Mesquite Public Arts Commission Meeting - September 21, 2026
City Council & Committees — Monday, September 21, 2026
BodyMesquite, Nevada
SessionCity Council & Committees
DateMonday, September 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 58:10
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:01
Welcome everybody to the Mesquite Public Arts Commission meeting on what's today, September 21st or 20th.
0:09
September 21st.
0:10
Is it the first day of uh fall?
0:14
Uh yes, it's the equinox.
0:16
Okay.
0:16
Well, welcome to the fall.
0:18
Um, so we'll start off with public comment.
0:24
No public comment.
0:26
But we have public today, it's a really big thing.
0:29
So we'll go to the consent agenda number two, um, consideration approval of the Monday, August 17th.
0:36
Um, Mesquite Public Arts Commission meeting minutes, and the Monday, September 21st Public Arts Commission meeting agenda.
0:43
Do we have public comment on that?
0:46
Okay, no, any discussion here.
0:49
We'll vote.
0:51
Motion.
0:53
I said, I'll make a I'll make you make a motion to approve.
0:59
Lindsay seconds it's we're all I'm kind of getting ahead of things saying we're all I, right?
1:08
So, guys, um, if you look, um, 3.1 is a report from second Saturday, but I'm gonna go if everybody is okay with that.
1:16
3.3, we're gonna do that first because we have our guests here, our distinguished guests, and that's gonna we're an update of the names of the Mesquite Poet Laureate and Junior Poet Laureate.
1:28
Is there a public comment?
1:32
No.
1:32
Then what I'd like to introduce is Callie Walker, who is our junior poet laureate, and Russ.
1:43
And Russ Westwood, who was our I won't call it a senior poet laureate.
1:52
He is our poet laureate.
1:54
And we want to thank you guys for the other evening on the 16th at the library.
1:59
We had a poetry reading, and I think we had about 40 people there, and it was fabulous.
2:05
And the poet laureates, this is something new for mosquite.
2:09
Okay, and would either one of you have a poem that you would like to recite.
2:13
Oh, Callie's got a poem.
2:20
Okay.
2:22
This is called Money and Nature.
2:25
When the last butterfly dies with nature, it will no longer be up to the legislature.
2:31
Maybe people will finally think this is major.
2:33
It is a bet I am not willing to wager.
2:36
Fearing for what the world has become, but we already made ourselves be numb, hoping we do not get consumed in money, because when the last animal and insect perish, we made the jokes we made will become unfny.
2:50
All we care about is money.
2:52
Our planet will die.
2:53
It is only up to you and I.
2:55
Thank you, Callie.
3:00
Ross, you I know he has one.
3:04
I was told I would have one.
3:08
I guess I will have one.
3:10
Uh thank you.
3:15
Um I'd like to introduce this poem by uh giving you just a little background.
3:20
The introduction's probably longer than the poem.
3:24
But a few years ago, I returned from uh being out of the country for a while, and we had a uh uh different director of the Mesquite Western Roundup.
3:36
And our first meeting of the year, he presented us with this image.
3:44
I think you put it right there.
3:46
In the box in the box.
3:48
Put it right there in the box.
3:58
And uh we were each member of the group was requested to write a poem about this image, and uh others wrote uh some little short poems, and I've never heard them since, but uh this has become one of my mainstays.
4:13
I I like to share it.
4:15
Uh another little bit of background.
4:17
Uh as many of you may know, uh, cowboys and sheep herders and sheep men have not always gotten along well.
4:27
So there's a little bit of disdain between the two uh groups.
4:31
And so uh hopefully that'll give you a little background of what this uh poem is.
4:38
It's called The Sheepish Cowboy.
4:43
Now you may think that herding sheep's the worst thing you could do, but pard you ain't tried nothing until you've tried to ride a you.
4:52
Well, first you gotta catch the beast.
4:54
That ain't no easy task.
Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture█████████████████████████████████████████████71%
Community Engagement████████12%
Public Art███5%
Funding███4%
Procedural███4%
Public Engagement█2%
Recycling█1%
Fiscal Sustainability█1%
Summary of Proceedings
Mesquite Public Arts Commission Meeting - September 21, 2026\n\nThe Mesquite Public Arts Commission met on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 10:00 AM in City Hall. The commission approved the consent agenda, received updates on several arts initiatives, and took action on multiple proposals including a new art walk map, a bulldog sculpture program, a brick donation for a fire station statue, and a logo competition for the city radio station. The meeting also featured poetry recitations by the Poet Laureate and Junior Poet Laureate.\n\n### Consent Calendar\n- Unanimously approved the minutes of the August 17, 2026 meeting and the agenda for the September 21, 2026 meeting.\n\n### Public Comments & Testimony\n- No members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment periods.\n\n### Discussion Items\n- Poet Laureate Update (Item 3.3): Callie Walker (Junior Poet Laureate) and Russ Westwood (Poet Laureate) recited original poems. The commission announced upcoming appearances: at the Thousand Flags event (date TBD) and the October 13 city council meeting where they will receive official name tags and hardware. They were also invited to participate in the grand opening of the outdoor amphitheater on October 10.\n- Second Saturday Community Art Walk (Item 3.1): Judy Cole White reported that the first Second Saturday of the season will be October 10 from 11 AM to 3 PM, with expanded street closures and 25+ vendors. A new policy prohibits political activity at the art gallery campus. MPAC will have a table at the event. Commissioner Mitzi proposed creating simple maps for four short art walks (to the history museum, reliance mural, amphitheater, and waterfall mural) with descriptions written by Commissioner Steve Dudrel, to be distributed at the MPAC table and guided by the Showgirls. The commission voted unanimously to proceed with this plan.\n- Battle of the Bands Proposal (Item 3.2): Mitzi reported that the proposal has been deferred due to lack of suitable space and interest in creating a vinyl listening room and practice rooms. No action taken.\n- Bulldog Sculpture Program (Item 3.4): Steve presented a proposal for 3-4 foot tall bulldog sculptures (similar to St. George bison) at $8,000 for the mold and $1,200 each. The initial goal is two sculptures for $15,000, with Miles Woods painting the first two. Potential locations include the high school and Mayor Jesse's office. The commission voted unanimously to accept the proposal and send it to city council for approval.\n- Statue for Rec Park (Item 3.5): Update: Waiting for funds to transfer between the state and Morph. Expected completion around November.\n- Suffrage Wrap (Item 3.6): Progress continues slowly due to personal issues of the artist; completion expected in November.\n- NAC America 250 Grant (Item 3.7): The wrap for Fire Station 2 is complete; installation on Fire Station 3 expected by October. Remaining $630 will fund Dance Mesquite, using the full $15,000 grant.\n- Fire Station #2 Statue Fundraising (Item 3.8): The "Next Generation" statue (firefighter with little girl and dog) is projected to cost $17,000. The commission voted unanimously to purchase a $500 brick with MPAC and commissioners' names using MPAC funds held at Morph.\n- City Radio Station Logo Competition (Item 3.9): The commission voted unanimously to advertise for a city-wide competition to design a logo for the city radio station (105.3 FM, call letters KNBM).\n\n### Commissioners Comments and Reports\n- Bonnie will give a public comment at the next city council meeting to announce the Second Saturday event and the amphitheater opening.\n- Betsy suggested creating a radio drama series for the radio station.\n- Karen reported the unveiling of the fifth iron cactus sculpture at the visitor center; the project aims for 15 sculptures by summer 2027. She collects old golf clubs for recycling.\n- Caitlin provided the arts trust balance: $2,548.62 as of August 31, 2026, with interest of $7.13 in August. The community piano fund has $450 remaining for tuning and repairs.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- Consent agenda approved.\n- Art walk map proposal approved unanimously.\n- Bulldog sculpture program approved and referred to city council.\n- $500 brick for Fire Station #2 statue approved.\n- Logo competition for radio station approved.\n- Battle of the Bands deferred.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everybody to the Mesquite Public Arts Commission meeting on what's today, September 21st or 20th. September 21st. Is it the first day of uh fall? Uh yes, it's the equinox. Okay. Well, welcome to the fall. Um, so we'll start off with public comment. No public comment. But we have public today, it's a really big thing. So we'll go to the consent agenda number two, um, consideration approval of the Monday, August 17th. Um, Mesquite Public Arts Commission meeting minutes, and the Monday, September 21st Public Arts Commission meeting agenda. Do we have public comment on that? Okay, no, any discussion here. We'll vote. Motion. I said, I'll make a I'll make you make a motion to approve. Lindsay seconds it's we're all I'm kind of getting ahead of things saying we're all I, right? So, guys, um, if you look, um, 3.1 is a report from second Saturday, but I'm gonna go if everybody is okay with that. 3.3, we're gonna do that first because we have our guests here, our distinguished guests, and that's gonna we're an update of the names of the Mesquite Poet Laureate and Junior Poet Laureate. Is there a public comment? No. Then what I'd like to introduce is Callie Walker, who is our junior poet laureate, and Russ. And Russ Westwood, who was our I won't call it a senior poet laureate. He is our poet laureate. And we want to thank you guys for the other evening on the 16th at the library. We had a poetry reading, and I think we had about 40 people there, and it was fabulous. And the poet laureates, this is something new for mosquite. Okay, and would either one of you have a poem that you would like to recite. Oh, Callie's got a poem. Okay. This is called Money and Nature. When the last butterfly dies with nature, it will no longer be up to the legislature. Maybe people will finally think this is major. It is a bet I am not willing to wager. Fearing for what the world has become, but we already made ourselves be numb, hoping we do not get consumed in money, because when the last animal and insect perish, we made the jokes we made will become unfny. All we care about is money. Our planet will die. It is only up to you and I. Thank you, Callie. Ross, you I know he has one. I was told I would have one. I guess I will have one. Uh thank you. Um I'd like to introduce this poem by uh giving you just a little background. The introduction's probably longer than the poem. But a few years ago, I returned from uh being out of the country for a while, and we had a uh uh different director of the Mesquite Western Roundup. And our first meeting of the year, he presented us with this image. I think you put it right there. In the box in the box. Put it right there in the box.