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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.09.2025 MINUTES Museum Arts & Culture Board Minutes of the July 9, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the July 9, 2025 Museum, Arts and Culture Board Meeting (Approved at the August 13, 2025 Board Meeting) The July meeting of the Museum, Arts and Culture (MAC) Board was held at the Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM). Board Chair Vicky Redlin called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. and the Roll was taken. Present at Roll: Board Chair Vicky Redlin, Board Member/Council Member Joe Stephenson, Alternate Erron Hundt Excused: Board Members Rebecca Doe Brown, Becky Matzke, Drew Mueske, Alternate Carrie Olson With Ms. Brown out, Chair Redlin appointed Ms. Hundt OPM Staff Present: Museum Director Anna Cannizzo, Assistant Director/Chief Curator Emily Rock, and OPM Administrative Assistant Theresa Books recording the minutes. There were no citizen statements to the Board. Consent Agenda items included: A. Minutes of the June 11, 2025, Board Meeting MOTION: Approve Consent Agenda (Hundt; second Stephenson) CARRIED: Yes (3) Hundt, Redlin, Stephenson Discussion and Vote regarding use of Board governed funds for 2026 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Planning Study was next on the agenda. Director Cannizzo reviewed that as previously discussed at the May and June MAC Board meetings, staff recently turned in OPM’s 2026 CIP requests. At the CIP Budget meeting with Finance and the City Manager on June 16th, Director Cannizzo received direction to request Board governed funds for the Planning Study in place of a levy request due to budget constraints. Therefore, she requested the Board approve use of funds in the amount of $50,000 from the Museum’s Capital Fund held at Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (OACF) for the Planning Study 2026 CIP project. Museum staff has confirmed with OACF staff that the use of these funds is in alignment with the intent of the Capital Fund. The Board discussed the topic. Mr. Stephenson commented that having robust public input will be good to help convince Council of needs. A study is always a good way to get a good look at all needs and to have it be a formal study helps get a broad view of possibility. Ms. Redlin asked if Minutes of the July 9, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 2 of 3 the company doing the planning study will do a presentation for council and or the public? Director Cannizzo recalls they presented the information to the Board. Director Cannizzo anticipates that Engberg Anderson is the company that will do the Planning Study. They know this facility quite well, so by going with them, it would not be starting at square one, rather, they have a background with OPM. They also have a lot of experience with cultural and public institutional buildings. They will review the front entrance for ADA compliance, restrooms, lift/no-lift access to the museum, and store. They will look at the carriage house for space needs and how it could be better utilized, and a separate storage facility needs. When discussion was complete, Chair Redlin asked for a motion. MOTION: That the Board approve use of $50,000 from the Museum’s Capital Campaign Fund held at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for a Planning Study. (Stephenson; second Redlin) CARRIED: Yes (3) Hundt, Redlin, Stephenson For discussion and vote to amend the Collections Fund budget for appraisal services Director Cannizzo reported that the Museum periodically engages with appraisal services for its permanent collection for insurance purposes. With the recent publicized interest in works by Tiffany Studios, staff would like to update its valuation records pertaining to its significant Tiffany pieces in the Historic Sawyer Home. After reviewing several appraisal services companies, OPM staff would like to engage Hindman Appraisals to provide these services based on their strong reputation and skill set when it comes to these types of collections. Hindman Appraisals is based in Chicago and has an office in Milwaukee. They have agreed to waive their administration fee in an effort to build a relationship with more museums. It has been about seven years since the two Tiffany windows have been assessed and the remaining items have not been evaluated since the mid-1990’s in the wake of the fire. The MAC Board has approved funds from the Collections Fund in the amount of $8,000 for outside expert assessments. Director Cannizzo requested that this budget be amended with an increase of $3,000 to ensure that there are sufficient funds for the appraisal services in addition to already scheduled NAGPRA consultation assessments. After some discussion Chair Redlin requested a motion. MOTION: That the Board approve a $3,000 budget amendment to the Collections Budget for appraisal of the Museum’s Tiffany collections. (Hundt; second Stephenson) CARRIED: Yes (3) Hundt, Redlin, Stephenson Chair Redlin then requested the Director’s Report. Director Cannizzo began with facility project updates, the exterior signage project. This project should be wrapping up this month. The monumental sign on the corner of Congress and High Avenue is nearly complete. Once Cardinal Construction completes their work, the city electricians will place the banner pole signage on Algoma and place the lighting fixtures. For an update on the parking lot reconstruction Director Cannizzo reported that at their June 10th, 2025, meeting the Common Council accepted the bid from Vinton Construction to reconstruct several city parking lots including the Museums. The Museum’s staff lot is set to start construction on August 4th and has an estimated completion time of four weeks (weather depending). The main lot has been confirmed to begin spring of 2026 with an estimated completion time of about six weeks (weather depending). She noted that the River Valley Church is generously allowing the Museum Minutes of the July 9, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 3 of 3 to use their lot for parking during periods of construction as well as for the duration of the Tiffany’s Gardens in Glass exhibition. Director Cannizzo then reported that the 2026 CIP budget was submitted and discussed with Finance and the City Manager on June 16th and Council held their 2026 CIP budget and operations budget overview workshop on June 25th. The workshop is recorded if you are interested in watching. Finance recently distributed the operations budget calendar and instructions to departments. The deadline for submitting operations budgets to Finance is August 15th. She reported that the budget requests for MAC Board governed trusts and funds that are part of the operations budget process will be presented at the September Board meeting. For a NAGPRA Update Director Cannizzo reported that on January 11, 2025, OPM Registrar Emma Eisner and Collections Assistant Grace Pelisek submitted an inventory of all OPM’s Native American Archaeological collections that were collected or found on federal lands. They submitted this inventory to several federal agencies nationwide. The Federal Agencies then had 180 days to respond and acknowledge control and custody of these items or not. Out of the twenty-four agencies contacted, two have so far acknowledged control over some of these objects we currently steward. One collection taken from Mesa Verde National Park, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has acknowledged control over two reconstructed ceramic vessels. In addition, Director Cannizzo reported that Mesa Verde National Park acknowledged control over fifty-one lithics and requested that we return them so that they can maintain control and custody. CRC has deaccessioned these objects because they were accessioned in error, as we did not have the legal right to do so. Registrar Emma Eisner prepared the items and shipped them back according to the National Parks' instructions. Further, the BIA has acknowledged control of the vessels but would like them to remain in the custody of OPM under a Loan Agreement. CRC has also deaccessioned these two ceramic vessels, citing that they were accessioned in error. However, they will remain at OPM, and we will act as a repository for the BIA until they can consult and hopefully return these vessels to the Menominee. Work continues on the comprehensive inventory of the many collections that may fall under NAGPRA, with a deadline of January 2029. That concluded the Director’s Report. MAC Board Member Statements or Announcements included the following: Chair Redlin has noticed that the Oshkosh Garden Club has been posting the work they do at the Museum on Facebook. Dr. Matherne sent emails to the board, requesting volunteer help for the TIffany exhibit; if anyone is able to help in this way, it will be much appreciated. With no additional agenda items Chair Redlin asked for a motion to adjourn. MOTION: Adjourn (Stephenson; second Hundt) CARRIED: Voice Vote The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.