Our Agency

Board Members Present: Amber Danielson, Andre Perry, Frank Sposeto, Jennifer Dutcher
 
Board Members Present on Zoom/Phone: Suzanne Conquest, Michelle Hargrave, John Mayne, Akwi Nji
 
Board Members Absent: Donna Dostal, Claudia Rivera
 
Staff Present: Director Chris Kramer, David Schmitz, Jon Berg, Sarah Florian, EJ Philby Burton, Rob Christensen
 
Guest(s) Present: Lesley Wright (virtual), Phoebe (intern present with Danielson)
 
Call to Order
Welcome
Danielson called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m.
 
Roll Call
Florian called the roll.  A quorum was present.
 
Approval of Minutes
Sposeto moved to approve the March 1, 2023 Minutes. Perry seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
 
Report from Chair
Board members whose terms expired June 30 were reappointed except for Mayne and Perry, who had not applied for reappointment.  Tim Dickmeyer and Lance Ehmcke have been appointed with terms starting July 1.
 
Danielson shared a recap of the Iowa Great Places Annual Meeting in April, which was hosted in Marshalltown, and information about the recent Iowa Fine Arts Education Summit in Ankeny.
 
Report from Department Director
The Preserve Iowa Summit was held June 1-3 in Sioux City. Kramer provided updates on the State Historical Building renovations; the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs; how DCA, including board meetings and federal-state partnerships, will be impacted by the realignment legislation (SF514); and the Iowa Great Places program. Schmitz confirmed that the current strategic plan will remain in place.
 
Report from Iowa Cultural Coalition
Wright shared an update from the Iowa Cultural Coalition, including efforts moving forward. The organization will welcome five new board members in July and will participate in strategic planning in August. Arts Advocacy Day is scheduled for February 28, 2024
 
Report from Division Administrator
Schmitz provided a recap of the Iowa Fine Arts Education Summit, which was held at the DMACC Ankeny Campus on June 13, and an update on the grant awards for State Fiscal Year 2024. Schmitz reported on his spring meeting with Midwest state arts agencies and six federal agencies in Washington D.C.  Americans for the Arts President and CEO Nolen Bivens visited Des Moines on June 7.
 
Board Discussion
The board discussed Iowa Arts Summit planning, proposing a central Iowa in person event with regional conversations leading up to the full statewide summit. Summary of notes from the discussion between board members is as follows:
 

• Visiting other communities provides a unique opportunity, but there is value in the central location.
• Central locations typically see the strongest attendance.
• Regional conversations outside central Iowa are important, especially with a central location for full event.
• Expanding the audience and showcasing the value and relevance beyond the arts community is important.
• Des Moines provides greater visibility and scheduling meetings may be easier if located in Des Moines.
• Consider exploring virtual community visits.
• Include testimonials from various audiences in the promotional materials.
• Mainframe Studios was a nice venue to see what is possible and was inspiring to experience.
• There could be affinity group meetings for continued networking and collaboration.

 
Community Updates
Board members gave updates from their communities, which included highlights from the arts and culture sector around the state.
 
Public Comment
Danielson asked for public comment. No public comment was made.
 
Adjournment
Danielson adjourned the regular meeting at 11:57 a.m.