* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. OH, HE ALREADY DID. [00:00:01] OKAY. UH, [Arts & Cultural Advisory Commission on June 12, 2025.] BEING THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM, UH, I CALLED TO ORDER THE MEETING FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR JUNE 12TH, 2025 AT 4 35. UH, THAT BEING THE CASE, I ASKED STAFF, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? NO. UH, FOR THIS MEETING, UH, THERE BEING NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UH, WE'RE GOING TO FORWARD OUR AGENDA BEFORE WE GET TO THE VOTING AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WE DO HAVE A COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO LET GLEN AYERS MAKE THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT. SIT UP HERE QUICK. HI EVERYONE. UM, UH, HORIZON IS HERE TODAY TO, UH, SPEAK TO US, UH, LED BY MC MCKAYLA TILLETT. UM, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US, GOSH, NOW FOR SEVEN-ISH PLUS YEARS, I THINK. I THINK I REMEMBER HER VERY FIRST. YEAH, OUR VERY FIRST APPLICATION FOR, IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ARTS ACTIVATE, BUT IT WAS ONE OF OUR PROJECT BASED, BUT NOW SHE'S A CAP ARTIST, UH, AND THEN ALSO GETS FUNDED THROUGH VARIOUS PROJECTS THROUGH OUR OFFICE. SHE'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITED. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO GET THE CHANCE TO TALK TO OUR COMMISSIONERS TODAY. UH, SO YEAH, GOING OR GO ABOUT IT. DO IT. . THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME. SO EVERY, DOES EVERYONE SIT AT THE TABLE? DO WE WANT EVERYONE AT THE TABLE? WHOEVER. THANK YOU. SO, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO START BY JUST SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMISSIONERS FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE FOR TODAY. SO EXCITED. UM, THIS, FOR A LOT OF US HAS BEEN A LONG OVERDUE EXPERIENCE AS DANCERS AND MULTIFACETED OTHER ARTISTS AS WELL TO BRING FORTH. SO, I'M, UH, LIKE TO SAY BY STARTING OFF, BY SAYING HELLO IN GREETINGS TO EVEN ASANA FOR, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TO SNA FOR SAYING, I SEE YOU, OUR ANCESTOR CU AND WE SAY THANK YOU. INTRODUCING LAUREN, WHO'S GONNA READ FOR RONNIE, WHO'S BEEN WITH ME FOR 15 YEARS. THIS IS RONNIE. UM, HE HAD AN UNINSPECTED EVENT AT THE LAST MINUTE, SO I WAS VERY THANKFUL LAUREN WAS ABLE TO STEP IN TO READ HIS TESTIMONY. AND JANA, WHO'S BEEN WITH ME ALMOST FIVE YEARS NOW, AND CHARLOTTE, WHO'S BEEN ALMOST THREE YEARS, SO I'M GONNA START WITH THEM FIRST BECAUSE I FIND IT VERY VALUABLE TO LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES BEFORE I SHARE YOU MY WHY FOR THE PROGRAM. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M LAUREN BOOKER. I MET GALA, UM, 2019 AT THE PARKS AND REX CENTER IN POPEL. UH, TOOK HER DANCE CLASS AND I'VE BEEN DANCING WITH HER EVER SINCE AND REALLY, UM, KIND OF BEEN STEP HER HIP. I'VE BEEN A SPECTATOR AT A FEW OF HER EVENTS. UH, THE UMWE FESTIVAL IN 2023. I WAS ALSO, UM, THE MC FOR THE SHE TABLE. UM, AND I HELPED TEACH SOME OF THE YOUNG KIDS IN THE WEST DALLAS, UM, CENTER WITH HER. AT THIS TIME, I WILL READ RONNIE'S TESTIMONY FOR A LARGE PORTION OF MY LIFE. I FELL OUT OF PLACE AS SOMEONE WITH CULTURAL TIES THAT EXTEND BEYOND WHAT PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME. I FELT LIKE I WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESS REMNANTS OF MYSELF IN FAMILIAL PLACES WHILE BEING FORCED TO EXPLAIN MY PRESENCE EVERYWHERE ELSE. IT WASN'T UNTIL I FOUND AUTOZONE THAT MOST OF THAT WENT OUT OF THE WINDOW. AUTOZONE IS THE, IS MORE THAN JUST A PERFORMANCE COMPANY. IT IS A VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY WHERE CULTURE, CREATIVITY, AND CONNECTION THRIVE THROUGH THEIR I IMMERSIVE MUSIC AND DANCE PROGRAMS. AUTOZONE CREATES A SAFE AND WELCOMING SPACE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO LEARN, GROW, AND EXPLORE THE RICHNESS OF GLOBAL TRADITIONS. A SPACE THAT ALLOWS US TO GIVE A PART OF OURSELVES AND WEAVE OUR OWN VOICES AND MOVEMENTS INTO THE TAPESTRIES OF OUR CULTURE. ADDING TO THE MOVEMENT AND MUSIC THAT CAME BEFORE US WHILE LIVING A PART OF OUR EXPRESSION AND THE ESSENCE OF OUR CULTURES AS IT HAS ADAPTED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO COME. EVERY SESSION IS THOUGHTFULLY GOD HONORING THE ORIGINS OF EACH CULTURAL FORM WHILE ENCOURAGING PERSONAL EXPRESSION AND RESPECT. I'VE BEEN WITH THE COMPANY SINCE 2010 TO HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW AUTOZONE TRACK FOSTERS NOT JUST TALENT, BUT EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING OF CROSS CULTURES. IT'S AN INSPIRING ORGANIZATION THAT'S TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC AND DANCE [00:05:01] IN TEXAS, AMERICA TO THE WORLD. THANK YOU. HELLO, EVERYONE. UM, I'M SCOTLAND. UM, I AM A CARIBBEAN AMERICAN AND AS A CARIBBEAN AMERICAN, MY CULTURE, MUSIC LANGUAGE AND THE ART THAT COMES FROM IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. CONSIDERING THE WORK THAT I HAVE DONE AS A PART OF ORAL FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE AREN'T MANY COMMUNAL EVENTS OR PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW ME TO EMBRACE THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF MY PEOPLE AND ARTS IN THE STREETS I COME FROM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PART OF TEXAS, DANCE HAS BEEN A LIFELONG PASSION FOR THEM. COMING FROM POVERTY, MY DREAMS OF PURSUING DANCE ON A MORE TECHNICAL LEVEL WAS NON-EXISTENT. I SPENT BOTH OF MY YOUTH ON SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY DANCE TEAMS EXPLORING MY PASSION WITH HIP HOP DANCE STYLES. DURING MY UNDERGRADUATE YEAR OF COLLEGE, I JOINED THE WEST INDIAN DANCE SOCIETY, UM, AND EXPLORED WEST INDIAN DANCE STYLES, MAINLY DANCE HALL AND KBA. LATER ON INTO ADULTHOOD, I WOULD PICK UP HIP HOP HEELS AND TEACH AFRO-CARIBBEAN DANCE CLASSES. HAVING MET MIKALA AND SPENDING THE LAST OVER FOUR YEARS BEING MENTORED BY HER BECOMING A AND BECOMING A PART OF TISONE, I HAVE LEARNED THAT IT HAS BEEN A, I BELIEVE THAT IT HAS BEEN A BLESSING AND AN HONOR TO MY LIFE. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS ABLE TO SHARE THE UNIQUENESS OF WHO I AM AS DANCE, MENTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER IN A SPACE THAT WELCOMED ME. WHILE STUDYING LEARNING FROM MIKAEL, I WAS ABLE TO TO BE EXPOSED TO MANY CULTURES AND DANCE STYLES THAT HAS ENRICHED MY LIFE AS A STREET STYLE DANCER. AS SOMEONE WHO IS MAINLY A STREET STYLE DANCER, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, GROW, TEACH, AND OBTAIN CAPITAL GAINS ARE A FEW AND BETWEEN. THERE'S CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A LIVING FOR MOST DANCE ARTISTS IN THE DALLAS AREA, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SPECIFIC GENRE. THROUGH AUTOZONE, MIKAELLA IS ABLE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL DANCERS COMING FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, NOT ONLY TO LEARN VARIOUS DANCE STYLE, BUT ALSO LEARN ABOUT FROM RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY BEHIND THE STYLES SOUNDS AND THE UNIQUE WAY THAT AL STRUCTURE NOT ONLY ENRICHES MY DANCE KNOWLEDGE AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT INCLUDING MY OVERALL WITH MY MASTER'S IN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. I CAN APPRECIATE THIS PROGRAM AS IT PROMOTES A SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SPIRITUAL GROWTH, CULTURAL EDUCATION, AND MINDFULNESS. WHAT AONE PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOLISTIC HEALTH AND A LOVING AND NURTURING, BUT ALSO CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS. THE PROGRAM IS NOT ONLY WANTED BY THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITIES, IT IS A NECESSITY FOR OUR SOCIETY TO GROW, REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE ONES WE STARTED, THE MOVEMENT WE DO NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JIM. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CHARLOTTE CRAWFORD AND I'M A NATO. UH, OH. GO. I WAS WAVING PAST YOU FORGIVE ME. HELLO, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CHARLOTTE CRAWFORD, UM, AND I'M A NATIVE OF DALLAS, TEXAS. I MET MCKAYLA IN 2023 AT THE OAKLAND CULTURAL CENTER, WHILE PERFORMING AT THE GAPS CONFERENCE, AN EVENT THAT OONE HOSTED. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT AT THIS EVENT, BUT I WAS BLOWN AWAY AT THIS PRESENTATION. THE PANELISTS THAT SHE SELECTED WERE INCREDIBLE IMPORTANT TO THE ATTENDEE AS ARTISTS. ONCE I SAW MIKAYLA IN HER ELEMENT LEADING AND GUIDING, I WAS IMMEDIATELY INSPIRED BY HER PASSION AND LOVE FOR CULTURE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I WAS SO INSPIRED THAT I HAD TO GO, GO UP TO HER AFTER THE CONFERENCE AND PERSONALLY ASK HER QUESTIONS. SHE WAS SO OPEN WITH ME AND SO INVITING. YOU DON'T COME ACROSS PEOPLE LIKE THAT OFTEN. HER BIG SMILE WARMED MY HEART, AND I FELT LESS ALONE AFTER LEAVING THAT EVENT. FAST FORWARD ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER, AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MIKAYLA AND OTHER AUTOZONE ARTISTS VERY CLOSELY. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PERFORM IN WORKS BY AUTOZONE. I'VE TAKEN CLASSES, AND MORE RECENTLY I'VE BEEN ABLE TO TEACH WITH AUTOZONE ALONGSIDE MIKAYLA FOUNDER. AND CAN I JUST SAY, IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO WORK SO CLOSELY WITH MIKAYLA AND TO SEE HER IN ACTION. SHE HAS HELPED TO PULL OUT AND DEVELOP ALL DIFFERENT FACETS OF ME AS AN ARTIST AND AS A PERSON IN GENERAL, THAT I STRUGGLE TO BRING OUT ON MY OWN. SHE HAS TAKEN TIME TO SIT DOWN AND MENTOR ME AS A TEACHER, AND HAS HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY WITH THE QUALITY OF TEACHING I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD PLANNED. MIKAYLA IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR OUR TEACHERS, VERY TRANSPARENT WITH NEEDED DANCE DETAILS, AND PRESENTLY IS GUIDING ME AS A CONFIDENT LEADER AMONG STRONG FOUNDATION AND [00:10:01] COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND CONTRACT LAW. HER CONSISTENCY WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION TO LEARN, GROW, AND SHARE AND TRAVEL ABROAD WHILE HELPING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME IS SOMETHING I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THE KNOWLEDGE OF DANCE HALL, HIP HOP, JAZZ, AFRO DANCE, AND LATIN DANCES PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE. SHE IMMERSES HERSELF IN DIFFERENT CULTURES EVERY DAY AND GIVES CREDIT WHAT CREDIT IS DUE. THAT IS A QUALITY THAT I ADMIRE, RESPECT, AND NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE IN MY PAST 12 YEARS OF DANCE. COMING FROM A TECHNICAL DANCE BACKGROUND THAT MAKES YOU FEEL AT TIMES YOU HAVE TO CONFORM TO BE SEEN. CORTISONE HAS BEEN A SAFE SPACE FOR ME TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AS AN ARTIST. IT HAS INSTILLED WITHIN ME CONFIDENCE, AND IT HAS TAUGHT ME IMPACTFUL COMMUNICATION SKILLS WHILE SETTING UP EXPECTATIONS AND TO SHINE MY PERSONAL TRUTH THROUGH DANCE. HER PASSION TO POUR INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARTISTS WHO ELEVATE US AND EFFECTIVELY LEAD US TOWARDS SELF-DISCOVERY AND UNDERSTANDING IS COMMENDABLE. I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL THAT MCKAYLA AND I WERE ABLE TO CROSS PATHS AT THE OLD CLIFF CULTURAL CENTER IN 2023. SHE'S TRULY ONE OF A KIND. I KNOW HER AS A MENTOR, A TEACHER, A CHOREOGRAPHER, A BUSINESS BUSINESSWOMAN, AN ARTIST, AND MOST OF ALL, A TRUE AND LOVING FRIEND. THANK YOU. SURE. SO THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT I'M GOING TO CARRY WITH EVERYONE, THEY, THEY KNOW MY WHY. I USUALLY DON'T COME OUT AND EXPLAIN MYSELF UNTIL I'M IN SAFE SPACES LIKE ANY OF US WOULD. BUT I FEEL LIKE WHERE THE PROGRAM IS NOW, IT'S WARRANTED TO EXPLAIN MY WHY FOR THE PROGRAM. I'M A NATIVE AGAIN OF CHICAGO. SO COMING HERE AND SEEING SO MUCH SEPARATION, I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND. SO I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE'RE PULLED, GOD CREATES THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN IF IT'S NOT THERE YET. DANCERS ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO CREATE IT, EVEN IF IT'S IN THE PARK OR IN THE STREETS, WHICH IS MY NORMAL HAS BEEN STREET FIRST BEFORE BECAME PROFESSIONAL AS I WITH MIKA, WITH WIFE. FOR TISONE, THE NECESSITY IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE INNOVATION. A TRUE ARTIST ISN'T SEPARATE FROM THEIR ART. IN THE MID 1970S, LIVING IN A SEGREGATED PROJECT, BLACK AND BROWN, BROWN, BASED ON YOUR LAST NAME, TWO, THE LEFT WHITES TO THE RIGHT, TWO DIFFERENT CHILDREN, PARKS WERE FORBIDDEN TO CROSS PATHS OR PLAY WITH ONE ANOTHER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, I ONLY HAD TWO DIFFERENT RACE BUBBLES TO SELECT FROM, ARE YOU WHITE OR BLACK? I ALWAYS CHECK BLACK, NO MATTER THE LOOKS OR THE COMMENTS I WOULD RECEIVE UNTIL THEY SAW MY FAMILY PICKING ME UP. THEN THEY KNEW AND OR UNDERSTOOD THE NAME VEZ BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THEY KNEW MY WIFE FOR BLACKNESS, MUSIC, DANCE, SONG, BATTLING DREAM CATCHER, WEAVING TO POETRY. PROVERBS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF MY BIRTH TO SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. AT AGE 13, MY LIFE TOOK A SHIFT, MENTAL, PHYSICAL, SEXUAL ABUSE. BRIEFLY, I WAS A, I WAS TOLD BRIEFLY THAT I WAS ADOPTED SOON AFTER I WAS FORCED TO LIVE IN MEXICO OR MARRY MY RAPIST WHILE LIVING IN TAM'S, MEXICO IN 1980S, ATTENDING A PRIMO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY, WHICH IS A COUSIN, STARTED BREAKING. AND OF COURSE, I JUMPED IN TO DO THE AMERICAN HIP HOP, FLIPS, TRICKS, STUNTS, AND FREEZES, WHICH WE NOW CALL B GIRL AND B BOY AS A GIRLS CHEERED ME ON. I WAS BEATING ALL THE BOYS IN BREAK, DANCING, A K BREAKING THEN OUR AITA, THE ELDER OF OUR GENERATION, UM, MAKES HER WAY INTO THE CIRCLE AND STOPS THE DANCE BATTLE. GAVE ME A QUICK POP OUT, WHICH IS A WHOOPING, AND SAID IN SPANISH, UH, IT'S UNLADYLIKE TO DANCE AGAINST THE BOYS. YOU'RE DOING FLIPS AND DRESS. WHAT ARE YOU AN ANIMAL? I'M ENROLLING YOU IN PA , WHICH YOU WILL LEARN BY LADY JAZZ, PROPER LADY DANCES WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF CLASSES AND DANCE. TEACHERS HAD ME AUDITION FROM LAS, WHO WERE ON TOUR IN MEXICO LOOKING FOR DANCERS. I PASSED AUDITIONS AND TOUR FOR ONE YEAR WITH THE COMPANY IN 1989. I HAD TO RETURN TO AMERICA DUE TO MY SISTER SLIPPING AWAY TO VIOLENCE OF DRUGS AND GANGS. IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE AND PROTECT HER, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T WANNA COME BACK. DUE TO MY REASON FOR LIVING OF WHY I LEFT AMERICA. FROM 1989 TO 2000 IN AMERICA, I LEFT THE FOLLOWING. I LIVED WITH THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES, UH, CULTURES IN AMERICA, A PUERTO RICAN FAMILY, A THAI FAMILY, CUBAN FAMILY, JAPANESE FAMILY, JAMAICAN, ITALIAN, CHEROKEE NATION, CONGOLESE, FILIPINO, AFRICAN AMERICAN, ET CETERA. LIVING IN AMERICA TOLD ME REPEATEDLY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR BLOOD, YOU'RE LOST SOUL. FROM HIGH SCHOOL SURVEYS UPON ME BY WHITE TEACHERS DUE TO CHILDHOOD CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TEST RESULTED I WOULD BE DEAD OR ADDICTED TO DRUGS. BY THE TIME I WAS 19, IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS IN MY THIRTIES. I WAS 30 YEARS OLD IN NEW YORK CITY, TAKING AN UBER FROM WHERE I WAS AT TO JFK, WHERE IT WAS A CHINESE MAN HAD ASKED ME, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? AND I WAS LIKE, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES. AND THEN HE SMILED. HE GOES, UM, [00:15:01] JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT SINCE WE HAVE AN HOUR DRIVE. AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY. SO THEN I SHARED SOME AND HE WAS LIKE, HE GOES, YOU'RE NOT, AAH. SO HE GOES, YOU'RE A BLESSED SOUL FOR THE MINI DOORS THAT HAVE OPENED TO YOU. BECAUSE WHERE LOVE LIVES, NOT ALWAYS BLOOD. THE QUESTION PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK, ARE WE A PRODUCT OF NATURE, GENETIC TRAITS OR NURTURE OUR ENVIRONMENT? I'M DEFINITELY A PRODUCT OF ENVIRONMENT FACTORS AND MORE I TRAVEL ABROAD. I CAN SEE THE VAST DIFFERENCE IN TWO THINGS CAN DEFINITELY BE TRUE. GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE MIDST OF LIFE CHALLENGES, GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY. I'VE BEEN A FLOW FOR DANCE, MUSIC, MANY CULTURES AND PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT LANDS THE PAST 40 YEARS. AND KNOWING MENTAL TOUGHNESS, ENDURANCE, CONSISTENCY BY OF SELF COMPASSION, HIGHER EDUCATION, RELENTLESS DRIVE WILL GET YOU TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE PAST THREE, FIVE YEARS I'VE TRAVELED DUE TO TEACHING, PERFORMING CHOREOGRAPHY, HOSTING DANCE CAMPS, HIGHER EDUCATION, 54 USA CITIES, 48 COUNTRIES ABROAD. AND I'VE TRAINED TO DANCE WITH OVER 8,000 DANCERS AND THEN SOME AROUND THE WORLD. AND 2005 BEING IN DALLAS, TEXAS IS WHEN BORDER ZONE MINI CULTURES, ONE STYLE WAS BORN. SO THAT PEOPLE CAN AUTHENTICALLY SEE, HEAR, AND FEEL THEMSELVES WITH A SMILE AWAY FROM HOME. MENTOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO PRIORITIZING CONSISTENCY OVER INTENSITY SO THEY CAN EXPERIENCE RESULTS THROUGH ACTION EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AND CHOOSE TO GROW THROUGH AGENCY, TAKE CONTROL OF A SITUATION WHEN YOU CAN, OR WILLING TO WALK AWAY BASED ON SELF WORTH. THEN LEAD BY EXAMPLE, WHICH ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT DANCE COMPANIES TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT I HAVE BELONGED TO AND STILL HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH. UM, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WE ARE GIVING THESE EXPERIENCES SO WE CAN SHARE IT, AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME THING THAT WE DID. BUT I ALSO DO FEEL THE GENERATION BEFORE US FOR NOT SPEAKING THEIR TRUTH DOES HURT THE NEXT GENERATION. SO THAT'S WHY I FELT LIKE IT, IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO COME OUT TO SAY THE TRUTH, THE SHIFT THAT TOOK ME TO, TO THE TECHNICAL DANCE THAT YES, I WAS ABLE TO PROSPER, BUT IF THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE BECAUSE MY HEART WAS SO DEEP IN THE STREET. CULTURAL FORMS OF DANCES. SO MY, UH, BEING ABLE TO CROSS PATHS WITH THE MANY LADIES TO MEN, UM, OF TELLING THEIR STORIES AND CREATING SAFE SPACES HAS BEEN MY EVERYTHING. WE RECENTLY JUST WORKED WITH, UH, REFUGEES AT THE NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST AMAZING BESIDES PANAFRIC CONNECTION THAT I FELT AT HOME. 24 COUNTRIES, YOUNG GIRLS. AND WHEN THEY HEARD THEIR MUSIC IN THEIR DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, UH, THEY LIT UP LIKE CHRISTMAS TREES BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING, AS AMERICANS WE'RE SO FORCED TO FIT IN A BUBBLE OR A BOX THAT IT CHANGES YOU INSTEAD OF BEING HAPPY OF WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE THERE'S AN INTERNAL IDENTITY AND THERE'S AN EXTERNAL IDENTITY. AND I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS GET CROSSED A LOT AND CONFUSED. SO, UM, MY GOAL IS TO HOPEFULLY WORK FUTURE-WISE WITH THE NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER BECAUSE IT IS IN DALLAS WITH THE REFUGEES OF THE KIDS, AND IT IS 24 DIFFERENT AFRICAN COUNTRIES. AND JUST TO SEE THAT I WAS LIKE, AH, THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING. SO, UM, THANK YOU. I I I'M SO HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO PRISCILLA RICE BECAUSE SHE TOOK MY FREE CLASS AT PANNA AFRICA CONNECTION IN 2018. UM, AND IF IT WASN'T FOR HER, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SPACE. AND IT'S JUST BEING REALISTIC BECAUSE WE'RE AROUND SO MANY ARTISTS. THE GATEKEEPING IS SO HEAVY. IT IS CRAZY WHERE I'M LIKE, WHY IS THIS NOT SHARED? SO IF I COME ACROSS OTHER DANCERS WHERE I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE EMOTIONALLY READY TO THIS OTHER LEVEL, I'M THE FIRST ONE TO GIVE INFORMATION BECAUSE IT IS NEEDED, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY HERE. BUT SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE GATEKEEPING IS SO TIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS BLESSED. I WAS TEACHING FREE CLASSES AND IT WAS PRISCILLA CROSS. IT WAS LIKE, WHY AREN'T YOU TEACHING FOR THE CITY? AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? SHE VOLUNTEERED INFORMATION AND I BROUGHT IN INTERNATIONAL DANCERS AND TEACHERS AS WELL. UM, I WAS MAXING OUT CREDIT CARDS IN 2018. I STUDIED IN JAMAICA FOR FOUR YEARS. UM, AND I BROUGHT MY PROFESSORS HERE 'CAUSE I WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE THE AUTHENTIC FORM OF DANCE HALL AS WELL AS NOW BRINGING ARTISTS FROM EAST AFRICA IN, BECAUSE PEOPLE ALSO GET THAT TWISTED BY THINKING, IF YOU'RE WEST AFRICAN, YOU REPRESENT ALL OF AFRICA. AND I'M LIKE, NO, THAT'S NOT HOW THEY MOVE . THAT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN SOUTH AND ALSO EAST. SO CREATING THAT CONVERSATION, BUT HAVING THEM COME HERE TO DO IT INSTEAD OF ME SAYING IT. 'CAUSE I COULD SAY IT ALL DAY, BUT WE WE'RE ALL REALISTIC. IF YOU LOOK A CERTAIN WAY, THEY'RE NOT REALLY GONNA HEAR YOU. IT JUST, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, DOES THIS, AND THAT'S OKAY TOO. 'CAUSE I GET IT, I GET IT. I STILL DO THAT TOO. SO, UM, THAT'S THE ALSO THE MOVING FORWARD AND IT'S SO WHY, WHO [00:20:01] I'M BRINGING HERE FROM EAST AFRICA, BUT WORKING WITH THE KIDS RIGHT NOW IS MY PRIMARY REASON BECAUSE I THINK IF WE'RE NOT A GUIDE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, THE SYSTEM IS TIGHT AND IT'S TIED FOR A REASON AND MISSES UP A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THAT. A LOT OF GREAT TALENT. SHOULD I SAY. YOUR ORGANIZATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE AND YOUR STORY IS AMAZING TOO. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO'S GONNA PLAY YOU IN THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE? MOVIE . OH, UH, I'M THINKING ROSIE PEREZ. . I LOVE ROSIE. UM, UH, I HAVEN'T, I'VE HAD MANY PEOPLE ASK ME TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE A BOOK BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPANIES I HAVE BEEN WITH BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEING, WHAT'S CONSIDERED TO BE SEEN NOW IS SUCH ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE COIN FOR US BEING SENIOR, WAITING IN A LINE IN FRONT OF 2000 PEOPLE FOR AN AUDITION. AND IF YOU PASS THAT 2000, YOU 60 THAT'S SAYING YES. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A THREE WEEK COUNT, JUST SO THEY CAN TAKE IT DOWN TO 25 TO SEE WHO'S GONNA LAPSE. SO IF YOU'RE, YOU SAID Y'ALL PERFORMED PAN AFRICAN, IS THAT THE ONE ON ANN ARBOR? UH, YES, YES. UM, THAT WAS MY FIRST YEAR AFTER COMING BACK FROM JAMAICA. I WAS LIKE, I'M NOT COMPROMISING NO MORE, BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I HAD TO CHANGE, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, I HAD TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO BE SEEN OR HEARD, LET'S SAY HEARD, JUST TO BE HEARD. THERE'S A LOT I HAVE TO CHANGE JUST TO BE HEARD. BUT THEN ONCE I WAS ABLE TO CREATE, EVEN THOUGH HOW MUCH CREDITS I HAVE FROM CHICAGO COMING HERE, IT'S LIKE, IT STILL DIDN'T MATTER. SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, LET ME JUST DO THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE. SO I MADE MY NAME ON THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE FOR THE AUTOZONE PROGRAM. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I MISSED THE STREET SIDE, BUT HERE IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE BLACK AND WHITE. IT'S LIKE, IT'S SO SEPARATED, BUT WITHOUT REALIZING THE BEAUTY OF BOTH YES, PROFESSIONAL, EVERYTHING THAT'S UNPROFESSIONAL WOULDN'T BE PROFESSIONAL IF IT WASN'T FOR THE STREET FIRST. THAT'S WHERE THE GRIT COMES FROM FOR EVERY STYLE OF DANCE. BUT IT'S JUST SO LOST ON THE CONVERSATION. WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE. I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, WE MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. YES, GO AHEAD WITH THE QUESTIONS. YES. UM, COME, COULD WE SEE THE COMMISSIONERS HERE? GETTING MY HANDS UP? VALENTI? DR. VALENTI IS CLAPPING. THERE'S SOME APPLAUSE COMING FROM. OKAY, I HAVE A QUESTION CHAIR IF I MAY, IF I MAY JUMP IN. UH, JUST IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UH, FOR, OR THESE ARE, ARE Y'ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, ELEVATOR PROJECT OUT OF THE AT AND T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER? I, I, I BRIEFLY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT THROUGH OTHER ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT. BUT FOR WHAT I HEAR WITH THE AT T BEFORE ME, OUR CENTER WHERE IT'S HOSTED, THEY SAID IT'S VERY TAXING, LIKE EXHAUSTING BECAUSE THE, THE PUSH ON THE TICKET SELL WAS MORE TIME CONSUMING. YEAH. YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU HIT THE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN, IN A NUTSHELL WITH, WITH JUST THAT SYNOPSIS OF THE ELEVATOR PROJECT. BUT MY SENSE IS GIVEN SORT OF YOUR, THE COMMUNITY YOU'VE ALREADY NURTURED, UM, OF DANCERS AND, AND WHERE YOU HAVE PERFORMED, UM, THAT, THAT MAY NOT BE AS A HEAVY, UH, UH, AS A HEAVY, AS A LIFT FOR YOU AS IT IS FOR MAYBE SOME OTHER COMPANIES, YOU KNOW? SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AS A, AS AN OPPORTUNITY, AS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. PIGGYBACKING ON, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER VALENTINE'S, UH, COMMENT AT AT T THAT ELEVATOR PROJECT, THEY WILL ALSO HELP YOU IN THE PROMOTION AND THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, UH, JUST BY BEING INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT, YOU GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VARIETY FROM THAT TOO. SO IT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME ADVANTAGES FOR THAT AS WELL. YES. ONE, UM, AND WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH HECTOR GARCIA, UH, AND HE WOULD BE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THAT. UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? I AM AMAZED WE DON'T USUALLY WE HAVE ALL THESE HANDS UP, BUT I GUESS YOUR PRESENTATION WAS SO THOROUGH. THESE COMMISSIONERS DON'T HAVE, UH, MANY QUESTIONS. HAS HER HAND OKAY. YES. YOU'RE ON MUTE. TABATHA, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME. I'M TRYING, I'M VISITING MY SISTER IN FLORIDA, SO FORGIVE ME FOR OUR PHONE STUFF, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THANKS TO MIKAYLA, SHE IS, UM, BEEN SO GENEROUS TO THE PLEASANT GROVE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH HER TIME AND JUST, UH, AND EDUCATIONALLY MINDED, UM, UH, PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCES AND, UM, AND ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE BRINGING THE, THE CELEBRATORY VIBE TOO. AND [00:25:01] SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME YOU'VE SPENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WITH YOUR, UH, ALL THE VARIATIONS AND AS MANY VARIATIONS AS I'VE SEEN VERY, UH, SOMETIMES IT'S TEACHING A CLASS, SOMETIMES IT'S PERFORMING, SOMETIMES IT'S BOTH. AND THEN, AND THEN YOUR GENEROSITY AND SPIRIT TO COME INTO SPACES WITH FOLKS WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED. AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS. THANK YOU. TELL THAT. WELL, MCKAYLA, SO AS, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND BRING YOU TO OUR DISTRICT? I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE CAP PROGRAM, BUT, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONERS AND LET 'EM KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO IN PARTICULAR. THANK YOU. UM, AS I'M TRYING TO FAMILIAR FAMILIARIZE MYSELF ON THE NEXT STEP WITH OUR PROGRAM IS FINDING RESIDENCY WHERE WE CAN NURTURE THE REFUGEES THAT ARE HERE SO THEY'RE NOT LOST IN THE SYSTEM OR LOSING THEIR IDENTITY TO THE PRIDEFULNESS OF WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. UM, THE ONLY PLACE THAT I'VE SEEN THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE HAD RECENTLY AT THE NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT ANYWHERE AND ALL THE PLACES I'VE GONE TO. AND HONESTLY, THE ONLY REASON I WAS THERE IS BECAUSE I WENT TO ONE OF PRISCILLA, SHE WAS INTERVIEWING, UM, K-E-R-A-A REFUGEE, A VIETNAMESE WOMAN THAT WILL OPEN UP COFFEE SHOP, UM, TO TEACH 'EM WORK SKILLS. SO I, I ASKED HER, I WAS LIKE, CAN I JUST GO WATCH? SO WHEN I WENT TO GO WATCH, THEN THE WOMAN WAS, AFTER SHE GOT DONE, SHE WAS GIVING HER TESTIMONY OF WHEN SHE LEFT VIETNAM BECAUSE OF THE WAR OF WHY SHE'S DOING WHAT SHE'S DOING WITH THE REFUGEES AFTER SHE RETIRED. AND I WAS LIKE, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. AND THEN I TOLD HER, I WAS LIKE, I'VE BEEN TO VIETNAM. AND THEN FROM THERE I WENT TO CAMBODIA TO LEARN TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE DIVERSITY OF WHAT DANCE AND MUSIC IS. SHE SHARED HER STORY AND THE SAME THING. AND THEN THAT'S HOW IT CAME. SHE'S THE ONE THAT CONNECTED ME TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER. SO SHE BROUGHT ME ON BOARD TO TEACH THERE AND I WAS LIKE, WHY DO WE NOT KNOW THAT THIS IS EVEN HERE? WE SAW THE KIDS WALKING FROM THE PROJECTS JUST TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER. THEY WERE THERE FOR ALMOST THREE HOURS AND WOULDN'T LEAVE BECAUSE WE WERE ALL TALKING AND SHARING ALL THE DIFFERENT CONS COUNTRIES THAT THEY WERE FROM. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THAT AND NOT KNOW THAT IT'S EVEN HERE. AND FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, YOUR BOOKS, I'M SORRY. SO I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS ON THE OAC WEBSITE. WHAT COMES TO MIND TO ME THE MOST, UM, WOULD BE THE NEXT PROGRAM WOULD BE ARTS ACTIVATE. WE HAVE THREE ROUNDS, UM, AND WE JUST CLOSED ROUND ONE, BUT ROUND TWO WILL OPEN SOON. SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE HOPING TO DO, UM, AND, AND WE HAVE FABULOUS STAFF IN THE OFFICE WHO CAN HELP YOU IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. AND THERE'S ORIENTATIONS IN EACH ROUND, CORRECT, LYNN. BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING, IF YOU HAVE A PRO PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IN A PARTICULAR AREA WHERE THE, THESE IMMIGRANTS ARE THAT, WHERE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PROGRAM TO THEM, I THINK AN ARTS ACTIVATE GRANT WOULD BE A PERFECT FUNDING SOURCE FOR YOU. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. BUT GLEN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD ADD TO THAT? WHAT WAS THE LAST PIECE? WELL, I JUST SAID TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT ON THE WEBSITE. IT'S THE WEBSITE'S. FABULOUS. UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE CAST? I'VE DONE THE ARTS ACTIVATE. I'VE DONE IT FOR THREE YEARS. OH, I'VE DONE IT. OKAY. I WAS JUST TRYING TO, AND YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE YOU GOTTEN IT IN BOTH ROUNDS IN JUNE? MM-HMM . OKAY, GOOD. I, SO I MISUNDERSTOOD. I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONLY IN THE CAP PROGRAM. NO, I'VE DONE MULTIPLE. OKAY. GOOD. DIFFERENT PROGRAM NOW BECAUSE OF 2019. I SHOULD KNOW THAT 'CAUSE I SHARE THAT COMMITTEE, BUT I THERE WERE A LOT OF IT. YEAH. AND THERE WAS A LOT IN 2019 THAT'S RIGHT. BEFORE COVID. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER LIKE I KNOW THE FIRST TIME WE DID A PRESENTATION, I WAS WITH RONNIE AND THE ONE OF THE PANELISTS HAD ASKED, WHY HAVEN'T WE KNOWN ABOUT WHAT IS ON? I WASN'T COMFORTABLE YET SAYING ABOUT THE GATEKEEPING, HOW BAD IT IS. I WAS JUST SAYING BECAUSE OF THE TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS THAT THEY DON'T CROSS. OKAY. MY APOLOGIES. I THOUGHT YOU WERE, IT'S IN THE CAMP PROGRAM. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR FUNDING PROGRAMS AND OUR CULTURE OF VALUE JUST CLOSED. BUT BE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THE WEBSITE. I JUST APPLIED TO THE CULTURE OF VALUE. GOOD. EXCELLENT. YES. THANK YOU. APPLICATION. UM, AND WHAT IS YOUR WEBSITE ONCE AGAIN? YES, IT'S HORIZON. O-R-I-Z-O-N 2 0 0 FIVE.COM. ORONE 2005 MADE IT SIMPLE. SO THE, THE YEAR THAT IT WAS ESTABLISHED. ALRIGHT. AND THE REASON WHY IT'S THE NAME IS ORONE. 'CAUSE IT, IT IS, IT'S NOT DEFINABLE IN ANY LANGUAGE. SO IT HELPS PEOPLE TO COME OUTSIDE FROM THE THEMSELVES TO STOP PUTTING, TRYING TO LOOK FOR A BOX OR A BUBBLE TO, TO CHECK OFF. BUT TECHNICALLY THE REASONS WHY THE CIRCLE AND THE THE PYRAMID IS UPSIDE DOWN BECAUSE IT IS A SPIRITUAL ESSENCE TO WHO WE ARE AS HUMANS. WATERS THE PORTAL. SO THAT UPSIDE DOWN PYRAMID IS A PORTAL, IT'S A WATER TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. AND THEN THE THREE DIFFERENT COLORS IS THE PHOENIX, WHERE WE'RE ALL BORN FROM ASHES TO THE NEXT SLIDE TO FINDING YOUR ENLIGHTENMENT OR YOUR AWARENESS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. SO THE SYMBOL AND THE LOGO HAS MEANING BEHIND IT. WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING [00:30:01] TO VISIT US. UH, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU CHARLOTTE. THANK YOU JAN. THANK YOU FOR LAUREN. THANK YOU ALL FIRST. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA. THE VERY FIRST VOTING ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MAY 15TH, 2025 ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES. UH, DOES EVERYONE HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THESE MINUTES? UH, IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS REGARDING THE MINUTES, CAN WE GET A MOTION? I MOTION SIR? UH, CHAIR. OKAY. COMMISSIONER JACKSON. COMMISSIONER JACKSON HAS MOVED THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES THAT'S WRITTEN. IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER BRAGGA ALONE HAS SECONDED IT. IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED. AND SECOND IT UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. HELLO? UH, ALL OPPOSED? NO OPPOSITION UNANIMOUSLY. THE, UH, MAY 15TH, 20, 25 MINUTES FROM THE ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY POSITION MEETING ARE APPROVED. UH, THE NEXT THING ON OUR VOTING AGENDA, UH, IS LYNN. LYNN IS HERE. OKAY. RECOMMENDATION AND APPROVAL OF THE LIST OF NEW SELECTION PANELISTS FOR THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE, UH, PUBLIC ART REVIEW PANEL. UM, YEAH. THANK YOU FOR . HEADING TO THE TABLE BEFORE THAT WAS FAST. YES, THAT WAS RIGHT ON CUE. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS AND WHAT WE DO? SO FIVE ORDINANCE ARE SELECTION. PANEL ANALYSTS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOME BACKGROUND, ARE SKILLED PEOPLE. UM, AND REVIEWING ARE OUR PANEL. SO WE, WE KEEP ADDING PEOPLE, UH, TO OUR PROJECT LOAD INCREASES. AND THE NAMES THAT ARE PRESENTED ARE HERE IN OUR PACKET. IS THAT RIGHT? GOT KIM MARKHAM, CAROLYN SOTO, RAUL RODRIGUEZ, DAVID MOYA, KATE CA, NANCY , RANDALL GARRETT, AND COLIN MC. THESE, THESE HAVE ALL BEEN VETTED BY COMMITTEE AND YOU'RE SUGGESTING BEING THAT THIS IS RECOMMENDED. DOES, UH, DOES ANY COMMISSIONER HAVE A QUESTION TO LYNN ABOUT THESE NAMES? IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, CAN WE GET A MOTION? LEMME CHECK TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WELL, OKAY. UH, MOVE TO ACCEPT THE NAMES. OKAY. I, I COULD, I DON'T SEE, BUT I, I COULD HEAR THOSE. COMMISSIONER BLAZE. I'LL SECOND. AND COMMISSIONER OMO IS SECONDED. SO IT'S, AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSIONS? ACY THAT WAS, OH, THAT WAS, I'M SORRY. OKAY. COMMISSIONER PEL SECONDED. UM, ANY DISCUSSION IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION? UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. UH, ANY OPPOSITION? NO OPPOSITION. SO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION OF LIST OF DUE SELECTION PANELISTS, UH, FOR THE ART AND CULTURES PUBLIC ART VIEW PANEL HAS BEEN APPROVED. UH, NEXT, UH, ON THE VOTING AGENDA, UH, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AND SUPPORT OF ACCEPTING A DONATION OF ALWAYS AND YEAR BY GEORGE KOLOWSKI FROM CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 12. LYNN, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT? SURE. SO, UM, THIS CAME FORWARD WITH US THROUGH THE FIRE CHIEF, UM, AS A DONATION AT A FIRE STATION. THIS, UM, OUR PIECE IS A LOOK FROM A LOCAL ARTIST WHO UPCYCLES, UH, METAL PIECES AND, UM, IS HE HAS A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HIS, UH, BROTHER DIED IN A FIRE. SO THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT, UM, MOMENT FOR HIM TO, UM, BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE BACK TO THE FIRE STATION. WE HAVE COUNCIL OFFICE SUPPORT FOR THIS. UM, THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY. THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IN, UM, OUR CULTURAL PLAN, YOU KNOW, RECEIVING DONATIONS THAT ARE KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DONATIONS FOR THE, THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE PIECES. YOU WILL ALSO CHANGE THE COLOR OF IT TO MATCH THE FIRE STATION'S LOGO. SO I SEE THERE'S NO COST FOR THE PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY OR WHATEVER. IS THERE ANY COST FOR THE MAINTENANCE? THE MAINTENANCE IS BEING, UM, SUPPLIED BY THE FIRE STATION AND BY THE FRIENDS OF THE SCULPTURE. [00:35:01] OKAY. AND, UH, SO THERE'S THE ARTWORK, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT. UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR LYNN REGARDING THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR THE DONATION? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS. I'M SORRY. ILLA. TRILLA. OKAY. JOE, I CAN'T THANK YOU. PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH PUBLIC ART PIECE WE HAVE IN DISTRICT 12. AND, UM, SUPER EXCITED THAT IT'S AT THE FIRE STATION AND AS BASICALLY AS FAR NORTH AS YOU CAN GET IN OUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, WITH THE GLARE, I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER COMMENTS. UH, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, UH, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE DONATION AS RECOMMENDED? I SO MOVE. OKAY. I SECOND. OKAY. UM, SO WAS THE MOTION, WAS THAT COMMISSIONER BLAZE? CORRECT. GLOVER. GLOVER. THAT WAS GLOVER. OKAY. AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JACKSON. UM, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NO OPPOSITION, NO RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF ACCEPTING THE DONATION OF ALWAYS IN GEAR BY GEORGE TOBOLOWSKY PASSES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LYNN. UH, BRIEFINGS. I HAVE NO BRIEFING. SO, UH, WE WILL GO TO OUR DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR UPDATE. I'M SORRY. YOU CAN, YOU CAN READ 'EM A LITTLE BETTER OVER HERE. OH, I HAD NO, I, THE, THE, OH, THE GLARE FROM MY HANDS. G YOU CAN SEE IT A LITTLE BETTER. OH, OKAY. RIGHT. UM, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR DIRECTOR'S UPDATE. MY UPDATE IS BRIEF. UH, THIS WEEK OUR NEW CULTURAL CENTER MANAGER STARTED OVER AT SOUTH DALLAS. HIS NAME IS VAN ANTHONY, AND WE DO INVITE YOU, UM, TO MEET WITH HIM IF YOU'D LIKE. I KNOW SOME, UH, COMMISSIONERS OBVIOUSLY, UH, DR. JACKSON AND OTHERS HAVE SOME VESTED INTEREST IN SOUTH DALLAS. UH, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU SCHEDULE TIME WITH HIM THROUGH OUR TEAM, RUSSELL AND I, UM, AND CHRISTOPHER WILL SUPPORT IN SCHEDULING FOR YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH, UM, HIM. HE HAS ACTUALLY ONBOARDING THIS WEEK. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES. SO YOU'LL NEED TO GET TO HIM THROUGH US ANYWAY. DOESN'T HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS YET. OH. SO , THERE'S THAT. OTHER THAN THAT, UH, FOR OUR CURRENT VACANCIES, UM, THE EVENT SUPERVISOR ROLE, THE BOARD COMMISSION'S COORDINATOR ROLE, BOTH HAVE CLOSED, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. UM, ACTIVELY, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH INTERVIEWS FOR THE PREVENT SUPERVISOR ROLE. UH, WE'LL FOLLOW SUIT WITH THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONS COORDINATOR LATER THIS MONTH WITH THE INTENT OF FILLING THOSE AS RAPIDLY AS WE CAN. UM, GIVEN THAT WE ARE PUSHING INTO THE SUMMER, UM, AND USUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO WRAP OUR, ALL OF OUR VACANCIES UP SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. UH, WE, AND THAT'S THAT. I THINK THAT'S ALL THE STAFF UPDATES I HAVE TODAY. OKAY. UH, BEFORE WE ADJOURN, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO MEETING NEXT MONTH FOR THE GENERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, HOWEVER, ALLOCATIONS YOU GUYS MEET OKAY. ALLOCATIONS MEET AND, UH, THAT'LL BE, UH, THE ONLY MEETING THERE. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I'M SORRY. I HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOUR AWARENESS INAUGURATION. COUNCIL INAUGURATION WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON MONDAY AT THE MYERSON AT 10:00 AM UM, DO HAVE OAC ARTISTS SUPPORTING THAT EVENT. ROB HOLBERT JAZZ BAND VIA COMMUNITY OR VIA THE CAT PROGRAM WILL BE PERFORMING. AND ONE OTHER ARTIST I WILL TRY. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TRACK DOWN AN RSVP LINK FOR YOUR ATTENTION IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND, BUT THEY HAVE NOT SENT ONE. SO AS SOON AS I RECEIVE ONE, I WILL SEND THAT FORWARD FOR YOU. AND YESTERDAY, AS THAT WAS THE FINAL, UH, COUNCIL MEETING FOR OUR CURRENT SEATED, UH, COUNCIL, THE PUBLIC ART TEAM GIFTED THEM THE A DECK OF CARDS, UM, WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE ENTIRE PUBLIC ART COLLECTION ACROSS VARIOUS COUNCIL DISTRICTS. AND THAT GIFT WAS RECEIVED. DON'T BE, DON'T BE JEALOUS. DON'T BE JEALOUS. DON'T BE JEALOUS. SO IF YOU CARDS CHECK. MARTIN, LISTEN. HEY, WE WILL, WE WILL WORK ON A SET FOR, UH, YOU UE BUT IN CASE I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO HEAR IT FROM YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER FIRST, THEY RECEIVE THAT GIFT BEFORE YOU. AND SO WE'LL BE SURE TO, TO, TO GET YOU EACH DECK AS WELL. [00:40:01] BUT THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SET OF CARDS. BUT ANYWAY, FOR INAUGURATION, JUST LOOK OUT, I'M TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THE, THE RSVP. OKAY. COMMISSIONER OMO HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT. I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON MUTE, TINA. SORRY, I JUST SENT YOU CHAIR SMALL. AND MARTINE, THE LINK THAT OUR ARTS ADVOCACY GROUP SENT OUT JUST, UH, EARLIER THIS EVENING, UH, FOR REGISTERING FOR THE, UH, INAUGURATION. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO INVITE YOU ALL TO WAS THE DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT PRIDE BLOCK PARTY, WHICH IS FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH FROM SIX TO MIDNIGHT. WE'LL BE CLOSING DOWN THE STREETS ON FLORA AND HARWOOD, AND WE'VE GOT GREAT ENTERTAINMENT. UM, SO HOPEFULLY YOU ALL CAN MAKE IT. THANK YOU. BY THE WAY, I HAVE TO THROW THIS IN. I SAW COMMISSIONER OMO PERFORMING OH, IN CONCERTS, SINGING BROADWAY SONGS, UH, FROM THE MEN FROM LAMANCHA. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN CHINO SING, HE'S, HE'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. UH, I'M GONNA REQUEST THAT YOU ADD SOME SINATRA TO, UH, TO YOUR CATALOG BEER. UH, THANK YOU. I WILL, I WILL ADD THAT. WHAT WAS THE TIME OF THAT? OH, WHAT THE TIME OF THE BLOCK PARTY ONCE AGAIN. UH, COMMISSIONER OMO. SIX TO MIDNIGHT. SIX TO MIDNIGHT, OKAY. UH, ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OH, YES, I HAVE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, YES. UM, ON, UM, I WAS, UH, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING, UM, ASKED TO DO, UM, A PROJECT FOR BROADWAY, DALLAS, UM, FEATURING PHOTOGRAPHS IN AND AROUND, UM, SOUTH DALLAS THAT REPRESENTS, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, MYSELF. AND THERE WILL BE A SHOWING OR OPENING FOR THAT ON JULY 18TH AT 11 O'CLOCK, UM, AT BROADWAY, DALLAS. IT WILL BE FEATURING, UM, STATE FAIR MUSIC HALL. MM-HMM . STATE FAIR, USED TO BE STATE FAIR MUSIC, ALL THERE NOW BRANDED AS, UM, BROADWAY, DALLAS. AND THEY WILL, UH, UH, IT WILL FEATURE 16, UM, NEW PHOTOGRAPHS OF MINE FROM, YOU KNOW, IN AND AROUND SOUTH DALLAS INCORPORATING MY, YOU KNOW, STREETS STYLE, UM, YOU KNOW, APPROACH. SO, UM, WELCOME. PLEASE COME. HOW LONG DOES IT ? IT WILL BE UP FOR, ACTUALLY THEY'RE UM, THEY HAVE REQUESTED IT FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. OH MY GOODNESS. OH WOW. THAT'S, THAT'S FANTASTIC. CONGRATULATIONS. 11. THAT'S COOL. WHAT IS THE DATE ON THAT AGAIN? COMMISSIONER JACKSON? YES. JULY 18TH. IT'S A FRIDAY, JULY 18TH. OKAY, THANK YOU. FROM 11 TO 1230 THERE WILL BE LIGHT BITES. I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT. FOOD . OH, THERE IS . OKAY. UH, IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER THEN UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT FIVE 18. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE GREAT THOUGHT. SMALL YOU, SORRY. OH, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER URIEL IS ONE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT. I'M SORRY. I, I'VE BEEN KICKED OFF AND NOT GOT BACK ON A FEW TIMES. THAT'S STORMY HERE. I, I JUST, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE MENTIONED IT BUT UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ENGAGED WITH UH, PEGASUS MEDIA PROJECT AND NOT THIS WEEKEND, BUT NEXT WEEKEND IS THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY, UH, FILM FESTIVAL. MAYBE SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT EARLIER AND I THINK YOU MIGHT BE GETTING AN EMAIL ABOUT IT. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ON THE SUNDAY, UM, AT THE MAJESTIC. AND SO I'M JUST ENCOURAGING Y'ALL TO LOOK AT THAT EMAIL AND MAYBE SEE IF THERE'S SOME SUPPORT, SOME USEFUL AND ALSO SO FAR ALUMNI ON THE SUNDAY. THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT MONTH OFF. WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.