Olympia okays appointments of Inspire Olympia Cultural Access ad hoc committee

The Olympia City Council on Tuesday, October 18, approved the appointment of seven candidates who will 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 startup plan for the Cultural Access in August; this includes the program budget of $100,000 for 2022.

The council also allowed 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 offerings, particularly for underserved youth, as the program website states.

"We selected seven individuals for the committee for their knowledge, expertise, [and] commitment to the equity values," Goddu told the council members.

The ad hoc committee has the following members:

Paul Knox has 25 years of experience designing and administering grants programs at the State Department of Commerce and local level - United Way and Community Investment Partnership levels.

Knox claimed to have strong knowledge and experience with the city of Olympia's arts/culture scene as a long-time supporter, attendee, 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 long-time educator currently serving as the Arts in Education Program manager at the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA).

"I have many years of experience in program development with a particular focus on youth engagement 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 stated in the Inspire Olympia Ad Hoc Committee information sheet.

Jenece Levien has extensive experience serving on and implementing various-sized grant programs.

"My focus has been centered on building trust-based practices that remove barriers in the grant-making process and increase access for individuals, coalitions, networks, and organizations to enhance the work they are already doing to continue to improve and serve people in our community," she said.

Levien currently serves as the new director for South Puget Sound Community Foundation. She is also a senior program officer at Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, serving Pierce County.

Mariella Luz has worked in the Arts for almost 25 years and spends much of his time volunteering in 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 Olympia Art Space Alliance board 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 in our arts, science, and heritage organizations and cultivate new opportunities for those in the 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," Mandeberg said.

Lee Lyttle is currently serving as a commissioner for Washington State Arts. He also served in 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 Sciences.

Angela Silva is a professional musician and educator of cultural arts (Latin American music and Indigenous Ribbon Work). "I have served on cultural arts and education boards and committees and worked on projects in the underserved communities of Texas and North Carolina," Silva said.

According to Goddu, the members will serve the committee until the end of March next year. The program will soon recruit individuals for the permanent Cultural Access Program Advisory Committee.

The ad hoc committee, Goddu said, will help lay out a plan for how much of the funding will go to public schools' Cultural Access Program and develop strategies to ensure equitable distribution among cultural organizations in the community.

In April 2022, voters approved the increase of retail tax by one-tenth of one percent to fund arts and cultural programs.

At the Finance meeting held Wednesday, October 19, Goddu said the voters' tax for the Cultural Access Program is set to begin collection in January next year. She said the anticipated revenue is under $3 million.

In the ballot measure, Goddu explained that the program could allocate no more than 10% to administration and up to 10% to transportation of the budget. The remaining 80% is designated to go to cultural organizations.

"Right off the top, $100,000 will go back into the city general fund to repay the startup budget that the city provided for this last quarter of 2022," she added.