Oak Harbor Arts Commission approves $1,000 one-time award to Imagination Cove Children's Museum

The Oak Harbor Arts Commission voted to give Imagination Cove Children's Museum a one-time $1,000 award from its discretionary funds after a presentation by the museum's co-founders and a brief discussion of precedent and funding criteria.

The vote came after a 15-minute presentation in which co-founders Jaylen Cybert and Mala Suknanan described the downtown Pioneer Street facility, programming and visitor numbers. “We opened on July 4 to the community. We're right downtown on Pioneer,” Cybert said during the presentation. The museum runs a party-supply retail front and a children’s museum in the rear, hosts parties and seasonal exhibits, and offers adaptive tools and sensory activities for all ages.

The commission’s discussion focused on program impact, sustainability and whether a one-time payment would set a precedent for other requests. Commissioner Mary Himes and several commissioners said they favored a one-time award while the commission develops formal criteria. “My thought about the one-time request at this point would be the way to go,” a commissioner said during discussion, noting parks and recreation and the library also run children’s arts programs.

Commissioners and staff cited preliminary traffic and attendance figures provided by Imagination Cove: the presenters said they have 49 active members and reported about 14,486 visitors since opening (figures given by the presenters). They also said the museum has hosted roughly 80 parties and averages “about 240 guests on a low day” and up to “325” on busy Saturdays.

Chair J.R. Russell moved that the commission provide Imagination Cove $1,000 as a one-time fund; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The commission’s executive services director, Mikhail Finkel, who participates in an ex officio role, stated he could not vote. Commissioners directed staff to work with Imagination Cove on the logistics of transferring funds and to follow up on possible collaboration and future reporting.

Imagination Cove representatives said they plan to pursue nonprofit status and seek sponsorships; they offered to acknowledge the Arts Commission in promotional materials and online if supported.

The commission noted the award would come from its discretionary/miscellaneous allocation for the year, which staff said currently had approximately $10,000 available.