Fine Arts Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2023-01-11

Agenda
 Skokie Fine Arts Commission
 January 11, 2023 Meeting
 7 p.m.

  I. Call to Order

 II. Brainstorming Session - October 2023 National Arts and Humanities
 Month Programming

III. Old and New Business

IV. Adjournment
Note: Meeting will be held in conference room A on the first floor of Skokie
Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077.

Upcoming meetings: February 8, March 8, April 12 and May 10, 2023,
conference rooms D/E at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie,
Illinois 60077.




#605098

Skokie Fine Arts Commission
 January 11, 2023
 Meeting Notes


1. Call to Order at 7:02 p.m. by Chairperson Pam Garbarini
 Present: Vice Chairperson Jeff Rhodes, Trustee Representative Ralph Klein, Staff Representative
 Meredith Gioia and Commissioners Michelle Beatrice, Mira Chandler, Judy Levan, Doris
 Liberman, Sonya Osseny, Pamela Sloan, James VanOsdol, Sharon Vicke, Ellen Waxberg.

2. Introduction of New Staff Representative
 It was announced that Staff Representative Ann Tennes will be leaving her position at the Village
 in March and that Skokie Communications Manager Meredith Gioia will be assuming her
 responsibilities with the Fine Arts Commission. Meredith has an MFA in Acting from The
 Theatre School at DePaul University and worked in the theatre for many years.

3. National Arts and Humanities Month
 Vice Chairperson Jeff Rhodes reminded the group that October is National Arts and Humanities
 Month and that the Commission is looking to recognize the variety of arts available in Skokie.
 Rhodes clarified that the commission is not looking to plan events themselves but rather
 encourage arts organizations/venues to schedule their own events during the month which will be
 featured on the Village website and publicized via social media.
 Organizations/venues would submit their events via a form on the Village website. These
 submissions would be forwarded to the subcommittee to review prior to being added to the
 website. Gioia mentioned that the commission could create and maintain a Google calendar
 which she could then surface on the Village website.
 Organizations and venues that submit would also be included in an arts listing on the Fine Arts
 Commission page of Skokie.org.
 Many organizations/venues are already planning their next seasons so commission members with
 personal contacts at arts organizations/venues are encouraged to reach out to them and let them
 know that an official announcement regarding the National Arts and Humanities Month will be
 coming in March.
 The commission then split into two breakout groups. One was tasked with constructing a one-
 paragraph description of the project and the other was to begin discussion of submission criteria.
 Group One
 “In celebration of the diversity of arts and entertainment in Skokie, the Skokie Fine Arts
 Commission is marking National Arts and Humanities Month this October 2023. Arts
 organizations, businesses and venues through the Village are invited to submit their
 October programming to be promoted in an arts calendar on the Village website and
 listed in an arts registry.”
 Group Two
 Both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, businesses and venues will be allowed to
 submit events. Events are not limited to performances. Applicants could offer adult or
 children’s class visits or demonstrations. Churches and other religious organizations
 could offer events if they regularly offer such activities. They could also offer tours of
 their architecture, statuary, stained glass, etc. Individual artists, however, would not be
 able to submit. If there are several individuals affiliated with an organization that want to
 offer up an event, they may have the organization apply and provide the venue. An
 applicant does not need to have their organization in the Village of Skokie if the
 programming is in Skokie.
 It was suggested that a poster design competition be held for Skokie students.
 Information would need to be distributed prior to the end of the school year.
 Form should have a link to an FAQ for clarifications and a checklist for the applicant to
 verify qualifications. Whether or not a venue is ADA compliant is not a factor in
 acceptance but it should be indicated on the link to their event.
 As a last note, Rhodes asked if the Commission thought that the Excellence in Fine Awards
 should be moved up and presented during the month of October to coincide with National Arts
 and Humanities Month. The group agreed.
4. Upcoming Events
Love Lost and Found storytelling event at Take Flight Spirits (02/16/2023)
The Commission received 12 submissions. The subcommittee will review them and contact those
selected. Chairperson Gabarini explained to the group that seating at the venue is limited to 49
people. Commissioners that are interested in attending will have the opportunity to reserve their
tickets prior to the public. Gioia told the group that, if members were willing to wait to allow the
public time to reserve tickets, she would send an update on sales closer to the event itself.
Commissioner VanOsdol offered himself to serve as Emcee for the event.
SOAR art exhibit at Oakton Community College (03/02/2023-04/04/2023)
Schools have been signing up to be included. The next meeting will be dedicated to preparing the
supplies for the art teachers. The venue has been reserved for an informal open-house reception on
Monday, March 13 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Mayor VanDusen will be in attendance.
5. Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Upcoming meetings: February 8, March 8, April 12 and May 10, 2023 held in conference rooms D/E
at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077.
Skokie Arts & Humanities Month | October 2023

Resources
Americans for the Arts
https://www.americansforthearts.org/events/national-arts-and-humanities-month

Illinois Art Council
https://arts.illinois.gov/ah-october

Calendar (needs review)
May 2023 Call for submission
July 2023 Resend call for submission
August 2023 Request mayoral proclamation
August 28, 2023 Final reminder for submission
September 6, 2023 Deadline for submissions
September 2023 Post calendar on Village website
 Distribute poster and marketing toolkit to participating organizations
October 2023 Skokie Arts & Humanities Month
October 2, 2023 Mayoral Proclamation at Village Board Meeting
October 16, 2023 Artistic Excellence Award at Village Board Meeting

Items Needed
 o Mission Statement/Boilerplate Text – 1 paragraph
 o Submission Criteria
 o What types of organizations are permitted
 o What types of events are permitted
 o List of organizations to reach out to
 o Library
 o Park District
 o Illinois Holocaust Museum
 o Sculpture Park
 o Skokie Theater
 o North Shore Center
 o Downtown Galleries
 o Farmers Market
 o Text for Invite Email
 o FAQ
 o Electronic Form to collect event submissions
 o Form fields
 o Software for form/calendar
 o How to post to Village website
 o Marketing
 o Marketing text
 o Logo?
 o Poster
 o Participating Organizations toolkit
 o Social Media Plan
Other items to consider
 o Inclusivity – see Equitable Engagement Sheet
 o Youth involvement
 o Reach out to Chicago North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau
 o Reach out to Chamber of Commerce
 o Dividing responsibilities among commissioners
 o How to reduce burden on Village staff
 Equitable engagement resources for National Arts & Humanities Month


National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM) is an excellent opportunity to be more inclusive across your
community and engage organizations and populations you may not interact with on a regular basis.
Make sure you share information and resources with large and small organizations, BIPOC (Black,
Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) identifying
people and organizations, organizations and people who may have accessibility needs, and other
marginalized communities. Include those groups in planning celebrations, promote their events through
your networks, and encourage representation of their cultures and traditions as part of uplifting the arts
and humanities in October.
Here are some tips on how you can thoughtfully and intentionally engage across cultures in your
community:

 • If you’re unfamiliar, seek knowledge about a community before reaching out—it’s
 essential to learn as many aspects of the community culture as possible. Here are some
 considerations on where to start your research: language; traditional practices, holidays, and
 festivals; social networks; values; politics, economic conditions, and history; community trends;
 and current experiences and voices.

 • Make it easy for diverse communities to engage with NAHM. Be thoughtful about the
 location, timing, and cost of your organization’s events to include folks who may not be able to
 travel far, who may earn lower incomes, or may have a non-traditional daily schedule.

 • Build out on existing networks and find community leaders whose strengths and networks
 can expand the reach of NAHM celebrations even further. Consider individual artists you know
 and work with who may be part of diverse communities and ask them if they would be
 comfortable supporting an introduction to other artists and organizations.

 • Your local Chamber of Commerce can be an invaluable resource, especially if your
 community has a chamber that focuses on BIPOC or ALAANA businesses. They can help
 promote events to these communities and connect you with existing events to include as part of
 NAHM celebrations.

 • Remember that arts & culture events aren’t always connected to traditional arts venues,
 so reach out to places such as community centers, restaurants, faith-based organizations,
 libraries, colleges/universities, and more to find and promote cultural events during NAHM.

 • Don’t end the engagement when October is over! Real, meaningful connections are based
 on trust and cannot be achieved if only made when there is a need or agenda attached to the
 outreach. NAHM can be the first step in an ongoing relationship with diverse folks in your
 community.