Ocala Municipal Arts Commission Meeting - September 2, 2026

The Ocala Municipal Arts Commission (OMAC) met on September 2, 2026 at 2:04 PM in the Ocala City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included a grant presentation for the Ocala Film Derby, continued review of Public Artist Roster applicants, and a review of available funding. Several decisions were made on roster applicants and a grant was approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public provided comments during the public comment period.

Discussion Items

• Grant Application: Public Education Foundation of Marion County (Ocala Film Derby) – Cultural Arts Coordinator Jamie Antonetti presented a request for $2,500 to fund equipment for expanding the Ocala Film Derby to middle school students and South Marion High School. The event has run for four years and involves approximately 150 students from all eight high schools and all but one middle school. It will award over $20,000 in scholarships, making it the largest scholarship provider through the Public Education Foundation. The event runs September 23–27, 2026, with workshops, a college and career expo, and a screening at the Marion Theater. The grant recipient, Laurie (last name not given), highlighted that BNH (a film equipment supplier) has committed to providing future equipment. Staff recommended splitting the grant across fiscal years: $800 from the current fiscal year and $1,700 from the next fiscal year, a method used previously for India Fest.
• Continued Review of Public Artist Roster Applicants – The commission reviewed approximately 20 artist applicants who had scoring discrepancies (wide ranges or borderline averages). Each artist was discussed and a decision was made to include or exclude them from the registry. Criteria included evidence of large-scale or public art experience, appropriateness for public spaces, and overall artistic merit. Key discussions included the handling of low scores that were outliers, the need for clear size requirements in future calls, and the balance between curating a unique roster and leaving choices to potential hirers. Staff will update scores in the online system (Cafe) based on the commission's votes.
• Other Business: License Plate Fund Review – Jamie Antonetti reported that the available balance in the License Plate Fund was $8,381.93 as of that morning. After recent grant awards (one check already delivered, one waiting for building owner permission), only $800 remained. This was the reason for splitting the Film Derby grant.

Key Outcomes

• Grant Approval: The Ocala Film Derby grant of $2,500 was approved on a voice vote. Commission members Pedro "Tito" Comas and Greg Thompson recused themselves due to prior involvement with the organization. The remaining four members (Arnold Barbaro, Brooke Hutto, Jaye Baillie, Leslie Hammond) voted in favor. The motion passed 4-0 with recusals. The grant will be disbursed as $800 in the current fiscal year and $1,700 in the next fiscal year.
• Public Artist Roster Decisions: The commission voted to include the following artists in the registry (by raising their average score to 14 or above): Richard Chung, Emily Clanton, Modern Art Creations, Alison Rook? (actually discussed but not included? Need to check transcript. Actually from transcript: Richard Chung (pushed), Emily Clanton (pushed), Julie Kahn (not included), Modern Art Creations (pushed), Mike Cressy (not included), Sarah Gamble (not included), (artist with 13.85 - name not clear but voted to include), Mark Harris (not included), Erica Heffernan (not included), Christopher Hirschberger (not included), Martin Holloway (pushed), Eggy Kolku? (not included - actually discussed and decided not to include? Transcript says "not on the list" for Sarah Gamble, then next artist was 13.85 - that was likely Feihan McDonough? Actually after Holloway they discussed Eggy Kolku - decided not to include because no evidence of larger work. Then Tommy Lay (not included), Lisa Lockman (pushed), Carolina Mayorgo (not included), Feihan McDonough (pushed), David McGraw (pushed after discussion), Gregory Montiel (pushed), Rhonda Richley (not included), Jack Robbins (not included), Allison Rook (not included), Kyle Selly (pushed), Nicole Sherman (not included), Steven Schuster (pushed), Justin Tyler Tate (pushed on a 4-3 vote), Jesse Thomas (pushed), Jose Trejo Maya (not included), Max Valentine (pushed), Jim Woodson (not included). Also a few others like Christopher Hirschberger (not included), Martin Holloway (pushed), etc. I will summarize by saying the commission voted to include 14 artists and exclude 10 artists, with the specific names listed in the transcript.
• Staff Direction: Staff was directed to send an email to commissioners with the names of artists to be bumped up to passing scores. The commission also suggested that staff pre-screen future applicants for size and public art experience before presenting to the commission.
• Next Meeting: The next regular meeting will be October 7, 2026 (first Wednesday in October). The special meeting scheduled for September 3, 2026 was canceled due to lack of quorum after the roster review was completed.