Executive_Committee
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
3:30 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
Commission President P.J. Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:37 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston
Maya Draisin
Jeannene Przyblyski
Sherri Young
Staff Present
Director of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel
Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar
Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff
Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong
Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie
President Johnston took the following item out of order.
- Arts Center Feasibility Study Report
President Johnston began by introducing Kyri McClellan of the Mayor’s Office. She, in turn, thanked President Johnston and the Commission for working with the Mayor’s Office on this project, and she introduced principals Steven Spickard and Linda Cheu of Economics Research Associates (“ERA”); Executive and Artistic Director Randall Kline and Director of Operations and Finance David Miller of SFJAZZ; and Mark Cavagnero of Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects.
Ms. McClellan gave a brief history of the property under discussion, at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Grove Street. Three of the parcels are owned by the City—one of these is the Arts Commission’s old Gallery space at 155 Grove—and two are privately owned. In 2005 and 2006, there was a community-based idea to develop a multi-tenant, multi-use center; the private landowner rejected it as unfeasible and unsustainable. As a result of the strong interest within the Mayor’s Office to develop this parcel as soon as possible, there was a Request for Proposals in 2007 to do a feasibility study for the development of an arts center. ERA was chosen to do this study, and was at this meeting to present their preliminary results.
Early in their work, ERA learned that SFJAZZ was well along in their plan to build a jazz center in the Civic Center/Hayes Valley area. ERA representatives met with Mr. Kline, and they believe that there is a very good possibility of the City’s partnering with them on the Grove and Van Ness site.
Mr. Spickard described ERA, a fifty-year-old consulting firm that has worked with many public-private partnerships, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Moscone Center West, Brooks Hall and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. He and Ms. Cheu discussed the firm’s work on this project. She explained that their initial charge was to evaluate the site, taking into account the needs of the Arts Commission. They spoke with many stakeholders, including the private landowner and City staff. They reviewed several possibilities which did not seem viable, and then learned of the SFJAZZ plans.
Mr. Spickard and Ms. Cheu explained that the building SFJAZZ has planned fits easily into the site, with room for an addition to accommodate the Arts Commission’s needs. They sketched out the elements of the SFJAZZ building, which includes a 700- to 800-seat theater, a 140-seat performance space (the “lab”), a café (open from breakfast through close of show) and retail space on the ground floor, and office space. SFJAZZ expects to use the theater and the lab for their own events about 40 weekends a year, and to rent it out the rest of the time. They are firmly committed to opening in 2012.
Mr. Spickard and Ms. Cheu also briefly mentioned constraints regarding the façade treatments and height limitations in the Civic Center area, within the Beaux Arts historic district, the need to define the legal and financial arrangements between the parties, and consideration of parking and signage. Ultimately, they believe this is a wonderful site for this kind of use.
Ms. Cheu explained that SFJAZZ has a thirty-year track record, and she reviewed the findings of ERA’s fundraising consultant, Marilyn Bancel of the Oram Group, which analyzed SFJAZZ’s planned capital campaign. Ms. Bancel found that SFJAZZ’s fundraising goal of $60 million is feasible, and that they have already raised $24 million. She noted that their board is very active, and there are significant assets within the board. Ms. Bancel’s report indicates that SFJAZZ has undertaken a very thorough business planning process, based on very reasonable assumptions, estimates and projections.
Ms. Cheu explained that sustainability was a key concern for the City, and that rental income helped to address it. She said that jazz would be a great complement to the opera and ballet nearby, and that SFJAZZ has strong youth and education programs.
Turning to the challenges, Ms. Cheu explained that SFJAZZ already has an option on a nearby Hayes Valley site, and that if the Van Ness and Grove site, or the City process, becomes too time-consuming or complicated, they could walk away. She reiterated that they are on a strict timeline, and are committed to opening in 2012. She said that it will be important to establish an efficient process, with clear decision points and lines of communication and responsibility, and for the Arts Commission to be clear and specific about its requirements for space.
Mr. Cancel pointed out some advantages to the Arts Commission: the excellent Gallery programming would benefit from the space proposed, and the Civic Art Collection storage would be a vast improvement over the current storage space.
Ms. McClellan has sent the ERA report to the private landowner and hoped to meet with him soon.
Mr. Kline gave a brief history of SFJAZZ and how it came to this point. He explained that they had started small at the Herbst Theatre, and have presented in some two dozen venues throughout San Francisco and in Oakland. They had begun looking for a home fifteen years ago, but weren’t ready then. More recently, they have undergone a rigorous strategic planning process, looking at their priorities, and determined that a facility is at the top of the list. He gave some statistics about their events and programs, including over 100 paid events, with fall and spring seasons, school training and adult education programs. He noted that any other institution of their size has a home, and it would build their identity, showcasing the work better. He said that they are the second largest presenter of jazz in the country, after Jazz at Lincoln Center, and they want to create a center where people can gather around this art form.
Noting that jazz is a relatively newer form, about 100 years old, Mr. Kline believes that this center offers the opportunity to reach different audiences, of different cultures and ages, than the neighboring institutions. He discussed SFJAZZ’s thorough process in choosing this location, and concluded that it would be wonderful to make this partnership work.
Ms. McClellan emphasized the need to assess quickly whether this project could meet the needs of the Arts Commission and SFJAZZ, with the appropriate public benefits, adding that the Mayor’s Office hoped to be a catalyst.
Commissioners expressed admiration and respect for the work of SFJAZZ, and great interest in the proposal. They also raised several concerns to be addressed, including the affordability of the rental spaces and their possible impact on the occupancy of similar-sized spaces elsewhere in the city; and the possible effect of the Civic Center location on participation in SFJAZZ’s student and youth programs.
Mr. Kline noted that the rental rates will be tiered. As to the effect on like-sized theaters in the city, Mr. Spickard noted that the Herbst is currently at capacity, and will probably be closing for renovations at about the time the SFJAZZ venue opens. He argued that it is quite possible that this addition to the city’s pool of rental space may free up more affordable space elsewhere for smaller and less affluent renters.
Commissioners also asked how SFJAZZ proposed to reach the younger and more diverse demographic Mr. Kline had mentioned. He explained that their programming already draws that audience, and that they expect an attractive and dedicated new facility to build on that diversity. Their connection with the community is very important to them, and is part of why they designed the ground floor to be active all day.
Commissioner Przyblyski was excited about bringing jazz to “the city’s living room” and described the Gallery as the Commission’s “front door,” a significant point of entry for the younger audience. She emphasized the importance of the presence and visibility of the Commission, and specifically the Gallery, in the project. Mr. Cancel added that he and staff had made clear the necessity of ground-floor Gallery space; he thought there was a great potential for crossover audiences between the two organizations. Mr. Cancel also noted that SFJAZZ’s capacity to fundraise and their visibility as an organization would be substantially impacted in a positive manner by forming part of the heart of the Civic Center.
President Johnston concluded the discussion by reaffirming that the Arts Commission’s identity must be clearly expressed, noting that any project built across the street from City Hall must have a significant public benefit. He acknowledged that SFJAZZ’s board is concerned about moving quickly, as they already have “a bird in hand,” but President Johnston noted that this is a bigger “bird.” He requested that staff continue to work on the project, and requested an update at the Committee’s June meeting.
- Director’s Report
Mr. Cancel began by noting that the City is still undergoing budget-cutting. He was cautiously optimistic that no further cuts will be exacted from the Arts Commission, and that the Public Art and Cultural Voucher staff positions will remain in the budget.
Mr. Cancel said that he was continuing research on the proposed Contemporary Art Museum at the Presidio. He has planned meetings with Fisher and the Presidio over the next few weeks. He said that the collection was incredibly valuable, and that it makes sense to retain it in San Francisco.
He continued his report by taking up Item 7 on the agenda, the report on the Mexican Museum.
- Mexican Museum
Mr. Cancel reported that he has had extensive discussions with the Redevelopment Agency about a potential oversight and fiduciary role for the Arts Commission with respect to the Mexican Museum. He explained that the City’s moral obligation to create a Latino museum at Yerba Buena was in jeopardy, and he reached out to the Mexican Museum to try to make the organization viable and a full partner in the development project.
He explained that the Redevelopment funds would come to the Arts Commission, which would act as a watchdog and fiduciary to ensure that Board expansion and other reforms were undertaken, and then the Arts Commission would disburse the funds to the Mexican Museum as stipulated in a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the Redevelopment Agency, the Mexican Museum Board and the Arts Commission. Mr. Cancel explained that he had played a similar role earlier in his career, working with the troubled Queens Botanical Gardens in New York, until it was able to become a successful and independent organization. He acknowledged that this role with the Mexican Museum would add to the agency’s workload, but felt the effort would have important public benefits for the City. The Memorandum of Understanding was not final, so there was no action to be taken at this meeting.
President Johnston said that although he trusted that Mr. Cancel and Arts Commission staff could provide the needed leadership, he was concerned about the capacity of the agency to take on another responsibility. He also questioned whether the Redevelopment Commission was willing to continue in any relationship with the Mexican Museum.
Mr. Cancel mentioned the recent experience with the Museum of the African Diaspora (“MOAD”). He said that with the help of Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar, he was drafting a memo for the Redevelopment Agency, and was planning to meet with them on June 3 about the larger question of museum sustainability.
President Johnston said that he believes Redevelopment has a responsibility to make this an arts zone, and is pleased that they’ve invited Mr. Cancel to the table.
- Deputy Director’s Report
Ms. Gonchar said that $120,000 in grant funding has been cut from the budget, and that she was still working with the Budget Analyst’s office.
Ms. Gonchar noted that the Commission will be asked at its June meeting to approve an increase in the grant agreement with the San Francisco Community Initiatives Fund to support an arts education intern.
- Summer in the City Symphony Concert Series
Ms. Gonchar explained that this motion authorized the annual Summer in the City concert series, co-produced by the Symphony and the Arts Commission. The motion was passed unanimously.
Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the San Francisco Symphony to produce the 2008 Summer in the City concert series in an amount not to exceed $1,633,039.
- Arts Research Grant
Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”) Program Director San San Wong reported that the following motion addressed the assessment of CEG, as budgeted for the current fiscal year. She referred to the Center for Cultural Innovation’s (“CCI”) publication, The Business of Art, which she distributed to the Committee, as evidence of the organization’s expertise. She explained that the budget was still being finalized, but would not exceed $100,000. CCI was being asked to consider the changing arts ecology, changing demographics in the neighborhoods, and new organizational structures, as there may be a move away from the 501(c)(3) corporation. She noted that CEG’s constituency is largely individual artists, and smaller arts organizations.
Mr. Cancel said that CCI will be asked to look at the panel process, and at other models for grantmaking nationwide, for their report to the Commission. This overview, along with a consideration of any legislative restrictions, will help to inform the Commission’s discussions about possible changes to its grantmaking process.
Ms. Wong added that the review will encompass an assessment of the level of cultural equity in funding, and whether assumptions about growth and sustainability from fifteen or twenty years ago are still appropriate. Another area to be considered is the partnering between artists or arts organizations and non-arts organizations; Ms. Gonchar noted that, for example, the Department of Children, Youth and Families gave over $1,000,000 in arts funding last year, to both arts and non-arts organizations. Ms. Wong added that CCI will be asked to discuss current tools and best practices for measuring the effectiveness of CEG’s funding.
In response to a question about how the results of the evaluation will be delivered, Ms. Gonchar explained that the exact timing and format of the reporting is still under discussion, and will be outlined in the contract.
Commissioner Przyblyski was happy to see the agency pursuing this kind of self-assessment. She said that she was seeking funding from CCI on a matter unrelated to the Arts Commission, and that she would recuse herself from voting on this motion.
The motion was passed unanimously, Commissioner Przyblyski abstaining.
Motion: Motion to award a grant of up to $100,000 to Center for Cultural Innovation to conduct environmental scans and assessments of the arts field; develop tools and methodologies to measure impact of the arts; and assess the level of cultural equity in funding.
- Public Comment
There was no public comment.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:03 p.m.
spr 5/30/08
