Fine Arts Commission — Skokie, IL
Date: 2022-05-11

Agenda
 Skokie Fine Arts Commission
 May 11, 2022 Meeting
 7 p.m.
I. Call to Order
II. Program Update
 a. Skokie Summer Scenes – Spring/Summer 2022 Skokie Through the Lens
 b. Other
III. Upcoming Projects
 a. Storytelling – Sketchbook Brewing Company/Date TBD
 b. 2022 Artistic Excellence Awards
 c. 2023 SOAR
 d. Other
IV. Open Discussion
 a. Summer 2022 Commission Member Informational Visits
 b. Other
V. Adjournment
 Upcoming meetings: September 14, October 12, November 9 and December
 14, 2022; conference rooms D/E at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street,
 Skokie, Illinois 60077.




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May 11, 2022 Skokie Fine Arts Commission Meeting Summary

I. Call to Order – at 7 p.m. by Chairperson Pam Garbarini; those present in conference rooms
 D/E at Skokie Village Hall included Trustee Liaison Ralph Klein as well as Commissioners
 Judy Levan, Doris Liberman, Sonya Osseny, Pamela Sloan, Mitch Thomas, Vassi Vasevski
 and Ellen Waxberg. Village staff liaisons Ann Tennes and Enkhnasan Taylor also attended.

II. Program Update – Tennes thanked Liberman, Thomas and Vasevski for serving as jurors
 for the Skokie Summer Scenes community photo exhibit. She reported that photos are coming
 in slowly and that the exhibit will be added to the website in coming weeks when more
 photos are submitted.

III. Upcoming Projects – Tennes reported that despite repeated email messages and a recent
 phone conversation, she had yet to receive a possible date or time frame from Sketchbook
 Brewing staff for the commission’s future storytelling program. The group discussed other
 possible locations, including Oakton Community College, Zhivago, Take Flight Spirits as
 well as the new antique and art gallery space on Lincoln Avenue that is expected to open in
 coming months. Tennes promised to provide updates when available.

 The 2022 Artistic Excellence Awards were mentioned as an upcoming fall project, too.
 Tennes advised that NewSkokie was transitioning to a quarterly publication schedule and the
 awards would be included in the fall edition that arrives in homes in late August.

 Garbarini confirmed that the 2023 SOAR exhibition will be held at Oakton Community
 College, and that she hopes the commission can organize a reception of some sort, even on a
 smaller scale than the prior events at the North Shore Center.

IV. Open Discussion – The possibility of restoring the commission’s former grant program was
 discussed. Tennes said that currently, the Village budget cannot support restoring the grants.
 She suggested that limited funds could be available in coming years, but most likely just for
 grants to non-profit community arts agencies/organizations, and not to schools. Garbarini
 expressed support for this, noting that schools have numerous other funding options.

 The commission then discussed possible arts-related organizations and businesses in the
 community that they could visit over the summer, individually or in pairs/small groups, to
 bring information back to the commission when meetings resume in the fall. The following
 list was developed:
 • A+C Architects/Gallery, 4840 Main Street (note: subscribe to newsletters via
 website to receive exhibition/opening notifications)
 • Aw Yeah Comics, 7925 Lincoln Avenue
 • The Douglas Center, 3445 Howard Street
 • Jay Ryan/The Bird Machine, 4823 Main Street
 • Juneteenth exhibit at Devonshire Cultural Center curated by Commissioner
 Debra Hatchett; note that opening reception is on Saturday, June 18, 2 to 4 p.m.
 • Midwest Clay Guild, 8124 Lawndale Avenue
 • Seman Violins, 4447 Oakton Street
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May 11, 2022 Fine Arts Commission Meeting Summary

 The new gallery/antique space under construction on Lincoln Avenue also was mentioned, and
 Tennes promised to send information to the commission when the space was open in coming
 months. Commission members were encouraged to take photos of themselves at the various
 businesses and send them to her for posting in Village outreach to promote both the commission
 and business.

 Sloan mentioned her May 28, 2022 exhibition opening at the Insect Asylum, 2870 N. Milwaukee
 Avenue, Chicago, and invited all commissioners to attend.

V. Adjournment – the meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m.
 Upcoming meeting: September 17, October 12 and December 14, 2022; conference rooms
 D/E at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077.