Chairman Nancy Love called the meeting to order at 5:30pm.

MOTION BY Commissioner Jerry Drake, SECONDED BY Commissioner Steve Adler to EXCUSE the absence of Commissioner Carole Palmer and the UNEXCUSED absence of Commissioner Cindy Braun. The motion carried by the following vote:

AYE:

Chairman Nancy Love, Commissioner Kyoko Iwasaka, Commissioner Jerry Drake, Commissioner Laura Fries, Commissioner Kimberly Hill, Commissioner Steve Adler, Commissioner Robert Coberly

Passed - Unanimously

MOTION BY Commissioner Robert Coberly, SECONDED BY Commissioner Laura Fries to APPROVE the draft minutes of the Arts & Culture Commission meeting held on January 13, 2026. The motion carried by the following vote:

AYE:

Chairman Nancy Love, Commissioner Kyoko Iwasaka, Commissioner Jerry Drake, Commissioner Laura Fries, Commissioner Kimberly Hill, Commissioner Steve Adler, Commissioner Robert Coberly

Passed - Unanimously

Chairman Love is excited to present a dry run for the fiscal year 2027 Public Arts Plan that she has been working with Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Guylene Ozlanski and Arts & Culture Coordinator Layne Ruiz. This will be presented to council on March 21, 2026. 

Jasmine Percinano (City Clerk) went over Open Meeting Law and Ethics with the commission. The purpose of Open Meeting Law is the public's right to know by means of Protection, Transparency, Integrity, Trust, and Awareness. An Open Meeting must be done in the public, properly noticed, and agenda posted for the public. A quorum must be present for a meeting to be held and 24 hours notice is required. The public is permitted to attend, they do not have to sign in and are not permitted to speak unless a public body allows. If someone of the public does wish to speak, they must identify themselves, cannot disrupt proceedings, and can only speak for a limit of time. During the meeting, you have to determine a quorum, roll call, persons addressing the body should identify themselves, be accessible, and record motions and maker of the motions. After the meeting, draft minutes must be posted to the website and then the draft minutes are approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting. A public body may not engage in discussions or share opinions via email or by other forms of communication related to information provided outside a public board meeting. Elected and Appointed officials shall not be involved in any activity which conflicts with their responsibilities to the City and its residents, disclose any personal affiliations that could be an undue influence on City business, and refrain from voting on/lobbying for issues that conflict or violate the principles of the City's Ethics Policy. 

Sean Wozny (Kimley-Horn and Associates), Joe O'Connell (Creative Machines), and Ellie Franzen (Creative Machines) shared a presentation to approve the art concepts for the Bullard Wash Trail. At a previous commission meeting they took into account some feedback and recommendations that were given and came up with some updated concepts to vote on at the meeting. The project overview is to go over the McDowell Road Area concept and design as well as the Van Buren Trailhead conept and design. Starting with the McDowell Road Area, which will start at the underpass of McDowell, there will be a playground area, slide, and ramadas with shade and a picnic area. The art concept proposed is a 8 feet roadrunner that is made out of stainless steel and coated with durable outdoor paint. The color scheme is based off of Sonoran Desert wildflower colors. The piece will also have uplighting that will also make it visible at night. The team has taken into consideration the heat and the durability of the paints they will be using. At the Van Buren Trailhead, the project will include a shaded, high canopy area, an open classroom area, restrooms, a breezeway, a nature-type play structure, and a garden space. The art concepts that will come in the garden area are butterfly arches and 2 coyote sculptures. The butterfly wingspans will have a wide span of up to 6 feet that will reflect the color shadows on the walk paths. The tallest coyote will be 5 feet tall, with an adolescent coyote hunched down in a playful manner, made of stainless steel, larger-than-life concepts that will also have the Sonoran Desert wildflower color palette. The idea of the coyotes' placement will be of one howling and the other staring at the coyote howling underneath the butterfilies. 

MOTION BY Commissioner Kyoko Iwasaka, SECONDED BY Commissioner Kimberly Hill To APPROVE the Bullard Wash Trail Art Concept. The motion carried as follows:

AYE:

Chairman Nancy Love, Commissioner Kyoko Iwasaka, Commissioner Jerry Drake, Commissioner Laura Fries, Commissioner Kimberly Hill, Commissioner Steve Adler, Commissioner Robert Coberly

Passed - Unanimously

Guylene Ozlanski, Parks & Recreation Deputy Director, discussed with the commissioners wanting to schedule a retreat. They discussed ideas on what topics could be as part of the retreat, like tourism and what new city developments are coming and how the Arts Commission can help and build synergy, understanding city budgets, understanding development discussions, and commission-level involvement in future planning. The Commissioners are going to send Guylene a list of dates that work best on a Saturday and discussed possible locations in the city that would be good to get creative ideas going. They want to have the meeting sooner rather than later and would like to have the retreat prior to summer. Guylene also left it open for the commissioners to email her any more idea topics for the retreat agenda between now and when the retreat is scheduled. 

Layne Ruiz, Arts & Culture Coordinator, and Chairman Love went over their presentation that they will be going to council for on March 23th, 2026. They are going to present the FY2027 Annual Public Art Plan for Council Approval, per the Public and Performing Arts Ordinance. Chairman Love highlighted some of the arts programming and events from the current fiscal year, such as special events like Jazz in the Park and Chalk Art in the Park, and programs such as Creative Aging, and also having 12 public arts projects at 22 sites within the city. She shared some of the current public art projects that have been multi-year initiatives, like the Bullard Wash Trail, the Estrella Bridge, 3 fire stations, traffic cabinets, GRC phase II, and much more. Chairman Love encourages everyone to see completed projects such as "The Tortoise and The Hare", which is now on display at the GRC indoor track and "Solid Heart", which is the mayor's favorite and on display at Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Teen Centers. Layne then went over recommended projects for FY27-31, such as the heART of Goodyear, HOLA West Valley Temporary Art, Fire Station 188 Police Substation, Pop Ups in the Park, Traffic Cabinets, and Ziz refurbishment. Some other future projects to be discussed will be the Art Trail at GSQ, Fire Station 1810, and Wildflower Park. Art at GSQ will include 3 major nodes to support development of an art trail along Goodyear Way between 150th Dr and Bullard Ave. Fire Station 1810 will include architecturally integrated artwork to be aligned with station 1810 construction. And Wildflower Park will include public art at newly renovated neighborhood park to promote connectedness between the North and South Park. 

Dalton Attig, Arts & Culture Programmer, went over updates on current programs as well as what is in store for the future. He first went over the current programs such as PWLHC Lecture in January and it having 50 in attendance. Next was Two After Hour Art Talks, which had 53 in attendance in January and 14 in attendance in February. He highlighted the skateboard art workshop held in partnership with Sedona Arts as part of the Vision & Sound program and shared that the students were very engaged in the class. And lastly, the Mayor Select Art Show is now on display in the City Hall lobby. This program offers 32 pieces of artwork from 22 students in which they then go to a reception and the Mayor awards multiple students with scholarships. Things to look forward to is another PWLHC Lecture, Art Talks on March 31 and April 28, Library art installation on April 1, with reception on April 23, and finally the Mayor Select Reception on April 30. 

Chairman Love would like to add an item to the upcoming meeting to discuss the three unexcused absences of Cindy Braun. Commissioner Drake wanted to announce the Pebble Creek concert coming up will be on May 30th and 31th with the theme being Broadway Show Tunes.