Thank you.

Chair, stop is ready when you are.

Thank you.

Welcome everyone.

Good afternoon.

Welcome to the November 4th, 2024.

Sacramento Arts Culture and Creative Commission Meeting.

The meeting is now called to order.

The clerk please call the roll to establish a court.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioners, please unmute.

Commissioner Smith.

Here.

Commissioner Blair.

Here.

Commissioner Ohebo.

Here.

Commissioner Nironho.

Here.

Commissioner Anderson is currently absent.

Commissioner Martino is absent.

Commissioner Tokolino had advised our office that he'd be absent.

Vice Chair LeVulo.

Here.

Commissioner Winnlock.

Here.

Is absent.

Commissioner Wilson Remy.

Here.

Commissioner Lomely.

Is absent.

And Chair Nriquez.

Oh!

Commissioner Lomely is currently walking in and Chair Nriquez.

Here.

Thank you, we have a quorum.

Oh, oh great.

Okay.

So how do we do that?

It's okay.

OK.

OK.

Great.

Thank you.

I remember the public in chambers that if you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn into speaker slip, which are up here when the item begins.

You will have two minutes to speak once you're called on.

After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

We will now proceed with today's agenda.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous people and tribal lands.

To the original people of this land, the Nisanan people, the South Lidu, Valley and Plains, we walk,

Catwing Wintun peoples and the people of the Wilton, Nigeria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today

on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation of Sacramento's Indigenous people's history, contributions and lives.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic of the United States.

One Nation, under God, Indigenous people, the liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Okay, we need to approve the consent calendar.

Are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent?

Burke.

Thank you, Chair.

We have no members from the public who wish to speak on the consent.

Okay.

Great.

Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on the minutes?

All right.

Please move with the roll call.

Yes, can we please get a motion and a second for the consent?

Emotion.

Second.

Thank you.

And that was a motion by Vice Chair LeBoulo and second by Commissioner Smith.

Thank you.

Commissioner's please unmute.

Commissioner Smith.

Yes.

Commissioner Blair.

Yes.

Commissioner Obejoo.

Yes.

Commissioner Naronho.

Yes.

Commissioner Anderson.

Is absent.

Commissioner Martino.

Yes.

Commissioner Tocolino.

Is absent.

Vice Chair LeBoulo.

Yes.

Commissioner Winlock.

Is absent.

Commissioner Wilson Rami.

Yes.

Commissioner Nilemeli.

Yes.

And Chair Nriquez.

Yes.

Thank you.

We will proceed to item two that is on the discussion calendar.

And I believe it's Jason.

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair and Ricas.

The item that I'd like to introduce is a visitation on our annual report and work plan,

the 2024 annual report for this commission and the work plan.

The first year that this body created a work plan was for this current year.

And we have an opportunity.

You will have an opportunity to discuss the direction that you would like to go in, your projects, priorities, goals and objectives.

And so that's the nature of this conversation that I'm priming up for you today.

The goal is that we would have a draft for your review at the December meeting.

And then we would be able to forward to the personal and public employees commission in January or February.

So I think that the most productive conversation and acknowledging that it can be a little unwieldy in this kind of a public forum.

But looking at the last annual report, there were eight objectives that this body identified.

They were looking inwardly, internal working, ways of working and communicating.

There were external opportunities that you also wanted to explore.

I want to thank justina Martino, Commissioner Martino for throwing their hat in the ring and being open to joining a joining conversations offline and helping to develop what that

work plan and annual report will look like when it comes back to you all in December.

So perhaps the best way to start off is to share some of the projects or priorities and objectives that you all had identified in last year's annual report.

So the commission, the first area was that the commission would explore opportunities for internal commissioner roles and responsibilities and reflections on current diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging efforts as they relate to commission's work.

That's the first area.

The second was that this body would explore opportunities for external development, potentially including but not limited to increasing community engagement, learning and listening opportunities and overall enhanced community relations.

The third bullet addressed how this body might consider how they can influence the climate for creative vitality through the role that you all play within the context of themes such as cultural competence, community engagement and the valuing of creative capital.

Another objective would be to continue the work with the Office of Arts and Culture staff to provide a status report on the creative edge plan.

We know that it's a seven year plan. 2025 is when it will horizon.

And how does the commission feel that you want to move forward in addressing the goals of the plan in the future?

Another area was that this body would continue to examine the state of the non-profit arts and cultural field from a holistic perspective and to provide future recommendations.

The final three areas were a bit more specific and this I feel like might generate some of the more, I guess, precise conversations that I've heard you all assert in the past.

This is where the commission body might begin to explore the intersection of arts and health, youth workforce development and progress related to arts and entertainment within the city of Sacramento.

But adding to this other ideas and areas that I've heard this body share an interest in include areas around the financial well-being of arts organizations of all sizes, addressing the space and facility challenges that individuals, artists and organizations face in the city.

So with that, I'm going to kind of hand it off. I'd like to hand it off to our chair, vice chair and justina and and and give you all an opportunity to continue to the discussion, maybe further refining objectives within those goals.

Maybe it's pairing off or consolidating. I would say that there is a lot in the current work plan and a lot I think can be perhaps streamlined.

So I'm going to leave it there and hand it off to you all to have a discussion.

Okay, thank you, Jason. This is the moment for commissioners to chime in, but before we do that, can I get some clarity that today's discussion will help set up an action item in December to approve?

Thank you. The goal is that depending on our progress offline, that we come back to this body with a draft that you can approve or send back to the folks who are putting it together for further refinement.

Okay, all right. And then it's a little lots of moving parts here because obviously I don't think we'll reach consensus today. Maybe we will, but also knowing that in my conversations with you, I know that justina, you've been active behind the scenes working with Jason, but the idea of an ad hoc committee is possible.

I'm looking at the attorney and ad hoc committee, which I think would be a great thing to do to take today's conversation and bring it to that committee to massage and then bring back in December.

That's a good process.

So thank you for raising that point. It is my understanding that as of the October 24th, meaning with city council that ad hoc committees are now eligible to be created by boards and commissions.

I think that could be mistaken on the date and the particulars of that. I'm not sure if what we're hoping for elevates to the creation of an ad hoc committee.

I'm wondering if we can inquire with our city attorney or the city clerk's office today or in the coming days to provide further guidance on when it is appropriate, when it would be appropriate to form an ad hoc committee.

Is that something that it sounds like we might be interested in doing. And if we can't do that today, I guess the question is then, if, yeah, when we might be able to do that.

I also wanted to mention that we haven't been working on this yet. And Jason, last meeting asked what commissioners would be interested in working on this. And I was the only one that responded.

Okay. So that's why my name is on there.

Thank you. So justina has expressed interest.

I guess I just think it's hard. I want clarity on the ad hoc committee structure because I don't know if this is something that the commission has to formally say.

Stay, or can we just say justina and myself who leaves anybody else as long as we don't have a quorum can talk offline about this.

Can you define ad hoc committee?

Anyone?

So it's not a formal definition for it, but it's a temporary committee. It's just not a subcommittee, which is something that's established and will continue on indefinitely.

It's just a temporary group.

But let me follow up on whether you can form ad hoc committees.

Thank you.

But in the interim for today, does that answer question?

Okay. In the interim for today, I think let's open it up to the commissioners.

Unfortunately, we don't have a handout on these goals, but they're pretty broad. But one struck out for me is that how the creative edge plan wraps up in 2025.

And what makes us dicey is we have a number of commissioners that are being turned off.

So I don't know if this means December of 2025 is when everything has to be buttoned up, but I would like to think this body could then begin to think proactively.

I mean, so much is going to happen starting tomorrow. New leadership, but at least provide some guidance on to the staff in terms of steps to help.

You know, do you reaffirm the creative edge plan? Do you start another process? Do at least just raise the question for you all to think about?

So I think there are a couple things there in my mind.

But I want to open it up and I don't see any speakers cute up, which is unusual.

So cruise, can you please say, thank you.

I just want to say I'm one of those persons that's ten that is that will tentatively turn out.

So I did want to volunteer for anything I couldn't stay around for.

Going back to the earlier comments about community engagement.

I think the epitome of community engagement is what has recently been renamed low right or lane at Miller Park.

And I highlight that because it remember there used to be a prohibition against cruising.

And would start it in baby steps, you know, ad hoc committee meetings, you know, on how to undertake that and get the city to consider removing that prohibition started at grass roots.

I was involved in that and then little by little it mushroomed into what is now not only the removal of that prohibition, but the recognition of that as an art form, you know, cultural competency as he was earlier referred to.

And now with the renaming of that street, you know, it meets what has been the three vanguards of our existence diversity, equity, and inclusion.

And that renaming epitomizes the accomplishment of our mission on that front.

So if there's anything to be mentioned in the annual report or anything to put our names on as achieving community engagement, that would be it.

And I just want to make sure that doesn't go unrecognized.

Any other speakers? It's just you know, I was wondering do we want to go through these this list of work plan goals and and have commissioners give comments to each one and whether we should keep it or make it more specific or remove it.

So we don't have access to all of them other than what Jason just said. So maybe I, I appreciate that. I do have them. I have them. I could read them out loud or that seems like a good idea.

Okay. So the first one is SACCCEC will explore opportunities for internal commissioner roles and responsibilities and reflections on current diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging efforts as they relate to SACCCEC work.

So for me, I think I need a little bit of clarification on what an internal commissioner role and responsibilities is.

Yeah, I would echo that. There's a part of me where I look at this and what's most important to me is the inclusive piece and lifting up to EI. I know just this commission we really haven't talked about our roles in any significant way.

So I'm just, I don't remember how these were imagined. And so I'm curious about the utility of this as as it's worded that maybe it's more how this commission ensures that it continues to uplift D E I, especially in this climate that we're in related to the creative economy.

And then especially since we do have, I believe a race equity statement that was crafted under different commission leadership, but maybe that's something that could be an objective for the 2025 work plan is to revisit that and either reaffirm or update it.

So I have a question about that first one that we're talking about. Are we supposed to sort of together like define what that is and what that looks like for us since it's not like defined.

I think first it's an agreement if we believe that should be a goal. Okay. And then of course what you just raised with this definition and understanding makes sense.

I like that we are coming to an agreement that we should, we should agree on what it is, but is there a standing definition now?

So there is the purpose statement for the commission body.

I think that one of our past our city attorney representatives, Michael fried did give a presentation to this body, but I think that that might have been before some of the new members.

We're seated and that was around the roles and responsibilities. I think that that could be a annual request in a similar fashion to how the city clerk staff has also provided an orientation to this body.

So maybe that's a once a year kind of request where roles and responsibilities and how to work with the city and the city clerk's office.

My folks might have an overview of that. That could be one approach I think.

Does that help answer?

The second question is I know that this says it's an annual report, but to my knowledge there's only one annual report that we've really seen, right?

That's right.

And so is this an annual report to be true or is it like a by the annual?

It is a requirement to be updated each year. It is a requirement that all boards and commissions provide an annual report and work plan to the personnel and public employees committee to be approved by city council.

So the 2022 one is the only one.

Well, it.

We have a 2023 annual report.

So this this will be the goals for the 2025 work plan, correct?

Within the 2024 annual report is the 2025 work plan similar to last year.

Okay. Is it cruise?

Okay.

Okay.

When we just getting back to the topic of book are our roles and responsibilities.

We're going to go way back when you know at the beginning of the pandemic, you know, we were all sequestered.

And when the funding federal funds became available, the mayor made it our mission to couple of recommendations about how the money should be spent.

And that's when we were given the task of reaching out to our given communities for feedback.

I think that has changed. I think that is still constant.

You know, we have to be visible, resourceful and responsive.

I say that because when I attend the events within my given district or area, you know, how do I get funding?

Where do I apply?

I think that's the thing that we need to be resourceful about because that's what people expect of us or the public we serve.

When they want us to be resourceful, I enter guide them, you know, and to be available.

So those are the primary things that we are responsible for and that is our role to be resourceful and responsive.

So I would think that would be just an ongoing, unchange component given that.

It sounds to me like there seems to be general agreement that this is still a viable goal.

I feel like this is actually two goals.

I think this is two goals.

Clarify our roles and responsibilities and then also to continue DEIA efforts.

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you all. Let's move on to the second one.

Actually, if you have your 2023 work annual update, it's on the last page.

Second here and just in a sense, you're looking at it too. Correct me.

I have here the commission will explore opportunities for external development, potentially including but not limited to increased community engagement,

learning, listening opportunities and overall enhanced community relations.

I mean, I would just say yes. I mean, I think we've all been doing that.

Is there any, yeah, any objection to keeping that?

Okay. The next one.

Do you want to read that one just in a nutshell?

Continue to explore options available to influence the climate for creative vitality through the roles it plays.

And within the context of the themes of cultural competence, community engagement and valuing of creative capital.

That still seems relevant to me.

Anyone else have thoughts?

Okay. We'll just might go.

We might just want to add some additional themes that we regularly address as a commission.

Sorry, read the next one.

Work in partnership with the Office of Arts and Culture staff to provide a status report on the creative edge plan.

Yes, I would say keep.

Yeah. And especially since next year is the sunset date, you know, maybe the sad caught committee if we have when you can just make that goal a little more robust in terms of the finality of that.

And maybe some of the objectives could be next steps to the next commission.

This next one is one that I think might be a bit broad.

SACC E.C. will continue to examine the state of the nonprofit arts and cultural field, sorry, cultural field from a holistic perspective to provide future recommendations.

Yes, I see none.

Who we're providing recommendations to the nonprofit or to the Office of Arts and Culture.

I think that might need to be clarified.

Mm-hmm.

That's a good point.

Well, I'm reflecting on what you were just sharing, Chair, Commissioner Martino around adding additional themes.

And I'm wondering, looking ahead to some of the other items mentioned earlier around arts and health, you work for development, arts and entertainment.

Perhaps this could be built into a section that adds additional themes and kind of clarifies them visually so that it's easier to identify.

So maybe consolidating some of them into the exploring options to influence the creative vitality adding some of the goals as themes.

Yeah, I can see that.

Maybe there's some and I would agree that maybe maybe.

And what we're talking about is the last three bullets here.

It's the intersection of arts and health, arts with youth, arts with arts and entertainment, everything's so intersectional.

And so maybe that is under that holistic perspective broad goal.

But maybe it's open ended.

Is there a way that everybody can see what we're looking at so that way they don't people don't feel lost?

I know.

Could you email it to everyone, Jason?

Right, because you want the whole commission to have some input on here.

But nobody knows what everybody's what we're looking at.

Right.

Well, so yes, I think that maybe after tightening up where we're at, that could be a next intermediary step.

I know it's a little clunky trying to have working meetings in this.

I mean, even what we're looking at this list that we're going off because it's really hard for people to follow along if they can't see.

Even if we can have it on the, I see it.

I have it.

But I mean, for the rest of the commission that's also supposed to be into this discussion, it's hard to be able to be in the discussion.

Nobody knows what we're looking at.

And we put it on this prompter.

We would be able to put the paper down there.

There's no way to bring it up like right now at this moment.

We would have needed it prior to the meeting.

Okay.

I think just for future.

It helps everybody on this, on this platform right here to know what we're talking about.

Because right now it's only ABC and D that knows and then everybody's kind of just.

But you want them to be able to input.

It's hard to have input.

I agree. Thank you, Louisa.

So you're saying you could put it on like the overhead projector.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Just right in the middle.

Oh, that's cool.

Oh, okay.

It's kind of hard to read though.

Yeah.

How can we maximize that?

Yeah.

So we're going to have a little bit of a better way to like zoom in.

Oh.

You think if we put like.

Thank you for that, Louisa.

So why don't we just so folks can let's just take a minute.

And then we can just let's just say that we have all.

Everyone kind of not here or just sat there in confusion.

Just take a look at those.

If there's any among those first four that you disagree with,

thinkไป.

And then we can close with that last bullet.

Yeah.

And if I can just try to recap what we discussed was on the first

bullet was still relevant.

Lifting up diversity equity inclusion on the second piece.

That's critical to what we've been doing on the third piece.

What I heard was that these themes might need to be updated or more

current language to be used.

These would be cultural competence, community engagement and

Valley of Creative Capital.

On the fourth bullet, the update on the Creative Edge plan but

with an emphasis that if 2025 is its final year, there should be at

least some objectives to recommend to the commission on next steps.

I think that's the only way to make sure that the commission is

able to make it a little bit more clear.

My general sense of these is I think just wordsmithing it could be

simplified just overall.

I agree.

I have a clarifying question.

So on the first bullet was the, I heard the suggestion to make it

a little bit more clear.

It was just a suggestion.

What are your thoughts?

Do you think they should be separated?

Yes, I do.

Okay.

I think I'm kind of in agreement with you too.

There's a lot there.

Any further thoughts on those first four?

Then on bullet five through six, seven, eight, the three in the

brackets, they all are kind of the same.

And maybe it's a sub of the fifth bullet that will continue to

examine the state of the field from a holistic perspective,

vis-a-vis X, Y, Z.

So maybe the ad hoc committee could articulate more clearly what

those intersectional aspects are.

I think also on that one where it says examine the state of the

nonprofit arts and cultural field, I think that we should also

include the four-profit arts and cultural field in there.

Great thought.

Yeah.

Yeah, maybe there's another way to say that whole thing because I

want to make sure we include not just the institutions but the

artists themselves.

So it's like this whole ecosystem approach.

I mean, it says holistic, but.

Any other thoughts?

I have a, on the seventh bullet, I want to encourage a definition

of youth workforce development.

It's extremely broad and I think every single commission could,

that could be a part of everyone's goal in charge.

I wonder if that would be young artists, young entrepreneurs.

What do we mean by that idea?

Great idea.

And on that, I feel like education is missing.

And if I believe two, three meetings ago, Dr.

Wenlok talked about what is it prop 28 and how that's being deployed

to all the school districts.

So there's like a huge infusion of dollars.

We need this commission need to learn more about that.

And there are synergies there, opportunities.

And so I think that intersection is important.

Yeah, I do think that education will also fall under the creative

edge plan evaluation because that was one of the main goals.

Yep.

Yep.

I have a question.

So are these supposed to be broad?

Is that like our understanding that they are supposed to be broad?

Because like even when I read the last three, I feel like they're just like a broad sentence.

Yeah.

I think so.

Yes.

Well, I think that's in part up to you.

The goals could be broad and maybe there are more specific objectives.

It sounds like that's the direction for at least one of the areas that you identified last year.

So I think it's up to you all how you want to structure it.

This is your document.

That makes sense to me.

Yeah, I mean, I think generally these types of things are meant to be broad.

Well, I think the whole point of the conversation, the whole point of us having this conversation right now is figuring out,

do we need it to be a little bit more general, not as broad, but more specific?

The conversation is up to us.

If you think it needs to be more specific, put it out there so that it can be heard.

And then once all of everybody's ideas are out there, then we can figure out, yes, we'll go with that.

No, we won't.

We'll stay broad or we'll get more specific.

Yeah, I mean, I will say from the conversation, it sounds like goals and objectives visually might be a helpful way to categorize and organize where the commission would like to go.

Maybe even broken down even further.

Jason, could you clarify how this will be approved by the commission so I know that there's the opportunity to join a working group to finalize this.

After we do come up with a new document, will this come back to the commission maybe next month and everyone will have the opportunity to approve?

Yeah, I think depending on how far the work progresses outside of this meeting, it is my understanding that even without forming an ad hoc committee,

it will be on the agenda for consideration in December, but we have the three folks, Chair Vice Chair yourself, who have indicated an interest or at least shown an interest in working on this piece.

And maybe the work is to create a shared document, get some drafts going, something that the three of you all are comfortable with presenting to commission in December.

If we get that accomplished in time for the preparation of the meeting agenda, then it can be seen in December and if not, we can move it into January.

I think it should be by December because you don't know the status of some of us by January.

Does that sound like a fair process to everyone here? That at least this subset could take a look at this document and refine it, send it out to everyone in advance.

If that's possible, sometimes I don't know what's possible.

That's all these rules. So if that's okay, we get feedback from everyone and then you could finalize it for the actual commission docket.

How many people would be allowed to be in this working group? Because I think it would be great if some more commissioners had some time to smell to participate.

I understand that no more than a quorum, no more than six individuals.

And just to confirm that ad hoc's are now allowed.

Okay.

I'd like to help if I can.

Thank you, America.

Is it Audrey L?

Yes.

On the ad hoc, is there a membership number limit? Is it also no more than a quorum?

Correct.

All right.

Okay. So maybe this would be our ad hoc.

So we're open to two more if anybody wants to join.

So basically only what we're saying here is going to be discussed in this ad hoc or can commissioners read this?

Go back, think of something email as long as it's everybody's included on it.

Like, I'm not sure how you would want to have people process and send in suggestions.

May I pose a question to City Attorney Anderson White.

So as a practice, would the members of the ad hoc committee be able to share,

to work on a shared document and to provide that to feedback for other commissioners in advance of the commission meeting?

Or would that be a violation of any Brown Act rules?

That would be a violation.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So we'd have to, the ad hoc committee would prepare and then we'd bring it to discuss at the next meeting in public.

Yes.

So if you have suggestions, read what you have up here.

Make a suggestion today so it can be on the table for that.

We could probably make a suggestion to Jason, I'm assuming.

Yeah.

Yeah, and then you could bundle it.

Yeah.

That would be great.

So to confirm, outside of this meeting, we'll have four commissioners at the moment work on a meeting.

Work on a shared document and a draft that will work itself into the report.

And if other commissioners have further thoughts, ideas, recommendations for consideration for the materials that will be presented for December, they can email me.

That's only going to work.

Yeah.

Any further questions around that process?

Thank you for bearing with us as we're kind of figuring it out on the fly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Would it be possible?

I'm not sure.

Has everyone had the chance to look at all these bullet points and make comments because I want it to bring up some additional possibilities.

The ones that Jason brought up earlier to add to this.

Well, I'll note that commissioners do have this as a approved annual report for last cycle.

And it is also part of the record.

I can afford it.

Again, I believe to the whole bot to the entire commission body, if that will help.

What are your other additional thoughts?

Oh, there were the ones that Jason brought up earlier, but I mean, my, but they're really actually near and dear to my heart as well, which is, um.

Facilities affordable and safe facilities for artists and organizations and also the financial well-being of organizations.

I think that should be a priority is making sure that people have space, especially since there's so many empty spaces in the city.

And I had briefly chatted with Megan Benvor.

He's at the end of the last commission meeting.

And she also mentioned that that's a priority for her.

So I think it could be a good fit for us.

Yeah.

Yeah, it would be good to echo, you know, what she's already working on.

And we all have touched on that.

Like sort of the infrastructure needs of the arts ecosystem.

So if, yeah, I would support that.

So I think anyone, oh, sorry, does anyone else have opinions or comments about that on the commission?

Cruz.

Yes, Cruz.

I know you're all going to miss me.

I just want to show you on here that I think that I think it's critical is, no, we, we, the office, this commission need to raise its own visibility.

And as I said this before, like, is it on tent, I believe?

I see all these flags that promote wide open walls.

They're not city sponsored.

You know, where's our flags?

People need to know who we are, what we do.

And that's why when I go to different functions and I know that it's sponsor or endorse by us,

I look to see if our logo is mentioned anywhere.

And if I don't see it, I make mention of it.

Say, hey, isn't this, isn't this sponsored to the office of art and culture?

Yes. Well, where is it?

No one knows that.

You should include that.

You know, I say that because, you know, what's, if people don't know what we do, they weren't,

we're not going to be taken seriously.

You know, we need to establish our own credibility.

You know, stop standing in the shadows.

We need to stand in the light and let people realize, this is what we do.

You know, we work for you.

We serve the public, unlike other entities that serve private interests, you know, ours are public.

You know, ours, our mission is to serve the public, the community.

Good afternoon, Jason.

I support that.

I had asked a question, Cruz, you didn't respond to it, but I was wondering if any other commissioners

had opinions about adding support for physical spaces for artists and organizations?

Does anyone have a comment on that?

Cruz, did you have a comment on that?

Yes, I agree.

Okay, great.

I agree because that's something we proposed years ago.

Because, you know, the proverbial starving artists, you know, there's, you know, everybody knows

there's an issue with rent.

Well, it's a greater issue for those that are struggling.

And typically those are artists.

So, yes, we should make it our mission to find a way to accommodate, and provide more affordable facilities for those artists.

I mean, the art foundry used to have those, like single, single room occupancy quarters there.

I believe it went time they did, but it would be a bad idea to pursue that again.

Any further thoughts, Justina?

Luisa?

I think ten has a.

Yeah.

Yeah, I put my name on there.

Yeah, I'm with you, Justina and Cruz, for sustainability for artists long term, which includes places to be able to practice.

I have to echo the amount of buildings that are empty that there's no incentive for them to put anybody in there.

I don't know if there's a way that the AOC could find a way to do that.

So, I'm on that one as well.

I'm also concerned about the sustainability of some of the programs and education for workforce development and youth.

A lot of artists have a hard time getting and breaking through.

We call them emerging artists, but I've gone through a lot of ups and downs as an artist, so I do want to echo the sustainability factor.

We've talked about it before, and like teaching people how to grant right business, you know, open up their own businesses and or be sole props and such, or form collectives.

I think there could be more education around that, and that would help with sustainability.

But I want to echo again, if there's no place for us to practice, then there's no.

There's nothing going on.

I want to add to that too, I think also nonprofits need more education.

I know there was some professional development for nonprofits that received a certain grant in the past, but I think that it would be great to have more education for all nonprofits.

I might be getting off on a tangent here, so I apologize.

But yeah, education just for everyone in our community would be great.

I agree with you on that. I do. I think that there's some out there. I won't negate that.

I think there are programs that have tried, but I think we could do a better job.

And Teco accrues is saying, letting people know that we're here.

There could be more, I'm a graphic designer as a living, so yeah, there could be a bit of a deck, a pitch deck for people to download things and understand what it is that they see sponsoring and what they can't sponsor.

I think that there's a lot of things that are being a little bit clearer about things like that.

I don't know if I'm out of turn right now, but that'd be something I would want to see as well.

I know we have an agenda item focused on building capacity, so if we can wrap up item two, any last thoughts?

Luis, did you want to say anything now?

No. Yes.

If I could add just briefly, over the last few months, a number of organizations or individuals have come to me personally or to some of you all, regarding ways to recognize the contributions of artists or arts organizations,

luminaries in our community, in some cases, unfortunately, posthumously.

So just wanting to uplift that, I know that probably you all have heard of other opportunities or requests to share recognition, and that might be something to add in one of your goals and objectives.

I think that's how this commission might go about doing that.

We'll get to the nuts and bolts and considerations for how some of these might be executed with limited staff resources.

I would also encourage commissioners to think about how they might help support the pursuit of some of these close-in objectives in the future.

Well, I think just to close the discussion, you, everyone here has raised this issue of visibility and recognition for the arts and support to the team.

And historically, it's always been something forgotten or not considered.

And we've had a champion in the mayor through the creative edge planning process.

And so in whichever new administration comes on board, we need to make sure that the commission continues to elevate the arts in such a way that it gets not just, you know, feel good support but actual resources, you know, in the general budget, in the general fund to support all this work.

So I just want to make clear that I hope that the next set of goals will continue to elevate that.

Okay, moving on. Let's see, I probably should ask their members of the public who want to talk about this.

Thank you, Chair. We have no speakers.

All right, then let's move on to discussion item number three.

Jason?

Thank you, Chair Enriquece. So it is my pleasure to introduce Rashon Davis, executive director of Culture and Unseen Heroes, local nonprofit organization that is making a whole lot of inroads in terms of capacity building for entrepreneurs and support for first time home buyers.

We have a program that that this body has seen.

And Rashon is here with some friends to provide an update on the status that we have an exciting event coming up this Friday, the culmination of six weeks of intensive mentorship and guidance.

I don't want to steal any of his thunder because he has a lot. And I think you're going to enjoy this presentation from Culture, Rashon Davis with Culture.

Testing testing.

Hello, everyone. We appreciate your thought leadership just being able to sit through that and see like what you guys do is very, very much appreciated.

I'm just going to get into it. We're going to talk about it and start on this.

So just for an overview, just so you guys don't know, culture is a community, community development corporation that was formed during the pandemic through a strategic partnership with and soul collective.

We are committed to shifting the cultural landscape in California, Sacramento as well. By the year 2040 along with the general plan here, we do this through building culture, making culture and keeping culture within our culturally rich neighborhoods.

We don't call them under underserved. We call them culturally rich. When we came together with the city of Sacramento, we saw a gap in the ecosystem that exists in the creative economy.

Typically, you back into the creative economy. There's the general economy. There's the sector. There's the industry. There's the field. There's the discipline. And then there's the talent.

A lot of the culturally rich neighborhoods have a lot of talent that might then get turned into discipline, but they only exceed at the field level if anything.

And so we set out to figure out how we cover that gap. And so this is our everyday creative program. Inside of that gap, it's a six week pitch program that we're teaching entrepreneurs in the creative industry, how to pitch their business and the pain points and

talk about their customer. And you'll hear a little bit more about how that is impacting. And then there's a section where we do personalized coaching. We teamed up with the Financial Empowerment Center here to teach them about finances on their business and in their personal side.

And then there's partnership workshops that we'll do. And we match them with partners and create pilot programs there. And then they come back through a 12 week accelerator, which then leads them to the culture fund is what we call it where we can invest into their businesses at a large level.

These are some of the mentors that have been pouring into them over the last six weeks. We have LeVonja Jones. She is actually an entrepreneurship instructor from Morehouse College.

She did a session, Jeff Fong, which is from the film squad. He is Sacramento native here, poured into them one week.

Kenny Sadler, he is from Berkeley Strategy Advisors and really talked about strategy of your business and how to do that. And then Bill Pugh was just last week where he talked about just technology and innovation and business model.

And he's skilled two businesses internationally. He's out of Texas, but is pouring into folks here in Sacramento.

So this is really what getting across that gap looks like. It's partnerships and building out partnerships to get folks across the gap.

These are some of the partners that we've brought to the table to just really help us in this ecosystem.

Because we want to see talented people from our neighborhoods be disciplined, compete at a field level, get over the gap and be able to be in a sustainable industry, and then also contribute to the creative economy as a whole.

So how's it going? We had about 100 applicants that applied for the everyday creative program. Out of those 100, we could only pick 25.

So that just goes to show you that there is a need for this. That's beyond what we could deliver at the time.

And this is what those people look like. This was our first or second cohort, but all of them were selected. It was very hard to pick the 25.

So we have some creative people out there. We have some talented people out there in these neighborhoods that are doing really well.

And from day one, they go in, group of them. We do a little talking for a couple of minutes. And then Alice right there in the red, she says, all right, guys, three minutes to pitch your business. You have three minutes.

There's no quick introductions in talking about yourself. You go straight into pitching. And they go straight into the pitching.

And the cool part about the program is we have folks that are like creative staffing agencies, holistic health, bookstores, food chefs that have been missionally, Michelin star, like regulated or like said stuff about him.

Then after that, after they go into the pitches, we talk about their pain of their customers and what pain they're solving. They stand up and they go into the different corners and they just start to draft all of those things.

Talking about your customer, talking about their pain points. How do you meet the needs and meet that pain?

And it's a lot of intensive work. These are just the first two days. We got some beautiful pictures. But you see the type of creative folks that are really at work in their businesses trying to make it work, trying to make Sacramento a better place.

So we're going to do two things. I'm going to tell you about pitch night. So on November 8th, 5.30pm, welcome anyone here to kind of come out and check it out. It's at Culture Club.

If you scan that QR code, you can get put into the event right. So please do that. And register to come out. If you guys are around 5.30 to 8.30, you'll see some of all of those folks pitch their businesses.

But I thought it would be really cool to bring up John and Toby because they're two that are going through the program right now to actually practice their pitch. So these are folks who started with us six weeks ago and now let's see where they are.

Hello, my name is Toby and I am the founder of Lifestyle Artspace, also known as last. We are an art studio dedicated to bringing Sacramento's local talent to the global stage.

Our space is designed for unique content creation from podcasts and webinars to intimate events and live performances.

Right from downtown Sacramento.

Sacramento is home to an incredible amount of talented individuals. Yet for years, we have faced this echo belief that in order to make it, we must move to cities like L.A. or San Francisco.

This is a huge indicator that not only are local creatives needing more support, but that we are also losing a lot of our talent to other cities.

Sacramento's creative edge plan, which is a comprehensive strategy for arts and culture, highlights the need for dedicated spaces where artists can collaborate, create and share their work, which is exactly what last aims to offer.

Rent, Connect and Broadcast. So content creation is growing exponentially. Social media usage alone has risen nearly 50% in the last five years, now reaching over 5 billion users worldwide.

In 2023, the global content creation market was valued at $27 billion, offering huge income opportunities for creators through ad revenue sponsorships, merchandise, and much more often doubling once earnings.

With support and investments in spaces like L.A. we can grow this impact locally, creating more opportunities and abundance for Sacramento.

While the 2040 general plan, Sacramento's roadmap for the next 20 years recognizes that the creative economy is essential to the city's future and calls for promoting cultural development by supporting spaces such as L.A.

We're confident that we're aligned with the city's vision for a thriving Sacramento. At last, we provide, at last, we provide a beautiful supportive space where creatives can pursue their passions, with flexible hourly rents and memberships less more than just a rental space.

It's a community hub for collaboration. We're currently launching a YouTube series that features live DJ sets, pairing each DJ with a visual artist and showcasing a local coffee shop.

A true microcosm of Sacramento's talent. We're also planning to partner with local content specialists to make your time with us as impactful as possible.

Our mission is to put you and Sacramento on the map.

Let's connect, collaborate, and grow together. This is our contact information, our website, and our Instagram here.

And lastly, I just want to express my deep gratitude to culture for their life changing support through their creative business accelerator program.

Their extensive and mindful mentorship has helped me not only gain clarity for the last's vision and trajectory, but has also strengthened our community connections.

One extra impactful activity involved sharing our business needs and resources with one another, fostering a sense of communal abundance.

This experience reinforces a powerful reminder that when we collaborate and share, we all benefit. Thank you.

Hello everyone, my name is John. I am the, um, I guess co founder of Central High five. Central High five is a experience creation company that tries to elevate every event that we're part of.

What we've learned, there are gaps that we have found in our 20 years of service of DJ and in the city of Sacramento.

We've learned that music is mainly focused on entertainment, entertainment side of music, but also it's in the backdrop.

And since the pandemic, we have noticed that people are engaging in music more of a way of a lifestyle with yoga, with dance or just listening or just connecting with people.

So we're creating a situation where people can come and enjoy the music and enjoy themselves without the pressures of, you know, drinking or without or even the press of going out at night, but creating a vibe where people can go out during the day.

We also, in the gap, I've seen insufficient performance opportunities, right? So as a DJ coming out of that bedroom, right?

They're going to go straight to the club, right? But what if they don't play club music, whether they have going to play jazz? Right? So we're creating spaces where a DJ can DJ, can show their range and give people an opportunity to hear music outside of the entertainment or the club side of it.

We're also connecting the music community. As I was coming up DJ and I will see DJs in other cities, you have power groups of DJs all DJing together.

So when I start, I said, you know what? When I have an event, I'm going to just bring DJs together because I don't think that it should be a gatekeeper for people to express their talent.

Right? So we found that there's gaps in between when DJs and artists couldn't act. So we want to build a community where creatives and our customers can enjoy and get to know each other outside of the exchange of music, make music a part of our life instead of transactional.

How we're going to do this is have high-end functional events, quarterly events, events during the summer and then even cozy events during this time of the season. Right?

We're going to create sufficient performance opportunities for DJs, you know, to continue to build this coachy rich music economy.

We're going to connect the music community, we're going to bridge the gap between the average consumer and the DJ.

And like I said, we're going to have quarterly events and we're going to continue to grow. And as I finish, I want to give a huge shout out to culture because before we got into this program, we now have a deeper understanding of who our client is.

We also had an opportunity to unite with other collaborators and creatives. I want to thank you in closing. Thank you for your time and thank you again.

Well, that's it. That's what we've been up to. We hope that you guys can come out on November 8th to kind of check it out. And yeah, just appreciate every one of you for sitting in those spaces and doing the work.

We're out here in the streets doing the work as well as you see. And when we come together, this is what happens. So appreciate you all.

Thank you, Roshan.

Thank you so much, Roshan. Are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this?

Thank you, Jerry. I have no speakers for this item. Any commissioners? I just wanted to just express my gratitude to Roshan and everyone who presented today.

I think this program is amazing and this speaks to one of our education goals for small business owners and every creative professional.

So thank you for working so hard for our city, Roshan.

I want to echo Justina's thanks. And I have some questions for you. So I'm just curious, what have you learned in the execution of this program and what more do you need?

I think one of the things I learned is seeing their slides today. I told them that makes my heart happy.

It's a short window. It's like six weeks and they're able to go from not even understanding concept to putting together those decks and then being able to present in front of you all is really, really dope in that sense of where they started.

Because I know both of them were nervous when they first started in the pitching. So I think like those little things are the things that are really making an impact.

There are a lot of creatives out here that want to do the work. They just don't understand how and they don't understand how to make it work.

And so teaching business model pain points, cost of customer acquisition, like all of the language of entrepreneurship then gets to the pitches and gets them to be able to do the work.

So I think that's one of the pieces. But then the thing that I think we need more of is just more of it. So you know, like those things that you fic

on and we only have the capacity as an organization to take on 25. So when you talk about it from even from our business model, it's like being able to grow and have more staff and all of those things to make ourselves sustainable, we can take on more.

And there's a lot more folks out there. So I think those are like our pain points, but then also some of the successes is just watching them.

And they're just two of like the 20 that are part of this program. So there's some cool people.

Do you have any of the funders besides the city supporting this?

Yes. So Smud is a partner. So Smud is a partner in it. US Bank. And then BMO. So all the folks that were on that list there.

And then the County of Sacramento is actually going to do a pilot program. Fingers crossed. We'll get word back today to do more county folks.

So we're just going to go to the county of Sacramento and get the funding to do the pilot program.

And then we came and presented to you guys and you guys.

And what we called it last time was the creative startups pitch program. So Alice and I came here and we presented on that finding. Yeah.

How many sessions do you usually are you usually able to sustain in the year?

We have about eight weeks a total. But the way that we're breaking it out is there's a six week and then there's a 12 week in February.

So we're doing through the city. We're doing two cohorts pretty much, which is four programs. So we'll do the six week.

We'll just wrap up and then in February we'll do the 12 week and then we'll start another one in September and then another one in February.

So it's usually like 25 applicants each each session.

Yeah. Yeah. So.

I'm American. You had it.

I just wanted to thank you guys for the presentation. It was really cool to hear. And then also sort of just to highlight like I think these programs really like are breaking like these like.

I don't know if the right way is like so cool, but like cycles of like you know, just like the barriers that you talked about like traditionally like you know we're not like a lot in these pieces are like it's really hard to break through like the structural like systematic parts of things.

So it's like really cool to see like the progress and you know like the all the cohorts that we're going to come. So thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Justina. I just want to ask Rishan one more question. Something I come across with artists in my community and culture bearers is that they have a hard time identifying as entrepreneurs or business owners and accessing those resources. Do you have any advice?

I guess for me for things I could say to them or you know to embrace that more.

We're entrepreneurs. That's the that's the thing. And I think it's the language like I'm just one of those people I'm always going to say like language either you know get you into opportunities or you talk yourself out of opportunities.

And I think for a lot of us like what we are learning in this cohort in these classes is like entrepreneurship is what we do.

And we get to pick how we do it and we can do it with a with a community mindset and all of those things. But if we just talk about our passion and we only work from our passion people only look at it as a passion project.

But when we talk about it like this is a five billion dollar industry and we're taking a five percent market share of this so it's just a different language people look at you differently.

And I think that's the one thing that we have to like understand as creatives and entrepreneur or creatives is like our passion actually equates to dollars too.

So the more that we can talk about both together we get the creative economy.

Yeah.

Missioners. Yes, Cruz.

Rocha.

Oh.

Tell me.

Okay, forgive me for not remembering your name but you brought up a good point you said that we're losing a lot of good artists for lack of support and you're right.

And I want to highlight how correct you are because we I've been saying this for God knows how long since I've served on this entity.

But even more recently our poor Larry and I hope I'm doing his name just as Andrew Defei defy thank you.

He testified to the same to the city council.

Staten citing the lack of funding lack of support entrepreneurship. I'm sure that is compromising his ability to stay and be subsistaining in Sacramento.

The argument is anywhere else he would be making a lot more but here he is starving so you know do the math eventually he will have to leave.

I would hate to see that because he's a poor Larry for a reason and he was the initiator of what we now know as Sacramento poetry week.

So if he left that would leave with him and I'd hate to see that happen so perhaps that would be a good person to reach out to.

To identify the kind of common obstacles and considerations one has to overcome.

We were just texting yesterday.

So see I pay attention to.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Can I say one more thing?

I think you did a really good job of displaying that gap and how you're bridging that gap because what you did what you said hers you identified the passion and a way to make it easier.

And not a passion project is you turn it into numbers that speaks to companies and in order for us to be the creative economy economy has to deal with dollars is you let them see how your passion equates to those dollars and fits into their role.

So good job to you for teaching these people how to fit into those into those businesses and why those passion projects are not just passion projects but they're needed.

I learned that when I was sitting with Jason in the office upstairs.

It was just like we were jamming and I was like Jason I just see this and he saw we went on a whiteboard.

We just drew like the whole map out and it's like oh yeah there's a gap here so yeah.

It's a joint effort so I appreciate like I said I appreciate you all because it's needed.

You appreciate you.

Thank you. I'm going to check my parking now.

Thank you Rashan and John and Toby Holly on staff I see here as well everyone behind the scenes doing the great work.

More to come from this group and this program we're not even halfway through.

We're just getting started.

I say we but of course it's this culture team that's making it happen and all of the participants that are really engaging deeply and investing their time.

Into this program just so that it's attached to this item if folks are interested again we absolutely encourage you to come on out to the everyday creative pitch night.

It's this Friday the 8th of November from 530 to 8 at cultures headquarters.

If you're trying to look them up on the internet it's CLTRE the address is 1409 16th Street 1409 16th Street downtown and then the landing page for the everyday creative program is CLTRE.org culture.org slash CLTRE-making.

So follow them follow us and thank you again for your presentation we look forward to this Friday and the future.

Hi thank you.

Okay on directors report I believe.

Thank you Chair and Recuse.

Thank you Chair and Recuse.

We have a lot I have a lot to share but I am going to keep it brief and I'm going to note that the best resource absolutely for folks out there to follow us is to visit our website and if you're not already subscribed to our monthly newsletter.

Our website is arts.cityofsacramento.gov.

Arts.cityofsacramento.gov.

And then we are also active on Instagram linked in Facebook threads. We also have a YouTube channel so some of the these things if I kind of get caught up in the timing of it I just wanted to reiterate the best the best thing to do is to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

I'm going to start off with just a reminder for commission vacancies as we noted earlier there are six current vacancies.

When we start the year in January this will transition to an 11 member body there are 12 commissioners currently.

So there are two of the three mayoral appointed seats that will be open and there are open excuse me and there are the even numbered council districts also currently open that makes up the six seats.

So my understanding is that yes with the transition the goal is to make sure that we have recommendations from the council offices and from the mayor's office the appointees should be in place as soon as possible as soon as they are elected and they select the appointees from those who submit and that they will be in place by our January meeting.

There is a potential gray area between the first meeting and the appointment and I can share that to my understanding if you are a sitting commissioner you are interested.

So the first thing to do is to make sure that you submit your application through the portal and then you know the council members will see that and they will take it from there.

So our public places last meeting we hadn't held it yet but in October there was a dedication event for the Hanami line artwork.

The Hanami line public art project is one component to several improvements to the existing park and it includes the planning of more than 100 cherry trees and the installation of decorative walkways shade canopies and seating.

This location promises to be a welcome community gathering space and a memorable destination we expect just thousands of visitors to this site every year.

October 23rd the artist team read madden team Jennifer Madden and Jeffrey read were joined by city officials and community members to celebrate their beautiful new installation their public art addition alludes to the struggles of Japanese Americans during World War II their forced removal and incarceration and is a bridge to Japanese and Japanese American culture heritage and our sister city.

I wanted to try and squeeze in just a brief statement from their project description you can find this on their website at read madden.com it's in it it it it it follows as from broken stitched pieces like Kinsugi the art of repairing broken pottery arises shiny stainless steel and pink glass

blossoms representing the resiliency of this community to rebuild their lives the top spins in the wind around the 400 glass pedals are mobile lives beauty and fragility is expressed in the swaying blossoms and in color year round as well as a beacon at night.

So attendees were treated to discussions from community members are our public places staff or manager Donald Gensler and our art and public places arts program specialist Amy Toko-Hama Chapman who really spearheaded that event I want to give them kudos for really putting together really beautiful evening and included the artists discussing their work community members and folks who were involved in the design.

And the selection process Japanese treats and performance by Sacramento Taikwadan so well that was a beautiful night.

So the next update that I wanted to provide is an opportunity for the Aggie Square mural phase three the office of arts and culture and partnership with Wixford science and technology invites professional visual artists to submit their qualifications for one exterior mural.

Commission opportunity in the in the amount of 42,500 professional visual artists with experience in studio painting large scale designs environmental designs or murals are encouraged to apply to finalists will be selected and pay to stipend to develop and present conceptual designs and one selected the chosen artist will contract directly with Wixford to develop a final design and install the work.

So I want to give you a quick look on the site for more information I encourage folks to visit a page that if you're interested in any of our opportunities most of our opportunities they're going to be available on our grants management portal.

And information session will be held December 4th from 530 to 630 and the application deadline is in January January 6th 2025 before midnight.

So a lot of activity with the art and public places team this week the del Rio trail is on everyone's mind the del Rio trail is a 4.8 mile abandoned railway corridor to the west of free port boulevard from approximately.

Sutterville road to the north and pocket road to the south it combines combines the accretion of a trail park infrastructure with community engaged public art along this pedestrian corridor.

So with the support of California clean air act funding the city of Sacramento's office of arts and culture was able to commission 27 artists to create artwork related to the trail and it's surrounding community.

20 phase one artists you might recall the engage with community and created artwork about the trail and seven phase two artists from around the country have created 18 permanent sculptures along the del Rio trail in two main categories those of way finding art and gathering locations.

So the public art and public places team invites community members to celebrate with the artists and learn more about this initiative at the all aboard celebrate the artists so the del Rio trail event also this Friday from 5 to 8 30 p.m. at the Latino Center of Art and Culture and that's at 2700 front street.

All of this is available you can register or RSVP through event bride and if you go to the office of arts and culture page I think there's a collection of these this event and the next one that I'll share under our public places.

So this is the all aboard celebrate the artists of the del Rio trail meeting greet with the artists at Latino Center of Art and Culture the artists will share their stories inspiration and intentions and show the amazing outcome of each commission work.

So these artists will all also be out along the trail the following morning at the ride walk and roll event you can meet the del Rio trail artists and we again on hand to discuss their artwork and it should be a really fun day out this is Saturday the 9th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at various points along the trail.

So I think there's a lot of people here and there's a lot of people here who are interested in the del Rio trail art team will also be available to talk with you and answer any questions and offer additional context about the public art initiative.

So both of these events are wheelchair accessible and if you're interested in more information about the overall project I encourage folks to visit del Rio trail art.org and that's DEL RIO TRAL ART.org.

All right moving on to some grants and programs the 2025 2027 cultural arts awards opportunity is is live the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors have made funds available through the cultural arts awards program to support nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and this program.

The program provides three years of general operating support to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations who contribute to the cultural vibrancy of communities within Sacramento County the deadline is December 15th.

Most of our deadlines will find and right before midnight so this is a deadline of December 15th 2024 1159 p.m. not a second later.

So there's a grant writing workshop November 14th and a work sample preparation webinar November 18th and if you are interested in this opportunity again this is all in our latest newsletter it is also on our website but if you have questions out there you can email oacca grant at city of Sacramento dot org that's oacca grant at city of Sacramento dot org.

We'll note that we are trying to have specific email addresses for folks who are reaching out to various programs and not funding opportunities through our grants programs team related to the creative arts awards is the grant writing mentor program there's actually a deadline tonight.

So November 4th at 1159 p.m. we are seeking grant writing mentors to support nonprofit arts and cultural organizations who are applying to this particular opportunity perhaps other feature opportunities for organizations.

The goal of this position is to support applicants as they complete their 2025 2027 cultural arts awards applications and to ensure understanding of eligibility criteria and guidelines applications evaluation methods things of that nature.

Just to note a $50 hourly rate will be paid to candidates who are selected and for more information on this opportunity you can email art grants at city of Sacramento dot org art grants at city of Sacramento dot org to become a mentor to this program.

The creative venues grant program I just wanted to provide a quick update as you may know you may recall we completed round one of the program we distributed almost $300,000 to 14 for-profit venues in downtown Midtown Del Paso and Mary'sville and Stockton Boulevard neighborhoods funding went to nine music venues one comedy venue one art gallery to our galleries rather and two bookstores.

So we have recently closed round two and with the remaining funds we are looking at reviewing additional applications and those awardees will be shared later this month.

Alright closing closing in so the culture every creative pitch night is again this Friday 530 to 8 at cultures headquarters and lastly I wanted to share that our current exhibit in the Robert T. Matt Sui Gallery right across from us here in city hall bat habitat is an exhibition featuring 10 tattoo artists and one original origami artist.

It is up now through December 13th there will be a closing reception with details forthcoming in a future newsletter again be sure to subscribe this exhibit as with all of our offerings our wheelchair accessible.

Thanks Jason it's a lot.

I'll move into Commissioner comments and kind of respond to one of the things you raised on the vacancies.

I just I just want to try to figure out some continuity of process here so for those the mayoral appointees and the commissioners currently in the even number districts if if none of us reapply we all turn out at the end of December correct.

I believe that's accurate.

Or your term would end with the office.

That we're in but you could still reapply and you can't reapply if any one of those folks are interested.

Absolutely and I believe all commissioners should have already received encouragement or information on how to reapply if that's what you're interested in doing.

Yeah I was a little confusing was like hey the application is open please apply and so I guess for those of us who are not I'm not reapplying I mean I'm the current mayor is a pointee so this commission will be without a chair.

In January and then Luisa your D8.

B8.

Okay so you need to reapply.

Then my question there's a lot of like you know parallel moves here typically in January we we vote in the officers right so assuming you.

Yeah that was a question that I had was it when would you find out if you did reapply if you're going to be in that seat again.

I invite our city clerk's office to to support me in this answer but my understanding is that the first step is to apply.

Get your application in the door it is up to the office's decision discretion as to who they will be appointing they will do that ASAP knowing that the goal is for all commissions or at least ours has has one quorum and also.

So I think that's the first step is to get the seats filled by the time we we get to January and then of course January is still our target for for you to select the chair and vice chair.

But I want to make sure I got.

Okay so no definitive date but knowing that this is a high priority as these positions turn over and the city clerk's office has conveyed to me that they will also be encouraging offices or the appointing bodies to really get on it and fill the seats.

I just a short hands can we ask this how many of you guys are actually going to reapply.

Okay good so that's three.

Your term limits how many terms have you been on cruise only one.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I thought I just assume you're on the commission for much longer.

Feels like that yeah.

Okay well thank you for reapplying I would recommend you reapply ASAP especially you.

Oh I reapplied but that that may apply to me because I was on before.

Oh oh oh.

That's also something that we can get with the clerk's office and then you guys can have I'll get with Jason and then that way he can email you the definite answer.

Yeah okay because it makes me think that typically we have conversations on who we might want to recommend.

Yeah conversation.

Once we get that answer to about you Louisa I think that would be really good.

And then for the current everyone here really really just get the word out that the commission is accepting applications and just people in these other districts and I guess depending on who the mayor is.

But even if there are current I don't know Melinda if you're going to reapply or Steve but I tell you.

It's also good to know even if you are currently in the seat and your seat is open for application you're not going to automatically be that person it is still open so.

Also keep that in mind too.

Because you think you're automatically a she'll in maybe but you may not.

Yes my online is not showing the applications for my position.

That may be because of the three mayoral appointees only two seats will be filled come January.

Or well I guess possibly in December by December right actually.

Wasn't it only like even seats were needed to reapply or.

So I'm going to answer answer commissioner Martinez question.

There this body will be a 12 member body up until December.

Once January hits this will be an 11 member body.

So those eight council appointed seats are youth commissioner seat and two mayoral appointees.

I don't know if in the application portal if it matters if someone in community is interested in filling a mayoral seat if they are applying to.

So they're accepting applications for the seat.

For folks that are going to the portal to look at available seats you should now notice that there are three seats listed with commissioners names but only to have the opportunity to apply.

Could I ask another question related to that if we know someone who has applied and we'd like to put in a good word for them is that something that we could do.

I think it's just based off of what the members the ones that are selected select.

The council member select yeah okay.

Yes council members of parties.

Okay thank you any other commissioner comments crews.

I know.

Again I wanted to ask you things to be best.

What is that object to being both being both balancing our question.

It opens today at the condos gallery at Sacramento City College the opening reception is Thursday November 7th from 12 to 1 that's one event.

The other we were informed of this last we met the play when we were colored opens on November 8th at the guild theater 28 28 35th Street and Broadway.

I don't mean to go back ahead of question Jason can you clarify for the you see if that one is also open for application because I thought that it was but I'm looking online and doesn't say apply.

I don't believe they are currently accepting applications it may it should open closer to the transition when your term ends which I believe is in June or July next year.

Whatever the dates on there that's accurate yes thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah I just wanted to point out that giving Tuesday is coming up before our next commission meeting it's on Tuesday December 3rd.

This is a national day of giving so it's not something that the city of Sacramento actively promotes but there are plenty of Sacramento nonprofits that participate in this so I encourage you to give to your favorite nonprofits.

I also want to mention that this adjournour truth African heard heard it's museum which is in district 8 there actually one of my grant writing clients.

They are they just sent out an email saying they are in financial crisis and they have a go fund me so I would encourage you if you value this institution that is the only institution in our region that promotes African American history and art.

I would encourage you to support them at their go fund me.

Justina any other commissioners I just want to say the obvious tomorrow's election day so make sure everybody votes.

Okay any public comments.

Thank you chair yes we have one speaker Natalie.

Hello commissioners thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today my name is Natalie Citesman I sit on the board of directors for Sacramento women's choral group called box music.

Box music is mission is to promote develop and nurture music written for women and treble voices we do so by presenting live performances of the highest quality promoting new works by commissioning performing recording them.

I'm nurturing the development of local artists and by serving as a vital force in our community's artistic life.

Our upcoming concert performed on December 20th and 21st is a great example of box music as avant garde niche in Sacramento arts community.

A fusion of the mysticism of medieval chant and the evocative residence of modern modern harmonies the performances titled light and love a choral journey with hildegarde Von Bingen tickets are on sale now at boxmusic.net.

Box music brings the cutting edge of music to Sacramento audiences and will be entering its 20th season next fall.

We absolutely could not do this without the support of our patrons and of our communities so I want to thank the commission for the great work that you're doing to support the arts a lot of the discussion today really resonated with me with the challenges and opportunities that our organization faces.

And I want to thank you for your work to make Sacramento a hub of artistic innovation and we look forward to engaging with you.

Thank you so much for coming to the city throughout all of our work.

Thank you for your comments. Jerry have no more speakers.

Okay, I think meeting is adjourned then. Thank you all.