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City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

Meeting Information



Full_Commission

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SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, March 8, 2004
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70

Minutes
President Gatti called the meeting to order at 3:07 p.m.

  1. Roll Call
    Commissioners Present
    Anne Brauer
    Blanche Brown
    Rod Freebairn-Smith
    Stanlee Gatti
    Ralph Guggenheim
    P.J. Johnston
    William Meyer
    Dugald Stermer
    Dave Stroud
    Ethel Pitts Walker


    Commissioners Absent
    Andrea Cochran
    Janice Mirikitani
    Denise Roth
    Barbara Stauffacher Solomon
    Dede Wilsey
    Shelley Bradford Bell

  2. Approval of Minutes
    The following Resolutions were moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
    RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-030: RENUMBERING OF RESOLUTIONS FROM MINUTES OF JANUARY 5, 2004 ADOPTED
    RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Motion to Renumber Resolutions from Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of January 5, 2004.

    RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-031: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
    RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of February 2, 2004.

    NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

  3. President’s Report
    Commission President Stanlee Gatti pointed out that there were a number of people in the audience to respond to Item No. 10 on the Consent Calendar. He asked that people fill out public comment cards if they wished to address the motion.

    He displayed the new San Francisco Arts Commission T-shirt, which will be used to raise funds and will be on sale in the Gallery. He advised Commissioners to let staff know their sizes so shirts may be sent to them.

    Commissioner Gatti reminded all Commissioners that they should have received the conflict of interest letter and that anyone running for office should submit their resignation from the Commission. He advised those concerned about their status under the new administration to not submit any letters of resignation until asked to do so.

  4. Director’s Report
    Director of Cultural Affairs Richard Newirth directed the Commissioners’ attention to their packets which contained Form 700, due to be returned to the Ethics Commission office by April 1, 2004. Commissioners are asked to return the form to Commission staff who will file it with the Ethics Commission, or at least to inform Commission staff, if they file the form directly with the Ethics Commission, when they do so. If the forms are not returned by April 1, Commissioners are subject to a fine of $10 per day.

    Mr. Newirth reported on a successful meeting he held with Judy Nemzoff and Rachelle Axel of the Arts Commission staff, and Supervisor Tom Ammiano, to discuss the development of a master plan for arts in education in the City. With passage of Proposition H, which sets aside funds specifically for that purpose, the potential of the plan was heightened.

    The Hearts in San Francisco campaign has been kicked off. More information can be found on the web site: www.heartsinsf.org.

    Mr. Newirth reported that he would be meeting new members of the Gallery board on Tuesday, March 9. Of the twenty-four prospective members, twelve were interviewed and six were invited to serve on the Gallery board.

    Mr. Newirth reported on several Arts Commission projects currently underway, including Diller + Scofidio’s Facsimile at 4th and Howard, and the Pepe Ozan bicycle overpass sculpture recently completed. The next WritersCorps reading will be at Intersection on March 23, and features the San Francisco Poet Laureate, devorah major. This year's final WritersCorps reading will be at Mission Cultural Center on April 2. The Ocean View Branch of the San Francisco Public Library will have an opening reception for their new public art project, Words Fly Away by John Wehrle, on March 27.

    On April 1, the second project of Art on Market Street will be unveiled. Wowhaus did interviews with people on the street and created an audio story that conveys a sense of moving down Market Street. The audio journey will be distributed on CD and broadcast on low-frequency radio for the local area. Copies of the CD will be distributed free of charge at United Nations Plaza from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, at Hallidie Plaza from 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM, and at Justin Herman Plaza from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. After April 1, the Commission will have the material available on our website, along with links to the Wowhaus website.

  5. Consent Calendar
    RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-032
    Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the amended Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:

    Approval of Committee Minutes
    1. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-033: Motion to approve the Civic Design Committee Meeting Minutes of February 23, 2004.

      Discussion: Sharon M. Eberhardt, Al Harris, Claire Zvanski, Rebecca Silverberg and Mary C. Harris each testified in support of the design as approved. They expressed their appreciation of the water tank’s original design and the new tank’s conformity with that design. They were concerned that the water tank’s functional nature not be overshadowed by contemporary design concepts, especially since the project is behind schedule.

      Commissioner Gatti pointed out that the five people who spoke were not indicating disagreement but asking for approval of what was on the Consent Calendar.

      Commissioner Freebairn-Smith commented that at the Civic Design meeting, San Francisco Beautiful and other organizations presented a number of concerns from the community. He received letters asking that the tower reflect more than simply the fire protection, and that there should be a more overt artistic component that served the city as whole. He inquired whether there was anyone present from the groups that were not happy with the design. No one was present to voice disagreement with the design.

      Commissioner Meyer commented that a full discussion addressing the design and widespread neighborhood support for the design had been expressed.

      The resolution was adopted unanimously.

      Commissioner Gatti voiced some concern that aspects beyond functionality should not be dismissed. He suggested that we are not progressing architecturally when we stick completely to function and back away from developing the artistic element because we want to rebuild in exactly the same way. There is much that has changed in the decades since the original construction and often we do not want to simply replicate the original construction. This is a philosophical discussion that it’s helpful to have articulated for future consideration.

      Commissioner Meyer asserted that discussion did occur and indicated that the design isn’t simply the same, but there are some architectural changes.

      Commissioner Freebairn-Smith indicated that the design was criticized for not adding community program aspects and that was considered a legitimate concern. The voice of the community has been important.

    2. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-034: Motion to approve the Community Arts and Education Committee Meeting Minutes of February 10, 2004.

    3. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-035: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of February 11, 2004.

    4. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-036: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of February 18, 2004.


      Executive Committee Recommendations (January 27, 2004)
    5. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-037: Motion to approve ten grants totaling $148,375 for the 2004 cycle of Creative Space Grants.

    6. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-038: Motion to approve the following individuals as panelists for the Cultural Equity Grants panel pool:

      Ben Yalom, Artistic Director, FoolsFury
      Jennifer Walsh, Executive Director, ABADA Capoeira San Francisco
      Pat Krakov, Program Director, NonProfit Finance Fund
      Kim Mizuhara, Development Associate, Kearny Street Workshop
      Eugene Sakai, Architect

    7. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-039: Motion to approve the FY2004-2005 budget for the Street Artists program and Cultural Equity Grants program.


      Civic Design Committee Recommendations (February 23, 2004)
    8. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-040: Motion to approve Phase 3 MUNI Operator Restrooms Phase III.

    9. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-041: Motion to approve Phase 1 & 2 Northpoint Facility Wet Weather Improvements.

    10. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-042: Motion to approve Phase 2 La Grande Tank Replacement Project.


      Community Arts and Education Committee Recommendations (February 10, 2004)
    11. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-043: Motion to approve a $3,000 grant from PAF to the SFUSD’s Youth Arts Festival for the 18th annual event May 8-16, 2004.

    12. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-044: Motion to add the following people to the Programs in Community panel pool:

      Ernest Mark, Kearny Street Workshop
      Javier Reyes, Colored Ink
      Tracy Ward, Kaiser
      Lynne Perry, San Francisco Adult Day Services
      Sergio De La Torre, Artist
      Stella Chu, Department of Aging and Adult Services
      Bonnie Leifcowitz, Axis Dance
      Duca Knezevic, Theatre Rhinoceros
      John Simpson, Theatre Rhinoceros
      Tom di Maria, Creative Growth Art Center
      Dale Albright, TBA
      Jackie Rushing, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
      Wayne Kitchen, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
      Gayle Roberts, LYRIC


      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (February 18, 2004)
    13. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-045: Motion to accept into the Civic Art Collection a work by Hilda Shum, David Gordon and Wang Po Shu titled Tree, 2003, hand-carved redwood tree approximately 110 feet high commissioned for Moscone Convention Center West at Howard and 4th Streets.

    14. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-046: Motion to accept into the Civic Art Collection the following works from Commission 03 Gallery Fund-raiser:
      Ellen Babcock, Splinterscapes, 2003, wood, 1.75" x 3.5" x 4.25"
      Sandow Birk, Back to (Old) School, 2002, Iris print 8/10, 10.5" x 15.75"
      Ed Kashi, Beirut, 2003, Digital print 8/10, 11" x 14"
      Abner Nolan, Untitled from the series American Negatives, 2003, gelatin silver print, 10.75" x 13.75"
      Will Rogan, Heal the sick and raise the dead, 2003, silkscreen on reflex fabric 8/10, 3" x 28"
      Josephine Taylor, Lay Very still, 2003, Iris print, color pencil, gouache, 10.75" x 16.75"
      JP Villegas, Extreme Make-over, 2003, Digital print 8/10, 11" x 17"

    15. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-047: Motion to approve the mosaic tile design by Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher for the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project sponsored by the Golden Gate Heights/Sunset community members.

    16. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-048: Motion to award a $6,000 grant to the Friends of the Joseph Randall Museum for the installation of 8 Beniamino Bufano sculptures at the Joseph Randall Museum.

    17. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-049: Motion to pay David Wessel an honorarium in the amount of $300.

    18. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-050: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement with Vicki Saulls in the amount of $49,500 for the design, fabrication and transportation of sculpture for the Koret Children's Playground.

    19. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-051: Motion to authorize the artist Vicki Saulls to enter into Phase II/Fabrication of Sculpture Molds and increase the contract in the amount of $28,007 for this additional scope of work for the Koret Children’s Playground.

    20. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-052: Motion to approve two heart templates for “Hearts in San Francisco” fund-raising project for San Francisco General Hospital.

    21. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-053: Motion to approve 12 Lewis deSoto tapestry designs for Laguna Honda Hospital.

    22. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-054: Motion to approve 40 final designs for 40 fiberglass windscreen panels prepared by artist Sheila Ghidini and designer Ari Salomon to be permanently installed on 20 Third Street Light Rail transit platforms and incorporating artwork created by children participating in the Youth Arts Program for the Third Street Light Rail Program.

    23. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-055: Motion to approve the selection of the artist team of Jeff Northam and Rufus Butler Seder by the Glen Park Branch Community Artist Selection Panel, and to approve their conceptual proposal for the new Glen Park Branch Library.

    24. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-056: Motion to approve the revised design by Johanna Poethig and Julio Morales for the entry units of the new Juvenile Hall Probation facility.

    25. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-057: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with the artist-team of Johanna Poethig and Julio Morales for fabrication, transportation and installation of artwork for the new Juvenile Hall Probation Facility, for an amount not to exceed $142,000.

    26. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-058: Motion to approve the revised conceptual proposal by Laurel True for the Ocean Avenue Streetscape Project.

    27. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-059: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with artist Laurel True for design, fabrication and installation of artwork for the Ocean Avenue Streetscape Project, for an amount not to exceed $45,000.

    28. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-060: Motion to approve the selection of Joyce Hsu for Holly Park.

    29. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-061: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Joyce Hsu for design, fabrication and installation of artwork for Holly Park in an amount not to exceed $13,500.

    30. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-062: Motion to approve artist Vicki Saulls’s revised design for the interior lobby of the Eureka Valley Recreation Center and to authorize the artist to proceed with fabrication of this component of the art.

  6. Committee Reports
    1. Executive Committee--Stanlee Gatti, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Executive Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-063: Motion to approve the following individuals as panelists for the Cultural Equity Grants panel pool:

        Rachel Osajima, Curator, Museum of Craft and Folk Art
        Tracy Ward, Playwright, Director
        Yannis Adoniou, Dancer, Choreographer
        Lalo Cervantes, Facilities Manager BRAVA Theatre Center
        Eric Miller, member, a Travelling Jewish Theatre
        Lourdes Almaguer, Visual Artist and Web Designer
        Mary Schmidt, Fundraising Consultant

    2. Civic Design Committee--Stanlee Gatti, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Civic Design Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

    3. Community Arts and Education--Blanche Brown
      1. Report from Commissioner Brown on the Community Arts and Education Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program including the publication of the new collection of poetry from WritersCorps.

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-064: Motion to approve payment from Grants for the Arts funds for honoraria and transportation reimbursement for Programs in the Community panelists not to exceed $150/panelist: Ernest Mark, John Killacky (San Francisco Foundation), Rachel Osajima (Museum of Craft and Folk Art), Tom di Maria (Creative Growth), Gayle Roberts (LYRIC).

      3. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-065: Motion to award youth honorarium from WritersCorps earned income to WritersCorps youth interns from March to June, 2004: Shahid Minapara, not to exceed $1,200.00; Ivan Aburto, not to exceed $2,000.00; Sherry Pon, not to exceed $1,000.00; and Ricardo Orellana, not to exceed $900.00.

    4. Street Artists Committee--Dugald Stermer, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Street Artists Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-066: Motion to approve request by applicant for waiver of 15-day policy in obtaining certificate: Daniel Kaminski.

      3. RESOLUTION NO. 0308-04-067: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening requirement: Daniel J. Hennessey, Jian Jin Chen, Barry Prager.

    5. Visual Arts Committee--Ralph Guggenheim, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Civic Design Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program. Commissioner Guggenheim directed the Commission to the minutes of the Committee’s meeting for additional information.

  7. Reports and Announcements

  8. Public Comment

  9. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the Meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

    Approved by Richard Newirth, Director of Cultural Affairs


    jlg/spr 3/19/04