Meeting Minutes: October 5, Acme Fine Arts

WEA Minutes
October 5, 2009
7 P.M.

Attendees:  Jayne Lindesmith, Mary Esch, Kim Berry, Maryellen Murphy, Paulette Myers-Rich, David Rich, Nance Derby, John Davidson, Marty Hicks, Rachel Gorski, Jason Gorski, Deborah Padgett

Meeting began with an Iron Pour Poster Pitch and folks agreed to plaster them all over the place and all agreed that was a really good thing!

At 7:21 PM Nance opened the meeting with the first agenda item:  West End’s Arts on the Web.  She discussed the history wherein it was determined it would be easiest to create and maintain a “blog” as opposed to a full-blown web page.  There has existed some confusion as to how to use and who should be able to use this site.  There are actually two blogs connected by links.  If any WEA member wants something added to the blog please contact Nance Derby, WEA Coordinator or Deborah Padgett, WEA Co-Coordinator and Minister of Information (MOI).  They share this email address:  westendarts@fortroadfederation.org   The blog sites are also linked to the Fort Road Federation website.  Jason Gorski raised the possibility that interested members who want to create a germane blog can certainly do so, then let us know and we can link it to the WEA blog sites. 

The second order of business had to do with the finalized (sort-of) guidelines created by Nance, Paulette, Mary E and Pinky (Rachel).  The guidelines will go to Betty at the Federation for the Monday meeting.  The Federation will look them over and give feedback.  If anyone from WEA wants to author an addendum for inclusion in the guidelines, please write something up and submit it.  Nance mentioned the guidelines were drafted based loosely on KFAI volunteer rules and expectations.  If anyone wants a copy of the guidelines please contact Nance and she will email them to you as an attachment.  A vote was taken to approve the guidelines and all present said “Aye”.(or something that sounded and looked very much like same)

There was a bit of discussion regarding Art as Business and the changing art market and challenges it presents in the current economy (not that it’s every been a simple thing to market fine art…)  General discussion, some nostalgia and reminiscences of Minneapolis Warehouse district and the good old days and some talk of attracting a gallery and the huge commissions they need to take to stay in business and how likely/unlikely any given artist may be in attracting the uninterrupted attention of a dealer or agent or patron to the extent of being able to earn a living (or anything at all for that matter) from their heart’s work… that is, art making.  We talked about the future possibility of getting the St. Paul Art Crawl map to include the West End, since, someone pointed out, it’s no further from city center than the lofts and galleries currently featured as the map’s epicenter.  Padgett talked about pros and cons and costs and the like of setting up a merchant services account to accept credit cards.  The Padgett’s were trying out full participation in the Art Crawl this time and will report back how it went.

Jason Gorski updated the group on his progress in establishing a 2nd annual art show at the Pilney.  There’s another group in there doing a monthly collaborative… The W. 7th Collective.  Jason will work with the Boones (great people).  Committed to approach them next week.  There was talk that the show would not necessarily have to be at the PIlney.  If we’re going to call it the 2nd annual something or other it would perhaps have to take place before the end of the year.  Maybe early Spring will have to be soon enough.  JASON COMMITTED TO NAILING DOWN THE PILNEY.

Next we were updated on Iron Pour details.  Quite a long list of people requesting tiles.  Marty called about dumpsters and biffys.  It was determined participants outside of neighborhood would pay $50 to cast something because grant is for neighborhood residents.   Jason offered to make a sign out of plywood.  It was determined where sign would be placed.  Someone agreed to collect $$$$.  Mary Esch brought in the WEA banner.  Mary Esch agreed to take photos which will, very shortly be published on this blog along with glowing reviews of the occasion.  Nance talked a bit about she and K. Thune’s  connection with Bridgeview/Lynwood and/or Monroe schools to help with scratch tiles… paring mainstreamed kids with non-mainstreamed kids.  Kudos to Katy Thune who, we were told, is a real whipper-snapper and really got onto the school kid connection aspect of this event.  They’ve created a PowerPoint presentation and the future looks bright for future collaborative effort. 

Mary Esch, curator of “Reflections on the West End: Mississippi Market Exhibit” updated the group on the show set up and how it all went.  Several artists had the opportunity to stop by and see the show and felt very positively about it.  There will be an opening reception on November 5 from 5-7 PM.  Mary will notify us of the details.  Deborah P. volunteered to ask her husband if he would do the graphic stuff for 2 20” x 16” posters to have printed at Kinkos (Mary volunteered to pay for them) detailing the  nature of the exhibit, WEA’s mission, and advertising the reception.  (Michael has since agreed to do this and will create the poster by mid-week after the Art Crawl).  Halle, Nance & Maryellen offered to bring hors d’oeuvres .  (Mary has since sent out an email detailing Mississippi Market’s catering offers and  how we will partner up to increase the volume of eats…)

Respectfully submitted,  Deborah Padgett (MOI) Co-coordinator