Minutes
The Council meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Town Hall Annex at 6:00pm. Minutes for the most recent months’ meetings are listed below. If you would like to review the minutes from prior meetings, please contact us through the Contact page.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of September 4, 2024
Members Attending: Ruth Bourns, Rob Delgaudio, Tom Peirce, Carol Vidal, Nancy Whitin
Members Absent: Paula Gauthier, Martha Moffitt
Visitor: Carolyn Edwards
Carol called the meeting to order at 5:55 p.m. Carol introduced Carolyn Edwards who will be a guest at the meeting this evening. She expressed interest in joining the Council.
Secretary’s Report: a motion was made and seconded to approve the July 3rd minutes as written.
Treasurer’s Report: a motion was made and seconded to approve the Treasurers report as presented.
There was discussion of gifts to the Council beyond what was available in grant money from 2024. There will be a possibility of another Westport Gift Fund gift in 2025. The group discussed the possibility of smaller amounts given in cash at films or other gatherings. These smaller amounts involve complications with deposits to the Town of Westport. Perhaps a brochure would be helpful clarifying why it is important to give.
There was brainstorming about the future of the Westport Cultural Council. The Council questioned whether the target areas of granting should be expanded; whether more fundraising should be done; and whether a physical location should be secured.
It was decided to form a subcommittee to develop a five-year plan to grow the Council in terms of offerings to the community and ways to raise funds.
There was some discussion about how to manage the Gift Fund and new ways to fund it.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council grant cycle will take place between October 1 and October 16. That MCC has asked that amounts should be $250 per grant.
For members accessing Smart Simple, they can find information about their profile and 2024 applications online. All members should be receiving information from the MCC through emails since they are registered in the system. Members will need to update their password, and update their profile.
The Helen Ellis grant applications should be available in January pending receipt of approval of the Bank of America grant.
The subcommittee for the Artist in Residence will be meeting soon and discussing the next steps to sponsor the Handshouse plan.
Rob shared that “Improv” program in July was very successful. There were about 200 people and a younger age group than is usually present at some other Council offerings. The Film Committee will be sponsoring Manhattan Shorts again on September 27th.
There was no new business. It was moved and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:15. Next scheduled meeting is October 2, 2024.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of July 10, 2024
Members Attending: Ruth Bourns, Rob Delgaudio, Paula Gauthier, Martha Moffitt, Tom Peirce, Carol Vidal
Members Absent: Nancy Whitin
Carol called the meeting to order at 6 p.m.
Secretary’s Report : It was moved and seconded that the Secretary’s report from June 5, 2024, be accepted as written.
Treasurer’s Report: It was moved and seconded that the Treasurer’s report be accepted as presented.
Carol passed out posters showing the Grant Awards given by the Westport Cultural Council for 2024. These local grants were included:
Helen Ellis Grant, Westport Cultural Council Gift Fund
In addition there were grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Paula spoke about the Artists in Residence Program that she is working to create for the fall. She has talked with Marie Booth from Handshouse. Handshouse would like to present their Rooster Project. This would involve a talk about the project and perhaps help from participants to reconstruct the Rooster after travel to Westport. Participants would be present for the talk and afterwards possibly go to the Artisan Fair at Handy House. Joe Wood, who is working on the Rooster Project may need housing in Westport during the project construction and presentation.
Paula is looking for a site for the program. The Dedee Shattuck Gallery may be a possibility. She will report back at the next meeting. Preliminary plans may be presented at the Film Festival.
The Improv Program is planned for July 27 at the Westport Brewery. The program is free.
Rob presented the Film Committee Report. The three films for this summer have been ordered and the speakers for each film have been engaged. At present, tickets have been reserved for 80% of the available tickets. Rob suggested renting 25 additional chairs for each of the 3 evenings, or buying the additional chairs which we could add to the Wetherill chairs. Buying the chairs would cost $600 and renting would be $105 for each evening. The group decided to rent for now.
There will be no Cultural Council Meeting in August.
Massachusetts Cultural Council grant program will begin in October.
New Business
Rob spoke about receiving more donations to the Westport Cultural Council to enlarge the number of grants and programs we can offer. We can accept only cash or checks. A gift must go before the Select Board.
The group explored new ways to interest donors and expand our offerings and our reach. Rob will pursue ways for soliciting funds.
Tom would like to share with the group at some point how he goes about submitting reimbursements.
Tom moved that the meeting be adjourned. Mary seconded. All were in favor of ending the meeting.
The Council will meet again on September 4, 2024 at the Town Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of June 5, 2024
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Ruth Bourns, Tom Peirce, Martha Moffitt, Nancy Whitin, Paula Gauthier, Ned Daniels
Members Absent: Rob Delgaudio
Carol called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
Minutes of the May 1st meeting were accepted as read.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom reviewed the status of the LCC and Helen Ellis accounts. The 2023-24 Helen Ellis account is almost closed out waiting for two outstanding reimbursement request which has not been submitted. The MCC Festival account which covers the Artist in Residence must be in by June 30, 2024. Tom stated that the goal is to spend as close to “totals” in each category as possible of allotted funds.
The Treasurer’s report was accepted as presented.
Election of Officers: For the new fiscal year 2024-25 the Council members voted the following officers: President: Carol Vidal; Secretary: Ruth Bourns; Treasurer: Tom Peirce. The votes were unanimous for all three candidates.
Sub-committee for Artist in Residence: Paula spoke of a program she has found as the next “artist -in-residence” program. The artist-in-residence will be Handshouse Studio. Paula shared the Studio’s support for the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris. This program would be presented in early fall and is now tentatively scheduled pending investigation of a venue. Tom then shared some information on additional money that is available from the WCC Gift Fund to allow funds to fully support for the Handshouse program.
Paula will look into possible locations for the program. A key issue is getting the model of the roof truss of Notre Dame into the venue location.
Film Committee Report: Rob joined us by phone. The Improve Group proposal: a motion was made and seconded to go ahead with the program. The funds will come from The Gift Fund.
7/27/24 is the date for “Improv/Jones” and will be held at the Buzzards Bay Brewery.
A motion was made and seconded to fund the “Improv/Jones” program.
The Film Committee will meet at Rob’s home to decide on the third film selection to be held on July 17th at Weatherlow Farm. Discussion will focus on two films, “Bad River” and “Troublesome Creek”.
There was no new business.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:16.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 3rd at 6:00 p.m.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of May 6, 2024
Members attending: Ruth Bourns, Rob Delgaudio, Martha Moffitt, Carol Vidal, Nancy Whitin,
Members Absent: Ned Daniels, Paula Gauthier, Tom Peirce
Carol called the meeting to order at 6 p.m.
She introduced Roger Andrews, a visitor for part of the meeting. Roger is a Westport resident who is a free lance illustrator, having been involved in a number of venues, including Star Wars of Marvel Comics. He is involved now in giving art workshops for children. He visited the meeting to learn more about the Cultural Council.
The members of the Council introduced themselves and spoke about their work and the work of the Cultural Council.
Secretary’s Report : Rob moved that we accept the Secretary’s report as written. Ruth seconded. All members voted in favor.
Treasurer’s Report: In Tom’s absence, Carol reviewed the Treasurer’s Report. The granting period for the Helen Ellis Grants from last year ended on April 30. Unused funds will be added to our balance because all other grants are now fully funded.
Carol explained the Westport Gift Fund and spoke about the monies allotted from that Fund. The Council decided to use these funds for Council sponsored projects this year. The Film Series will be covered by some of these monies. The group brainstormed for awhile about possible ways to use all of the funds available.
Rob is exploring an In Prov Group for the summer, and possibly also for the fall.
Money has been set aside for an Artist In Residence program which we would sponsor during the summer of fall. Decisions have not been made about this offering. This will be discussed at the June Meeting. Many suggestions were floated for a site for this program and what type of program would be appropriate.
There was discussion about developing some rules and guidelines for advertising on the Westport Cultural Council website. Anything on the website needs to be in the Council’s best interest. Rob offered to work on a statement which could be posted on the website stating that all ads posted on the website should support our mission statement.
There is a Festival Grant available from Mass Cultural Council. Rob offered to work on applying for the Grant. The next meeting will be held on June 5. There being no new business, it was moved and seconded to close the meeting. The meeting closed at 7:30.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of April 3, 2024
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce, Ruth Burns, Rob Delgaudio, Martha Moffitt, Ned Daniels, Nancy Whitin.
Absent: Paula Gauthier
Minutes: The March minutes were accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom informed the members of the remaining balances of both LCC and Helen Ellis accounts for last year and the present year. Questions were raised about several outstanding grants and unencumbered grants.A discussion followed about the 10K for “Artist in Residence” to be held in June 2024. The allocation voted on by the members will be added to complete the total required for this event.
Monies were awarded for: $900 for the Westport Land Conservation Trust; $1,000 as a contingency; $7,875 for the Film Series; $800 for a film screen for the Film Series.
The total Community Grant funds available is $57,478 with the Council agreeing to vote $47,900 in allocations for 18 programs. The remaining funds will be determined later which will include a new Artist in Residence program to be determined at a later date.
Carol then spoke of the three documents to be sent to grantees. She will send out to grantees by email. A correction was made to one of the pages and it was then revised.
$52,500 was now available to assign to the awarded grants. Tom reviewed where we agree and disagreed on our estimates so as to focus on where there was mainly agreement. The discussions that followed was well thought out before any decisions were made.
Tom used his Community Grant chart spreadsheet to assist in the granting process. He had each of the grant requests available to look at as we further discussed and analyzed issues before assigning amounts.
Rob is exploring an In Prov Group for the summer, and possibly also for the fall.
Money has been set aside for an Artist In Residence program which we would sponsor during the summer of fall. Decisions have not been made about this offering. This will be discussed at the June Meeting. Many suggestions were floated for a site for this program and what type of program would be appropriate.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of March 6, 2024
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Perice, Ruth Borns, Rob Delgaudio, Paula Gauthier, Martha Moffit, Ned Daniels
Members Absent: Nancy Whitin
Guests: Jessica and Colin Howard: Jessica spoke to what Heron Center Foundation stands for. She shared the diversity of attendees, some coming from other countries as well as local towns and cities.
Old Business:
Secretary’s Report: The minutes of the meeting were approved as presented.
The Treasurer’s Report: Tom went over his report as he spoke to his handout. The WCC has $68,053.81 available for grants in the 2024-25 time period. He also explained how the colorful and full spreadsheet is to be read. The $10,000 for the WCC Artist in Residence program was covered by his presentation and will be removed from the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet was then the primary focus of the rest of the meeting. The Treasurer’s Report was accepted as read.
Carol shared an invitation to Dharma Voyage as well as several other details regarding invitations to members of the WCC from grant recipients.
New Business:
Tom took over the meeting at that point and presented the spreadsheet which was to be the focus of the rest of the meeting. He started off by clarifying several line items. He then raised the issue of “holding back” some money from the WCC Gift Fund.
A considerable discussion followed about how to allocate the $20,000 Gift Fund. The sum of $10,000 for the WCC Artist in Residence Program and the sum of $7,875 for the Film Series was removed from the original spreadsheet and placed in the WCC Gift Fund.
With that the original amount from the spreadsheet was changed to $47,000. Considerable discussion followed for the rest of the meeting.
Rob shared how two of the films for the Film Series for 2024 are in the works and how the third film will be a topic of discussion at the next meeting of the Film Series Committee.
The next meeting on April 3, 2024 will be to finalize all amounts to be granted and to whom the grants will be made.
A motion was made and seconded to share with the Westport Land Conservation Trust that $6,250 will be paid against their Artist in Residence Program.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of January 3, 2024
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce, Ruth Bourns, Rob Delgaudio, Nancy Whitin, Paula Gauthier, Ned Daniels
Members Absent: Martha Moffit
Old Business:
Secretary’s Report: The minutes were approved as presented. Thank you, Ruth, for doing them!
Treasurer’s Report: 94% of the MCC funds are spent, while only 76% of the Helen Ellis Fund is spent. $2,500 from the MCC has been deposited with the Town, and it will be available when needed. WCC money from the MCC is cleared for release to the WCC.
The $20,000 gift to the WCC will be entered into the WCC account with the Town and be available to the WCC at that time. The doner will give such an amount annually. As a courtesy to the doner, the WCC will send him a letter of appreciation for this gift as well as where the money will be allocated.
The issue of “providing advances” must be addressed. The WCC can provide advances only for the Helen Ellis money and from the $20,000 donation. A detailed request for such an advance would be required.
A motion was made and seconded that the WCC must make advances for certain funds from either the Helen Ellis Fund and/or the Westport Cultural Gift Fund if properly detailed as to why.
New Business:
- Smart and Simple has been accepted and implemented. A WCC liaison for certain applicants was made.
- Liaisons for WCC Grants: Ruth Bourns, Mindful Makers, South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour, First Tuesday’s at WAG; Carol Vidal, Meditations on Landscape, Writings on Westport Reading at the Public Library; Nancy Whitin, Legends Surf Competition, The Art Drive 2024; Paula Gauthier, Lewis and Shea Present, April if For The Birds; Tom Peirce, New Bedford Festival Theatre, Spotters, Strikers, and Swordfish, SCCT presents “Finding Nemo, Jr.”; Martha Moffit, Complimentary Senior Tickets; Ned Daniels: Zeiterion, River Center Open House Saturdays; Rob Delgaudio, 12th Annual New Bedford JazzFest, Whales Today, Squid Dissections, and History on the Hill Programs.
- Considerable discussion followed. The Gift Fund and the Helen Ellis Fund will be treated together. The recipient of funds from either fund will be expected to acknowledge the fund source in any of their documents and their advertising.
- Confirm dates of grants:
- Helen Ellis: February 1 to March 4
- Westport Cultural Gift Fund: February 1 to March 4
- Process of grant application collections: one application to Helen Ellis Fund and one application to the Westport Cultural Gift Fund.
- Artist in Residence: Paula suggested we follow the same approach as in the past. Tom pointed out the funds that would support it. A motion was made and seconded to allot $10,000 for the “Artist in Residence Program.”
- Film Series: Rob opened the discussion by sharing about a highly respected film director in Fall River with whom he’ll attempt to make contact for possible insight and support. Regarding “Manhattan Shorts”, Rob is thinking of, on just one day, an afternoon showing and then an evening showing.
At 8:00 p.m. a motion was made and seconded to conclude the meeting.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of December 6, 2023
Members Attending – Carol Vidal, Ruth Bourns, Rob DelGaudio, Paula Gauthier, Tom Peirce, Nancy Whitin. Absent: Martha Moffitt
The Meeting was opened by Carol Vidal at 6:03 PM.
The minutes from the previous meeting on November 1st will be given to members in an email. The November minutes will be voted on approved at the January meeting.
The Treasurer’s Report for December is pending. It will be presented to members at a future date since many reimbursements are pending in the system.
The LCC deadline for reimbursement of grants will be in January 2024. Members volunteered to follow up with those grantees who have not yet asked for reimbursement for their grants.
The deadline for reimbursements for Helen Ellis Grants from last spring will be due by April 30, 2024. The Council explored ways to receive reimbursement forms in a timely manner. More responsibility could be given to the liaisons to stay in touch with the grantees over the allotted time. Some members will contact open grants to update their progress.
The group formally voted on 29 LCC applicants. The new LCC grants for 2024 were approved by a unanimous vote. Rob made a motion to accept the Council’s vote. Tom seconded. Eighteen grants were approved and 11 grants were denied. Carol will enter the amounts on the SmartSimple website for this year. Denials will have 21 days to respond otherwise the amounts approved will remain.
The dates for applying for the new Helen Ellis Grant cycle will be January 30 – March 1. Rob will set up the application form, once it is updated, on the WCC website. Electronic submission for applications will be used.
A Press Release for the Helen Ellis/Donor Grant will go out soon stating the dates for the application and the links for the application.
The group discussed the possibility of having an artist-in-residence during June, July, or August. There is a MCC grant available of $2700 for this purpose. There is also a MCC Festival grant available for $2500. The original plan was to have a student as the Artist in Residence. The group agreed to appoint a Committee to review the applications. They will coordinate the time of the application with the other Helen Ellis applications. Paula will talk to Ross about using Westport Woods again.
A Committee to plan the film series will be set up in January. Rob discussed some of his plans for the series next summer. The South Coast Artists would like to collaborate again this summer to sponsor a film in the series. Tom spoke about Laura Orleans, an acquaintance of his at the New Bedford Heritage Center. She may know of a good film on fishing. There is the possibility of expanding the number of films.
There was no more new business or old business. Rob motioned to close the meeting at 7:15 pm. Tom seconded. All voted in favor.
The next meeting will be held on January 3, 2024, at the Westport Town Annex.
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Bourns
Appli+A1:G27cation ID | Applicant | Primary Contact First Name | Primary Contact Last Name | Project Title | Amt voted |
FY24-LCC-58046 | Bean, Cara | Cara | Bean | Doodle Plus Workshop | 0 |
FY24-LCC-65343 | Bregoli, Jane | Jane | Bregoli | The Goat Lady of Lucy Little Road | 0 |
FY24-LCC-61717 | Cusson DeFusco, Keri | Keri | Cusson DeFusco | Mindful Makers | 300 |
FY24-LCC-61874 | Evans, Midori | Midori | Evans | Meditations on Landscape | 593.54 |
FY24-LCC-67389 | Gnome, Inc. | Whitney | Senghore | 2024 Little Legends Surf Competition | 500 |
FY24-LCC-72338 | Knutsen, Katherine | Katherine | Knutsen | The Siren | 0 |
FY24-LCC-65422 | Lewis – Parks, Andrew | Andrew | Lewis – Parks | Lewis and Shea Present “Songs and Stories of the American Folk Revival for Seniors.” | 550 |
FY24-LCC-66995 | Maloney, Scott | Scott | Maloney | I AM … | 0 |
FY24-LCC-60466 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Rondae | Drafts | I am Autistic I am Fantastic – The Musical | 0 |
FY24-LCC-65694 | New Bedford Festival Theatre, Inc. | Elizabeth | Bettencourt | New Bedford Festival Theatre Summer Academy 2024 | 500 |
FY24-LCC-64190 | New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Inc. | Laura | Orleans | Spotters, Strikers, and Swordfish | 250 |
FY24-LCC-66617 | New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival | Jeff | Angeley | New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival | 300 |
FY24-LCC-72144 | Old Dartmouth Historical Society | Emily | Mead | Whales Today, Squid Dissections, and History on the Hill Programs | 500 |
FY24-LCC-63034 | Practice Best Practice, Inc. | Dennis | Santoro | Practice Best Practice Workshops | 0 |
FY24-LCC-62554 | Slade, Betty | Betty | Slade | April Is For The Birds | 800 |
FY24-LCC-61038 | Smith, Patrick | Patrick | Smith | Afternoon of Brass #3 | 0 |
FY24-LCC-59265 | South Coast Artists, Inc. | Dot | Bergen | South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour 2024 | 600 |
FY24-LCC-67168 | SouthCoast Children’s Theatre, Inc. | Marina | Jackson | SCCT Presents “Finding Nemo Jr” | 500 |
FY24-LCC-63841 | Stockwell, Bernadette | Bernadette | Stockwell | Westport: Do Your ARt! | 0 |
FY24-LCC-66571 | The Art Drive | Monica | Lopes | The Art Drive 2024 | 600 |
FY24-LCC-63120 | The Greater New Bedford Choral Society, Inc. | Amelia | Tatarian | Greater New Bedford Choral Society’s 2023-24 Season | 0 |
FY24-LCC-61256 | The Philosophy of the Eight Guided Paths Spiritual Guidance Center Charitable Trust | Jessica | Howard | Interpretive Signage for The Heron Wildlife Sanctuary | 0 |
FY24-LCC-67272 | Tri-County Music Association, Inc. | Patty | Richard | Complimentary Senior Tickets | 200 |
FY24-LCC-71195 | Westport Art Group, Inc. | Barbara | Healy | First Tuesday’s at WAG, Visual Artist Demonstrations | 400 |
FY24-LCC-56363 | Westport Public Schools | Dianne | Pereira | Zeterion | 390 |
FY24-LCC-58744 | Westport Public Schools | Lisa | Kaminski | Rob Surette – Hero Art | 0 |
FY24-LCC-65749 | Westport River Watershed Alliance, Inc. | Steve | Connors | River Center Open House Saturdays | 600 |
FY24-LCC-63619 | Westport Writers Group | Eve | Lesses | Writings on Westport Reading at the Public Library | 400 |
FY24-LCC-62745 | Your Theatre, Inc. | Michele | DeMary | 12th Annual New Bedford JazzFest | 400 |
|
|
|
| Total | 8383.54 |
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of November 1, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce, Ruth Bourns, Rob Delgaudio, Nancy Whiten, Martha Moffit, Paula Gauthier, Ned Daniels.
The meeting began at 6:00.
Minutes: Minutes were accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom reviewed the status of the accounts (LCC and HE) for years 2023 and 2024.. He used a detailed single sheet handout indicating the amounts that are still encumbered. He indicated the creation of a new account, The 15 Fund; this new account will be for donations made to the WCC.
A $2,500 grant from the MCC was discussed and agreed upon that it must be spent by before the required deadline. Funds could be spent under the Artist in Residence by having a local student complete the work. A committee has been set up to discuss this grant.
The Report was accepted as presented.
New Business: The rest of the meeting was spent on the 2024-25 list of LCC grant applicants’ requests. Again, Tom walked us through each of the 29 grant applications, pointing out where we were in close agreement and where there was not. In the discussion of each item, input was shared, and the tentative amount was assigned.
Members actively discussed and exchanged information that was important for all members to come together to assign dollar amounts in a fair and equitable manner.
Discussions also indicated that calls should be made to some of the applicants in order to further clarify their application. More information was needed concerning venues and site visits. Members have been assigned to report back for the next meeting in December when a formal vote will be taken.
Final adjustments to grant request amounts were made after considerable discussion and a final tally of grant dollars equaled the total amount allocated in our LCC account.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 p.m.
Next Meeting: December 6, 2023, 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex.
Application ID | Applicant | Primary Contact First Name | Primary Contact Last Name | Project Title | Project Expenses |
FY24-LCC-58046 | Bean, Cara | Cara | Bean | Doodle Plus Workshop | 500 |
FY24-LCC-65343 | Bregoli, Jane | Jane | Bregoli | The Goat Lady of Lucy Little Road | 41255 |
FY24-LCC-61717 | Cusson DeFusco, Keri | Keri | Cusson DeFusco | Mindful Makers | 600 |
FY24-LCC-61874 | Evans, Midori | Midori | Evans | Meditations on Landscape | 1170 |
FY24-LCC-67389 | Gnome, Inc. | Whitney | Senghore | 2024 Little Legends Surf Competition | 9110 |
FY24-LCC-72338 | Knutsen, Katherine | Katherine | Knutsen | The Siren | 5290 |
FY24-LCC-65422 | Lewis – Parks, Andrew | Andrew | Lewis – Parks | Lewis and Shea Present “Songs and Stories of the American Folk Revival for Seniors.” | 600 |
FY24-LCC-66995 | Maloney, Scott | Scott | Maloney | I AM … | 600 |
FY24-LCC-60466 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Rondae | Drafts | I am Autistic I am Fantastic – The Musical | 680 |
FY24-LCC-65694 | New Bedford Festival Theatre, Inc. | Elizabeth | Bettencourt | New Bedford Festival Theatre Summer Academy 2024 | 8600 |
FY24-LCC-64190 | New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Inc. | Laura | Orleans | Spotters, Strikers, and Swordfish | 26159 |
FY24-LCC-66617 | New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival | Jeff | Angeley | New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival | 22181 |
FY24-LCC-72144 | Old Dartmouth Historical Society | Emily | Mead | Whales Today, Squid Dissections, and History on the Hill Programs | 1725 |
FY24-LCC-63034 | Practice Best Practice, Inc. | Dennis | Santoro | Practice Best Practice Workshops | 6610 |
FY24-LCC-62554 | Slade, Betty | Betty | Slade | April Is For The Birds | 800 |
FY24-LCC-61038 | Smith, Patrick | Patrick | Smith | Afternoon of Brass #3 | 55393 |
FY24-LCC-59265 | South Coast Artists, Inc. | Dot | Bergen | South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour 2024 | 95250 |
FY24-LCC-67168 | SouthCoast Children’s Theatre, Inc. | Marina | Jackson | SCCT Presents “Finding Nemo Jr” | 25234 |
FY24-LCC-63841 | Stockwell, Bernadette | Bernadette | Stockwell | Westport: Do Your ARt! | 1245 |
FY24-LCC-66571 | The Art Drive | Monica | Lopes | The Art Drive 2024 | 18000 |
FY24-LCC-63120 | The Greater New Bedford Choral Society, Inc. | Amelia | Tatarian | Greater New Bedford Choral Society’s 2023-24 Season | 17994 |
FY24-LCC-61256 | The Philosophy of the Eight Guided Paths Spiritual Guidance Center Charitable Trust | Jessica | Howard | Interpretive Signage for The Heron Wildlife Sanctuary | 1572 |
FY24-LCC-67272 | Tri-County Music Association, Inc. | Patty | Richard | Complimentary Senior Tickets | 28965 |
FY24-LCC-71195 | Westport Art Group, Inc. | Barbara | Healy | First Tuesday’s at WAG, Visual Artist Demonstrations | 500 |
FY24-LCC-56363 | Westport Public Schools | Dianne | Pereira | Zeterion | 690 |
FY24-LCC-58744 | Westport Public Schools | Lisa | Kaminski | Rob Surette – Hero Art | 3500 |
FY24-LCC-65749 | Westport River Watershed Alliance, Inc. | Steve | Connors | River Center Open House Saturdays | 1470 |
FY24-LCC-63619 | Westport Writers Group | Eve | Lesses | Writings on Westport Reading at the Public Library | 1095 |
FY24-LCC-62745 | Your Theatre, Inc. | Michele | DeMary | 12th Annual New Bedford JazzFest | 34050 |
410838 |
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of October 4, 2023
Members Attending: Paula Gauthier, Nancy Whitin, Ruth Bourn, Ned Daniels, Rob Delgaudio, Marthat Moffit.
Absent: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce
Guest: Aaron Texiera
Minutes: Accepted as read.
Treasurer’s Report: A brief discussion followed about the large donation to be made to the WCC and how the Town will set up a separate account for the WCC Treasurer to access based upon the vote of the WCC as is a standard practice.
Four of the fifteen grantees for existing State grants have requested reimbursement. 26% of the Helen Ellis grants have been reimbursed.
Tom will send out a “grid” to allow us to begin the process of rating grants submitted for the 2024-25 grant period.
Treasurer’s Report Accepted as presented.
Old Business:
Manhattan Shorts: Rob shared about the success of the program and that 70 people attended. Next year we may want to consider two nights. Rob started off the Manhattan Shorts by featuring a full screen shot of the “curtain” restored by the Grange and to which the WCC had granted a significant sum of money.
Tech Web-site update: Rob will look at it, and he stated that it should be easy to use.
Liaison Updates: Paula shared that she attended a WCC grantee program. The program was well attended, with about 80 people in attendance. The program was “Women’s Life Freedom”.
LCC Grant Press Release: Nancy took care of this, and it was printed for public viewing.
Smart and Simple: Some of the Council members are on it and some not. Nancy will send Ruth, Ned and Martha how to access it. The grants are found on this site, and October 17 is the deadline for submission. Nancy offered that anyone needing help could contact her.
New Business:
Historical Society Request: Because the presenter could not attend as scheduled, the Society would like to apply the grant money to their trail at Handy House. The WCC approved that request.
Smart and Simple Tutorial: see above reference.
Open WCC Seat: A brief discussion followed. The matter needs further discussion.
Our guest, Aaron Texiera, spoke next. He shared with us his role at the Land Trust. His work focuses on environmental issues. About a dozen people showed up for the first program, which went very well. He spoke about the money he would need ($1,500 to $2,500). He’s planning on a musical growth Aaron how he can get his proposal accepted.
We shared as to how WCC money and Helen Ellis money works and the dates by which grants must be submitted.
Paula then spoke to the extra money from previously awarded grants not fully requested. She shared how Handy House might apply for some of it. Further discussion should follow on such a request.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn.
Next meeting: November 1, 2023, 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of September 6, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Paula Gauthier, Nancy Whitin, Tom Peirce, Ruth Bourn, Ned Daniels.
Absent: Rob Delgaudio, Martha Moffitt.
Guest: Merri Cyr
Minutes: Minutes were accepted as presented.
Treasure Report: Tom walked us through his report. The High School student’s fee will be reimbursed.
Tom then shared the procedures of the B of A as managers of the Helen Ellis Trust. Both Dartmouth and New Bedford receive small amounts of grant money from the Trust. The amount received over the last three years was based on 5% of the interest from the grant being given out each of the last three years.
The Treasurer’s Report was accepted as most thoroughly presented.
New Business: Merri Cyr was invited to attend and to update us on “The Artist in Residence Program” and Facebook. She shared strategies she is using as she moves through WCC grant funded projects and one $2,500 grant directly from the state. She has many “irons in the fire” right now, and with many people with whom she’s interacted and quite excited about. Merri spoke about the potential for the use of the old High School building.
Film Series Wrap-up and Manhattan Shorts: Rob was not present; however Carol shared the very positive feedback about the Series, and Rob was most thanked for his efforts and success.
Tech Web-site update: discussion postponed to our next meeting.
LCC Grant Period: a press release will be sent out soon.
NEXT MEETING: BRING LAPTOPS! Carol will walk us through “Smart and Simple”. Go to Google and then Smart and Simple. Access and create a password. We will all need to access it.
A “thank you note” was read by Carol regarding the sad loss of Gay Gillispie’s daughter.
How to Handle Donations: Tom shared that a significant sum will be donated to the WCC, and in discussion with Nicole of the Town Accountant’s Office, the suggestion was to set-up a separate account with the Town that the WCC only could access and manage: “A Gift Fund”. The amount of the gift has not yet been disclosed.
A vote was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.
Next Meeting: October 4, 2023, 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex. BRING LAPTOP!!!
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of July 5, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Paula Gauthier, Merri Cyr, Tom Peirce, Bob Delgaudio, Nancy Whitin, Ned Daniels. Absent: Martha Moffitt
Minutes: Minutes were accepted as read.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom went through the highlights of each grant, LCC and Helen Ellis to apprise.every one of the amounts still encumbered and the remaining monies left in the interest accounts. He pointed out that the possible error of $4,000 mentioned in the last meeting by the Town of Westport was resolved. The Treasurer’s report was accepted.
Old Business:
Film Series: Rob stated that we are motoring ahead! We will have 2 ads in “The Westport Shoreline” for 2 weeks for our film poster. People are signing up on Eventbrite to reserve a seat at the films and for Manhattan Shorts. Rob has placed advertisements in many local places in town and he has received positive feedback. He then handed out very professional looking flyers about the three movies for members to disseminate. Rob’s concern right now are speakers for the movies. Many have been contacted to speak, and some have committed. For people who reserved seats we plan to rope off a designated number of seats. Rob also suggested that we ask attendees how they found out about the films. Considerable discussion followed on a host of issues related to the movies and to locations.
Website: The WMS/HS student has yet to be paid so Rob will contact him for a reimbursement form.
Festival Grant: Merri spoke about this latest grant which will be for an Artist in Residence under the Westport Land Trust name. Funding and the timing of executing elements of the festival grants were raised and addressed. Advertising for these festival events cannot go public until the funding is received.
Calendar: An online calendar of events by the Council for people to assess is needed not only for external groups but for members of the Westport Cultural Council.
New Business:
Contacting the Bank of America regarding the potential of the Helen Ellis Grant to continue funding $50,000 a year for the WCC. Tom will make an initial contact. The WCC should also investigate other grant options outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Helen Ellis Fund. Tom will make an initial contact.
Smart Simple and Festival Grants are a source for MCC grants. Merri will investigate other possible sources for grants.
Next Meeting: September 6, 2023, 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of June 7, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Pierce, Nancy Whitin, Merri Cyr, Martha Moffitt, Paula Gauthier.
Absent: Midori Evans, Rob Delgaudio
Carol began this meeting by informing the Council that Midori Evans will be stepping down as a member due to personal and family issues.
Minutes: Minutes of the May 3rd meeting were accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom indicated that there are three pending grant reimbursements that will be signed tonight and submitted so the totals on the treasurer’s report will be lower. Tom went into an explanation of his report about unencumbered funds and interest account totals which are available to the WCC for internal business needs. He then shared that $3,000 was taken out of this WCC account by the town so he will contact the accountant’s office to explain the entry by whom and why. The report was accepted as presented.
Old Business:
Update on Film Series for 2023: Paula spoke in Rob’s absence about the upcoming film series planned by the Council. The August 2 film will be “Root Hog and Die” August 16 will be “The Weekend Sailor”. “Everything Westport” was suggested as a vehicle in which to advertise the films along with the usual social media and newspapers. The effort now is to finalize the speakers at each of the films. Paula will speak to Ross Moran to see if he’ll be a speaker for the movie on farming. Paula will update Rob about details of our discussion.
Update on web-site progress: Postponed to next meeting in July.
Festival Grant for Artist in Residence: Merri spoke about the process of getting an Artist in Residence. The challenge was timing when other programs will be running. Merri will post pictures of the Westport Land Trust grounds so potential artists could see what is there and what they could do at the site.
Update on the CRC’s Engagement and Outreach Subcommittee: A letter of support from The Westport Cultural Council has been sent in support for the proposed “Central Village Placemaking Project.”
Election of new officers: Carol Vidal, President; Tom Pierce, Treasurer; Ned Daniels, Secretary; Nancy Whitin, Communications Secretary.
A motion was made and seconded to conclude the meeting.
Next Meeting: July 5th , 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of May 3, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Pierce, Midori Evans, Nancy Whitin, Rob Delgaudio, Merri Cyr, Martha Moffitt, Paula Gauthier.
Minutes: Minutes of the April 5 and April 26 (special meeting) were accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Updated entries for LCC and HE grant entries were presented and the Treasurer’s Report was accepted as presented.
Final Decisions on Helen Ellis Grant Trust Funds: Again, Tom Pierce, Treasurer, led us easily through the main part of the agenda by using the full grant spreadsheet as well as the chart showing the range of each member’s decision. He also used the large computer screen making it easy to see what happened to the bottom line as decisions were made. His graph showed members’ amounts for each grant pretty much the same as the previous meeting, April 5th.
Considerable discussion followed on the issue of the Samba Capoeira to be held at Bayside. The major discussion issue was the WCC paying for this group who will be performing at the Bayside Restaurant and making money.
Carol read two letters of support for two grant requests and Midori read one letter of support.
A final vote on the 2023-24 Helen Ellis Charitable Trust Grant was taken and approved by all the members:
South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour 1900
Westport Art Group WAG Kid's Summer Art Camp Scholarship 800
Westport Cultural Council Film Series 2023 7575
Friends of the Westport Library Candida Rose Concert at Westport Annex 950
Westport Writing Group Monthly Writing Group 480
New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center History & Mysteries 250
Westport Economic Dev. Task Force Music at the Farmer's Market 2608
Westport Cultural Council Artist in Residence 7850
Westport Land Conservation Trust Wampanoag Experience Mishoon Burn 5000
Greater Tiverton Community Chorus Concert at Westport Middle/High School 488
Paskamansett Bird Club Projector 650
UMASS Dartmouth Women, Life, Freedom: Visual Chronicle 2550
Concerts at the Point Borreomeo String Quartet 1000
Westport River Watershed Alliance River Day: The Wampanoag Experience 4500
No Strings Marionette Company Artist in Residence Puppetry Program 2500
Deborah Coderre Poetry Slam 500
Westport Wildcats Pep Band Assistant Director Stipend 300
Westport Grange #181 Stage Curtain 2500
Westport Recreation Outdoor Movie Night 3500
Westport Recreation Summer Concert Series 5500
Westport Middle/High School Drama Club Prod. of SpongeBob the Musical 3100
Bayside Restaurant Samba Capoeira 1000
The Art Drive 15th Annual Studio Tour 1700
Westport Historical Society Westport Heritage Map 800
Total Monies granted $58,000.
New Business: Carol shared that she has been invited to a luncheon at the Westport Land Conservation Trust on 5/8/2023, as a “thank you” for the WCC’s support for “The Wampanoag Experience.”
Rob Delgaudio then asked for members to meet with him on the implementation of the film series program.
A motion was made and seconded to write a letter of support for the Central Village Placemaking Project.
Discussion then followed on an MCC Festival and Events grant separate from our other WCC funds. This Festivals Grant would be for an Artist in Residence under the WCC name. The application for this grant deadline for the application is June 8th.
A motion was made and seconded to conclude the meeting.
The next meeting of the WCC is Wednesday, June 7, 2023, @6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of April 5, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce, Midori Evans, Nancy Whitin, Rob Delgaudio, Merri Cyr, Martha Moffitt, Paula Gauthier.
Minutes: Accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Accepted as presented.
Discussion: A brief discussion of an “Art Corridor Sidewalk” was held before the main part of the meeting. Carol, Midori and Paula will look into it, and they will then report back at the next meeting.
Helen Ellis Grant Decisions Discussion: Tom lead us through this part of the meeting with an excellent display of grant amounts suggested by each member after which Tom showed us how the numbers the members gave individually, compared. This second slide made it easy to quickly decide on certain requests.
We then looked at the rest of the requests. The discussions were very thorough, and in many cases, they went to a very detailed discussion where points were made of a very all-encompassing nature. The time spent on the remaining grants was very thorough and well thought out.
The money for the Wampanoag Grant was proposed as presented. However, the money is for the program, NOT for hand-outs such as t-shirts and other such items.
The discussion on each grant item was again, very thorough. Tom’s role in the discussion made it easy for us to make decisions.
Two grants had questions that needed follow-up, and Merri and Paula will attend to them and report back on May 3, 2023, our next meeting.
A motion was made to conclude the meeting and was voted upon unanimously.
The next meeting of the WCC is Wednesday, May 3, 2023, @ 5:30 p.m., the Town Hall Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of March 1, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Nancy Whitin, Tom Pierce, Rob Delgaudio, Merri Cyr, Midori Evans,
Ned Daniels
Guests: Martha Moffitt, Paula Gauthier
Minutes: Accepted as presented
Treasurer’s Report: Tom Pierce walked us through the report as presented. For Helen Ellis we’ll be
about three thousand dollars unencumbered from last year. Merri confirmed that she’d not request her
allotted three thousand from her HE grant, thus leaving the Helen Ellis with a total of $61,000 for
distribution this coming grant period.
Old Business:
Artist in Residence: This section of the meeting began with a discussion about the Artist in Residence
Program. Potential artists were discussed: RISD; Boston; students. Advertising the program is an issue as
to whether to begin now, knowing that funding would not be confirmed until May. This could mean that
if the WCC waits until that time frame, it may be too late to get interest from students and faculty who
might be possible applicants. It was decided to informally allow Merri to move forward with the
advertising now. She will work with Paula Gauthier on the advertising strategy.
Film Series: Rob shared that he is working towards getting an approval for the first film. He and Merri
are considering a “silent film” with accompanied music. Rob has contacted “Manhattan” shorts, and a
DVD may be available at $50 to $60; this would allow many options as the committee moves forward.
Website Progress: Rob spoke of this. He encouraged us to integrate our individual email as related to
the website. The WCC must complete an initial application for the site. The WMHS student working on
the project has been very professional to work with. Rob said that he has been posting on the site.
Need for New Members: Carol shared that she’ll stay on in a non-voting capacity as ex officio, consulting
and training with members and assisting the new president. She discussed how she works with MCC and
the Bank of America to complete the State form and HE grant for our allotments for the arts.
A motion was made and seconded for Carol to act in a consulting capacity as Ex Officio to the WCC for
the coming time frame, 2023-2024.
Another motion followed to adjourn the meeting.
The next meeting of the WCC is Wednesday, April 5, 2023, @ 6:00 p.m., the Town Hall Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of February 1, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Nancy Whitin, Tom Pierce, Rob Delgaudio, Merri Cyr, Midori Evans, Ned Daniels
Guests: Paula Gauthier and Lauren Miller-Donnelly
Minutes: Accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom walked us through the different categories on the “Treasurer’s Report, 1Feb23.” He pointed out the Helen Ellis money available for 2023-24 amounted to $58,994.34 which included the B of A grant as well as unspent monies from previous years. The Town has yet to receive the state grant which we should receive by March.
Old Business:
Helen Ellis Grant: Advertising for the Helen Ellis Grant monies was discussed, and it was suggested to do it on a weekly basis until the deadline of March 17, 2023! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Carol!
Film Series: Rob shared that there was no new news at this time regarding the Film Series. He led a discussion of several possible films he might consider. Other ideas were discussed, and some of the successes of past years were discussed as to why.
Website Progress: Rob spoke to this. He shared that the WCC has a web-site and resources which are moving forward on it. Rob then took us through some of the components of the site. Midori is working with him on this project. He encouraged us to share photos of Town events to be used on the site. Many ideas were shared. The site is being developed by a student at the Westport Middle/High School.
Artist in Residence: Merri asked if the WCC could share about how much it might be able to give to this project. The discussion which followed basically concluded that the WCC could not make such a statement as it does not yet know what grant requests will be made and accepted.
It was suggested that the WCC take the two weeks immediately following the 3/17 deadline for HE grants submissions to individually and then collectively share what could be the possible amount after a full review by the WCC of all submitted grants.
Tri-County Music Association grant change: The changes they requested will be honored. A motion was made and seconded to accept the changes.
Guests: Paula shared her background as well as their interest in serving on the Council. Her background and interests would support several of our programs and grants we have right now.
Lauren represented the Paskamansett Bird Club and asked if a grant could be made where the Audubon Society could use the funds to purchase a new projector. The WCC agreed that this was possible, however, her group must obtain a W-9 form.
Adjourn: A motion was made and seconded to conclude the meeting.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of January 4, 2023
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Nancy Whitin, Tom Pierce, Rob DelGaudio, Merri Cyr, Ned Daniels.
Absent: Midori Evans.
Guests in Attendance: Gina Bromwell and Martha Moffitt.
Minutes: Minutes of the December 7th meeting were given and accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom discussed the LCC grantees of 2022-23. Only 62% have been reimbursed with the deadline coming up this month. The remaining grantees are either pending in the reimbursement process or will be contacted by one the Council members to send in their paperwork soon.
The 2023-24 Helen Ellis Grant will have a $50,500 balance from the Trust funds from the recent grant. This will be added to any unencumbered money from grants not fully reimbursed by previous grant recipients. The interest balance from LCC and Helen Ellis money can be used for WCC administrative costs. Tom also pointed out that the 2022-23 Helen Ellis grants have been 51% reimbursed to date. The deadline for these Helen Ellis grants is May 2023.
The Treasurer’s report was accepted as presented.
Liaisons for Each Grant: WCC members were then asked to serve as Liaisons for each grant awarded.G
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Pierce, Nancy Whitin, Merri Cyr, Martha Moffitt, Paula Gauthier.
Absent: Midori Evans, Rob Delgaudio
Carol began this meeting by informing the Council that Midori Evans will be stepping down as a member due to personal and family issues.
Minutes: Minutes of the May 3rd meeting were accepted as presented.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom indicated that there are three pending grant reimbursements that will be signed tonight and submitted so the totals on the treasurer’s report will be lower. Tom went into an explanation of his report about unencumbered funds and interest account totals which are available to the WCC for internal business needs. He then shared that $3,000 was taken out of this WCC account by the town so he will contact the accountant’s office to explain the entry by whom and why. The report was accepted as presented.
Old Business:
Update on Film Series for 2023: Paula spoke in Rob’s absence about the upcoming film series planned by the Council. The August 2 film will be “Root Hog and Die” August 16 will be “The Weekend Sailor”. “Everything Westport” was suggested as a vehicle in which to advertise the films along with the usual social media and newspapers. The effort now is to finalize the speakers at each of the films. Paula will speak to Ross Moran to see if he’ll be a speaker for the movie on farming. Paula will update Rob about details of our discussion.
Update on web-site progress: Postponed to next meeting in July.
Festival Grant for Artist in Residence: Merri spoke about the process of getting an Artist in Residence. The challenge was timing when other programs will be running. Merri will post pictures of the Westport Land Trust grounds so potential artists could see what is there and what they could do at the site.
Update on the CRC’s Engagement and Outreach Subcommittee: A letter of support from The Westport Cultural Council has been sent in support for the proposed “Central Village Placemaking Project.”
Election of new officers: Carol Vidal, President; Tom Pierce, Treasurer; Ned Daniels, Secretary; Nancy Whitin, Communications Secretary.
A motion was made and seconded to conclude the meeting.
Next Meeting: July 5th , 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of October 4, 2023
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of October 4, 2023
Westport Cultural Council Meeting of October 4, 2023
Members Attending: Paula Gauthier, Nancy Whitin, Ruth Bourn, Ned Daniels, Rob Delgaudio, Marthat Moffit.
Absent: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce
Guest: Aaron Texiera
Minutes: Accepted as read.
Treasurer’s Report: A brief discussion followed about the large donation to be made to the WCC and how the Town will set up a separate account for the WCC Treasurer to access based upon the vote of the WCC as is a standard practice.
Four of the fifteen grantees for existing State grants have requested reimbursement. 26% of the Helen Ellis grants have been reimbursed.
Tom will send out a “grid” to allow us to begin the process of rating grants submitted for the 2024-25 grant period.
Treasurer’s Report Accepted as presented.
Old Business:
Manhattan Shorts: Rob shared about the success of the program and that 70 people attended. Next year we may want to consider two nights. Rob started off the Manhattan Shorts by featuring a full screen shot of the “curtain” restored by the Grange and to which the WCC had granted a significant sum of money.
Tech Web-site update: Rob will look at it, and he stated that it should be easy to use.
Liaison Updates: Paula shared that she attended a WCC grantee program. The program was well attended, with about 80 people in attendance. The program was “Women’s Life Freedom”.
LCC Grant Press Release: Nancy took care of this, and it was printed for public viewing.
Smart and Simple: Some of the Council members are on it and some not. Nancy will send Ruth, Ned and Martha how to access it. The grants are found on this site, and October 17 is the deadline for submission. Nancy offered that anyone needing help could contact her.
New Business:
Historical Society Request: Because the presenter could not attend as scheduled, the Society would like to apply the grant money to their trail at Handy House. The WCC approved that request.
Smart and Simple Tutorial: see above reference.
Open WCC Seat: A brief discussion followed. The matter needs further discussion.
Our guest, Aaron Texiera, spoke next. He shared with us his role at the Land Trust. His work focuses on environmental issues. About a dozen people showed up for the first program, which went very well. He spoke about the money he would need ($1,500 to $2,500). He’s planning on a musical growth Aaron how he can get his proposal accepted.
We shared as to how WCC money and Helen Ellis money works and the dates by which grants must be submitted.
Paula then spoke to the extra money from previously awarded grants not fully requested. She shared how Handy House might apply for some of it. Further discussion should follow on such a request.
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn.
Next meeting: November 1, 2023, 6:00 p.m., The Town Hall Annex.
New Business: The idea of a reception for awarded grantees was discussed.
Film Series: Rob opened a discussion about the Film series for this year. He stressed that we need to offer more advertising and earlier promotion for each film. A discussion then followed about a location for the next film series. An enthusiastic discussion followed regarding the “Manhattan Shorts.” Considerable discussion of ideas for the Film Series followed.
Artist in Residence: The discussion centered on the type of artist and program offered. It was felt that the program could draw more people to see it and to participate. One idea was to integrate it into the Wampanoag Indian Canoe project.
WCC Website: Rob shared the possibility of having a student at the Westport High School to do a website for us. A grant will be needed for this project. A domain name for the site will also be needed and it must be relevant.
A motion was made to fund the site, seconded, and approved. The site will be a topic at the February 1st meeting.
A motion was made and seconded to close the meeting at 7:20 p.m.
Next WCC meeting is Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at the Westport Town Annex.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of December 7, 2022
Members Attending: Carol Vidal; Midori Evans; Tom Pierce; Nancy Whiten; Rob DelGaudio; Ned Daniels.
Absent: Merri Cyr.
Minutes: Minutes of the November 2nd meeting were presented and with one sentence moved ahead of another, was accepted as revised.
Treasurer’s Report: accepted as read.
Voting on LCC Grant Denials and Approvals: With lack of confirmation from the Westport Library for the LCC grant “On the Road to Creativity at Your Library”, the amount tentatively granted for $500.00 was changed to $0.00.
- “Hip Hop Exercise Class” LCC grant for 2021: It was not clear as to whether the class was ever held. A reimbursement of $280.00 was paid out and further follow-up will determine what action to take.
- The New Bedford Jazz LCC grant question was resolved and the amount approved will remain at $600.00.
- The WCC will take the 5% administrative fee that the state grant allows for local council expenses.
- Voted to accept that all grants denied funding would stand (10 grants).
- Voted to accept that all grants awarded would be funded as designated (15).
New Business: Carol stated that the review process for the Helen Ellis grants will be from 2/1 to 3/15/2023. The WCC has received the check from the Bank of America so the advertising for the grants can begin.
Town Website. Rob discussed with the Westport High School principal the idea of it being done at the high school under the supervision of the appropriate faculty member. Rob also discussed other options should WHS not be able to do it.
Rob then continued the discussion centering on what might be the name for such a website.
Further discussion followed about a “drop-box” option in the ‘site’ so applications, etc., as appropriate, could be an option to either applicants or others wanting to leave a message.
Management of the website would need to be maintained as some concerns for oversight were expressed.
A discussion on a “Van Gogh” film with its special effects as part of the film series followed. Where to hold it (eg. Weatherlow Farms); when; with whom to partner with.
Meeting adjourned: 6:43.
Westport Cultural Council Meeting Minutes of November 2, 2022
Members Attending: Carol Vidal, Tom Peirce, Rob DelGaudio, Midori Evans, Merri Cyr, Ned Daniels AND, Nancy Whitin.
The meeting was called to order at 5:37.
Minutes were presented, and Nancy Whitin pointed out that her name was not included in the October minutes. Her name was added to the October 5 minutes.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom Peirce explained some of the changes from the last Treasurer’s Report that was emailed to members prior to the meeting. The changes since that report were included in the presentation he then made. The Film Series came in under budget, and that money was included in the unencumbered funds for Helen Ellis. The members shared many positive comments about the “Manhattan Shorts” held at the Grange this September. This was part of the film series presentation along with the 3 documentaries.
Tom then led us into a discussion about the LCC grant requests, the main topic of the meeting. His presentation was very professional and technical. He presented not only the spreadsheet, but also a chart showing how members compared or contrasted with regard to monies they would allocate to each of the 25 grant requests submitted this LCC 2023 grant period.
All members posted their individual grant estimates on the spreadsheet Tom provided. Grants that members assigned no monies were set aside and the remainder of the grants were allocated the $8970available grant money.
By 6:50 p.m. the group had completed an initial and thorough assessment of each grant except for three grants that required additional information before a vote. A member was assigned to each of the three grants to follow up on at the December final voting meeting.
Carol Vidal then discussed the issue of members submitting grant requests while active members due to the conflict-of-interest issue. Once a member steps down from the Council they are free to submit a grant if they so choose. She also made it clear that for professional and reputational reasons it was best not to allow this practice.
We discussed how to deal with a difficult WCC town website. Should we hire someone to administer the town site or work a separate website managed by the WCC. We would need to hire someone and pay them to manage it. A possible salary of $500.00 was suggested as it would be a part-time effort. Rob will contact Chris Nunez to see who on the faculty at the high school might be interested in such a role.
New Business: none
A motion was made and seconded at 7:14 to end the meeting. Next meeting will be December 7, 2022at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Annex.
A special thanks to Tom for the excellent way he prepared the spreadsheet for the WCC members to enter their grant estimates that will be voted on next month for our final decisions. Very impressive!