HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/25/2025 - CULTURAL RESOURCES BOARD - AGENDA - Agenda CULTURAL RESOURCES BOARD
September 25, 2025 – 5:30 PM
Center for Creativity, White Pine (200 Mathews St, Fort Collins, CO 80524 )
Teams – www.fcgov.com/culturalresourcesboardmeeting
1.CALL TO ORDER
2.ROLL CALL
3.AGENDA REVIEW
4.PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
5.APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JULY 24, 2025
6.UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7.NEW BUSINESS
a.Review of Fu nding Recommendation s for Program Support Grant, August
Deadline
b.Fort Fu nd and Arts and Culture Board Program Changes Presentation –
Solara Clark
Participation for this Cultural Resources Board Meeting will be in person at the Center for
Creativity, 200 Mathews St, Fort Collins, CO 8052 4.
You may also join online via Teams, using this link:
www.fcgov.com/culturalresourcesboardmeeting
Online Public Participation:
The meeting will be available to join beginning at 5:15 pm . Participants should try to sign in
prior to the 5:30 pm meeting start time, if possible. For public comments, the Chair will ask
participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time.
Staff will moderate the Teams session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address
the Board or Commission.
To participate:
•Use a laptop, computer, or internet -enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a
microphone will greatly improve your audio).
•You need to have access to the internet.
•Keep yourself on muted status.
Masks Strongly Recommended in Indoor Public Spaces
While there are currently no public health orders in place, Larimer County Public Health officials
strongly recommend that well-fitting, high-quality masks are worn in crowded indoor spaces.
For more information, please visit fcgov.com/covid
8. DIRECTOR’S REPORT
9. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
10. OTHER BUSINESS
11. ADJOURNMENT
Cultural Resources Board
REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, Ju ly 24, 2025 – 5:30 PM
Center for Creativity, White Pine Room
CALL TO ORDER: 5:30 PM
ROLL CALL
• Board Members Present –Sheri Emerick (Chair), Cori Hixon, Jessica
MacMillan, Eleanor VanDeusen
• Board Members Remote –
• Board Members Absent – Conner Horak-Flood (Vice-Chair), Leslie Walker
• Staff Members Present – Solara Clark, Eileen May, Elizabeth Messerli
• Guest(s) – Katy Schneider
AGENDA REVIEW
• The Visit Fort Collins update will be added to New Business.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• Approval of June 2025 minutes. Jessica MacMillan made a motion to accept
the minutes. Cori Hixon seconded the motion. The motion passed
unanimously.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
• Visit Fort Collins Update – Katy Schneider, Director of Marketing
Katy Schneider reported that lodging tax remains flat despite
economic conditions. May and June were down, but July is expected
to be strong. Business travel declined due to federal changes, but
leisure and youth sports remain strong.
A staff position in Visit Fort Collins for sports tourism has shown
immediate ROI.
Focus is shifting to fall and winter events, with an emphasis on
creative support and marketing for winter events.
• CityGive Overview – Elizabeth Messerli
Elizabeth Messerli gave a presentation about City Give, its staff, and
its mission to centralize and professionalize the City's philanthropic
activities.
Elizabeth Messerli answered questions from the Board.
• Arts and Culture Board – Q&A
Eileen May gave a brief overview of the new Arts and Culture Board
starting in April 2026 to the Board. She then answered any questions
DRA
F
T
the Board had including scoring responsibilities shifting to a
community panel (pending approval), Board recruitment, Board
responsibilities and structure.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
• Eileen May updated the Board on department operations:
The Lincoln Center single ticket sales start August 13, 2025. There
will be a new series of Cabaret on the main stage in the Performance
Hall.
There is intention to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) soon to
hire a contracted program manager to handle agent relationships and
booking for The Lincoln Center and Gardens on Spring Creek shows.
The City faces a 5% budget cut for 2025 and a 6% cut for 2026,
affecting only the general fund (about 30% of the budget). Team is
developing an earned revenue strategy to maximize venue return on
investment (ROI).
The Sound in the City survey has about 10,000 -2,000 responses
received so far. There is anticipated feedback related to CSU stadium
noise.
▪ There was brief discussion on CSU's exemption from city noise
policies.
Positive developments in a collaboration meeting/group among city
arts and culture nonprofits, with plans to include more stakeholders in
future meetings
The Gardens on Spring Creek Summer Concert Series shows are
selling well.
BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
• Eleanor VanDeusen attended the Fort Collins Children’s Theatre’s summer
workshop.
• Jessica MacMillan attended a performance at the Gardens on Spring Creek.
• Sheri Emerick went to an event put on by KRFC at the Magic Rat.
OTHER BUSINESS
ADJOURNMENT:
• Jessica MacMillan made a motion to adjourn at 6:36 PM. Sheri Emerick
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
•
Respectfully submitted,
Solara Clark
Lead Specialist
Minutes approved by the Chair and a vote of the Board/Commission on XX/XX/XX
DRA
F
T
Headline Copy Goes Here
Solara Clark, Lead Specialist, FoCo Creates Grant Program
Fort Fund Grant Program and Arts and
Culture Board Changes/Updates
Headline Copy Goes Here
2
New Name Announcement!
• Program Name Change to
FoCo Creates Grant Program
Fort Collins Symphony
Headline Copy Goes HereCross-Sector Impact Grant Discontinued
3
•Cross-Sector Grant to change to an
Individual Artist Grant
•Department may revisit this offering
in the future
•Funding from the cross-sector grant
will be reallocated to the other
organizational grant categories
Center for Creativity Exhibit
Headline Copy Goes HereNew Artist Opportunity Grant
4
•Lottery selection, no panel needed
•$3,000 grants, number of grants TBD
•Grants unrestricted, can be used
for rent, groceries, art supplies, etc.
•Grantees required to do a free "public
display" of art in Fort Collins.
•Artist not required to live in Fort Collins
•Artists receiving $3,000+ in the previous
calendar year from either the Art in Public
Places program or the Cultural
Community Program will not be eligible
for this grant.Garden a’Fare 2025
Headline Copy Goes HereNew Grant Deadlines
5
Return to 3 Categories per
Calendar Year
• Spring (March): Program
Support Grant
• Summer (June): Individual
Artist Grant
• Late Summer/Early Fall
(September): Special Event
Grant
Places Everyone – Teen Theater ProgramInternational Women’s Day
Headline Copy Goes Here2026 Grant Deadlines
6
• Program Support Grant:
•Grant Opens: January 5, 2026
•Early Review: February 18, 2026
•Deadline: March 4, 2026
• Individual Artist Grant
•Grant Opens: May 1, 2026
•Deadline: June 10, 2026
• Special Event Grant
•Grant Opens: July 8, 2026
•Early Review: August 19, 2026
•Deadline: September 2, 2026
Michael Cavanaugh at the
Gardens on Spring Creek
Headline Copy Goes HereAdditional Grant Changes
7
•Applicants will receive
scores and written
feedback regardless
of funding status (new
process)
•New FoCo Creates
Guideline language to
allow flexibility
in funding
•No more Board liaison
assignments
Garden a’Fare 2025
Headline Copy Goes HereCommunity Panel
8
• Shift from Board scoring to
community panel
• 7 paid community panelists
to score across 2 grant
categories (Program
Support and Special Event)
• Panelists selected by
selection committee made
up of FoCo Creates Grant
Administrator, Community
Arts manager, Visit Fort
Collins, Arts and Culture
Board member, other
department representative
(Neighborhood Services)
Summer Concert Series
Gardens on Spring Creek
Headline Copy Goes Here
9
Panel Process
• Online application, 10-minute interview
• Training:
•Implicit Bias
•Grant Evaluation and Scoring Rubrics Overview
•Conflict of Interest Policy
•ZoomGrants Software Tutorial
•Compensation Overview
•Department Goals and Context
• Panelists serve one year with option to be invited
back for one additional year
•2 years on, 2 years off or
•1 year on, 2 years offSustainable Living Association:
Earth Day 2024FoCo Pop
Headline Copy Goes HerePanel Compensation
10
• Training Session: $50
• Program Support: $350
• Special Event: $150
• Total grant cycle amount per
reviewer: $550
• Panelists set up as a
volunteer with "gratitude
payments"
FoCo POP
Headline Copy Goes HereScoring
11
•Olympic Scoring
•ZoomGrants
•Panel must convene
for 1-hour hybrid or in-
person meeting to
review funding
results.
•Scoring window = 3-4
weeks
Eddie Montgomery at the
Gardens on Spring Creek
Headline Copy Goes Here
12
New Arts and Culture Board (ACB)
• Set to begin April 1, 2026
• Meeting date and time TBD
• Applications open early December and close
January 10, 2026.
• Promote awareness and provide advocacy for the
City of Fort Collins Arts and Culture department
• To advise and make recommendations to the Arts
and Culture Department regarding works of art
funded by or donated to the Art in Public Places
program.
• To support the City’s Arts and Culture Masterplan
Soda Shop Movement Company
Headline Copy Goes Here
13
FoCo Creates Grant Program Timeline
•August/September: Launch communication about
changes
•October 1: Applications for Community Panel opens
•November 5: Applications for Community Panel closes
•November 2025: Community Panel
Interviews/Selection
•January 2026: Open Program Support Grant
•February 2026: Train Community Panel
•March 2026: Community Panel first scoring cycle
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14
Arts and Culture Board Timeline:
•Fall 2025: Launch Marketing for New Board
•December:Applications for Boards and Commissions
open
•January:Applications for Boards and Commissions
close
•February:Arts and Culture Board Interviews/Selection
•April 1:All APP and CuRB member terms terminate,
Boards discontinued
•April1:New Arts and Culture Board terms begin
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Questions?