Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Muscatine Art Center
March 19, 2009
Present:
Jan Henderson, Eric Knoernschild, Mike Knott, Dave Meloy, and Scott
Natvig
Absent:
Mark Huddleston, Caren Luke, Tom Spread, and Becky Wichers
Staff:
Barb Christensen
Visitors Speak:
Dan Clark indicated that Dave Armstrong has been looking for
a potential relocation site for the Jayne house even though the relocation option
is probably prohibitively expensive. Michael Maharry still supports an option to
sub-divide the lot and leave the house where it sits. Several Board members
indicated to Dan that we do not consider this to be a viable option. This plan was
discussed at length in a previous Board meeting and rejected as “not in the best
interest of the Art Center”.
Dan also mentioned that the Commission asked if the $5,000 offer by the Board
could be increased. He was told that an increase is unlikely in light of recent
serious cuts in the Art Center’s budget and funds.
Dan left a copy of the Commission’s draft minutes.
Minutes:
It was moved by Mike Knott and seconded by Jan Henderson that the
minutes of the February 19, 2009 Board Meeting be approved. Motion carried.
Bills:
It was moved by Mike Knott and seconded by Dave Meloy to approve the
monthly bills totaling $1,925.22 for payment. Motion carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Collections:
No report.
Building & Grounds:
The Jayne house was discussed. Barb received an email
from a Jayne descendant.
Scott mentioned that the chimney on the carriage house appeared to be “a kilter”.
The chimney was subsequently repaired.
Finance & Budget:
The Financial Reports were received and reviewed.
Long-Range Planning:
Eric may begin looking into funding for expanding the
MAC.
Personnel:
Barb has been working on a plan to cut $25,000 out of the Art
Center’s budget. She plans to cut $13,100 from personnel and $11,900 from
other expenses.
Board members were given summaries of Barb’s performance review comments.
The Personnel Committee will be discussing the comments with Barb in the near
future.
Program/Publicity
: The Mosaic Project is hung and available for viewing. A
mass viewing of the Mosaic art will be/was held on March 29
th
. Canvases can be
purchased for $20 each with checks made out to the Muscatine County Arts
Council.
The play “Murder Me Always” was held on two consecutive nights and was a
huge success.
Education Coordinator’s Report:
Report was received for review.
Director’s Report:
Report was received for review.
Unfinished Business:
Discussion on the “conversion” of the Sarah Eaker
Hughes bedroom was deferred. Display cases are needed.
New Business:
At least 2 new Board members need to be selected before
June.
Adjourn:
The meeting was adjourned by acclamation.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael J. Knott , Secretary
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
For the month of March 2009
April 16, 2009
Total number of visitors for March 2009
1929
Total number of visitors for March 2008
1553
Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2009
4048
Total number of visitors Year-to-Date 2008
3478
All figures include outreach program participants
EXHIBITIONS (in the month of March)
Through March 8, 2009
Kosovo Revisited
March 15 Through April 19, 2009
Muscatine Elementary School show as part of the Muscatine Mosaic
Project
Muscatine Mosaic Project
Red Cross Exhibit
EXHIBITIONS (currently on view – March)
March 15 Through April 19, 2009
Muscatine Elementary School show as part of the Muscatine Mosaic
Project
Muscatine Mosaic Project
Red Cross Exhibit
CLASSES
March 4
Art for Tots: Make up class
–taught by Julie Herold
March 7
Kid’s Workshop: Oil Painting
– taught by Vada Baker
March 11
Kid’s Workshop: Oil Painting
–taught by Vada Baker
March 11
Art for Tots: It isn’t Easy Being Green
–taught by Julie Herold
March 13, 20, 27
Music for Tots
–two sessions taught by Julie Lear
March 14
Kid’s Workshop: Celtic Animals
–taught by Julie Lear
March 21
Kid’s Workshop: Andrinka Tote Bags
–taught by Amy Kling
March 25
Art for Tots: In like a Lion
–taught by Julie Herold
March 25
Family Fun: Out like a Lamb
–taught by Julie Herold
March 28
Kid’s Workshop: Sketchbook Club
–taught by Christine Kuster
TOURS
March 6
Tour Senior Resources Adult Day Care
March 26
Tour Brownie Troop 2175
OTHER
March 1
Shoppa Birthday Party
March 5
Outreach: Y teen leaders taught by Julie Lear
March 6
Outreach: Homeschool assistance art taught by Julie Lear
March 9
Outreach: Y Variety Arts taught by Julie Lear
Outreach: High School taught by Julie Lear
March 9
Outreach: Hodgepodge Kids taught by Julie Lear
March 13
Outreach: Homeschool assistance art taught by Julie Lear
March 15
Reception Muscatine School System and Muscatine Mosaic Project
March 16
Outreach: Baby Lapsit art taught by Julie Lear
March 24
Outreach: DSCI art class taught by Vada Baker
March 26
Outreach: Homeschool assistance enrichment
March 27
Outreach: Homeschool assistance art taught by Julie Lear
ACQUISITIONS
The Young Artist by Alma Held
– Purchase from General Trust
Scanned images of Alexander Clark Documents
– Support Foundation Purchase
Collection of Muscatine History Books
– Gift of Bill Parks
Box of Dominos, HOLSUM, bread wrapper, Ice pick advertisement, Postal route
map
– Gift of Art and Jan Davis
Pattern Glass Reference books
– gift of Jan Davis
Muscatine County Treasurer Seal, embossing stamp
– gift of Muscatine
Genealogical Society
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara C. Christensen
Director
lb
KLZ INCORPORATED
1115 Sunrise Circle
Muscatine IA 52761
April 1, 2009
To:
Barb
From: Maria
Re:
Education Coordinator’s Report, March 2009
Our spring semester has gotten off to a good start. Excluding “Family Fun Days,” we
have already met our minimum enrollment in all but a few of our classes. However, the
trend of decreasing paid class enrollments and increasing attendance of outreach events
continues. The drop in numbers compared with the 2007 spring semester is accounted
for by several facts. There was an exhibit up which drew school tours (Eisele Hill).
There was an extra week of classes in March 2007. Red Barn Studio is now offered
every other week instead of every week, and Pet Rock Studio has been replaced by a
once/semester School’s Out Special. Also, from speaking to parents, I know that the
economy is taking its toll on class enrollments.
What with the increase in preschool classes in the community, our Art for Tots classes
continue to experience low enrollment. We have changed the format to allow for the
presence of siblings and will only be offering one Art for Tots class per week in the fall.
Family Fun Days, requested by parents of multiples, has not proven to be successful and
will be discontinued in the fall semester. Music for Tots enrollment is doing well,
although classes are not filled to capacity.
We held three Saturday Kids’ Workshops in March. Julie Lear began the semester on
March 14 with a class on Celtic animals in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Students created
illuminated animal illustrations on parchment, which were nicely framed to hang on their
walls. On March 21, Amy Kling taught a workshop about the Adinkra symbols found in
African fabric art. The students created their own stamp and created a tote bag as they
learned the meanings of the different symbols. Christine Kuster ended the month with a
Sketchbook Club drawing workshop on creating textures on March 28.
There were no Red Barn Studio classes scheduled for March. They will resume in April.
Julie Lear taught a workshop on Italian Futurist Giacomo Balla for the Y Teen Leaders
on March 5 and again for the Y Variety Arts Group on March 9 in which students created
paper sculptures in the style of the artist. On March 9 she taught a workshop on the
scorch-art of African-American artist Willie Cole for the Y High School Kids. On March
12 the Hodgepodge Kids came to the Art Center for a class on illuminated manuscripts.
Each child created his initial and embellished it with Celtic designs, using watercolor and
gold acrylic. On March 16 Julie went to the library for a Music for Tots program for
Baby Lap Sit. The Muscatine Community School District’s Homeschool Assistance
Program has begun its spring art classes, taught by Julie Lear. This semester’s theme is
“The Other Side of Georgia O’Keeffe,” which features projects which do NOT involve
her giant flowers. We are also hosting HSAP’s enrichment classes again this spring.
Their theme for the semester is “Junkbox Wars.”
We welcomed a new outreach partner in March. Members of the Senior Program of the
Diversity Service Center of Iowa will be coming to the Art Center for combination
art/tour programs the fourth Tuesday of each month from March through November.
Generously funded by a grant from the Community Foundation, students will become
familiar with the Art Center’s collection through a series of tours and create fun art
projects taught by Vada Baker. In March we took a tour of Project Mosaic and talked
about the diversity of talent in the Muscatine Community, and created spring flower pot
planters using the one-stroke painting technique.
I conducted two tours in March. On March 6 the Senior Resources Adult Day Care came
for a tour of the Kosovo exhibit. In addition to viewing the exhibit, they were treated to a
great talk by Ric Smith. On March 26 members of Brownie Troop 2125 came to view
their “Project Mosaic” art and were given a tour of the mansion.
There was one birthday party scheduled in March.
In addition to supporting the spring program I am working on our summer and fall class
schedules and the summer brochure. I have introduced a scavenger hunt activity in the
mansion which is proving very successful and is introducing kids and their parents to the
artifacts on display there.
Let me know if you have anything else to add to the list.
Muscatine Art Center Education Department
2009 Spring Attendance Report
March 2009
Date
Event
Students enrolled
Attendance
Sun. Mar. 1 Birthday Party – Shoppa
--
12
Totals for week (March)
--
12
Mon. Mar 2
Tues. Mar. 3 Outreach: Adventures in Art
--
--
Wed. Mar. 4 Art for Tots Make-up class
6
11
Thurs. Mar. 5 Outreach: Y Teen Leaders
- Balla Paper Sculptures
--
5
Fri. Mar. 6
Outreach: Homeschool Assistance Art
--
63
Tour: Sr. Resources Adult Day Care (Kosovo)
--
16
Sat. Mar. 7
Oil Painting for Kids make-up class
12
7
Sun. Mar. 8
Totals for week:
18
102
Mon. Mar. 9 Outreach: Y Variety Arts (Balla Paper Sculptures)
--
7
Outreach: Y High School Kids (Willie Cole)
--
8
Tues. Mar. 10 Outreach: Adventures in Art
--
--
Wed. Mar. 11 Art for Tots: It Isn’t Easy Being Green ID 5181
6
12
Family Fun Time: Blue & Yellow Make Green ID 5190
cancelled –
low enrollment
Thurs. Mar. 12Outreach: Hodgepodge Kids
--
24
Fri. Mar. 13 Music for Tots Early Spring ID 5199 & 5200
25
49
Outreach: Homeschool Assistance Art
--
60
Sat. Mar. 14 Kids Workshop: Celtic Animals ID 5203
10
7
Sun. Mar. 15
Totals for week:
41
167
Mon. Mar. 16 School’s Out Special: Panoramic Sugar Eggs ID 5212
9
9
Outreach: Baby Lap Sit (MPL)
--
53
Tues. Mar. 17 Outreach: Adventures in Art
--
Wed. Mar. 18
Thurs. Mar. 19
Fri. Mar. 20 Music for Tots: Early Spring ID 5199 & 5200
28
46
Sat. Mar. 21 Kids Workshop: Adinkra Tote Bags ID 5204
5
5
Sun. Mar. 22
Totals for week:
42
113
Mon. Mar. 23
Tues. Mar. 24 Outreach: DSCI Art Class
--
13
Outreach: Adventures in Art
--
--
Wed. Mar. 25 Art for Tots: In Like a Lion ID 5182
9
17
Family Fun Time: Out Like a Lamb ID 5191
Cancelled –
low enrollment
Thurs. Mar. 26Tour: Brownie Troop 2175 – Mansion & Project Mosaic
--
13
Outreach: Homeschool Assistance Enrichment – Junkbox Wars --
28
Fri. Mar. 27
Music for Tots: Early Spring ID 5199 & 5200
29
46
Outreach: Homeschool Assistance Art
--
67
Sat. Mar. 28 Kids Workshop: Sketchbook Club ID 5205
9
8
Sun. Mar. 29
Totals for week:
47
179
Mon. Mar. 30
Tues. Mar. 31 Outreach: Adventures in Art
--
--
Totals for week (March):
Totals for March 2009
148
573
Totals for March 2008
160
522
Totals for March 2007
311
1227