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Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee plans spring photo exhibit with in‑person voting and gala opening
Summary
The Portola Valley Town Cultural Arts Committee scheduled a photography workshop for March 28 and an exhibit the weekend of the 17th–19th with an in‑person ballot box for voting after town IT declined to provide an online submissions page. Volunteers, marketing and a capped food budget were discussed; the committee will finalize printing and budget next month.
The Portola Valley Town Cultural Arts Committee on its February 2026 meeting confirmed plans for a spring photography program that will pair a March 28 workshop with a weekend exhibit and in‑person voting. The committee said a local photographer, Alex Dory, will lead a 10:30 a.m.–noon workshop on March 28, and the exhibit will be displayed Friday through Sunday (the town made the hall available Friday through Sunday, moving it from Thursday). The chair said the committee will use a ballot box at the exhibit entrance for contest voting because the town’s IT office has not set up a submissions page.
Why it matters: Committee members said the workshop and exhibit are intended to increase civic engagement with the arts and draw families to the community hall. Because the town’s website and IT support remain unavailable for contest entry, the committee prioritized a low‑risk, in‑person approach that allows the event to proceed on a defined schedule.
The committee discussed logistics in detail. Members agreed on a Friday setup day with a gala opening that evening (proposed 5–7 p.m.), followed by public viewing Saturday and Sunday (suggested 1–4 p.m.). The gala may include light acoustic music and finger food; one member proposed hiring local musicians, while others urged recruiting student performers from nearby schools to reduce cost. The chair described the in‑person voting plan: attendees would drop ballots into a box by the door and volunteers would staff the vote table during exhibit hours.
Volunteers and timelines: Committee members agreed to circulate a shared volunteer sign‑up (a Google doc) for setup and shifts; one member noted April 17 as a possible setup day for photos, while the exhibit itself was scheduled for the three days in mid‑month. The committee will recruit volunteers through the workshop, the exhibit flyer, and town volunteer forms.
Marketing, printing and hosting: Members set a short timeline for review of flyers and postcards and discussed using a temporary website if the town IT group cannot provide pages and hosting. One member offered to create a temporary site by Friday if the town does not respond by Monday, so prints could go to press the following week.
Budget: The committee reviewed catering estimates ($30–$50 per person) and the group’s limited annual allocation (discussed as roughly $3,000). A member proposed capping additional food spending at $1,200 (approximately $40 per person up to that cap) and recommended obtaining multiple quotes; the transcript records the proposal and discussion but does not show a final recorded vote to change the food budget. The committee asked event leads to gather vendor bids and revisit the budget at the next meeting.
Next steps: Committee members will finalize submission instructions (physical drop‑boxes or temporary site), circulate marketing collateral for comment, recruit volunteers, obtain catering and printing quotes and confirm final logistics at the next meeting.
