* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ORDER [00:00:02] OF FIRST [Cultural Arts Commission on April 20, 2021.] ORDER OF ON THE AGENDA OR THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING. IF YOU PULLED UP ALL THE MINUTES AND READ THEM OVER, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THEM AS WRITTEN? OKAY. JOANNE, DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT UP, UH, LAN AND THEN BEN, BOTH OF Y'ALL ARE GOING TO BE TALKING TO US, GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLAN. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. SO I THINK BEN IS GONNA RUN SOME SLIDES AND WE'RE GOING TO RUN THROUGH A PRESENTATION, WHICH HAS, WHICH HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PLAN. UM, SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE CAN GO THROUGH THE SLIDES, BUT I ALSO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RAISE ANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. AND, UM, AND WE CAN DO, WE CAN DO Q AND A AT THE END, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THINGS. OKAY. SO, UH, JUST TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES REAL QUICK, UM, I'M, UH, LYNN OSGOOD AND HERE WAS BEN MARTIN. WE ARE FROM A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED CIVIC ARTS. WE'RE LOCATED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND THE MISSION OF OUR ORGANIZATION IS TO HELP WITH THE INTEGRATION OF ARTS AND CULTURAL STRATEGIES INTO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, REALLY LOOKING AT POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT AND AN EDUCATION, AND REALLY HELPING ARTS SECTORS TO THRIVE, UM, IN, IN, IN ALL THE WAYS THAT THEY DO. AND SO WE WORK NATIONALLY. WE, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS POLICY PLANNING. AND, UH, VERY OFTEN WE, UH, WE DO CULTURAL ARTS MASTER PLANS. WE'VE DONE THEM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. AND VERY OFTEN WHAT WE FIND IS THAT FOLKS INVITE US IN WHEN THEY'RE IN A PLACE, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS ARE WHERE THE THEY'RE STARTING TO DO MORE AND MORE IN AND AROUND THE ARTS. AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE SORT OF AT A SCALE CHANGE. THEY'RE THEY'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP. AND SOMETIMES IT JUST HELPS TO BRING IN PEOPLE AND HELP SORT OUT ALL THE INFORMATION AND FIGURE OUT NEXT STEPS. UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING AND, UH, THE THEMES THAT WE SEE EMERGING. AND THEN WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THEN MADE A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD MIXED WITH, UH, BEST PRACTICES THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE US. SO JUST TO ORIENT CAUSE CAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING, WHAT IS A CULTURAL PLAN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE W WE UNDERLINE THAT AND THEN SAY WHAT THAT IS. AND, UM, BECAUSE IT, IT BASICALLY IS, IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, A, UH, TOOLKIT, IT'S A ROADMAP FOR CITY GOVERNMENTS TO, UH, ALLOCATE, UH, IN THE, THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE. AND THAT IS BOTH FINANCIALLY IN TERMS OF STAFF AND, UH, IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEER BODIES, SUCH AS YOURSELVES. AND SO REALLY THE PLAN BECOMES A GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR FOLKS LIKE COMMISSIONS, WHO ARE LOOKING TO GUIDE THE, AND, AND FOSTER AND CULTIVATE THE ARTS SECTOR AS A WHOLE. AND SO WE COVER. AND SO ONE THING I THINK I WANT TO MENTION IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IS THAT WHEN WE TURN THE ARTS, UH, WE CERTAINLY THINK IN TERMS OF TRADITIONAL ARTS THEATER, UM, VISUAL ARTS, UM, UH, LITERATURE, BUT WE ALSO THINK VERY WIDELY AND THAT ARTS REALLY ENCOMPASSES BOTH, BOTH ARE TRADITIONAL ARTS AND WHAT WE THINK OF AS NON-TRADITIONAL, BUT, BUT ENCOMPASSING ALL OF CREATIVITY, WHICH COULD BE EVERYTHING FROM YOUR FITI ART TATTOO ARTISTS TO FOOD, UM, AND THE LOCAL TACO TACO TRUCKS THAT ALL COMES IN AS, AS PARTS OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION, WHICH WE THINK SHOULD BE HONORED. OKAY. AND, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT OUR GOALS ARE IN THIS RECOGNIZING THE, SORT OF THE BREADTH AND THE DEPTH THAT A CULTURAL SECTOR HAS WITHIN A CITY IS THAT, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, IN OUR PLANS, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT, THAT ALL OF THAT, THE RESOURCES AND THE CAPACITIES OF THE CREATIVE SECTOR IN GARLAND, UH, REALLY HELPED TO MAKE A VIBRANT COMMUNITY FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS. UM, AND THAT IT IS BOTH ABOUT A DOWNTOWN EQUATION AND A NEIGHBORHOOD EQUATION THAT COME TOGETHER AND THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE A SENSE OF WELCOME AND BELONGING THAT REALLY THE ARTS CAN PRODUCE THAT, THAT OTHER SECTORS CAN CAN'T WITH THE, WITH THE, THE MAGIC THAT THE ARTS CAN AND THAT IN THERE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEN THERE'S A FULL AND, UM, UH, THERE'S A FULL EXPRESSION OF, UH, LOCAL CULTURES AND HERITAGE AS, AS RESIDENTS THEMSELVES KNOW, THEM KNOW, KNOW THEIR OWN, UH, THEIR [00:05:01] SELVES, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEIR, THEIR, AND THEIR CULTURES, AND THAT THERE'S THE CAPACITY FOR EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER AND HONOR THOSE AS WELL. COOL. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SO WE, SO HAS, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH LOTS OF FOLKS FOR, FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW AND, UM, AND REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT THAT, THAT, UM, IS GOING ON IN GARLAND NOW, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING AND HOW CAN WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THOSE SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND IF BERLIN IS IN FACT, MOVING TO THE NEXT STAGE OF THEIR OWN CULTIVATION OF THE ART SECTOR, WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION BASE? WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE, THE, UM, THE STRONG PILLARS ON WHICH THEY THEY'RE BUILDING FROM? AND THERE'S LOTS OF GARLANDS. SO THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING ARE THINGS LIKE, UM, THAT THERE THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS, MEANING THAT THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF FLUENCY AND A LOT OF COLLABORATION GOING ON BETWEEN SAY THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL IS ACTUALLY ONE EXAMPLE WHERE THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF FERTILITY. AND I THINK AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE BIG ART DAY, UM, THAT, THAT HAPPENS, THAT WE KNOW AS WELL, BELOVED BY, BY STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND THEN ALSO PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IN THE ART WORLD TODAY, IT'S ALL ABOUT, UH, PARTICULARLY IN A MUNICIPAL CONTEXT, IT'S ALL ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS. AND SO THE PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT I JUST MENTIONED, BUT ALSO PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, HOW IS IT THAT THE CITY INTERFACES AND CULTIVATES THOSE, UH, THOSE PARTNERSHIPS THAT CAN REALLY BRING AN ADDED DIMENSION TO THE ARTS, UH, TO THE CITY, NOT JUST IN PRIVATE SPACES, BUT IN PUBLIC SPACES AS WELL, AND FIVE OH SIX. ART IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. YEAH. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, ONE OF THE KEY THOUGH, THE CORNERSTONES OF THE STRENGTH OF GARLAND ARE THE MANY CULTURES, UH, THAT ARE THERE. AND, UM, AND THAT THEY, THAT THERE ARE MANY, UM, CULTURAL, UH, UH, EVENTS AND, UH, AND FESTIVALS THAT HAPPEN. AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW ABOUT FOLKS THAT WANT TO ACTUALLY NOT CONTINUE THOSE AND CONTINUE THOSE IN THEIR STRENGTH, BUT ALSO BRING THEM TOGETHER. SO THAT THERE'S A MUTUAL CELEBRATION THAT HAPPENS. AND, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS THAT, UH, GARLAND HAS ALREADY STARTED DOWN THE ROAD STRONGLY WITH, WITH PUBLIC ART IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BOTH WITH, UM, WORK THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS DOING, BUT ALSO THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY IS DOING. AND, AND WE WANT TO, WE WANT TIPPER HAT GIRL INTO AND, AND CALL OUT THAT ACTUALLY GARLAND IS ON. UM, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN PRACTICES THAT ARE DEVELOPING NATIONALLY. AND ONE OF THEM IS THE IDEA THAT, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PARKS, DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORTATION, UM, ARE STARTING TO REALLY TAKE A DEEP INTEREST IN AND STARTING TO DO THEIR OWN PUBLIC, UH, ART PROJECTS. WE SEE, WE SEE GARLAND ACTUALLY AS EXEMPLARY FOR A CITY, YOUR SIZE, THAT IS, THAT IS ALREADY DOING THAT. AND DOING THAT VERY STRONGLY. A LOT OF CITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BIGGER THAN GARLAND ARE JUST BEGINNING TO THINK, WELL, WHAT COULD WE DO? WE, WE WANT TO DO THAT, BUT WE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW BERLIN'S DOING IT, AND IT'S DOING IT REALLY WELL. SO I, AND, AND REALLY SERVES AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS. AND, UM, AND, AND IN THAT, IN THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MANY FOLKS IN THE CITY LOOKING AT THE CREATION OF THE VISUAL ARTS, UM, THAT IT REALLY IS BRINGING IN A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT AS WELL. AND THAT'S KEY IN THAT THE ARTS THEN THEIR CAPACITY TO, TO NOT IT, THAT IT IS BOTH ABOUT AESTHETICS, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT, UH, COMMUNITY COHESION AND THE ABILITY TO CREATE VITALITY AND A SENSE OF PLACE, UM, AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND, AND ALSO THAT IS SO WHAT WE SEE AS UNIQUE AND GIRL IN THIS UNIQUE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, THAT'S ALREADY THERE. THE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE SEE AND WANT TO HONOR AND, AND HELP BRING UP AND BUILD UPON IN THE CREATION OF THE PLAN. UM, WE SEE THAT THERE IS INCREDIBLE STRENGTH WITH THE ARTS FACILITIES AND, AND CORE NONPROFITS THAT ARE THERE REALLY, UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, THE SIZE AND SCALE OF THE AMENITIES THAT YOU ALL HAVE IN THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UM, AND IN THE IS, AND OTHER VENUES IN THE DOWNTOWN IS, UM, IS REALLY AMAZING FOR A CITY OF YOUR SIZE. AND SO THAT'S A CORE STRENGTH. UM, THERE IS AN IDENTITY AT, IN A, IN A PRIDE, IN, IN GARLAND ABOUT BEING MAKERS AND CREATORS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, BOTH IN TRADITIONAL ARTS AND NOT IN A NON-TRADITIONAL, UM, WAYS OF, OF, OR NON, NON TRADITIONAL ARTS SECTOR, WAYS OF MAKING. AND THAT, THAT ALSO PEOPLE TAKE AS A POINT OF PRIDE AND NEEDS TO [00:10:01] BE, TO BE HELD UP. UM, WE NOTICED SOMETHING IN GARLAND THAT WAS ACTUALLY QUITE UNIQUE. ALSO WHEN WE MET WITH ARTISTS AND ARTIST GROUPS, THERE IS A VERY STRONG SENSE OF CIVIC, UM, COMMITMENT AND WANT AND DESIRE TO ENGAGE ON A CIVIC LEVEL THAT, UM, THAT, THAT HAPPENS IN, IN THIS SORT OF VERY FULL-HEARTED WAY. AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A BLESSING THAT I THINK, I THINK THAT GARLAND HAS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY WANTS TO REACH OUT AND DO CIVICALLY ORIENTED, UH, ARTWORK, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE THAT ARE JUST THEY'RE RIGHT. THEY'RE ALREADY THERE. THEY'RE READY TO BE TAPPED. UM, AS, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S AN, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A WONDERFUL ARRAY OF, OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY. AND, AND, AND THE THING THAT, THAT BEN AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH WAS THE FAMILY AND YOUTH ORIENTATION. I THINK ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EXPERIENCES IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS WAS THE YOUTH FOCUS GROUP THAT WE HELD, WHERE WE ACTUALLY, WE TRAINED TO YOUTH, YOUTH TO BE THE FACILITATORS, UM, KNOWING THAT BEN AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE GOING TO BE BETTER AT, UH, LISTENING, ELICITING CONVERSATION FROM THEIR PEERS THAN BETTER I WOULD. UM, SO THEY WENT AND THEY FACILITATED A GROUP. AND, UM, AND THE KIDS, WHEN THEY TALK, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UM, REALLY BEING IN GARLAND, THEIR EXPERIENCES OF THE, ALMOST THE SECOND FAMILIES THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR, IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND WHEN THEY'RE GETTING TRAINED UNDER, UNDER PATTY'S GUIDANCE. UM, AND THIS SENSE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ENTERING INTO THE ARTS IN GARLAND, THERE IS A, UM, THERE'S A WONDERFUL ECOSYSTEM OF PEOPLE WHO CARE AND WANT THEM TO THRIVE AND GIVE THEM INCREDIBLE EDUCATION. AND THEY KNOW THAT, AND THEY'RE GRATEFUL AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE EXCITED BY, UM, AND JUST HEARING THEM TALK. IT WAS VERY MOVING. SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A CORE STRENGTH. AND, UM, SO, SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO BEN AND JUST A SECOND, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS BEFORE I DO IS I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPOKEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, HOW, HOW WE VIEW THE ARTS AS NOT JUST WHEN, WHEN WE THINK OF ARTS, WE DON'T JUST THINK OF PUBLIC ART. WE DON'T JUST THINK OF VISUAL ARTS, UM, OR EVEN VISUAL ARTS AND THEATER. WE, WE KNOW THAT IT IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX PICTURE THAT THAT ALL NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND THAT THAT'S ALL INTERRELATED. AND, UM, AND SO WE, WE OFTEN USE THIS DIAGRAM AS SORT OF OUR OWN MENTAL MAP OF WHAT IS A CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM, WHAT ARE ALL THE COMPONENT PARTS, BECAUSE IT IS TOURISM AND BUSINESS AND PUBLIC ART AND URBAN DESIGN AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPES AND CULTURAL NETWORKS, AND ALL OF IT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED AN INTEGRATED TOGETHER. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN CREATING A PLAN, A MUNICIPAL PLAN, WHICH LOOKS AT THINGS VERY LOGICALLY AND RATIONALLY IS THAT WE KNOW AT THE END EVERYTHING'S CENTERED. NO. AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO, UM, MAYBE PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY QUESTIONS. AND THEN BEN IS GOING TO LEAD US THROUGH A CONVERSATION ON OUR PLANNING PROCESS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT'S ALL BEEN ALL ABOUT AND START TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN SERVED SURFACING, BUT, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I JUST SPOKE A LOT. SO I WANT TO LEAVE ROOM FOR ANY CONVERSE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT BE GROWING RIGHT NOW. INTERESTING. OKAY. WE'LL KEEP GOING. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH. ANYTHING WHERE WE COULD GROW, OR MAYBE WE DO HAVE SOME WEAK SPOTS THAT WE COME IN AND BEN WILL TALK. OKAY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UM, YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SEGUE. UM, SO, UH, WHAT WE KIND OF CONSIDERED AND, AND APPROACH THE PLANNING PROCESS, UM, IN THREE PHASES, UM, REALLY MUCH OF WHAT LYNN JUST REVIEWED, UM, COULD BE CONSIDERED THE DISCOVER PHASE OF THE PLANNING PROCESS. UM, AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF GARLAND ON THIS PLAN, WE ESTABLISHED OUR WORK PLAN AND FLOW FOR THIS WHOLE PROCESS. UM, OF COURSE, EARLY ON, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL ADJUSTMENTS, UM, FOR COVID. UM, AND, UM, WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, WONDERFUL PARTNERS AT THE CITY OF CARLIN AND IN THE COMMUNITY WHO STILL SHOWED UP TO PARTICIPATE. UM, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN A VIRTUAL SPACE INSTEAD OF, UM, INSTEAD OF A PHYSICAL SPACE, UM, WHAT WE DID DURING THIS EARLY PHASE WAS WE ASSEMBLED A GROUP OF ADVISORS FROM THE COMMUNITY. UH, THEY BECAME OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, AND THEN ALSO STAFF ADVISORS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SORT OF THOSE TWO DIFFERENT HATS. UM, AND, UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISOR, UH, UH, [00:15:01] ON THE COMMISSION HERE TODAY AS WELL. UM, AND THEN WE HAD, YEAH, AND THEN WE HAD, UH, STAFF ADVISORS, UH, FROM, FROM A VARIETY OF DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS, SO THAT WE COULD KIND OF GET A SENSE OF ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES LIKE LYNN WAS SAYING. UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS, UH, ALL, ALL OF THESE EXPANDED ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING ON IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT, THAT FEEL LIKE THE ART CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THEM SERVING THEIR GOALS. SO WE WANTED FOLKS FROM ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES PARTICIPATING IN THIS CONVERSATION PROCESS THROUGHOUT. UM, AND THEN WE, UH, WE BEGAN BY JUST DOING SOME RESEARCH, ESSENTIALLY, WE LOOKED AT, UH, GARLAND'S, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS AND DEMOGRAPHIC HISTORY, UH, THE, THE, UH, ECONOMIC SITUATION AND THE CREATIVE SECTOR, UH, THE HISTORY OF, OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN GARLAND, UM, THE CREATIVE ASSETS, LIKE SOME OF THE ONES THAT LYNN SPOKE ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN VENUES, THE CORE NONPROFITS, UM, THE, THE INCREDIBLE, UH, UH, CREATIVE EXPRESSION THAT'S GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. UM, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WE DID A REVIEW OF, UH, EXISTING POLICIES SYSTEMS AND, UH, AND PLANS SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A SENSE OF, UH, WHAT THIS CULTURAL ARTS PLAN W WHAT KIND OF A SYSTEM IT WAS GOING TO BE EMBEDDED IN AND WHERE IT COULD MAKE CHANGE. UH, THEN WE STARTED TALKING TO FOLKS, UM, SO WE STARTED THE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THEY HELPED US IDENTIFY, UH, 14 PEOPLE REPRESENTING A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES, UM, KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, CREATORS THEMSELVES, UH, PEOPLE WHO PUT ON, UH, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS, UM, OR, UH, REPRESENT THE, UH, THE, THE PRIVATE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE DID 14, ONE HOUR LONG INTERVIEWS, UH, AND THEN WE WENT THROUGH A FORMAL, FORMAL CODING PROCESS ON THOSE INTERVIEWS. SO WE, WE PULLED OUT, UH, IDEAS. UM, AND THIS WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE, THE COMMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A MOMENT AGO, WHERE WE WERE REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE STRENGTH, WHAT IS GARLAND GOOD AT RIGHT NOW? AND WHAT ARE SOME AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, UH, BUILDING FROM THOSE INTERVIEWS. WE, UH, WE CONDUCTED THREE FOCUS GROUPS. THOSE WERE WITH A FOCUS GROUP OF GARLAND CREATIVES, A SECOND FOCUS GROUP OF, UH, CORE NONPROFITS. AND THEN WE HAD, UH, ADDITIONAL MEMBERS, UH, FROM THE ARTS COMMITTEE, UH, THERE, IN THAT FOCUS GROUP WITH US. AND A THIRD FOCUS GROUP IS LYNN MENTIONED, UH, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ARTS AND GARLAND, MOSTLY HIGH SCHOOL, A FEW, UH, UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE AGE. UM, AND THAT THIRD FOCUS GROUP WHEN SHE SAID WAS, UM, WAS FACILITATED BY, UH, TWO, ONE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND ONE UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE AGED STUDENT. UM, AND IT WAS A REALLY INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE, UH, BRINGING THEM INTO THE PLANNING PROCESS AND TRAINING THEM ON GETTING FACILITATION, UH, EXPERIENCE AS, AS PART OF RUNNING THAT MEETING. UM, WE CONDUCTED A ONLINE COMMUNITY SURVEY. UM, MANY OF YOU ON THIS PHONE CALL PROBABLY RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT, A FEW EMAILS ENCOURAGING YOU TO SPREAD, UH, SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THAT SURVEY THROUGH YOUR NETWORK. AND IF YOU DID, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. UH, WE WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY AND, UM, AND REALLY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT, UH, THE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IN GARLAND AND THE AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT AROUND COMMUNICATION OF ACTIVITIES THAT EXIST, OR, OR HOW TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO PARTICIPATE MORE. UM, AND THEN, UH, DEFINITELY AN INTEREST IN, IN CREATIVE EXPRESSION SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS. WE CONDUCTED FINALLY THREE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. UM, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY FAIRLY RECENTLY, UH, THIS WAS LAST MONTH IN MARCH, UM, TO PRESENT, EXCUSE ME, TO PRESENT WHERE WE WERE AT WITH THE PLAN, UH, SO FAR, AND TO HEAR ABOUT, UH, CREATIVE VALUES, CREATIVE EXPERIENCES, VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, UH, WHERE FOLKS WERE COMING FROM, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF. AND ONE THING, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE DID AT THOSE MEETINGS IS WE ACTUALLY USED SOME OF OUR PROJECT BUDGET TO HIRE ARTISTS, UM, TO COME AND ILLUSTRATE THE TYPES OF CREATIVE ACTIVITY THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY, UH, FROM A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES. WE HAD MUSICIANS, DANCERS, VISUAL ARTISTS, UH, PERFORMERS OF MANY DIFFERENT KINDS, UH, COME AND TALK ABOUT THEIR PROCESS. BRAIN CREATIVE ACTIVITY IN BERLIN TO LIFE. UH, MAYBE WE CAN GET EVERYBODY TO MUTE WHILE THE PRESENTATION IS GOING ON. JUST MEET THE MIC. GO AHEAD, BEN. GREAT. UM, AND THEN, UH, THE FINAL, [00:20:01] THE FINAL PHASE, UH, WHICH REALLY KIND OF HAPPENS CONCURRENTLY BECAUSE REALLY SPEAKING TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, SPEAKING TO STAKEHOLDERS, UM, IT KIND OF HAPPENS IN A CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT GOING FORWARD HERE, UM, THAT, UH, THAT WE TOOK THOSE CONVERSATIONS. WE, WE ANALYZE THE DATA THAT WE WERE GETTING AND WE FORMED, UH, INFORMED BY THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BY WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS, UH, A VISION, UH, FOR CULTURAL ARTS AND GARLAND GOALS AND SUPPORT OF THAT VISION ACTION ITEMS. UM, SO MANY ACTION ITEMS, THINGS TO DO IN SUPPORT OF THOSE GOALS AND VISION, UH, IN ALL OF THIS CAME TOGETHER AND WHAT IS NOW A, UH, A DRAFT PLAN. AND SO ALL OF THIS WE'RE GOING TO TALK, SO I CAN IMAGINE WITH HOURS AND HOURS OF CONVERSATION AT OUR FINGERTIPS, WE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS. AND, UM, WE HAVE MUCH DETAIL IN THE PLAN ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THEMES AND TOPICS AND STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT FOLKS DISCUSSED WERE, UM, JUST TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE WERE HEARING. UH, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE KIND OF REMINISCENT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT LYNN HAS SAID ALREADY, MAYBE IN SOME OF THESE THAT THE YOUTH IN GARLAND ARE A CORE ENGINE OF LOCAL CREATIVITY. WE HEARD THIS FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT, UM, PERSPECTIVES, UM, JUST A, AN INTEREST, A NEED TO KEEP THE SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF HOW THE CITY APPROACHES, UH, CREATIVE ACTIVITY AND SUPPORTING CREATIVE ACTIVITIES, CULTURAL FESTIVALS, AGAIN FROM MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, UH, CULTURAL FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ARE BELOVED AND CHERISHED. AND, UH, EVERYBODY REALLY WANTS TO SEE, UH, THOSE FESTIVALS CONTINUE. UH, UH, I, I THINK IT WAS AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE DOING, HAVING THESE, HOLDING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, DURING A PANDEMIC, UM, BECAUSE I THINK FOLKS WERE FEELING THE ABSENCE OF THESE FESTIVALS, UH, AS WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM BACK AND EXPAND THEM, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY. I, I, WE, WE, WE HEARD FROM CREATIVES, WE HEARD FROM FOLKS AT THE CITY AND WE HEARD FROM OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THAT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, AROUND THE ARTS THAT THEY'LL, THERE'LL BE SILOS OR GROUPS OF FOLKS THAT ARE DOING SOMETHING OVER HERE, UM, WHO THEN MAY DISCOVER THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY ANOTHER GROUP OF FOLKS OVER IN THIS OTHER AREA THAT ARE WORKING AND DOING CREATIVE WORK. UM, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A HUNGER AND AN ENERGY TOWARDS, UM, CREATING SOME KIND OF SYSTEM TO, TO KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE TO SORT OF PLUG SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES INTO EACH OTHER. UM, UH, ANOTHER CONVERSATION THAT CAME UP SEVERAL TIMES WAS, UH, A NEED TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF CREATIVE LEADERS, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL LINEAGE OF, OF GROWING CREATIVE ACTIVITY IN THE CITY, UM, AND, AND QUESTIONING HOW THEN TO SORT OF WRAP THAT AROUND, TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT, UH, WHO'S COMING UP, WHO ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN, WHO CAN TAKE THE BATON AND THEN CONTINUE CARRYING FORWARD THESE ACTIVITIES. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, WE HEARD FOLKS TALK ABOUT, UM, WANTING TO EXPAND CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL AREAS OF GARLAND, WHICH HAS A HUGE FOOTPRINT AS A CITY, UM, THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO LEVERAGE IN ORDER TO GET ART AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE HEARD THOSE THINGS AND MANY, MANY MORE THINGS. AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK ALL OF THAT AND TRIED TO FUNNEL ALL OF THAT INTO A VISION STATEMENT FOR A CULTURAL ARTS IN GARLAND AND GOALS AND SUPPORT OF THAT VISION STATEMENT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT NOW IS HOW WE TRANSITION FROM WHAT WE HEARD TO, HOW WE INTERPRETED IT. AND THAT VISION STATEMENT IS THAT GARLANDS CULTURAL ARTS SECTOR GROWS FROM STRONG COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS AND PROVIDES RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ACCESS TO CREATIVE EXPERIENCES AND EXPRESSION. THE CITY OF GARLAND STRIVES TO BUILD A REPUTATION AS A REGIONAL CULTURAL DESTINATION, TO BE A TRAINING GROUND FOR ALL FORMS OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND TO NURTURE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS GROUNDED IN DIVERSITY FAMILY. AND YOU THERE'S A LOT PACKED IN THERE. AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE DRAFTED, UH, SIX GOALS AND, UH, AS WE DRAFTED THESE GOALS, WHEN WE, UH, WE'D GO BACK TO EITHER A MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY OR WITH OUR, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD TEST THESE AND WE WOULD SAY, DOES THIS, DOES THIS RING TRUE? DOES THIS FEEL LIKE THIS COVERS, UH, THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY [00:25:01] WANTS TO AND NEEDS TO SUPPORT THOSE SIX GOALS ARE TO PROVIDE EXPERIENCES IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS IN DOWNTOWN FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. UM, SO THIS COVERS ACTIVITY KIND OF THAT SAME POINT THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ABOUT, UM, BOTH SUPPORTING AND GROWING OPPORTUNITY AND ACTIVITIES DOWNTOWN, UH, AND THEN ALSO IN ALL AREAS OF THE CITY, SO THAT FOLKS CAN ACCESS THEM RESIDENTS AND VISITORS CAN ACCESS THEM IN THE DOWNTOWN AND ALSO WHERE THEY LIVE TO, TO GROW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH CREATIVITY, THREE TO CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT, UH, GARLAND'S CULTURAL, DIVERSITY AND HERITAGE FOR, TO SUPPORT AND ATTRACT ARTISTS AND CREATIVES. UH, BOTH THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE CITY CURRENTLY, UH, AND CREATE IN THE CITY CURRENTLY. AND THOSE WHO MAY IN THE FUTURE FIVE TO DO ALL OF THIS WORK THROUGH, AS LYNN WAS SAYING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP, BUT, UH, THE, THE CITY CAN BE KIND OF THE ENGINE OF THIS, UH, AND THE COORDINATOR OF THIS. UM, BUT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THESE THINGS, THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTNERS, UM, UH, PUBLIC CIVIC, INFORMAL, UH, NONPROFIT, YOU NAME IT, THERE'S A VARIETY OF PARTNERSHIPS, UM, THAT CAN BE LEVERAGED IN ORDER TO GROW THE FOOTPRINT OF, UH, CULTURAL ARTS IN THE CITY AND SIX TO MAKE SURE THAT UNDER THE HOOD, UM, ALL OF THE OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, UH, SUPPORTS ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES IS STREAMLINED, IS, UH, IS, UH, TRANSPARENT AND ACCESSIBLE TO, UH, TO RESIDENTS. AND, AND AS WE GO ON, I JUST WANT TO PAUSE, THIS WAS, THIS IS THE BROAD OVERVIEW, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO IN AND TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC, UM, ACTION ITEMS, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO GIVE YOU A SORT OF, UH, AN IDEA OF, OF HOW THOSE ARE FORMULATED AND, UM, WHAT YOU'LL BE SEEING. AND, UH, BUT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING FOR HALF AN HOUR. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE A PAUSE AND LET YOU GUYS ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE VISION AND THE GOALS OR THE PROCESS OR ANYTHING THAT, THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN HEARING SORT OF AT THIS VERY BROAD LEVEL BEFORE WE NARROW DOWN AND GET AGAINST SPECIFIC. IT WAS A LOT, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. OKAY. UM, LEN HALEN, I KNOW WE SPOKE BRIEFLY, UH, PREVIOUS TO THIS, WHICH IS FUNNY CAUSE, UH, WE MET BEFORE WE MET. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE CONSIDERED AS FAR AS INCREASING OR USING THE ARTS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF NEIGHBORHOODS? YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING. I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. A LOT OF, UM, SO, SO ONE OF THE PHILOSOPHIES THAT WE GO BY IS ARTS AND, AND, UM, IT'S THIS IDEA THAT THAT ARTS IS, IS, IS BOTH NEEDS TO BE FOSTERED FOR ART FOR THE SAKE OF ART, BUT THEN ART ALSO CAN COME IN AND THIS IS THAT PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT TO FURTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS. SO, UM, ONE OF THE, THE ACTIVE PROJECTS WE KNOW THAT IS GOING ON IS, UM, IS DOWN ALONG, UM, OH, AND FORGIVE ME THE, IS IT DEFINITELY THE, YEAH, THE, THAT ALONG THAT AREA, ONE W NANCY, THE STAFF MEMBER HAS BEEN TALKING WITH RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CONCERNS OF SAFETY AND, UM, WANTING. AND SO THEY'RE THERE. WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS CREATE THE CAPACITY OF THE CITY TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEIGHBORHOODS TO IDENTIFY THOSE SPECIFIC GOALS AND BRING ARTISTS IN AS PARTNERS TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE. SO, YOU KNOW, SO THAT COULD MEAN CREATING A PROJECT, UM, MAYBE UNDER NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY THAT BRINGS IN A LIGHTING ARTIST, UM, OR AN ARTIST THAT WORKS WITH LIGHT, WHO CAN NOT ONLY BRING, YOU KNOW, ILLUMINA LITERALLY ILLUMINATION TO THE AREA, BUT DO SO IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY CREATES WELCOME AND A SENSE OF BELONGING AND, AND FURTHERS THOSE GOALS. SO, SO WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK, UM, AS A LOT OF THOSE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THAT CAPACITY IS THERE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'LL BE LOTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER, JUST ANY BROAD QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GOT IT? OKAY. WE'LL KEEP GOING, BUT JUST SHOUT OUT IF ANYTHING COMES UP, PLEASE. UM, UH, UM, STAFF MEMBERS ARE ON THIS CALL WHO MAYBE KEEPING TRACK OF TIME ON THE AGENDA IF WE NEED TO, UH, IF WE NEED TO ABBREVIATE A SECTION, PLEASE SHOUT OUT AT US. UM, BUT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO GET INTO NOW IS, UM, JUST TO, SO WE'VE, WE'VE, IT'S WE MADE THIS TO KIND OF VISUALIZE, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO OVER 94 ACTION ITEMS HERE. UM, WE WE'LL BE HERE [00:30:01] ALL NIGHT AND PROBABLY INTO TOMORROW MORNING IF WE DID THAT. UH, BUT WE DID WANT TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE, IN THE PLAN. UM, AND SO WE REVIEWED THE VISION, THE SIX GOALS AND SUPPORT OF THAT VISION IN ORDER TO PULL OUT SOME NUANCE. EACH OF THOSE GOALS HAS, UM, YOU CAN KIND OF THINK OF IT AS LIKE THREE PROMPTS AND WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THEM AS PRONGS. AND THEN EACH PRONG HAS A SERIES OF ITEMS, LIKE VERY TACTICAL ITEMS THAT THE CITY CAN DO IN ORDER TO BRING THOSE STRATEGIES AND GOALS IN DIVISION FOUR CULTURAL ARTS TO LIFE. UM, AND SO WE WILL LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF THOSE, BUT, UM, BUT WE WILL NOT GO OVER ALL 94, UH, ACTION ITEMS. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THESE NEXT SLIDES, WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE HIERARCHY OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. UM, SO FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND DOWNTOWN GOAL, UM, THE, THE FIRST TWO ARE FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY. UH, ONE, ONE STRATEGY IS SUPPORTING CREATIVITY IN NEIGHBORHOODS. THE SECOND IS FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN AND INCREASING DOWNTOWN ATTRACTION. UH, THE THIRD STRATEGY IS TO, UH, INCREASE THE USE OF TEMPORARY ACTIVATIONS IN ORDER TO, UH, BRING CULTURAL ARTS, UH, OPPORTUNITIES IN ORDER TO EXPAND CULTURAL ARTS OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY. UM, AND SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS, UH, IN WHICH TO DO THAT. ONE, FOR EXAMPLE IS ONE OF OUR ACTION ITEMS, WHICH IS TO, UH, EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOBILE, CULTURAL ARTS ACTIVATIONS. UM, SOMETHING LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, AN ART BUS, UM, WHICH IS ABLE TO GO AND PROVIDE PROGRAMMING, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR AT OTHER RECREATION CENTERS OR COMMUNITY CENTERS, BUT AS MOBILE, AND CAN ACTUALLY BRING ARTS, PROGRAMMING AND ARTS ACTIVITIES TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, ANOTHER WAY TO DO THAT MIGHT BE A, UM, LOOKING INTO A MOBILE PERFORMANCE STAGE FOR THE, UH, SUPPORTING YOUTH GOAL. UM, THE THREE STRATEGIES ARE TO EXPAND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM, UH, TO, FOR THE CITY TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND THEIR, UH, THEIR ONGOING AND VERY SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THEN TO WORK WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS, TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, ACCESS CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SKILL BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS, BOTH IF THEY WISH TO PURSUE A CREATIVE CAREER. AND ALSO BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT CREATIVE SKILLS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR A VARIETY OF CAREERS. SO ONE EXAMPLE OF AN ACTION ITEM, UH, IN THE YOUTH CATEGORY IS A YOUTH ARTS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM TO CREATE A PROJECT BASED YOUTH ARTS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING, UH, CIVIC ORIENTED CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU. UM, SO WE COULD LOOK AT, UM, SKILLS, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT LIKE AROUND MENTORSHIP, AROUND LEARNING ABOUT CIVIC PROCESSES, PUBLIC ART PROCESSES AND PROJECTS, UH, AND OTHER TYPES OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND LOOK TO PARTNER BETWEEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE CITY, AND, UH, THE CHAMBER OR A DIVERSITY AND A HERITAGE. UM, WE HAVE THREE STRATEGIES AGAIN, SUPPORTING, UH, DIVERSE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND IDENTITIES IN THE CITY TO CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY OF GARLAND. AND, UH, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND FESTIVALS, UH, ONE ACTION ITEM THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, UM, THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO, UH, DIVERSE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES AND IDENTITIES AND FESTIVALS, UH, IS THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A, UH, A NEW MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL, UM, THAT REFLECTS AND CELEBRATES, UH, MANY DIFFERENT GARLAND CULTURES, UH, AND RESIDENTS, UH, IN HISTORIES TOGETHER, UM, THAT COULD BOTH BE SOMETHING FOR, UH, RESIDENTS TO SEE AND CELEBRATE EACH OTHER AND ALSO SERVE AS A REGIONAL DRAW. UM, AND THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THIS COULD, UH, COULD PLAY OUT. THIS COULD BE KIND OF A TRADITIONAL CENTRALIZED FESTIVAL AT A LOCATION. UM, IT COULD BE A LARGER ACTIVITY THAT IS DISPERSED AT DIFFERENT CULTURAL HUBS AROUND THE COUNTRY, FOR THE ARTISTS AND CREATIVES GOAL. UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ACTIVITIES, UH, THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT, UH, INDIVIDUAL CREATIVES AND ARTISTS ALSO ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT CREATIVE NON-PROFITS AND THEN ACTIVITIES TO GROW THE PIE, UM, TO EXPAND REGIONAL CREATIVE TOURISM. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER AND OTHER PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, UM, HELPING CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS, UH, DO THINGS [00:35:01] LIKE DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN AND OTHER, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASPECTS OF STUFF. OKAY. THE FISCAL COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS HAS THREE PRONGS FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BUSINESS SECTOR, FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT IS BRINGING, UH, CROSS SECTOR NONPROFITS TOGETHER, UH, TO, FOR MUTUAL SUPPORTIVE ACTIVITIES AND BUILDING UP THROUGH ALTERNATIVE NETWORKS. UM, AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES, UH, THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, BOTH EXISTING IN GARLAND AND, AND FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND, UM, ALTERNATIVE NETWORKS, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE FAITH COMMUNITIES. ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT ONE THAT I'M HIGHLIGHTING HERE IN THE ACTION ITEM, UH, IS NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, COLLABORATING WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO DEVELOP, UH, CAPABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS FOR ART, UH, FOR INSTANCE, EXPLORING COLLABORATIONS AROUND NATIONAL NIGHT OUT THAT, UH, INVOLVE CREATIVE, ACTIVE, AND FINALLY THE SIXTH GOAL, UM, ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION. AND, UH, THE THREE PRONGS HERE ARE ONE IS AROUND PUBLIC ART, SUPPORTING PUBLIC ART THROUGH POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, UH, STREAMLINING ALL MUNICIPAL ARTS PROCESSES, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE GROWING MORE COMPLICATED, UH, IN GARLAND RIGHT NOW WITH MORE FOLKS AND MORE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, UH, INVOLVED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMPLICATION DOESN'T TRANSLATE INTO CONFUSION, UH, AND THEN TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATIONS AND RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES, BOTH IN DIGITAL AND ANALOG FORMATS FOR RESIDENTS. UH, AND SO ON THAT, THAT, UH, FIRST STRATEGY, THE, UH, THE PUBLIC PUBLIC ARTS STRATEGY, UM, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, THE ADOPTION OF A PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAM, UH, WHICH, UH, LOOKS AT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE CITY, UH, IN RESERVES 1% OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT BUDGETS. TRADITIONALLY, IT COULD BE MORE, COULD BE LESS DEPENDING ON, UH, ON THE POLICY THAT'S ADOPTED, BUT, BUT APPROXIMATELY 1% OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, PROJECT BUDGETS FOR PUBLIC ART, UH, THIS IS A NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE. AND, UH, AND, UH, WE ARE ALSO, UH, COMMUNICATING IN THE PLAN, UH, STANDARD PUBLIC ART PROCESSES THAT SUPPORT A GROWING PROGRAM, UM, THAT HAS CONSISTENT FUNDING, LIKE SOMETHING THAT PERCENT FOR OUR WOOD. OKAY. SO THIS IS IDENTICAL TO THE SLIDE BEFORE THIS IS JUST A REVIEW. SO WHAT WE JUST DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE DIVISION, UH, THE SIX GOALS IN SUPPORT OF THAT VISION AND STRATEGIES AND SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE GOALS. AND THEN JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE ACTION ITEMS THAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE PLAN TO GIVE A SENSE OF, OF HOW THAT PLAYS OUT AND HOW WE GET FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS, UH, DOWN TO A NORTH STAR, AND THEN A LOT OF VERY TACTICAL, UH, PROJECTS AND IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES, UM, TO SUPPORT THAT VISION. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO LYNN TO CONCLUDE. YEAH. SO, UM, SO OUR LAST SLIDE HERE IS REALLY, SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION? WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT AND, AND REALLY WHAT, WHAT OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, IS THAT, UM, THE ARTS, UM, THAT TH THIS, WELL, THIS REALLY IS THE, THE PLAN FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION. THIS IS, UM, THIS IS, UH, ACTION ITEMS. IT'S A ROADMAP, IT'S A TOOL KIT. AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, THE ROLE THAT WE SEE THE ARTS COMMISSION PLAYING IS REALLY IN SHEPHERDING THINGS THROUGH AS THE, IN THE YEARS TO COME, UM, OUR, OUR WORK OF, OF BRINGING TOGETHER AND SYNTHESIZING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY, CLARIFYING IT IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS. AND WE WILL IN THE PLAN, PROVIDE A, A LIST OF, OF ITEMS THAT WE THINK ARE PRIORITY, BUT REALLY IT'S UP TO YOU ALL YEAR BY YEAR TO LOOK AT THE PLAN AND TO SAY, WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT EVERY YEAR AND BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC ITEMS? UM, WE'VE, WE'VE NOTICED IT IN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE. AND THEN IT ALSO, AND WORKING NATIONALLY THAT THE STRONGEST PLANS HAVE NOT JUST STAFF OVERSIGHT, BUT REALLY COMMISSION OVERSIGHT, WHERE THE COMMISSION TAKES OWNERSHIP, UM, ADVOCATES FOR, FOR THE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT THEY'RE CHOOSING TO WORK ON, AND REALLY HAS A COLLECTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION AMONGST THEMSELVES OVER WHICH ITEMS THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD PRIORITIZE AND ACT UPON EACH YEAR. WE HAVE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PLAN WHERE, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION CAN SAY FORM A WORK GROUP TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC THINGS, SAY SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT THERE IS A, UM, YOU KNOW, FILLING GAPS [00:40:01] IN AFTERSCHOOL, UM, UH, ARTS EDUCATION, KNOWING THAT THAT'S SUCH A CRITICAL MOMENT IN, IN KIDS' LIVES OF WHERE, UH, THAT ARTS EXPOSURE CAN HAPPEN AND, AND DIVING IN DEEP AND FINDING THE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS THAT CAN REALLY BE IN CONVERSATION, FOSTERING THOSE NETWORKS AND, UM, AND, AND HELPING THE PLAN ROLL OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IN, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AND, AND THEN ALSO WITH, UH, LOCAL PARTNERS, YOU ALL BECOME THE HUB OF WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN. AND THEN, UM, AND, AND CHAMPION, YOU KNOW, UM, IN THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, BUT REALLY IT'S, IT'S ABOUT HIERARCHY. WE, WE, WE WE'VE GATHERED A MOUNTAIN OF DATA. WE'VE MADE IT INTO LITTLE HILLS, SO IT'S ALL MAKES SENSE. AND THEN, UM, AND THEN FOR YOU ALL GOING FORWARD, YOU'LL HAVE THAT IN HAND AND THEN DECIDING, WHICH IS THE FIRST STEP TO, TO, TO STEP OFF ON, UM, WE BELIEVE ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT IS, UM, AS BEN SAID AT THE BEGINNING, GETTING EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD FLOWING SMOOTHLY. AND, AND SO WE ARE BIG ADVOCATES OF, OF PROPOSING FOR A PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAM, WHETHER THAT'S A HALF A PERCENT AND SOME MUNICIPALITIES EVEN GO UP FOR 2% WHERE, UM, WHERE, UH, OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGETS, UH, THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO CREATE PUBLIC ART. IT UNDER TEXAS LEGISLATION, THERE IS ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS A MUNICIPALITY TO DO THIS. AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT CITIES THAT HAVE A PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAM HAVE, UM, UH, STABILITY AND LONGEVITY IN THEIR PUBLIC ART. UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT, UM, STRONGLY THAT IN THE FIRST YEAR, THE ARTS COMMISSION LOOK AT STREAMLINING LANGUAGES AND PROCESSES AROUND PUBLIC ART, WE'LL BE GIVING LOTS OF EXAMPLES, LOTS OF, SORT OF STEP-BY-STEP. UM, HERE ARE SOME DECISIONS ON, ON HOW, HOW TO CREATE A STREAMLINED, UH, UM, UH, ART REVIEW PROCESS, SO THAT IT DOESN'T SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE COMMISSION STANDING, UH, SITTING THERE AT THE DIOCESE AND DECIDE, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH ARTISTS ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE MORE PURPLE OR LESS VERBAL. UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS SHOULD HAPPEN WITH ARTISTS AND ARTS PROFESSIONALS AND WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THEIR SIDE. UM, AND, AND SO WE'RE, WE OUTLINED PROCESSES FOR THAT JUST TO HAPPEN AND HEALTHY WAYS, BEST BASED ON BEST PRACTICES. UM, SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO END, UM, SORT OF, YOU KNOW, OPEN IT UP WITH CONVERSATIONS AND WE CAN GET INTO LOTS OF DETAILS AS YOU NEED. I THINK IT'S IS DAN ASK, ASKING A QUESTION, YOUR MIND YOU'RE THERE. OH, THERE YOU GO. SORRY, JUST FORGOT, UH, NEEDED A WHILE AGO. SO YEAH, I, WASN'T ASKING YOU A QUESTION. I WAS JUST SAYING IT'S A REALLY GREAT PLAN AND FOR US TO START WITH, AND, UM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME SITTING DOWN AND DISCUSSING IN PERSON IT'S. YEAH. HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO DO THAT PRETTY SOON, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS TOO HARD TO DO IT LIKE THIS, BUT, UM, IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL SEND US AND WE CAN PRINT IT OUT AND HAVE THE LUCK AND ABSOLUTELY LIKE RIGHT NOW WITH WHAT'S, UM, IS IT'S IT'S HAVING IT'S, UH, IT, IT, IT'S CLOSE LOOK OVER BY STAFF AND, UM, JUST MAKING SURE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S GONNA GUNK UP THE WORKS, UM, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THEY KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING CAN WORK WITH IN THE GARLANDS CITY SYSTEM. AND, UM, AND THEN AS SOON AS THAT'S DONE, THEN, THEN WE'LL BE, UM, SENDING THAT TO YOU ALL SO THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND, UM, AND SEE THE DRAFT AND SAY LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE REALLY, REALLY GET THAT, THAT BROAD OVERVIEW. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH, NO, WE, WE ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, BUT BEFORE IT, YOU KNOW, IT GOES TO ANY, UH, COUNCIL PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING YOU WANT, YOU ALL LOOK AT IT, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE SORT OF THE, THE, THE, THE FRAMEWORK. UM, HOPEFULLY AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DIGEST IT A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY. YEAH. IT'LL MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE. AND WE'RE HOPING TO TAKE IT TO COUNCIL SOMETIME IN MAY. SO WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'LL PROBABLY GET IT OUT TO YOU, SO YOU ALL CAN LOOK THROUGH IT. OKAY. AND AS YOU, UM, AS YOU REVIEW THE PLAN, UM, IT SHOULD HOPEFULLY SOUND FAMILIAR, RING, RING, FAMILIAR, UM, TO WHAT YOU'VE HEARD IN THIS PRESENTATION. WE'VE VERY MUCH TRIED TO SET UP THIS PRESENTATION [00:45:01] TO FLOW IN THE SAME CHAPTERS AS THE PLANET. SO YEAH, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION. YEP. I LIKE IT. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AWESOME PRESENTATION AND YOU ALL ARE WELCOME. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL, LIKE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, OR ANY TIME TO REACH OUT TO US BY AN EMAIL, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE, ALWAYS HAPPY TO JUMP ON THE PHONE OR, UM, WHATEVER YOU NEED, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ALL AT ALL MAKE SENSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND BEN. ALL RIGHT. YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WAS DON, ARE YOU STILL ON WITH US? UM, YEAH, THERE IS. WAKE UP. THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SET OUT. SO, UH, YOU'RE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR OR THE, UH, WELL, OKAY. UH, IT WAS A WHILE AGO. UH, I HAD AN IDEA ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A SITUATION AT MOORE PARK. I DON'T KNOW IF MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH COOPER PARK, UM, BUT UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE OF APOLLO AT THAT PARK, UH, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF SPRAY PAINTING GOING ON. UH, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY A, UH, CALL, UH, TO PATROL, UH, ABOUT SPRAY PAINTING, WHERE ACTUALLY A NEIGHBOR FOUND, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS DOING IT SO LONG STORY SHORT. UH, I WENT DOWN THERE AND FOUND THE INDIVIDUALS. THEY, THEY WEREN'T, UM, MISCHIEVOUS KIDS PER SE. THEY'RE NOT TROUBLEMAKERS. UH, WHEN I WENT DOWN THERE AND LOOKED AT ALL THE SPRAY PAINTING, UH, THERE'S A LOT MORE OF THAT THAN I HAD EXPECTED. UH, AND TYPICALLY WHEN I DEAL WITH SPRAY PAINTING, UM, IT'S GANG RELATED, UH, NOTHING DOWN THERE IT'S ALWAYS GANG RELATED. IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST KIDS THAT LOOKED LIKE THAT THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. UH, NOW IN THE PAST, WHENEVER I GET A LOT OF, UH, GRAFFITI CALLS, UM, TYPICALLY AT, ESPECIALLY AT THAT PARK, IT'S ON THE ACTUAL PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, EITHER THEY'RE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND ACTUALLY HAD A DOCK, UH, IN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AGAIN, NOT RELATED TO GRAFFITI, JUST PEOPLE SPRAY PAINT. NOW, UM, I'VE TALKED WITH OTHER GUYS IN MY UNIT ALSO, UM, I'M A NEIGHBORHOOD POLICE OFFICER BY THE WAY, UM, TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. AND REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT THE OTHER GUYS, YOU KNOW, HAVE JUST SOLVE IT IS JUST RIGHT. THE TAKE THE KIDS TO TAKE IT, AND THEN THEY'LL GROW OUT OF IT. WELL, MY MIND IS NOT REALLY SOLVING ANY ISSUES BECAUSE THEN THERE'S THE NEXT GROUP OF KIDS THAT COME IN AND IT'S KIND OF JUST NOT REALLY SOLVING ANYTHING. IT'S JUST KINDA PUTTING IT ASIDE. UH, SO MY IDEA, UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING KIDS SPRAY PAINT PARK EQUIPMENT, OR UNDER THE BRIDGE, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO KIND OF EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND MAYBE PUT, OR X, SOME SORT OF CANVAS IN THE PARK THAT THEY CAN GO OUT, PAINT, WHATEVER THEY WANT ON IT, AS LONG AS IT'S OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, NOT OFFENSIVE OR ANYTHING OR GAME-RELATED, UM, THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT THAT WAY. IT KEEPS THEM FROM ACTUALLY SPRAYING PARKER EQUIPMENT AND SUCH LIKE THAT, AND DOING REAL GRAFFITI. UH, WE DO THAT AND THEN MAYBE CLEAN IT UP ONCE A MONTH, ONCE A WEEK, JUST HAVE IT PAINTED WHITE THAT WAY KIDS CAN GO BACK OUT THERE AND DO IT AGAIN, AND, YOU KNOW, PAINT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WANT. UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST AN IDEA. I'M TRYING TO SOLVE AN ISSUE THAT I HAVE AND IT'S WRITING TICKETS AND JUST CLEANING UP GRAFFITI'S TOO, YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY SOLVING AN ISSUES. I FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST POSTPONING, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN HAPPEN? THIS ACTUALLY REALLY FEEDS INTO WHAT WE JUST HEARD WITH OUR PLAN HERE INVOLVING THE YOUTH AND GIVING THEM BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, THEY ARE WANTING TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. SO LET'S PUT IT TO USE TO GOOD ARTISTIC SOMETHING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY DURING THE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK THAT'S ALL KIND OF GOES TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. ANYBODY ELSE? UM, CERTAINLY IF WE DID THIS, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT IF YOU, AFTER, IF YOU'RE GOING TO WHITE OVER IT, THAT YOU COULD TAKE PICTURES OF IT AND THEN SOMEHOW WE COULD DISPLAY THOSE AND HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE EACH MONTH, OR I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN EVERY TWO WEEKS, IF YOU CHANGE IT, BUT YOU CAPTURE WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND IT BECOMES LIKE A GALLERY AND OUTDOOR GALLERY. I DON'T KNOW. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME INTO MY HEAD. YEAH. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S VERY POSSIBLE. THERE'S ACTUALLY A NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, HOA THERE AND IT'S KIND OF A PRIVATE MAKESHIFT HOA. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S MANDATORY, BUT THEY'RE VERY INVOLVED IN AND A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHAT THEY COULD [00:50:01] DO IS, UH, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE. THEY'LL PROBABLY END UP TAKING PICTURES AND POSTING ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE AND WHATNOT. UM, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WON'T WANTS TO, UH, GET INVOLVED WITH PHOTOS WISE, THAT THAT'S VERY POSSIBLE. AND IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA. I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR. UM, THEY HAVE, UH, SOME WINGS NEXT TO A GARDEN, NOT TOO FAR FROM THAT AREA WHERE PEOPLE GO AND THEY TAKE PICTURES OF THAT AND POST THAT ON THEIR LITTLE FACEBOOK PAGE. CAN I MAKE A NOTE? UM, I'VE SEEN HIM WHERE THEY'RE CONCRETE WALLS AND NOT CANVAS BECAUSE THEY HOLD UP BETTER. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU'D GO. OKAY. YEAH. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE IDEA. I ONLY SAID KMS BECAUSE SOMETHING BLANK, BASICALLY SOMETHING THAT BE TO USE AS A CAN. UM, I BELIEVE LIKE A CONCRETE WALL WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD, VERY INEXPENSIVE THAT, OR MAYBE SOME SORT OF METAL PLATFORM, ANYTHING REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS COULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, PAINT ON SOMETHING THAT'S A LARGE CANVAS AND THEY COULD DO WHAT THEY PLEASE, AND, AND FROM PAINTING THE SLIDES AND WHAT RIGHT. UM, SO IN, UH, I THINK IT'S OVER BY MARGARET HUNT, MARGARET HUNT HILL BRIDGE, UH, THERE IS THE GRAFFITI PARK, UM, ARE Y'ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT? OKAY. SO IT'S CALLED THE FABRICATION YARD AND IT'S, UH, BASICALLY OLD, UM, WAREHOUSES THAT, UH, A SPECIFIC OWNER HAS BOUGHT OUT AND ALLOWED GRAFFITI ARTISTS JUST TO JUST COME OUT AND DO WHATEVER. SO THERE'S, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE GEORGE FLOYD, UH, PORTRAIT THAT WAS DONE DOWN THERE AND I WAS OUT THERE THIS SUMMER WORKING ALONGSIDE OTHER GRAFFITI ARTISTS. UM, AND OF COURSE THERE'S LIKE REGULAR GRAFFITI AND TAGS. AND ALL OF THAT, MY ONLY CONCERN WITH, WITH THAT IS, WELL, THE THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING GRAFFITI FOR GAIN PURPOSES, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY ARE DEALING DRUGS, THEY'RE DOING DRUGS AT THE PARK, UM, WITH THIS FABRICATION YARD PLACE, LIKE IT'S AN ENCLOSED, LIKE THEY'RE BUILDINGS. SO PEOPLE GATHER AND THEY DO ALL KINDS OF HOODLUM STUFF LIKE CARS, LIKE RUBBING THEIR CARS AND ALL KINDS OF CRAZINESS. UM, SO I STAY AWAY AT NIGHT. UM, SO IF WE CAN CREATE A SPACE LIKE THAT, THAT IS WELL LIT. UM, AND THAT IT'S, IT'S OPEN. IT'S NOT LIKE SECLUDED. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE MAYBE LIKE A STANDALONE WALL. UM, THAT'S MAYBE LIKE 18 FEET LONG OR SOMETHING LIKE 20 FEET LONG. UM, AND MY ONLY OBJECTION WITH A CONCRETE WALL IS THAT CONCRETE IS POROUS. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF PAINT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A SOLID SHAPE. SO MAYBE IF THE, THE WALL IS SEALED, THEN YEAH, I WOULD TOTALLY BE DOWN FOR THAT. UM, CAUSE YEAH, IT'S NO FUN TO KEEP WRITING TICKETS TO KIDS WHO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. AND THEY'RE LIKE, MAN, OH, HE POLICE OFFICERS AND THAT'S NOT THE DYNAMIC Y'ALL WANT TO GO FOR. I'M PRETTY SURE. SO I LIKE THAT. YOU'RE THINKING ON A HIGHER GROUND, MR. DUNN, OFFICER LEE, IF YOU COULD BACK TO, I THINK THE COMMISSION IS VERY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOU ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS. IF YOU CAN COME BACK WITH SOME PROPOSALS AND IDEAS OF WHERE AND, AND WHAT, AND, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, FEEL FREE TO, UM, I CAN DROP MY INFORMATION IN THE CHAT, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT, UM, BECAUSE I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE KINDS OF, UH, LIKE PARKS PER SE. UM, AND I'M WORKING ON AN ARCHITECTURE DEGREE. SO IT WOULD BE FAIRLY EASY FOR ME TO HELP YOU, UH, JUST WITH MATERIALS, LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD NEED. YEAH. THAT WOULD BE GREAT ACTUALLY. UM, CAUSE AT ALL, HONESTLY, THIS IS JUST AN IDEA, UH, THAT I HAD, I BROUGHT IT UP TO DO, UH, THE HEAD OF PARKS AND OBVIOUSLY THEY KIND OF DIRECTED ME TOWARDS A NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY AS WELL. SO I'M TRYING, AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY NEW TO ME AND I'M NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT PRESENTING THIS. UH, BUT YEAH, IF, IF I COULD USE YOUR HELP AND, UH, I'LL DO SOME SORT OF, UH, I GUESS PRESENTATION OR SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO TO PRESENT TO THE ACTUAL CDC THAT IF WE CAN GET THIS APPROVED. ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND I JUST POSTED MY S UH, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT. THERE'S ALSO THE, FOR DOWN PROJECT IN DALLAS, IT'S F UH, I'M SORRY, IT'S FOUR. AND THEN DWM, IT'S A SKATE PARK, BUT THEY HAVE ARTWORK UP, UM, IT'S FOUR AND THEN DWN. UM, [00:55:01] AND IT'S A COMMUNITY SKATE PARK THAT IS ALSO KIND OF A RETAIL SPACE. UM, I JUST, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO THE OWNER IS. UM, BUT THEY'RE, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THERE IS TO COMBINE ART AND THEN LIKE A RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY, LIKE SKATING AND LIKE THE PARK, UM, BUT ALSO BUILDING EQUITY THROUGH THE JUICES, LIKE HAVING LIKE A COFFEE SHOP ACROSS FROM THE PARK AND A PLACE TO GET A BITE, TO EAT, STUFF LIKE THAT. SCOTT, DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR OF WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO WORK WITH THEM ON THIS? UM, FIRST OF ALL, OFFICER LEE, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND, AND PROVIDING, UM, SOME, SOME CREATIVE IDEAS. THAT'S, THAT'S, I THINK WE NEED A LOT MORE OF THAT AND, AND CONCERNED ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S THAT'S REALLY GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, I, I THINK, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENTS, AND MAYBE EVEN THE PARKS BOARD WILL BE INVOLVED IN BOTH THE SOLUTION, THE MAINTENANCE AND THE LOCATION OF WHERE THIS WOULD GO. UM, SO, UM, UH, I, I THINK ONE THING FOR SURE IS PARKS, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WANTED YOU ALL TO SEE IT AND, AND WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT IN WHAT WAY I'M NOT SURE, BUT IS THIS SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST IN CONCEPT THAT YOU SUPPORT, UM, THE IDEA OF, AND WE'RE, I THINK IT'S WORTH PURSUING FURTHER. I THINK THE COMMISSION COULD PROBABLY SUPPORT IT, NOT ONLY THAT YOU SUPPORT THE PROJECT, BUT MAYBE SOME FINANCIAL TO FIND OUT WHAT THE COST MIGHT BE AND, AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE FUNDING, BUT, UM, THEY HAVE SOME RESOURCES TOO. AND, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION DOES HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM LAST YEAR CARRY OVER TOO. SO I THINK MAYBE WE CAN MAKE THIS ALL WORK. OKAY. SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL HOW ABOUT THIS? I'LL, I'LL KIND OF CIRCLE BACK, UM, WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE NEXT AND, AND MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE PATTY AND THE COMMISSION AND Y'ALL ARE, ARE IN THE LOOP ON THIS. I THINK, UM, I THINK THE IDEA IS THAT SOMEONE ELSE KIND OF TAKES THE LEAD ON THE SOLUTIONS SPECIFICALLY WITH, WITH OFFICER LEE'S CONTRIBUTION RATHER THAN OFFICER LEE LEADING THE SOLUTION. UM, BUT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S NOT TO CUT OUT OFFICER LEE, IT'S JUST, UM, UH, JUST SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF TAKE THE BATON AND KEEP THE PROJECT GOING. THAT'S THAT'S THE IDEA ANYWAY, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH, WITH PARKS ON THAT AND MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE INFORMED ON, ON WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE. TERRIFIC. IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. RIGHT. BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY INTERESTED. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANYTHING ELSE? ANY, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTION WAS JUST A GREAT IDEA. GREAT IDEA. THANK YOU. THAT'S REALLY IT LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY FOR YOU TO STEP FORWARD AND PRESENT SOMETHING THAT CHANNELS, THAT ENERGY OF THOSE KIDS IN A POSITIVE WAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AGAIN, WE'LL WAIT FOR, I GUESS, SCOTT, TO GET SOMETHING BACK TO US THAT IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME UP WITH MORE IDEAS, YOU CAN TALK WITH SCOTT AS WELL. AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE THE FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT AND HOW WE CAN HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AND SCOTT, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO ADD OR WAS THAT OKAY? UH, NO. NO, I DON'T. UM, I, I'M SORRY. UH, MICHELLE, ONE THING I FORGOT TO TELL YOU IS, IS AVALON HAS DONE NOW. I MEANT TO MENTION THAT IN MY UPDATE. UH, IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO AVALON PARK, THE PAVILIONS DONE THE PARKING LOTS DONE. IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL, UH, FINISHED NOW. SO, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE ONLY UPDATE I HAD. OKAY, AWESOME. LET'S GO CHECK IT OUT. ALL RIGHT, THEN. WELL, YOU VERY MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE AND WE'LL CONTINUE ON THEN WITH THE REST OF THE PART OF OUR MEETING. OKAY. I GUESS PATTY, YOU NEED OUR MONTHLY REPORTS FOR THE ART CENTER. WELL, WE'RE SLOWLY BRINGING IN SOME MONEY, SAY IT'S, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS. AND, UH, I THINK BY MAY, IN THE SUMMER, THINGS ARE GETTING CLOSE TO NORMAL. WE'RE NOW AT 75%, THEY'VE REMOVED THE EVERY OTHER ROW. SO, UM, WE'RE LEAVING IT TWO SEATS IN BETWEEN, UH, PROBABLY FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER, UH, IN, IN ALL OUR FACILITIES. SO THAT BRINGS US ABOUT 75%. [01:00:02] AS FAR AS THE MAX, WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WERE GONNA SHOW UP FOR THE MAX AND YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY'S BEEN AT 50 AND 75% OF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT COMING BACK, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE GRADUALLY COMING BACK AND THEY FEEL SAFE. AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE VACCINES NOW, AND, UH, WE'RE STILL REQUESTING, WE CAN'T MAKE THEM, BUT WE'RE REQUESTING EVERYBODY WEAR MASKS. AND OUR STAFF WILL PROBABLY BE WEARING MASTERS SHIELDS, YOUR FACE COVERINGS ALL SUMMER. AND, UH, ALL THE GROUPS THAT PERFORM GENERALLY ARE CHECKING THE TEMPERATURE OF THEIR PERFORMERS AS THEY COME IN AND THEN REHEARSALS, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE USING MASKS AND, AND, UM, SHIELDS. AND FOR THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCES, THEY WON'T BE USING THEM NOW, UIL DID, BUT I THINK MOST OF THE OTHERS COMING UP, THE DANCE RECITALS AND SO FORTH WILL NOT BE DOING THE COVERINGS. BUT AS FAR AS OUR MONTHLY REPORTS, UH, THE ONE THAT'S THAT'S REALLY DOWN IS THE ATRIUM. THE ATRIUM USED TO BE OUR CASH COW. AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT HAVING THE LARGE GATHERINGS, OF COURSE, LIKE THEY USED TO. SO ALMOST EVERYTHING THERE HAS CANCELED IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WHICH ARE NORMALLY BIG MONTHS FOR US. OF COURSE, THERE WAS NOTHING. UH, THE ART CENTER IS REALLY WE'RE ABOUT HALF OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE, BUT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF ACTIVITY. WE HAVE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS DANCE GROUPS COMING IN AND WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UH, WE HAD UIL WHEN I PLAY COMPETITION. WE'VE HAD SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS DURING SHOW DOING SHOWS HERE TOO. SO, UH, THINGS ARE STARTING TO COME BACK, BUT IT'S SLOW. AND THE ONE THING WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ALMOST ALL OF OUR AUGUST IS CANCELING BECAUSE IT'S, AREN'T GET DRUMS. AND THE PEOPLE THAT RELATIVES COME IN FROM INDIA AND INDIA IS A HOTSPOT RIGHT NOW. AND THEN THEY CAN A LOT OF THE TRAVEL. SO, UH, AND THEY BRING A LOT OF MUSICIANS IN FROM INDIA. SO WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW, MICHELLE SAID EVERY DAY, WE PROBABLY GET AN ART AND GIFT FROM CANCELING. THE OTHER THING THAT CANCELED A LOT AND IN MAY AT THE ATRIUM WAS ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL BANQUETS. AND BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WAS STILL NOT ALLOWING THEM, WE HAD LOTS OF SPORTS, BANQUETS, THEATER, BANQUETS, ALL OF THOSE CHEERLEADER BANQUETS AND ALL THOSE, UH, THE SCHOOLS HAVE PRETTY MUCH CANCELED MOST OF THOSE. SO WE'RE, IT'S STRUGGLING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK HOPEFULLY CLOSE TO NORMAL. YEAH, I'LL BE THERE MAY 1ST, MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S DANCE RECITAL FOR OLDER SADDLE. OKAY. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MONTHLY REPORT? I MEAN IT'S AND SLOWLY WE'RE PICKING UP SPEED. YEAH. THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE THEY USED TO THAT'S FOR SURE. YEAH. LIKE I SAID, HOPEFULLY SLOWLY BUT SURELY WILL BE. YES. YES. THAT'S GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. UM, OUR NEXT ONE IS UNFORTUNATELY THE RESIGNATION OF CARLA PECHO AND SO SAD TO HEAR HER, BUT I GUESS, MOVING TO RAIL IT NOW SHE HAS TO BE WITH RELIT CITY. THERE ARE LOSS THERE GAME. YEAH. SO ANYWAYS, SO I GUESS WHOEVER WENT DISTRICT MACHINE THAT'S, UM, SEVEN, I BELIEVE IT'S SCOTT SPOKE. UM, GOT WE DIDN'T SAY THAT. OKAY. SO WHOEVER DOES THAT ONE. OKAY. AND THEN LET'S SEE. OKAY. FIRST LINE THERAPY. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, ANY CELL PHONES IN OUR NEXT, ANY SU JUSTIN ITEMS FOR ANY NEEDS, I GUESS, UH, JOCELYN, IF YOU'LL QUICKLY, IF YOU WANT TO TELL US QUICKLY, GO AHEAD AND TELL US WHAT YOUR, WE NEED TO DO THAT AT THE NEXT, CAUSE THIS AGENDA IS SET THAT WE KNOW THAT THE GCC INC IS ONE THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY. UM, ALL RIGHT. SO IF THERE'S NOTHING FARTHER, I HAVE TO BE ON IT. YEAH, NO, NO. OKAY. SO, UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I HOPE. OKAY. IN A SECOND ALSO, THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. SAY AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. YEAH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.