ARTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting of Monday, 04 June 2007

Mansfield Community Center (MCC) Conference Room

MINUTES

1. The meeting was called to order by Acting Chair Jay Ames at 7:10p. Members present: Jay Ames, Kim Bova, Scott Lehmann, Joan Prugh. Members absent: Blanche Serban. Others present: Jay O’Keefe (staff), Leon Bailey, Bobby Brown (toward end of meeting).

2. The minutes of the 07 May 07 meeting were approved, with the addition that the minutes of the 02 April 07 meeting were approved as written.

3. Correspondence.

1. Anita Bacon has written a letter indicating her interest in joining the Arts Advisory Committee (AAC); Jay A. will ask her to send a copy to Greg Haddad.
2. Jay O’K. distributed material from the Ridgefield Arts Council’s website. Like the AAC, the Council is “part of the Town Government and exists to promote the arts for [Town] residents of all ages.” It organizes quite an ambitious program of exhibits and cultural events and publishes a web-based cultural events calendar.

4. Double-sided case. The double-sided display case now has a rod at the top, which may be raised or lowered, for hanging flat art. Jay A. will thank Paul Thomson.

5. Art display policy. Scott L. produced a draft, which was circulated by e-mail. Comments:

1. In a. under “Guidelines”, insert a sentence to the effect that the AAC seeks expressive art as opposed to commercial crafts for exhibits.
2. In c. under “Guidelines”, insert “find” in “Some viewers may works in this exhibit offensive”; eliminate specific examples in the bulleted items; and replace “in poor taste” by “inappropriate for the venue” in the second bulleted item of c.
3. Eliminate a. under “Comments”, and delete “Signed written” from b.

Scott will revise the draft tonight and send it to Jay A., who will see that it is distributed for comments to MCC staff, the Recreation Advisory Committee, Town Mgr. Matt Hart, Town Atty. Dennis O’Brien, Greg Haddad, the Mansfield Library, and the Senior Center.

6. Downtown Partnership. Kim B., who attended a Festival on the Green planning meeting in May, reported that the organizers are planning another art show and have asked for help in deciding to whom invitations should be sent. Jay A. also suggested that the AAC might try to promote performances (theatre, puppet, music) at this venue.

7. MCC art displays. The AAC looked at photos of the works Bobby Brown proposes to exhibit and saw no problems with any of them. She also brought to the meeting a ceramic sculpture on slate with an inscription “How many are your works, O Lord! There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number.” The AAC agreed that the inscription was OK but wondered whether exhibiting the work might invite others that evangelize and whether our policy should be revised to exclude such works. However, it was agreed that the policy as written was sufficiently broad to handle these cases.

Exhibit Period	Entry cases		Sitting room		Hallway
	Double-sided	Shelves	Upper	Lower	Long (5)	Short (2)
15 Jul – 15 Oct	Bobby Brown (sculpture)			Bobby Brown (acrylics)	Anita Bacon (watercolors)
	Festival on the Green 9/1-9/15
15 Oct – 15 Jan					Laurie Smolin (watercolors)

8. Membership. Joan P. will have difficulty attending meetings on Monday evenings and wonders if another day of the week is possible. This will be considered at the July meeting.

9. Adjourned at 8:42p.

Scott Lehmann, Acting Secretary, 02 July 07.