Leesburg Performing Arts Commission Meeting - May 28, 2026

The Leesburg Performing Arts Commission (PAC) held a regular meeting on May 28, 2026, beginning at 5:33 PM. The meeting was called to order with a four-person quorum (Marjorie arriving later). The agenda and minutes from the April meeting were adopted unanimously (4-0-0-3). A demographic survey announcement was made at the start, encouraging public participation via QR code.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No petitioners were present. No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Capstone Recital (June 12, 2026) – The commission discussed logistics for the upcoming capstone recital featuring a dance student from the School of Dance, scheduled for 7:00 PM at Ida Lee Recreation Center. Key points included RSVP management, catering (via Wegmans with a budget of $400), seating capacity (100–150), and set-up. Peter volunteered to meet with the dancer’s family at Ida Lee; Miriam agreed to create a unified social media post; commissioners will invite local organizations. Staff (Whitney) noted that the mother of the student had been contacting Tony with questions; Peter will follow up. The commission decided to re-issue the press release with an informal RSVP request (no link) and to gather head counts from personal outreach.
• George Washington Music Concert (August 15, 2026) – The event was initially planned for St. James Episcopal Church. Commissioners Peter, Whitney, and Miriam toured the venue and identified security/accessibility issues. They propose moving the concert from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall, which has better restroom access but still requires checking accessibility at the Wort Street entrance. Marjorie suggested possibly dedicating the concert in memory of former music director Stephen Cooksey. The commission will discuss accessibility, dedication, and marketing at the June meeting. Pamela will contact the church to hold the date until June 30.
• New Business – Mistletoe Market Roles – Discussion of assigning roles for the December 2026 Mistletoe Market event was postponed to the June meeting. Miriam will reach out to Leesburg Movement to see if they plan to participate and invite a representative to a future meeting.
• Music & Memory Program – Marjorie proposed a new initiative to bring local performers to retirement homes. She will contact facilities to gauge interest, gather requirements (e.g., piano availability, accessibility), and develop a call to artists. The commission agreed to target performances between mid-January and early February 2027 to avoid holiday congestion. The program will use a $2,400 honorarium budget.
• August 15 Call to Artists Update – Three applications were received by the May 28 deadline; a fourth potential applicant (a college student) asked about using arrangements from other composers. Staff deferred to the commission, which encouraged her to apply and specify the nature of her performance. The commission will review all applications at the June meeting and then prepare recommendations for Town Council.

Key Outcomes

• Votes/Decisions:
  • Agenda adopted (4-0-0-3).
  • April minutes adopted (4-0-0-3).
  • Motion to postpone Mistletoe Market role assignments to the June meeting passed (5-0-0-3) after discussion; Miriam will contact Leesburg Movement.
  • Motion to postpone 2027 capstone recital planning to July agenda passed unanimously.
• Directives & Next Steps:
  • Peter: Meet with dancer’s family at Ida Lee, determine headcount and flooring needs.
  • Miriam: Create and share a social media post for the capstone recital; contact Leesburg Movement.
  • Pamela: Place food order with Wegmans via Whitney; follow up with St. James church (hold date to June 30; check accessibility at Wort Street entrance).
  • All commissioners: Recruit attendees for the June 12 recital (arrive at 6 PM).
  • Whitney: Send applied artists’ materials to commissioners by May 29; follow up with the applicant who emailed questions.
  • Marjorie: Create a call to artists template for the Music & Memory program; begin outreach to retirement homes.
• Action Items Summary:
  • Peter (space logistics), Pamela (food order and venue follow-up), Miriam (social media and Leesburg Movement), Marjorie (venue check and Music & Memory), Whitney (artist applications and staff coordination).