North St. Paul City Council — Transcript
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Project Snowy Implementation and Unveiling
Mural Program Development
Utility Box Art Initiatives
Art Cart Activity Planning
Paint Night Event Status
Autumn Arts Festival Preparations
Commission T-Shirt Order
Proposed Free Little Art Gallery
City-wide & Council Updates
Votes (7)
Project Snowy Event Planning and Budget Approval
Dissent: None
Moved by Amanda [14:00] · Seconded by Carrie [15:50]
The subcommittee provided updates on Project Snowy, including artist agreements, design approvals, and the need for volunteers to monitor artists ('Snowy watch'). Extensive discussion focused on the June 6th unveiling event, covering media promotion (artist videos, progress photos), invitation design (Evite and paper for VIPs), and refreshments. A specific budget allocation was proposed and approved to cover event costs, drawing funds from the Art Cart and Branding & Communication budgets. Plans to involve the Mayor/City Manager and ensure robust promotion were also discussed. The event time was set for 6:30 PM on June 6th.
Mural Project Development and Outreach Strategy
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
The mural subcommittee reported on refining their project proposal, adapting elements from the Project Snowy's planning model. The core idea is to launch a call for interest among North St Paul businesses for potential mural locations, with the expectation of a multi-year, iterative program. Brandy advised the subcommittee to anticipate business questions regarding requirements and benefits. Current city communication limitations (paused newsletter, no communications director) led to a decision to pursue direct outreach to businesses. The idea of linking the mural program with broader economic development initiatives, such as storefront revitalization, was also suggested.
Utility Box Art Project Updates
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
Ma Jang provided an update on the North High utility box art contest, confirming its closure on May 22nd and the selection of an 'excellent' submission. The public voting phase was eliminated to accelerate the project, with next steps focused on connecting with the artist and vendor for mid-May execution. Commissioners Laura and Sharon shared their progress on downtown utility boxes, detailing a visit to the North St Paul Museum to find historical photos. They envision a photo collage for boxes like those at Rod's, aiming to capture the historical essence and community spirit of Downtown North St Paul.
Art Cart Program Activities and Resources
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
Commissioners Raquel and Amanda detailed the Art Cart's planned activities for upcoming city events: 'paper plate cars' for the June Car Show, and 'rock painting' and 'trash art' for the two Music in the Park events. For 'trash art,' donations of craft supplies were requested. The ongoing need for volunteers was noted, and Amanda requested $100 for car show supplies, which was confirmed to be within the existing budget. The discussion also included the possibility of obtaining branded aprons or vests for volunteers to enhance visibility and professionalism at events. Confirmed key dates included June 14th (City Night at the Car Show) and June 20th (Music in the Park).
Commission T-Shirt Order for New Members
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
Ma Jang confirmed that a vendor had been identified for reordering commission t-shirts at the same price as the previous year ($22-$25 per shirt). The primary purpose was to provide shirts for new commission members (approximately four). A proposal to also order shirts for Project Snowy artists was discussed but ultimately decided against due to logistical complexities, including the existing 'volunteer' text on the back of the shirts and the challenges of collecting sizes from all artists within the tight timeline for the unveiling. The cost for the new member shirts would come from the Branding and Communications budget.
Proposal for Free Little Art Gallery (2025)
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
Commissioner Amanda introduced a new project idea for consideration in 2025: a 'Free Little Art Gallery,' inspired by 'Free Little Libraries.' The vision is a 'take one, leave one' art box, specifically for 'little art,' to be located inside the Community Center. The concept was well-received by other commissioners, who offered positive feedback and suggestions, including coordinating with a local skate shop known for miniature art displays. This initiative is intended to foster community engagement with art in an accessible and low-maintenance format.
Council Liaison Report and General City Updates
Dissent: None
Moved by No formal motion · Seconded by No formal motion
Council Member Lisa Wong provided updates from the city council, notably that ongoing workshops regarding the Community Center would be open to public comment, an unusual but council-mandated measure. She shared insights from a public participation conference, highlighting a Wisconsin town's success with social media for public art (dragon sculptures) as a potential model. Other announcements included the start of next year's city budget talks, upcoming 'Dump Day' on May 11th, and a city-wide yard sale. She also mentioned an opportunity related to the Blanding Turtles migration campaign and offered gratitude to Brandy for her service to the city.
Notable Quotes (18)
we are looking to do video of the artist in like kind of like a little interview and like promoting that and sharing that
we discussed doing invitations both Evite and paper invitations but we don't have a list and we're hoping that Sarah does have a list of who those invitations should go to
I would suggest that anything related to spending for the Arts commission would come out of the overall Arts budget
it gives you know politicians a chance to kind of sell North St Paul a little bit too
we want to paint some murals in downtown and we don't know exactly where we don't we want we want businesses or Property Owners to apply or indicate interest to us as a subcommittee
I think that the asking the question of the businesses is interested would also beg the question of well they're going to want to know what's what's going to be required of me and what's in it for me to
I'm wondering if this program could be like packaged in with the same concept as the business storefront redo so it's businesses can choose that or art
we did get one excellent at least in my opinion one excellent submission
we were looking for just the feel of the city, you know events, people enjoying North St Paul
for the June car show we are going to do paper plate cars
I'd like to spend $100 but you're not going to spend it you're asking for I'm asking for yeah
it would be cool if we had you know North St Paul arts and culture thing on that
she did find a vendor and the pricing would be the same as last year
if the back says volunteer we'd want to change that for their say artist
I'm proposing this for 2025 and kind of hoping for a tie-in with the community center but if you know about the free little libraries that people have around I wondering if we would like to do a free little art gallery
I think that's a great idea and because I could give you a ton of stuff if it could be it would need to be a little bit bigger of a little well I'm thinking little art literally means little art
my understanding is that every session that we have will be open to the public for comment as well so um that not typical for workshops but that's something that um the council wanted
there was one city in or small town in Wisconsin that had um a lot of social media um going up with like their little dragon sculptures that got painted
Ordinances & Resolutions (3)
A programmatic plan used as a model for developing the mural project's process.
A document outlining the parameters and approach for a new city mural program.
A financial document summarizing current budget allocations and expenditures for the commission.