Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER ALLOCATIONS FOR CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS AND FACILITY USE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
At the November 4, 2019 regular meeting, the Cultural Arts Commission decided on a 5-0 vote to recommend funding for four organizations that applied for Cultural Arts funding. They also voted to recommend facility use for two organizations not to exceed $10,000 per applicant during calendar year 2020. These nine applicants are all Carson-based, and eight of them achieved the required minimum rating score of 70 points. The total amount of funding being recommended by the Commission for calendar year 2020 is $40,000.00. The City Council is asked to approve the allocation of funds and facility use for the Cultural Arts applicants for calendar year 2020 as recommended by the Cultural Arts Commission.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
APPROVE the Cultural Arts Commission funding and facility use recommendations for 2020 Cultural Art grants.
Body
III. ALTERNATIVES
1. REJECT the Cultural Arts Commission Recommendations for 2020 Cultural Art grants.
2. PROVIDE alternative recommendations for the Cultural Arts grant 2020 program.
3. TAKE another action the Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
On October 21, 2019, nine grant applicants made presentations before the Cultural Arts Commission. The Commission reviewed scores and deliberated over the recommendations for funding the grants at its regular meeting on November 4, 2019. Both meetings were properly posted.
The total amount requested from the four applicants specifically requesting funds was $118,985. The applicants who submitted proposals for funds include:
• Alexey Steele - $10,000
• CSUDH Foundation for Praxis City Arts Parks - $40,000
• International Printing Museum - $10,000
• Rockin Blues Entertainment - $15,000
• Monteclaro Cultural and Community Medicine Foundation - $13,985
• C2R Productions - $10,000
• First Lutheran Church - $20,000
The following applicants requested facility use for calendar year 2020:
• Grupo Folklorico Faisan: Not to exceed $10,000
• Sophisticated Dance: Not to exceed $10,000
Deliberations were conducted in accordance with the funding guidelines established by the City Council on November 8, 2006.
The first step in the recommendation process was to rate each applicant with a score ranging from 0 to 100. Rating sheets were provided to each commissioner. Applicant scores were based on Project Impact, Project Goal, Project Budgeting, Project Viability, Project Integrity, and whether or not the applicant is Carson-based. Each Commissioner completed an individual rating and the results were tabulated onto a spreadsheet (Exhibit No. 1). In an effort to make the process balanced, the highest and lowest scores were eliminated to give a true average. Eight out of nine applicants scored an average of 70 or better after the scores were tabulated by staff. (C2R Productions was eliminated with a score of 66.25.)
The second step in the process was for each commissioner to offer a funding recommendation for each applicant who scored 70 or higher. Each Commissioner was asked for a verbal funding recommendation via roll call. Again the results were tabulated onto a spreadsheet (Exhibit No. 2). Staff announced the average funding recommendation for each applicant. After some discussion and debate, the Commissioners agreed to recommend funding in the amount of $10,000 per applicant for four applicants, while two applicants were not recommended for funding.
The next step was discussing facility use for the two applicants who requested it. Commissioners were again polled via roll-call vote, and they unanimously recommended facility use not to exceed $10,000 for both applicants. A matrix showing the original funding request, overall rating, and funding recommendation is attached (Exhibit No. 3).
Below are the recommendations for funding from the Cultural Arts Commission. The recommendations total to the full allocation of $40,000.
Alexey Steele: $10,000
Artist Alexey Steele hopes to continue his “Love My Neighbor” campaign. Love My Neighbor Public Art Program is centered around ongoing “My Neighbor Series: Capturing the Soul of America’s Diverse City, and includes community engaging art outreach programs Love My Neighbor curriculum, Artward! Kids, Love My Neighbor GangOut, and Love My Neighbor Day to Carson children and at risk youth in the Scottsdale Community.
International Printing Museum: $10,000
The International Printing Museum will continue to bring the traveling educational program, “A Museum on Wheels: Benjamin Franklin’s Colonial Assembly,” to the schools of Carson. This is a two-hour presentation that brings life to the world of books, inventions, history, science, American History, and the life of Dr. Benjamin Franklin.
Rockin Blues Entertainment: $10,000
The purpose is to bring community together through music and art, and to develop the hidden talent in the community by teaching the art of stage presence, performance, expression, microphone technique, personal commitment and confidence in those people who lack public speaking confidence.
First Lutheran Church: $10,000
Project “Sing Children Sing” provides a vocal training environment for youth ages 9-25 residing in the City of Carson. Funding will provide the necessary revenue to maintain the program and expose participants to innovative vocal training methods and professional performances readiness.
Monteclaro Cultural and Community Medicine Foundation, Inc.:
(NOT recommended for funding this year.)
This Cultural Arts Program is grown from the Community School Garden: Gardening & Culinary Art Workshops, TeachMe Foundation, Special Needs Art Project, Community Youth Garden Multi-lingual Book Illustration Project, Carson’s Little Free Libraries, Kuento Audio Seniors Project, Tubig Beverage Replacement Project.
CSUDH Foundation for Praxis City ArtS Parks:
(NOT recommended for funding this year.)
PRAXIS City ArtS Parks will provide a series of 12-week visual art making workshops in Del Amo, Carson, and Dolphin Parks. Professional artists will work with a group of approximately 15 students. Funding will support two series in each park (one in the Winter/Spring, and one in the Fall).
C2R Productions LLC & Mae Day Marketing Group:
(NOT ELIGIBLE for funding due to failure to score 70 points or better.)
This program will help local business owners and aspiring young entrepreneurs to gain creative training on digital marketing to help elevate their current brand strategies and improve their digital brand presence. This workshop will be an all-day event from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and it will cover the following topics: social media marketing, video and photo, CRM, e-mail marketing, and online advertising.
Below are the recommendations for facility use from the Cultural Arts Commission. The value of facility use recommendations is not to exceed $10,000 per applicant.
Grupo Folklorico Faisan:
(Recommended for facility usage not to exceed $10,000)
Grupo Folklorico Faisan is a Carson-based 501 (c) 3 requesting the use of the Dance Room 201 at the Carson Community Center for two days a week (Mondays and Wednesdays) from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sophisticated Dance:
(Recommended for facility usage not to exceed $10,000)
We are seeking assistance with our room fees. This will allow us to continue to be a vehicle for our students’ endeavors by offering performing arts activities to keep the interests of our students positive and productive while allowing them to grow and express talent. Sophisticated Dance continues to persevere through the arts and prove that dance is important and essential to the well-being of children everywhere.
A complete recap of the rating scores and Cultural Arts Commission funding recommendations is attached (Exhibit No. 3).
V. FISCAL IMPACT
The recommended allocation of $40,000 is available in the 2019/20 approved budget. Each recipient is required to submit a quarterly report. Funds will be dispersed in installments pending compliance with financial reporting requirements as determined by a city accountant. The total funding amount recommended by the Cultural Arts Commission is $40,000, which is on budget. The total cost of facility usage will not exceed $20,000 if both applicants are granted room use.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Cultural Arts Rating Sheet (page 6)
2. Recap of Rating Scores (page 7)
3. Recap of Funding Amounts (page 8)
Prepared by: Dani Cook, Human Services Supervisor