Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Wednesday, February 19, 2025  
8:30 AM  
Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at the City County  
Building in Room 209; attend virtually via Zoom.  
A. Call To Order  
Present: Chair Ritcherson, Vice Chair Puleo Moyer, Curet, McKinney, Handy, Miquelon,  
Supervisor Rose  
Excused: Klehr, Parks Snider  
Quorum was established  
Call to order at 8:32 a.m.  
7 -  
Present  
Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, AMNERIS CURET, MARCIA MIQUELON, Vice  
Chair FRAN PULEO MOYER, JAY HANDY, DESHAWN MCKINNEY, and RICK  
ROSE  
2 - MARY KLEHR, and KELLY PARKS-SNIDER  
Excused  
Absent  
2 - JENNIFER GARRETT, and KELSEY YUDICE  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
[MINUTES FROM THE 1/15/2025 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS  
COMMISSION MEETING]  
2024  
MIN-438  
Attachments: 2024 MIN-438  
A motion was made by Commissioner McKinney to approve the January 15th  
2025 commission meeting minutes, seconded by Chair Ritcherson.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
C. Presentations  
1. Bolz Center for Arts Administration Impact Consulting Students  
- The Bolz Center Consulting group will focus on the following: Collecting data from  
diversified audiences, gauging current community engagement and future opportunities,  
and identifying Dane Arts strengths.  
- The Consulting group will meet with Dane Arts staff on a weekly basis with the final  
presentation taking place between April 21-25.  
- The final presentation will ideally be presented both for the Dane Arts Commission and  
during the Business of Art Conference 2025.  
- Bolz students will reach out to commissioners as they continue their research,  
particularly Commissioner McKinney related to his leadership in analyzing impact and  
discussing the Dane Arts granting philosophy.  
D. Overall, 2025 goals/initiatives  
1. Department  
- Dane Arts 2025 annual priorities include the biannual grant program, poster/calendar  
production, artist directory, Business of Art Conference, and gallery spaces at the City  
County Building and StartingBlock Madison.  
- Continuing projects include StartingBlock Madison Artists in Residence and Business  
of Art cohort, Forward Madison FC game day posters, Greater Madison Music City  
Project, Art Pharmacy/Social RX Committee, Managing Cabaret Stage at La Fete de  
Marquette, Partnerships with UW Madison Service Learning in Art and Bolz Center  
students, Friends of Dane Arts 501(c)(3), Change for Art employee giving program, Dane  
Arts Buy Local Art Market on September 13th, collaborating with various Dane County  
departments, and selecting an artist to represent the Ho-Chunk Nation with artwork as a  
land acknowledgement to be installed at the City-County Building.  
- Dane Arts plans to align activities with key priorities of the County Executive.  
- Vice Chair Puleo Moyer and Dane Arts staff will attend a Downtown Madison Inc  
networking event on February 27th.  
- Commissioners are invited to assist in distributing the 2025 Dane Arts poster.  
2. Commission  
2025 Priorities include:  
1. Position Dane Arts as a depository of corporate, foundation and individual donor  
support to leverage tax-payer dollars with private dollars  
2. Create, enhance awareness of Dane Arts among 3 targeted communities outside of  
Madison  
3. Conduct impact study among targeted audiences to increase awareness, educate, and  
provide information about FODA (Friends of Dane Arts)  
4. Position Dane Arts for a successful county budget request  
5. Continue to refine grant application and panel review process  
6. Increase commissioner participation in Dane Arts sponsored and supported events  
- Commissioners are asked to review the six priorities and send any feedback by March  
14.  
- A Dane Arts branding will be developed and available to all commissioners for  
continuity in messaging.  
E. Area of Focus Goals  
Commissioners are asked to identify how their specific areas of focus align with at least  
one of the listed Dane Arts priorities.  
F. Discussion Overview of Grant Decision Making Philosophy  
- Chair Ritcherson discussed the idea of driving the grant application process with a  
targeted theme for each cycle aligning with Dane Arts priorities.  
- Information gathered throughout 2025 will inform any changes to the grant making  
process.  
- Commissioner Curet articulated that change management will need to be carefully  
considered and clearly communicated.  
- A current challenge with an increased number of grant applicants and limited available  
funds is that each applicant receives significantly less than their request. This issue may  
be discussed with community organization focus groups.  
- Other funding variables to consider include how individual artists, operational costs, and  
budget size are handled.  
G. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
1. 2025 Dane Arts Calendar of Events  
- The calendar of Dane Arts supported events has been updated by Commissioner Klehr.  
- Commissioners may email Augusta Brulla with any questions regarding attending  
events, and may reach out to Commissioner Klehr if they are looking for a partner to  
attend an event with.  
- Several commissioners were recently able to attend a Madison Opera dress rehearsal  
which was well attended, demonstrated outstanding artistic merit, and collaboration  
between various community groups to bring significant cultural value to Dane County.  
2. Next Meeting Date  
The next commission meeting date is Wednesday, March 19th at 8:30 a.m.  
H. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
None.  
I. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
- A Hip-Hop artist from Cape Town South Africa is slated to perform at the Business of  
Art Conference (April 24-26).  
- Dane Arts continues to seek $20,000 in funding to support the Business of Art  
Conference.  
- Commissioners are asked to help promote the conference through social media and all  
other appropriate channels.  
J. Adjourn  
A motion was made by Chair Ritcherson to adjourn.  
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 a.m.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Augusta Brulla pending commission approval.