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, March 8, 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  
Present in person: Chair Ritcherson  
Present virtually: Vice Chair Klehr, Commissioner Yudice, Commissioner Curet,  
Commissioner Miquelon, Commissioner Parks Snider, Commissioner Puleo Moyer,  
Commissioner Handy, Supervisor Xistris-Songpanya  
Staff in person: Mark Fraire, Augusta Brulla  
Call to order at 8 a.m.  
9 -  
Present  
Chair RODERICK RITCHERSON, AMNERIS CURET, Vice Chair MARY KLEHR,  
MARCIA MIQUELON, KELLY PARKS-SNIDER, FRAN PULEO MOYER, Supervisor  
OLIVIA XISTRIS-SONGPANYA, JAY HANDY, and KELSEY YUDICE  
2 - LAURA GALLAGHER, and JENNIFER GARRETT  
Excused  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
2022  
MIN-604  
[MINUTES FROM THE 02/08/2023 ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS  
COMMISSION MEETING]  
Attachments: 2022 MIN-604  
A motion was made by Commissioner Handy to approve the February  
Commission minutes, seconded by Commissioner Puleo Moyer.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
C. Action Items  
1. Approve Cycle 1 2023 Grant Dollars Budget for Distribution  
The 2023 Cycle 1 grant budget is between $180,000 and 189,000.  
Grant Review Process: Grant panels review and score applications, a formula is used to  
determine final award recommendations based on individual scores, and final awards are  
recommended to the full Commission by the Executive Committee.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Curet to approve distributing $95,000 of the  
2023 grant budget in cycle 1, seconded by Supervisor Xistris-Songpanya.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
2. Youth Equity in the Arts  
The County Board of Supervisors allocated $40,000 in support of project grant  
applications that provide equitable opportunities for youth to participate.  
The Executive Committee recommends the allocation of $20,000 to the 2023 cycle 1  
budget.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Puleo Moyer to approve the allocation of  
$20,000 to the 2023 Cycle 1 budget, seconded by Commissioner Miquelon.  
The motion was carried unanimously by a voice vote.  
D. Presentations: Susan Gardels, Director of Development and Communication,  
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras  
- Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO) Mission: The Wisconsin Youth  
Symphony Orchestras will enrich lives by providing transformational musical experiences  
& opportunities.  
- The new WYSO Center for Music opens in November, 2023.  
- The new building will allow WYSO to bring all programs, and new partners, together  
under the same roof in a state of the art facility optimized for music rehearsal and  
performance.  
- View a virtual WYSO Building walk-through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?  
v=zA_RZ4JGBJc&t=2s  
E. March Discussion Topic(s)  
Strategic attendance by commissioners at Dane Arts Events:  
- For the sake of efficiency and clarity, Puleo Moyer created a Google sheet where  
Commissioners can sign up to attend and volunteer at events.  
- Commissioners will be asked to review upcoming events and sign up to attend during  
each Commission meeting.  
- Commissioner Puleo Moyer and Commissioner Parks Snider discussed the following  
ideas: commissioners writing and sending op-eds to media, Commissioners attending  
meetings and events with Dane Arts staff or when Dane Arts staff are not available to  
attend, and serving as ambassadors of Dane Arts whenever possible.  
- The Community Engagement/Publicity Area of focus discussed helping plan a May  
event to introduce Commissioners, Behind Creative, and the 2023 Poster.  
- Commissioners are needed to lead volunteers during the Business of Art Conference  
Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1.  
- New Commissioners are strongly encouraged to attend one grant panel review session  
in March or April to get a better understanding of how the process works.  
F. Chair/Executive Committee Report; Areas of Focus Review/Reports  
Dane County Rural Cultural Resource Planning Guide Steering Committee:  
- A member of Dane Arts (staff or Commission) is invited to serve on a committee of  
County Supervisors that is looking at the cultural work of the county.  
- This commitment involves attending a meeting once per month.  
- Additional information will be shared with Commissioners via email.  
Area of Focus Reports:  
- Friends of Dane Arts: In order for Dane Arts to create a friends group, a nonprofit  
organization must be formed. The Commission will consider moving forward and the  
implications for long-term maintenance. Chair Ritcherson pointed out that creating a  
friends group will need to establish credibility to reassure donors about the stewardship  
of their funds.  
- Community Engagement/Publicity: Reviewed in Section E.  
- Arts and Economic Prosperity Study: Dane Arts has exceeded the minimum 800  
required surveys and the required minimum of 160 surveys from BIPOC-led  
organizations.  
- Marketing: Commissioner Handy has been exploring a fundraising model which will be  
discussed in greater depth during an upcoming meeting. Additional marketing efforts and  
ideas will also be discussed at the May Commission meeting.  
Grants Update:  
- There are 5 short order applications requesting a total of $4,400 and 2 capital grant  
requests totaling $4,255 which will be reviewed by Vice Chair Klehr and discussed at the  
next executive committee meeting. Funds for these requests will be allocated from other  
budgets within the department per Director Fraire’s discretion.  
G. Executive Director's Report  
See Director Fraire’s notes.  
H. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
The next Commission Meeting is Wednesday, April 19 at 8 a.m.  
I. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
- Commissioner Miquelon extended an invitation to the Wild Rumpus Circus event, “Wild  
Things,” on Saturday March 18 and Sunday March 19 at MyArts Theater in Madison.  
- Commissioner Parks Snider shared a link to the Arts Social Change Grantmaking  
Directory of Funders:  
https://www.giarts.org/sites/default/files/Arts-Social-Change-Grantmaking-Directory-of-Fu  
nders.pdf  
J. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
None.  
K. Adjourn  
A motion was made by Commissioner Parks Snider to adjourn.  
Meeting adjourned at 9:02 a.m.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Augusta Brulla pending Commission approval.