I now call the June eighteenth, twenty twenty-six Las Vegas Arts Commission to order with the deputy city clerk take roll call, please.

Vice Chair Chi.

Commissioner Beals.

Excused.

Commissioner Clevin.

Here.

Commissioner Douglas.

Excused.

Commissioner DeSantis.

Here.

Commissioner Cherk.

Excused.

Commissioner Portnoy.

Here.

Commissioner Von Bastians.

Excused.

Commissioner Galati.

Present.

Commissioner Vitone.

Here.

Commissioner Anderson.

Excused.

And Commissioner Thompson.

Here.

Thank you, Chair.

You have a quorum.

All right.

Thank you.

Has this meeting been properly noticed and posted in compliance of the Nevada Open Meeting Law?

Yes, it has.

Comments during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters on the agenda for action.

If you wish to be heard, come forward, give your name for the record, the amount of discussion as well as the amount of time any single speaker is allowed, may be limited.

Okay.

Seeing none, we will move on.

Any opposed.

Terry, there should be a sheet up there that has the item number on the top.

And it's one page.

It's really short this time.

I might have got it mixed in.

All right, so is this come celebrate with us on June 20th from 4 to 9 p.m.

at Symphony Park for the 25th annual Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival.

Enjoy free live music, great food, local vendors, and family-friendly activities.

Parking is only $6, and a free shuttle runs from Doolittle Community Center.

Second item, join us June 23rd from 5:30, 7:30 p.m.

at the Historic Fifth Street School for Crit Chat, a monthly artists meetup where you can bring more artwork for a critique or just come and hang out.

Free parking on site and open to the public.

Number three, experience Django Vegas, a jazz concert on June 27th from 6 to 10 p.m.

at the Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium.

Enjoy an evening of vibrant Paris-inspired jazz performances.

Premium seats are available for purchase, and general admission is first come first served.

Parking is free but limited with additional paid parking nearby.

For more information about these events, please visit www.artslosvegas.org or call 70229 arts.

Do any other commissioners have additional events or happenings they would like to mention?

This is Commissioner Clemen.

I have a couple items.

So that's at Donna Beam this Saturday.

And then Saturday, July 11th, we are going to have a program in the then cafe right across from here.

It's 90 years of reflection with photojournalist Clinton Wright.

This is in conjunction with the Rhythm and Resilience Exhibition downstairs.

Join us, that's from 1 to 3 p.m.

And then on August 20th, we'll be hosting in this room R City, our Nevada Black Artists and Elders in Conversation.

And Chair Carmen Beals will be moderating that conversation.

So join us that starts at 5:30.

Thank you, Jennifer.

Anyone else?

This is Commissioner Thompson.

The Jazz Outreach Initiative will be hosting a 10-week free summer jazz camp for students at two different locations.

Open to any students of any age of editability who would like to learn and explore jazz studies.

And then on the weekends at Saturday at Lucino's Pizza, the same organization hosts a free jam session for students who would like to learn to play in public with the pros.

Wanted to also let the board know that in August, the Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra will be having its sixth season auditions.

And then invite any board members that would like to come to uh jazz programs at the Notoriety right down at Fourth Street and Fremont with the Jazz Vegas Orchestra.

And I should note that the Jamin with Joy Free Summer Camps at CSN and at our rehearsal studios on East Tropicana are sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts.

Thank you.

This is also your first official meeting.

So we wanted to welcome you.

Did you want to give a free few remarks about uh your background or introduce yourself?

Absolutely.

I first want to please recognize uh Commissioner Eric Roberts for his years of service.

I look forward to getting together over coffee with him and seeing what his initiatives were that he was interested in, hopefully carrying that ball forward with him.

Um but I uh have a longtime residency here in Las Vegas for 46 years.

Went to Bonanza High School, got a music degree from UNLV, uh, and then later got a nonprofit master's degree from LSU.

And in that time, I have um owned or started several businesses.

Uh, and then I'm also the executive director currently of Jazz Outreach Initiative coming up on 10 years welcome.

Thank you.

If no other announcements, we'll move on to item number six, report by economic and urban development staff regarding artists' housing initiatives in the Arts District Ward 3.

Hi everyone, good afternoon.

Alex Drosser with the City of Las Vegas Department of Economic and Urban Development.

Really excited to talk about this project.

We are starting to get underway.

As many of you know already, the 18B Arts District is one of the most vibrant and dynamic neighborhoods within the city of Las Vegas.

In 2024, CNN put the national spotlight on the district, giving away one of our best kept secrets.

Since probably even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the arts district has seen rapid growth and just this has unprecedentedly changed the district.

Nowadays, a lot of tourists are starting to come to the district to get away from the strip to experience the city as a local and to shop at some of our local small businesses.

But this rapid unprecedented growth has come with a cost, and uh it's currently affecting our artists and our art community.

And when an arts district loses its uh artists, it starts to lose its cultural identity.

And this is a challenge that a lot of cities within the country are facing due to rapid costs uh growing nationwide.

So today we're looking at a solution that the city's been working on for the last couple years to find a solution to create an affordable housing development in the arts district for artists.

Back in I believe it was January 2024, uh members of the city went to Denver, Colorado, to the River North Arts District, uh otherwise known as the Rhino.

Uh so we met with planners, developers, and other local stakeholders trying to understand how Rhino dealt with a lot of challenges that we are currently facing as an arts district.

Um they're a couple years ahead of where we are in terms of uh redevelopment, so they were a great example to use.

So we looked at a variety of different uh methods such as zoning and density incentives, uh looking to form a business improvement district, um, adaptive reuse or integrating mixed-use development, as well as uh cultural placemaking.

Uh we also went an hour north to Loveland, Colorado, where we toured two existing uh art house artist housing developments.

Uh the one on the left was previously a grain silo, uh which was being uh renovated to meet to become housing.

Uh the one on the right, we got to tour the inside.

If you uh notice the glass at the bottom of the uh building, that is a uh gallery space.

So the artists are able to uh live in these units.

Um we were able to tour a couple.

Uh these units have very durable surfaces, uh a lot of concrete and just um heavier out outlets, uh allowing better uh electricity, uh heavier sink capacity.

Um, so they're very individually cater to the needs of the artist.

Uh shortly after we were trying to find an opportunity to provide affordable housing uh specifically for artists.

Uh we ended up buying a little over an acre off of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Uh if you look at the map, the Art Sister Garage, which is currently um underway, is not that far of a walking distance away from this site.

Uh when we issued the request for proposals, there was a couple of different components we were looking for.

We wanted to make sure that it was at least a minimum of three stories given the uh significance of Las Vegas Boulevard, at least a hundred units that they the parking was within the enclosed building.

Um we wanted the ground floor commercial component with some type of artist-related uh business or gallery space.

Uh so we required a minimum of 2500 square feet for that, and then affordability.

Uh in March, the request for proposals closed.

So it was open for approximately two months.

We had 12 developers submit.

Uh, some were local developers, some were nationwide.

From there, we finalized it down to our top five uh candidates.

Going back, there were two different review processes.

The first 12 were um individually assessed based on their uh submittal for the proposal, and then we took the top five and we interviewed those.

From there, we had our two finalists, and ultimately we have a final uh developer.

We had only selected them within the last two weeks.

So unfortunately, as for today, I don't have more details to reveal as we are currently working on the negotiation uh process with them.

Uh but at that time, when it's suitable, I can we can bring them to the arts commission to hear more about the specifics of their uh development proposal, and you guys can ask any questions.

Um from there, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Through you, I have a few questions if it's okay.

Alex, thank you for coming and present to us.

One of the reasons I wanted this on here was to maybe open up a little bit more of a dialogue between the commission and economic development to kind of find out how we could help you guys.

I know you have you the city has always tried to support artists in the arts district and the housing projects they take a long time because they're they're quite frankly, they're hard to do.

Um but what I wanted to know is there are other things that we could do as a commission that could help you in your efforts.

You know, if we could um strategize with you, maybe some other incentives to get gallery space, studio space.

Um have housing, I which I think is critically important, but studio space is also very important.

Um and not a lot of artists can always do their art in their studio in their apartment, you know, because there's some sculptors, there's some people that have some big things and a lot of other types of art that happen, and and those are the guys that have been kind of pushed out of of downtown.

So that's what I really wanted to do is have more of a dialogue.

I I knew about this project, and I knew that that's gonna move forward, which I think is fantastic, and thanks for giving us more detail.

But how could we help and what would our role be in that process?

Absolutely, and uh art should be the top priority and um the topic of any conversation with development in the arts district.

It should be um it should be the foremost of anybody's mind.

Um there were a couple of different opportunities during the interview process with these developers.

Um we can definitely look into more opportunities as well.

Uh, for instance, one is that for affordable housing, you aren't able to restrict to just having artists.

Uh the alternatives we looked at to have it as preferable for artists, and many of the development teams that came in had some type of um possibly like a review panel or something for the residents.

I don't know if that would be something that the arts commission could consider.

Um with the development proposals, there was a I can't say specifically based on the final proposal or not, but several of the proposals had uh different opportunities for a wide variety of artists.

Some had opportunities for woodworking or uh metalworks or glass blowing, it would just depend.

But um I think that once we can partner and bring the developer to uh help understand the needs of the community, that might be a great opportunity.

This is Commissioner Portnoy.

Thanks for the presentation.

Um, one concern that I have is affordability.

You hear it all the time.

And the other thing I keep hearing you say is we who are we?

Is that the whole department of urban development or I mean when you say we discussed this, we decided that you know good point over to my left where you said how can we help as commissioners?

Um, what I'm hearing from all the artists in the district is we have no place that's affordable for us.

We have to go elsewhere.

Now, if we look at a concept similar to the world marketplace, that building, which is a number of different floors, but it's not just commercial space.

Living with a large room is part of that apartment, so to speak, so the artists could work and live in the same unit as long as they have space, making it much more affordable.

Just a suggestion.

Yes, absolutely.

And uh we agree, and that was part of the focus for what we are looking for with these units because it does require a lot of space with the materials and artwork.

Um I say we this is this involves a lot of different people within the city.

Uh it's a very because it has so it because it is so dynamic, it does involve a lot of different uh departments and city leadership uh for the review process for the both of the rounds.

We had representatives from city the city of Las Vegas Department of Community Development looking at the planning and zoning and setbacks.

Um we had a member from economic development looking at the overall impact on the arts district, a member of neighborhood services looking at the uh affordable housing component, and then a member from Parks Rec and Cultural Affairs looking at the uh artist component.

So it was a well diverse group of individuals to kind of give that comprehensive look.

Uh, obviously um this is gonna take more outreach and uh input to get the community on board.

Um, and we've tried to refer back to those uh preliminary studies uh with the artist community and arts district overall to find out what the needs are and how we can move forward.

Yeah, that's how we could help as arts commissioners.

You know, uh most of the commissioners on the panel represent certain sectors or districts in Las Vegas that know what those specific needs are.

Um, again, housing affordability.

That's the key.

This is Commissioner Chi for the record.

Uh I would say that town hall meetings become really important for, and including the people who are actually gonna be applying and living there.

If I were an artist, I wouldn't want somebody doing woodworking in their apartment because at the end of the day, I'm living there.

I want a peaceful environment that I can enjoy with no noise or fumes from toxic chemicals that are being used in the art in the artwork.

So I feel like there as commissioners, we would help you provide outreach to people who the artists themselves would actually be living there to provide input early on during the development and the architecture of building this thing before you have all this empty space that nobody wants to live in.

That would be my personal perspective.

That would be great input.

We would appreciate that.

Commissioner Galati.

Um I I guess I just wanted you to come away from this, knowing that we're advocates for the arts here, and we can help um as advocates to the extent that you need that help.

And so um, I know I speak for all of us that we would love to see this thriving arts community continue to grow in downtown.

So we're here, please use us.

That's what we're here for.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Any other questions?

Thank you so much for excellent presentation.

Thank you.

We echo your sentiment.

Okay.

This is Holly Leigh for the record.

This is our item seven report for um by cultural affairs staff regarding all monthly summary of current initiatives, all words.

Um, want to send a reminder to you all that we have no meetings for the next two months.

We'll be back meeting in September for annual projects meeting.

And I don't have to do the introduction since uh Commissioner Thompson already introduced himself, but uh we want to say welcome and thank you for being a part of our arts commission.

You may notice that the uh sculpture up in Adam by artist David Faye is missing.

It is being repaired, it had some issues with the heat changes, and uh we'll be back in the next couple weeks.

We also have a new call for art that is posted for um the mayor's gallery, and it's gonna be juried by artist Heidi Calle.

It's Somos Magia, and uh it will be in the gallery this fall, but also this is the show that will transfer to the Mexican consulate um at the end of the year.

So it's our partnership with the Mexican consulate.

Our first one at the school will be next week.

I was able to visit Justin Favela and see the status on his project Las Tres Flores.

And it is in production.

We've had some uh time delays with the permitting, but it is still slated to be installed uh in between July and September.

And I'll give more details as soon as I have the exact timeline.

Okay, this slide I really messed up.

And I don't know what happened, but uh it is not the lunar new year.

I I wanted to show uh some images, some really great images from the workshop with the urban sketchers.

And uh Donna Fox did a wonderful job.

We really want to work with her again and continue doing work with the urban sketchers with our educational programming.

And here's some of the sketches of the Fifth Street School in the bottom left.

Uh the sculpture with um with artist Luis Luis Varela Rico is uh still going.

We're working on the final plans and the um landscaping for the site, and I'll update you all on that once we have a better image.

I know you've been seeing this image for a long time.

And the windows at City Hall are on display through September with the artist Sarisa Lopez.

So if you haven't seen it already, please check it out.

And Parker.

This is Parker Arecki Johns for the record.

Um, our AMP, Gateway and Arts District Public Art Project is coming along great.

You can see more completed cabinets here by artists Bonnie Kelso and Matt O'Hughes.

Uh, seven of our 10 artists have completed their cabinets, and by this by the time the board will the commission will reconvene, we should be um completely completed.

So I am excited to share those as they come out.

We're also moving along with the AMP cabinets along Cheyenne Ave in Ward 4.

Um, six of the 10 cabinets have been painted.

We have since issued an RFP to another selected artist who will complete the remaining four cabinets.

Those designs are due by July 10th, and I hope to share them at our next commission meeting.

Artist Lee Lanier is still fabricating in studio.

Um, he is making great progress, and we are on schedule for this project installation uh in the cooler months this fall.

Uh new project, Cimarron Rose Community Center Mural is beginning.

The scope of work is currently being developed, and it will decorate the exterior of this building.

Uh again, hoping to provide more information at our next meeting.

Along with the next new project at Pop Squires Park Mural in Ward 6.

The scope of work is currently being developed, and it will be along this entire uh front side of the exterior building.

We are winding down our last few weeks uh for the It's O'Clay exhibition at the Grand Gallery in City Hall.

It'll be open through July 30th.

Um I also wanted to thank any of the commissioners who were able to stop by the celebrating life exhibition on uh May 29th.

It was an incredible turnout, and uh that exhibition will remain open through September 10th.

Thank you very much.

Oh, yes, and lastly, our Huala Bay Canyon Trailhead Environmental Public Art Project.

Our artist Luis Varela Rico is currently we're we're expected to have our project kickoff meeting next month and um begin starting that process.

Thank you.

This is Laura Machado for the record.

We are very excited to announce that we have selected an artist for the Arts District Garage Mural Project.

So uh artist Victoria Hart has selected for this project to create a mural for the district garage.

It was a multi-phase review process and the evaluation picked Victoria's piece because they thought it really connected to the vibrancy of the community and also represents the 18B district.

So we're really excited to get this moving.

We have our project kickoff meeting next week, and then they're gonna get started right away, and we should have an unveiling in September.

We're also um still looking for artists to participate in the Art in Public Places exhibition.

This exhibition is seeking artists to submit for a show with the potential opportunity to be purchased for the City of Las Vegas permanent collection.

Um if you know of any artists interested in being part of the exhibition or would like to have their artwork purchased, please share this call with them.

We have extended the deadline to August 5th, so there's a little bit more time to apply.

If anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

So please share that with far and wide.

Um also the uh Civic Center Gallery is now open on Saturday.

So uh please tell everyone you know we are open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 to 3 days.

Um also wanted to mention two events that we're working on that uh Commissioner Clevin already mentioned.

But we have on Saturday, July 11th, uh 90 years of reflection with photojournalist Clinton Wright.

Uh please join us for that.

It's at 1 p.m.

And then a second one, Thursday, August 20th at 5:30.

It is City, our Nevada Black Artists and Elders in Conversation.

We would really love to see you support these two events and your chair, Carmen Beals in uh this wonderful exhibition.

So hope to see you there.

This is Mary Sabo for the record.

Um at the Chamber Gallery at City Hall, we are wrapping up the Nevada Arts Council Fellowship Exhibition, Six Ways of Seeing.

Uh, this date is actually incorrect, so that says it's uh closing this week and it's actually gonna come down next week.

So you still have another week uh to check that out if you haven't already.

And then as always, with conservation and maintenance, um, we are conducting routine condition assessments and inventory reports for items in the collection, and we're always welcoming members of the public to report any concerns uh directly to us.

One of the things that we have been focusing on is graffiti abatement.

Um, we've contracted with conservation and maintenance vendor Omero Adalgo for collection maintenance and graffiti abatement, um, with a majority of Homero's focus being on um graffiti abatement.

We have also uh recently coordinated with vendor um Eric Peloski uh to clean and restore bronze sculptures at Anson Park and Lorenzi Park.

And then we are also working with artist uh Jesse Smeigel to restore the beloved uh snowball in Vegas sculpture in the Las Vegas Arts District.

So you may notice that Snowball has taken a brief hiatus um as Jesse repairs, repaints, and applies a new protective coating uh to Snowball, and we hope to have Snowball back uh within the next few weeks.

And then a new project that we've been working on is this Dupac Community Center mural.

Uh the scope of work is still in development uh for the commission of a new mural at the Stupak Community Center in the Las Vegas Gateway District, and we'll hope to share uh more information in the coming summer months.

This is Holly Leigh for the record that completes our monthly summary of current initiatives.

We are happy to take any questions.

Okay, if no questions, we'll move on to item number eight.

Discussion for possible action regarding the appointment of second vice chair awards.

Do I have any nominations or self-nominations?

This is Commissioner Clevin.

I just wanted to take a moment to go over the second vice chair's role.

So, in the event that our chair or first vice chair are not here to chair the meeting, then the second vice chair would step in to do that.

Um I just wanted to make sure that was clear today that if you would like to take on that role, that would be your duties.

Um, I don't have a nomination at this time, but I think it's a good opportunity for us to discuss if anybody has additional questions about the role.

Just a quick question.

Is that this is just till September when we do all new roles that are vote for chair vice chairs and everything then this is Commissioner Clevins?

So then really their term would just be for the September meeting until we have the vote.

So it's just to fill the space for the time being.

So with that, I will nominate Commissioner Galati for that role.

And then in September, the possibility of renewal is there.

Well, if nobody else wants to do it, I'll I will do it.

All right, so we'll call for a motion or a vote, a vote.

Commissioner Clevin, I move to nominate Commissioner Galati for the role of second vice chair.

I second.

Okay.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Congratulations, Commissioner Galati.

Okay.

Item number nine is a report by Cultural Affairs Staff regarding the purchase of artwork from the Rhythm and Resilience Black Vegas Exhibition for the city's permanent artwork collection.

Not to exceed $39,000 of the Capital Improvement Fund and $30,000 of the community development block grant fund.

All awards.

Thank you.

This is Laura Machado for the record.

So when we purchase artwork, regardless of the funding source, we bring it to the Arts Commission.

And that's what we have for you here today.

We're gonna review four pieces that we're going to be purchasing for the permanent art collection out of the Rhythm and Resilience Exhibition.

So we have four pieces to show you, and we're really excited to have these join the collection.

The first one.

Next slide.

It's from Avis Charlie.

The title is We Are the Facts.

It's acrylic and oil on Canvas.

It was made in 2024.

It's rather large.

It's 36 by 48.

And the purchase price is $18,000.

This is going to come from the Capital Improvement Funds.

It will tour for the remainder of the exhibition.

And once that tour has complete, we hope that it lives in the West Side.

The next piece is by Chase McCurdy.

The title is suspended.

It is acrylic on canvas.

It was made in 2023.

It's also very large at 48 by 60 inches.

The cost is $15,000, also through the Capital Improvement Funds.

Also going to turn on the exhibition, and then we hope that it is installed permanently in the historic West Side.

Adolfo Gonzalez is the next artist.

The title is New Town Tavern, Midnight Mass, Oil on Canvas.

It was created this year, 2026.

24 by 48 inches.

The purchase price is 12,000.

And we're excited for this to be part of the permanent collection as well.

Capital Improvement Funds is supporting this purchase.

And then the final piece is by Harold Bradford, an artist that we have worked with quite a bit.

Also made this year in 2026.

24 by 48, and the purchase price is $30 or $30.

$30,000.

And it's going to be paid through a community development block grant.

And neighborhood services had funds available.

And so they are generously purchasing this piece for the city's collection through that grant.

So these are the four pieces.

We're really really excited to have in the collection for these amazing artists.

And I look forward to any feedback that you have.

I hope that you're happy about these new acquisitions.

Well, we are a live public meeting, and we love and support our artists.

So thank you.

Commissioner Vitone.

I like to say thank you for the inclusion of such a diverse um selection of artists and adding um a good representation of Ward 5, its history to our collection.

And so I think it's very exciting, all four pieces.

And so thank you.

Thank you.

This is Commissioner Clevin.

I moved to uh approve.

I never never mind.

Okay, thank you.

Beautiful paintings.

Okay, uh item number 10 is discussion for possible action regarding purchasing artwork from the urban sketchers, peaks and valleys, capturing the highs and lows of the Las Vegas Valley exhibition for the city's permanent artwork collection, not to exceed 125,000, I think.

No, no, 1005 that is actually 125 dollars of the percent for the arts fund awards.

Oh, yeah, this is Holly Leigh for the record.

Um, yes, this one we are needing a motion.

Uh we are wanting to purchase this piece by Eric Roberts.

It's currently in the Urban Sketchers exhibition, and it's a uh sketch of our pavilion pool.

That's a nice excuse, Madam Chairman.

That's a nice piece.

Um, as many of those were in that show, by the way, Urban Sketchers show.

So having said that, I I would move to approve.

You have a second.

Commissioner Thompson second.

Okay.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Item 11, discussion for possible action regarding the development of a policy addressing the use of artificial intelligence in public art and gallery submissions all wards.

This is an interesting topic.

I would like to start as uh Commissioner Chi to say that I think AI could potentially help with the um the beginning part of the process, because I sat on one of the panels and it was over 80 pieces, 80 RFPs.

It was a lot of dense, and it each one was like 15 pages.

It was a lot of reading of a lot of stuff that I didn't understand uh because I'm not an artist.

So if there were concrete criteria that uh or scoring mechanism that AI can help uh whittle down maybe the pertinent information uh for people who sit on the panel, um AI cannot do the the part of the subjective process of picking the artists, but the objective criteria like demographics, um material used, uh budget, those can all be used to be summarized, I think for the panel.

So there'll be less time to save the panelists time on reviewing that stuff.

The detail I think could be for the parts and recreation team, but um for those who had to review the 80 RFPs that that was a lot, a lot of time that AI could help with.

So um this is Laura Machado, if I might just speak.

Um when we were thinking about this item for the agenda, it was in response to artists using AI for their submissions.

Um it's a it's a tool that artists are using.

So a lot of different municipalities are talking about setting guidelines, disclosures when AI is used to generate submissions, images, not just for uh grammatical um kind of uh word documents, but actually creating images.

So I I should start this conversation started um with purchasing and contracts when people are submitting applications and then not we don't currently have a policy that says that artists need to disclose the tools that they're using.

And um rather than start with the city attorney's office, which we love to work with we thought that we would start with the commission and ask, ask you do you think this is a um a policy that we need to create and and then and then we can continue a conversation and then work down a road.

This is Commissioner Portnoy.

Um sometimes we fight the future, and unfortunately, um AI is going to be a huge part of moving forward, not just in the artistic realm, but in the entertainment realm with music being created as well through AI, and you don't know what's real anymore.

And I think one of the points we should discuss as commissioners to come up with a percentage of the finished artwork was utilizing AI as a medium, because again, it's a medium.

One of the things I've fought for years as an illustrator is, and I did this with the Golden Knights when I created the you know the championship team.

Well, talk to our creative department, and I was talking to a 30-year-old millennial who pressed buttons on a computer and created a beautiful image.

But he didn't draw it.

And I had the argument where I'm analog, I'm old school, I actually draw, I don't use a computer.

That's AI.

So I think the only way realistically to address that, especially with exhibits, is it what percentage of your finished work of art have you used artificial intelligence?

AI.

So it's it's really hard to say the percentage things.

I I I kind of lean more towards full disclosure, first of all, that the that AI was utilized in this.

And then I'm wondering if that we've just created a new category of art.

And um, you know, where we might have an AI category or a you know, it's almost like a digital media um category.

It's not necessarily I mean it's it's still art, it's created it's just it's it should maybe be encompassing, it shouldn't compete against, you know, say uh um uh an artist that does things by hand.

I anyway, I that's just some thoughts that I have as we're sitting here.

I think that's a great point.

And I'm I'm gonna bring up uh uh how I use it.

I you know, I do a lot of the caricature work, the portrait caricatures, where I'll draw, you know, like for Dagostino's the restaurant, a realistic head.

Now I'd have to research photographs of body position.

You know, show me a picture of a basketball player, show me a picture of a chef.

Now I just go to AI and say, create an image, and it saves me so much time, and then I could draw from the image it created me.

I finished the work with original art, but for reference purposes, AI has been tremendous.

So again, you know, where do you draw the line?

I mean, you know, that's why I think the only realistic way to address this is a percentage.

That at what percentage did you utilize tools that are new and have become made available that we didn't have 20 years ago.

Uh Commissioner DeSantis.

Um I think Lori brought up a good point.

Um sorry.

Using um you probably you brought up an artist, their process.

If there was full disclosure of their entire process, I think that would work.

We're paying these artists if the whole process is all AI, I really don't think you know who gets paid.

You know, if the artist did everything AI, and they could just I so they have to the full disclosure of their entire process.

And then we could determine whether to use that artist work or not.

That's what I think.

Commissioner Thompson for the record.

If we could sorry Commissioner Thompson, if we had the her first.

Sorry, Commissioner Vatone.

Um I love that we get to talk about this.

I think it's very important.

Um changes bring a lot of fear, and so I think it's exciting to adapt to the changes because it is the future, it's inevitable, people are utilizing it, it's integrated into everything that we do.

Um, and so who are we to kind of like judge artists for integrating it into their practice as well.

So I think there's a great benefit to adopting and embracing um AI, because before we know it, it'll all be one jumbled mess.

So um, I guess in terms of just suggestion and idea, um, one thing I I have seen done before is tiered submission work where you can do different tiers like level one, level two, level three, level four.

Um level one would be like ideation only, right?

So you kind of build constraints around each level, and when they submit, of course, with the disclosure mandate, they would be able to pick what level in which their project falls under.

So that way maybe certain projects have you know, we're only taking up to a level two to kind of handle that idea of like if it's fully AI generated, like how do we compete or compare those artworks that are not?

Um but with disclosure, it's very hard to enforce, right?

Because anybody can lie, as much as we hope that they don't, most of the time they will.

And so um for the attorney side and for a legality side, I think in terms of protecting the city, um it's more so I think on the side, like on the side of uh artists signing um signing something that says that their artwork doesn't infringe, right?

Because anytime you put anything into AI, it can pull from anywhere, and the risk that we run with that.

I mean, we we deal with this on the gallery side always, or thinking about this and considering it is like um what what risk do you what risk do you take on if AI accidentally steals someone else's piece of art from far away and you just didn't even realize it, which becomes a headache for legal and things of that sort.

So I would say my two pieces that I thought of idea-wise was like the tiered submission work, and then also making sure that there is some type of language that helps protect the city in terms of like the artists know that there is no infringement happening on their side of things.

Um that's that's a great idea.

I'm so sorry, and so that way I don't have to come back on.

My last thing to your point was uh the transparency piece.

I do think that there is maybe something that you can do with submissions where there is a transparency piece, so they show all layers of their work, um, especially in proving whether or not that they've utilized AI.

So it could be like sketches, uh process drawings, if they're submitting something that's digital, the layering of what they are, you know, digitizing when AI produces something, you usually don't have those layers.

So there are ways to kind of judge whether or not something is AI and how much AI has been utilized with our eyes.

All great thoughts.

I just wanted to back up a little bit farther and make sure that we all remember that there was a time when rock was the canvas, and then rock became canvas and the canvas became, and you can imagine how difficult it was thousands of years ago for folks to embrace the new technology, right?

And technology has is with us as a continuum.

So I'm just thinking about you know, in the 80s and into the 90s, early 2000s, computer graphics, right, became the technology that changed the face of art.

Um my daughter is a wonderful digital photographer.

That technology didn't exist when she was born in 1994, and she's a wonderful editor of that photography, and there's no questioning that that is also art.

Um I think even expanding into, you know, we were just at a at a um jewelry store getting some repairs done and looking at the difference between uh real diamonds and manufactured diamonds, and they're almost indistinguishable if they are at all.

And that's also a type of art.

So I just want to caution the board um in terms of how do we define what art is because the definition of art is maybe different for everyone.

I think a couple great points, tremendous points on the end, um, which is getting me back to the percentages, come up with different words, a percentage or tiers, if you put it, I think that's a great idea.

Now there was a law passed in 1978 that covers the artist legally from reproducing um a copyrighted image photograph, a copyrighted image artwork, whereas all they have to do is change 30% of that image, and now it becomes an original work of art of that person, and that could entail simply changing red to blue, or um five things to four figures.

As long as you change 30% of the image, it becomes your new image.

So they're always gonna be ways of getting around things.

And as uh Commissioner Thompson said, Um the evolution of what art actually is, um, you know, we could say we're old and we're old school, we can say we're young and we're into all these new things that are happening.

Change is is imminent, it's going to happen.

No one can teach you ability.

You learn technique, you enhance that technique with repetition, do it, do it again, do it again, do it again.

So some tremendous points by the commissioners, and I think um, you know, maybe we went a little off track here, but it's something to definitely look to discuss for future.

Commissioner DeSantis.

Um my point, you know, art is art.

However, we're paying these artists.

If the entire work of art that they're submitting, it's created by AI.

Why should we pay them 20,000?

That's my point.

You don't you don't pay me for the time it look took me to do it.

You're paying me for the years it took to learn to do it in the time it takes me to do it.

So if you look at a comparison of AI, I no, I understand totally your point, and I agree with it.

It's gonna be to a point where it's gonna be undistinguishable as to how much AI is in that drawing, because it can become some people are so realistic.

Um I met a gentleman last night, an artist at an event from California.

He's a realistic artist, he paints movie posters.

I swear to god, it was AI.

It was actually drawing.

He's a realistic painter, tremendous talent.

How do you tell?

Uh, this is Commissioner Clevin.

I really like the idea of like a tiered process because I think what I'm hearing is we're all we all understand that AI is happening, and there's nothing that we can do to stop that.

We know that it's a tool that artists use, whether they use it for their final project or they use it through their discovery phase.

Using something like a tiered process just indicates maybe in the final design, how much of it, so it also kind of like lends itself to Commissioner Port Portnoy's point about this percentage.

The tiered structure kind of gives us framework that says this is how I used AI.

I used it maybe in the foundational, and there's a maybe a tier that's 100% that says I use only AI in this.

I think if we're able to kind of think of that in the submission process, that's helpful for the evaluators.

I think once we get to the evaluation point, I think that's where it could be a little bit more complicated because then what's what's the direction to the evaluator?

Is there a direction that says AI cannot be used?

Um or is it up to the evaluation panel for their each individual expertise to say this is how I chose my finalists because they had this, they had this, or they didn't have this.

And I think then there's a little bit of equity in the decision making because each individual evaluator gets to have their own perspective.

This is Commissioner Chi, you could stack the ones that are all tier two against each other, and then the panelists decide we take one from tier one, one tier two, one from tier two.

Well, I'm thinking more as like if there's five submissions and we understand what tiers or how the artists use, then each evaluator who gets their own vote and their own voice can determine amongst them their own, you know, the way that they determine artworks validity or their own, you know, AI morality clause that they have within themselves, they can determine if one gets a zero or a five.

You know, if they rank it in that way, that's gonna be up to each person instead of taking only these tier ones and put putting them against each other, the artworks, and then tier twos and putting them against, because then I think that the the process of it, essentially you want to have all of the artwork competing against it, all of it.

You know, that's that's what we do in the evaluation.

One quick point before we close this matter because we can keep going, right?

Um Norman Rockwell, I'm a huge Norman Rockwell fan, was never recognized as a true American artist because he was an illustrator.

He worked with a Lucy camera, which is basically like a panagraph, except it's too illuminating bulb surfaces, projecting an image, penciling the image, and then spending time on the technique of finishing the artwork.

For years, people used to say, well, all you're doing is tracing the photograph.

And I say, fine, I'll pencil it up, you finish it.

AI is the same thing.

You know, we learn, we know so little about AI.

You know, there are courses being taught on understanding AI.

So I love the tier system.

I think that's very creative and the way we should realistically look at it.

Just a couple quick comments.

Um I'm wondering what the schools are doing, which I think would be interesting to put into this discussion, because I don't know if we get an MFA, what you know, how does AI play into that?

It must have to in some ways.

So I wonder how the schools are doing that.

That might give us some clues to some things.

And then the other thing is I think if you go to the music business and you think about the amount of sampling and non it's it's produced music, but it's not played by the artist.

Um still music, and quite frankly, it's um still has a lot of entertainment value.

So the question is, how is that judged?

Because that might also give us some clues on how to judge AI generated um art.

Thank you, Commissioners.

All excellent conversation.

Laura, I think you have enough, huh?

Okay.

All right, so item number 12, discussion regarding topics for future agenda items.

Comments made during this portion of the agenda by individual members shall refer solely to proposals for future agenda items, and any discussion shall be limited to whether or not such proposed items are within the purview of this commission or whether, and or whether such proposed items shall be placed on a future agenda.

No discussion regarding the substance of any such proposed topic shall occur, and no action shall be taken.

This is a commission important.

You're gonna love this.

I think for future discussions, we should bring up a topic of AI and possibly get some educators here in the city that are using it in their everyday life to come talk to the commissioners.

So we understand it more.

This is Commissioner Chi.

That I would also suggest maybe a future topic about using II for the scoring part.

All right, anybody else?

This is Commissioner Vitone.

Um, as we approach the annual meeting, and I know this is our last time.

Um, I just wanted to bring up a suggestion as uh maybe an opportunity in Ward 5.

Uh Ethel Pearson Park.

I know it was just opened.

There's not much public art there, and I just think that it's a really underutilized space.

There's nothing um commemorating the history of Ethel Pearson and her legacy.

And so I just think that that um as well as Councilwoman Summers Armstrong has thought that that is an opportune place to kind of place more public art.

Um thank you.

Any other things?

Okay.

So final item number 13 is citizens' participation.

Public comment during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters within the jurisdiction of the commission.

No subject may be acted upon by the commission unless that subject is on the agenda and is scheduled for action.

If you wish to be heard, come forward, give your name for the record, the amount of discussion on any single subject, as well as the amount of time any single speaker is allowed, may be limited.

Do we have any public comments?

Seeing none, adjourning the meeting.