City of O'Fallon ARTS COMMISSION Meeting Minutes
October 9, 2007 - 5:00 p.m.
Meeting of the Arts Commission Committee of the City o fO’Fallon, held at City Hall, O’Fallon, IL
PRESENT:
MEMBERS: X Caticchio X Grimmer X Stawarski Faulkner X Wiggins
VOLUNTEERS: Gibson _ Nguy placeCityTaylor _X Jorgensen Raboin
X Erb _ Kmetz
STAFF LIAISON: X Hutchison Dallner
Item A. Strange Folk Art Festival (Wiggins): www.strangefolkfestival.com: Sept 22, 2007 – Review of event regarding what parts were successful & adjustments/ideas for next year. One-fifth to one-fourth (about 20) vendors were from out of town. Wiggins presented results of a survey that went out to vendors.
Vendors gave feedback regarding the following:
Their Volume of Sales: 19% “phenomenal”
31% “better than I expected”
21% “about what I expected”
(remaining % “less than expected”)
Their opinion about our Marketing Campaign:
80% “awesome”
4% “good”
2% “okay”
14% “don’t know, I’m from out of town”
Their intention to participate at next year’s show:
78% “definitely”
20% “maybe”
2% “no”
98% of vendors found correspondence/info to vendors to be very efficient.
52% of vendors said they would participate if we change to a 2-day event.
Survey response and vendors comments were presented/discussed regarding vendor opinions about their assigned space; their sales success; opinions on giveaways, food, music, activities; their general impression of the festival.
General consensus of Members at Meeting was as follows:
· Shorten daily hours and go to a 2-day event: Sat 10 to 4, Sun 11 to 4 (confirm by next meeting).
· Overnight Security will be required if we go to a 2-day event so vendor fee will reflect that.
· For 2-day event: increase booth fee, but not double it.
· Kids’ activity: tent where kids select a work of art donated by a vendor (no parent help).
· Have 2008 attendees fill out survey regarding where they heard about the fest: gauge advertising $.
· More food vendors.
· Less time/money on decorations necessary. Totes hanging at info booth were plenty of color.
· Start soliciting sponsors earlier. Re-sign this year’s sponsors. Plus possible: Ben & Jerry’s.
· Tote bag giveaway very successful: got attendees to event at timeMinute0Hour1010AM to shop until lunch and then gave food vendors a lot of sales.
· More banners needed. Locations TBD.
· Need a means or “draw” to bring in more local citizens, families, children.
· Feedback on music mostly good except too loud; maybe relocate band.
· Layout of tents may change.
· Live llamas and spinning were a big hit with kids; placePlaceNameDiscovery PlaceTypeSchool booth also a hit.
· Raffle process needs some adjustments or possibly eliminate this and use donations for kids’ tent.
· Want to have addressStreetRed Cross Blood Drive again.
· Reports of many sales and more foot traffic at nearby gas stations etc: tourism spillover.
· Report from Tourism Bureau on hotel sales this event brought?
· Big thanks to our Sponsors and the City!
· Discussed moving event to placePlaceNameSports PlaceTypePark but will wait a year or two for more parking, more durable mature grass, more shade, etc.
· Need to get onto more event calendars next year. Water bill inserts, RFT ads (especially online) very effective. Seeing Autumn and vendors on Show Me St Louis was fun. Look into BND insert/ad. Good feedback on quality of posters and postcards. Vendors suggest ads on 88.1 KDHX and some suburban placeCitySt Louis papers (Webster-Kirkwood Times etc).
· Want to create separate flyer (with focus for family participation) to go home with area students.
· Attendance may have been around 4,000 (at least double of last year’s attendance).
· Will know next month if we “broke even”. Hutchison indicated that preliminary numbers show that cost (if any) was minimal, and positive economic impact for local businesses would far exceed any cost.
· Tentative 2008 date: Sept 27 (Saturday) & Sept 28 (Sunday).
Autumn is emailing vendors for more feedback on 2-day event idea, and is selling remaining 40-page “zines” (booth guide/program) online.
Item B. Arts & Parks Foundation (Hutchison). 501(c)3 status official. Can begin looking for grants.
Item C. “1% for Public Art”(Hutchison): No new information.
Item D. Performing Arts Series (Caticchio, Hutchison). Pending.
Item E. Missoula Children’s Theater (Caticchio): “Cinderella” April 14-19, 2008 (8th residency).
Show times Friday 7pm & Saturday 1pm (instead of two Saturday shows). Free Workshops: Moye, First Baptist, Hinchcliffe. Workshop list sent to all schools May 2007.
Item F. Backyard Playhouse Summer Youth Theater Camp (Grimmer).
Item G. Links for Arts Commission Projects (Wiggins). Discussion/mock up for creating links off city/Parks website that connect to festival site, Backyard Playhouse and MCT (photos of past shows/casts, upcoming event info).
Item H. Loan Out Arts Commission “cut out” figures. Discussion about request to loan out these pieces created by members of Arts Commission 3 years ago, and still used at Festival. Decision that there would be no charge and no damage deposit required if used in the Cavins (remain on Parks property). If moved off premises, then still no charge but a damage deposit of $100 is required, transportation is the responsibility of borrower and cut-outs should be returned within 3 business days. Caticchio & Stawarski to paint info about “Arts Commission” on cut out before Nov 17.
Item I. New Business. Summer Project: group to make a new cut out: the Strange Folk “Gnome”.
ADJOURNMENT: 6:50 p.m. PREPARED BY: Jodi Caticchio, Chairman City of O’Fallon Arts Commission
Arts Commission - Recent Accomplishments:
Strange Folk Art Festival 2007: 2nd annual event (since 2006) Arts & Parks Foundation
Missoula Children’s Theatre 2007: 7th residency (since 2002) Thoman Park Sculptures with OTHS Art Club – 2006
Backyard Playhouse Theatre Camp 2007: 5th season (since 2003) Art in the Park Interactive Festival – 2003 & 2004
City placeHoliday Decorations – 2006
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