Public Art Commission - Regular Meeting

Uh, I needed to wait. I needed to reboot my computer and do and wait for all the updates. So, she may she may have an update that's pending and uh it won't it won't recognize her camera or the zoom didn't or the zoom needs to update too. Sometimes the zoom is the problem. Well, we can uh but we can proceed. Sure. Bendy. Vivian and Arsha uh both have let us know that they're not available. Okay.

Uh and uh so it's uh four of us uh and five of us, excuse me, and Lee. So I think we can get started. Uh I will officially recognize a roll call. Wendy, welcome. You're here. and uh Lee, Robin, Neil,

and I and Elizabeth. So, uh we're all in attendance, but for the two who are excused, um and we can roll right along to um uh agenda items. We uh have several things which I I forwarded to you. Have you all received three emails from me with uh uh updates on material? Great. Yes.

Good. Good. So, this gives us just uh uh a basis to kick off for our discussions. Uh I'll start in with the one having to do with commissioners. Uh, and as it happens, uh, I, uh, as you saw in my email thread, uh, I had been drafting a letter following our last meeting a month ago, uh, on three topics, uh, to Tony Harrington. One of them was the appointment of commissioners. Uh, the second one was, uh, obtaining uh, grants. Uh and uh the third was uh talking about the u uh the the bear and update of uh uh the art commission. So we'll get around to talking about that in just a minute. And then I heard from Lin Weisel uh who said uh coincidentally uh the town actually was reviewing uh their uh procedures for appointment of commissioners. So I forwarded what my thought was uh speaking for the art commission but only of course in my own words uh that um I thought it was unnecessary to go through the whole committee structure and all that if someone wants to volunteer they're qualified in our estimation and they have no conflicts they should just be allowed to sign in. So we'll see where that goes. Uh Elizabeth, do you have any u thoughts, insights from inside the tent, what the town is considering on that subject?

Yes, they have a standard operating procedures draft that was submitted and I know that they are very open to feedback and I would strongly encourage you all um to provide feedback. I I know that uh there's been a lot of discussion from art commissioners about the process and or uh you know lack thereof at times. So it sounds like they're trying to solidify it. I would absolutely uh make your voices heard whether it be through that email address or through your contacts with counselors on your own

and it needs to be done by Friday. So this we have till the end of the week. They're trying to get all of this passed at the next council meeting next week. So, I recommend that any feedback be done by Friday. You can go to the town website. There's a big blurb on it. And then again, and how you want us to furnish feedback. We uh Elizabeth, you sent us something. How do we So, I sent you the email address um that they are looking uh to to use. Um I'm actually going to look at that quickly.

You can send it again, Elizabeth, but it's actually embedded in the uh email thread that I sent out, but it's kind of long and maybe hard to find. So, yeah.

Okay. I'm going to pull that up so you can all see. So, this email did indeed go out and you'll see it says, "Action required. Share your feedback on the new board appointment process. Help shape our town's governance. The Bloomfield Town Council is currently reviewing a new standard operating procedure for board and commission governance and appointments. We want to ensure our process for selecting the volunteers who lead our town is transparent, efficient, and fair. and we need your input to get it right. Um, so what they're looking to do is to centralize the application process through the town website, have more clear communication, um, have an enhanced vetting for specialized roles to ensure technical expertise and impartiality, and to have a mandatory orientation and training for all new members on ethics and open meeting laws. And you'll see that the submit feedback is through communications bloomfield.gov. Um, and the deadline is this Friday at 12:30. And when you click on that, you'll see this uh 7page document that talks about all of this, including an interview,

right? Um, qualifications. Sounds like they're making it more difficult rather than less more complicated. Elizabeth, does since you're looking at the document, does it say I was looking to find out who the GPED subcommittee uh people are? That's not been announced to my know. I was at the meeting when this was discussed. There's been no no announcement publicly yet that I'm aware of.

Okay. Are they are they staff members of the town? Are they part of a committee that's already been formed and they'll be sort of shuffled out to do this process?

I believe that's a great question. I think governance is where the subcommittee will start under governance. But I do believe that's a good question. believe it's going to be held underneath the governance as opposed to in the past there was they called it committees on committees and that is how I was vetted in. So I'm not I believe all of that is going to come under the umbrellance of governance based on what I heard at the governance meeting on Monday. But um I think that's a great question if they're the only body that's looking at this because I think that's a conversation piece as well. It says with administrative support provided by the operations and communications division.

So yes, that includes um staff involvement. Because I mean they say there are 50 committees, maybe there are five or six people on each committee. vacancies come up, not, you know, in a constant rotation, but that's a lot of people to deal with with, you know, vetting each one, going through the council process, coming in for an interview, filling out the forms online, uh, so forth and so on.

I I mean, I I understand how they're crossing all the tees and dotting the eyes, but it's very complicated. From what I read, it it's a thorough document. No doubt about that. But it seems uh I think Bob's point has been it seems to sort of push people away from actually wanting to be on these boards. On the other hand, somebody could argue, well, if you don't want to go through this, you shouldn't be on the board. You know, you were trying to take this seriously. You know, you you got a serious position. But um seemed ownorous to me. But I agree.

I just I'm wondering that I don't want to interrupt him, but I'm wondering I thought Bob's description of this to whomever he wrote it was wonderful. Is there a way that we as a group can say we agree with this and we would like very much for you to consider it. So we do it as a team.

I would just say I would just say my concern on a board such as this or the beautifification committee or even the park you know the park and wreck or whatever we call it committee. I think that in an effort to get people in the community to be a part of this, this is daunting to look to see that you have to go through all of this to be on something to volunteer and then um the the part two is looking to the DTC and the RTC. I'm a little concerned that that will push people away as well because if they don't know someone on the council or they don't know someone and either or what is coming up is unaffiliated or um the independent or unaffiliated, there is not really a a commission in town for them. There's not a a party spot for them. So, I think that that is why it was opened up to the public for feedback. So, I did like your response, Bob, and and maybe we just each either echo Bob's response. ly maybe you just say, "Hey, I would like to echo Bob Fergger's um email that he's already submitted." And then Neil or if we have other and Robin if we have other things that we want to add, we could send additional emails in support. I am going to email on behalf of just on my own as well. Um but I think the more people that do and the more commentary that comes in, um the more feedback that's shared, I think that's what helps.

Thank you, Wendy. It's just making it hard. Anyway, I Bob, I thought what you wrote was perfect. I want Thank you. Thank you. I agree.

I'm afraid Lee that uh Wendy said and Elizabeth as well, of course, uh is the best way to go. They they want as many people. So for us to send in uh uh we all vote together as a group uh only counts as hearing from one one entity. So, I would just uh you could even copy mine and say uh uh to everyone uh that I agree with this proposed policy. uh and I do appreciate uh that they're trying to have uniformity in the town, but clearly there is a lot of difference uh between uh people working on uh on boards and commissions like like Neil does for review and approval of designs and and and uh development. It's a lot different than planting plants or or our uh you know to oversimplify our putting up art.

Uh and I guess they can't have two two classes and two uh um uh levels of appointment. Uh but I think this is going to push people more away rather than make it easier. and Elizabeth uh or anyone Wendy, do you know do do those of us who are already on the uh commission have to go through this whole thing as well sitting for an ethics class and and being interviewed to

that's a question that I have that's one of my questions Bob because I knew that when I saw when I listened or when you go to the website it says that this needs to be done quickly because one from what I've read bas Based on the rules, I don't even know that we are sworn in commissioners at this point, you know, based on what I saw there because it's like we need to do this pretty quickly because ours expired what on November of 2025. So, it is to get everybody back in check. That's what I took from it. But, um I just I think that uh that's definitely why they're trying to go quickly. Yeah. Yeah. I just put up the formal list of who

who they have on record for the public art commission. Um and as we know, we did try and try to formally change this and um that didn't happen. So um

so Neil and who not Arsha um Vivian Vivian Vivian I don't think was formerly uh sworn in. Okay. But yeah, it's also the amount of time. I mean, even though I've been on the commission for I don't know the last three years or so, I remember how long the process took. So, from the I said that publicly. Yes. I mean, I was, you know, I certainly want to do whatever is necessary, right? Uh but I remember the committee on committee took a very long time to even set up that interview session.

Yep. It doesn't work for us. But uh well, we'll have to uh we live in this town. We'll have to uh abide by the rules as they are passed and uh agreed. And we'll see. Well, if they're looking for feedback, um, then yeah, I think all of us should certainly give our feedback and, um, individually. Yeah. Yes, Wendy I think mentioned we can each and Lee we can you know reiterate the fact that Bob has you know drafted this letter and and maybe reference that not only give our own personal feedback but reference that

I don't know if it matters but I'm listed in as um unaffiliated which is not true I'm a registered Democrat However, maybe that goes against me because it looks like they need some Republicans. So, I don't care what you do with it, but I am a registered Democrat. We need Republicans for every board in commission. So, that is that's the drought right now. Um Joe Merritt said that that there's, you know, there's just not enough Republicans that maybe part of it is process alone. they made a mistake and let's let it go.

Yes, I would. I would. And actually, there was when we first set up the art commission, there was you'll remember Elizabeth, I forget his name, but but uh a guy who was a token Republican who uh sat on a dozen commissions and boards just so that there'd be a Republican on and and he dropped off of our commission. But um do you recall who who who it was? It's not important. But anyway, I don't recall. Yeah. So So Elizabeth, to reiterate that official list doesn't include me or Vivian.

No. And and I've I've I've went back with the town clerk's office on this and they said because it never went through the official town council process. Um that's that's why essentially. Now, interestingly, I c I can report uh Viven also wanted to join the Economic Development Commission

uh which did did not because of its statutory uh uh function and design. Uh it people on that commission are appointed by the town manager without having to go through the town council. Uh Vivian was able to join the uh economic commission uh in a month. Wow.

She said she wanted to be on it. I sent her a resume in uh and and the uh town manager um uh got her on our economic commission immediately. So that's another route perhaps which is perhaps we could suggest that it be delegated to the uh uh town manager or someone in the town hierarchy uh to uh appoint to the art commission which does not have a technical legal scientific STEM uh uh component to it And uh uh maybe there's another route. Uh I uh I don't hold out much hope, but it's just an example. Okay. Well, let's let's move on to a next item. Um and uh you will see uh in my um in my uh writeup uh I had reference to the fact that uh the art commission is going to make a report to the um uh hierarchy and the council and all that uh in the future. We'll come back to talk about that in a minute. So the other uh item which I sent out just for your information uh an update on the art uh uh the sculpture the bear sculpture you can see that the um uh architects for the library have agreed to design the base and uh as I think I reported previously this is a little more complicated than

just saying well let's uh pour a concrete case because uh it has to be uh cited properly not to interfere with other aspects of the library such as uh uh buried utilities and that kind of thing. But they will be doing that. Mark Weissman has uh told us that the um uh library uh uh board uh uh not the board, excuse me, the building committee uh will foot the bill for that. So that's a non-worry and a followup to that in designing that the architects wanted to know how big is the bear going to be and its dimensions and uh so that is what uh I forwarded to them and copy to all of you. You'll see that uh when it's finished. And I spoke to the artist and he's very excited and is planning to um do some sketches and share them with us in the next couple of months. Uh it will be about uh 7t tall uh sitting down. So it will be a full-size bear uh and will still weigh about a ton uh right now or prior to uh it's drying out. the uh the log that he's cutting it out of weight about five tons. Uh, of course, having aged and dried it, it may only weigh half that now. Uh, and he will he will have the bear sitting uh and in a chair uh and reading a book. So, it's just everything that we had discussed and wanted and he's very excited about doing it. uh and he is proposing, as a matter of fact, insisting now that he will be able to do it uh on our property rather than our having to truck the uh

the tree trunk uh to him. And along with that, uh everyone and Lee especially, uh you'd be interested. He said he's uh willing to and welcome uh have people come and watch him uh when he does it, which will probably be in the uh spring uh or the late spring. Now, related to that subject is the subject of paying for it. As you can see, if you looked

over it in detail, the price has gone up slightly, not a lot. Uh, still well within a reasonable budget for a sculpture of this scope and and permanency. Uh, but it's now going to cost $5,500. And we have $3,000 left in our current budget. uh we're told that we will receive uh a budget allocation of 3,000 for this next fiscal year and if we prevail on him to let us pay him in two installments which is really not fair to him but uh maybe we can work with him on that. Uh it would use up essentially our budget for this year and next. Uh so I had proposed that u we would uh and this is going to segue to um the third thing I sent out which is a response on what we'd like our budget to be uh that we have a special uh allotment uh and a number of people u uh have encouraged uh us to um to request that uh India uh who is heading up the um solicitation of budget proposals, left the door open, said uh let us know if uh you uh are requesting more than the 3,000 we are budgeting for you. And so I put in uh that uh we would like a $9,000 budget uh for next uh year and six of it to go to the bear. Uh, of course, our chances of getting that are uh unlikely, I would say. But uh they asked us to speak up, so we spoke up.

Yeah. Uh Wendy, you're smiling and nodding your head. Do you want to

speak? Because I just wanted to see their faces when you said 9,000. But I do have a question though on that, and you alluded to it a little bit in the email. I would really like to impress upon them the ability for us to get grants and the fact that that is a way for us to continue to support the public art commission, the public art in Bloomfield and to help to fray off of the budgets that we need to go ask for if they will allow us to go after grants and get money to help with some of this. I think that is something that we should definitely push. Um, I know that we unsuccessfully where we were not successful in being able to apply for the grant the last time around, but I think that um it's a if or either we can get money or you allow grants. Which which is more pre which is your preference? Um,

absolutely, Wendy. And and you know, uh I did send out and we'll discuss that a little later in this meeting if we have time. We we should uh that uh we um we had applied uh and uh it was uh again I'll be blunt about it bureaucracy which cost us a grant which was all but promised to us. Y uh now we went a different avenue which we cannot probably repeat but and did get a grant from the Hartford Foundation which went to the drum festival

and the specification of that was and they sent a letter to the town to this effect.

This is money that must be uh held uh in custody only for the art commission and can be used for no other purpose whatsoever. and the Hartford Foundation went on record uh to say that. Uh so uh this actually uh I said there were three things I was writing to Tony Harrington about. uh applying for grants was the second of the three and I will forward after this meeting that piece that I wrote on that subject for all of you to take a look at and uh add to and submit uh your thoughts, including to uh uh Tony Harrington, members of the council, the town manager, anyone else you can

get the ear of to say uh not only should we and Could we? But the uh um uh empowering uh legislation, I'll call it that, of the town council explicitly says that we will uh get grants from other sources. Uh and I'm going to attach a copy of that uh to what I send to uh Tony Harrington, but you can all take a look at it. So, I I agree, Wendy, and I open it up uh to the floor for other comments and and uh input on that subject.

Uh do any of you fellow commissioners have grant writing experience? Cuz that's uh I mean,

no, but I I don't think so. But there are definitely outlets that we can utilize for that purpose. And some of these grants don't require a whole lot. They're very very they're very specific and for what our needs are. I think if we were looking for grants, you know, to help support mental health issues or, you know, big things, but some of these are we know exactly what we want to use it for. We can explain it to detail. I just think, and I'm going to sound like a parrot, but I think Bobby will appreciate this. It is mind-boggling that people in town will not support us to go get grant money and we either get money from the town council or we don't and we don't do anything. That is mind-boggling to me. We are a commission looking to get out into the public arts. They should be welcoming it. I understand that someone has to, you know, manage that money, but if it is money that we don't have to spend out of a budget that the taxpayers are paying for and we can provide beauty in town in our public spaces, it just is mind-blowing that there's a push back on that. So, I will continue to I will say argue and debate that point and figure out how to Robin, what we can do. You know,

we're not asking them to write the grants for us. We're not asking them to do anything, but when that money comes back, maybe help allocate where where it's needed because they have to pay the bills, not us. We're not looking to hold any of that money. But Exactly. And uh the the irony, the sad story is the state had no require and they have a commission. The state has a commission on the arts which hands out a lot of money, millions of dollars a year. Uh and and we're in their uh in the shoot as they say

in rodeos. Uh and uh we could get thousands of dollars every single year from them. Agreed.

Which would be enough to put us over the top. You know, we're not asking for uh $50,000 uh grants uh yet. uh uh but um there was no obligation on the part of the town uh except to uh receive this these funds and uh and the uh finance department could not could not plow their way through it. Now I know they were doing other things and they were organizing uh a new finance department and all of that but um uh and as you know uh uh Robin and I and Elizabeth as well uh have met a number of times with uh Al Schwab who is uh supportive of the arts and what it could do for the town and uh so we'll have to go back to him and see what he advises in terms of uh uh how we navigate through through the town uh uh channels to support this. Robin,

I would love to sit in those meetings too if you have when when you have Oh, absolutely. You're all invited. The more the marrier definitely. Uh I want to say my impression from a prior meeting or two and some other comments about the town. And I don't think it's that the town doesn't want us to pursue grants. I think they absolutely do. But we got when we first applied, if I recall, Bob, and correct me. Um, we got hung up on the fact that we struggled to get this. Was it a tax ID number from the town? Yes, but we're way past that, Robin. Elizabeth was able to get it for us, and that was plugged in.

Okay. Uh the thing the thing that uh um we needed literally it was just a sign off a signature line by the finance director of the town right to say uh the the town joins in this uh and he refused to do it. He said I've got to plow through uh all the empowering legislation and and rules and regulations of the state. uh Commission on the Arts before I'll sign that. Wow. Wow. So, uh he's uh he's doing his job.

But yeah, no, Robin, we've covered that before. Uh we're not we're not worried about that number. We have every element necessary to apply for the grant. Uh except that the town needs to uh agree to accept the money for us. Gotcha. Well, thank you for clarifying that. I'm curious about why the administration of the town seems threatened by us. We are here to help and to do good. Why aren't we getting more support?

I think we're just bogged down in bureaucracy. Lee, just to be blunt about it. I agree with that. rules. It was a rhetorical question, but it just seems incredibly unreal to me that they are so grateful for us and what we want to do. Yep. I'm preaching to the choir, but anyway.

Yeah. Well, again, picking up and I'm going to call on Elizabeth next minute, but um picking up on Elizabeth's comment in Wendy's, which is uh contact people in the town, anyone you know, town counselors, the mayor, the town manager, uh friends who have the ear of someone and and let them know what you think and how we operate. Elizabeth, you have your hand up to the gentleman. I don't know all these people, but I'd like to tag along with the rest of you who do.

I just wanted to share that I think there's also a spectrum of grants. So, there are some grants that come with so many uh strings attached and stipulations and then there's other grants that don't. And to be clear, the grants that the Bloomfield Public Art Commission have gone after have been ones that are the more lowhanging fruit that are not an administratively heavy burden. Um, including the our friends at the Harford Foundation for Public Giving, they have a new name now. Um, but they walk you through the process of how to do it and how to be in compliance. um it's not like some of these federal grants that have a lot of um a lot more hurdles. So, I think in communicating our wishes um that point is um is very important. You know, we're being mindful of the types of grants we're going for.

Thank you, Elizabeth. That's exactly on point. It is. It is. Well, well, I'll have to um just uh Wendy, we see your message, so thank you. Have a good night. You too. U

uh well, let's move uh along uh uh back to uh a a general discussion topic. Uh at our last meeting, you all asked uh appropriately for me to forward our uh our mission statement and uh empowering documents, which I did. And uh before we report to anyone, whether it's the town manager or the town council on what we've accomplished, and I've said we've been doing this for 5 years, but actually just about everything we've accomplished uh to to boast of has been in the last two

uh a little more than two years. So, um I think before we report on, um who and what we are and what we've done and our value to the town, it would be worthwhile for us to think uh where we want to go next. What do we want to be? What do we want to do?

Who do we want to be? Uh and uh duly noted, we've all said uh one of the things is we want to get more um demographics of the town involved. And by that I mean age groups, not just uh ethnic backgrounds. Uh but I throw it out for uh everyone's comment and discussion. and and uh if you have any ideas, let's let's get them on on the floor and on the record. Robin,

well, I think we could perhaps start by just doing a little writeup talking about what the art commission has done and just put it in uh the messenger. And as a matter of fact, um, is it okay for me, Bob, to talk about the good news at this point about Michael Borders, the call I received from him?

Oh, by all means, I think it's highly appropriate and as you and I discussed briefly, and there's nothing secret about it. Robin's going to report. U, we can attach ourselves to that with bragging rights. So, please go ahead, Robin. Yeah, I mean I'm just thinking about the fact that yeah, I mean we've had you know I think tremendous uh not just support but uh the community turnout for the events that we have pulled off. So, we certainly can talk about that and just, you know, in the write up, but also uh so Michael Borders called me, I think about a week and a half, two weeks ago, uh to let me know that he's been tapped to exhibit his, uh Connecticut industry panorama mural at uh what is now called Mocha Westport. And it's a fabulous museum exhibit space in Westport, Connecticut. Um, he doesn't have precise dates yet other than he's going to be setting it up for display, he said at the end of August. So, most likely on exhibit starting in probably September through October, I think he said. And once he gets specific dates, I'll let everybody know. Uh, but I mean that's if you guys check it out, it's an incredible art space and uh in a really unique uh building that was formerly owned

by Martha Stewart and before that apparently had been a uh ballbearing factory. I mean, it's actually a really unusual looking stone building, I think. But you got to check it out online. I mean, I mean, so he's thrilled. I think we can all feel really good about Oh, thank you, Elizabeth. Yeah. Um, I had not heard of it's gone through a name change and it's gone through a couple uh different locations and uh so anyway, I also thought this might be a great field trip for those of you who are interested once he's got his exhibit up. Count me in.

Yeah,

definitely. Yeah, this and we still want to go out and see Five Points as soon as the snow clears, probably July or August. Uh when there's no snow, we can we can make our way. But um I I'm going to just jump in, but I want to have you keep going, Robin, with your comments. Uh, I suggested to Robin that at least in part uh the fact that uh Michael Borders had our show uh must have gone into his uh resume uh in helping him uh land this exhibit at the Mocha Museum in Connecticut. So, uh, I think we could, uh, rightly claim we had something to do with that and and that, uh, more people are, um, are benefiting from, uh, the work that we're doing as an art commission in Bloomfield. Please go ahead, Robin, or anyone else. Let's I'm sorry about let's make sure that in some of the publicity we are included.

That's a good point, Lee. Yes. Also was in Bloomfield, Connecticut, sponsored by the Bloomfield Art Commission. Yeah. Right. Well, that's exactly what I'm thinking. We do a little write up to even help get the word out even just within Bloomfield that, you know, here we had this exhibit that we, you know, did for Michael Borders and now here he is going to be uh at a place

also make it in the make it sure that it's in the publicity at the show where it's going. I don't know that we can control that Lee but uh I think we can say we he also has shown out

uh well we are on very good terms with Michael and perhaps Robin you could suggest uh and he probably has as well but that he include that in u in his bio when he uh you know has that at the show that it says and uh in May of 20 Was it 25? Uh uh. No. Yes. May of 25. Uh uh he had a show for a month uh in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Definitely nudge him. I mean, I do think artists do typically do that. They typically, you know, say where they've had their work.

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Uh worth giving him a little nudge. I mean, he reached out to me because he needed a head shot, as a matter of fact, for his uh promotional materials that he was submitting to uh Mocha Westport. So, Robin, would you be uh willing uh in in due time to uh write up a little, you know, 2-in article for the messenger? Yeah, absolutely. Then we could have a clipping of that when we go to talk to people here in in town. Yeah, definitely. Definitely with everybody's uh editing input. I'd be happy to do it.

Good. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. The one thing I would have I there are a lot of things to talk about relative to our charge and everything, Bob. I thought that document was very thorough. Um, but I noticed that people don't know who we are or what we do. Um, there was a little thread on Facebook, as a matter of fact, that I think a few people, maybe Wendy and and Elizabeth, I'm not sure, saw someone writing in asking if there was a venue for performing and so forth. that sort of became a I wrote in said something about the you know our group and uh because they said there was an absence of anything any place to contact relative to art within the community. So it started this thread, but the point is that that person and others who were chiming in on the thread had no idea that we had an an art commission in town and and

you know, possibly that they were a resource for a budding artist to be able to um you know, get some help, direction, information, whatever. Um, so I think the more we can we can get our and believe me, I'm I'm a newcomer to the group. I'm sure over the years you've been putting information out, but um No, it's a good point, Neil. Yeah,

even Yeah, even Yeah. Um I'm not going to volunteer to get involved with uh with social media because that would be something that I'm I would fail miserably at. But social media presence seems to be where to get the word out these days.

Yeah. Yeah. Uh and let me just throw out into the mix uh something picking up from what you said, Neil. Um you know uh a model uh for some of what we're doing is the economic commission. Uh actually the economic commission of the town has no power of approval for anything.

Uh they're only a review uh organization. However, all the major projects in town come through the economic commission and present to us for input, feedback, suggestions, direction, and perhaps we could pick up that model from what you're saying, Neil, and do the same thing,

put out the word to the town, which is if if there are artists in town who are looking for someone to bounce ideas off of a project, an idea. Uh, and as you said, it could be dance, it could be painting, it could be textiles or or quilts. Please uh contact us. We actually did have this occur a couple of years ago uh with uh Sharon Man uh and Paula Jones uh came to us to present the uh idea of the um installation at the park and we approved it and had a resolution which uh uh we had in uh in writing uh that the uh art commission had reviewed their project and uh we supported and approved it and they submitted that to uh obtain funding elsewhere. So we should uh revitalize that and and be sort of a a board of review. We could dedicate uh a portion of uh every monthly meeting to uh artists who want to present to us for uh uh ideas, feedback and direction. U a sounding board issue. Not

not telling them what to do, but telling them what precisely and pointing them toward resources and things. That's right. Uh I don't know how we put that word out. Uh uh can we put something on the town website, Elizabeth, or uh how do we go about doing that? I would need to look into that.

Okay. Okay. Yeah. But it um Okay. Yeah. Otherwise, I thought the uh the charge that document that you forwarded was very thorough. Matter of fact, it looked like there were things that we had said we were going to do that are um what do I want to say? We would like to do. We're not we're not doing all those things. But yeah,

uh it's it's a an ambitious slate of uh of uh projects and uh I applaud the originators of that document for putting it together.

Yeah. Actually, it was intended to be as broad as possible to to uh catch every form of art, every group in town. uh it it was uh by design uh a uh a uh catchall and and that's not to minimize it. It it's to say uh we are supposed to uh have a range of artistic backgrounds, contacts, insights and uh uh the future is uh uh going to decide what we do with it. So, uh

uh I uh I agree, Neil, and uh we should uh bring this back in front of uh of a new town council because obviously it's been several town councils ago that u that this was set up. Yep. Okay.

And David Mann actually had a hand in it along with me and and some others. So yeah, anything else? Okay. Any new business, new topics? Anything else to put on our agenda today or for the future? Um, yeah, I do think Neil's got a point about uh social media. So perhaps we can put on for our next agenda a discussion and hopefully Vivian will be on because I think you know Vivian might be

uh better uh suited because of the type of work she does for helping us maybe get the word out via social media. The part of the reason why I avoid it I do look at Neil I think I saw what you were talking about on Facebook. I do look at some of the Bloomfield community sites. I usually don't chime in because there's so much negativity and basically it looks like a lot of people who do it, it's all complaints just and bashing and personality attacks. So, I don't want to go there.

Yeah. Yeah. But if we were to use it simply to promote the art commission or talk about what the art commission is doing and what we are, you know, but I would much rather have somebody who's really savvy with social media. And though I'm a graphic designer, I'm not savvy enough other than to know these sites exist. I'm I'm going to call on Elizabeth in just a second, but on your point, Robin, about Vivian, uh we should remind ourselves, Vivian actually helped in a very substantial way. I mean, she was a senior person uh putting on the uh uh art festivals in New Haven on New Haven Green. So, she's she's been through this. She big time. So, uh absolutely, we should uh speak to her. Elizabeth,

yes. As a millennial, I love social media and I know a lot of people tend to focus on the negative aspects of it, but I think there are a lot of positive aspects and Neil um as you said, I know that um that thread specifically, a lot of people had um items of uh interest um that added to that. Um, I know that the library has a longunning poetry series at McMahon Whittenbury Library and we got some new people in attendance based off of that specific post. Um, and I know that I have always shared information about the Bloomfield Public Art Commission, um, on social media, um, specifically on LinkedIn, which is a more professionalbased social media platform, um, but also on Facebook and Instagram. And I do think it gets reach. And the bigger thing is, and I think this is true for the Bloomfield Public Art Commission. So, um, and I say this to library staff as well. Sometimes you have a program and the people you impact did not even show up for the program, but knowing that we are doing those types of things and seeing the artists represented, that in and of itself, um, I think is part of the charge for the Bloomfield Public Art Commission. Um, so I do think that I would be really interested um, in in uh, pursuing that a little bit more um, in a moreized fashion. I one one comment about programs at the library. I think I was watching a program last night about black artists uh the history of black art in the country. And that program was one Elizabeth's nodding her head was sponsored by uh public library. Um it's a dynamic program. It's very interesting. If anybody hasn't seen it, they should

check out check out on social media what's being offered at at the library. But anyway, um that reached out to people all over the country. Um, and I'm I'm hoping as she gets close to the contemporary and modern artists that somebody like Michael Borders, Michael Borders in particular, might be mentioned, might be brought up. I don't know how to affect that because she's an independent speaker, but um, that would be really awesome if Michael Borders made his way into a little talk like that.

That's I will pass that information along. That is a great recommendation. Thank you. Okay. And she is great and and we we've had so many people attending those art lectures. It's really I I just think our public loves the arts. I I really do.

I I will uh uh just jump in with a a comment uh that I received from from two different people. uh one uh a woman well I can say who it is Claudia Guardiac who was a professional fundraiser for uh University of Connecticut and the Hartford Foundation uh and uh also a uh a friend of mine some of you met her uh as the uh daughter-in-law of of a woman I uh I I uh was a friend of uh uh and this woman uh uh is uh uh on the board of the uh Metropolitan Museum in New York. Each of them when I said, "Do you have any suggestions where we can uh get funding?" They said, "Well, you know, you actually can get funding outside your town and outside the state at uh a national level from foundations, from arts organizations, but you have to show a presence. So, if we could uh start showing up, social media knows no boundaries. Uh if we started showing up on social media, it would be visible all over the country and the world. uh and that could be a uh a a step up for us to perhaps go to uh an outofstate uh foundation and say look this is what we're doing. We need uh backing and uh how do we go about it? So, uh this this could be an incremental but also a um a magnifying way uh to uh show our presence.

Yep. Okay. Well, that's wonderful discussion. We're approaching 6:15. Um and uh I think we have one agenda item left which is approval of the uh minutes which uh Elizabeth uh supplied. Uh do we have any comments, questions or suggestions about the minutes? May I have a motion then for approval? Anyone? A motion to approve the minutes and a second. Thank you, Lee. All those in favor, please say I.

I. Any opposed? And so they are approved. uh I think we've got uh again a wonderful set of discussions going here and we will continue in March but don't hesitate to contact each other and me uh in the interim and uh I'll entertain a motion now to adjourn the meeting. I motion to adjourn the meeting. Okay. And a second. You are in here still. Sorry, Neil, did you say a second? Yeah, sure. Okay. I don't know if it's legal. It has to be a sitting committee. Oh. Oh, right. Right. Right.

Sorry. I'm sorry, Neil. That's right, Lee. That's okay. A second, please. Lee. Yes. Could you just say a second? Yes. Okay. And all those in favor? I approved unanimously all three of us and uh thank you all wonderful and thank you Elizabeth as always. Uh, have a good night and stay warm.