President Tony Andresen called the meeting to order, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and provided our Invocation prayer. We thanked members of our Nominating Committee for Greeting (The Committee includes David Hanzlick, Kara Bennett, Joe Privitera, David McCaughey, Peter Ho, Joan Caulfield, Rick Hughes, Robert Thompson and Martha Voight). Guests and members attending on Zoom were welcomed.
CLUB ANNIVERSARIES:
Michelle Biondo - 5 years – September 28; Bill Gray- 26 years – September 28; Lee Brumitt - 22 years – September 30th ; Linn Mills - 6 years – September 30th
New Member Induction/Introduction by Jared Campbell and Joe Privitera. The following new members were introduced:
Kristy Bayer. She is the Director of Athletics at Rockhurst University, married with a son & daughter. Kristy has been in Rotary in each of her prior communities. Kristy looks forward to serving the community and meeting community leaders in and through Rotary.
Sergio del Pino. Sergio is the Executive Director for the Kingswood Senior Living Community.
Dianne Kramer. Diane represents both the Kingswood Senior Living Community as the Health Care Navigator and Kingswood Foundation as a Director. Dianne is also a Rockhurst University graduate and has also been a Rotarian in other communities while making her way back to KC.
Quint Hall. Welcomed but not in attendance at today’s meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-- Sadly it was announced that Don Giffin, passed on September 26th, with services to be held on Saturday Oct 2nd at St Andrews Episcopal Church.
-- David Hanzlick was recognized on behalf of the Club 13 for Club 13th’s recognition and receipt of the 2020/2021 Rotary Citation award. Club 13’s Rotary Citation is a major recognition among Rotary Clubs.
-- Centennial Campaign: The Camp had aged since its founding in 1924 . The prior buildings were 50 years old and facilities’ requirements have changed. The Camp has raised through a variety of outside sources about $1.5 million of the projected $2 million budget. The opportunity is still available for members to contribute. It is anticipated that members could each make their own $1,000 contribution. Currently the Camp is constructing a new Health Lodge and Administration Center to keep up with the health and accessibility needs of our campers.
-- GSE Team including Marc Horner are already on their way to their outbound foreign destination. There will be an inbound foreign GSE Team coming here as well.
-- Purple Pinkie Donuts for Polio. District Governor, our own David McCaughey, explained the history and the process. A Tennessee Dunkin Donuts franchisee, in light of annual World Polio Day several years ago, came up the idea of selling a particular donut in mass with the proceeds going to Rotary for World Polio Day. It worked so well that a KCMO Dunkin Donuts franchisee is doing it here this year. From the picture the donuts appear to be long-johns with purple icing on one tip. As 2021 World Polio Day, October 20th, approaches, there will more information forthcoming on the mechanics.
TODAY’S PROGRAM:
Bill Kort introduced a very energic Ms. Nicole Emanuel, the Founder of the InterUrban ArtHouse in downtown Overland Park, KS (8001 Newton St, OPKS 66204). Nicole is a first generation American born in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City, receiving her BA in Design & Industry with a minor in Community Arts from San Francisco State University in 1985 and began her career in San Francisco. At that time, she began her career as both an activist and an artist. She worked to get San Francisco city legislation for old warehouses to legally be used for the arts community. At age 30, Nicole took her first art class at the Kansas City Art Institute and was the 1996 KCA Valedictorian.
With a little research it became apparent to Nicole that there was a local demand for artists’ products and demand by artists for safe usable space. Nicole saw the art creation venues tended to be in Kansas City, MO (mostly downtown and in the CrossRoads District). A lot of Johnson County KS resources were going into that area. Nicole had herself relocated to suburbia, working out of her home’s basement as her creative workshop space. Nationally the Council for the Arts had demonstrated that the Arts could be an economic engine for a community. Nicole began looking for an underused building like a warehouse (drawing on her San Francisco experience). She found a building near downtown in Overland Park (8011 Newton) that the U.S. Post Office was no longer using as a mail sorting center. Nicole was able to arrange for the purchase from the USPS. To her credit, the USPS retains a small portion as a retail post office, paying monthly rent.
Going back to the connection between Johnson County and downtown Kansas City, there was at one time a commuter railroad line generally following modern day I-35 called the Interurban Line, connecting Overland Park with downtown KCMO. Following that lead, the facility was named the InterUrban ArtHouse, name & concept wise going from linkage via a commuter rail line to an Arts Corridor. The InterUrban ArtHouse facility, located one block from the Overland Park Farmer’s Market, has 10,000 square feet and sits on an acre of land, which can also be used for festivals. The InterUrban ArtHouse provides space for 30 artists’ studios. As a side note, we were introduced to Defining Creative Industries Workers*: photography, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, fashion, theater, dance radio-film & TV, museums & galleries, art therapy, art education, publishing-writing, 2-D visual arts: painting, and 3-D visual arts: sculpture. (*i.e. the kinds of activities suited for the facility)
The InterUrban ArtHouse’s surveys identified six (6) community priority needs:
Art Smart- Education Art Works- Professional Development Arts Connect- Community Art Matters - Studio Practice Art Heals - Art Therapy Art Space - (30 Studios, 20 artists, event space)
Art Smart- provides the public with after school workshops and programs
Art Works - assists artists to become better at their craft and business economics
Art Connect - operated “Third Fridays” to connect with the general public – open house etc
Art Matters - assists in teaching art to students or others
Art Heals - provides a special commitment to individual’s health & emotional care (PTSD)
The Art Space has room for 30 studios. The studio walls do not go all the way to ceiling, so it still has a wide open space feel. The facility sits on one acre of land in downtown Overland Park available for festivals. Every Third Friday of the month, the public is invited to an open house at the InterUrban ArtHouse. (similar to First Fridays in the KCMO Crossroads District).
Under the additional concept of “Creative Placemaking”, several separate basic takeaways or concepts were touched upon: “Partners across sectors: Civic, Non-Profits, Grassroots, Private, Business and Government”; “Promoting Economic Development by Leveraging Cultural Assets” “Transform Underutilized Properties” and “Community Organizing, Revitalization & Health”
The InterUrban ArtHouse presentation noted the arts have their own economic profile and can be a contributing economic engine for an area or a community as well providing a host of social benefits. As a parting thought: It has been said that art in its various forms is not a luxury but a necessity.
A Timely Quote of the Day: “Great Art Picks Up Where Nature Ends” Marc Chagall
Through the month of October there is a fundraising campaign for the Kansas City Rotary Club Foundation. The Rotary Youth Camp serves thousands of campers each year and the Foundation assures that will continue. The Foundation contributes to the Camp’s operating budget and helps fund improvement to the facilities and grounds. 
Please join the Rotary Book Discussion Group on Zoom for the discussion of the book A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. The book is available by mail order through the Rainy Day Books web site or call the store for curb-side pickup. The discussion will be led by Vivien Jennings. All Rotarians and guests are welcome.
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