Executive_Committee
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
3:30 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
Commission President P.J. Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston
Maya Draisin
Jeannene Przyblyski
Sherri Young
Staff Present
Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie
Interim Director of Cultural Affairs Nancy Gonchar
Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar
Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff
- Budget Report
President Johnston took the budget item out of order, seeing many members of the public who wished to speak on the Bayview Opera House item. He explained that normally the Cultural Centers are discussed at the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee, but the Opera House’s grant had come to this Committee because of a scheduling conflict. He noted that both Commissioner Draisin and Commissioner Young sit on the CAEG Committee, that he is also quite familiar with the Centers, having sat on that Committee himself, and that Commissioner Przyblyski was also familiar with the Centers’ concerns.
Ms. Gonchar presented the proposed budget, including a summary and details. She included the Mayor’s mandatory cut, and explained that she would work with the new Director of Cultural Affairs, Luis Cancel, who would start work at the Arts Commission the following week, on specific line items. She added that the contingency budget reduction is indicated in the narrative description and not shown in the budget spreadsheet.
Commissioner Przyblyski said that this budget essentially stated that the Arts Commission would comply with the Mayor’s budget request, and Ms. Gonchar agreed.
The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Motion to approve the FY 2008-2009 Arts Commission budget submission to the Mayor’s Office.
President Johnston explained to the public that the Mayor has appointed a new Director of Cultural Affairs, Luis Cancel, who directed New York City’s cultural affairs department under Mayor David Dinkins.
Ms. Gonchar then presented the Street Artists Program budget, which had already been reviewed at the Street Artists Committee meeting. She explained that the Program had had a surplus over the past several years, which had augmented the budget during that time. Staff and the Committee understood that eventually that surplus would all be spent and fees would have to be increased. With the 2008-2009 budget, the surplus is gone. Ms. Gonchar said that this draft is a “bare-bones” budget with the lowest possible fee increase for street artists.
Street Artists Program Chair Howard Lazar added that, after hearing testimony from the street artists, the Committee decided not to go with the highest budget originally proposed. Even with this “bare-bones” budget, the fee will have to be increased, since the surplus has been depleted and the screening committee needs a raise in its fees.
He noted that the current fee amounts to $1.15 per day, and the increased fee will amount to $1.37 per day. He gave the example that Seattle’s Pike’s Place charges more to artists, and explained that no other city in the United States has a program like this that allows artists to sell in major shopping districts.
The motion passed unanimously.
Motion: Discussion and motion to approve the FY 2008-2009 Street Artists budget.
- Bayview Opera House Grant
President Johnston asked Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff to introduce the motion. She explained that the City owns the four Cultural Center buildings, including the African American Art and Culture Complex, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and SomArts, as well as Bayview Opera House (“BVOH”). She explained that every year the Centers come to the Commission with a management plan for the next year’s program. Staff and the Committee have been working closely with BVOH because of several concerns. They were asked to take time to carefully review their budget and plans, and to address several issues in their report. They were initially funded for 120 days, with an extension, to allow the BVOH board to make its transition from the previous leadership. The current request before the Committee is for funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2007-2008.
Vernon Grigg, Board President and Interim Director of the Opera House, presented the BVOH Progress Report to the Committee. He began by saying he was exhausted, humbled and proud of the Center’s progress over the last six months. He acknowledged Lamont Bishop of Assemblymember Mark Leno’s office, and others present, including Kelly Dearman, a new director, and General Manager Lark Leet. He thanked them for allowing him to focus on the structural work and building relationships.
Mr. Grigg said that the plan he was submitting addressed the areas requested. He explained that the board reexamined the Center’s core mission and recast its mission statement. He thanked all of the board members and the community. Referring to a shooting in the neighborhood earlier in the week, he said it confirmed that this community is in greater need than ever. He said they were looking for trustworthy partners, to be part of healing and moving forward. He read the mission statement to the Committee, saying that arts and community should radiate out along Third Street. He said that the Opera House must be mindful of its role in the community and create a safe environment.
He continued that providing a safe, clean environment is an important part of what the Opera House has done. This was day 199, he said, and the Opera House has not been closed for one day. Thanking the YMCA and the Mayor’s Office, he reiterated that the Opera House is cleaner, safer, brighter and more functional than ever.
Turning to the programming, he explained that the change in the core mission led to new partners, new programs and new energy, with participation by families, seniors, and young people from middle school students to young adults. He was thrilled to announce the new partnership with Zaccho Dance Theater, one of the most innovative programs in the country. They are planning a performance in May, and aiming to have appliances installed by the fall. The program will include daytime classroom work with students under the direction of Zaccho.
Mr. Grigg listed a number of programs, including a joint program with the Bayview YMCA for a “Dinner and a Movie Night” at the Opera House, a program targeted to people in shelters or in transition, and a youth summer camp program with YMCA Urban Services. He added that community partners bring important things to the table.
Mr. Grigg reported that the Opera House now has a net operating surplus, having streamlined operations and become more efficient. He said that improvements like cleaning up the facility, enhancing lighting, and installing wireless internet access have made it more attractive for rentals. He thanked the Commission for holding the board accountable, forcing them to get clearer and stronger. He projected shifting $37,000 from operations to programming, increasing the programming expenditures to $310,000. They have reduced staff by one.
Mr. Grigg continued that the board has been working with Denise Bradley, former Directior of the Museum of the African Diaspora, on board development. He said that the board is now more actively listening to the community and has partners; he noted that every committee will be married to a citizen’s advisory group.
Mr. Grigg closed his remarks by saying that it has been a long time coming, and that he was proud to stand before the Committee on behalf of the Opera House.
President Johnston thanked him for his report. Vice President Draisin praised Mr. Grigg’s outlined programming, and asked him to elaborate on what the community said they needed.
Mr. Grigg replied that people are concerned about safety, and ask themselves if they are comfortable leaving their children at the facility for a program. He said that people really want to be able to use the front door of the building, and that this will require a cooperative effort with the Municipal Transportation Agency and the Commission’s Facilities Manager, Tom Petersen, to reorient the façade. He explained that the parking lot creates a barrier which allows illegal or inappropriate activity. He also said that the Opera House is pursuing an agreement with the Joe Lee Gym to pool their resources and improve security for both facilities. He added that more activity, and more people using the building, improve safety.
Mr. Grigg explained that activities are happening at many times throughout the weekly calendar, allowing access to a variety of people of all ages. He cited “Santa’s Workshop,” a senior food giveaway, and vocational opportunities made possible by the renovation of the building’s classroom space.
Alma Robinson, director of the California Lawyers for the Arts, spoke as a Bayview resident. She is excited about the leadership Mr. Grigg has brought and wants to make sure he continues to make his contributions. She hoped the Committee was excited as well. She was pleased that he is also participating in planning meetings about the development of an arts district connecting the shipyard studios with the new activity on Third Street.
Leela Molex, of the Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Center, said Mr. Grigg had done a good job, and praised the holiday party and Martin Luther King events.
Amy Cohen, of the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, said that she spends the majority of her time on an interagency workgroup focused on the Bayview and the Third Street corridor. She said that the Opera House is a cornerstone in the City’s revitalization strategy, and she is working with the Arts Commission on big plans for the renovation of the building and its plaza, as well as trying to bring in businesses. She was pleased to see the programming at the Opera House generating foot traffic, and creating positive energy to emanate into the surrounding neighborhood.
Dwayne Jones, of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development, Communities of Opportunity (“COO”), said that his office is working to stabilize struggling communities and eradicate poverty in San Francisco, developing robust economic corridors and good housing. He said that the Opera House is a linchpin in stabilizing the Bayview. He praised the new Opera House team’s incredible work in setting a positive tone and creating accountability. He also said that the Commission is doing a wonderful job, and that not all Commissions are eager to do this kind of work. He noted that it’s good to hear that the City has fixed some things. He praised Mr. Grigg and his work as “phenomenal,” commending him and the board for an amazing amount of work in a very short time. He urged the Committee to give them the funds they need.
President Johnston thanked Mr. Jones, the Mayor’s Office of Community Development, and Fred Blackwell, Director of the Redevelopment Agency.
Patrick Goggin said that he had the privilege of being on the Opera House’s board for nine years, longer than anyone else. He thanked the Commission for “holding the board’s feet to the fire,” and for giving them a chance. He said that it would have been easy for the Committee to say that this board had run its course, but that the Committee expressed its faith in the organization in action, not only in words. Mr. Goggin said that he had been close to walking away, but he too has a commitment to the organization. He thanked himself for stepping forward nine years ago, then he thanked his fellow board members, Mr. Grigg, the new staff and the community for stepping forward and staying with the Opera House. Finally, he urged the Committee to give the Opera House both the funds and the opportunity they were requesting.
LaMonté Bishop, of Assemblymember Mark Leno’s office, conveyed the Asssemblymember’s support of continued funding for the Opera House, and praised their efforts in transforming the Center. President Johnston thanked Assemblymember Leno for his continued support of the arts.
Heidi Hardin, of Think Round, Inc., said that she has been with the Opera House for many years and is grateful to the Committee for “holding their feet to the fire.” She said that she was recently told that she would receive her back pay, and that she and other existing program providers would be able to meet with the board and work out plans for the future, and how to make their programs more useful to the community. She said that things around the Opera House were so difficult that she had had to set up her own nonprofit. She was very pleased that Mr. Grigg had asked her to come back under the aegis of the Opera House. She explained that they have a grant pending to allow Think Round to go into schools, which will allow them to serve many more children. She remarked that the Opera House classroom is so small that it prevents them from serving many children. Ms. Hardin said that she had attended all of the recent meetings and looked forward to continuing to work with Mr. Grigg and the Opera House.
Ed Donaldson, a former BVOH board member, said that he was proud that the Opera House has arrived at this point. He stood in their support, and asked the Committee to fund the organization. He said that he was proud of the work done by Mr. Grigg, getting focused on the community’s needs, and becoming a beacon of hope and light that the community needs.
Walter Johnson, a former BVOH board member and currenty affiliated with Infinity Productions, spoke in support of the positive change at the Opera House. He noted that Ms. Nemzoff had invited him to the Garden Party co-sponsored by the Arts Commission and SWA Group. He commended Mr. Grigg, calling him a special man who stepped forward at a special time. He reported that Infinity Productions has a young woman working in drama therapy who put together a play to help in the community healing process after the killing of another young woman in the Bayview. Mr. Johnson cited the unity parade, the farmer’s market and the holiday party as successful events at the Opera House. He also praised the work on the facility.
Marcia Dale-LeWinter, of the Mayor’s Hunters Point Shipyard Citizens Advisory Committee (“CAC”), and of San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association (“SPUR”), said that the arts play a crucial role. She is working as an advisor to artists in the shipyard, and has long dreamed of building an arts center in the southeast district, and teaching the arts. She said that this is a time of great ferment, and the Opera House is turning itself around. She said that the CAC has very long meetings, under the requirements of the Brown Act, even though they don’t have funds to spend and can only advise. She said that she had not seen the document presented by Mr. Grigg and that creating public trust with the community at large is important. She urged the Opera House to continue their good work and to become more public in their process to permit all groups and projects to come together in a positive and public way.
Felipe Paris, Secretary of the BVOH board, said that he wanted to highlight one aspect of the Opera House: the Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre. He said that as part of the revitalization of the Third Street corridor, the community’s history and culture should be safeguarded and promoted. He described the Theatre’s namesake, Ms. Williams, as a prolific dramatist, some of whose works have not seen the light of day. He and others are doing archival research and working to bring these dramas to the community, to a repository at the Opera House. He affirmed that an important part of their mission is to keep the cultural history alive.
Walter Turner, director of Parents Who Care, said that he has been a resident of the Bayview since 1957, and spoke as a participant in Opera House programming. He explained that his wife and his daughter are involved in theater at the Opera House, and he really appreciates what this means to his family. He has seen the changes, and the people who work at the Opera House. He praised Mr. Grigg as a hands-on person doing an amazing job.
Scott Madison spoke as one of the original members of the Hunters Point Shipyard Advisory Committee. He commended Mr. Grigg for not running away from a very bad situation. He has for many years been pursuing the possibility of an arts center at the shipyard. He said that the Opera House’s facilities are limited, and that there are expectations and needs in the community that can’t be fulfilled by that building. He would like to see the Opera House hold activities in other spaces in the community; these would be important to bring awareness to the Opera House and to serve community needs. He also supported the earlier comments on keeping the process open, saying that it was important that the Opera House make a commitment to keep their financial dealings and records open and transparent. He said that the public must be able to find out easily what’s going on. He was interested in a “forensic audit.” He said it was important that the Opera House be very conscientious about conserving funds, and believes that the community is owed an explanation of where funds went under the previous leadership.
Virgie Newman, of Reachout for the Rainbow, a faith-based after-school program, was a 2006 Koshland Civic Unity Fellow, and is a City retiree. She said that she is excited about how several projects have taken place, including the wonderful transformation at the garden party. She reported that the after-school students had a party and made ornaments to hang on the Opera House’s holiday tree. She recalled one girl who was so excited that she dragged her mother to the tree to show off her ornament. She reported that for the past three years, they have presented an annual science festival commemorating the achievements of African-Americans in the sciences. She is looking forward to other events coming up. She wanted to commend Mr. Grigg and the board for their spirit of engagement. Referring to an earlier speaker’s use of the word “radiate,” she said she thought of light, life and vitality, predicting that the community is coming together to make it happen.
Jose Adriazola introduced himself, saying that he was better known as “Pepe.” He explained that he runs an art gallery and is a new father who has just bought a home in the Bayview. He said that his family exemplifies the new families moving into the area in a renaissance of the neighborhood. He came to the meeting to fully support the Opera House as a focal point for the community which has much to offer. He said that safety was his family’s main concern. He reported that for six months, they went around the neighborhood and saw progress; they attended the African Marketplace. They now feel that the Bayview is their home. He said that the Opera House has planted a seed in the community’s renaissance and encouraged them and the Committee to keep watering that seed.
Reverend Bob Wade, of Warriors for Christ Outreach Ministries, said that his program fed and clothed 300 to 500 people on Christmas day at the Opera House. Each year he looks forward to cooking for the disadvantaged and homeless. Although he started out on the wrong foot with Mr. Grigg, whom he praised as very professional and wanting things done in a professional manner, he wanted to compliment him and all those who work with him. He showed photos of the December 25 event and said that it was a great day, and that he really enjoyed seeing the tree there. He said that the Opera House is important for everyone, especially African-Americans. He noted that the photos showed people of all nationalities, many of whom need help. He urged the Committee to give the Opera House as much money as they need. He added that a man had given him twelve fifty-dollar bills to give to the homeless at the event, and that it was a wonderful event. He has considered donating a refrigerator to the Opera House, noting that although there was food at the event, there is no refrigerator. He thinks that Bayview, unlike other areas, hasn’t received the support it deserves.
Vivian Ellis, a Bayview resident for over 53 years, has been involved in the arts for forty years and is still performing. She said that she was instrumental in gathering signatures to name the Ruth Williams Theatre. She has been dancing and choreographing since the age of thirteen. She asked when residents, staff members and grassroots people can be included. She believes that residents are overlooked. She said that she does outreach on her own to bring youth into the program. She reported that the holiday party was the first time she has seen the Opera House lit up. She said that she misses Mrs. Middleton, who she said kept the program going on, and that “Aunt Bea” never closed her doors. She said she would like to see “the real people” involved.
Ranon Ross, Chair of the BVOH board, said that he is thankful and proud of what is now going on at the Opera House. He noted that it has been around for a long time, and has a lot of good and some bad in its history. He explained that the document presented at this meeting was written with a great deal of care and hard work. He said that the Commission has now set a higher standard and that the Opera House must reach that standard in order to continue to receive funding. He praised Ms. Nemzoff as tireless, and ready to tell the board and staff when something is not right, to go back and try again.
Mr. Ross compared the Opera House to the Titanic, saying that it had been halfway underwater. The board and staff have now raised it, but they can’t go further to repair the damage without funding from the Commission. He praised Mr. Grigg as the right man at the right time, saying that the community had been left out for years. He said that the board would like to continue their work, but couldn’t do so without funding from the Commission. He added that they were not asking for additional funds, only the funds originally authorized for the Opera House. He said that they were pleased to have passed Ms. Nemzoff’s “test” after several tries, but understood that they had a great distance to go to make the organization the shining beacon they hope to be.
Mr. Ross requested that the Committee fund the Opera House, if they have met the Committee’s benchmarks. He thanked Mr. Grigg, trained as a lawyer, for whatever it was that made him put his practice on hold to serve the community in this capacity. He said that the board has begun the search for a permanent director, and they look forward to completing this fiscal year and preparing for the next. Finally, Mr. Ross recounted how the YMCA’s drama and music program called the Opera House seeking African American young people for their production of Ragtime. He said that the young people were nervous, coming from a “raggedy” Opera House, but they were all cast in the show. He said that the important thing is not what the building looks like, but what you bring into it.
President Johnston thanked all the speakers, saying that he really appreciated their giving their time to speak to the Committee.
Commissioner Young said that she was so proud that the board, staff and community had come together and “righted the ship.” She urged them not to rest on their laurels, but to continue working, saying that the Committee loved them but doesn’t want to see them at every meeting! She was really pleased to see the level of community involvement.
Commissioner Przyblyski said that at the beginning of the meeting, the speakers had seen the Committee have to agree to make budget cuts. She continued that the Arts Commission always has to wring the most out of the money it spends. She agreed that the Committee doesn’t want to see the Opera House at every meeting, but advised that the Committee is watching, and doesn’t have money to waste. She said that it was thrilling to hear the day’s testimony.
President Johnston said that it was very moving to hear what has been happening over the last 120 or 190 days. He didn’t want to dwell on the problems of the past, although it is important to know how the situation developed. He said that the situation at the Opera House has been troubling for much of his four years on the Arts Commission, citing its physical structure, the programming or lack thereof, community participation, board involvement and financial questions. Last winter, he wasn’t sure the Commission would be able to pull the Opera House out of its troubles; it was a difficult time. Recalling some of the public testimony, he agreed that one of the easy things would have been to walk away from the Opera House; even easier would have been continuing to throw good money after bad, for programming that wasn’t happening. He said that a few people decided “enough is enough” and he thanked Ms. Nemzoff, in particular, for taking on this challenge. As Mr. Grigg went through difficult struggles with the board, President Johnston talked to him as a good friend and asked if he was prepared for what he was about to take on. President Johnston and Ms. Nemzoff were barely able to convince the Committee to fund the Opera House for even 120 days. Saying that meeting was Mr. Grigg’s last easy day, he added that everyone was watching closely. He praised Mr. Grigg’s professionalism as crucial to handling the situation.
President Johnston acknowledged that the City hadn’t been doing its part to take care of the building, but was now addressing that. He said that the SWA event was an incredible success, with over 150 architecture and landscape professionals participating. He asserted that a prestigious firm like SWA couldn’t have come in to do this work if the Commission didn’t have confidence in Mr. Grigg’s, the board’s and the staff’s professionalism. He affirmed the commitment to keep up with the capital needs of the building and bring it back to its full glory. He added that it was important to move to increase the arts programming; the best sign of good faith is the budget shifting $37,000 to arts programming, the actual business of the agency. The last several years, he said, had been something of a shell game, with money going into operations, but not programs.
Finally, he made the following motion, which passed unanimously.
Motion: Motion to increase the grant agreement with the Bayview Opera House, Inc., for a total grant not to exceed $310,399, contingent upon their revised budget submission.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:08 p.m.
spr 2/27/08
