Arts_Task_Force
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 MEETING OF THE ARTS TASK FORCE
Wednesday, September 6, 2005
5:30 p.m.
City Hall Room 201
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 5:45 p.m.
- Roll Call
Voting Members Present
Karen Ames (appointment pending; see Announcements by Chair below)
Jeffrey Ferns
Rick Galbreath
Tim Gaskin
Elaine Katzenberger
Krissy Keefer
Tony Kelly
Pamela Wu Kochiyama
Maria X. Martinez
Anjali Nath
Vinay Patel
Pamela Peniston
Richard (Rick) Putz
Alma Robinson
Laird Rodet
Debra Walker
Voting Members Excused
Ken Foster
David Gluck
Virginia (Ginny) Carollo Rubin
Marc Vogl
Voting Members Absent
Darryl Smith
Nonvoting Members Present
Nancy Gonchar (Arts Commission, on behalf of Richard Newirth)
Renee Hayes
Tim Hallman
Daniel Homsey
P.J. Johnston
John R. Killacky
Elizabeth Murray
Nonvoting Members Excused
Bob Davis
Geraldine O’Brien
Charles Roppel
Nonvoting Members Absent
Rich Hillis
Carolyn McMillan
Gloria Woo
- Approval of Minutes
The following change to the August 2, 2005, minutes was made without objection: Alma Robinson should be listed as excused.
Motion to approve the August 2, 2005, minutes was made by Tim Gaskin, seconded by Pam Peniston, and approved without objection.
NOTE: ALL VOTES ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE RECORDED.
- Announcements by the Chair
As a courtesy to Deputy City Controller Zmuda, the Chair took the Controller’s report out of order.
The September 21, 2005, meeting will focus on land use, arts infrastructure integration. The Chair reminded members that the October 8, 2005, meeting of the Task Force is on a Saturday and will be held at Stern Grove.
Karen Ames’ appointment (replacing Ron Gallman) was approved at the Rules Committee, but has not yet been before the full Board of Supervisors for approval. She participated in the colloquy at this meeting at the discretion of the Chair.
- Update on Task Force Report
Vice-Chair Tony Kelly was recognized and reported that two issues have arisen as the workgroup considers its task: Programmatic thinking of an artist versus political task of recommendations to Board and Mayor. In essence, it has been difficult as artists to focus on organizational and political recommendations when the basis of their prior experience has been primarily designing arts programs. However, the workgroup anticipates distribution of a draft of general “debate” points for review prior to the September 21, 2005, meeting.
Karen Ames pointed out the difficulty of defining a “community-based neighborhood arts organization.”
Public Comment:
Ann Bluethenthal said that the general perception is that equity between arts organizations is being discussed and stressed that the life of small, bleeding arts organization is in the Task Force’s hands. Ms. Bluethenthal emphasized that the Task Force must address equity.
Andrew Wood encouraged the Task Force to address both the macro- and micro-ecology of the arts and how to use the arts industry to leverage new money.
Karen Ames repeated her concern with the difficulty of defining the Task Force’s task and defining diversity and community-based organizations.
Thomas Simpson, attending his first meeting, thought that the Task Force should consider access or not having access to funds, i.e. quantify who has an endowment as a component of the work the Task Force is doing.
There was no further public comment on this item.
- Presentation by the Office of the Controller
Monique Zmuda distributed her report. She explained that $56,456,000 was allocated to the arts, as “art” was defined by Ms. Zmuda, who included Museums (Fine Arts and Asian), Grants for the Arts (“GFTA”), Airport Arts, Arts Commission, Film Commission, and the War Memorial in her accounting.
Ms. Zmuda offered that she saw a financial risk in separating the money out of the General Fund and would prefer that all allocations come out of General Fund and leave the details to the Board of Supervisors.
In response to members’ inquiries, Ms. Zmuda will look again at the Redevelopment Agency, Department of Children, Youth and Families (“DCYF”), Park and Recreation (art summer camp, arts after school, photography studio) and the Port Authority to glean more information regarding City spending on the arts and arts programs.
Elizabeth Murray pointed out that the overview $56 million is comprised of about $10 million in earned income, the Hotel Tax providing $34 million, with the balance in General Fund support.
There was no public comment on this item.
- Presentation on San Francisco Unified School District and City Education Programming and Policies
Jill Wynns, Mark Sanchez, Board of Education; Rachelle Axel, Arts Commission; Nancy Waymack, Proposition H: Discussion of School District and City policies and ideas for consideration as the Task Force makes its recommendations.
Susan Stauter, Artistic Director for Secondary Schools with the San Francisco Unified School District, and Rachelle Axel, Arts Education Officer at the San Francisco Arts Commission and Project Director, Arts Education Funders Collaborative, were recognized.
Ms. Stauter said that the Arts in Schools is about solving problems and we “need to get busy.” San Francisco schoolchildren need access to arts education to increase test scores, create safer environments and create a culture of successful achievement. Ms. Stauter pointed out that the arts engender creativity in all aspects of problem-solving and that even the 9-11 Commission report attributed the tragedy in part to “a failure of creativity” which, in her opinion, is being brought about by an unrealistic emphasis on test performance.
Ms. Axel introduced the Community Arts and Education (“CAE”) Program of the San Francisco Arts Commission, which develops arts education opportunities for San Francisco children and youth, including professional development for educators and partnerships with the San Francisco Unified School District, the PTA, funders, and artists working in classrooms. CAE also supports special projects, events, and resource publications.
Ms. Stauter reminded the Task Force that the Arts Education Master Plan will go before the Board of Education next week and stressed that the need for the School of the Arts must be elevated above politics. Proposition H is giving seed funds to implement an arts vision and for arts to become a integral part of school curriculum.
Pamela Wu Kuchiyama asked how artists get employed in the CAE program. Ms. Axel referred to the Arts Education Funders Collaborative publication “Inside/Out” as a resource, but suggested that best way is for an artist to build relationships with individual schools.
There was no public comment on this item.
- Outreach Update
A brief discussion regarding the progress of District representatives’ efforts in arranging town halls was supplemented by Karen Ames’ offer to assist organizational members in designing an outreach plan.
There was no public comment on this item.
- New Business
Alma Robinson, struck by the canvas of William Wiley (“Void”) at the San Francisco Airport and the caption under the painting, shared the words of the artist: “One might see . . . all have a lot in common after the dust settles . . . the glittering remains.”
There was no public comment on this item.
- Public Comment
There was no additional public comment.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:32 p.m.
10/17/05 DW/RG/spr
