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?

Thursday, October 16, 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, Miquelon, McKinney,

Yudice, Garrett

Excused: Klehr, Supervisor Rose, Parks Snider,

Quorum was established.

Staff: Mark Fraire, Augusta Brulla

Call to order at 8:32 a.m.

7 -

Present

Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, AMNERIS CURET, MARCIA MIQUELON, Vice

Chair FRAN PULEO MOYER, JENNIFER GARRETT, KELSEY YUDICE, and

DESHAWN MCKINNEY

3 - MARY KLEHR, KELLY PARKS-SNIDER, and RICK ROSE

Excused

B. Consideration of Minutes

[MINUTES FROM THE 9/8/2025 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS

COMMISSION MEETING]

2025

MIN-327

Attachments: 2025 MIN-327

A motion was made by Puleo Moyer to approve the minutes from the 9/8/2025

commission meeting, seconded by Curet.

The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.

C. Approve short order grant award allocations (action item)

A budget limit of $2,225 (up to 50% of total requests) for 2025 Cycle 2 Short

Order grant awards was recommended by the Executive Committee.

Five eligible project grant applications were received. Funding requests and

awards as recommended by the Executive Committee 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 McKinney to approve the above proposed short order

grant awards for a total of $2,225, seconded by Yudice.

The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.

D. Approve capital grant award allocations (action item)

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 up to $4,863 for capital

grant awards.

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 Curet to fund each of the seven capital grant applications

at 30% of their request as outlined above for a total of $4,764, seconded by Puleo

Moyer.

The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.

E. Approve project grant pool dollar budget (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 Puleo Moyer to approve the allocation of $87,373 for

project grant awards, seconded by McKinney.

The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.

F. Approve cycle two project grant award allocation recommendations (action item)

All scores skewed relatively high with scores ranging 63.7 - 99.4 out of 100

possible points, with a score average of 88.3.

Curet 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 Curet 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 a total of $87,373, seconded by Puleo Moyer.

The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.

G. Dane Arts Calendar of Events

Commissioners are highly encouraged to attend three upcoming Dane Arts

events:

- Dane Arts 2026 Calendar & Poster Reception, Friday, November 7th, 5 - 7 PM

at Aubergine Gallery

- City-County Ho Chunk Land Acknowledgement, Thursday, November 20th, 5

PM, at the City-County Building Lobby

- Dane Arts Holiday Pop-Up Market, Friday, Dec 5th, 4-9 PM and Saturday,

December 6th 11 AM - 4PM

As always, commissioners are encouraged to sign up to attend any Dane Arts

supported or presented events using the shared events spreadsheet.

H. Area of Focus Updates

Chair Ritcherson initiated a discussion on alternative models for the Dane Arts

grant program, outlining twelve possible suggestions as well as two additional

suggestions from Commissioner Curet.

Commissioners are encouraged to send other ideas to Augusta for discussion

during the November commission meeting.

Commissioner McKinney and Dane Arts staff continue to collect community

feedback about the Dane Arts grant process via surveys and focus groups.

Over 80 responses have been received to date and 15 focus groups are

scheduled throughout the remainder of the year.

McKinney asked commissioners to reach out to their communities using the

provided template, with a focus on representation outside of Madison.

A brief preliminary update will be provided at the November commission

meeting, findings and recommendations will be shared in January 2026, and an

in-depth conversation is slated for February.

Executive Director's Note:

Director Fraire continues to secure keynote the Business of Art Conference for

April, 2026.

Reference Director Fraire’s notes for a summary of current activities.

Wendy Schneider, Director of the Dane Arts Behind Creative series released a

trailer which was shared with the commission: https://vimeo.com/1122321169

I. Future Meeting Items and Dates

The next commission meeting is on Monday, November 10th at 4:30 PM.

2026 commission meeting dates will be approved during the November

meeting.

J. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda

None.

K. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law

None.

L. Adjourn

A motion was made by Puleo Moyer to adjourn.

Meeting adjourned at 9:23