Delaware State Arts Council Meeting



Delaware State Arts Council Meeting

March 18, 2009

Division of Libraries

Kent County

Council Members Present: Delaware Division of the Arts:

Lise Monty, Chair Paul Weagraff, Director

Pamela Bell Karen Lewis

Lou Braithwaite Kristin Pleasanton

Joann Browning Terry Plummer

Guillermina Gonzalez Sheila Ross

Richard Givens Susan Salkin

Margaret Johnson Roxanne Stanulis

Elisa Poole

John Ranney Guests:

Ruth Sokolowski The Honorable Jack Markell, Governor

Joyce Hill Stoner Secretary of State, Jeff Bullock

Debbie Wicks Annie Norman, Director, Division of

Carson Zullinger Libraries

Council Members Absent:

Steve Boyden

Gail Lear

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m. by Lise Monty, Delaware State Arts Council Chair. Ms. Monty requested a motion to approve the December 10, 2008 minutes. John Ranney made a motion to approve the minutes which was seconded by Joyce Hill Stoner and approved by all.

Chair’s report - Lise Monty reported:

• The Delaware Division of the Arts hosted a brown bag lunch meeting in each county and Secretary of State Jeff Bullock attended all three of these focus group meetings.

• John Ranney represented the Delaware State Arts Council at the Joint Finance Committee meeting which was well attended by members of the arts community. Mr. Ranney’s comments to the Joint Finance Committee can be found on the Division’s website:

• Congratulated Debbie Wicks on the great success of the “I Love Smyrna Day” which was sponsored by the Smyrna School District. More than 6,000 attended.

• Thanked Secretary Bullock for his support of the arts as well as his participation in the Poetry Out Loud event. Thanked Joyce Hill Stoner who served as a judge; Gail Lear, who was the scorekeeper; Rhonda Graham, a previous Council Member who served as Mistress of Ceremonies; and Poet Laureate, Joann Balingit who presented the trophies to the winners. Ms. Monty remarked that the Smyrna Opera House was a wonderful venue for this event. Sheila Ross will present a report later in the meeting.

• Delaware College of Art and Design has been in search of a new president as the current president Jim Lecky is moving on. Stuart Baran was selected as Mr. Lecky’s replacement.

• The Governor’s Celebration of Arts was held January 18 at the Grand Opera House in honor of Governor Jack Markell. Ms. Monty thanked the Governor for his interest and support of the arts.

Secretary of State Jeff Bullock introduced Governor Jack Markell. Secretary Bullock stated that he has known the Governor for a long time and that this has been a very difficult week for the Governor as he has had some difficult decisions to make. Secretary Bullock remarked that even though these decisions were painful, the Governor has been clear and consistent with his proposal and is working to be fair and compassionate while sticking to core priorities.

Governor Jack Markell went around the room to introduce himself personally to all in attendance. Governor Markell said that he has been involved in an array of activities throughout the state and that the State of Delaware is in an incredibly difficult situation. The Governor will make a public announcement addressing these budget issues March 19. Governor Markell reported that he has attended approximately fifty meetings throughout the State to gather information in how the state can save money and improve efficiency and has welcomed everyone’s input in addressing these issues.

Governor Markell stated that he realizes a vibrant arts community is important to the state of Delaware but that tough decisions will have to be made as the state is facing the biggest budget shortfall. These decisions are driven by a balanced budget as the state cannot borrow in order to balance the budget. Governor Markell said that state government will look different after July 1. This is an evolving exercise, and that he will continue to look at opportunities to improve efficiencies, as he is interested in building a better state. He is ever mindful and careful in making short-term decisions which can present long-term benefits.

Governor Markell remarked at the level of performance of all involved at the Governor’s Celebration of the Arts event. He remarked that the State will be as supportive as they possibly can be and that in the face of these challenges it is important to have a positive dialogue and to partner in order to get the strongest arts community. An ultimate solution would be for organizations to demonstrate solving their own problems through collective purchasing; sharing services; as well as collectively approaching foundations and contributors. It was important for the organizations to take on the task themselves to figure how to save money.

Lise Monty thanked the Governor for his involvement with the arts and thanked him for his support. The Governor left and Ms. Monty introduced and thanked Annie Norman, Director of the Division of Libraries, for hosting the Delaware State Arts Council meeting.

Annie Norman welcomed the Delaware State Arts Council and stated that the Division of Libraries has partnered with the Division and together they have provided support in programming throughout the communities. Ms. Norman stated that the Division of Libraries has shared office space with the Arts for approximately 14 years and that the Division has been a key sponsor for all three of the Delaware Book Festivals. Ms. Norman discussed various programs that Libraries offers throughout the state.

Lise Monty thanked Ms. Norman for her continued support in allocating office space for use within the Division of Libraries.

Lise Monty reported that she has appointed Elisa Pool to Chair, the Nominating Committee and said that currently there is one open Council position and one will that will open in the fall as John Ranney’s second term will come to an end. In discussing Council nominations, it was noted that western Sussex County has historically been underrepresented.

Ms. Monty addressed the Council meeting dates and times and it was agreed that the meetings will be begin at 11:00 a.m. and conclude at approximately 2:00 p.m. The Council was dismissed for lunch at 11:45 a.m. and resumed at 12:15 p.m.

Director’s Report -Paul Weagraff: see attached (Appendix I).

John Ranney left at 12:45. Debbie Wicks left at 1:00 p.m.

Poetry Out Loud - Sheila Ross reported:

The fourth annual Poetry Out Loud event was held March 5 at the Smyrna Opera House. Twelve students representing high schools from all three counties competed for this award. This partnership between the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts was created five years ago to bring poetry back into the classrooms. The Division is responsible for soliciting information to the schools about the program and hosting the contest. This year’s winner was Tonisha Jones who also won the competition at state level last year. Ms. Jones will represent the State of Delaware at the national competition in Washington, D.C. on April 27 & 28.

FY2010 Applications and Review - Susan Salkin reported: see attached (Appendix II).

Grant deadline was March 2 but was extended to March 3 due to the snowstorm. The Division received a total of 108 applications. The Public Impact and Technical Assistance programs have been suspended this year to concentrate limited grant funds in major grant categories.

Ms. Salkin reported that the Project Support panel meeting will be held May 4. This will be a competitive grant category this year. Instead of recruiting new panelists, it was decided to use repeat panelists. Ms. Salkin mentioned that she is looking for a Council Member to serve as a panelist, and a Council Member to chair this panel. As a cost saving measure, General Operating Support applicants were asked to submit an interim report which will be reviewed in house with small committees of staff and Council.

Susan Salkin confirmed that the Division will utilize the services of the You Part-Time Controllers, as recommended by the Council, for the review of all of the financials submitted by the applicants, pending approval from the Office of Management and Budget.

Arts Summit - Kristin Pleasanton reported see attached (Appendix III).

The Summit is scheduled to be held at Dover Downs on October 26. The planning committee has finalized the title and theme of the event: “Mastering the Moment: Smart Strategies for Today to Benefit Tomorrow.” The proposed budget for the Summit is about 62% less than in FY2007. To help underwrite the costs of the event, the Division will seek assistance from Council members to get corporate sponsors for this event.

Strategic Planning Progress/Strategic Planning Working Session – Paul Weagraff: see attached (Appendix IV). Mr. Weagraff reviewed the enabling legislation in the Delaware Code. He then noted that the original planning timeline established the June 2009 Council meeting for final approval of the plan. A more optimistic approach is that the plan will be completed by the September 2009 Council meeting. Carrie Townsend has contacted and interviewed Council and staff and now is in the process of interviewing key leaders and funders. Three focus group meetings were held in each of the three counties. Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock attended, expressing his interest in meeting with arts leadership throughout the state. This presented a very valuable opportunity for the arts community. These meetings happened a week before the Joint Finance Committee meeting. Mr. Weagraff commented that this resulted in significant representation of the arts community at the Joint Finance Committee hearing.

Paul Weagraff commended Roxanne Stanulis for being selected as the Employee of the Quarter (4th quarter 2008) because of her work with . The Council applauded Ms. Stanulis for her efforts.

JoAnn Browning mentioned that “Polly” Buck Krakora, 82 passed away on March 16, 2009. It was noted that Ms. Krakora served as Chair of the Delaware State Arts Council during 1969-1974. A News Journal editorial called her “instrumental in the Council’s founding.” See attached (Appendix V).

Lise Monty requested that a motion be made to adjourn the Council Meeting at 2:30 p.m. A motion was made by Joann Browning, seconded by Richard Givens, and approved by all.

A. Performance audit progress

• Division directors (specifically Arts, Historic and Cultural Affairs, Libraries, Archives, Government Information Center) have been meeting to examine efficiencies in operations and staff functions to see where coordinated effort might provide:

o Greater efficiencies in operations

o Better coordination/collaboration in programming and services (exhibitions, communications, financial management, etc.)

o Succession planning during a hiring freeze (i.e., making sure the work gets done, even if it means sharing staff across divisions)

B. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• NEA announced guidelines week of March 2. State applications were due by March 13

• Arts organizations may apply to one of three sources (pending eligibility), but only receive funding from one: NEA, MAAF, Division of the Arts

• Division submitted the application on time, with notice going to OMB and Governor’s office (Governor will need to sign a Certificate of Request letter for all federal funds available to the state from the federal stimulus package)

• Delaware is slated to receive approximately $290,000 in restricted arts funds

o Funding can only be used to sustain current positions in jeopardy or recently suspended

o Application process/guidelines should parallel NEA process for direct grants

o Reporting will be quite extensive (quarterly)

• Division staff will develop a streamlined application/review process to supplement information already gathered in the recent Interim Reports for general operating support

• Time frame

o Notification of grant award to Division by late March

o Applications available to eligible arts organizations by April 1

o Applications due back to Division in mid-April

o Review of applications with GOS Interim Reports

o Announcement of awards following NEA announcement of direct grants (July 1)

o Subgrant period (July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010)

C. Fiscal Outlook for FY2009/FY2010

• Division has reverted $138,000 from the grant line in FY2009

o No awarded grants have been impacted to date

o Cutbacks in Fellowships, opportunity grants, technical assistance grants, and artist residencies

o Re-budgeting efforts and reductions of internal programs and administrative expenses

• Most recent financial forecasting (March DEFAC)

o TBD

• Current proposed FY2010 budget calls for a 15% cut ($216,000) in FY2010 over this year’s original budget, which experienced a $120,000 cut in the grant line. Cumulative effect over two years is $336,000 cut in grants and services.

D. Agency Updates

• Poetry Out Loud – Sheila Dean Ross

• FY2010 Applications – Susan Salkin

• 2009 Arts Summit – Kristin Pleasanton

GRANT CATEGORY |10 #Apps |  |09 #Apps |09 Grants |  |08 #Apps |08 Grants |  |10 $Req |  |09 $Req |09 $Award |  |08 $Req |08 $Award | | | |  | | |  | | |  | |  | | |  | | | | GOS (incl. StartUp) |65 |  |64 |64 |  |61 |59 |  |NA |  |NA |1,211,525 |  |NA |1,222,280 | | | |  | | |  | | |  | |  | | |  | | | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |Public Impact |NA |  |20 |9 |  |17 |7 |  | |  |NA |72,500 |  |NA |62,500 | |Technical Assistance |NA |  |8 |5 |  |4 |3 |  | |  |48,250 |35,000 |  |31,245 |15,000 | |Stabilization |6 |  |7 |7 |  |8 |7 |  |68,462 |  |127,955 |91,000 |  |90,663 |74,625 | |Education Resource |8 |  |10 |8 |  |5 |5 |  |121,893 |  |169,438 |87,000 |  |81,235 |58,000 | |Education Partnerships |2 |  |2 |2 |  |4 |4 |  |30,000 |  |34,500 |33,400 |  |81,792 |72,700 | | Total Supplemental |16 |  |47 |31 |  |38 |26 |  |220,355 |  |380,143 |318,900 |  |284,935 |282,825 | | | |  | | |  | | |  | |  | | |  | | | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |Project Support |27 |  |27 |24 |  |31 |27 |  |281,668 |  |$223,700 |$124,825 |  |$228,146 |152,550 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

2009 Arts Summit

Mastering the Moment:

Smart Strategies for Today to Benefit Tomorrow

Monday, October 26

Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center

Keynote:

Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the national organization based in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to advancing the arts and arts education in people’s lives, schools, and communities.

Workshop Topics:

-Creative Partnerships

-Telling Your Story: Incorporating the Right Data and Evaluation Results

-Expanding Resources and Funding Opportunities

-Increasing Engagement in Community Arts Education

-Non-Profit Management Strategies

-Working Smarter

-Going Green

Cost Cutting ( ................
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