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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes.WHLR.20230510.Regular1 Wheeler Advisory Board Meeting Minutes May 10, 2023, | 3:00 p.m. In Attendance: Wheeler Opera House Advisory Board Members: Chip Fuller, Chair; Amy Mountjoy, Vice-Chair; Dr. Tom Kurt, Secretary, Daniel Benavent*; Nina Gabianelli; Richard Stettner; Ziska Childs; Jennifer White (ex-officio, MAA); and Lauren Foreman (alternate) * Attended via Zoom Wheeler Opera House/City of Aspen Staff: Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Executive Director; Alixandra Feeley, Business Manager; and Karen McConnell, Administrative & Artistic Specialist. Meeting Recorder: Karen McConnell ________________________________________________________________________ Chair, Chip Fuller, called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. Public Comment Chair Fuller requested public comment. None was offered. Chair Fuller mentioned that April minutes had been presented to the Board and there were no edits. Richard Stettner moved to approve minutes from the April 12, 2023 board meeting minutes, Nina Gabianelli seconded, and Board members unanimously approved adoption of same. Davide Venturini, Artistic Director of Compagnia TPO, an Italian company specializing in live performances for children, who performed at the Wheeler the previous week and who will return in April 2024 and include commissioned imagery from Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley in their next presentation, spoke briefly to the board members. Wheeler Updates, Lisa Rigsby Peterson Ms. Rigsby Peterson shared the following updates with the board: The April 21 presentation of Bone Hill led by Martha Redbone concluded the Wheeler’s 2022-23 season. Martha Redbone led a great outreach program at Aspen Country Day School prior to her performance. Over the past two weeks, the Wheeler hosted two successful rehearsal and performance weeks by Aspen Community School and Aspen Country Day School. Two Compagnia TPO dancers, and Lisa and Ashley Massow visited Riverview school in Glenwood Springs for another outreach program. Riverview school focuses on ½ days in English and Spanish 2 and presentation was made to Kindergartners and 1st graders which was met with appreciation from students and teachers alike. The Wheeler 2024 season is taking shape and more information will be shared at the June board meeting. A few highlights will include an increase in student events and outreach, and more programming for the Spanish speaking community, including the return of Los Chicos, as well as a performance by Tito Puente, Jr. Nicole Levesque, Wheeler Marketing Director, is working on developing a patron survey which will delve for deeper data. The Wheeler may be able to partner and share costs with additional mountain ski resort towns such as Big Sky, Montana and Vail on these surveys. Our new Wheeler Opera House website is dynamic and fresh. Many thanks to Nicole Levesque. Ms. Rigsby Peterson shared that she and Building Supervisor met with CORE representatives, who support the Wheeler’s acquisition of gas boilers, as the heat pump technology needed for this building is not yet available in the United States, and the city is not able to do the infrastructure work necessary to install electric boilers in a timely enough way. Nicole Levesque, Alex Glen and Ashley Massow attended the Roaring Fork State of the Arts at TACAW in Basalt. Board member Ziska Childs was also in attendance. Ms. Childs shared with the board that there were great panels and conversations. The focus was on local economy and impact of the arts, with a wide variety of local government leaders and representatives in attendance. There was a shared desire to focus on better coordination of calendars between venues. The event featured a simultaneous Spanish translation system which the Wheeler will explore for future uses. Ms. Rigsby Peterson updated the board about the upcoming Artist Fellowship grants, including a description of the program. This pilot program will launch this summer. She asked that a representative of the Wheeler Advisory Board sit on the Review Committee. Board Discussion The board discussed the recent Council conversations about the Valley Fine Arts tenant space and lease expiration. Council directed that a short lease extension be offered to Mia Valley so that the space isn’t empty during the busy holiday and winter months. Ms. Rigsby Peterson will be working with the City attorney to draft an extension through March 31, 2024. Work will begin on the Request for Proposals for use of the space, and the RFP should be issued in late June. Per Council direction, the request will be for gallery/arts uses only (with an option for food and beverage if it is part of the gallery/arts primary usage). Standalone food and beverage proposals will not be accepted. a representative of the Wheeler Advisory Board will sit on the RFP Review Committee. Ms. Rigsby Peterson mentioned that staff have been discussing both accessibility and safety in the theatre, with a proposal to consider removing one row of seats to provide easier evacuation and better accessible seating options. At the June board meeting, the board will be invited upstairs to the theater for further discussion and consideration. Chair Fuller inquired how the meeting time of 3 PM was working for all board members and all commented this was working well. As has been previous practice, the Board will not meet in August given vacation and other plans. As the board meeting closed, Dr. Kurt, board secretary shared there is an “Aspen Psychedelic Symposium’ sponsored by Aspen Public Radio at the Wheeler June 2nd, 2023 Noon to 7:00 pm which is pertinent to Colorado Proposition 122 (which passed in the November 2022 election) regarding psychedelics. Tickets are $28 and available at AspenShowtix. 3 Also, Dr. Kurt shared that Thursday, May 11, 2023 the Federal Emergency Orders dealing with COVID-19 are ending. To the Wheeler (and nationwide) that equates to no mandatory wearing of mask(s), handwashing, testing or vaccinations paid by the federal government. Jurisdiction would now potentially reside with the Pitkin County Board of Health which will meet May 11, 2023 to confirm. Dr. Kurt will provide the outcome. Chair Fuller asked if there were any other topics to be discussed by the Board. None was offered. Nina Gabianelli moved to adjourn the meeting, Richard Stettner seconded the motion and Board members unanimously approved. The meeting concluded at 4:13 p.m. Future Meetings Schedule June 14, 2023, 3:00 p.m. July 12, 2023 NO MEETING August 9, 2023, 3:00 p.m.