another idea is for Delzer to get in contact with schools in Richfield/English departments and offer to do a reading for publicity. Art Displays in Richfield/Art Business Registry: Judy’s hair dresser is willing to display art and host an opening. Could we get in touch with city of Richfield to display art in vacant building storefronts? Who would we get in contact with to do that? If we had an arts registry that included businesses it would help between our communications with business owners. We need to get in contact with Richfield chamber of commerce for business registry to show art work. Next month, Judy will have a form to show to start sending out to businesses. She will email out a rough draft version. New Art Gallery on Penn & 66th: Both Ron and Ellen went into this store at separate times to talk to the owner about his “art show” sign in the store window and the works he had on display. Neither of them got very far with the owner, but we talked about possibly asking him if he wants to be added to the arts registry…I’ll guess a “no” on this one. RAC Website: Judy and Ellen met with John Evans. John said that they can add any links for our website, as well as they can take any papers we want to add on the site and they will scan them in and post them. Thinking-Outside-the-Box-Idea-of-the-Month: goes to Jackie, who during our “How can we get our RAC newsletter to a larger audience brainstorm session” came up with adding it to the city water bill mailing. MaryKaye is going to look into this for us. Another idea was to see if M&I, Bremer or the credit union would add it to one of their mailings. Teen Art Contest: This will be held on November 23rd. Kimberly suggested that we rotate so we have different judges each year. Another suggestion was having each judge do a bio, so people know what their background is while judging art. Kevin volunteered to be a judge. This will be brought up next meeting as well to fill additional judge slots. Kevin will try and get in contact with Out and About in Richfield, as this would be a great medium to get publicity for the event. MRAC: Judy and Ellen went to MRAC meeting and met counterparts from other cities. They met a woman from Minnetonka Art Center and did networking with other groups. The main take away is we need to raise money like other groups do. Mailings: Ron would like to send the mailings about art classes to the Minneapolis zip code that is on the other side of 62, next to Richfield. Would it be possible to get our events into the list of events in the Star Tribune? Ron also suggested we talk to community neighborhood organizations as a way to get publicity for our events, as they send out their own newsletters. Kimberly suggested we focus on the west Richfield/Edina area as well. Dead Works: Travis is organizing this event and will talk more about it next meeting. RAC presence at Richfield Events: Ellen and Judy created list of events where the RAC could have a table, offering info on where to buy art for homes, list of classes that are offered in Richfield, where to see art in the community, registry for arts, Jackie’s newsletter, etc. The next big event would be the Remodeling Fair. MaryKaye will see if we can get a table for that. There are dance recitals December 10th and April 24th. We may be able to get a table there as well. Pete also has performances at his school where we could possibly have a table set up. Richfield 4th of July: Do we want to be involved and if so, how? Is Pete’s CD involvement enough? Parade? Be involved with Battle of the Bands? Spring Fundraiser: MaryKaye suggested the RAC could sell flowers preordered at the spring dance recital. Mural: Ron was contacted about doing another mural. Colleen Schultz contacted Ron about doing a 7x20 mural in the garage below the Gramercy. Ellen and Ron will work on it together, seeing on what the weather is like, it’s probably for the best that it is inside. .