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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.10.2025 MINUTES Museum Arts & Culture Board Minutes of the September 10, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 1 of 4 Minutes of the September 10, 2025, Museum, Arts and Culture Board Meeting (Approved at the October 8, 2025 Board Meeting) The September 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, Vice Chair Rebecca Doe Brown, Board Members Becky Matzke, Drew Mueske, Alternates Erron Hundt, Carrie Olson Absent: Board Member/Council Member Joe Stephenson With Mr. Stephenson out, Chair Redlin appointed Ms. Olson OPM Staff Present: Museum Director Anna Cannizzo, Assistant Director/Chief Curator Emily Rock, Marketing and Fund Development Coordinator Anne Schaefer and OPM Administrative Assistant Theresa Books recording the minutes. There were no citizen statements to the Board. Consent Agenda items included: A. Minutes of August 7, 2025, Board Workshop B. Minutes of August 13, 2025 Board Meeting C. Receipt and Filing of Quarter 2 Reports of Museum Funds Held at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation MOTION: Approve Consent Agenda (Matzke; second Mueske) CARRIED: Yes (5) Brown, Matzke, Mueske, Olson, Redlin Presentation, discussion and vote regarding budgets involving Board governed funds was next. Director Cannizzo reported that OPM staff met with City Manager Grill and the Finance department to review the operating budget materials on August 18th. As a reminder, there are three funds that the Museum presents a budget for: Operating, Collections Fund, and the Membership Fund. The MAC Board oversees and approves two of these budget funds. The Collections Fund is a trust held by the City that can only be used for the care, interpretation, and improvement of the Museum's permanent collection. This includes any accessions. Money received from de-accessioned items goes directly into the Collections Fund. Additionally, the Minutes of the September 10, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 2 of 4 interest earned from the Museum Fund held at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (OACF) can be used only for collections. There are very few changes to the budget for this fund compared to last year. Director Cannizzo increased the line item for outside expert assessments for the collection which includes: conservation, tribal visits, consultations, and assessments, and other potential outside expertise needs. Staff anticipate having tribal visits in 2026 for the NAGPRA project. OPM continues to fund the NAGPRA Collections Assistant which will be an ongoing project, at least until 2029 when the final federal deadlines occur. Director Cannizzo is requesting an increase to that fund in the amount of $10,000 to accommodate paid Collections Assistant internships. These internships will focus on collections care and management projects and provide a meaningful educational opportunity to Museum Studies students. There are a number of programs in Wisconsin that this will appeal to, including a newly established certificate program at UW-Oshkosh. The Membership Fund is also a trust fund that is used for a number of activities such as education and enrichment programming, outside exhibit rentals and internal temporary exhibit curation, publications, signage, mailings, etc. Interest from trusts and bequests often are transferred into this fund. There are very few changes this year. Director Cannizzo is requesting the ongoing funding of the third part-time LTE Visitor Services position. OPM operations have benefitted significantly since the establishment of this additional Visitor Services staff including better visitor experiences, an increase in store sales, and better cost effective and efficient use of FT staff time. Staff are requesting funds for the final payments and associated costs for the visiting exhibition “Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective” as well as internal exhibition curation and programming of which there will be an increase with the re-opening of the Sawyer Gallery. The Marketing and Fund Development Coordinator always seeks sponsorships or grants for larger exhibitions, events, and programming, so some of those costs may be offset with that support. Lastly, Director Cannizzo is planning to utilize funds from the Kitz Director’s Trust to work with a consultant in 2026 to create and launch a redesigned membership program and incorporate it into OPM’s development and fundraising plan. The goal is to launch the redesigned program in time for the opening of the exhibition “Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective”. The space needs study that the Board approved earlier this year will show in the 2026 CIP budget. Ms. Matzke commented that using the funds for personnel is great and having internships is great. When she brings Ripon College students to OPM they’ll often ask if the museum offers internships. She asked if the percentage of funds used for personnel is similar to past years. Director Cannizzo confirmed that it has stayed pretty much the same. What currently pays for the Curator of Education had covered the Museum Assistant Curator position in the past. And the Durow Fund has covered a staff position for over 10 years. Director Cannizzo feels confident that there will be a greater expectation for the Museum to use more of its special funds to off- set the OPM budget. She reported that the City is currently planning a reorganization at the City level. Minutes of the September 10, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 3 of 4 MOTION: That the Board approve the 2026 budgets as presented (Olson; second Brown) CARRIED: Yes (5) Brown, Matzke, Mueske, Olson, Redlin Chair Redlin then requested the Director’s Report. Director Cannizzo began with a facility update, reporting that the staff parking lot reconstruction began on September 2nd and has an anticipated completion date of September 26; before the Día de los Muertos event. The work for the visitor parking lot will be in Spring 2026 At the August 26 meeting, the Oshkosh Common Council approved the PSA with Facility Engineering Inc. for Architectural/Engineering Services to identify and prepare bid specifications for repairs/rehabilitation work for the Sawyer House Windows and Carriage House building exterior. The scope of this work is to identify specific repairs to the estimated 90+ windows of the Sawyer Home that are in need of various lead abatement, restoration and painting. This project will also include rehabilitation work on the Carriage House to address deteriorating masonry, stucco, wood, sealant and paint. Director Cannizzo reported that OPM will host its fourth Día de los Muertos celebration event on October 11, 10-4:30. This year OPM is collaborating with some new partners at UW-Oshkosh’s Chicano/a Latinx Studies whose students will provide translators and they are involved in various plans. In addition, the Vel Phillips Middle School Spanish classes (160 students) will be making mini ofrendas that will go on display. The Oshkosh Public Library will be onsite for bi- lingual storytelling with Heart of the Beast puppet and mask theater. There will also be a mariachi band and folkloric dancing performances throughout the day, along with crafts, face painting, and other community vendors. Food trucks will be onsite and free admission to the Museum will be sponsored again this year by the Taqueria. Ms. Schaefer will have a schedule for the public to know details of when the various musicians are performing. Please put it on calendar and we hope to see you there! The OPM ofrenda will go up this coming Monday in the OPM sunroom. Social media posts will tell about it and let people know how they can participate with the ofrenda. This has also resulted in a collaboration to have a quinceanera dress exhibition; which is scheduled for March 7 through August 8, 2026, in the Sawyer Gallery. At the UWO event that OPM staff participated at, a student of Hispanic dissent got very emotional about the event that the museum is doing. She was feeling disconnect and was very grateful for the Día de los Muertos event in Oshkosh. In conclusion, Director Cannizzo gave a Public Art and Heritage Policy Update. She reported that she uploaded a copy of the document with comments from the second workshop to Dropbox. Now that the budget has been submitted, Ms. Cannizzo will turn her attention to refining the draft using the comments and sending it out to the Board, along with appropriate City staff, for any additional comments. Once she has those, she will schedule a final workshop to review the draft for final adjustments and the go-ahead to work on the needed forms in the Minutes of the September 10, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 4 of 4 appendices. She feels the heavy work will be complete in 2025 and there will likely be one more policy workshop in 2025. That concluded the Director’s Report. MAC Board Member Statements or Announcements included the following: Chair Redlin reviewed that MAC Board members can volunteer for the Gardens in Glass gallery educator coverage. It is enjoyable to do, it gives one an opportunity to interact with visitors and members. There are some Thursday evenings to fill. Whatever members can do as far as hours, it’d be very helpful. An orientation is provided. Vice Chair Brown reported there was an open house at the Doe House. Joye Moon displayed/showed a lot of art work. About 200 people attended. Mr. Mueske reported regarding the upcoming fundraiser event for the Day by Day Shelter. Friday, 9/12/25, at Becketts Center Court. There will be music, live art, a raffle with many things. With no additional agenda items Chair Redlin asked for a motion to adjourn. MOTION: Adjourn (Olson; second Matzke) CARRIED: Voice Vote The meeting adjourned at 5:33 p.m.