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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes.WHLR.20231011.Regular1 Wheeler Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 11, 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; Ziska Childs*; Lauren Forman and Kate Northfield Lanich of Aspen Music Festival & School. Wheeler Opera House/City of Aspen Staff: Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Executive Director and Karen McConnell, Administrative & Artistic Specialist. Absent: Richard Stettner *Attended via Zoom Recorder: Karen McConnell Chair Chip Fuller called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. and observed presence of a quorum and introduced Kate Northfield Lanich, who is replacing Jennifer White for the Music Festival attending the meeting in person for the first time. Chair Fuller encouraged board members to attend meetings in person and suggested if the current day and time isn’t working, to please provide input regarding proposed dates and times which will make in person attendance successful. Chair Fuller mentioned September revised minutes had been presented to the Board and there were no edits. Nina Gabianelli moved to approve minutes from the August 9, 2023 board meeting, Dr. Tom Kurt seconded, and Board members unanimously approved adoption of same. Public Comment: Chair Fuller requested public comment. None was offered. Wheeler Updates, Lisa Rigsby Peterson Ms. Rigsby Peterson shared the following updates with the board: 2 Ticket sales update and season programming updates were provided of the Wheeler’s upcoming vigorous performance season. Appreciation was expressed for inclusion of YouTube videos in website ads. In the next few weeks, marketing will be highlighting events for patrons in greater detail. Cost and availability of lodging specifically during the Christmas holidays was discussed. Dr. Tom Kurt reminded the board that many years ago, the Wheeler proposed constructing a three-story building on the parcel next to the Motherlode Building to provide housing, rehearsal, and performance spaces. The proposal was not approved by City Council. Initial drawings for that proposed addition were drawn by Board Member Ziska Childs. Both Dr. Kurt and Ms. Gabianelli offered to make connections with local lodging establishments to see if they might consider partnership with the Wheeler and reduced room rates. Ms. Rigsby Peterson will make the Wheeler budget presentation to Council next Tuesday. Financials were recently provided to board members. Additional information such as payroll, marketing, and staff training were requested by the board for better understanding. Ms. Mountjoy asked for clarification of expenses in the Public Outreach line, and Ms. Rigsby Peterson responded that at the next board meeting Marketing Director Nicole Levesque will attend and provide information specific to marketing strategies, website redevelopment, and new initiatives at the Wheeler. Ms. Childs asked for clarification about the number of production staff currently on the Wheeler payroll and whether or not there is a budget for training and professional development for all staff. Ms. Rigsby Peterson replied that the Wheeler has three fulltime production positions (one temporarily vacant due to the promotion of Michael Baca to Production Manager) and five to seven on-call theatre technicians. She also confirmed that there is a budget for training and professional development of all staff. The new ticketing system, Spektrix should be implemented by early January. Dr. Tom Kurt shared thoughts about current rates of return on bonds and asked for details about RETT investments and returns. City Manager Sara Ott and Finance Director Pete Strecker will attend a board meeting after the first of the year to discuss the information that should be shared with the Board and the role of the Board in RETT conversations. Information regarding access to Wheeler minutes as previously requested by Amy Mountjoy was also responded to by Ms. Rigsby Peterson as she explained that the city updated its website and when that was done the link to Wheeler minutes was broken. It’s been fixed and now links to Laserfiche records. Moving forward, calendar notices of Wheeler Advisory Board meetings will remain on historical calendars, rather than dropping off after the meeting has happened. Amy was thanked for checking and bringing this to our attention for resolutions. Immediately following the board meeting, Ms. Rigsby Peterson will accompany board members in attendance to the orchestra to look at new possible accessible seating locations and discuss use of exits. To board members not present, please reach out to Ms. Rigsby Peterson to arrange for individual review. Board Discussion Director Rigsby Peterson asked for board perspective on the Wheeler’s current programming. Variety, and diversity were immediately noted. Our vision statement was thoughtfully developed to aid in our goals and define who we are. Lively, thoughtful conversation was held which highlighted balance, including something for everyone, rental options at the Wheeler, and the 3 balance between rentals and Wheeler Presents. We’re not defined at the Wheeler by the individual shows we produce each season but rather we’re an institution in the best sense of the word. The Wheeler’s presence is enduring and how do we make sure that community members feel our building and what we do here is important to them. Those sentiments affect what we’re doing now. Chair Fuller then opened discussion. Ms. Gabianelli felt diversity is interesting. She’s now seeing many things she hadn’t previously considered, including the opportunity to add daytime, matinee programming for those who prefer not to drive and/or attend performances at night. She also encouraged use of the Vault Lobby as a performance space again. Lauren Forman acknowledged that staff needs to be enthusiastic and not feel drained. She shared that the development team at her workplace recently jointly read a book, “Unreasonable Hospitality,” which she felt would both encourage Wheeler staff and enhance the experience for patrons so their value is recognized. She also mentioned that partnering with non-profits in the valley and building space for everyone is vital for developing relationships. Chair Fuller noted that his perception of Wheeler programming is changing. Several years ago he felt the most important thing was audience attendance, including sold out performances so the Wheeler doesn’t look empty. He used to feel that the more people in attendance at any given show marked how popular the show was, but he is now focusing on the new vision statement and making memories and memorable performances which stand out. Regular big- name events and family events are important, but wanting to reach everyone means that not everyone is going to be satisfied by all events. Aspen has changed since COVID. Success could be defined as everyone who lives in Aspen attends at least one show a year at the Wheeler. Reach is important. One or two big name bands a year would be great. Continuing to make pricing reasonable is important. Dr. Tom Kurt remarked about the significance of the Wheeler as an institution which goes beyond the bricks in this building. Partnership with Crystal Palace Players and Historical Society are representative of living assets. Please consider a small free event, something dedicated to our community. Challenges facing rental clients was noted by Ms. Gabianelli. Ms. Rigsby Peterson remarked staff considerations and capacity are at the forefront of decision making. Ms. Rigsby Peterson’s observation in coming in 2 years ago is that things are different now than before COVID. With our professional staff we want to support and present great performances. Our job is to say what’s possible in the building and how can we best support it. Chair Fuller noted that the Wheeler isn’t maxing out on programming, but leaning on that side with load in, load out and rehearsal times. Kate Lanich remarked on low-capacity events, sharing that their staff time for events with attendance of perhaps 30 people is also a subject of conversation at the Music Festival, and they ask questions such as whether the programming is in some way fitting their mission, is it serving a need or an important population? Sometimes the answer isn’t clear and it changes year to year. Full-time vs seasonal employment can be very challenging now post-COVID, since how employees approach their work is different. And when there is turnover, institutional knowledge is lost. Keeping staff fulfilled is key. She noted that having arrived in the valley in 2018, she has noted cyclical seasonal events and traditions and that’s something to keep in mind for programming. 4 Ms. Rigsby Peterson stated that the Wheeler staff is incredibly proud of what they do -- they work hard and are committed to the vision of the Wheeler. The Wheeler is still rebuilding from the 14-month COVID closure where half of the staff turned over and nothing took place in the building. Where we were and what we did before COVID is not where we are as workers, artist or organizations in the performing arts industry today, and the audience has changed in ways sometimes difficult to perceive. Let’s acknowledge that sometimes things aren’t going to work, and that when that happens rather than being critical, it’s most productive to examine what we can learn from the experience to inform the decisions we make going forward. Ms. Forman suggested providing free tickets if a show isn’t selling well (“papering the house”). Ms. Rigsby Peterson replied that this is not the practice at the Wheeler, since it trains audience members to wait until free tickets are offered rather than purchasing a ticket. Ms. Forman suggested perhaps providing 10 tickets to a demographic that wouldn’t necessarily attend at the Wheeler might open the possibility to purchase tickets for future events. Ms. Rigsby Peterson replied that such occasional targeted promotion could be useful in audience building. Ms. Mountjoy noted that it’s difficult to retain seasonal employees, especially with a 3-month summer with little work for all in production. If there’s some way the Wheeler and the City can assist people in finding a way to bridge the summer gap should be a priority. Ms. Rigsby Peterson asked the Board to think about whether there is a genre, artist, or idea that hasn’t been mentioned or we are missing and invited board members to reach out to her directly to share their thoughts. Dr. Kurt raised the possibility of staff becoming teachers in the summer as a way to bridge the employment gap with the lack of programming work. Chair Fuller encouraged the Board to continue to solicit opinions about Wheeler programming to share with the Board. Ms. Forman feels a wonderful job is being done and cited the upcoming programming as an example. She also acknowledged that we are emerging from COVID and each year is different at the Wheeler. To summarize, the board feels more events, matinees, perhaps Broadway stars in concert, more theatrical-type shows, variety of performance times, and further utilization of the bar vault lobby would be beneficial. If possible, make it easier for locals to participate and use the space. Encourage more community involvement. Pre-season events to introduce the season were also mentioned. Comedy is always popular, as are ski events and adventure programming. Chair Fuller suggested thinking about hosting Aspen business luncheons with topics of interest to local business people. Chair Fuller remarked that a lot of new people have come to our community in the past 5 years, as have artists, and there may be talent now right in Aspen which we haven’t identified. It’s up to every one of us on the board to explore options, and it would be worthwhile to have this conversation every 6 months. He concluded by noting that the upcoming shows promise a great season --we are recovering and are on the path back thanks to Lisa and staff. Chair Fuller asked if there were any other topics to be discussed by the Board. None was offered. Ms. Gabianelli moved to adjourn the meeting, Dr. Kurt seconded the motion and Board members unanimously approved. The meeting concluded at 4:35 p.m. 5 Future Meetings Schedule ` November 8, 2023 3:00 p.m. December 13, 2023 3:00 p.m. January 10, 2024 3:00 p.m.