by Kirby Lindsay, posted 15 July 2013
At its monthly Committee Of the Whole (COW) meeting, members of the Fremont Arts Council (FAC) were presented with new initiative proposals, including another possible start time change for the Solstice Parade.
Given the gargantuan effort exhibited by this organization with the staging of the 25th Parade on June 22nd, the new ideas and creative solutions came as something of a surprise. In the past, the July FAC COW meeting has dealt more in reliving the parade than in planning to move forward.
Time For A Parade
Still, the primary discussion of the evening concerned the Parade, and the start time. For 24 years, the parade proceeded at Noon. For 2013, the City of Seattle Special Events Committee dictated a later start to, hopefully, mitigate conflicts with the Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon, which the Committee permitted for the same day. For 2014, the Marathon website has its date already posted – June 21st – the same as that of the FAC Solstice Parade, again.
This open discussion, led by facilitator and FAC Board Member Ricky Gene Powell, left aside the Marathon issues and focused on the start time as experienced by Parade participants. As the Parade co-founder Barb Luecke observed, “It was a lot more positive than I thought.” Attendees largely echoed that sentiment. A few also observed that the later start time – 3p – provided participants with more time to prepare.
Ultimately, the gathered group agreed that a 2p start time might be preferable over 3p, or the previous Noon time. The consensus of the COW will be forwarded to the FAC Board for a final decision.
The good weather, and the naked cyclists, also came up in the discussion. For the August COW, representatives from the Solstice Cyclists have been invited for a discussion on concerns based on this year’s Parade.
A Public Art Proposal
Powell then proposed that the FAC take responsibility for maintenance of pieces of public art around Fremont, beyond the Fremont Troll which the FAC commissioned. Earlier this year the FAC installed a donation box at the Troll, and has collected money towards its upkeep. Powell suggested the FAC do the same for other Fremont art pieces, specifically the Fremont Rocket which is in serious need of maintenance.
Mike Clark, a former FAC Board President, mentioned the difficulties the FAC encountered in doing maintenance work on the Aurora Bridge Mural. Luecke pointed out that the Fremont Troll currently has graffiti damage. She suggested that the FAC prove its ability to care for the Troll before taking a leadership role on other works. Powell and other volunteers then discussed scheduling a time for washing and repairing the Troll. As Powell joked, “If I can’t fix the Troll, you won’t give me the Rocket…”
Artist Exchanges?
Luecke distributed information she’d received on the International Festival of Animated Objects (IFAO,) and talked about the potential for FAC artist exchanges. The IFAO takes place in Calgary, and Luecke has a contact there interested in exploring the possibility of hosting artists in March 2014.
This idea has been brought forward before. This time, Luecke highlighted the benefits an artist exchange could bring to future COW meetings as they could be used for training by visiting artists on new techniques and for hearing about their experiences.
Meeting attendees asked about the next steps on starting such a program. Luecke mentioned the need for funding, and explained that the amount needed would depend on the scale of program the FAC built. She said she would post this proposal on the FAC Yahoo e-list, and pursue the idea further if interest is expressed.
A Budget Team for the FAC
Powell put forward another initiative – to establish a Budget Team for the FAC. Powell serves as Executive Director for First Night in Tacoma, where he uses a year-long fundraising budget. This working document tracks fundraising goals, revenue and expenses, and plans for fundraising throughout the year. He wants to see the same done for the FAC, for funding the Parade and other FAC activities.
The long discussion of this proposal touched on several concerns, without much resolution. One concern was raised about the potential increase in work this could create for the FAC Treasurer (not in attendance.) Additionally, some comments were made about the need for leadership from the FAC Board on fundraising, and opinions were mixed as to the pressure – negative or positive – that this could place on Board Members already struggling on the behalf of the organization.
Powell voiced his concerns about the lack of pre-planning done towards fundraising. The Parade budget has risen in the last years, and yet efforts to raise money often take place only in the four months prior to the event – with emphasis on the weekend the Parade takes place.
Powell received skeptical support for his proposal. He said he ask on the FAC e-list for others who want to join this team and help build a foundation for fundraising.
For more information on the future of the FAC, and the Solstice Parade (particularly the Solstice Cyclists,) attend the next COW on August 13th at 7:10p-ish at The Powerhouse (3940 Fremont Ave N.) The meetings are open-to-the-public, and attendees do not need to be members of the FAC. The Committee Of the Whole, or COW, consists of everyone who attends this meeting.
Hope to see you there!
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©2013 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.