Visual Arts Breakout Session Notes – 04.16.2015

Group members:

• Daniel Foster, OMA
• Raziah Roushan, OMA, Artist, SMAC
• Shannett Shires, Artist, Escondido
• Mary Donnavin, Sculpture of 45 years
• Darrel McPherson, Painter, Owner of Art Traditions, Escondido
• Heather Norway, works with low-income students
• Marilyn Huerta, SMAC President, Arts & Lecture CSUSM
• Sharon Finegold, Painter, gallery in Escondido
• Bradley George, New York, Volunteer with Outside the Lens
• Alexander Ingrom, New York, Volunteer with Outside the Lens
• Yivon Cockral, Restaurant in Escondido, dabbles in art
• Theresa Cockral, Artists
• Ruby Randle, Large scale public art sculptor
• Rick Randle, Large scale public art sculptor
• Bryan tucker, Professional framer
• Julia Razzor, Sculptor, Lives in Fallbrook
• Dina Razzor, San Francisco
• Stella Karl, CCAE Museum Coordinator
• Tonya Lens, SMAC, Twin Oaks Gallery, San Marcos
• William Leslee, Artistic Light Fixtures, PCC Phylosophy

1. Daniel Foster introduction to the group, set the tone with “How can [we] collaborate?”, “Do we have a North County Arts Festival?”
   1. From the group – No. There are many individual City festivals on weekends, but nothing as a North County-wide festival.
   2. Idea: Bring in music and cinema
   3. Question: Who would “own” it?
      1. Tonya – Would it rotate from city to city each year?
      2. Wendy – How about along the Sprinter route?
         1. Marilyn – In 2010 Art Tracks did a pop up art display at Sprinter stops
      3. Centralized or decentralized?
      4. The trend to have all outdoor venue is overwhelming for artists
         1. Takes away business from existing brick-and-mortar companies
         2. Marilyn – Outdoor exhibits are exhausting. Indoor venues offer a space where work can be left for a little while.
   4. From the group – Have a master visual artist roster
      1. Shared portal/master calendar
      2. Visibility
      3. “the experience”
      4. Diversity! “If you want to bring people in, you have to reach out.”
      5. Daniel- 93% of people in California engaging in the arts happens within their communities and their homes.
         1. Programs
         2. How do we deal with elitisms?
         3. Must think beyond ethnocentric
   5. Bradley- Encinitas as a hub, o the main drag? As en example, Del Mar’s artist in residence Ship in the Woods. It has a fun vibe.
      1. Bradley – “Start where [its] big
   6. Daniel – Not enough exhibition spaces for artists?
      1. Equal to libraries, or classical venues?
      2. What about pop up galleries, or phantom galleries?
         1. These revitalize down towns!
         2. Example: Mexicano Art Center – puts out magazine with business-card sized ads, and a calendar.
      3. A venue needs to be more than “such and such gallery is having a show…”
   7. Daniel – What about cross programming?
      1. Wendy- They are doing this in Escondido
      2. Wendy- When in LA, they did (outdoor) garage show
   8. Question: Artists studios/clusters?
      1. Question: Open studios program?
         1. This is being done in LA, and Mothers Day in Encinitas
         2. Open studio tours are popular!
            1. Currently happening in Encinitas and Fallbrook
            2. Passport system + incentive to visit them all + prizes by local restaurants and businesses.
2. Daniel – [I] would like to invite each voice to speak up about what [we] haven’t heard yet.
   1. Tonya- Finding/referring artists
      1. “White Pages”
   2. Daniel – Professional Practices? Portfolio Development?
      1. Online tutorials vs classroom settings?
      2. Keep up with the industry
   3. (unknown) – “Artists need to be seen!”
      1. Exhibition spaces today are not offering that.
   4. Darrel – [He] utilizes outdoor venues as marketing system.
      1. People will travel great distances once they know [you] exist.
   5. Heather- Need a permanent gallery at CSUSM.
   6. Do a festival of the arts, like Laguna Beach’s Festival of the Arts
      1. Multiple months long, over the summer
   7. Marilyn – [we] need a resource/learning center.
      1. 78 Corridor recognition
   8. (unknown) Directory or booklet of venues and services
   9. Bradley – directory
      1. Share everyone’s email from this NCAN meeting
      2. Pour resources into young minds
   10. Ruby and Rick – Traveling Festival
       1. Get people to YOUR city
   11. Make a smartphone App for NCAN
       1. It still takes marketing to let people know about a publication or website.
   12. Wendy- Every city needs a human and web presence
   13. Julia- Festivals are hard for parking.
       1. Utilize buses as tour vehicles
       2. Logistics
   14. Dianne- Her son is an artist. He is in school and making connections.
       1. Hitch up with college MBA professor(s) to draft a marketing plan for NCAN.
3. Daniel – What about organizational training?
   1. Stella K. – CCAE is redoing it model
   2. (unknown) – Become THE resource! Everyone listed so that “NCAN” becomes a household name.
4. Daniel – Sculpture doesn’t get enough attention…
   1. What about public art, in the visual sense?
   2. Ceramics or photography?
5. (unknown) – What about film/biographies on art paired with discussions?