 Okay. Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Act of 2021, this meeting will be conducted via remote means. Members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so via Zoom. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so for reasons of economic hardship, and despite best efforts, we'll post on the town website and the Amherst Media website audio or video recordings, transcripts, or other comprehensive records of the proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting. Oh, there's Maureen. Let me see if I can add her. Promote to panelists. All right, did that work? Maureen, you are now a panelist. Welcome. Okay, we'll get to you. We'll make sure we address the stuff you need to be here for first, but there's a couple of business things we need to just touch on. So one order of business is that there's going to be a change in leadership at the Public Art Commission. I am stepping down as chair and Shona is stepping up. Is that correct Shona? Yeah. Yeah, okay, great. So this will be my last meeting sharing and Shona, any of the details surrounding that you need to figure out I could help you with. I think primarily it just means letting Angela and Paul know so that and then so that you can schedule the meetings and then when the meetings happen you're in charge. Okay. Is there any like some sort of like you know, nighting that has to happen? I have a sword I can use. So that's the biggest order of business. And you're staying on, Bill? I'm staying on for the moment, but I'm going to be easing back. I want to primarily focus on because we got that and this will be a big topic of discussion today. I think that MCC ACC grant for the portal gallery project. So I want to see that through. But after that, I will probably be stepping back completely. It has yet to be determined though. But I have other commitments I need to focus on. So more on that as we proceed. Dara, we definitely should talk about the poetic dialogue opening. But I think we should reset back a little bit because Maureen's here and she's on town time. Is that okay? Okay. So I think then the primary thing to focus on is the making a public seminar wrapped up this week. We had our last session Maureen and I. And part of that is a $10,000 grant that came to the town to do a public art project. So we need to figure out what that project will look like and develop a timetable for it. I also think that there has to be a lot of clarification surrounding the role of town staff and the public art commission and who's going to do what work because there's all of that relationship is pretty much completely undefined. So we need to figure that out. The projects that we've worked on in the past have been our own initiative. And in fact, I'm the one who suggested that the town apply for this program. So in way, this is sort of our initiative as well. But as these bigger projects start coming online, they're going to entail extremely, well, maybe not extremely, but there's a kind of complicated set of there's a complicated process that we need to think about lining up. You know, we've been through some of this before, but as the as certainly as the project scale up in in in amount, as well as hopefully in the kind of pressing the attention we get for them, you know, things have to be done, think more, but they have to be well done. Let's put it like that. But it entails a lot, as Maureen now knows from having attended those seminars. So Maureen, why don't you unmute and we can talk about some of this stuff? That was $10,000. Yeah. Okay. So one thing that you know, Maureen, I don't think you were aware of necessarily, I let you know a little bit was that we have this portal gallery project grant for $2,500 that we are actively trying to get underway. I was holding off on writing the RFP until after the making a public sessions when we talked about the RFPs. But in fact, I held off longer because some other interesting things came up. Primarily for me, one of the things that came up at the end was the fact that we could actually take the 10,000 and combine it with another grant. So one question in my mind is, do we want to put that $10,000 toward the portal gallery and have 12,500 to do that project and really do it in a much bigger way in a way that could potentially include activating the space in front of the the head house with performances because performance based work is actually allowed with that $10,000 grant. So we could have a series of ongoing performance. There's a lot we could do potentially. My concern or one thing I did want to talk about is if we have both things that we're working on, they'll compete for time and for attention. The cultural council grant needs to be spent and done by the end of the year as far as I know. The grant from making it public, they said, what was that? What would they just want to have the first part of it done by the end of the year? Yeah, so they they revealed that they are a little more flexible than what was originally mentioned. So hi, everyone. I'm Maureen. I'm one of the staff planners. And so through the making it public training, they indicated that I think in the last session that as long as we get the call to artists out by the end of December, that's fine. And if the actual installation and display doesn't happen until 2023, that's fine. So they want to be flexible with that knowing that, you know, we covered so much information and and they are realizing that this is going to take more time than they imagine. So they originally, I think everything needed to be the whole project needed to be completed by the end of December. But now they're being a lot more flexible with that, which is great. So Maureen, do you have a sense of and have you discussed with Chris or anyone else? What kind of staff time and support is going to be put toward both this project as well as moving forward percent for our projects? Well, I mean, I am been assigned to this part to the making it public art. So I'm definitely, you know, there. Chris Brestrup is allowing me to dedicate time for this to see it through to the end. I know that planning staff are waiting for more information about another funding source for the North Common Project. So that is being put on pause until that is fleshed out. And I I don't know what that means in terms of weeks or months or next year. Or so I think that's a big question mark. So I at the moment, I don't think we need to focus our time on that. Okay, that sounds fine. So so you'll be the person who will be certainly carrying the load with the town in terms of the the various stages that make it public present. So, you know, in the past, for example, the public art commission hasn't really done any kind of big public outreach before we've put out an RFP, you know, we just, you know, when we've done the the electrical box project or other projects, you know, we've typically just had an idea, you know, Paul sort of sees us as the body of representatives of the public. And then we've, you know, went directly to the RFP phase, and reaching out to stakeholders and sort of organizing a jury. You had mentioned, you know, you had thought you wanted to possibly start from and start with public outreach before even beginning to go to the sort of ideation phase. Yeah, I mean, so a big focus of the training was, was about process, you know, one of the key takeaways from one of the sessions was someone said, the process is the product. And so they really emphasized of getting community input throughout the whole process of doing a public art project. And so I'm definitely open to the idea of that. I would want to start to start with us with a meeting with staff, folks in in new bill, or Shoshana, if I don't know if Bill, are you are you passing the baton on the public, the making a public project as well? Or being a sign between we haven't discussed this yet. But for the moment, no, I mean, I'd still like, well, keep going. Sorry. Yeah, well, so like, I really love the idea of getting public input from the general public, but and also, you know, artists. And I'm, I'm working, I'm assisting the senior services department on age, it's called a Asian dimension friendly community project. And we have done loads of public engagement. And so I'm getting sort of real getting my my toes in the water with with how to go about getting public input, particularly with surveys. But so it's been really good experience. But you know, there's some overarching questions that I would love to get input from staff, such as, you know, and for me, folks is like, you know, are there particular locations that we would want to explore, you know, either downtown or other village centers or maybe conservation properties, are there particular mediums that people are interested in? Are there particular themes that people are interested in? You know, it is $10,000 is we're so fortunate to receive $10,000 to do this call for artists. You know, I don't know if the town is interested in provide kicking in more money for project. My inkling is maybe not. But I think we have a great, a great start with with with the $10,000 to play with here. And but yeah, I think it would be I think it would be nice to get community input of of once once we sort of flesh out some sort of overarching principles or ideas from staff, I think it would be nice to get community input for that process. And then as well as maybe select, you know, forming a selection, you know, committee, and who would that committee entail? And I know you all have good experience with that. And making sure it's a, you know, a diverse representation of our community members and organizations, and, and then, you know, having a community engagement with the the display itself of having, you know, ribbon cutting and making sure it's accessible to all that's free. It's in a location that is going to be, you know, seen by many and will be accessible, you know, in terms of making sure that it's ADA accessible, and that it's in a, you know, just a sort of central location for whatever area in town it's located. So what do what does that what are the commission members think, as well as worrying about having one project, not having two separate projects, just putting this money toward the portal project, we're kind of with an expanded scope potentially. Well, for me, it's kind of hard to decide that unless I have like project one and project two. And as much as I agree, as a lawyer on the process is incredibly important. I'm afraid that I wouldn't go so far as to say that processes the end goal. Because I think a super good process produces a result of infest or promoting public art and Amherst, I think that's to me the end goal. But again, I don't think very important. I don't think like our thing is the process, I think the like their thing, the whatever, whatever that seminar series of seminars that you went to, that was the process, right? Like, yeah, well, their thought is, is that is that we're building connections, we're building connections with community and different representation. And, and so from, you know, from their perspective, they're in it for the long haul. It's not just a, you know, one art project and then town staff sort of go away. It's about building that relationship and expanding a public art program that's inclusive and ensuring that inclusivity. And so those sorts of process items are part of the product is, is how do we engage our community with this? And it's just an aspect of it. But I think it is, it is really, I think it is an important aspect to always keep in mind. So they do want to have something that's like actually installed. It's not just like we couldn't, like it's less for performing something like a having to happening than it is for having like a thing. It's open-ended. It's temporary art. Yeah, it could be performance or performative. Because I don't know if you guys have ever like remembered my, my trail idea, my trail art thing, but Tell us again. I was thinking like it would be really cool to like on like maybe Indigenous People's Day, like when the foliage is really good to have like on the Robert Frost trail or some sort of trail to have like little spots along the trail. So you're like going along the trail and then like you experience art in different ways along the trail. So like there might be like a sculpture and then like, you know, a little while down the way, there's like some interpretive dance and then a little while down the way, maybe there's someone reciting poetry or a man like some music and, you know, that sort of thing. Yeah, like a full experience to like, you know, take in the foliage and like bring people into town and have like a whole like happening. So let's refocus for one minute or let me just say again, I was sort of, I'm pushing the idea of taking that money and using it to do the thing that concerns me is having these two public art projects kind of running concurrently because I don't think we have the manpower and the attention and the ability to do them at the same time. That's my concern. So that's why making it one project is a good solution. I don't think there's any way that the commission and even town staff can pull off a good job doing both of these at the same time. How far along is the event or the object of your concern? How far along is that project? Trying to make the portal the portal gallery? Well, we won a $2,500 grant for it. It hasn't we haven't done anything yet. We need to get a call out soon. You have a grant application. So it's got a description. So we have the money. We wanted to also had to write a grant to get the money, right? Correct. So there's a description of the grant. Yeah, well, yeah, that would be great. Oh, you want to read, you want to read the, yeah, when you went around your news, you went around for the first wait round of the portal. She wants to know what the project is. Right. So, so do you know Bultwood Plaza there? You know Bultwood Plaza? The parking garage? Yeah. You know the head house that's where the steps are that go down. There's five windows there. Many, many years ago it contained a project that had sort of poetry kind of cycling through it. I remember that. Yeah. So we kind of revamped that space and did an exhibition there last through the fall with a local artist. And the idea is that that becomes a space for ongoing temporary exhibitions. So it's that little square sitting on top of where the elevator is for the parking garage. Right. And there's five windows there. The head. It's called a head house. Head house? Yeah, that building is called a head house. Okay, I didn't know that. Yeah, me either. We had a performance there as well in conjunction with that. And so the grant is to do another installation there for this fall and another performance. But if we folded it in with this other grant, we could we could incorporate more performative, you know, we could actually, the installation could come out of the space into that plaza potentially, you know. Do you have any information about how many people were affected by the project that's up or going to be up? Well, we have anecdotal information. Okay. Okay. So how is how is that they're going to get a copy of the grant so she can I can just email her to her. I just need the project description. Yeah, but this is still we still have this issue of trying to concurrent projects or not. I mean, and how that might work. What would be the other project and why would we need to take the 25? I mean, I understand about the person power issue. I got it. But beyond that, is there any other reason? And then what could we do with $10,000? Do we need the extra $2,500? Would that be of benefit? You questions like that? I just don't think we have enough information because you need to say, well, on the one hand, we could do this. On the other hand, we could do that. Let's vote. Well, you're not going to have. OK, so the $2,500 would be used for putting out the call convening a jury, finding the artist, covering their costs in the installation. That's a very, very small amount of money and also having a performance, you know, $1,200 or almost $1,300 is a much, much more reasonable amount of money and we'd get better applicants. We'd get a better project. We could actually do a kind of multi part project. We wouldn't know what that is. That would be up to the artists to apply or how, you know, in conjunction with how we shaped the RFP. So you're saying that you'd use the money for publicity and for paying the artists more to attract perhaps better quality. Exhibition, is that am I understanding you correctly? Well, that's right. So some of the things that Maureen and I learned and making it public is that, you know, for bigger projects, you're paying the artist to actually develop their project idea, which I don't think with a project to scale, even for the $10,000 project, we would do, but certainly it would be nice to pay people who are sitting on the, you know, we're part of the selection committee. Certainly it would be nice to pay the artists more. Certainly it would be nice to give the artists a bigger budget. Certainly it would be nice to potentially be able to do projects with, let's say, somebody who does or multiple artists potentially at the site. Oh, I have a question, actually. What are we not allowed to spend the money on? Because, like, would hiring an artist for developing our logo fall under a knot? Yeah, we can't do that. OK. It has to be for the project itself. I don't know, Maureen, what are your thoughts? Yeah, unless that's the project that doesn't sound like public art. It sounds like an admitted. It doesn't be a local cultural, well, you're not the local cultural council, but that could be potentially its own grant application is if you're looking for logos and stuff like that. But no, that doesn't sound like a project. But Maureen, what is your thought about the two projects versus? Yeah, you know, that could potentially work. I would love to also get a copy of that application. And, you know, that being said, I would love to get, you know, input from the Amherst bid and from town staff and and other folks. So that's surrounding the bank center and the Clark House and, you know, surrounding restaurants and retail, etc. And sort of getting their their thoughts on it of like what if we were to combine it, you know, what would those folks want to see? Not just us, not just you and I, but as the community, what would what do they feel would be like some thoughtful things or considerations or maybe they even have ideas of what the medium medium is or the type if it's if it's performance art, you know, what does that mean? Do they have ideas? Is it poetry? Is it acoustics, etc. So, yeah, I mean, that definitely could be a possibility. So, yeah, I think that's a really good idea. You increase it to what 12, 12,000, 500. So that's great. And so then we could really be fought sort of a a lineup of of art for a time period. And I don't and it would sound like maybe there would be an event, but it also would be ongoing for the windows and maybe other things. And by that time, so the town through a mass grant got funding for some tables and chairs that will be placed out there. And I believe they've been delivered. So it's a matter of of staff putting them together and putting them out there. So that would be another interesting thought of how, you know, with that furniture and new furniture be in the way or maybe that would be complimentary because now people would have a place to sit during it. So, yeah. One is like our earliest availability would because like last year we did the portal gallery, like for Parents Weekend, I think, right? For UMass Parents Weekend. Or like a right around there. And that that seems like that, you know, a good time to shoot for because then, you know, you got people in town that are like experiencing Amherst and it like makes us look good. And, you know, can we get it by then? Or or is it like next year's idea? So that would be early September. I think that's, you know, just based on the trainings, that seems really tight. But I understand that that you're trying to combine them. So, yeah, I don't know. So for the making it public money funding, we wouldn't need to to actually implement it until next year. So we there isn't necessarily a rush from my perspective. But if folks really want to combine these projects to do it this fall, I mean, we might be able to make it work. I think we should table this until next meeting so that the two people who asked for the descriptions can get it. It's Jim, you were present at the portal gallery opening last year. So the description, the information, Dara asked for it and Irene asked for it. And so I'm just thinking we should send that to them and then make the decision at the next meeting. OK. Now, as I present that, if you recall, I made a contribution. Right, right, exactly. So it sounds like a great idea. We don't have to rush into this at all. And I really I think we should carefully just sort of examine, you know, you know, what are some ideas? And I and then again, I'll have to talk to staff about what their thoughts are on this and sort of their expectations of timeline and in process. So, yeah. So and you guys meet once a month or when do you get OK? Yeah, so just shoot me an email and let me know when the next meeting is. And I'm happy to to attend so we can talk more. And, you know, I can I'll certainly send Bill offline. I'll send you an email of any information that I have. And all right. And I can copy you all if you want, if that's easier. So all right. Great. Yeah, and I'll send that proposal around. I can send a little more information about the space as well to the people who aren't familiar with it. Yeah. OK, thanks. All right, I guess I'm going to take off. Bye, guys. Bye. Bye. Thank you. Bye, Laurie. OK, so why don't we then move on to poetic dialogue and the events surrounding that? OK, so just while we were talking on the draft for proofreading came in for the program, so that was good. I don't think you can see up. Can't see it, but I don't have an on-screen saver thing, so it looks good. So that'll be done. Thank you all for helping me get the information for that. And Bill, especially, I appreciated it. So what is the actual time of the thing? It's on April 30th, but what time did we decide? We were asked to move it from 1130 to noon. So noon to 1230. OK, noon to 1230. Is this poetic dialogue? Is that what we're talking about? Yeah, yes, it's a poetic dialogue. April 30th, 2022, noon to 1230. At Switzer Park, Switzer Park near the Evergreens. Is it actually so this is something I haven't. I don't think that's that's not Switzer Park, it's across the street from Switzer Park. They kept calling it that to me when it did. Yeah, when I was talking to other people about it. So if you want me to take that off, I'll take that off. I I I wasn't clear. So if you're telling me that it is Switzer Park and. I have not gone to the town hall and looked up the official maps. So when you look at when you look at a map, Switzer Park seems like a self contained thing on the one side of the street. And the poetic dialogue seems to be perched on the property that includes Dickinson and the Evergreens. The Emily Dickinson people do not believe they own that spot. They don't own that land. They call that land. They don't believe they own that land. Sorry. Anyway, we use the we use the drawing for the original as the artwork on the cover of the program. Great. It's got a whole lot of facts from the original specs that the artist did as part of the content just because it makes the program more interesting to have specs for the originals in it. And then there's a little bitty list of what happens when, you know, 11 it goes like 1130, 1140, 1150. And, Bill, you have a big role on this, which we thank you for for doing the introducing and being the leader of the Public Art Commission. So if you need any information that I haven't sent you already, tell me and then I'll supply us somehow. Yeah, certainly send me the program. I will. I sent you the draft of the program already. Yeah, it's not it's almost not any different. And I sent you the information to bio intro, the two high school students who have done all the writing for us. And I'm going to have a rehearsal with them this coming week for their part. They wrote a really great, great script. It's really kind of funny and sweet. And it's got a lot of spirit in it. So it was pretty great of them to to do it. I thought they were cool. Super. Do we have anybody? Do we want somebody to videotape them? Is that something? So what? Do we want somebody to like videotape them or the event? Is that something I'm not involved in that? OK. So if you want to see about getting somebody to do it, that would be OK. And, you know, we have a photographer either. Do we have the money for it? To pay a video? What do you go, video? I have no money. Well, the Public Art Commission, do we have a budget pressure? Wait, hold on. I've got it written down. We have a good idea to have it if we got the money in it. I think that we've got one thousand two hundred and two dollars and fifty nine cents, right? But is any of that money grant money or money that needs to be held on to? Um, well, the only outstanding bill that we're going to have is that six hundred dollars. But that's like held somewhere else, right? You've got that. Don't you? I don't know what's been transferred into our kind of what hasn't. That's that's treasurer's job to be aware of. Never. I've never seen that money for that. That quite a dial. Like, I've never gotten any sort of like thing that said, like, oh, there's money coming in. I just got the stuff that like, I'm trying to get paperwork from like, I've just got like invoices from Kamal that I sent in and I got I'm trying to get an invoice from the DPW. They're not ready yet. I can I can reach out again to Robin over at Amherst Cultural Council and see. OK, I went from my suggestion because I don't think we can get all this done by April 30 with that getting an ulcer. Go ahead, there. If you if you know what your budget is and you're spending six hundred and fifty dollars, I think on the landscaping or something like that. I believe. Yeah, landscape. How about four hundred dollars left over? I'm factory, hello, press donated the program and the reason that we're donated by somebody else and somebody else donated the cost of paying for the magical singers from Amherst College and for the writers, the two high school students are going to each get a hundred dollars. Oh, nice. Magical singers are going to get a hundred for their whole outfit to split or whatever that I don't know how many of us, probably four of them, maybe. And we're all I don't need I don't need any money. So use your four hundred dollars or whatever to pay a photographer or pay a video person if you have somebody in mind, but I'm not doing it. I've done my best, you know, and I know what Jim means about trying to get this together. Unless you know somebody who like, yes, I can video this. There's no problem. Hey, you know, we know, we know a photographer who's in the room with us right now and we are and we also we also know somebody who's a close, close relative of a videographer who's also in the room with us right now. I think I'm going to take my background down. Tell you all the truth for me. What I really, really need is somebody to make a peer at just before noon at the site, three chairs. Oh, yeah, chairs. Yeah, because you have to have a little bit of a gesture toward caring about it. So they have with the stand up event. And so you need to have a couple of chairs to offer people if they need it. I can bring also chairs make it look like something's about to happen, too. So right. Well, that's why I got the managers because they're going to start singing before it starts. Yeah. I got a couple of chairs, I think. Well, all we need is three, I think. I mean, I don't think we need to have a lot. Well, I could put it in the back of the car in case we have four disabled people because that point about having a chair for people who needed is I thought that was pretty compelling. Yeah, on on this particular day, I'm kind of like double booked. I'm also doing stuff with the tree committee at the at the farmers market. But then like at noon, I'm going to run over and see you guys doing this thing. Well, that's very sweet of you to be in two places at once. It's hard to do. Yeah. So but I think it'll be kind of sweet, you know, the magical singers. I will send you all. I'll send all. I think I have all of your email. I can send you all the draft of the program now that I have the new one. And I have another page that we made 50 copies of, I think, or 40 of all the lyrics for the magical singer songs to make the magical singers feel welcome and feel like we care about what they're singing there. I didn't because at the time I sent out the press release to the town didn't have them on it. It was just musical company will be part of it because I didn't know yet. Right. So I'm going to reach out to Scott at the Gazette, but give me that info and I can add that in so he'll have it. And then they hopefully they can get it into the paper next week for the week after I can do that today or tomorrow. I'll send it to you. OK, yeah, because the press release went out to the town a couple of weeks ago. It should have appeared on the town. I remember when you asked me for the information and I made a vague that I hadn't had any information yet from. Brooke Steinhauser was doing it for the for me to get the magical people. Yeah, sounds great. Thank you for doing all this work, Tara, and, you know, making this wonderful event happen. Really excited. And I think it's going to be awesome. I think it'll be OK. And collective copies is doing the printing and stuff. And they were able to reduce the gigantic logos for the Mass Cultural Council and the Amherst Cultural Council that I managed to download. And they made they made everything fit. It looks great. Right. So I will put my comments together. I may have some questions for you as I do that. So I'll be in touch. Yeah. Is there anything anything else we need to think about? Minute question. How do you spell sweets or part? It's like sweet and then S.E.R. I think S.E.R. That's yeah, I think so. All right. I had it with Z. That's what I thought. W.E.T. S.E.R. OK. Yeah. Right. So I think that's all of our major areas of business that we need to touch on. I don't really have anything else to report. I'm sure a report. And I don't think we have any other big projects pending. Shona gave us her treasure report. Shona, I will send an email to Paul and Angela, letting them know about the passing of the chair chairperson's hat and anything surrounding that we can figure out. Is there anything else? Anybody wanted to talk about touch on? To encourage people to show up for the little event, because I'm sure it will be tiny. I'm coming with my family, so there'll be four of us. Oh, that's great. All right, I'll make an event on social media now that I know the time. Hey, I'm going to send you all the program in just a few minutes. So you're great. Have that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for all this. This is amazing. This is an event you've made. Yeah, I hope it'll be OK. It was fun to do it. All right, so if there's nothing else, I'm going to adjourn public art commission meeting and one more thing. Yes. When's our next meeting, right? Thank you. Of course. Yes, this is actually going to be your job now. So, good call. I know I started to think. Wait a minute. So you lead the charge. All right, let's see what we got here. Something in May. I do we have like a pattern or do we just like? Throw a third calendar. Third Monday seems to be roughly. So that would be like the 16th. I'm wondering. I'm wondering when and if we wanted to start meeting again in person. What do people for her assume? I think zoom for now, the cases are going up rather rapidly. And I'd like to see how that, you know, they're. They're up a large percent. And so I'd kind of like to see how that works out. And then maybe after that. It's my vote. OK, yeah. So the 16th works for me. Does that work for you guys? Yes, it works for me. Well, what when? What time are we doing the 16th? Four. Works for me. OK, great. And four. Yeah. All right. Works for me. Because all right, we'll have to just cross our fingers for Ellen. Yeah, you can reach out to our email. Here's my fingers. All right. Thank you all and talk to you soon. Yeah. Thank you. Bye bye.