City of Jacksonville Heritage Cultural Center Board met July 14.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the July board meeting was held at the Jacksonville Area Museum building (Old Post Office) with a teleconferencing option available in accordance with the suspension of the requirement of the Illinois Open Meetings Act requiring in-person attendance by members of a public body during the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation. The meeting was called to order at 5:15 p.m. by David Blanchette, Chairman. Those present included David Blanchette, Chad Boehlke, John Clancy, Diane Hollendonner, Kyla Hurt, Nick Little, Laura Marks, James Pisell, Samantha Sauer, and Tiffany Warmowski. Absent were Patsy Erickson (Emeritus), Greg Olson, Allan Worrell, Brittany Henry (Ex-Officio), and Judy Tighe (Ex-Officio).
The minutes of the June 9, 2022, board meeting were approved distributed.
Treasurer Laura Marks reported that the checking account balance was $31,315.96 at the end of June. Expenses included monthly bills (George Alarm, I3Broadband, and garbage pickup), $120.00 for Chamber dues, $775.00 to Jess Electric, and several reimbursements for supplies to prepare for exhibits and receptions. $6,018.94 was paid to City of Jacksonville for the manager’s salary, with part of that to be reimbursed from the MacMurray Foundation next month. Income included $82.80 for sale of scrap metal and $500 for sale of metal grates removed from around trees, as well as donations and memberships. She also distributed a record of museum visitors and donations October 2021 through June 2022, showing a record number of visitors (173) on June 18 during the MacMurray Homecoming.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Administrative: Tiffany Warmowski presented the manager’s report on behalf of McKenna Servis, indicating that attendance has been good. The Drennan family donated another box of photos and other items. McKenna would like the two interns to look through the Drennan/Black collection to begin setting up Dr. G. Vardiman Black artifacts/information for a future exhibit. She would like to request more money for archival storage materials. It was voted that the board would request $1500 from the Drennan/Becker donation made to the Jacksonville Area Museum Foundation to purchase the storage materials. It was also voted to accept a wooden music stand donated by Mary Jo Sparrow into the teaching collection, and items donated by the Drennan and Myers families to be accessioned into the artifacts. The Myers donation included a Civil War era booklet belonging to a Jacksonville soldier; Samantha Sauer suggested that we ask Ian Hunt, Acquisitions Chief at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, to take a look at the booklet and offer any historical context to it.
Chairman Blanchette thanked Tiffany Warmowski for her service on the board and work organizing/displaying the MacMurray collection and noted that he will be seeking a replacement to fill her position on the board as she and her family will be travelling abroad in the coming months. Allan Worrell has officially joined the board, replacing Jane Breen who is now serving on the JAM Foundation board.
Blanchette received an email from Brittany Henry at the Visitors Bureau concerning winter hours for area tourism sites, which he will forward to the board for further discussion on adjusting the museum’s hours during January/February.
The sign still hasn’t been installed; Blanchette will make some calls.
No new developments on the county/city bicentennials. Laura talked to Commissioner Ginny Fanning, who indicated that the county would like to plan something to commemorate the occasion.
Blanchette would like to schedule a strategic planning workshop before the end of the year.
Fundraising: Blanchette is investigating a new grant to apply for, and it was noted that it is almost time to submit an application to the Jacksonville Children’s Foundation if there are any ideas.
He announced that he has appointed members to two committees: Laura Marks and Allan Worrell to develop the 2023 budget, and John Clancy, Diane Hollendonner, and Kyla Hurt to work on the membership list (sending out thank yous to new members, making updates).
Laura brought up scheduling a membership drive in September as the JAM Foundation is planning to launch a major fundraising campaign in November. Blanchette will write up a sample membership letter to email to the board for comments. Sharon Mathers has joined the JAM Foundation board, which will meet next on August 27.
Nothing new to report on the Gift Shop.
Collections: (see above actions).
Exhibits: The members-only sneak preview of the Capps exhibit on July 13 was a big success, with approximately 50 people attending the walking tour at the factory site, followed by a reception at the museum. Suggestions for future events included seating and a sound system, especially for older attendees. Recognition was given to everyone who had a part in pulling the exhibit together, and especially to Laura Marks and Steve Varble for creating the beautiful booklet covering the Capps family history.
Discussion continues with Chuck Murphy about the Gold Star Mothers exhibit and McKenna will be visiting with the Dominican Sisters to view ideas for their anniversary exhibit. The Arthur Rothstein photography collection is probably no longer an option.
Promotion: Steve Varble was unable to attend but sent a report on the website construction. Updating the website will now be easier; it was suggested that access be given to McKenna so she could add/change events, schedules, etc. Facebook posts and podcasts are getting good responses. New podcasts featuring Capps stories and an interview with Mark McDonald of Illinois Stories have been added, with two more podcasts scheduled with David Bone. Laura mentioned that she had spoken with Ed Wright, who remembers registering for military service at the post office (recruiting offices used to be in the basement), and he might be a possibility for an interview.
Under marketing, he recommended establishing a marketing plan and designating a general marketing budget to use for regular promotions in the Illinois Times, Enjoy Illinois, and other area publications for an ongoing reminder to the public of what the museum offers. He also suggested joining together with other local organizations (Duncan Mansion, Woodlawn Farms, Strawn, Prairieland Heritage, etc.) to discuss schedules and joint promotions.
OLD BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS: Jim Pisell expressed concern at the continued imbalance in cooling/heating in the building, as the office area was very warm now and was very cold in the winter. The air conditioning in the Postmaster’s Office runs continuously and there are no vents in the office area. Discussion followed on the merits of ceiling fans, small or window air conditioning units, and additional window coverings to block the sun. Blanchette will contact an HVAC contractor to see if someone could come to make suggestions and will talk to Bob Sibert to find out who the original installers were.
It was voted to authorize spending up to $500 to promote the museum’s participation in the Central Park Marketplace on August 4 and September 1, and the Capps exhibit. Diane will bake cookies for the August 4 event and board members are encouraged to be present to greet visitors.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, August 4, 5:15 p.m., at the Old Post Office building, 301 E. State Street. We will gather in the Phase II area of the building, as the museum will be open (and staffed by our interns) during the Central Park Plaza Marketplace event. Social distancing rules will be observed and call-in option is available upon request.
With no further business or announcements to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m. with a final round of applause and best wishes for Tiffany Warmowski and her family as they begin their big adventure.
http://cms6.revize.com/revize/jacksonvilleil/city_government/boards_commissions_and_committees/docs/Boards%20Commissions%20Committees/HCC_Minutes/2022/Minutes%207.14.2022%20HCC.pdf
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