Recreation & Parks Commission - Regular Meeting

Mission on January 16 for a four something. 04:03. And let's do a call to order.

Sure. We're going go to agenda item B, Pledge of Allegiance.

Okay, Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda item C, roll call. Commissioner Commission members Tavara, Zaragoza? Here. Kamarda?

Here.

Tran?

Here.

I'm sorry. I'm

I'm

And Rodriguez?

Here.

Vice Chair Dennis, I would like to remind the audience that if they wish to address the commission, they must submit a green request to speak form located at the podium in the back of the council chamber. Citizens can submit public comment to the commission electronically no later than 1PM on the day of on the day of the meeting. Comments received before the deadline will be sent to the commission and will be part of the record and will be mentioned as part of the public comment portion of the agenda. Material may be emailed to cityclerkcityofmerced dot org and should be limited to 300 awards or less. Any correspondence received after 1PM will be distributed to the commission and retained for the official record.

Record. Agenda item D, public comment. Vice Chair Dennis, the clerk's office did not receive any public comments. Agenda item E, consent calendar E1, Arts and Culture Advisory Commission minutes of 07/18/2024 and 11/26/2024.

Alejandra, we usually don't have people in the audience. Can I double check to make sure that there's no public comment from people here?

Yes, of course. We can go back to agenda item D, public comment.

Thank you. It's very rare that we have people in the audience. So welcome, thank you for being here because arts and culture and reset are very important so thank you for showing up. But yeah if you guys have any public comment now would be the time. But if not no pressure. Thank you. Approve our minutes from last time last year. Do we have any comments or anything or does anyone want to make a motion?

Motion to approve minutes.

Okay. Got a motion from Carmada. Do we get a second?

I second it.

And second from Saragosa.

Okay. I have a motion by commissioner Camarda and a second by commissioner Zaragoza. Chair and commissioners, please cast your votes. And the vote passes unanimously. Moving on to agenda item F reports F1 request from Commissioner Camarda for information on revitalizing the Merced Art Hop.

Do you want to take this or do you want me to?

Go for it.

Okay. Jennifer is going to hopefully put something on the screen there. This is a rough draft. This is going to be something to coincide with Hispanic Chamber of Commerce during the Mercado. Usually the Mercado is the first Thursday of every other month. So the odd numbered months. And they always need an arts component. So we're going to have the Art Hub will be part of the Mercado. And then the even number of months, the rest of the year it will be just the Art Hub during this time. I've talked to the original organizers of this.

We haven't had an art hop since 2019 I think was the last one. It just stopped right before the pandemic because of the lack of funding and other things. And I got their blessing to restart this. And so we've been working on the logistics. I've been working with other councils and walks and art hops throughout California.

And a big help has been like the Fresno Arts Council with their art hop and the Stanislaus Arts Council with their art walk. And so I've come up with this web page on the first tab. This here is an interactive Google map and once we have all the venues and all the artists you'll click on like yeah go ahead and click on that Jennifer and it'll pop up what the venue and the artist is going to be there And this form will happen when the forms go out and the artist apply to the art hop. Right now of course it's going to be this is the main landing page. This is a draft.

A draft of the logo and everything else. And it's still a work in progress. So you can click on that I'm an artist form right there and a Google Doc will open up a form, fill that out. And then the same for the venues and they can fill that out. What we'll do is help artists and venues connect with one another.

And this is going to be no charge. So there's no charge for an artist to have a spot. There's no charge to, at this point, for businesses to be a part of this. I'm working on grants to subsidize some of the costs associated to this. Trying to keep it as simple as possible and as low cost as possible.

And maintaining communication and dialogue between artists, business and community. That way we could all figure it out together and make agreements run among each other. And so that's pretty much the gist of it. Usually Mercado would be like on March or May. But this year they're going to start on April.

So we're going begin April. So the first two art hops will be alongside Mercado for April and May. And then starting in June will be the first art hop by itself. Which is kind of nice because it will give us more time for me to work with artists in the venues and iron out some details and questions and get some more feedback. And then hopefully throughout this first year as we roll this out to perfect it.

And then hopefully by next year get it even better and then do more things. It's not going to be as complicated as closing down streets or anything like that. It's just going be a regular art hop at this point anyway. Maybe down the line we could think about that. When we had the Mercado they already closed down the street. So we'll have performances and stuff like that outside within the boundaries of the closed streets. And this art hop does include a visual, obviously visual artists but also performing artists. So musicians, spoken word, all of that. It's all included within the artist application form. But anyway that's essentially all I have right now.

I'm still working on it and I'll probably talk to a lot of the people in this space here and outside with our local artists and venues to get more feedback on this. So this is a work in progress. But if you guys have any questions or comments right now please let me know. Do we need a

Yes, I'm so sorry. If you have a question or if you have a public comment then you can come up here to the podium and then we'll be able to that's completely fine.

It's okay. It's just because we have we might have a couple people on Facebook listening in too. So no pressure but then they know what you're saying as well. Wow this space I'm noticing now the new monitors too. We've new monitors there. I hear myself, it's so weird to hear myself in the speakers. Interesting. It's cool.

Hi Susan Gramala and I have a question about the RHOP. I overheard you, I mean obviously you have. You said that there won't be street closings for the off months right?

For the Art Hop itself no street closings. For Mercado yes.

How will it be set up then?

Through this interactive map and printed out maps

Okay and so it'll be inside businesses?

Yeah, well it depends on the business right? It depends on what they have. So if they have like a nice front porch like maybe say Binos they've got the front there. We could have something there. They could have it on the inside. It depends on the artist. So it's gonna be a lot of communication between artist and venue right. And that's where I come in so I can help that dialogue happen. So what are the needs of the venue? What are the needs of the artist?

And then trying to match them up accordingly. And that's where the Arts Council comes in to make this happen, help this along. So there's really no definitive answer because it's going be flexible. It's going to change depending on the needs of the venue and the artist.

Okay I understand. Thank you. Yeah you're welcome.

Like for instance some venues might not be able to have a band or they don't want music or whatever or they prefer a visual artist and so we'll make sure that happens. If a visual artist has some needs, a certain amount of space certain material or whatever then you know we can work those details out as we go along. And so that's where a lot of the work is going to take place behind the scenes before the hard hop even happens. But thank you for that question. Me look at the are you able to push a button there Eddie?

Oh so yeah did you hit it? That doesn't show up here. But I know that you're wanting it so go for it.

So I just wanted to say that when I first moved to well first it was Atwater then it was Merced. I didn't know there were artists here at all. And I was looking for the art community. And I remember it was in 2019. I think I got to experience the last two art hops. And there was a sign near freeway I want to say near street. And that sign is notified me that there was an art hop. I came to the art hop. I got to meet Bob Smith. He introduced me to about 20 different artists.

They each introduced me to about 20 different artists, and the rest is history. So I just wanted to say thank you for restarting this. This is huge. I'm constantly meeting new artists in Merced and often they don't know about each other. They don't know there's an art community here. So this is fantastic.

Thank you, Eddie.

Okay, I see that. Go for it, Glenn.

So I'm especially excited to see the Art Hop is coming back. I believe that we need to create more economic opportunities for the artists here in Merced so we can keep them around. I want to be involved in this as much as possible. So whatever contacts you guys want to give me so I can be involved in this, I definitely want to make sure that I'm involved in helping out as much as I can. The point that you had made about the sign, I believe that strong marketing is definitely going to be a key in getting this thing off the ground.

That is going to be important. So we gotta make sure that we get the word out, not only social media, but physical media, you know, do a TV interviews, whatever we gotta do to to let people know that, you know, we are bringing this back. I've talked to a lot of artists that are chomping at the bit to get on to get this thing started. I mean that's yeah, I'm just I'm really looking forward to this. So I'm super excited. But yes that's my comment.

Thank you. Yes the marketing that is going to be and that's going to be a lot of the cost too marketing material printing those kind of things. There are certain hopefully organizations that are willing to give to that specifically for the Art Hop, specifically for marketing to make sure that we have it clearly defined. It's pretty much the map is pretty much what we talked about before in the past about the Arts And Culture District. It's much the same.

You kind of see how it gear that little map right there how it kind of protrudes out just a little bit to include Canal Street like Roger Wyand's studio and the studio is there. And of course Tanya Hemi on the corner of M And 18th. And you know now we have the sensory lab ASIP and they have this beautiful gallery on the inside there too. That's kind of outside of this map. A couple blocks out we might have.

So you can already see how this footprint is already expanding. And you like the couple days ago we saw Susan out painting the new taqueria creating a new mural out there. And so it's expanding on Main Street. And so I see this getting kind of bigger and bigger as we go along. But right now this is kind of the gist of it and it's going to be one of those things that lives and grows.

And so as downtown grows the Art Hop map will extend accordingly. But thanks for all the input. In the future anyone can email me and this goes for the audience as well whoever is listening. Directorartsmerced dot org if they have any questions or concerns or they want to volunteer and help out in any way please email me directorartsmerced dot org and we'll get this going. You. I guess now unless there's any further questions we'll go on to reports.

Agenda item F2 requests from Vice Chair Dennis to review next steps for creating art districts in the city of Merced.

All right. Boy I don't even know how long ago did we give this presentation to the city council Tommy. Like a year ago at least. Yeah about a year ago.

July 1620 July 2023.

My gosh, like a year and a half ago. Oh wow. So anyway we haven't done really anything since. We've got the map out there and so that's why I asked Jennifer to see what are our next steps. So go ahead Jennifer and let know what we can do.

Sure. So you proposed an L shaped district that incorporates the historic courthouse to the intersection of Main And G with 0, M, and 16th Street and 18th Street to mark the geographical extent. And so I've attached to the agenda and in front of you our potential public art options. I made an error, and I would like to point that error that I made out because the MAC is not in District 2, it is in District 3. So that's my error.

Thank you, Nick, for bringing that to my attention. So these are some of locations that we have put together in each of our council districts, but the art commission subcommittee put together two or suggested two locations, The L Shaped District in Downtown Merced, and then McNamara Park in South Merced because a lot of the art is, in and around that that park. In fact, Eddie just finished a mural on the youth center and the pillars in front. So I will I'll share that information or I'll share that mural again on our our social media. We've also you also talked about some future considerations from Farrands to Rahili Park.

And so right now, those are the three areas that you've suggested, and you presented that to counsel quite some time ago. We are looking for funding to create designated art districts so that the state commission will acknowledge those areas as designated designated art districts, but it does include applying for grant funding. It it does include working with the state and the California Arts Commission to do that. And if you notice on the admin report, we continue to talk with them. We continue to stay in touch with them, but the budget restrictions are such that there was a $5,000,000 decrease in grant allocations for this fiscal twenty twenty four twenty five and 2526.

So consequently, some of the programs may may be on hold, and and this program is on hold. But we continue to to watch for funding opportunities we continue to reach out and talk to the California Arts Council we don't talk to them but we communicate with them through email and so I'm on every email distribution list that they have every grant distribution list. We have a grant writing team with our lobbyists, California Public Policy Group, and so they have a watch on arts district grants opportunities. So it's just they've not announced any of those opportunities. And the governor is working on the budget right now for California and with our administration changing things are on hold.

We continue to look and we continue to promote art. We have three RFPs that are going out soon in those districts with art projects that you approved and council approved. So in the Farrance Park, we have that recycle, call it a trash sculpture, and that'll be going out soon. And then we also have a mural that an RFP will be going out for under the walking and bike path on our street by Farrance Park, and then the utility box refresh program, that project that that will be going out. And then we also have in this district, in our central district, we have the Brown Bag concert series, so that RFP will be going out soon.

And then the subcommittee will meet and discuss other opportunities within the districts that So although we don't have an update on defining those districts, we still are working within the guidelines that you've given us to promote art in those areas.

Great thank you Jennifer for

that update. I do have a couple of questions.

Sure.

Now for certain funds in the state to actually kick in, we have to formalize as a city what our district is. What are the logistics or the steps that we need to do to get to that point so we could make that a formal formalizing the arts and Culture district in the downtown.

So I believe

that when you presented this to counsel they agreed on the two districts, the L Shape and the South Merced. And so we would identify and you used the term, I think you used future considerations for the Rahili to, I'm sorry, the Ferrence To Rahili Bike Path. And so I was looking at some past grant applications. And it didn't state that the city needed to I mean, I guess an answer to your question you have somewhat formalized the L Shape and South Merced because that has current art projects that are identified in those areas. And so we would use that footprint as part of the grant application when we submit to the California Arts Council if those opportunities come up.

Okay so you think at this stage we are pretty much we formally stated that this is what we want as our arts and culture district.

Correct.

Okay. So Okay. As I know within there's the Arts And Culture Districts of California and there's certain criteria that we have to meet. And that being included that it is. So it's in our documents with the agenda and the city and all that. That's good enough.

Yes.

Perfect. Awesome. Anybody else have any comments or questions concerning the Arts And Culture District? I think too Jennifer I want to make it clear that I think this is what our intent was. And please let me know if I'm wrong on this Tommy on our subcommittee. That our first priority I think is trying to get one of these arts and culture districts. And I think the downtown is the main priority. And then the others are the next priority if that makes sense.

Okay. I will look back in the council meeting minutes to clarify but I did take this information from the council meeting minutes and you talked about the L Shaped District and then you also reiterated the McNamara Park in the vicinity because of all of the artwork that currently exists.

Yeah.

So those were two identified areas that we would focus on.

Okay. Okay. I just want to make sure that's clear.

Okay.

And that is correct, Tanya. Okay. All right. Thank you.

You're welcome.

All right.

Do we need to clarify? I'll wait.

Can we move on? Does anyone have any comments? All right, what's next?

Okay, before we move on to F3 I'm so sorry about that. We need to go back to F1 and I just had a question.

So we need to clarify that the ARTHOP is a Merced multicultural arts event and not an arts and culture advisor commission event. We just

need That to clarify is correct. It's a Merced County Arts Council. Correct. You.

Thing. Perfect. I just

wanted to clarify that before we moved on.

Yes, thank you.

Of course, yeah. So now moving on to F3, report on proposed ART maintenance plan.

So we have talked at length about creating maintenance plan. And in order to create a maintenance plan, we have to have a policy. Policy. So I'm working with the city attorney, and providing him with information or the attorney's office with information on what others have done so that we can identify the maintenance, policy and then include those in in any RFP that we're putting out so that artists have expectations or know what the expectations are for a certain period of time. For example, if we want the artist to be responsible for six months to a year and coming back and applying the protective coating if the graffiti abatement contractor removes the graffiti and then the artist will work with the abatement crew to reapply the coating.

There are just some specific elements of a maintenance plan that need to be clear so that the city attorney can determine if that's something that we can put into a policy and then we need to take it to the city council so that they can approve. But it needs to be part of the policy. So that's I I I will report back to you. I believe I put that in the the admin report. I'll report back to you in in March on our on our progress. Hope to have an answer so that we can get together and talk about how that's going to fit into all future art projects.

Awesome. Yeah, thank you so much for all the work you do on all of this, Jennifer. I know that just our few conversations on this it just kind of hurts my brain trying to think of all the logistics and all the things how all the situations that might come up and trying to solve those and working with public works and artists and all the logistics.

Thank you. Yes we wanted to get public works involved so that we understand what it takes to clean a utility box and what the parameters are for stripping paint off a utility box and kind of the do's and don'ts so that everyone's informed and so it does take some time to put that information together so that the city attorney has a really good idea or overview of what what that maintenance plan would look like.

Yeah, great. Thanks again, Jennifer.

Anybody else with comments on that? Questions? All right. Thanks again, Jennifer.

Okay.

Agenda item G business G1 request to add item to future agenda.

Okay. Anybody have any requests for future items for March? Sometime in March? Anybody? Okay I a couple.

I would like to get an update on the Bob Hart Square. The stage and everything that's all that. I don't know at what stage we are now but

We can make that happen. Okay.

Let's see future art projects. We have a subcommittee. Maybe we can get they can review their recommendations for this year 2024, 2025.

We can make that happen too.

With the funding that we have.

The

remaining Yeah, like 49,000. So 39,000 depending on what the maintenance fund. And then one other thing too is that I talked to some of our the organizers of the Lao New Year and that Lao New Year is going to be May 17 this year. And I don't know if we've talked about this, but it is a cultural event that happens in our downtown in the Arts And Culture District. And is there a way for us as a commission to give them some funding to help sponsor that kind of event or events like that? Maybe that's a discussion that we can have.

I think the subcommittee can talk about that and present it at the March meeting.

Okay, great. Thank you, Jennifer.

And do we know who is on I think who else is on that subcommittee meeting, subcommittee for the future projects?

Yes, I had that written down. Okay.

Send us an email for Yes. Just give us a reminder. Perfect. Thank you. Anybody else with anything they would like to add? Okay. Moving on. All right any comments anything happening that you would like to announce before we adjourn? Okay Eddie.

So at the Carnegie Art Center in Turlock, there's currently a printmaking show. Ruben Sanchez is one of the artists. And then in the hallway, there's also a paper show. And I believe Ruben Sanchez and Sela I forget her last name another local artist are part of that show as well. And I know the Mac has a great upcoming show. Is it the thirty first or the thirtieth?

The thirty first is the reception, yeah. You. And that Carnegie Arts show is pretty awesome, really awesome. A lot of our local artists are in it. Thanks Eddie. Anybody else? Yeah I got a few. Going on piggybacking on Eddie's comment. Yeah it's Lachine Accuso, a Taiwanese American artist. She's got her solo show up and it's up through March 8. And her reception is January 31. So it's a free reception. So anyone out there come by, check it out. It's pretty awesome. It's at the Mac.

We've got a few things happening. Phoenix Creative Collective, a theatrical group in town has they just finished Drama Island raising funds for local arts organizations. And now they're starting their season of plays and they're opening up with POTUS. And that's going to be at the Arts Center opening February 22. I'm sorry that's not right. February. So it's coming up in about three weeks. We also have Accessible Arts. It's a new organization, arts organization in town making arts accessible to everyone. All the arts visual and performing arts but mostly performing arts.

They have their fundraiser called Drag a Ray which is a combination of drag and cabaret. And it's a fundraiser on February 14 at the MAC. It's a fun event and all the proceeds go to their organization and programs. And then Merced Shakespeare Fest is doing a reading of Faustus at the MAC February. So look for that.

It's in collaboration with the UC. Doctor. Catherine Brokaw is the director of that. And for the NAC and the Merced County Arts Council our big fundraiser is the Mardi Gras and that is March 1. So it's a fun event, live music, you get to dress up and it's all for a good cause. So those are the things that are coming up at the MEC. Anybody else? Yeah, Eddie or Nick. Brochambeau.

There we go. Okay. Two things involving the historical society. One, Merced County their current exhibition is on until February 16. Features Karen Macomb and Tony Ahemi and Sheryl Lockett and many other local artists. And item February 2, will be the historical society's annual general meeting. It's historically been in the County Board of Supervisors chambers. But this year, it's going to be in the new Women's Building.

Very cool. Thanks Nick. Eddie?

And I don't know if Ron's going to touch on this but so at the MAC on Saturdays I believe first and third Saturday for sure 11:30 to 02:30. There's figure drawing, and this is a group that's growing. There's artists coming from Fresno. There's artists coming from Mariposa, Oakhurst, and other areas.

Great. Thank you. Yeah and thank you Ron for starting that back up again.

Glenn? Just one quick event I'd like to promote. The supermarket, it's bunch of vintage clothes, small vendors, food, things of that nature. It's going be going on the eighteenth over there at the parking garage on 605 West 18th Street. Once again, supermarket, kind of a cool local thing. Highly recommend you guys go and check it out.

Awesome. Thank you. All right. Last chance. Anybody else? Comments? All right. Seeing none. Moving on to adjournment right?

Yes. Agenda item H adjournment. Is there a motion?

We've got a motion to adjourn. Who wants to make that motion?

I motion it.

Who wants to second?

I'll second. Okay.

So I have a motion by Commissioner Zaragoza and a second by Commissioner Camarda. Chair and commissioners please cast your vote. And the vote passes unanimously.

Thanks everybody. Happy New Year everyone.