At the August 11th meeting of the Fremont Arts Council (FAC) the plans for several of this organization’s annual events were shared. On August 25th, at 7p, the FAC will host a meeting at its workshop, The Powerhouse (at 3940 Fremont Ave N) for everyone interested in getting involved in this year’s Luminata Lantern Walk, on September 19th.
The August 11th meeting, called the COW, started with a report by Maque daVis on decisions made by the FAC Board of Directors at its meeting earlier in the week. The Board discussed hiring event coordinators, with a hiring committee and set budget. They want a more open, more accountable process, with contracts that outline the scope of work and payments only upon completion. Also, the Board wants to build a separation between those who make the decisions (the Board) and staff that benefit financially.
That said, the event coordinator for Luminata has not been announced. Volunteers are organizing the Walk so far, and have decided to change the route – the Walk will still begin at the Aqua Theater at Green Lake at dusk, but it will go east not west. This provides more room for art installations, and a Call To Artists has been issued for applications for grants – deadline September 1st.
The COW also discussed plans for Trolloween, to be organized by daVis. For the 25th Birthday of the Fremont Troll, daVis plans to hold his annual production entirely at the sculpture site, starting at 7p, with the story of Don Juan, told with actors and a flurry of special effects. The neighborhood haunt will be organized by VamoLa!, and will go down Troll Avenue to N 34th, west from there to Evanston Avenue and then north to the Lenin staute.
On October 31st, the FAC will host a beer garden, from 8p – 11p, on N 36th St, behind Lenin. This will be the fundraising Troll-A-Go-Go, and will include live music, to be coordinated by Ricky Gene Powell. There will be tents, but Doric Lodge #92 has agreed to serve as a back-up indoor location.
A call for an event organizer will be put out for the annual Feast of the Winter Solstice, scheduled for Saturday, December 19th. Right now, the Board wants to lease the same site for this banquet/art installation/party/ritual as they used last year, in South Seattle/Central District. The COW discussed ways to get the surrounding community there involved.
The COW also heard a proposal from Norma Baum to revive a past tradition of the FAC for a Parade Retreat – a 2-3 day, out-of-town workshop for those wishing to be inspired and create ideas for the 2016 Solstice Parade, for art and for the FAC in general. The retreat is scheduled for November 13 – 15, with an in-town recap and report on November 21st (for those who attended, and those who could not.) The Retreat is for everyone – seasoned parade artists, and those who just want to build community and generate dreams. Contact normajbaum@gmail.com if you have ideas of locations, or want to attend.
The COW meeting also contained notice that Mike Clark has signed on to be Troll Cleaner, and word from the Board that, right now, the 2015 Solstice Parade is in the red. “We love the parade,” daVis stated on behalf of the Board, but in the future far more directed fundraising is needed.
If you can help with any of this, contact the FAC at parade@fremontartscouncil.org or attend the next FAC COW meeting on September 8th at 7p at The Powerhouse.