By Lorilyn C. Lily
The Olympia City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 18, approved the appointment of seven candidates to serve on an ad hoc committee for the Inspire Olympia Cultural Access program.
Marygrace Goddu, the new program manager for the Olympia Cultural Access Program, said the city council approved an early stage plan for Cultural Access in August; this includes the program budget of $100,000 for 2022.
The council also authorized the hiring of seven individuals for the ad hoc committee, who will further the program’s goal “to increase public access to arts, culture, heritage and science experiences throughout our community by reducing barriers to access and expanding offers, especially for the underserved”. youth, as stated on the program’s website.
“We selected seven individuals for the committee for their knowledge, expertise, [and] commitment to equity values,” Goddu told council members.
The ad hoc committee has the following members:
Paul Knox has 25 years of experience designing and administering grant programs at the State Department of Commerce and local – United Way and Community Investment Partnership levels.
Knox claimed to have strong knowledge and experience with the city of Olympia’s arts/cultural scene as a long-time supporter, participant and active participant in the Olympia arts and cultural scene.
He has also taught interactive sculpture classes at Olympia School District schools and a summer arts camp.
Tamar Krames is a longtime educator who currently serves as manager of the Arts in Education Program at the Washington State Commission on the Arts (ArtsWA).
“I have many years of experience in program development with a particular focus on engaging youth with culturally relevant learning opportunities,” Krames said, adding that she is passionate about equitable program development.
“I look forward to discussing potential barriers to community engagement and what the details of reducing those barriers require,” Krames said in the Inspire Olympia Ad Hoc Committee fact sheet.
Jenece Levien has extensive experience servicing and implementing grant programs of various sizes.
“My focus has been on building faith-based practices that remove barriers in the grantmaking process and increase access for individuals, coalitions, networks and organizations to enhance the work they are already doing to continue to improve and serve of people in our country. community,” she said.
Levien currently serves as junior director for the South Puget Sound Community Foundation. She is also a senior program officer at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, serving Pierce County.
Mariella Luz has worked in the Arts for nearly 25 years and spends much of her time volunteering at local and statewide arts nonprofits.
Luz is the owner and founder of the Olympia All Ages project, an all-ages gallery and performance space for seven years.
Luz worked for the record label K Records for 17 years. She served on the board of the Olympia Art Space Alliance and was on the Washington State Arts Commission for five years.
Jean Mandeberg is a working artist and Faculty Emerita at Evergreen State College.
“Having lived in Olympia since 1978, I believe the Cultural Access Program will launch 21st century goals for equity and access to our arts, science and heritage organizations and cultivate new opportunities for those in creative economy who want to make Olympia their home. I would like to use my extensive experience in our community to help ensure the success of Inspire Olympia,” said Mandeberg.
Lee Lyttle currently serving as the Washington State Arts Commissioner. He also served on the Olympia Arts Commission from 1998 to 2000.
Lyttle holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts: Architecture. He has master’s degrees in Public Administration, Urban Planning and Library and Information Science.
Angela Silva is a professional musician and cultural arts educator (Latin American music and Indigenous Ribbon Work). “I have served on cultural and educational arts boards and committees and worked on projects in underserved communities in Texas and North Carolina,” Silva said.
According to Goddu, the members will serve the committee till the end of March next year. The program will soon be recruiting individuals for the standing Cultural Outreach Program Advisory Committee.
The ad hoc committee, Goddu said, will help craft a plan for how much of the funding will go to the public schools’ Cultural Access Program and develop strategies to ensure equitable distribution among cultural organizations in the community.
In April 2022, voters approved increasing the retail sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to fund arts and culture programs.
At the finance meeting held on Wednesday, October 19, Goddu said that the voter tax for the Cultural Access Program will begin to be collected in January of next year. She said the projected revenue is under $3 million.
In the voting measure, Goddu explained that the program can allocate no more than 10% for administration and up to 10% for transportation of the budget. The remaining 80% is designated to go to cultural organizations.
“First of all, $100,000 will go back into the city’s general fund to repay the startup budget that the city provided for this last quarter of 2022,” she added.
