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, January 11, 2023  
8:00 AM  
Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at the City County  
Building in Room 421; attend virtually via Zoom.  
A. Call To Order  
Call to order at 8:00 a.m.  
Staff: Mark Fraire, Augusta Brulla  
Ritcherson, Xistris-Songpanya and Brulla attended in-person, the rest of the commission  
attended virtually.  
9 -  
Present  
Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, AMNERIS CURET, Vice Chair MARY KLEHR,  
MARCIA MIQUELON, KELLY PARKS-SNIDER, FRAN PULEO MOYER, Supervisor  
OLIVIA XISTRIS-SONGPANYA, LAURA GALLAGHER, and JENNIFER GARRETT  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
2022  
MIN-497  
[MINUTES FROM THE 11/09/2022 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS  
COMMISSION MEETING]  
Attachments: 2022 MIN-497  
A motion was made by Vice Chair Klehr to approve the November 11, 2022  
Commission meeting minutes, seconded by Commissioner Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
C. Presentations  
1. Maria Amalia Wood, 2022 Cycle 2 Dane Arts Grant Recipient, Remendando Memorias  
- Maria Amalia uses art as a tool to build community, find common ground, and create a  
space where difficult conversations around inclusivity, equity and diversity can be  
approached.  
- The name of the project, “Remendando Memorias” (mending memories) has been  
changed to “Bordando Memorias” (embroidering memories).  
- Bordando Memorias takes place at Synergy Coworking with support from the Madison  
Arts Commission and Madison Public Library.  
- Participants of the project will embroider self-portraits surrounded by flowers native to  
Wisconsin and country of birth.  
- Madison Public Library has funded commissioned tables for this specific project after  
which they will be used at various public libraries.  
- More information about Bordando Memorias is available at:  
www.mariaamalia.com/bordandomemorias  
D. Action Items  
1. Youth Art Equity Proposal Presented by Supervisor Xistris-Songpanya  
- The County Board of Supervisors has secured a $40,000 grant included in the County  
Executive budget for arts programming that provides equitable opportunities for under  
served youth to participate.  
- It is recommended by the Executive Committee that the $40,000 grant be added to the  
2023 grant cycle, similar to the Blockstein award.  
- There is a question in the 2023 Cycle 1 grant application that states: “Is your project  
providing equitable opportunities for youth to participate?”  
- How the funds will be distributed in each cycle is still to be determined.  
- Commissioner Curet will investigate how the $40,000 award will be included in fund  
allocation formula.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Puleo Moyer to accept the $40,000  
allocated by the Dane County Board for art programs that assist under served  
youth in the Dane County community, seconded by Commissioner Garret.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
2. Funding Admission-Free Events, led by Chair Ritcherson  
- Chair Ritcherson articulated that the mission of the Dane Arts Commission is to ensure  
that participation in the arts is equitable and available to all.  
- Chair Ritcherson proposed that Dane Arts funds are allocated toward free performances  
within an organization, even if they have other paid programming. This is not to say an  
organization cannot have paid programming or that artists are not paid. Rather, if an  
applicant has a free performance built into their application, Dane Arts funds shall be  
distributed to the free performance specifically.  
- Commissioner Parks Snider suggested an additional monetary incentive for  
no-admission events.  
- Commissioner Puleo Moyer suggested that Dane Arts could be mentioned as a  
supporter of admission-free events specifically.  
- Director Fraire recommended maintaining the existing grant process until additional  
funds are raised, and ensuring all grant recipients give appropriate credit to Dane Arts.  
- Due to time constraints and lack of consensus, the discussion on admission-free  
events was paused.  
E. Reports to Committee  
1. Chair/Executive Committee Report  
- The next discussion during the February Commission meeting will be youth engagement  
led by Vice Chair Klehr and Commissioner Parks Snider and general information about  
the upcoming grant cycle.  
- Commissioner Parks Snider and Commissioner Curet, whose current terms expire in  
June 2023, have agreed to serve another term on the Dane Arts Commission.  
- Once Kelsey Yudice and Jay Handy are confirmed by the County Executive, the  
commission will be fully staffed.  
- Going forward, all public meetings must be held in a hybrid format which means that  
Dane Arts staff and the Chair or Vice Chair must be present in person.  
- Chair Ritcherson does not expect all commissioners to attend in-person.  
2. Area of Focus Discussion/Reports  
- Chair Ritcherson requested that each commissioner identify an area of focus and report  
what they will be working on during the February commission meeting.  
- Commissioner Garret requested to be included in the Public Relations area of focus.  
- Commissioner Gallagher would like to work with Jay Handy (once appointed) on  
fundraising and possibly marketing.  
- An area of focus that is not listed is policy and procedures, which Vice Chair Klehr  
oversees.  
- Additional areas of focus that warrant further discussion are a fund advisory committee,  
and volunteer recruitment/Friends of Dane Arts group.  
- All commissioners are encouraged to be involved in commissioner brainstorming and  
recruitment.  
3. Executive Director's Report  
- Reference Director Fraire’s January report  
F. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
The next commission meeting is Wednesday, February 8th at 8 a.m.  
G. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
None.  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
None.  
I. Adjourn  
Meeting adjourned at 9:07 a.m.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Parks Snider to adjourn.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Augusta Brulla pending commissioner approval.