Board Meeting
November 7, 2015
Attendance:
Steffi Dotson, Dan Walberger, Sarah Marriage, Bart Niswonger, Cory Robinson, Brian Boggs, Forest Dickey, Robert Matthieson, Maggie Sasso, Katie Hudnall, in and out Susie Silbert
Absent: Bill Schairer, Hyami Arakawa
Quorum present? Yes
Meeting called to order at 9:16am.
Vote for new President position:
President: MOTION Forest nominates Cory to be the President in January, Steffi seconds.
Cory states that he can commit to one year of Presidency. Cory feels his major accomplishment can be to transition in a new ED. Forest mentions that we need to begin thinking about a future president now. Cory feels that the ED will alleviate the overwhelming responsibility of these various roles.
Vote to make Cory president: passed. Cory abstained from voting.
Vice President and Secretary: MOTION that Forest become VP in January when Cory becomes President and Maggie to become Secretary effective immediately. Unanimous vote. Passed.
Conference 2016:
Maggie can no longer take the role as conference committee chair. This task will temporarily fall to the EC. Action Item: Forest will contact Kathy Sharp to take the chair-ship.
Steffi speaks about the local conference committee.
Maggie also speaks about a recent rocky history, but speaks optimistically about the local committee and how things have begun to congeal.
Cory thinks that Conference and Website should be contracted hours.
Bart wishes to get Conference information on the website ASAP, even before it is entirely finalized, as this energizes potential attendees.
Brian discusses the possibility of an event planner, maybe a different lower level of engagement, as an advisor?
Dan wonder’s, who benefits the most from conference? “Members” are the consensus. Dan wonder’s if we can engage them to help with the conference? Brian thinks conference sells this engagement with a price tag. Robbie speaks about WIA (Woodwork In America) and the success of the You Tube celebrity.
Steffi emphasizes that our image is too heavily in the light of the Center, and we need to be making important contacts with organizations like Schiffer for partnership.
Brian thinks the conference could be re-imagined as package-able in a book. Currently/Recent past (Rooted) Schiffer contacted us and wanted to cover the Port Townsend conference a la Mind & Hand, which was popular outside our member base. They are willing to do this at no cost to us, though it takes a lot of work from a FS editors point of view. (Katie thinks Amy Forsyth would be nice to employ as an illustrator to pull a book together visually.)
A Book that is popular to the public makes a maker like Brian much more excited about conference, and makes the conference our organization’s flagship! Magical soupbowl and funk!
Action Item: Steffi will contact Schiffer
Action Item: Cory will talk to the NCECA conference/event planner. Also Nicole Jaquard, President of SNAG.
Conference 2017:
We have tried events at Arrowmont in the past with poor turnout because it was presented as a workshop in addition to conference, which our membership isn’t interested in. Our membership would be ones to teach a workshop.
Action Item: Cory will talk to Arrowmont for a Symposium 2017.
Fort Brag is another option. It’s hard to get to. Brian Boggs could host a symposium at his shop, in
Ashville—tons of space IN his shop, he just hosted a 250-person event.
We are inclined to partner with institutions, but perhaps we can reconsider a membership space.
Exhibitions/Shows for 2016 and beyond
Chairs Exhibit – totally run by Center for Art in Wood
Bart speaks about Powermatic – Partnership has been used in past for ICFF. He wonders if it’s still beneficial. Can we change the relationship and funds from Powermatic? They are very flexible. What do we do with it? Bart thinks we can use it for regional events. Maybe? Brian thinks FS doesn’t do a good enough job of buying Fine Furniture; can we use the funds this way?
Brian is curious about our relationship with Fine Woodwork Magazine? Steffi thinks it’s so-so. Brian speaks to history of the “stars” rising to the top. Develop shows during Design Week with Powermatic funds? Sarah wonders if we could look into the Architectural Design show? Michael Cullen is mentioned. Susie sums the idea up beautifully. ‘Wanted’ opening night party was incredibly well attended (well it appeared to be because of the handmade bracelets)! Maggie says, design Week is good, not necessarily ICFF, a big star is good for us to be newsworthy, but we also need to give opportunities to the emerging makers who benefit so greatly. Launchpad exhibit space would be paid for. Steffi recommends that Educational Grants funds could be used for Launchpad. Steffi proposes we engage with the Launchpad show and that we open up Educational Grants for this opportunity.
Educational Grants, Katie would like to employ the Student Representative (Robbie), Cory will help one last year, Katie tactfully asks that Dennis’s efforts be put towards another committee and Steffi agrees to have a conversation with him. Katie and Steffi are going to work on Educational Grant wording on the website so that it doesn’t have to be changed every year. Some question from Katie of how to word educational grants to make it work with a Launchpad type event. Bart makes motion to expand the educational grants to include doing exhibitions (from ACC to Launchpad). We looked at the language and it will work with some tweaking. MOTION Steffi makes a motion to promote Launchpad. Suzie seconds it. We talk in circles about whether or not we can or should promote one show over another. Bart amends it that we get something significant from them. Steffi takes the motion off the table, and will go back and talk to them some more.
Moving on to Powermatic $25,000 moving from ICFF to something/somewhere different, Steffi is pushing that we move to do the Wanted show but with the ICFF model. Bart suggests we can do a media promotion thing with the money (Powermatic is open to different opportunities). Steffi and Katie both suggest that changing what we do in November won’t give us time to do it well. Bart would rather do ICFF again than change to Wanted (wanted puts us in a worse location than ICFF even).
MOTION Brian motioned to continue with ICFF but set metrics to assess how well we are doing, and follow up the show to re-asses our performance, then re-adjust as needed. Forest seconds. Vote: all in favor except for Steffi who opposes. Motion passes.
Hyami can only do ICFF and not be the chair.
AWFS, we made money
Brian is willing to communicate with Carol Savignon? and Maloof.
Steffi recommends we do more exhibits/shows!
West Edge, got in touch with Interior Designers, sold 2 pieces.
Cory reminds us we can use volunteers.
Craft in America
Maloof
Craft a
MOTION Susie makes motion, Katie seconds that Sarah is Chair of Exhibitions committee. Unanimous vote. Motion Passes.
Exhibitions Committee: now consists of Susie (advisory), Sarah (chair), Brian. Kathy Sharp?
Dan requests that we begin documenting the exhibition.
American Association of Wood Turners is interested
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Suzanne is the Ed
Susie talks about the kinds of shows we are having and would appreciate a more directed conversation about how we approach galleries and museums about exhibits.
Grants and Projects for the grants
Hiring someone to update our manuals is a grant worthy project.
Cory is the chair.
Horn and Windgate deadlines in March.
Cory has following up with Robyn and John foundation (via Mia Hall) sending materials and will send a summary report in letterform.
Cory doesn’t want to invent projects for grants.
Brian has a connection at Styles Machinery.
Executive Director
Report from Dan. It hasn’t been the most dynamic committee. Met last week, have a good outline going forward. Approve job brief. Post job brief. Targeted recruiting.
Brian brings up that our job description will be key in finding the correct person.
There was an argument from the committee that we are deliberately vague so we can hire the correct person. Dan says that it will be a performance-based job not a strict meeting of rigid values. Tell Dan if you have a person that could be a potential candidate. Steffi will send out a letter to membership explaining our choice.
MOTION Katie motions to approve the job description for Executive Director. Maggie seconds. Unanimous approval. Motion is passed.
Nominations: scouting new board members with skills we can use
Kathy Sharp is a good suggestion and would be great logistical help, she’s also an accountant and Bill would like help.
Ted Ross. Runs program in Marquette, MI. Northern Michigan University.
We need a good fundraiser. Forest has a few connections he will look into. The bar is low. A person who would be able to run the annual appeal.
List of skills we are looking for: Marketing, Fundraising, Editorial, Publications, Leadership.
Membership moving forward
675 current membership.
Cory points out that this is not a top down organization. Membership gets out what they put in to the organization. Katie says that she felt this way the most when she was at the annual membership meeting at conference. Maggie thinks a good marketing campaign can send out this message in a meaningful way. Regional events can do a good job of this.
Membership up significantly, 450 this time last year. Chalked up to Constant Contact letters (more exhibitions), Website updates and Auto renewing.
Some people don’t get their new membership package; Steffi has been smoothing over then notifying Jean.
Cory thinks we can use volunteer members instead of just board members for some work.
Website and social media moving forward
Sarah is going to help Bart with Marketing.
Sarah and Forest are on Instagram.
Katie is off Facebook. Katie is still doing Currently Showing. Send Katie furniture related shows.
Action Item Katie Hudnall will contact Amy Forsyth about posting of facebook for FS.
More images on website, we can put photos in a dropbox folder.
Robbie suggested a map of where members are on website.
Google analytics
Regional events for 2016
We should do more regional events.
We should include lots of photos.
What organizations do we want to work with in the future?
American Craft Council – sponsor a talk
Craft in America – show a video at conference every year
SNAG
American Association Of Woodworkers
Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston
MAD in NY, Glen Adamson
Bellevue Arts Museum
Relationships with small craft schools like Mark Adams, CFC, bunch of others to promote FS.
We can engage educators to recruit their students.
Lee Valley
Rockler
Festool
Partnership shows: maybe we show work of AOD recipients.
MOTION Approve Board Meetings from Durham Board Meeting June 2015
Forest moves to approve, Katie seconds. All except Maggie who jokingly opposes, citing that she will do better because that’s her job now. Motion passes.
Regional event tonight.
STEFFI GETS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE and several thank you’s! This is her last meeting.
3:00pm meeting adjourns
Index of ACTION ITEMS:
Action Item: Forest will contact Kathy Sharp to take the chair-ship.
Action Item: Steffi will contact Schiffer
Action Item: Cory will talk to the NCECA conference/event planner. Also Nicole Jaquard, President of SNAG.
Action Item: Cory will talk to Arrowmont for a Symposium 2017.
Action Item Katie Hudnall will contact Amy Forsyth about posting of facebook for FS.