Commission members recapped Heritage Days and reported stronger student participation, particularly in the teen category. Caitlin, the commission’s events liaison, said she will act as a schools liaison to increase student involvement by visiting classes and encouraging projects for next year’s exhibit.

The exhibit’s teen Best in Show went to Aspen Blake; the commission plans to present her as the next featured student artist at the City Council meeting next week. Aspen’s family history in Ivins was noted: her grandfather served as a former mayor.

Liz reported the silent auction raised $8,186, crediting gallery donations led by Sherry Stoddard for supplying high-quality works. She recommended collecting auction items earlier in the year and diversifying donated items to include experience-based offerings, such as lessons or workshops, to attract buyers who lack wall space for new artwork. “If we could find some more experience-oriented items…that would be a good idea,” Liz said.

Commissioners discussed logistics for next year, including earlier outreach to schools (with a suggestion to assign summer projects to students so pieces are ready for the fall exhibit) and using the artist registry to recruit auction donors. No formal votes were taken; the commission set plans to reconvene Heritage Days planning in January or February to choose a theme and timeline.