Mountain View Performing Arts Committee Workplan and Arts Festival Planning - June 20, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Performing Arts Committee Meeting - June 20, 2025
The Performing Arts Committee of Mountain View met on June 20, 2025 (noting that the agenda and minutes indicate a meeting date of June 18, 2025, but the instruction specifies June 20). All five members were present: Chair David Garcia, Vice Chair Carol Donahue, and Committee Members Antara Bhardwaj, Valerie Fenwick, and Yao Yao. The committee approved the previous month’s minutes, adopted revisions to the FY2025-26 workplan, and created an ad hoc committee to explore participation in the upcoming Mountain View Arts and Wine Festival.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of May 20, 2025 Minutes: Moved by Committee Member Fenwick, seconded by Committee Member Bhardwaj. Approved unanimously (5-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the committee.
Discussion Items
-
FY2025-26 Workplan: Staff presented the draft workplan for the upcoming fiscal year. Committee members discussed several potential additions, including: holding listening sessions with current performing arts center users and potential new audiences; planning for the center’s 35th anniversary in 2026; activating outdoor spaces (such as Park Stage and the plaza); and seeking City Council funding for outreach and events. Committee Member Fenwick suggested a listening session for performers, while Committee Member Bhardwaj proposed a separate session for underrepresented or new audiences. Chair Garcia and Vice Chair Donahue emphasized the need for an “elevator pitch” for the committee’s role. The committee also discussed the challenges of coordinating with the Visual Arts and Downtown committees, noting scheduling difficulties. Committee Member Yao noted the importance of raising awareness about the committee to attract new members. Staff reported that a review of second-stage fees and the reduced-fee vitality program is nearly complete and will come before the committee in August, then to City Council likely in October.
-
Arts and Wine Festival Ad Hoc: During the workplan discussion, Committee Member Fenwick moved to add an agenda item to create an ad hoc committee to plan the committee’s participation in the September 2025 Mountain View Arts and Wine Festival (scheduled for September 6-7). The motion passed unanimously, and the item was added as 6.2. The committee then discussed the scope of the ad hoc, with staff noting the tight timeline and limited staff capacity. Committee Members Fenwick and Bhardwaj volunteered to serve on the ad hoc, and the committee voted unanimously to form the ad hoc with those two members. No further action was taken.
Committee/Staff Announcements
- Performing Arts Manager Theresa Yvonne updated the committee on scheduling the first joint ad hoc meeting with the Visual Arts and Downtown committees. The goal is to meet by the end of July. She noted that staff from those divisions are currently overburdened due to a vacant department manager position and that a new staff member (Alondra) is helping coordinate schedules.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the May 20, 2025 minutes (5-0).
- Approved a motion to have staff draft revisions to the FY2025-26 workplan incorporating the discussion (listening sessions, 35th anniversary planning, outdoor activation, and potential budget requests) and bring the revised workplan back for final approval at the August 20, 2025 meeting (5-0).
- Approved a motion to create an ad hoc committee for the Mountain View Arts and Wine Festival with Committee Members Fenwick and Bhardwaj as the appointed members (5-0).
- The joint Visual Arts-Downtown-Performing Arts ad hoc committee aims to schedule its first meeting by end of July 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Welcome everybody to the performing arts committee meeting on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025. Spanish and Chinese interpretation via Zoom and translation of meeting materials are available at no cost upon request. Please contact the city by 5 p.m. at least two business days prior to the day of the scheduled meeting by phone at 650903608 or by email at MEP at Mountainview.gov. This meeting is being conducted with a virtual component. Anyone wishing to address the committee virtually may join the meeting online at Mountainview.zoom.us slash J slash 85206706172 or by dialing 669 900 9128 and entering the webinar ID 8520670 6172. When the chair announces the item on which you wish to speak, click the raise hand feature on Zoom or dial star nine on your phone. When the chair called your name to provide public comment, if you are participating via phone, please press um star six to unmute yourself. We'll call um I forget okay. Wait, how do we do this? Just go around. You can call people's names, you can ask some staff to do that. Okay, great staff chair uh Davi Garcia. Present. Uh committee member Valerie Fenwick, present. I share Carol Donhue, present. And committee member Anthraya. Present. Paul. And well, and uh committee member Yao is absent. Great. Item three. So does one say I motion to approve the minutes as to how it's yes, one yeah, once once we give a reason. And then it'll have a question. Well, I don't have any corrections. Anyone have a motion. I move to approve the minutes from last month's meetings. Is there a second? Aye. All in favor? Aye. Passes unanimously. Excellent. Okay. Um where? Oh, okay. Green. Just one more. Oral communication. Item four, correct? Oral communications from the public. Do we have anyone right now wishing to speak? There are no attendees right now. No one. Okay. Number five. She's here. Exactly. Oh true.
openpublica.com