Public Art Commission - Regular Meeting

very good okay uh welcome everyone uh again uh formally and uh I will also I was going to uh include her later in our program and I'll come back to uh this but we do have uh someone uh visiting us uh as an observer uh Vivien nabeta uh who I have spoken with uh just yesterday and uh she is uh interested potentially in joining us so not to put her on the spot we'll come back and talk about that in a little bit so uh let me uh start with a roll call as we uh do uh and uh we have uh present Robin uh and Neil uh ARA and Lee uh and myself and we are five uh present so we have a quorum uh for uh voting later uh and jumping right in because we've got u a lot to talk about um uh Elizabeth had placed uh number one on our agenda today uh uh the budget uh but I'd like to put that uh to a little later in the meeting uh because what we are going to discuss for other projects uh will feed into that I'd like that to be uh sort of a a topic for summary summation pardon me uh so I'm going to start right away with the Michael borders uh show which uh you all know

about some of you have uh uh actually uh seen uh the uh the myat the uh model of what he's doing I believe Neil you joined us uh in person uh when we met at the uh at the barn uh Robin was that more than a month ago uh I believe uh and uh that has moved uh along quite a bit I will report a little bit and then ask Robin or Neil if they want to U add anything uh we have uh settled on dates for that show so that we can start uh doing uh uh preparation with the town as well as publicity uh and we have decided to uh utilize the month of May uh starting with the first weekend in May uh we will have uh an opening reception that Friday uh evening even I don't have a calendar calendar in front of me so uh Robin if you happen to have that I think it's the third or fourth of May is the first Friday yeah let me pull that up Bob it is May 2nd is Friday the Friday so we will have a an opening reception as we did for the for the uh May festival this past year uh just for 2 hours in the uh early evening and then starting on the following day the 3 uh we will be open uh with the show two days a week on uh on Saturdays and

Sundays for the uh the third weekend the 10th the 17th and the 24th and that will have us ending the show before Memorial Day uh unavoided uh we will have uh the show going over uh Mother's Day which I believe is of the uh weekend of the 17th uh again uh but uh that's fine this is a show that unlike um our May festival uh whoever happens to be in town or is able to uh to join us um even just for a quick look um would be be fine on Mother's Day weekend um in addition uh Michael has agreed that we would have um uh student uh visits during the week and of course the the show will be hanging uh for the entire month so it will be easy for students to come in any any day that we can arrange uh we do have uh some U complications with the uh School C uh Robin I think you could fill us in a little more in detail on that uh because there are exams and what are the dates of of those weeks Robin yeah um I was told that basically the first two weeks of May are really not available for student buses if we're going to be uh doing some Outreach to perhaps the middle schools um that the first two weeks are just off the table because that's when they do the standardized testing um but that's still okay I mean the third week of May uh and potentially

even the fourth week uh would probably be the best time and yeah and I was actually hoping Wendy would be on this meeting so that we can uh talk to her or anybody else who's on the commission any of you who may have any connections to the Bloomfield Public School System uh we definitely want to do more uh Outreach um I know one or two people who may help uh get us connected to people who are uh involved in the schools to arrange for a bus tour or two so that's our hope and uh Michael borders as Bob said has uh not only agreed he's very enthusiastic about the idea of uh not just exhibiting his work but uh being able to to give a talk to the students so great thank you Robin Lee please go ahead yes um I will bring up with uh the duncaster trip committee that perhaps we could have a bus although it's certainly within walking distance but some who might be interested would not be able to make that and if we could have Michael there to talk to this group uh I think that would be a good thing for us and and for him wonderfully and and you've LED in uh perfectly that I did want to follow on with the point that uh obviously we can't have uh uh Michael there every hour uh that we're open but he is prepared to be there uh and to um essentially give tours and you've all seen uh pictures of of the uh show so uh he will uh by

Arrangement uh be there for special events uh like that Lee and uh we'll be present at least what just to tell the trip Committee in planning do we know what days might be better for him or about how long this would last or well we we don't know what days and we can arrange that and that's an important topic uh we will bring up and I I'm going to give a a final update on on where we are with that um but uh no he is he's very flexible and amenable to uh to be there obviously very proud of his work uh and uh uh we will be open uh four hours a day uh each day that the show is is uh open on the weekends uh but if we had a special groups such as duncaster or any other uh group uh we could arrange for him to be there uh during the um during the week as well he is a Bloomfield resident as we all know so that is not a a major uh difficulty as the artist uh and we will require and uh we'll need to make plans with all of you and contacts that you have uh having doents uh available uh even when uh Michael is not there uh to help uh direct people around the exhibit uh make sure that uh to be candid no one touches them because they are going to be actually hanging uh in midair from the rafters of the uh the barn quite an impressive uh Arrangement and we were uh Set uh without the weather uh interfering to actually meet

with him tomorrow at the barn uh and we had uh already queued up representatives from Public Works uh from uh buildings and grounds for the town Dave mesco who we all know was a great help to us in uh Leisure Services and uh several other people involved with the show so we had oh about a half a dozen or more and we've rescheduled for early next week uh probably uh Monday or Tuesday afternoon and uh we'll put a a notice out if anyone wants to U show up and attend and hear what we have to uh discuss with him but uh one of the key items will be our uh lining up dosens to uh to help uh uh guide people at the show um any uh any questions on the bord show uh comments Lee yes what are we doing about security this hanging there for a month seems worrisome uh well two things and then ARA I know you had your hand up as well uh we cannot have uh um you know guards there all the time uh would be uh prohibitively expensive but the uh building is quite secure uh We've inspected it and and talked to Dale beroldy who uh I believe we all know uh uh manages the building for the town on behalf of Ironwood um and uh we are upgrading the locks uh at the uh at the building so when it is closed it

will be very securely locked up uh as well uh very important Point Michael has requested uh not required but strongly requested that we ensure the show uh primarily against damage uh it would be impossible for someone to steal one of these panels they they weigh a great deal and will be uh anchored to the to the um ceiling of the barn but we are uh seeking an insurance policy for a million dollars which is his request uh as far as uh protection and liability uh for the uh for the building and if anyone uh God forbid tripped or was injured uh We've confirmed that the town's insurance policy will be covering that so we are covered for liability Shea you had a question or comment um I think you answered it I was just going to say that I also have a direct contact with schools I'm actually currently you know I work for a school and we also have a art department so I was thinking that maybe some of the students might be interested in also um you know seeing the exhibit and but I understand lied yeah he's probably limited with his schedule but I just wanted to put that out there if he had availability thank you ARA let us put that on the list of uh of things that we will do and pursue and final item on that point I think we brought up previously there actually and I will uh call on you in just a moment Neil uh we actually have some funds available uh to bust students to the show uh and we will be raising additional funds or uh utilizing the budget of the art commission for this uh show as well Neil

oh I just wanted to know if you had an update on that floor uh issue question uh yes uh thank you thank you for bringing that up uh I I and uh some others have pursued that in great detail uh we had a a layout uh with the tiles that you suggested Neil uh and I located a um I located a provider who is in Middletown and got a quote just last week unfortunately uh because it would even though we're not open every day of the week they have to charge us as if the flooring uh would be there for the whole month it would cost $4,000 oh my so okay that's way out of our range uh there's an alternative uh that we've located Robin suggested uh a kind of tile that's used uh to tile um gym floors uh in uh in schools made of rubber and that would still cost us about $1,500 so uh part of the meeting with Public Works is to discuss this issue uh in the next few days and find out if there's some solution I I had one other idea and I good I may I may have sent you the information but um what it involves is a material that um commercial general contractors was used to protect floors during construction and um actually I got the the information on this from the uh the uh superintendent of works over at the library the new library oh okay there's

a material that comes in a roll form um big wide rolls it's like a super thick uh cardboard oh very very durable you can roll it out it costs and I for I don't know how many square feet we have in the space but um it's not beautiful but it could be painted you could do a design on it as a matter of fact you lay it down you roll it out onto the floor and you tape the seams and it's pretty rugged and durable available at Home Depot it might involve a couple of Public Works guys to put it down and tape the seams or some of our our folks but the rolls when I looked at it were a hundred bucks maybe for a roll oh fabulous $50 for a roll of tape I've got the speck and information on it I'll I'll send it to you again Bob I please do I don't I don't believe I saw it but that it's always possible that I missed it yeah no that's okay it's a I think it's a viable alternative oh that that would be excellent and it's uh it sounds like something Neil that uh uh people from Public Works would would understand and be familiar with obviously you know in the in the construction trades please send it on and we will uh we'll pursue that uh that would be outstanding okay good uh anything else on that subject am I forgetting anything Robin uh yeah actually if you don't mind I'd like to go back to arena for a minute AR absolutely yes what schools and grades are you talking about because we do want to you know coordinate I um I work at a it's a trade

school I work at AI Prince Tech in Harford and it's a trade school we have various courses and we have an art program there um most of the students there is freshman and seniors so I thought it would be a great idea because they they're in an art program and they'll be opportunity for them to see um you know this fabulous exhibit and to get exposed know more exposure to different things and other than just the art that they yeah that's sounds great I actually I'm familiar with AI Prince Tech although it's been a long time but I think that that would be marvelous ARA uh particularly uh uh targeting that age group uh because uh obviously um uh although it would be of interest it would be a little more difficult for young grade schoolers to you know get into the the headset of the show but uh that would be marvelous and uh along with that I should add that we are um uh trying to expand the uh awareness of the show beyond our borders Beyond uh Bloomfield and uh uh we have just preliminarily made contact with the a woman uh named Lori Saul who might help us with marketing and I I won't put Vivian on the spot uh uh but um we'll talk in a little bit about her background and if she is able to uh or interested in assisting us she has quite a bit of marketing uh experience and expertise as well so uh that's all marvelous okay so that's a any anything else um I I would also think that uh history departments in schools might

be interested in this too Beyond art because it is a history of Connecticut very much very much Manu Factory yeah that's something to think about I can probably present that to the history teachers as well if that's something that you think would be uh yeah good beneficial marvelous have academic subjects too it's not just trade it's trade and academic so that'd be great um also Bob I know you said earlier um that four four hours is going to be presented four hours a day and you're not it's not is no concrete time yet as far as the time frame yes uh we're we're hoping uh correct me if I'm wrong Robin I I believe we had in mind noon to 4 noon to 4 okay uh and uh again uh Arena and everyone the exhibit is going to be hanging uh fulltime through the entire month so if there is a time uh that we arrange a group to arrive and and Michael is agreeable we'll arrange in advance it can always be opened for that uh it's just that uh addressing Lee's very good question about security uh it will be locked up when uh there is an um uh either public hours or or a special tour uh we want to have it secured so that uh uh no one will be able to just wander in on their own yeah that's just just to reiterate what Bob just said we're so we're talking about Saturday and Sunday 12 to 4 each weekend of May and what we would say our private tours that we would schedule whether it's with public school

students or any group even including duncaster uh residents uh those tours can be arranged and scheduled of course with Michael's uh agreement as far as some of you have heard Michael speak I have not but what would you think an average tour might be an hour uh can he talk about this for an hour oh I think easily uh I have seen probably could talk for five hours which narrow it down but an hour say uh easily uh it is uh eight panels each representing a County uh and uh uh when you uh see it I believe uh Robin showed some pictures of it but the uh but the scope of it is a exceedingly fine detail of individuals uh identified by numbers and names uh and if you he has a book uh which is available for sale which explains what's in the pictures I have seen him uh present this uh uh I have seen it twice uh presented uh and he could easily speak for hours but we could ask him to about an hour an hour I have seen the show the gallery so right that's right you did I I had forgotten that but yes so uh he could easily address uh an hour and uh take questions and and give detail and he is uh by the way an excellent speaker a very uh wonderful informal presence yeah I have another question relative to the dun cter people coming

could we have chair do you suppose people don't like to stand up for an hour uh that is tricky and that goes maybe we'll bring our own well here's here's what we can do and each of these leads to another uh related topic uh the show is going to be hanging in the barn uh but he has uh small Mett and other uh material that explain what the show is about and we've discussed with him having that in the um in the Philly house uh building itself and he could give the talks uh certainly to a group as large as as you likely to bring uh Lee from duncaster of at least a couple of dozen people and uh we could look into possibly having some chairs in that building uh uh so yeah we'll put that on our list thank you um anything else and obviously uh we're available uh at any time with phone or email if you have uh further ideas or questions I would just like to add that even though it's just the beginning of February we absolutely would love for all of our fellow Commissioners to think about who they might know or if you yourself El are interested in being a dosen and we're thinking um probably two at the barn for two hour stretches you know so maybe you just volunteer if you know of someone who might want to volunteer for two hours at a time on a Saturday or a Sunday um and if so just

email uh send me an email and uh between Wendy Bob and I I think we can uh start putting together a schedule of dosin thank you Robin and to put a a number to that uh as Robin said uh we we will probably not to put too much burden on any one person uh have two hour shifts we'd like two people there at once so we will need 16 dosent slots if anyone wants to volunteer more than once of course but uh we have 16 uh 2hour slots to fill okay okay uh moving on we still have quite a bit to do uh the next item on our agenda is the 1% for Arts policy uh we uh submitted that as you all know oh uh more than a year ago and Elizabeth actually uh put that into the um the formal uh um material for the new town plan which is under way and uh is is bigger than just the Redevelopment of the center but is the plan for the entire town for the future that has been picked up on by uh uh Al uh uh who is our town manager and he has requested that we actually uh check with other towns and I have initiated that uh to see what their policy is uh and uh through that the town of uh West Hartford has reached out to us and asked if we would share our 1% for the Arts proposal which I have done and we're trying to um uh Marshall that and move that along uh just uh from a a legal

point of view bringing my background in uh that is something that we cannot simply adopt uh at the art commission but would have to be adopted formally by the uh by the Town Council and be administered by uh the various Town committees uh but there is serious developing uh interest in our having that and just to uh uh recap that would involve uh without our knowing the numbers quite yet uh any development in town that was of a certain size or dollar figure uh would be required to set aside uh 1% % of the dollar value of their project so a uh a $1 million uh uh development project uh would require a uh $10,000 uh set aside uh and that would go into a fund with the Department of Finance in the town for us to utilize specifically uh under the administration of the uh of the Arts commission so that could help fund some of our uh activities in the future but and I will call on you immediately Lee but but uh could be a little while before we have that in place Lee a question is this uh we're getting we want 1% is it just for for-profit companies or development or Does it include nonprofit it would include anyone uh and to to uh uh put put a face on it uh duncaster we know is uh doing a major development and it would involve them as well uh what it would not uh uh uh do

if they Implement that's the way we have in mind is uh not uh private residential so if someone built a $3 million house in town uh they probably would not be required by law to um to uh contribute but uh prior to U its actual enactment we may be going around to um uh various uh development projects which are on the uh on the books to be built and asked on a voluntary basis if they would contribute and we are also going to start doing that uh with some of the projects we have in mind probably uh not uh yet the Michael borders because uh that's coming up rather quickly but other projects that we have and I will bring up but we will discuss today uh we may ask on a voluntary basis for corporations for instance to make contributions any anyone else or comments on that wonderful okay uh the next on our list uh is the U uh sculpture for the uh Library uh we discussed previously and just to recap we do have that very uh important piece of wood it's still in the form of a tree trunk 10 feet long that is being stored at Public Works um and uh we determine kind of roughly but with all of your approval ultimately before we take the final step uh that the best way to um uh turn that into a work of art is using chainsaw art which sounds very crude but I have previously circulated to all of you an artist who we have located who does this kind of

work and it is quite amazingly uh fine fine work uh and for now and subject to uh approval by Elizabeth and and some others uh in town uh we're considering seriously having a bear uh carved out of this and one proposal is to have the bear sitting uh in front of the library and so out of a 10- foot uh piece of wood it's possible to create a bear that may be life-sized or pretty close uh having a bear sitting in front of the library reading a book and this artist says he can do that he's actually done something similar previously so that would be pretty exciting it would be under our Administration and so we would all uh as a commiss Miss have input uh and discussion uh once there are some plans underway uh we've been waiting with this U challenging weather uh for him to uh come visit us and we're hoping that in the next couple of weeks uh he will come and take a look at the wood and give his opinions on what can be done he he is based in uh in bethl Connecticut uh so that's about an hour an hour away but we can really call that local and certainly a Connecticut uh a Connecticut native uh uh we have not yet located someone with a chainsaw in Bloomfield who could do this so uh any comments questions or suggestions on that please Bob I thought part of the concept was uh to also have the bear sitting on a drum uh which would connect with the uh drum Festival the drum uh company that used to exist in

Bloomfield uh that is uh that is on the uh on the list uh question being one whether he can do that much detail uh and second uh what everyone's views and opinions are I I've been told by a number of people that that may uh be ambiguous to people uh seeing a bear and a book would be easily identified ible but some uh people in the public and of course this is a public uh work of art uh I'll say it in crude terms just may not get it what he's sitting on and why so uh we would uh oh and I should mention I've brought it up with this artist that he is uh willing to uh work publicly with it and we could have uh we don't know whether he would work uh at Public Works uh which has uh offered and agreed to help us uh lift it and move it you know with their equipment whether he would work there or actually uh finish it on the lawn of the uh of the library but it would be open uh for people to watch him work which is an awful lot of fun I I know we've all seen that in in various mediums uh um glass blowing and and uh carving and that kind of thing uh so uh yes that's a possibility uh Robin but uh again we'd like to bring some designs back to this commission for review uh and with Elizabeth's participation as well since uh she has uh the responsibility for the whole Library uh and by the way uh just to uh reiterate uh we did an Neil and I took a tour of the library uh under construction uh I spoke with the

Architects and they um do not have an opinion or U involvement in what is done uh for that art so we do not need their uh approval or permission good yeah I I saw the website I think you sent around the website for the artist yes and uh very nice I I think yeah thank you yeah we were very fortunate yeah yeah I found uh uh four uh who could do this kind of work one in California which would be problematic and and one is in Maine it was uh equally uh remote for our purposes so this fellow we're very fortunate is in uh Connecticut and I spoke with him just in the last week so he's still interested great great okay uh moving along uh just briefly uh and we do want to coordinate this with uh with Elizabeth who's our leaz on to the town uh we're in a budget season uh we have to come up with a budget for the commission and uh uh we will be circulating some uh suggestions for your input uh we are getting the interest in backing and I can't say uh that that means uh final approval but uh the town through the town manager uh is very interested in uh in what we're doing at the commission there's a couple of more things we're going to get to tonight uh which will show his interest uh and uh so I am proposing that we uh may increase our budget uh in this next year to cover some of these uh new projects I don't have specifics uh we believe that we will be able to accomplish uh the borders show in this uh past fiscal year

in other words we're still uh operating from a budget that ends in June of 2 and if this show just makes it under the wire in May uh we still actually have our full $5,000 uh in the Department of Finance to cover our expenses and we believe that should should cover this uh bord show but some things were coming up in in the new year uh summer of 25 to Summer of 26 uh may require additional funds so we will report back to you on that uh any questions or comments suggestions uh on budget uh apart from are sending you uh material for your comment wonderful okay uh the the last item uh I'd like to add which is not on the uh on the uh Historical Society before I get to the the drum Festival uh is uh we have met uh Robin and I met uh just in a small meeting uh with John capadona who is the chair of the Historical Society in town and uh we've discussed uh with them uh they're uh co-promoting uh some of our uh events uh because of course it's an historical component to much of what we do uh and uh he is very enthusiastic and would like to uh help cooperate uh with the uh historical society and the Arts commission uh for our events going forward and and quite explicitly we brought up with him that we hope that perhaps they can provide some Doss for some of our shows as well so he's he's

quite uh supportive of that uh Robin you were at that meeting any additional comments about that uh yeah I mean he just was absolutely uh I mean well what we should uh remember is that he actually is the one who brought Michael borders to our attention yes thank you yes he was uh very enthusiastic about the fact that we were going to proceed um when we had our May found art uh poet excuse me John kadana was the one who actually Michael borders actually did not attend that Festival but John wrote his name in for to be included in our artist directory and then we had a conversation and he just mentioned the fact that this particular mural uh because of the sheer size of it and because it's really a piece of artwork that's about Connecticut industry how perfect it would be on display in the barn so that's what started that whole ball rolling so yeah he's just absolutely on board and uh he's certainly going to talk this up with other Historical Society members and and hopefully get back to us with with a few people that might volunteer as do must have a mailing list that they send out they do yes periodically yes they do and and they have a newsletter as well huge yeah good yeah they they are very supportive and and uh he would like to um have a uh information on our events so that he can help publicize for us through the Historical Society right okay I'd like to move on to uh new

business uh and uh for uh I've put at the top of of the list and then I will uh then address the uh the drum Festival briefly uh we have with us this evening woman Vivan nebeta who uh has expressed an interest in potentially joining us on the commission I won't uh put Vivian on the spot to uh uh give us a whole uh Speech or introduction but I did want to recognize her and uh uh allow her if she chose just to say hello uh for a minute but uh that is an explanation of why uh Vivien has joined us this evening and I had a a wonderful convers with her yesterday about her uh background uh and uh and interest so uh Vivian uh if you do wish to speak you you may but I don't want to put you on the spot uh at this point oh they I'm sorry I was trying to unmute and turn my camera off I'm using uh zoom on the phone and for some reason it just didn't like me hi everyone nice to meet you yeah hi Vivian yeah I see a from familiar face so I know one person besides you Bob obviously and who is that somebody's my neighbor I see one of my neighbors here that would be me yeah wonderful wonderful well uh I will just uh without as I said disclosing too much I'll I'll wait for viven to decide if uh she wants to ever see us again uh but uh she is uh very local uh uh lives uh nearby and uh has been in Bloomfield for a a good long time and has expressed some interest in uh in our art commission so we will uh

hopefully Circle back with her uh in the near future thank you Vivian for uh for appearing at this point uh for having me you join us great join us Vivian I will say without giving away too much that I have uh spoken with Vivien about her background and and seen her resume uh and uh she is an incredibly impressive uh uh woman who has done a great deal and uh we'd be very fortunate if she uh if she CH to join us so thank you Vivan thank you anyone question or whatever feel free okay uh moving to the drum Festival uh we've had a number of very informal uh meetings sessions one as recent as uh today at 2 o' uh and I've moved it to a new business because uh all of the items we've discussed up to this point are actually things that are already underway uh the drum Festival is uh up in the air uh a bit as to its format and timing uh and most recently we discussed uh having a small uh introductory uh event and by that I mean uh not a full event dedicated just to the drums but uh sort of an entertainment portion to some other event in town uh one of the things uh we're looking at is a repeat of the food truck festival which you all may know was this past September and is being done again the middle of uh September of uh of 25 uh there are uh many complications to that I won't go into it now because uh among other

things uh we really need to get some feedback but uh the meeting today uh involved uh uh Vera uh Smith who is the uh uh director of the Chamber of Commerce and is running the food truck festival Dave molesco who we're all familiar with was at the meeting India Rogers from the town uh and Bonnie burka who ran the uh Festival in the past last time was 21 years ago uh and I was in the meeting so I will report back when we have a little more information I didn't want it to go by without our our addressing it but it is still quite a morphus uh and then the follow on which would be a a full uh uh drum uh Festival event uh we're discussing when that uh logically uh would occur but probably in the fall of 2026 uh because it will require uh literally that much planning and fundraising I put in our notes uh and our minutes when we uh get to approve them later this evening uh that the last Festival cost $65,000 uh but uh Bonnie revealed today uh that she went back in her records in the last time this was done uh which was in uh 2003 it cost $100,000 uh and that was supported uh in very large uh uh degree by local corporations uh Sigma actually gave $220,000 uh toward the drum Festival last time it was presented so there's uh some very big things up in the air uh not enough to really bring back to all of you for uh any substance of conversation at this point but but I

promise that we will as uh information develops fair enough okay uh next uh uh on the agenda as it's been numbered uh we uh previously uh mentioned that uh we had been invited uh by Paula Jones uh who runs the um uh photography show uh photography of trees in Bloomfield has invited us the art commission to um join with them in presenting uh their event this next uh I believe it's December and uh Robin uh and I met with Paula informally in the last couple of weeks Robin do you want to give just a a short report on that please uh yeah sure I mean just quickly so this is the trees for Bloomfield photo contest and uh Paula Jones approached uh both Bob and I and basically the art commission to ask if we might be interested in co-sponsoring it and so Bob and I thought that sounded like a wonderful idea and we're hoping that uh the rest of our fellow Commissioners agree although I don't quite yet know uh a lot of details about what that would mean just saying yes this is you know terrific Bob and I did attend the actual award ceremony uh that was held for the photography winners um one of the things we talked about when we met with Paula was uh uh maybe expanding it Beyond just being a photo exibit that adults submit

their digital photos to but maybe also uh trying to do Outreach again to the Bloomfield Public School System and somehow getting students involved because at this point that seems to be what's lacking um and might be a you know a wonderful way to also encourage if not photography even artwork um so you know we're open to ideas and suggestions uh but I do need to Circle back to Paul and and actually get all the timeline information as far as you know when things are due as far as submitting the photos and and other details before we get too uh formal about the process thank you Robin and just to amplify on that just to a very little bit um uh one of the concepts we had uh taking off from what Robin uh mentioned was going Beyond photography uh and potentially we hoping that Wendy might join us this evening but we will tap her and any of you as well who have uh a specific contacts in the schools in Bloomfield uh that we would open it a little wider uh and uh encourage uh with enough Advance it is actually almost a year away till the next show uh that perhaps it would be an assignment in uh art art classes in the bloom field schools uh for students of a a sufficient age maybe Middle School and High School uh to submit works of art in other media whether it's uh paint or sculpture or or uh collage or or something uh but actually formalize it to the degree that U it was a required

assignment uh that U students do this uh in their curriculum and then uh there could be some winners or or best candidates uh chosen by the uh by the art teachers and submitted to us and uh and the uh committee that runs the show so that's uh some Advanced thinking but again uh something that is has not been pinned down I know the uh the next show uh is formally uh uh in place uh it's in December isn't that correct provin yeah and well well that's the award ceremony and then what happens is that's when they actually display the photos they have them professionally printed and matted and they literally uh put them on display at the parks and wreck or Leisure Services building and it's basically a movable exhibit I believe they then have it at that building for uh several months perhaps move it I think to town hall and to the library so that's what's kind of terrific about it it's a a movable exhibit that is on view for anybody uh to see throughout the year until the next uh contest occurs uh great thank you Robin you're welcome uh the the last two items uh one we have uh uh partially addressed uh meetings with neighboring communities we are reaching out as I said initially West Hartford but want to uh also make contact with some surrounding uh other communities to discuss uh and we've been requested by Al I believe he actually brought it up at uh uh his being present at our last month's meeting of the commission uh to find out what kind of support other

towns uh provide to their Arts commission so that's in process uh the last item of new business however uh is uh we have been and we're quite excited that the uh art commission is being recognized and and included uh in uh the town's bigger plans uh we uh had uh uh Dave mesco uh from uh the um Leisure Services reach out just in the last couple of weeks and invite the art commission to participate in the uh rededication and opening of Philly park now again that's a a common and familiar name uh in town but as you all know that's located across from town hall and is not connected with the with the Philly house itself uh but they're having a a a major opening celebration I believe it's April 26th but I will be sure and send all the information to all of you and we were invited to be one of a a large number of uh Town organizations that present or appear at that uh event now it is uh if I do some quick math on my on my fingers uh only uh three months uh away uh so uh we're not going to be able to uh develop a show or an exhibit but uh the idea uh throwing open for discussion uh with all of you is to at least have a a table or uh something uh where we can uh appear at the Philly Park uh have material about the art commission uh if we have uh uh material already uh ready uh about the Border show or even some planning ideas for the

drum Festival uh we would uh have that at the table and following along with what we've done in the past also have a signup uh sheet uh which we could add to our directory uh we're hoping to finalize that through Wendy by the way uh and uh kind of spreading our wings more and more uh being recognized participating in town uh and this was an invitation as I said that came from the town to us rather than our having to uh come up with the idea ourselves so uh any um comments or thoughts or reactions from anyone on on that subject it's a beautiful Park sounds wonderful yes yes and uh as all of you know and have seen uh up until very very recently uh it was hard to tell just what was going on there it looks still pretty uh uh unfinished uh but it is uh completing it's going to be quite quite a wonderful uh uh Park and and event and they want to they want to show it off so we've been asked to uh to be part of that that show and we're very pleased with that it's can I miss I'm sorry yes ARA I'm sorry I'm me to step over I'm sorry when was the show when is the show again I missed uh it's it's a a celebration uh we can call it a show but I believe it's April 26th and i' have to have a a CA calendar in front of me uh to be certain but it is that last Saturday uh in April and it is going to be a an all day celebration they're going to to uh uh I think possibly close some of the streets uh leading up to the park uh have food and

events and uh I don't think anything as formal as we have in mind for the drum Festival but possibly some entertainment so it's really going to be a an all day event open to uh open to the public okay um I just wanted to add that uh yeah would be wonderful if uh couple of you or any of you who have the time uh during the day to perhaps help us uh uh you know even just be a presence there um I am about to finally go pick up our printed uh business card calling card so that might be a really good uh opportunity for any of us to just you know be there and make ourselves known and uh hopefully it will be a beautiful day and it'll be just before the Michael borders exhibit so you know we could talk that up as well exactly thank you pardon me I just volunteer Robin to be there I'll definitely be there too um Robin oh great marvelous marvelous I'll be there for a some of it ter the idea of our having a table some kind of presence yes right right we thought that would be just just the right thing not to try to overdo it but to show up uh say we're there give some background uh we even have discussed having some uh uh press clippings from uh our show last spring uh uh to show people that we've done some things and uh uh raise awareness and hopefully participation uh through our uh our show last May we we had Neil

uh join us he signed up at at that event uh in the directory and uh uh we also uh uh have had other people get in touch with us uh as a result of that so uh we're very excited uh okay uh I believe uh we actually have covered our agenda uh 6:15 which I usually uh try to promise we'll we'll do uh our next meeting is March 5th uh and uh we have some additional agenda items we've uh developed just this evening uh to discuss uh anything else someone uh here would like to add introduce suggest that we talk about at our next meeting well thank you and we will uh uh be in touch with Vivian and see if uh if she some has some interest in in pursuing uh a connection with us as well uh well then uh if uh people have had an opportunity to uh look at the minutes uh from our last month uh we did have very complete uh minutes thank you Elizabeth I will entertain a a motion for approval of the minutes don't move and a second please yes Jo thank thank you uh and all those in favor say I I I thank you any opposed any extensions then we have approved our our meeting minutes uh from our uh meeting in uh in December and uh January I misspoke uh thank you all very much for attending this has been wonderful and thank you Vivian for uh for joining us

this evening and thanks Chris meeting everyone you to you too and thanks CHR for for facilitating this give our regards to Eliz