JULY 17, 2008

Present:

Jan Henderson, Eric Knoernschild, Dave Meloy, Scott Natvig and Tom

Spread,

Absent:

Mike Knott and Mark Huddleston

Acting Secretary:

In the absence of Secretary Mike Knott, Janet Henderson

volunteered to take minutes.

Visitors Speak:

There were no visitors.

Minutes:

It was moved by Dave Meloy and seconded by Tom Spread that the

minutes of the June 19, 2008 Board Meeting be approved. Motion carried.

Bills:

It was moved by Tom Spread and seconded by Eric Knoernschild to

approve the monthly bills totaling $2,101.88 for payment. Motion carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Collections:

Barb Christensen reported she purchased rare, early Victorian

Christmas ornaments from Mary Anderson at a cost of $1,421.00 and paid out of

the Brad Burns Trust. The ornaments will be displayed on the Christmas tree in

the front parlor. Following further discussion, it was moved by Tom Spread and

seconded by Eric Knoernschild that the Director’s discretionary purchase limit be

increased from $1,000 to $2,500. Motion carried.

Building & Grounds:

Barb Christensen discussed the ground maintenance situation and following

discussion. It was recommended she solicit quotes for outsourcing of future lawn

services for inclusion in the 2008/2009 budget.

Finance & Budget:

Report summarized by Tom Spread.

Long-Range Planning:

Eric Knoernschild reported that the Long-range

planning committee is moving ahead and a joint meeting will be scheduled in the

near future.

Personnel:

Barb Christensen will be on vacation from July 18 -30, 2008.

The Mayor will be recommending a new Board of Trustee,

Becky Wichers

, to

the City Council at tonight’s meeting. We expect the City Council to affirm the

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recommendation. The name of

Caren Luke

will be presented to the Mayor for

future recommendation. These appointments will fill the two vacancies on the

Board.

President Scott Natvig distributed existing Committee assignments for the 2008-

2009 year. Trustees should review their current Committee assignments and e-

mail Lynn Bartenhagen with any requested changes. The Executive Committee

will meet in closed session following the meeting to discuss Committee chairs.

The Board then proposed the following slate of officers for 2008-2009.

President

Scott Natvig

Vice President

David Meloy

Treasurer

Tom Spread

Secretary

Mike Knott

It was moved by Eric Knoernschild and seconded by Jan Henderson that the

proposed slate be approved. Motion carried.

Program/Publicity

:

The Friends of the Muscatine Art Center’s annual Ice Cream Social on June 29,

2008 was a great success. Much of its success is being attributed to the amount

of publicity received by holding it in conjunction with PatriArt Week as well as the

great weather, good entertainment, great kids activities and Barb’s entertaining

agility to climb fences and catch Llamas.

The Art Center was featured in two magazine publications:

Iowan

(July/Aug) and

Show Case Magazine

(July). The Art Center will also be featured in the

Show

Case Magazine

(August)

The Musser Mansion at 100 exhibition will be held from July 20 through October

19, 2008.

Barb reported that she had received comments from the Trustees on the website

and that the comments were registering 50/50. Works continues on the site.

Education Coordinator’s Report:

Report received for review. The Trustees

received a new list of the Friends of the Muscatine Art Center Board of Directors.

Director’s Report:

Director’s Fiscal Report (July 2007-June 2008) and the

Director’s Calendar Report (June 2008) were received for review.

Unfinished Business:

There was a brief discussion on Project InSect and

moving forward with future partnerships with library and schools.

---

New Business: None

Adjourn:

A motion was made by Erick Knoerschild and seconded by David

Meloy to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried. The Executive Committee moved

to closed session.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Henderson, Acting Secretary

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DIRECTOR’S REPORT

August 21, 2008

Total number of visitors for July 2008

1786

Total number of visitors for July 2007

1723

Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2008

15773

Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2007

9650

All figures include outreach program participants

Through July 5, 2008

Project InSECT

Ultra-Realistic Sculpture by Marc Sijan

Botanical Adventure, Homeschool Assistance Program

Beginning July 20, 2008 Through October 19, 2008

Through October 19, 2008

July 8, 29

Adventures in Art

July 9, 16,23, 30

Music for Tots

–taught by Julie Lear

July 9

Kids: Fun with Clay: Pinch pot Animals –

taught by Amy Kling

July 10

Family Days: Clay Day –

taught by Julie Lear

Summer Studio –

taught by Vada Baker

July 11

Family Days: Clay Day –

taught by Julie Lear

Family Days: Friendship Bracelets –

taught by Julie Lear

Teen Workshop: Bigger Than Life –

taught by Amy Kling

July 16

Kids: Two colored Collographs –

taught by Julie Lear

June 20

Art Camp: Masks of Imagination –

taught by Julie Lear

Art Camp: Tattoo Techniques & Treasure –

taught by Julie Lear

---

July 23

Kids: Fun with Clay: Pinch pot Animals –

taught by Amy Kling

July 30

Kids: Poetry in Collage –

taught by Duffy DeFrance

July 2

Project InSECT tour – West Liberty Library

July 8

Monsanto Butterfly Garden Field Trip

July 1

Lear presented outreach programs at the Library

July 7

Lear presented outreach programs to Y Variety Arts

July 10

Lear presented outreach programs to Y Teen Leaders

July 17

Lear presented outreach programs at the Art Center - Storytime

ACQUISITIONS

•

Miscellaneous items owned by Laura Musser McColm, Edwin McColm and other

family members – Gift of Elizabeth Spies

•

Group of Art Magazines – Gift of Carol Steinmetz

•

Group of Art books and writer’s files – gift of Marilyn Jackson

•

Miscellaneous old textiles, mostly doilies – gift of Rick and Sue Smith

•

Postcard stamped 1907, penny stamp – gift of Gail and Steven Lee.

•

9 postcards of Muscatine Stamped from 1907-1918 – gift of Mr. Keith Brookhart

•

Round cut out of Courthouse floor from 1970’s – Gift of Douglas Varner-Jones

•

Porcelain doll and two dresser sets – gift of Kristen Godeke

•

Bible of Elizabeth Carlson’s which was a gift from Laura Musser McColm – gift

of Robert Carlson and Linda Coder

•

56 miscellaneous Christmas ornaments –purchase from the general trust

•

Four Children’s books and child’s toy “The New Pretty Village, Rip Van Winkle

House Set” – gift of Sally Anderson

•

Repro photo of “Hinie and his Orchestra” – gift of Marvin Kreiger

•

24 cabinet cards – gift of Nancy Woodard

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara C. Christensen

Director

lb

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KLZ INCORPORATED

1115 Sunrise Circle

Muscatine IA 52761

Aug. 2, 2008

To:

Barb

From: Maria

Re:

Education Coordinator’s Report, July 2008

Our regular summer programs began in July, and we had a very enjoyable month. As

you can see, enrollment has been pretty consistent over the past three years despite the

ever increasing number of other activities for children in Muscatine. The increase in

over-all attendance, July 2007, is accounted for by the fact that last year our Ice Cream

Social took place in July.

Our Wednesday Kids’ Workshops began this month with a two-part clay class taught by

Amy Kling. On July 9 the students created animals using the pinch-pot technique. They

met again on July 23 to paint their creations. On July 16, Julie Lear taught a printmaking

technique called collography. The students collaged low-profile items onto matte board,

inked them, and ran their creations through our press. Duffy De France taught a

workshop combining collage and poetry on July 30. The students discussed how to

capture real-life events in art, selecting appropriate items and writing poems about their

“events.” Our July

Family Days theme was “Clay Day.” The little ones, led by Julie Lear, experimented

with three types of clay and the older students made beads from Sculpey and created

friendship bracelets. Our always popular “Music for Tots” with Julie Lear also began

this month. Amy Kling led a field trip to the Monsanto Butterfly Garden. The weather

was beautiful, and the students enjoyed drawing the flowers and insects at the garden.

Our thanks to Connie Veach from Monsanto and to Muscabus for providing our

transportation. Vada Baker instructed students in creating an acrylic seashore scene on

July 10. Unfortunately we did not meet our minimum enrollment for either of our adult

Red Barn Studio craft projects in July.

Our main outreach event this month was craft day at the library. Julie Lear and I helped

Betty Collins’ story time kids create spider headbands, going along with the “insect”

theme of this year’s summer reading program. On July 17 Betty’s kids came here to the

Art Center for a program about the Japanese Garden. Betty read a short story about

counting in Japanese, and then the kids (and parents) acted out a short play I had written

adapting the myth of the Torii Gate. I made the small props for the play, and Julie Lear

created a wonderful cave and a gate for the roosters. The script and props are now

available for school tours and other outreach groups who wish to focus on the Japanese

Garden.

---

On July 7 Julie Lear and the Y Variety Arts group created Grant Wood collages, and on

July 10 she created sand castles with the Y Teen Leader group, using an air-drying sand

clay.

I gave one Project Insect tour on July 2 for the West Liberty Library summer program.

There were no birthday parties scheduled in July.

I am currently working on support of our summer classes and planning of our fall and

winter semesters. As time allows, I will also re-write the room descriptions for the

mansion hand-outs.

Let me know if you have anything else to add to the list.

July 2008

Date

Event

Students enrolled

Attendance

Tues. July 1 Outreach: Crafts at the Library

--

194

Outreach: Adventures in Art

--

--

Wed. July 2 Tour: Project InSECT (West Liberty Library)

--

15

Thurs. July 3

Fri. July 4

ART CENTER CLOSED

Sat. July 5

Sun. July 6

---

Totals for week (July):

--

209

Mon. July 7 Outreach: Y Variety Arts

(Grant Wood collage)

--

12

Tues. July 8 Outreach: Adventures in Art

--

2

Field trip: Monsanto Butterfly Garden ID 5090

5

5

Wed. July 9 Music for Tots ID 5068 & 5069

33

65

Kids: Fun with Clay: Pinch-pot Animals ID 5085

12

9

Thurs. July 10 Family Days: Clay Day ID 5062

13

19

Summer Studio: Seashore Scene ID 5092

8

12

Red Barn Studio: Hummingbird Gourd Nests ID 5097

cancelled-low

enrollment

Outreach: Y Teen Leaders: Sand Castles

--

12

Fri. July 11

Family Days: Clay Day ID 5063

9

18

Family Days: Friendship Bracelets ID 5064

13

14

Teen workshop: Bigger than Life ID 5096

cancelled-low

enrollment

Sat. July 12

Sun. July 13

Totals for week:

93

168

Mon. July 14

Tues. July 15 Outreach: Adventures in Art

--

--

Wed. July 16 Music for Tots ID 5068 & 6069

34

63

Kids: Two-Colored Collographs ID 5086

7

7

Thurs. July 17 Outreach: Story time at the Art Center

--

29

Fri. July 18

Teen Workshop: Bigger than Life ID 5096

cancelled-low

enrollment

Sat. July 19

Sun. July 20

Totals for week:

44

99

---

Mon. July 21

Tues. July 22 Adventures in Art

--

--

Wed. July 23 Music for Tots ID 5068 & 5069

34

68

Kids: Fun with Clay: Pinch pot Animals ID 5085

12

8

Thurs. July 24 Summer Studio: Hummingbird & Nest ID 5093

cancelled-low

enrollment

Red Barn Studio: Garden Gazing Ball ID 5098

cancelled-low

enrollment

Fri. July 25

Teen workshop: Bigger than Life ID 5096

cancelled-low

enrollment

Sat. July 26

Sun. July 27

Totals for week:

46

76

Mon. July 28 Outreach: Y High School Kids – Julie L.

cancelled-low

enrollment

Tues. July 29 Adventures in Art

--

2

Wed. July 30 Music for Tots ID 5068 & 5069

34

66

Kids: Poetry in Collage ID 5087

6

7

Thurs. July 31

Totals for week (July):

40

Totals for July 2008:

223

627

Totals for July 2007:

249

875

Totals for July 2006:

211

386