Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Muscatine Art Center
November 20, 2008
Present:
Jan Henderson, Mark Huddleston, Eric Knoernschild, Mike Knott,
Caren Luke, and Scott Natvig
Absent:
Dave Meloy, Tom Spread, and Becky Wichers
Staff:
Barb Christensen
Visitors Speak:
A contingent of individuals, concerned about the plans for the
property next door (1402 Mulberry) which was recently purchased by the Art
Center, included the following:
•
Dan Clark
•
Jane Reischauer
•
John Peterschmidt
•
Maryrose Peterschmidt
•
Mary Ann Kessler
•
Michael Maharry
•
Shelly Maharry
•
Carl Broderson (owns old house on Sherman Street)
•
Jennifer Meyer, Muscatine Journal
•
Zach Ulin, KWPC
With the exception of Jennifer Meyer, Zach Ulin, and Carl Broderson, the visitors
all represented the Historic Preservation Commission or their “Friends” group.
Dan Clark passed out copies of a photo taken of the home in 1901 and copies of
the City Ordinance establishing the Commission. The following discussion
ensued:
•
When asked what our plans were, Scott/Barb responded that no decisions
have been made yet.
•
Ms. Reischauer asked if the home has been “winterized”. Barb indicated
that the garage has been secured, the windows boarded up, utilities shut
off, and the house insured.
•
The Commission/Friends asked for a tour and a schedule was set to
accommodate it.
•
Could house be restored and used for the Art Center expansion?
•
Could the lot be subdivided and the Art Center only retain the rear of the
lot?
•
Has a timeline been developed?
•
The entire neighborhood may soon be designated a historic district.
Restoration of homes in the district may receive funding.
•
The Commission will prepare a summary report of possible restoration
scenarios and re-convene with the Art Center Board.
Minutes:
It was moved by Mark Huddleston and seconded by Jan Henderson
that the minutes of the October 16, 2008 Board Meeting be approved. Motion
carried.
Bills:
It was moved by Eric Knoernschild and seconded by Jan Henderson to
approve the monthly bills totaling $3,839.69 for payment. Motion carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Collections:
No Report
Building & Grounds:
The purchase of the property next door was closed on October 30
th
. The
windows were boarded, the yard cleaned and the property insured.
A tour was scheduled with representatives from the Historic Preservation
Commission and their Friends group for Thursday, December 4, 2008 at noon.
Finance & Budget:
Year-end financial reports from the City were reviewed, as
were the trust fund summaries and recent monthly reports.
It’s assumed that the collapsing market will affect the fund performances. Barb
indicated that we should not let the decline reduce funding for the educational
programs.
Long-Range Planning:
Long range planning for a facility expansion will remain
on hold until the historical home issues have been resolved and the economy
improves.
Personnel:
A letter was received from the Home School coordinators within the
Muscatine Community School District that is very complimentary of Art Center
staff members Maria, Julie and Andy. Trustees should indicate our appreciation
to these individuals.
Program/Publicity
: The Festival of Wreaths made approximately $3700.
3,000 copies of the Art Center/Musser Library joint newsletter (“Watermark”) will
be printed with help from “Shield Design”.
An event for kids is planned where kids will be given punch passes at the Art
Center or the Library. The passes will be punched at events at both facilities and
prizes given to kids with the most punches.
The MAC’s website is up and running at www.muscatineartcenter.org
Plans for the Muscatine Mosaic Project are proceeding. Every child in grades 1
to 5 in the Muscatine Community School District (2,000 students) will be given a
6” x 6” canvas on which to create their own work of art. Each finished work of art
will be displayed in an art exhibition in the Stanley Gallery from March 15 to April
19, 2009.
Simultaneously, the Muscatine County Arts Council will provide three hundred 6”
x 6” canvases to artists, craftspeople, artisans and other “creatives” from grade 6
through adult, who each agree to contribute their completed art work for
exhibition and sale. The total cost of $10,251.00 will be funded as follows:
Muscatine Art Center…………………………………………… 1251.
Muscatine County Arts Council………………………………… 500.
Muscatine Community School District…………………………. 500.
Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine………………..1000. (request)
Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust……………………………….. 7000. (request)
Education Coordinator’s Report:
Report was received for review.
Director’s Report:
Report was received for review.
Unfinished Business:
None
New Business:
A discussion was held about Barb’s proposal to relocate the
artifacts from the Sarah Eaker Hughes bedroom and the bedroom used to
display the MAC’s art glass collection. No action was taken but there was
general approval among the Trustees.
Adjourn:
A motion was made by Mark Huddleston and seconded by Karen Luke
to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael J. Knott , Secretary
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
For the month of November 2008
December 18, 2008
Total number of visitors for November 2008
2704
Total number of visitors for November 2007
2751
Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2008
20543
Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2007
14520
All figures include outreach program participants
EXHIBITIONS (in the month of November)
Through January 11, 2009
Fairy Tale Art: Illustrations from Children’s Books
Through November 9, 2008
4-H Art Exhibition
Through November 9 thru November 15, 2008
Fourth Annual Festival of Wreaths
EXHIBITIONS (currently on view – December)
Through January 11, 2009
Fairy Tale Art: Illustrations from Children’s Books
CLASSES
November 1
Kids Workshop: Origami Landscape
–taught by Duffy DeFrance
November 5
Art for Tots: Playful Puppets
–two sessions taught by Julie Herold
November 7, 14, 21
Music for Tots
–taught by Julie Lear
November 8
Kids Workshop: Dragon Gourds
–taught by Vada Baker
November 9
Festival of Wreaths Workshop: Victorian Ornaments
November 12
Art for Tots: Autumn Surprises
–two sessions taught by Julie Herold
November 15
Kids Workshop: Laura’s 131
st
Birthday
–taught by Julie Lear
November 19
Art for Tots: It’s Turkey Time
–two sessions taught by Julie Herold
November 22
Kids Workshop: Van Gough’s Landscape
–taught by Amy Kling
TOURS
November 1
Inez Rathken
November 12
Lowden Garden Club
November 10
Jon Fasenelli-Cawelti MCC
November 13
Donna Matheson Questors
November 18
West Middle School Sculpture Tour
November 19
West Middle School Sculpture Tour
OTHER
November 3
Lear presented outreach programs to Y Variety Arts
November 6
Homeschool Enrichment
Lear presented outreach programs to Y Teen Leaders
November 7
Outreach: Homeschool Tea
November 13
Outreach: Homeschool Enrichment
November 24
Outreach: Hodgepodge kids
ACQUISITIONS
•
Child’s Lemonade set and compote
–
Purchase of Support Foundation
•
Lion spooner and bowl
–
Purchase of Support Foundation
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara C. Christensen
Director
lb
KLZ INCORPORATED
1115 Sunrise Circle
Muscatine IA 52761
December 3, 2008
To:
Barb
From: Maria
Re:
Education Coordinator’s Report, November 2008
November was a month of holidays and special events. As you will notice, the number
of kids enrolled in our classes was considerably lower than in the last two years. This is
partly because of lower enrollment in our tots classes, and partly because there was one
less week of tots classes this November.
Enrollment continues down in our Art for Tots program. As I mentioned in my October
report, we have consolidated the early and late morning classes and have had to cancel
the afternoon classes. Responding to requests from some of our families, we are planning
a different approach this winter. We will keep our traditional “Art for Tots” class in the
early morning time slot. In the late morning time slot, “Family Fun Time,” which will
also be taught by Julie Herold, will be geared to families with more than one little one
and will relax the requirement for one adult per child attending. Enrollment in our
Music classes is also down this fall. I think we are seeing the effects of the economy. I
notice that enrollment in Betty Collins’ programs at the library, which cover the same
ages and for which there is no charge, is up.
Enrollment for our Saturday kids’ workshops remains constant. Duffy De France offered
an innovative “Origami Landscape” class on Nov. 1. Vada Baker showed the kids how
to paint dragons and other creatures on decorative gourds on Nov. 8. On Nov. 15 we
celebrated Laura Musser’s 131
st
birthday with a Victorian craft and a tea. Amy Kling
wrapped up our November kids’ classes with a workshop on the painting techniques of
Vincent Van Gogh.
We conducted a number of outreach events in November. On Nov. 3 and 6 Julie Lear
taught wreath workshops for the Y Variety Arts group and the Y Teen Leaders. Julie Lear
went to Happy Time Preschool for music programs on Nov. 18 and 19. We are hosting
the Homeschool Enrichment program again this fall. We also gave a Victorian tea for
this group on November 7
th
. It was a great success and we plan to make this a traditional
event. On Nov. 24 Julie gave a holiday ornament program for Hodgepodge Kids.
Thanks to Friends for donating the rest of the wreath ornaments to use for this project.
The kids loved them!
Of course, our major November outreach was “Sunday with Santa” on Nov. 9. While
Santa and Friends were busy upstairs, Julie and I were in the studio with holiday crafts
for the kids. We offered a Victorian wreath replica project for the older children and a
Christmas bird clip-on ornament for the little ones. There were also wreath cookies to
frost and decorate. Approximately 60 children took part in one or all of our events.
Many thanks to all of you, our volunteers (Janet Kennedy from MAC, Jennifer Ostergren
from our student families, and Tammy Lindorf and Yvonne Corl from Volunteers and
Information.) Also special thanks to Randy Nabor who kindasorta got drafted at one
point in time! I personally feel that Sunday with Santa is a great event, and that
sandwiching the Festival between the children’s event and the final Gala worked well. I
hope we can repeat this format next year. I do think that trying to schedule the children
as to times in the studio did not work very well. I suggest that we do simpler crafts and
run the event the same way as the Ice Cream Social studio events, with a number of
activity stations instead of scheduling.
I conducted mansion tours for three ladies groups in November. There were also two
sculpture tours for the kids from West Middle School.
There were no birthday parties scheduled in November.
The winter brochures have been printed and distributed. In addition to supporting the
remaining fall classes, Julie and I are doing a supply inventory and reorganization of the
studio. I have also begun working on the spring semester programming.
Let me know if you have anything else to add to the list.
Muscatine Art Center Education Department
2008 Fall Attendance Report
November 2008
Date
Event
Students enrolled
Attendance
Sat. Nov. 1
Kids Workshop: Origami Landscape ID 5147
9
13
Tour: Inez Rathken, Wilton
--
12
Sun. Nov. 2
Totals for week (Nov.)
9
25
Mon. Nov. 3 Outreach: Y Variety Arts
--
Tues. Nov. 4 Adventures in Art
--
--
Wed. Nov. 5 Art for Tots: Playful Puppets ID 5122 & 5123
10
19
Art for Tots: Playful Puppets ID 5124
Cancelled –
low enrollment
Thurs. Nov. 6 Outreach: Homeschool Enrichment
--
71
Outreach: Y Teen Leaders
--
14
Fri. Nov. 7
Music for Tots ID 5139 & 5140
25
47
Outreach: Homeschool Tea
--
43
Sat. Nov. 8
Kids Workshop: Dragon Gourds
13
11
Sun. Nov. 9 FOW Workshop: Victorian ornaments ID 5154
--
60
Totals for week:
48
265
Mon. Nov. 10
Tues. Nov. 11
Art Center Open– Veteran’s Day- Festival of Wreaths
Wed. Nov. 12 Art for Tots: Autumn Surprises ID 5125 & 5126
8
11
Art for Tots: Autumn Surprises ID 5127
cancelled –
low enrollment
Tour: Lowden Garden Club
--
5
Thurs. Nov. 13
Outreach: Homeschool Enrichment
--
56
Tour: Donna Matheson Questers
--
17
Fri. Nov. 14 Music for Tots ID 5139 & 5140
25
47
Sat. Nov. 15 Kids Workshop: Laura’s 131
st
Birthday ID 5149
11
12
Sun. Nov. 16
Totals for week:
44
148
Mon. Nov. 17
Tues. Nov. 18 Adventures in Art
--
--
Outreach: Happy Time Preschool (Julie L.)
cancelled –
Julie sick
Tour: West Middle School (sculpture)
--
50
Wed. Nov. 19 Art for Tots: It’s Turkey Time ID 5128 & 5129
12
25
Art for Tots: It’s Turkey Time ID 5130
cancelled –
low enrollment
Outreach: Happy Time Preschool (Julie L.)
cancelled –
Julie sick
Tour: West Middle School (sculpture)
--
52
Thurs. Nov. 20
Fri. Nov. 21 Music for Tots ID 5139 & 5140
25
36
Sat. Nov. 22 Kids Workshop: Van Gogh’s Landscape ID 5150
9
8
Sun. Nov. 23
Totals for week:
46
155
Mon. Nov. 24 Outreach: Hodgepodge Kids
--
58
Tues. Nov. 25 Adventures in Art
--
--
Wed. Nov. 26
Thurs. Nov. 27
Art Center Closed - Thanksgiving
Fri. Nov. 28
Art Center Closed - Thanksgiving
Sat. Nov. 29
Sun. Nov. 30
Totals for week:
--
58
Totals for November 2008:
147
651
Totals for November 2007:
228
552
Totals for November 2006:
215
513