HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-02-07-ARTS-minLexington Council for the Arts
Meeting Minutes
February 7,2024
7:00 PM–8:30 PM
Location:Hybrid
In person at Parker Room,Town Hall (Lower Level)
Via Zoom per link below
Attendance:
Present:Alix Fox,Claudia Lach,Steve Poltorzycki,David Hoose,Shalini
Kakar,Sue Benson,Elsie Xu,Marie Hewes
Absent:Ashley Rooney,Lisa Herbert,Eric Hellweg
Guests:Jillian Tung
Recording Secretary:Marie Hewes
Meeting start time:
•Call to order :The meeting was called to order by the Chair at 7:15 PM
•Secretary’s report (Marie):
➢Motion to approve the meeting notes of January 3rd,2024
Motion:David
Seconded:Claudia
➢Unanimously approved
•Treasurer ’s report (Steve)
Town Budget :$4,325.00-Must be used by June 30th
MCC Projects/Festivals:$2,500.00-Earmarked for Lexington Laughs
Local Account:$5,782.00.For any purpose.Rolls over.
MCC Cultural Sector Recovery Grant :$6,000.00-Rolls Over.
Cultural District Grant :up to $3,000.00-Must be applied for to Cultural District
Managing Partnership.There will be other applicants.Deadline is March 1st,
2024.Assume funds must be spent by June,30th,2024.
Funds available for Granting (FY 2024):$9,709.00-This includes reversal of the
$1,820.00 allocated to Council programs by LCA 2023 vote (Reversal occurred
via LCA January 2024 vote).
•Lex 250 presentation and discussion (Jillian Tung)
Jillian is Chair of the 250th committee.(1775-1025 Semiquincentennial
Commission)
➢We will mark the 250 anniversary of the Battle of Lexington.
○16 members led by Susie Barry.
○Jillian is the Music and Art representative.
○Events will span from 2024 (Patriot Day until 2026 Patriot Day).
○Events will be inclusive and welcoming.
○The Committee would like as many people as possible involved
with planning or participating.
➢Here are a couple of events already planned:
○April 19th,2024
■Morning :A calendar will be unveiled:A PR firm has been
hired to create a website where pictures of people will be
taken by the calendar.The calendar will have a wooden
frame and people will have their photo taken there.
■Afternoon :British tea and pastries at Cary Hall
accompanied by concerts and RedCoats themed scavenger
Hunt +Lex Talk (15 Minutes Talks on various topics)
■Also since 8 out of the 10 schools in Lexington are named
from Patriots,each school PTA will adopt a table dedicated
to their Patriot.
○July 13th:Battle Green
■Capt ’s 295th birthday :Giant Birthday Cake:great Musical
line up (children choir etc,Food trucks…).
○April 19th,2025-
■Lots of events are planned for other occasions (Easter,
Passover,Boston Marathon,so Safety Staff has asked not
to plan events on the Boston Marathon day to avoid
drawing crowds at different locations.
○April 20th,2025
■5:30 PM Reenactment of Battle of Lexington
■Pancakes breakfast,Parade
➢PROJECTS for these celebrations
○Riders through History/Riding through History:Public Art
installation of 4-life-size horses decoratively painted by juried
artists-fiberglass.
■Will be decorated on site-Artists will be called and chosen
by juries
■Blending art,history,and Community engagement.
■Lectures,Longfellow poem,smaller horses for individual
decoration.
■Horses will be auctioned at the end of installation-On site
until 2026.
■Kids will be involved.
■Susie Barry would like to display 10 horses.-4 in Lexington
Center,then we need sponsors to get more horses (
Wilson's Farm for example)and we could get more horses.
■Horse costs about 2,800 dollars
■Claudia suggests having artists create their own horse-she
has an artist in mind-She will find contact and get in
touch.
■One thing to bear in mind is that getting the necessary
approval is time consuming as the Historic District needs
to issue permits for example.
○Other projects :Lex Talks
■Mini conversations about colonial and themes.
○Essay contest for people to express themselves through essays or
music or other.
○Other ideas with opportunities for creative expression in
literature,art,music:
■One artist work :Tova Speter:Something that engages the
Community/She makes structures that are composed of
panels and individual paint panels to respond to prompts.-
Hoping that a Community group could take that kind of
program on.
■Maybe an evening where people can share stories on a
website,or music of poems.
■Porchfest.
■Treasure Hunts.
■Munroe center :Lantern Making festival :universal theme
of light.
■Poetry Slam.
■Decorate your Front porch.
■Colonial crafts (Tricorn hats…)
○There is QR code that links to a google form :If you have any ideas
or would like to volunteer,use that QR code.
➢The following are some ideas generated during our meeting:○Claudia :
Council of Aging produces a magazine and people write essays there:
One issue could be devoted to the celebration and there could be
more print outs.
○Elsie :get the High school students to write about their ancestors'
lives.-Change format into pictures or paintings.
○Shalini :Lex Talks dedicated to High School students-Immigration
experiences of younger audience.
○Big historical Mural,Quilts,Haiku project with a revolutionary
theme and window painting on stores.
•Grantee and artist reception planning (Claudia,Alix)
➢Reception is March 28 from 4-6 PM
➢We need to decide on the food and wine.Alix will be checking selections
from Wegman,Marie from Costco.
➢Claudia has been communicating with the Health Dpt.regarding food and
wine :A form needs to be completed in advance regarding the food we
intend to purchase and the agenda is very full.
➢Invitations were designed (Sue)and emailed(Steve)to Grantees.
➢Alix will check the wine insurance and server.
➢Claudia will purchase the name tags and miscellaneous items.
➢Sue will design and print the program.
➢Gerald Hewes will take pictures the day of the reception.
➢Steve will take care of inviting the artists who worked on our Public
projects before.We need to have a different invitation for artists.
Important :
➢Liaisons need to get in touch with grantees and check that they have
received the invitation.(week of Feb 12th).This will give the grantees two
more weeks to RSVP.
○Claudia will create a template.
○Steve will resend the excel with Liaisons and emails addresses.
•Calendar year 2024 projects :
➢We will address this topic at our next meeting but anyone who has an
idea needs to send a proposal:budget,proposal etc.since 2 sources of
money are running out by the end of June.
➢Steve will invite Laurie to the next meeting.
Meeting Adjourned at:8:35PM
Motioned by:Steve
Seconded by:Marie