Arts and Recreation January 20th

Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee

Meeting Notes
NDDC Arts and Culture Committee Meeting
January 20, 2004

UPDATES:

Downtown Marketing Committee (City)
Jane McWilliams:
No current action. Jane sits in as a liason for the arts community and our committee. The marketing focus of the city committee will most likely be on downtown Northfield as a whole, so if the NDDC Arts committe wants to market Northfield as an “artstown” that will be a separate avenue for us.

Summer Arts Festival
Jill Enestvedt:
Dates for the festival are set for August 5-15, 2004. The event will be co-sponsored by the NDDC and Northfield Arts Guild. The committee is organizing anchor events on the weekends, and evening events for the week between them. Activities will have both an arts and downtown focus, and will include an architectural tour of the downtown, orchestra on Bridge Square, activities for kids, artists studio tours, readings, performances and more.

Middle School Reuse
Bardwell Smith:
Artspace has been formally approved by the school board and will do a feasability study for the project by April. The NAG is developing a proposal for the use of some of their space. Ross and Karen will meet with Artspace Jan. 23. Representatives from Artspace will be speaking at the Feb. 3 general meeting of the NDDC, 8 am at the Archer House. We will encourage arts interests to attend to convey the wants and needs of the arts community and the many possibilities for the space. Renee will ask about a news article regarding this meeting, and Jane will ask NTV to tape it.

Bike Trail:
John Stull has joined the board. Rotary may have money for the downtown part of the trail.

Moving the city hall sculpture:
A new spot needs to be surveyed, and the sculpture needs to be correctly positioned. It will require a concrete base and may need repainting. Dixon, Karen and Sue will look into the viability of the move, and the artistic value of the sculpture. There may be city money available for part of the cost, but it could total $3-4000. During (or just prior to) the Arts Festival may be an ideal time for the move.