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, March 18, 2026
Meeting online link: https://sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/96704441776
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Veith called the Arts Commission meeting to order at 7:16 p.m.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Chair Veith led 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 -
Councilmember Chang (present)
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Chair Veith announced:
The Transgender Day of Visibility Flag-Raising Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at City Hall.
Recruitment is underway for several City boards and commissions. Applications are due Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
There were no public speakers for this agenda item.
CONSENT CALENDAR
There were no public speakers for this agenda item.
Attachment 2
March 18, 2026Arts Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft
Commissioner Tkachenko moved and Commissioner Kauffman 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 26-0397
Approve the Arts Commission Meeting Minutes of January 21, 2026
Approve the Arts Commission Minutes of January 21, 2026 as submitted.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
2 26-0396 Hands on the Arts and Arts and Humanities Month Updates Kristin Dance, Public Art Management Analyst, presented an update, along with a slideshow, regarding the Hands on the Arts Festival, stating that the festival would be moved to the fall, specifically October 17, 2026, and that the Commission’s Hands on the Arts project would be combined with Arts and Humanities Month planning for this cycle.
Kristin presented four project concepts for Commission consideration:
-Sunglasses with optional photo mural
-Service workers honor wall / collage
-Hand tracings on a tree form
-Large-scale puzzle
Commissioners discussed the merits of the projects, including:
-Project uniqueness compared with prior years
-Suitability for younger children
-Whether children could take an item home while also contributing to a larger display
-Display potential after the festival
-Staffing and logistical considerations
-Potential photo release requirements for the sunglasses/photo mural project -Possibility of incorporating symbolism related to Sunnyvale and Friendship City ties
Attachment 2
March 18, 2026Arts Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft
Commissioners then informally identified the top two project preferences as:
-Hand tracings/tree project
-Sunglasses project
Following discussion, the Commission proceeded to formal action.
MOTION: Commissioner Kauffman moved, and Vice Chair Filley seconded the motion to select the hand tracing project as the Commission’s first choice for the October 2026 Hands on the Arts project, with the sunglasses project as the second choice if the first project cannot proceed.
The motion carried with the following vote:
Yes: Chair Veith
Vice Chair Filley
Commissioner Kauffman
Commissioner Tkachenko
Commissioner Wright
5 -
No: 0
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS
-Commissioner Comments
Vice Chair Filley:
-Commended staff for the public art newsletter sent to the community. -Announced the Hanami celebration at Braley Park on April 12, 2026.
Chair Veith shared information about a Pacific Art League downtown murals tour in Palo Alto on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., gathering at Bell’s Books, 536 Emerson Street, Palo Alto.
Commissioner Tkchenko asked about whether Sunnyvale arts programming had a dedicated social media presence. Staff responded that there was no separate arts-only account, but arts-related content is shared through the City’s broader Recreation and City social media channels.
-Staff Comments
Kristin Dance reported:
-A jury had been conducted for the Lakewood Park public art project, and an RFQ would be released soon.
-The Community Center Grounds Renovation Project had five design proposals, which would be reviewed by the Commission at its April 15, 2026 meeting.
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March 18, 2026Arts Commission Meeting Minutes - Draft
-For Plaza del Sol, five artists had been short listed and proposals were due the following Monday; Commission review was anticipated in September. -The sun scavenger hunt would launch at the Earth Day celebration on April 11, 2026, including new bicycle tours in North Sunnyvale / Moffett area. -Artwork for the Lakewood Library is in fabrication.
-Corn Palace Park benches had been ordered; installation work was expected after delivery, estimated in about four weeks.
Councilmember Chang announced that two Sunnyvale students from The King’s Academy, Audrey Wong and Iris Zhang, were among the artists selected for ArtNow 2026 at the New Museum Los Gatos, with the exhibit running March 27 through July 19, 2026.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Veith adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m.
Attachment 2