Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission Executive Committee  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Friday, August 16, 2024  
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, Commissioner Klehr, Supervisor  
Rose  
Excused: Commissioner Miquelon  
Staff: Mark Fraire, Augusta Brulla  
Quorum was established.  
Call to order at 8:33 a.m.  
4 - Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, MARY KLEHR, FRAN PULEO MOYER, and  
Supervisor RICK ROSE  
Present  
Excused  
1 - MARCIA MIQUELON  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
[MINUTES FROM THE 05/10/2024 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS  
2024  
1.  
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING]  
MIN-082  
Attachments:  
2024 MIN-082  
A motion was made by Commissioner Klehr to approve the 5/10/2024 Executive  
Committee minutes. seconded by Vice Chair Puleo Moyer.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
2. Approve June 26, 2024, commission minutes for recommendation to full commission  
Chair Ritcherson proposed an amendment to the June 26th minutes as follows: Item C.  
Officer Elections should state that elections take place at the end of the officer’s  
three-year term, not each year.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Puleo Moyer to approve the 6/26/2024 minutes  
for recommendation for approval by the full commission, seconded by  
Commissioner Klehr.  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Puleo Moyer to recommend the minutes as  
amended for approval by the full commission, seconded by Commissioner Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
C. Welcome Supervisor Rick Rose  
1. Overview of executive committee  
The Executive Committee is the only standing committee of the Dane Arts Commission.  
2. Individual area of focus  
- Commissioners have individual Areas of Focus, which are informal groups not  
designated as workgroups or sub-committees.  
- Chair Ritcherson suggested that Supervisor Rose’s Area of Focus could be the  
County Board, reporting on any County Board activities relevant to the Dane Arts  
commission.  
D. Review/Develop Capital Grants Allocations Formula  
- Historically, the Capital grant allocation has been determined each cycle based on the  
number of eligible grant requests.  
- Chair Ritcherson proposed that the Capital grant budget be set at 5% of the total grant  
pool dollars available per cycle. Awards can be made up to 5% of available dollars.  
- Consensus was that any unused portion of the Capital grant funds should be  
distributed back to the current cycle grant pool.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Puleo Moyer to establish a process of  
allocating up to 5% of grant pool dollars to Capital Grant requests with any  
unused funds rolling back into the grant pool dollars in a given cycle, seconded  
by Commissioner Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
E. Review Short Order Future Dollars  
- Short order funds have been awarded from the grant pool budget or the Lussier fund  
on a case-by-case basis.  
- 2024 Cycle 2 received less applications than 2024 Cycle 1, so it is anticipated that  
short order funds will be distributed from the grant pool budget this cycle.  
- Short order grants are designed for independent working artists, new organizations,  
and/or first-time applicants to apply for up to $1,000.  
- Grant guidelines state that applicants may apply for three separate grants per year,  
including short order, capital and project. Only one short order grant application is  
permitted per cycle.  
- Director Fraire stated that the short order application process will continue through  
2024 Cycle 2, with a plan to discuss the merits of continuing the short order grant in the  
future.  
F. Continued Discussion on Possible County Executive Debate Forum  
- Dane County Legal Counsel does not recommend that Dane Arts lead, sponsor, or  
support a County Executive debate forum since the elected County Executive directly  
supervises the Director of Dane Arts.  
- Dane Arts involvement could include proposing an arts-related question during a  
forum.  
G. Updates on Fundraising-Madison Club Event and Friends of Dane Arts  
- Several business executives attended the event and opted in to the Change for Art  
employee giving program.  
- The Fund Development event at the Madison Club event was paid for by private  
donors.  
- Director Fraire is working with consultant Robb Hankins to develop a mechanism for  
onboarding company partners, and an efficient donation portal.  
- Chair Ritcherson will meet with an attorney to discuss setting up the Friends of Dane  
Arts 501(c)(3).  
- $1,000 in startup funds will need to be raised from a private source to initiate the  
501(c)(3).  
H. Upcoming Dane Arts sponsored events/commissioner participation  
- Vice Chair Puleo Moyer proposed a discussion around mandating commissioner  
participation at Dane Arts sponsored events in the future.  
- The result could include commissioners agreeing to commit to attending a certain  
number of Dane Arts supported events per year.  
- Each grant recipient agreed to provide at least one comp ticket to conduct a site visit.  
I. Preliminary Preparation for Grant Cycle 2-Budgeted Allocation  
- 2024 Cycle 2 received 42 project grant applications and 4 short order applications  
- The total budget for this cycle is approximately $100,000 which will include project and  
short order grants as well as panelist honoraria.  
- Commissioner Curet will be asked to give a brief presentation of 2024 Cycle 2  
proposed awards to the Executive Committee prior to the October Commission meeting  
in which recommended grant allocations will be presented.  
J. Executive Director Report  
- Dane Arts staff continue to work on the following programs: Behind Creative Series,  
Change for Art initiative, 2025 Calendar & Poster, Forward Madison FC gameday  
posters, Gallery spaces at the City-County Building, StartingBlock Madison and a recent  
exhibition at Giant Jones Brewing Company.  
- Dane Arts is in conversation with the Dane County Regional Airport about a mural  
project in their new animal companion space.  
- Supervisor Rose noted that in a recent survey, Indigenous representation was noted  
as important to stakeholders.  
- Dane Arts is working with the County Board of Supervisors to select artwork by a  
Ho-Chunk artist for permanent display at the City-County Building.  
1. 2025 Budget  
- The Dane County budget process will be completed by October.  
- Director Fraire will request an increase of $50,000 to the Dane Arts grant budget.  
K. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
1. Develop August 21, 2024, Commission agenda.  
-Roll call, establish quorum  
-Approve June 26, 2024, meeting minutes  
-Presentation group  
-Area of Focus Reports-(All)  
-Executive Director Report  
L. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
None.  
M. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
- Vice Chair Puleo Moyer would like to discuss commissioners’ roles at events they are  
asked to attend and create a process for organized commissioner involvement.  
- Vice Chair Puleo Moyer discussed allocating funds to a substantial project in the future  
that would have high community visibility.  
- There is potential to develop a project for 2027, which marks the 50th anniversary of  
Dane Arts.  
- Director Fraire suggested forming a Dane Arts 50th anniversary Area of Focus.  
N. Adjourn  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Puleo Moyer to adjourn.  
Meeting adjourned at 9:35 a.m.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Augusta Brulla pending commission approval.