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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.12.2025 MINUTES Museum Arts & Culture Board Minutes of the November 12, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the November 12, 2025, Museum, Arts and Culture Board Meeting (Approved at the January 14, 2026 Board Meeting) The November 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 4:34 p.m. and roll was taken. Present at Roll: Board Chair Vicky Redlin, Board Members Becky Matzke, Board Member/Council Member Joe Stephenson, Alternates Erron Hundt, Carrie Olson. Excused: Vice Chair Rebecca Doe Brown, Absent: Board Member Drew Mueske With Mr. Mueske out, Chair Redlin appointed Ms. Olson With Ms. Brown out, Chair Redlin appointed Ms. Hundt OPM Staff Present and Other Attendees: Museum Director Anna Cannizzo, Assistant Director/Chief Curator Emily Rock, Auxiliary Secretary Ruth Davis and OPM Administrative Assistant Theresa Books recording the minutes. There were no citizen statements to the Board. Consent Agenda items included: A. Minutes of October 8, 2025 Board Meeting B. Receipt and Filing of Q3 Reports Regarding Museum Funds held at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation MOTION: Approve Consent Agenda Ms. Matzke; second Ms. Olson CARRIED: Yes (5) Hundt, Matzke, Olson, Redlin, Stephenson An update on programs and events of the Auxiliary was given by Auxiliary Secretary Ruth Davis. The Auxiliary celebrated their 100th year anniversary on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Despite the bad weather 80 people attended and many people signed up for the raffle baskets. In May during the Oshkosh Garden Club plant sale at the Museum, the Auxiliary did a bake sale and raffle basket. A total of $484 was earned. Museum staff asked the Auxiliary to sell water at the Día de los Muertos celebration. They had three shifts for members to help out. Their table was near the food trucks, which were also selling water and drinks. They feel that really hurt their sales. Ms. Davis reported that the Auxiliary is set to help OPM with the Dec. programming Minutes of the November 12, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 2 of 3 “Sounds of the Season.” The Auxiliary will sponsor the musicians and member Barb Shirtz will be Mrs. Claus and will read to children at the Museum on Saturday, December 6th. Chair Redlin invited the Auxiliary to let the Board know if volunteer help is ever needed. It was asked how many members are a part of the Auxiliary. Ms. Davis reported that twenty to thirty people come to the meetings. There are more than that who are members. Chair Redlin suggested they think about moving the meetings to a different, later afternoon time. Ms. Davis said they’d lose members if they had to drive in the dark, which is most of winter. Ms. Olson suggested perhaps a breakfast meeting time to have people come before work. Director Cannizzo and Ms. Schaefer are working with the Auxiliary to see if they can evolve to perhaps have new ways for the group to raise funds for the Museum. When the Auxiliary report was complete Chair Redlin then requested the Museum Director’s Report. Director Cannizzo began with facility updates. She reported that the staff parking lot reconstruction has been completed with the trash enclosure still to be installed. Parts may arrive Monday and then it will be installed Tuesday. Additionally, at the August 26th meeting, the Oshkosh Common Council approved the Professional Service Agreement (PSA) with Facility Engineering Inc. (FEI) for architectural/engineering services to identify and prepare bid specifications for repairs/rehabilitation work for the Sawyer House windows and Carriage House building exterior. FEI has been onsite twice so far to assess the work that is required for the Historic Sawyer Home and the Carriage House. They may need to return one more time to complete their work and create a plan before the project would go out to bid. In mid-December there will be a meeting regarding the elevator modernization project at which time staff will get a clearer sense of the timeline for the project. At this time, staff anticipate work to begin mid-January with a duration of about eight weeks. As the project start approaches, staff plan to message this to the public because the elevator will not be operational and will impact visitors with mobility needs. Museum staff are working to have a full range of exhibits ready in the various rooms on the first floor of the Museum. Director Cannizzo then gave a 2026 Budget Update. She reported that the Oshkosh Common Council met on November 11th to approve the 2026 Operating Budget. In 2026, the Museum’s Operating Budget will move from a special revenue fund to the general fund. This does not include the Membership Fund and the Collections Fund which are Board governed. For the collections update Director Cannizzo was delighted to report that the three fire wagons/apparatuses recently deaccessioned from the collection have all been placed with cultural/historic non-profit organizations. One will go to the De Pere Historical Society, and the remaining two have been placed with the Vintage Fire Company (formerly the Venerable Fire Collection) a fire museum in Slinger. This organization will be opening a new Midwest Fire Museum in West Bend in the near future. Registrar Emma Eisner worked diligently to find new homes for these pieces where they would remain in the public domain for display and Minutes of the November 12, 2025 Museum Arts and Culture Board Meeting Page 3 of 3 interpretation. The Board expressed their appreciation of Emma’s work on this project. Director Cannizzo further reported that NAGPRA consultant Heather Bruegl was onsite the week of October 27th to continue working with OPM staff on NAGPRA project efforts. One recommendation is to make a separate NAGPRA policy. Currently OPM does not have a separate NAGPRA policy and staff will plan to create one as part of the overall project. In conclusion, Director Cannizzo reported that work has been slow-moving on the next draft of the Public Art and Cultural Heritage Policy due to her scheduled commitments in September and October. With this delay, she amended her goal to have the next draft completed by the first quarter of 2026. Since this will be reviewed by City department heads, it is a good time to mention that there have been several retirements announced in addition to the release of the news of high-level reorganization and restructuring of City departments. She will wait until the restructuring is set enough to know how to reference departments in the policy and each department’s part in the processes within the policy. Director Cannizzo will go into greater detail about this at the December meeting. That ended the Director’s Report. MAC Board Member Statements or Announcements included the following: Redlin, asked if help is still needed for the Christmas decorating at OPM. Yes, more help is needed. Several Board members will be able to help for several hours in the morning. Lindsy Parrott will be in town Thurs. Nov. 13, giving a presentation to the Wisteria Circle in the morning and then in the afternoon to Museum visitors. With no additional agenda items Chair Redlin asked for a motion to adjourn. MOTION: Adjourn (Hundt; second Matzke) CARRIED: Voice Vote The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.