ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting of Tuesday, 02 June 2009

Mansfield Community Center (MCC) Conference Room

 

MINUTES

 

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:11p by Acting Chair Blanche Serban.  Members present: Kim Bova (from 7:35p), Scott Lehmann, Joan Prugh, Blanche Serban.  Members absent: Jay Ames, Tom Bruhn. Others present: Jay O’Keefe (staff).

 

2. The draft minutes of the 05 May 09 meeting were approved, with the correction to the MCC art display schedule (item 8) that Blanche Serban’s medium is oil, not acrylic.

 

3. Correspondence.  WindhamARTS is arranging a show (“Wisdom of the Ages”) by over-65 artists at its gallery in Willimantic, and would appreciate help in getting the word out.  The exhibit period is 18 June to 07 July, but applications are due by 05 June.

 

4. Coffee House programs.  Joan has a number of people in mind to approach about doing “coffee-house” programs at the MCC, including a flamenco guitar group.  She will see if any of them are interested in doing a program this fall.

 

5. Art display forms.  Scott sent drafts of the revised Art Display Policy & Artist’s Consent and Estimation of Art Value form and the revised Art Installation Check List to the AAC for comment in early May.  A few small changes to the Check List relating to notifying MCC staff were suggested by Jay O’K and incorporated into a final version.  The revised forms are apparently OK with everyone and should be used for subsequent exhibits.

 

6. MCC art displays.

a.    DCF would like to display framed photos of children in need of adoption sometime in 2010.  The AAC agreed that this was a worthy proposal.  Jay O’K will ask DCF when it would like to exhibit the photos and in which display areas.

b.    Liviu Cupceancu from Tolland has applied to show works in various media – acrylic, oil, drawing, wood sculpture, linoprint – during the summer quarter; a CD with photos of the proposed works was included in the application.  The AAC approved the exhibit after viewing these photos on Jay O’K’s computer monitor.  Mr. Cupceancu can have all the MCC exhibit space; however, the wood sculpture could be displayed only for one month (15 July to 15 August), as the cases are committed to the Festival on the Green after that.  Blanche will contact him about the exhibit and also suggest that he submit an application to show sculpture at another time.  Scott will contact Sylvia Smith, who was willing to move her show up to the summer quarter, to let her know that she should again plan on the fall.

c.    In conjunction with their current exhibits, Blanche and Alex Delehanty would like to have an artist’s reception from 5:00p to 6:00p on Friday, 12 June, assuming the Community Room is available (Jay O’K will find out).  AAC members are encouraged to attend.  Kim suggested inviting the press to these receptions; more publicity could generate more interest among artists in showing their work at the MCC.  T. C. Karmel, who still does occasional pieces for the Chronicle, should be invited.

d.    Blanche suggested that arranging a juried show – perhaps in the MCC’s Community Room sometime in the winter – with a prize funded from a modest exhibit fee, might also help generate interest.

 

Exhibit Period	Entry cases		Sitting room		Hallway
	Double-sided	Shelves	Upper (5)	Lower (3)	Long (5)	Short (2)
Spring 15 Apr – 15 Jul	Alex Delehanty (sculpy work)		Blanche Serban (oils)
Summer 15 Jul – 15 Oct			Liviu Cupceancu (various media)
	8/15 – 10/15 Festival on the Green
Fall 15 Oct – 15 Jan	William Stallman? (found object sculpture)				Sylvia Smith (water media)

7. Know Your Towns Fair.  Scott suggested having a table at this year’s Know Your Towns Fair (12 September), at which the AAC could advertise (1) opportunities for artists to display/perform at the MCC and elsewhere in Mansfield and (2) the existence of local arts groups – theatre, music, visual arts, etc.  There was general agreement that this would be worth doing.

 

8. Adjourned at 8:12p.  Next meeting: Tuesday, 07 July 09, 7:00p.

 

Scott Lehmann, Acting Secretary, 02 June 09; approved 07 July 09