Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission Executive Committee  
Friday, October 10, 2025  
4:30 PM  
Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at the City County  
Building in Room 209; attend virtually via Zoom.  
A. Call To Order  
Present: Chair Ritcherson, Klehr, Miquelon  
Excused: Vice Chair Puleo Moyer, Supervisor Rose  
Quorum was established.  
Additional Commissioners: Curet  
Staff: Mark Fraire, Augusta Brulla  
Call to order at 4:31 p.m.  
3 - Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, MARY KLEHR, and MARCIA MIQUELON  
Present  
2 - FRAN PULEO MOYER, and Supervisor RICK ROSE  
Excused  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
[MINUTES FROM THE 08/29/2025 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS  
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING]  
1. 2025  
MIN-322  
Attachments: 2025 MIN-322  
A motion was made by Klehr to approve the 8/29/25 Executive Committee  
Minutes, seconded by Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
2. Approve September commission minutes  
A motion was made by Miquelon to recommend the 9/8/25 Commission minutes  
for approval by the full commission, seconded by Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
C. Action Items: Review Approve 2025 Cycle 2 Recommendations  
1. Approve short order grant awards budget  
A budget limit of $2,225 (up to 50% of total requests) for 2025 Cycle 2 Short  
Order grant awards was recommended by Dane Arts Staff.  
A motion was made by Klehr to recommend the short order project grant  
maximum allocation of $2,225 for approval by the full commission, seconded by  
Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
2. Approve short order grant award allocations  
Five eligible project grant applications were received. Funding requests and  
proposed awards are as follows:  
- Clean Lakes Alliance - Indigenous Ice Festival Displays and Events, Request:  
$1,000, Proposed Award: $500  
- Madison Gamer Symphony Orchestra - Madison Gamer Symphony  
Orchestra: Inaugural Concert, Request: $1,000,  
- Proposed Award: $500  
- Madison Theatre Guild - Madison Theatre Guild's The Butter and Egg Man,  
Request: $1,000, Proposed Award: $500  
- Sandra Schoen - Sandra Schoen & Katherine Rosing (Paired Exhibitions),  
Request: $950, Proposed Award: $475  
- Triangle Community Ministry - Art for Life, Request: $500, Proposed Award:  
$250  
A motion was made by Klehr to recommend the above proposed short order  
grant awards for approval by the full commission, seconded by Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
3. Approve capital awards grant budget  
The Commission determined that the Capital Grant budget is not to exceed 5%  
of total available funds in any given cycle.  
%5 of the total 2025 Cycle 2 budget ($92,262) allows $4,863 for capital grant  
awards.  
A motion was made by Miquelon to recommend the capital project grant  
maximum allocation of $4,863 for approval by the full commission, seconded by  
Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
4. Approve capital grant award allocations  
Commissioner Klehr recommended funding each of the seven eligible  
applications received at 30% of their request.  
Capital grant requests and proposed awards are as follows:  
- Arts & Literature Laboratory, Inc. - Assistive Listening for ALL, Request:  
$3,000, Proposed Award: $900  
- Create Waunakee, Inc. - Durable Tents for Waunakee Artisan Market (WAM)  
Student/ Emerging Artists, Request: $3,000, Proposed Award: $900  
- Dimensions In Sound & The Studio Orchestra Inc. - Drum Kit Purchase,  
Request: $1,430, Proposed Award: $429  
- Madison Area Potters Guild - Madison Area Potters Guild 2025 Booth Project  
Grant, Request: $1,380, Proposed Award: $414  
- Madison Metropolitan Schools - Assistive Technology Department - Artist in  
Everyone: Adapted Materials for Visual Art/Music Classes, Request: $1,377,  
Proposed Award: $413  
- Oregon Community Foundation - Oregon Community Foundation (dba - OCA  
Media) video camera and audio equipment-August 2025, Request: $3,000,  
Proposed Award: $900  
- Wisconsin Film Festival - Equipment for 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival,  
Request: $2,692.50, Proposed Award: $808  
A motion was made by Klehr to recommend the funding each of the seven  
capital grant applications at 30% of their request as outlined above for approval  
by the full commission, seconded by Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
5. Acknowledge stipend amounts to panel reviewers  
29 panelists reviewed grants during 2025 Cycle 2.  
Each panelist is offered a $100 honorarium for their time, bringing the total  
budget for grant panelist honoraria to $2,900.  
Honoraria is deducted from the cycle grant budget.  
6. Approve final grant pool dollar budget recommendation (action item)  
After panelist honoraria ($2,900), short order awards ($2,225), and capital grant  
awards ($4,764) are deducted from the cycle budget of $97,262, $87,373  
remains for project grant awards.  
A motion was made by Miquelon to recommend allocation of 87,373 for project  
grant awards for approval by the full commission, seconded by Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
7. Approve cycle two grant allocation recommendations  
All scores skewed relatively high with scores ranging 63.7 - 99.4 out of 100  
possible points, with a score average of 88.3.  
The commission discussed awarding each application as outlined by the grant  
allocation formula, with the exception of the lowest scoring application which  
was recommended to receive the minimum award of $500.  
A motion was made by Miquelon to award all project grant applicants as outlined  
by the grant allocation formula, with the exception of a $500 award to the lowest  
scoring applicant for recommendation to the full commission, seconded by Klehr.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
D. Discuss Alternative Grant Award Allocation Ideas  
1. Seek idea starters  
Since funding requests consistently exceed available funds, Chair Ritcherson  
proposed discussing various funding alternatives during the November  
commission meeting.  
Chair Ritcherson presented funding alternative ideas for consideration including:  
1. Only fund organizations with budgets under $500,000  
2. Only fund 3 disciplines per cycle  
3. If applicants are awarded funds in one cycle they would have to wait until a  
set time before eligible to apply again  
4. Only fund individual artists  
5. Set a limit on the number of grant awards per cycle  
6. Dane Arts commission determines the focus of the grant cycle  
7. Only fund free events  
8. Set a priority of increasing participants (to make art, music), or fund  
performances to increase appreciation of and for art, music  
9. Request proposals for public art only  
10. Dane Arts initiates our own public art project based on a specific theme,  
issue, etc. and issue an RFP  
11. Change DAMA funding to direct, specific projects around the county  
Curet suggested another option to only fund the top scoring applicants in each  
discipline.  
Another suggestion included only funding limited-term projects.  
2. Number of non-project specific cycle two applications  
None.  
E. Events Update  
Commissioners will be needed to staff the Dane Arts Calendar and Poster  
Reception on Friday, November 7th, 5 - 9 PM.  
F. Executive Director’s Report  
1. 50th anniversary grant  
The Executive Director’s report will be prepared for the October 16th  
Commission meeting.  
2. Other  
None.  
G. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
1. October 16 Commission Agenda  
-Roll call, establish quorum  
-Approve September 8 meeting minutes (action item)  
-Approve short order grant award allocations (action item)  
-Approve capital grant award allocations (action item)  
-Approve final grant pool dollar budget (action item)  
-Approve cycle two grant award allocation recommendations (action item)  
-Dane Arts Calendar of Events  
-November Agenda--(Discussion on Alternative Grant Award Allocation Ideas)  
-Area of Focus Updates (time permitting)  
H. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
None.  
I. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
None.  
J. Adjourn  
A motion was made by Miquelon to adjourn.  
Meeting adjourned at 5:17 p.m.