TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AGENDA BOOK JUNE 24, 2021 AUSTIN, TEXAS 1 TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA JUNE 24, 2021 - 9:00 a.m. E.O. Thompson Building, 7th Floor Conference Room 920 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas 78701 This meeting of the Texas Commission on the Arts has been properly posted with the Secretary of State’s Office according to the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code. The members may discuss and/or take action on any of the items listed in the agenda. The Commission may go into executive session on any agenda item, if appropriate and authorized by the Open Meetings Act. I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Excuse Absent Commission Members IV. Minutes of the March 18, 2021 Commission Meeting V. Update on Fiscal Year 2021 Operating Budget VI. Approval of Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget VII. Acknowledgement of NEA Funding for Texas Rescue Plan Grants VIII. Acceptance of Donation from Texas Women for the Arts IX. Acceptance of Donations from Private Donors in Honor of Carol McKay X. Acceptance of Letters of Appeal Impacting Grants to be Considered for Approval at This Meeting XI. Approval of Arts Respond Performance Support Grants XII. Approval of Commission Initiatives/Designated Funding Grants XIII. Approval of Evaluators for Grant Review XIV. Update on the Cultural Districts Designation Program XV. Update on the 87th Legislative Session in Relation to Texas Commission on the Arts XVI. Commissioner Reports on Arts Activities in Each Commissioner’s Geographical Area (March 19 - June 24, 2021) XVII. Texas Commission on the Arts Activities (March 19 - June 24, 2021) XVIII. Texans for the Arts Activities (March 19 - June 24, 2021) XIX. Texas Cultural Trust Activities (March 19 – June 24, 2021) XX. Public Comment 3 XXI. Future Meeting Schedule XXII. Adjourn NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS: Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need auxiliary aids or services such as interpreters for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, readers, large print or Braille, are requested to contact the Commission at (512) 936-6570 at least four (4) business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made. 4 AGENDA ITEM: I DATE: JUNE 24, 2021 REPORT OF: COMMISSION MEETING CALL TO ORDER DISCUSSION: A public notice of the meeting containing all items on the agenda has been filed in the Office of the Secretary of State at 6:11 p.m. on June 10, 2021, as required by the Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, referred to as The Open Meeting Law. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Chairman read the above statement to open the Commission meeting. Respectfully submitted, Gary Gibbs, Ph.D. Executive Director 5 AGENDA ITEM: II DATE: JUNE 24, 2021 REPORT OF: COMMISSION MEETING ROLL CALL Commission Member attendance will be noted at this time. PRESENT ABSENT Dale W. Brock, Chairman ________ ________ Theresa Chang ________ ________ Mila B. Gibson ________ ________ Adrian Guerra ________ ________ Mary Ann Heller ________ ________ Patty Nuss ________ ________ Karen Partee ________ ________ Sean Payton ________ ________ Marci L. Roberts ________ ________ Respectfully submitted, Gary Gibbs, Ph.D. Executive Director 7 AGENDA ITEM: III DATE: JUNE 24, 2021 REPORT OF: COMMISSION MEETING PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE COMMISSION ACTION EXCUSE ABSENT COMMISSION MEMBERS DISCUSSION: Commission Members’ absences will be noted at this time. RECOMMENDATION: That the Commission considers approval to excuse absent Commissioners. Respectfully submitted, Gary Gibbs, Ph.D. Executive Director 9 AGENDA ITEM: IV DATE: JUNE 24, 2021 REPORT OF: COMMISSION MEETING PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES OF THE MARCH 18, 2021 COMMISSION MEETING DISCUSSION: Following is a draft of the minutes of the March 18, 2021 Commission meeting. RECOMMENDATION: That the Commission considers approval of the minutes as submitted. Respectfully submitted, Gary Gibbs, Ph.D. Executive Director 11 TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS MINUTES Commission Meeting March 18, 2021 – 9:00 a.m. By Video Conference and Telephone Conference Call TIME & PLACE The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) held a video conference and telephone conference meeting of the Commission beginning at 9:00 a.m. on March 18, 2021. CALL TO ORDER Commission Chairman Dale Brock called the meeting to order by reading the following statement: “A public notice of the meeting containing all items on the agenda has been filed in the Office of the Secretary of State at 2:28 p.m. on March 9, 2021 as required by the Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, referred to as The Open Meeting Law.” ROLL CALL Commission Members Present Dale W. Brock, Chairman Theresa Chang Mila B. Gibson Adrian Guerra Mary Ann Heller Patty Nuss Karen Partee Sean Payton Marci L. Roberts Staff Present Gary Gibbs, Executive Director Dana Douglass Swann, Executive Assistant Laura Wiegand, Director of Programs & Technology Anina Moore, Director of Artist Services & Communications Amber W. Rhodes, Director of Finance Katy Jennings, Accountant II Freddy Martinez, Systems Administrator Ernest Luna, Program Administrator Derek Mudd, Program Administrator Kenneth Williams, Program Administrator Mary Kettlewell, Program Administrator Cynthia Gray, Program Assistant Jose Trevino, Program Assistant Veena Mohan, General Counsel Others Present Ann Graham, Texans for the Arts 12 PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE COMMISSION ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: EXCUSE ABSENT COMMISSION MEMBERS All Commissioners were in attendance. MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 3, 2020 COMMISSION MEETING Commissioner Nuss made the motion and Commissioner Partee seconded that the minutes of the December 3, 2020 Commission meeting be approved as written. Motion carried. UPDATE ON FISCAL YEAR 2021 OPERATING BUDGET Amber W. Rhodes, Director of Finance, reviewed the 2021 operating budget with Commissioners. Discussion followed. ACCEPTANCE OF THE POETRY FOUNDATION DONATION FOR POETRY OUT LOUD Commissioner Roberts made the motion and Commissioner Chang seconded that the Commission approves and accepts the $3,000 donation from the Poetry Foundation to supplement the costs associated with the virtual 2021 Poetry Out Loud statewide finals. Motion carried. ACCEPTANCE OF THE TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST DONATION FOR YOUNG MASTERS Commissioner Partee made a motion and Commissioner Payton seconded that the Commission approves and accepts the $70,000 donation from the Texas Cultural Trust to provide grants for the 2021 Young Masters. Motion carried. ACCEPTANCE OF LETTERS OF APPEAL IMPACTING GRANTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL AT THIS MEETING. Kenneth Williams, Program Administrator, stated there were no appeals to be considered. APPROVAL OF ARTS RESPOND PROJECT GRANTS Laura Wiegand, Director of Programs & Technology, reviewed the Arts Respond Project grants with Commissioners. Discussion followed. Commissioner Gibson made a motion and Commissioner Heller seconded that the Commission approves the funding distribution for the second round of FY2021 Arts Respond Project grants as presented, with noted abstentions reflecting Commissioners’ conflicts of interest. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF ARTS RESPOND PERFORMANCE SUPPORT GRANTS Anina Moore, Director of Artists Services & Communications, reviewed the Arts Respond Performance Support grants with Commissioners. Discussion followed. Commissioner Roberts made the motion and Commissioner Guerra seconded that the Commission approves the funding distribution for the third round of FY 2021 Arts Respond Performance Support grants as presented, with noted abstentions reflecting Commissioners’ conflicts of interest. Motion carried. 13 APPROVAL OF YOUNG MASTERS GRANTS Ms. Wiegand reviewed the Young Masters grants with Commissioners. Discussion followed. Commissioner Gibson made the motion and Commissioner Chang seconded that the Commission approves the funding distribution for the third round of FY 2021 Commission Initiative – Young Masters Program grants as presented, with noted abstentions reflecting Commissioners’ conflicts of interests. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF EVALUATORS FOR CULTURAL DISTRICT PROJECT GRANTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS DESIGNATIONS Ms. Wiegand reviewed the slate of grant evaluators with Commissioners. Discussion followed. Commissioner Payton made the motion and Commissioner Heller seconded that the Commission adopts the slate of grant evaluators as presented and that TCA staff be instructed to recruit individuals to serve as necessary in order to fill vacancies. Motion carried. REPORT ON THE CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION PROGRAM Ernest Luna, Program Administrator, reported that TCA received letters of intent from the following nine districts: East Austin Arts District, Fair Park Cultural District, Del Rio Cultural District, Laredo Cultural District, Leander Cultural District, Lockhart Cultural District, St. Paul Square, and Westside Cultural District. Discussion followed. UPDATE ON THE 87th LEGISLATIVE SESSION Dr. Gary Gibbs, Executive Director, reported on the following: TCA has asked that the 5% reduction be restored in the House and in the Senate budgets; there are several bills that have been filed that relate to the Arts; thanked both TFA and TCT for testifying on behalf of TCA in Senate Finance and House Appropriations; stated that Commissioner Gibson will testify on HB 2139 relating to the State Artist and adding a new classical category. Discussion followed. COMMISSIONER REPORTS ON ARTS ACTIVITIES IN EACH