HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 - 2012-2013 Cultural Arts Grants�EWPOR CITY OF
NEWPORT BEACH
09�oP City Council Staff Report Agenda Item No. 10
November 13, 2012
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Library Services Department
Cynthia Cowell, Library Services Director
949 - 717 -3810, ccowell @newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Jana Barbier
APPROVED: A
TITLE: Cultural Arts Grants, 2012/13
ABSTRACT:
The sum of $40,000 (Cultural and Arts, City Grants Account #4002 -8254) is provided
annually for specific cultural or artistic planning or projects as approved by the City
Council. The City Arts Commission has the responsibility to review all programs and
requests for support from arts groups and make recommendations for funding to the
City Council for final approval.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve recommended recipients for FY 2012/13 Cultural Arts Grants as selected by
the City Arts Commission in accordance with City Council Policy 1 -10 — Financial
Support for Culture and the Arts.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
A. Budget Includes Sufficient Funding
The current adopted budget includes sufficient funding for this purchase. It will be
expensed to the City Grants account in the Cultural and Arts Department, 4002 -8254.
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
DISCUSSION:
City Council Policy 1 -10 recognizes the importance of promoting culture and the arts
within the City and establishes a Reserve Fund for Culture and Arts. The sum of
$40,000 is provided annually for specific cultural or artistic planning or projects as
approved by the City Council. The City Arts Commission has the responsibility to
Cultural Arts Grants, 2012/13
November 13, 2012
Page 2
review all programs and requests for support from arts groups and make
recommendations for funding to the City Council for final approval.
The Commission received written grant proposals from twelve cultural organizations for
funding of approximately $112,275 in free cultural arts programming for the Newport
Beach community in fiscal year 2012 -13. After careful deliberation the following
recommendations, totaling $40,000, were approved at the October 11, 2012 meeting:
ExplorOcean /Newport Harbor Nautical Museum $1500
ExplorOcean /NHNM recognizes the needs of the community for an increase in educational
programming and community cultural events with the launch of Family Fun Zone Fridays.
ExplorOcean /NHNM developed Family Fun Zone Fridays (FFZF) to create an educational and
entertainment 'weekend launch event' for families on Friday evenings (5:30PM — 8:30PM)
during the year in Newport Beach. Launched in June, 2012, guests at FFZF enjoy a mix of
hands -on activities, interactive programs, art activities and special performances that will
connect them to the living museum in their backyard. Family Fun Zone Fridays were developed
to meet ExplorOcean /NHNM's interpretive goal of "creating experience based exhibits and
programs that focus on the importance of informal learning while inspiring the visitor into action."
Baroque Music Festival $2500
New artistic director Elizabeth Blumenstock has outlined plans for a striking new program while
continuing in the traditional format. Funding for this organization will be used to hire the
Baroque specialists and soloists for an opening concert of chamber music on June 16 that will
feature concertos for unusual Baroque string instruments, specifically the viola d'amore, a seven
string viola with an additional seven sympathetic strings. The Baroque Music Festival will also
host an evening organ - recital concert on June 17 and concerts on June 19 and June 21 at
Sherman Gardens. The finale concert at Newport Harbor Lutheran Church will feature Handel's
opera "Acis and Galatea (1739)" with English text by John Gay based on Ovid's
Metamorphoses.
South Coast Repertory Theater $2000
South Coast Repertory Theatre has requested funding for "Theatre for Young Audiences"
(TYA), an annual series of three professionally produced plays created especially for children.
Since 2003, TYA extends the range of the theater's offerings and makes available to the
community original, SCR - commissioned world premieres and existing adaptations of popular
and classic children's literature. As the only professional youth- oriented theater company in
Orange County, TYA's main purpose is to introduce the vitality and magic of professional
theatre to all Orange County children, especially those in underserved areas. TYA is also a
valuable tool in helping school districts meet the California Department of Education content
standards for the Visual and Performing Arts and English- Language Arts at little or no cost to
the schools. Every student receives a specially created program booklet. In 2012 -13 the plays
Robin Hood, Anastasia Krupnic, and The Night Fairy will be studied through workshops,
rehearsals and performances.
Cultural Arts Grants, 2012/13
November 13, 2012
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Southland Opera $3000
Southland Opera proposes to perform either assemblies of Adventures in Song and Story or
Operetta! A World Tour in each of the six elementary schools in the city of Newport Beach or
sequential workshops at one Newport Beach school. In the workshop series, Southland Opera
will work with four classes of students and each class will be given six 45- minute, sequential
sessions. In these sessions each class creates their own original song. At the end of the
workshop series, the classes perform their original pieces for the school audience and attending
family members. The elementary schools from which they will choose are: Andersen, Eastbluff,
Mariners, Newport Coast, Newport, and Newport Heights. All performances and /or workshops
will be completed before September 27, 2013.
Festival Ballet Theatre $2000
Festival Ballet Theatre will bring its "Ballet to Schools" program to two Newport Beach
elementary schools in November /December, 2012. Eight FBT company dancers will perform a
narrated, abbreviated version of The Nutcracker, tailored for children ranging in age from five to
fourteen years. A program coordinator, with the assistance of the performers, will guide the
students through an interactive lesson on how pantomime, music, and costumes tell a story and
express emotions without words. Students will be taught appropriate ways to express
appreciation for a theatrical performance. After the performance, students will converse with the
professionals through a question- and - answer session. Students will view beautiful, professional
quality costumes, Pointe shoes, and props up- close. Teacher's curriculum will be provided to
encourage the educators to further interact with classes beyond the presentation.
Newport Beach Film Festival $6000
The Newport Beach Film Festival is planning a multi - program series, covering several days of
the Festival similar to the 2012 Seminar Series and Special Screening. This will be held starting
the first weekend of the Festival and concluding by the Wednesday of the Festival, at locations
in Newport Beach and the surrounding area. Past seminar topics have included directing,
screenwriting, production design, cinematography, film music composition, animation,
documentary filmmaking and special effects. The Film Festival plans to expand the series into
more free Special Screenings with extended discussions and panels with industry professionals
involved in these films. The Film Festival personnel, with deep- rooted industry contacts,
extensive experience in event production, outreach and marketing are key to the participation of
such panelists and the execution of the event. The program will be similar to the 2012 event.
The seminar topics and panelists will change annually, as it is the Film Festival's wish to expand
and improve this program to meet the needs of the community.
Newport/Mesa YMCA $1000
In the Newport Mesa School District several of the schools have lost their art classes due to
budget cuts. Newport/Mesa YMCA feels they are the best organization to bolster these
opportunities as they already serve the Newport Beach area. YMCA has provided service to
960 new memberships. The Y already offers several extracurricular activities for youth and
adults including swimming, music, outdoor education, basketball, volleyball, and now their newly
emerged arts program. The Y has highly qualified individuals teaching a curriculum based on
the curriculum offered in area schools. The Newport/Mesa YMCA will offer varied Y Fine Art
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November 13, 2012
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Outreach Classes from April 1 — June 10. At the end of the session the students will participate
in setting up an art exhibition of the work in the YMCA's multipurpose room.
City Arts Commission $22.000
The City of Newport Beach Arts Commission is dedicated to providing a range of free cultural
programming that enriches the entire community, especially children and families. The Arts
Commission sponsors multidisciplinary arts programs funded by the Cultural Arts Grant
Program such as arts lectures, public art projects, and visual art exhibitions in Central Library
and at City Hall. The Arts Commission extends the range of arts programming by providing
additional funding for the Concerts in the Parks series and the Shakespeare in the Park festival
held each summer. In 2012 -13 these funds will assist with the Newport Beach Public Library's
Imagination Celebration events in May.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act ( "CEQA ") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will
not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the
environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378)
of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it
has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or
indirectly.
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
Submitted by:
Cynthia Cowell
Library Services Director