Fine Arts Commission

Skokie Fine Arts Commission February 8, 2023 Meeting Notes 1. Call to Order at 7:03 p.m. by Chairperson Pam Garbarini Present: Chairperson Pam Garbarini, Vice Chairperson Jeff Rhodes, Staff Representative Meredith Gioia, Staff Representative Ann Tennes and Commissioners Michelle Beatrice, Debra Hatchett, Doris Liberman, Sonya Osseny, Pamela Sloan, Mitch Thomas, James VanOsdol, Vassi Vasevski, and Ellen Waxberg. 2. Commission Update As was announced at the last meeting, Staff Representative Ann Tennes will be retiring from the Village of Skokie and this will be her last meeting. Chairperson Garbarini thanked Ann for her service to the commission and support of the arts in Skokie. 3. Upcoming Events a. Love Lost and Found storytelling event at Take Flight Spirits (02/16/2023) i. Event sold out in record time. Storytellers claimed the few “house seats” remaining for guests. Link to video will be shared with them and with anyone that remains on the ticket waitlist. ii. Commissioner VanOsdol and Staff Representatives Gioia and Tennes met with videographer Hayward Suggs and Andrew and Carrie Cole from Take Flight Spirits to review the space and confirm plans for the evening. There will be a selection of six signature cocktails (both spirited and non-spirited available), wine and beer. iii. The evening will be broken into two “acts” with seven storytellers in the first act and five storytellers in the second act. Storytellers will appear in alphabetical order with the exception of David Barish who will close the first act and headliner Ellen Blum Barish who will open the second act. iv. There will be a digital program accessible by QR code that will include the running order and the menu. v. Rental chairs will be delivered on Wednesday prior to the event and picked up on Friday following the event. vi. Video release forms will be emailed to the storytellers prior to the event. vii. Commissioner Sloan assembled gifts for each of the storytellers consisting of Skokie mugs, candy and Valentines theme. b. October 2023 National Arts and Humanities Month (10/2023) i. Submission form and calendar – Vice chairperson Rhodes has been reviewing various calendaring software and will have a form and calendar draft to view at next meeting. ii. Poster – It was determined that there is not sufficient time to hold a poster design contest in the schools and it would be unfair to ask teachers to add it at this late date. Commissioner Sloan volunteered to design a poster for print and to work with Staff Liaison Gioia to adjust it for social media promotion by the Village and venues/artists.  c. SOAR Art Exhibit at Oakton College (03/02/2023-04/04/2023) i. A record twenty schools will be participating ii. Event set up will take place on March 1 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Those who volunteered to assist should enter at Door 21 iii. There will be a reception for artists and their guests on March 13 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mayor Van Dusen will be present and local student music ensembles will be performing. Chairs will be provided for the musicians. They should bring their own music stands. All commission members are encouraged to attend if able. iv. Hillel Torah will be holding their own reception as done in the past. Oakton has been nice enough to agree to this with the understanding that it is not possible to do individual events for all of the schools. v. Take down will take place on April 4 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Hillel Torah has asked that we take down their art and bring to Village Hall to be collected. vi. Commission members then assembled individual supply bags for the schools with certificates and stickers for the artists and SOAR invitations for the teachers to copy and distribute. 4. Other The commission celebrated Staff Representative Tennes’ retirement with cake. 5. Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Upcoming meetings: March 8, April 12 and May 10, 2023 held in conference rooms D/E at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077.