TO:
Honorable Mayor Powell and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Richard Gill, Parks & Recreation Director
SUBJECT: Title
Request to Agendize the Reinstatement of Funding for Arts Manhattan for Two Art Exhibitions at the Creative Arts Center
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on the request from Arts Manhattan to reinstate partial funding ($10,000) for two public art exhibitions at the City's Creative Arts Center.
FISCAL IMPLICATION:
Arts Manhattan is requesting $10,000 to fund two exhibitions at the Creative Arts Center. These funds have not been budgeted in the current fiscal year. If the request is approved, City Council would need to appropriate $10,000 from the City Council Contingency which has a balance of $49,977 or the Public Art Trust Fund which has a balance of $150,000 after the Centennial and Library art pieces and sculpture garden encumbrances.
BACKGROUND:
In July, the City Council received the attached letter (Arts Manhattan letter - Attachment 1) from Ms. Homeira Goldstein, Chairman of the Board, for the non-profit agency Arts Manhattan. Ms. Goldstein, on behalf of Arts Manhattan, is requesting the City to reinstate one half of the City's funding the City used to give Arts Manhattan annually prior to FY 2010/2011 for their art exhibition program at the City's Creative Arts Center. Upon receipt of the letter, Councilmember Tell requested that the letter be discussed during a City Council meeting.
When the Creative Arts Center opened in 2002, the City gave $20,000 to Arts Manhattan annually for the implementation of two art exhibitions at the Creative Arts Center. The exhibitions have consistently strived to inform and expand the community's understanding of contemporary art through a diverse range of media. It has aided in elevating the City's recreational program to a sophisticated and serious cultural art program. The exhibitions have also served as a promotional tool for the City and the Center through exhibition news coverage. The Arts Manhattan exhibitions brought in nationally known artists that staff most likely would have not been able to attract.
Because of City budgetary concerns in FY 2010/2011, the City completely cut the funding to Arts Manhattan for this program.
DISCUSSION:
The attached letter from Arts Manhattan is requesting that the City reinstate $10,000 of the $20,000 grant. The letter also states that if $10,000 is approved, Arts Manhattan will curate two shows instead of one. If approved, the funds would be given to Arts Manhattan on a reimbursable basis. In the past, staff would reimburse Arts Manhattan for appropriate receipts and invoices for artist fees, supplies, and materials up to $20,000.
As stated in the fiscal impact, there are no funds budgeted for this request in the current City budget. Staff recommends that if the request is approved, the $10,000 be taken from the Public Art Trust which has an unreserved balance of $49,977 or the City Council contingency which has a balance of $150,000.
The only concern staff has with this request from Arts Manhattan is that there is another art organization in Manhattan Beach which had their grant funding cut several years ago. Friends Of Local Arts (F.O.L.A.) used to implement Sunday Art shows in Metlox, with City staff using a budget of $14,000. The funding for this program was also cut during the City's budget cuts in FY 10/11.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss the attached letter of request from Arts Manhattan for $10,000 to reinstate two art exhibitions at the Creative Arts Center, and if approved, appropriate $10,000 from either the City Council contingency or the Public Art Trust fund.
Attachment:
1. Arts Manhattan Letter