City Taps Task Force, Sets Meeting Dates for Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy
June 19, 2020— The City has appointed 27 individuals to serve on the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy Task Force, City Manager Bryan Cosgrove announced today.
Participants include the leaders of local-area nonprofit organizations and government agencies engaged in arts, culture and heritage activities, programs and events, and residents who support cultural affairs and artists/craftspeople. Because of the high level of public interest, additional task force members may be added.
“The City received an overwhelming response for participation in the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy, which is a City Council 2019-21 goal," Cosgrove said. "We are fortunate in Wilsonville to be able to impanel a high-quality group of community stakeholders with a strong interest in developing and promoting arts, culture and heritage.”
Virtual meetings of the task force are tentatively scheduled on the following dates/times:
The Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy Task Force is to act as a sounding board for the strategy development, reviewing and commenting on material as it is produced. The task force is scheduled to convene through August of 2020, until development of the strategy is substantially complete. Charlotte Lehan is serving as the City Council liaison.
A steering committee composed of task force members is to provide specific, immediate feedback to the City during strategy development. Additional sub-committees may be organized, including a youth advisory group and a specialized committees to advise on a cultural assets inventory.
When complete, the Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy provides recommendations to the City Council for cultivating a sustainable, long-term plan that supports community aspirations for a vibrant cultural scene in Wilsonville. For more information, see ci.Wilsonville.or.us/ArtsCultureStrategy.
Task Force Members (additional members may be added)
- Donna Atkinson, Outreach Chair, Wilsonville Community Seniors, Inc.
- Toni Avery, local-area artist
- Steve Benson, former City of Wilsonville Parks & Recreation Advisory Board member
- Dwight Brashear, SMART Transit Director, City of Wilsonville
- Paul Bunn, former City of Wilsonville Budget Committee member
- Joan Carlson, retired; former Boones Ferry Primary School Artist-in-Residence
- Mary Closson, President, Closson Communications; former City of Wilsonville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member
- Maggie Decker, Past Chair, Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council
- John Dillin, local-area resident interested in art
- Pat Duke, Library Director, Wilsonville Public Library
- Angennette Escobar, Art Educator, Wilsonville High School
- Gerald (Jerry) Greenfield, Commission Chair, City of Wilsonville Planning Commission
- Eric Hoem, President, Charbonneau Arts Association
- Greg Leo, Board Member, Friends of Historic Butteville
- Troy Matthews, Art Educator, Wood Middle School
- Mike McCarty, Parks & Recreation Director, City of Wilsonville
- Benjamin Medford, Director of the Wilsonville Festival of the Arts, Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council
- Padmanabhan (PK) Melethil, President, Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council
- Mallory Nelson, local-area resident artist
- David Niklas, President, WilsonvilleSTAGE
- David Penaflor, Board Member, Korean War Memorial Foundation of Oregon; Korean War Veterans Assn (KWVA)/Oregon Trail Chapter
- Susan Schenk, Board Member, Clackamas County Arts Alliance; Wilsonville Boones Ferry Historical Society
- Rohit Sharma, Member, City of Wilsonville Tourism Promotion Committee
- Christopher Shotola-Hardt, former Visual Art Teacher, Wilsonville High School (retired)
- Richard Spence, Board Member, WilsonvilleSTAGE; Wilsonville Public Library Foundation
- Steven Van Wechel, President, Wilsonville Boones Ferry Historical Society
- Kit Whitaker, Board Member, Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council
