Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission Final Meeting – December 9, 2019
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Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission Final Meeting – December 9, 2019
The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) held its final meeting on December 9, 2019, after 42 years of service, transitioning to the new Sacramento Arts and Creative Economy Commission. The meeting included a special presentation, approval of consent calendar, approval of multiple grant programs (Cultural Arts Awards, Creative Economy, Cultural Equity, and Cultural Equity Investment), oral reports, public comments, and commissioner reflections.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Commission Meeting Minutes (November 14, 2019): Approved unanimously.
Special Presentation
- Director Jody Ulich presented each commissioner with a plaque by artist Chris Lango, featuring a headline from the November 26, 1906 Sacramento Union: "Art is a pervading influence in the environment of Sacramento." The presentation recognized the commissioners' passion and service.
Discussion Items
- Cultural Arts Awards (CAA) Funding for Calendar Year 2019: Staff recommended third-year allocations of $493,000 in general operating support to 57 organizations. Approved unanimously.
- Creative Economy 2020 Grant Program: Staff reported 186 applications started, 108 finalized, requesting over $6 million total. Thirteen grants were recommended: 10 at $25,000 and 3 at $15,000 (total $300,000). Commissioner Maya Wallace (panel member) noted rigorous review of all 108 applications. Public speaker Ed Fletcher (unsuccessful applicant) expressed concern about a disproportionate number of educational components and lack of film projects. Public speaker Mina Perez (Visa de Odo Foundation) thanked the commission, noted her organization was unsuccessful but learning, and highlighted their Taco Festival. Another public speaker criticized the lack of funding for entrepreneurs and questioned the grant to Ali Yosefi, stating his father is wealthy. Motion to approve the funding and list passed unanimously.
- Cultural Equity 2020 Grant Program: Staff reported 44 applications started, 29 completed, requesting $1.7 million total. Thirteen grants recommended: 10 at $10,000 and 3 at $5,000 (total $115,000, $15,000 above the original $100,000 allocation). Commissioner Maya Wallace noted improved breadth of cultural community representation. A motion to approve all except the Camellia Symphony Association passed unanimously. The Camellia Symphony Association grant was then voted on separately and approved.
- Cultural Equity Investment 2020 Grant Program: Staff reported 31 applications started, 11 completed, requesting $1.4 million total. Three grants at $75,000 each were recommended, plus a year-long mentorship with Estella Sanchez. Commissioner William Ishmael asked about the high drop-off rate (31 started, 11 finished); staff explained that the application required a higher level of organizational maturity. Motion to approve the mentor and three grant awardees passed unanimously.
- Update on the Cultural Plan: Director Jody Ulich reported that the approved grants are a direct outcome of the Creative Edge Cultural Plan, calling it a "job well done."
- Arts Consortium Update: Chair Steven Winlock reported that the consortium continues to meet, focusing on arts education support. Friends of Sacramento Arts raised funds for grants to school districts for transportation, art supplies, and instruments.
- Advocacy and Outreach Committee Report: Commissioner Jason Silva noted the committee did not meet, but he stressed the importance of ongoing advocacy to secure consistent funding for the arts, urging the new commission to prioritize outreach.
- Grants and Education Committee Report: Commissioner Veronica Delgado was absent due to impending childbirth. Chair Winlock thanked her for her guidance.
- Art in Public Places Committee Report: Commissioner William Ishmael highlighted 42 years of accomplishments, including 650 public artworks, and noted ongoing funding through 2% of capital improvement projects. He praised staff Linet Eller and Donald Ginsler.
- Director’s Report: Jody Ulich announced the search for a Creative Economy Manager (with national firm ACG, expected hire by April–May 2020); Jennifer West as new Film Office Manager (starting January); and Jennifer Singer as new Public Information Officer (started that week).
- Chairperson’s Report: Steven Winlock summarized SMAC’s 42-year history of supporting and promoting arts and culture, emphasizing cultural equity, and urged the new commission to honor past commissioners and continue the work.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
- Sarah Lane (Unleash Productions, Atrium, Upcycle Pop): Thanked commissioners, noted the fight for the budget, and suggested creative economy boot camps to help organizations write better grants.
- Lily Williams (Sacramento Guitar Society): Thanked the commission for grants, highlighted the new “Strum for Fun” program at five libraries, and invited attendees to a holiday concert.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Meeting minutes approved.
- Cultural Arts Awards (CAA) 2019: Approved ($493,000 to 57 organizations).
- Creative Economy 2020 Grants: Approved (13 grants, $300,000 total).
- Cultural Equity 2020 Grants: Approved (13 grants, $115,000 total, with separate vote for Camellia Symphony Association).
- Cultural Equity Investment 2020 Grants: Approved (3 grants at $75,000 each plus mentor Estella Sanchez).
- All oral reports were received and filed.
- Meeting adjourned with a group photo of commissioners and staff.
The meeting marked the formal conclusion of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission after 42 years, with the new Sacramento Arts and Creative Economy Commission to be seated thereafter.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Louis Vismera. Jason Silva. Maya Wallace. Here. Michael Marion. Stephen Winlock. Here. William Ishmael. Veronica Delgado. Matthew Gillam. Judy Kennedy. Right. We have a quorum. Thank you. We'd like to start first with a special presentation by our director, Jody Eurlick. Thank you, Steve. Well, it says that. Is it on? Yeah, there it is. Okay. Hi, Jason. So as many of you all know, and I know everyone on the diet knows, this is the last um meeting of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission after I believe 44 years. And it's 42. 42. Um two years in planning, I'm sure. Um it's not not going completely away, we're just changing it, and it is going to be the Sacramento Arts and Creative Economy Commission. Um, and the council and mayor's office are currently uh naming those uh positions. So out to the general public if you are still interested, if you are resident of the city of Sacramento, we are looking for your names to be added to the list of people interested. So please, um, if you are interested, you have time to apply and um have the opportunity to sit up here on this dais with these great people. Um one of the difficult things as we say goodbye to um commission members, whether um you know they're terming off or in this case we're changing to a different one, is is how to say thank you to them for their service. Um, and I will tell you the people up here are up here because they have passion. Um, they love the arts, they are advocates for the arts. Um, and um I couldn't have a greater group of people um than I have up here on the dais. But how do you say thank you to them? And through my years, there's been lots and lots of different ways, and the ways that I have always found mean the most is when you share something from a local artist with them. So we reached out to Chris Lango, who is an artist in um the warehouse artist lofts, and he worked with us to come up with a small thank you token to each of our commission members. So I would like to share with them. We have a little plaque. Um, one of the things that Chris does is that he takes old headlines from Sacramento and he um uh puts them on all sorts of interesting things. And this one says it's from the Sacramento Union from Thursday, November the twenty-sixth, nineteen oh six, and it still remains uh true today. Art is a pervading influence in the environment of Sacramento. And so we have a plaque for each of you. Thank you. Dr. Marion. Thank you. Oh, well, thank you. Seems terrible to be doing this at the beginning of the meeting. We should be doing it at the end.
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