Title
Approval of the 2020 Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Arts Commission recommends approval of the slate of grants to area arts and culture organization for 2020.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the slate of grants to area arts and culture organizations for 2020, as recommended by the Arts Commission.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve grants to arts and culture organizations for 2020.
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program Manager, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678.
Presenter(s):
Stephanie Johnson, Parks, Arts & Recreation
Frederick Dobler, Vice-Chair, Arts Commission
Background and Analysis:
The intent of the Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations (GACO) program is to provide equitable access to the arts for all Olympians. The program goal is to fund projects that expand citizen involvement; engage underserved populations; and, promote the interests of the broader Olympia community, as realized through the Olympia Comprehensive Plan.
For the second round of this opportunity, seven applications were received, with a total funding request of $30,451 (total available funding for grants is $20,000).
Commissioners reviewed the seven applications in advance of the meeting and brought their tally sheets for tabulation. Commissioner Kathy Dorgan did not provide a number for Creative Theater Experience (CTE), as she is Artistic Director of the organization. As such, the final ranking was based on the average score of each applicant.
Following tabulation and discussion, Commissioners proposed fully funding the top four (averaged) proposals: Olympia Symphony Orchestra ($5,000), Washington Center for the Performing Arts ($5,000), Northwest Playrights Alliance ($4,951), and Ballet Northwest ($3,500), for a total of $18,451 of $20,000 available. The next request on the list was for $4,000, and Commissioners determined that the remaining $1,549 would not be enough to advance their proposal.
Commissioner Diana Fairbanks moved to fully fund the top four proposals, seconded by Commissioner Dorgan. All members were in favor of the motion with the exception of Commissioner Stacy Hicks, who recommends only the top three proposals should be funded.
This proposed slate of grant recipients represents increased community access to music, dance and theater:
Olympia Symphony:
"Beat Beethoven 5K" Concert & Fun Run: On July 26, 2020 the Olympia Symphony will present our annual free, outdoor concert. This year, instead of presenting on the Capitol Campus lawn, we are bringing the concert closer to downtown and performing at Heritage Park. As 2020 is Beethoven's 250th "birthday," we will celebrate by branding this concert as a "Beat Beethoven 5K" Concert and Fun Run. We will perform Beethoven's popular Fifth Symphony, which takes approximately 32 minutes, and challenge runners to complete a 5K (twice around Capitol Lake) before we finish the symphony. Those who choose not to run can enjoy the live performance. Following the run, the second half of the concert will feature non-classical works performed by the Olympia Symphony. Traditionally, we have performed scores from films and musicals, patriotic favorites, and music in the popular genre. We will collaborate with the Bridge Music Project, providing orchestral accompaniment for an original song written by youth in their program. This is an expansion on our 2019 Bridge Music Project collaboration, where we provided a string trio as accompaniment for two songs and performed for a CD recording as well as live performance at the summer concert. This year we will use the full orchestra for live accompaniment. In addition to the Bridge Music Project, we will also partner with Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO), who will provide support for the "fun run" aspect of the event and provide an "instrument petting zoo" for curious attendees.
Washington Center for the Performing Arts
Independent Artist Incubator: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is home to a 983-seat mainstage and a 150-seat Black Box Theater. The Black Box has a history as an incubator for emerging theatrical organizations, such as Olympia Family Theater and Harlequin Productions, both organizations which began in the Black Box and have since grown into their own professional theater spaces. The Black Box is currently utilized approximately 178 days per year, which leaves availability for us to expand access to artists by providing an inclusive and supportive theatrical venue for independent artists. We know that the performing arts have the power to inspire, challenge, engage, entertain, and transport communities and individuals. We want to foster our regional innovative and creative voices with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this effort we intend to activate the Black Box as an independent artist incubator in the arts by providing regional artists access to space, time, theatrical equipment, and production personnel. All of these factors can be an impediment to independent artists in their creative making process, especially the cost of rental. With this, we anticipate being able to facilitate approximately four opportunities of one-week each (28 days total). If funded, we would recruit diverse independent artists and diversity-serving organizations to apply. Artists would be chosen through a competitive application with panelists with diverse artistic, ethnic, and identity backgrounds. Artist applications would be reviewed for diversity, readiness to fully engage and benefit from the experience, and the potential to impact our creative community.
Northwest Playrights Alliance
Hotel Olympian 100th Anniversary Birthday Bash (working title): A Community Comes Together The event will be a site-specific recreation of the July 1920 opening day festivities for the Hotel, which was built after 140 Thurston county residents pooled their resources and raised $320,000 to build a "world class hotel" for fear of losing the state Capital to Seattle or Tacoma. The Hotel was instantaneously the political hub and social center of Olympia. It's been said that more bills were passed in the Hotel than in the adjacent Capitol. The Play will feature a small orchestra in the ballroom, pre-show guided tours (also offered in 1920) and a Stardust-esque love story featuring some of the major players of Olympia's past. And you won't want to miss the 1920 short film, "What Our World Will Look Like in 100 Years."
Ballet Northwest
Free Access to Ballet Northwest's 50th Anniversary Production: The upcoming year is a particularly exciting one for Ballet Northwest (BNW), as we are preparing to celebrate the company’s 50th year of contributing to the artistic and cultural life of Southwest Washington. In honor of this milestone, BNW is producing five world premiere dances set to famous orchestral works with live accompaniment by members of the Olympia Symphony. Performances will take place May 8-10, 2020 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, and will include paid performances (with 200 free tickets distributed to low-income and at-risk families) as well as a free matinee performance for students and teachers from regional elementary schools. The production, called Crescendo, will consist of American in Paris Suite by George Gershwin, Bolero by Maurice Ravel, Hungarian Dance by Johannes Brahms, The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, and a suite of dances from the famous classical ballet La Bayadere, choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Leon Minkus.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
1. Approve the slate of grants to area arts and culture organizations for 2020.
2. Make alternate recommendations to the slate of grants.
3. Do not approve the grants to area arts and culture organizations for 2020.
Financial Impact:
$18,451 from the Municipal Art Fund
Attachments:
Ranking and Award Recommendations
Olympia Symphony Orchestra Application
WA Center for the Performing Arts Application
Northwest Playwrights Alliance Application
Ballet Northwest Application