City of Sunnyvale
Meeting Minutes - Draft
Arts Commission
7:00 PM Online and Redwood Conference Room,
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,
CA 94086
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Veith called the Arts Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Chair Veith let the salute to the United States flag.
ROLL CALL
Chair Agnes Veith
Vice Chair Kathryn Filley
Commissioner Molly Kauffman
Commissioner Mariia Tkachenko
Commissioner Christina Wright
Present: 5 -
Council liaison Srinivasan was present.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
STUDY SESSION
A 26-0179 2026 Art Projects Discussion
Kristin Dance, Public art Manager, provided a presentation on 2026 Art Projects.
Highlights included: a review of previous year Hands on the Arts projects, and recent Arts and Humanities Month projects.
Commissioners and staff discussed considerations and generated ideas for staff to refine for future vote. Key themes and suggestions included:
Hands on the Arts booth/activity considerations:
- Activities should be accessible for younger participants, including children under age five.
Attachment 2
January 21, 2026Arts Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft - Preference for projects that can be displayed in the community. - A suggestion to possibly allow participants to make two items, keeping one and leaving one.
- Interest in projects that reflect gratitude, inclusiveness, and community connection.
Ideas proposed:
- Decorated sun-shaped glasses for children with an optional photo-booth concept. - A service/gratitude wall concept (e.g., thanking teachers, fire, police, community helpers) with art + written notes.
- Prayer flag / hope flag style activity (triangular flags strung together) focused on hope and community.
- Handprint/hand cutout art forming a tree display.
- Weaving projects using recycled materials such as old CDs or cardboard. - Large, decorative cardboard letters forming a word/theme for display. - A large jigsaw/puzzle-based collaborative artwork with decorated pieces assembled into one display.
Commissioners requested an inventory of available leftover supplies, asked about operational readiness and incident prevention for the event, and inquired whether and how long projects could be displayed at City Hall or the Library.
Staff stated that events are debriefed annually; policies and procedures are reviewed, and emergency planning occurs with the Department of Public Safety for large events. Staff also indicated that decisions based on whether and how long projects could be displayed would be based on space, duration, and upcoming events.
Action: Staff will review available materials and share a summary prior to the next meeting.
Arts and Humanities Month - concept discussion
- Commissioners discussed interest in a curated performance/poetry/storytelling concept.
- Additional ideas included cultural celebration projects connect to the Sunnyvale Heritage Center, youth- created culture-themed art pieces (visual art, writing, short film), artist demonstrations, and community partnerships. - Commissioners discussed the possibility of involving neighborhood associations to broaden outreach.
Action: Staff to return with feasibility research and refined options for consideration at a future meeting.
Attachment 2
January 21, 2026Arts Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft
CONSENT CALENDAR
Commissioner Kauffman moved and Commissioner Wright seconded the motion to approve the consent calendar as submitted.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Chair Veith
Vice Chair Filley
Commissioner Kauffman
Commissioner Tkachenko
Commissioner Wright
5 -
No: 0
1 26-0182
Approve the Arts Commission Meeting Minutes of October 15, 2025
Approve the Arts Commission Minutes of October 15, 2025 as submitted.
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS
-Commissioner Comments
Chair Veith shared an update regarding a Commission and Council joint meeting attended in November, where topics raised included:
- Staffing levels to support commission work
- Potential policy discussion on remote attendance for commissioners - Whether required meeting “verbiage” read by the presiding officer may be modified in the future
Council liaison Srinivasan confirmed the Boards and Commissions subcommittee was expected to discuss items related to remote attendance. -Staff Comments
Trenton Hill, Recreation Services Manager, asked commissioners to review an email regarding a potential special meeting in May to review Plaza del Sol Park artist candidates/proposals.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Veith adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m.
Attachment 2