City of Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Center Board met April 7.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The meeting (held at the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau) was called to order at 9:00 a.m. in the Old Post Office Building by David Blanchette, Chairman. Those present included David Blanchette, John Clancy, Patsy Erickson, Diane Hollendonner, Anne Jackson, James Pisell, Samantha Sauer, Steve Varble, Brittany Henry (Ex-Officio), Judy Tighe (Ex- Officio), and Trevor Lawson (intern). Absent were Kyla Hurt, John Power, and Charles Rice.
The business meeting was conducted concurrently with a special education session for the board presented by Patricia L. Miller, Executive Director of the Illinois Heritage Association (IHA), and began with a tour of the Old Post Office Building to view the most recent construction.
During the education session, Pat Miller led the board members through a discussion covering topics related to the future direction of the Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Museum. Topics included Governance and Administration (mission statement, collections policy, strategic planning, board responsibilities, etc.), Collections, Research and Interpretation (exhibits, educational programs), Physical Resources (building & grounds maintenance, space allocation), Financial Resources (government & public support), and Audience and Community (schools, local interests, community partners, tourism). Pat Miller will provide a full summary with recommendations to the board by the May meeting.
Minutes of the March 1, 2018 meeting were approved as distributed.
The treasurer’s report was given by James Pisell, with $1769.82 in the checking account and $44,056.26 in the money market account. Illinois Heritage Association membership dues ($100) were paid from the checking account.
Committee Reports:
Employee/Staff Management: No report.
Volunteer Recruitment/Management: No report.
Fundraising and Budgeting: David Blanchette reported that the HCC will receive half of the proceeds from the trivia night fundraiser sponsored by the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau on April 20, and encouraged everyone to sign up for a team. The proceeds are earmarked for developing a travelling Bicentennial exhibit.
The establishment of a not-for-profit Friends of the Museum chapter was suggested by Pat Miller, and Chairman Blanchette will talk to City Attorney Dan Beard to see what steps need to be taken. Such a group will make fundraising easier for the Jacksonville Area Museum.
Acquisitions/Archives & Historian: David Blanchette and James Pisell reported on the examination of some artifacts from the Jeff Elliott family that are being offered at no charge to the Heritage Cultural Center, including many with direct ties to the Jacksonville area such as high school yearbooks and captioned photographs. It was voted to have Blanchette and Pisell select the items they feel would be most appropriate for donation and those items would be accessioned into the HCC collection.
Mary Gray has offered to donate a piano from the General Grierson home. The piano was originally from the Joy Prairie community. It was voted to decline the offer.
There was nothing further to report on the Congregational Church collection at this time.
Exhibits/Facilities: During the tour of the Old Post Office Building, the group inspected the main floor area which has been divided with new walls, as well as the unfinished basement space. The discussion included ideas for locations of exhibits and storage, as well as the possibility of shared space with other organizations. Pat Miller pointed out potential concerns including security issues, exposure of exhibited items to strong light, temperature/humidity levels, and pest control which would need to be addressed in the overall museum plan.
Special Events/Public Education & Promotion: Ken Bradbury does not have a production in mind for this year that could be staged for the museum’s benefit. Steve Varble noted that the HCC still owns the rights to “The Shadow of Giants” which could be presented if the board wants to schedule a fundraising performance.
Interns: Intern Trevor Lawson reported that the project to catalog all of the HCC artifacts is nearly complete, and he was commended by board members for his efforts.
Old Business: None.
New Business: Brittany Henry announced that the next Business After Hours for the Convention Bureau will be held on Thursday, May 10 and would include tours of the Old Post Office Building.
There were no public comments.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 3, 5:15 p.m., at the Mayor’s Conference Room at the Municipal Building.
With no further business or announcements to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
http://www.jacksonvilleil.gov/city_government/boards_commissions_and_committees/docs/Boards%20Commissions%20Committees/HCC_Minutes/2018/HCC%20Minutes%204.7.18.pdf
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