Executive_Committee
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
4:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
Commissioners Present: Denise Roth, Ralph Guggenheim, Andrea Cochran
Commissioners Absent: Stanlee Gatti, Janice Mirikitani
Staff Present: Richard Newirth, Nancy Gonchar, Jewelle Gomez, Judy Nemzoff, Jenny Louie, Sarah Lenoue
Commissioner Roth called the meeting to oder at 4:04 PM
- Budget and Director's Report
Ms. Gonchar announced that the Mayor's Office has requested a proposal for a possible 2.5 - 5% cut to the Commission's General Fund allocation at mid-year. Our proposal is to reduce the rent accordingly and charge the difference back to the programs. The City is facing an estimated $80,000,000 deficite in the coming year and the economy is recovering at a very slow rate.
- Cultural Equity Grants Program Director Report
Ms. Gomez reported that in addition to the already instituted multi-year Organization Project Grants, she was planning two additional program changes in the near future. The first would be to begin creating panels from a pool of people who have agreed to serve as panelists in a certain category for a three-year period. This would streamline the panel creation process as well as allowing panelists to have a sense of history. Panelists would be staggered so the panel would be composed of different panelists each of the three years.In response to a question about Multi-year grants, Ms Louie said that all but two of the grantees offered multi-year accepted the two-year funding. Those that refused this option did so to protect their eligibility to apply for a 2004 Initiative grant.
The second idea is to change the disbursement of awarded funds from two payments with an initial disbursement of 80% and a final payment of 20% released upon approval of a final report, to only one disbursement of 100% upon the execution the Grant Agreement. CEG used to make three payments but this was changed last year to two payments with a significant reduction of staff time spent administering these grants.
Ms. Gomez feels confident offering one up front disbursement because CEG has such a strong reporting process. Grant supported projects are audited several times during the project window, and reports that don’t meet our requirements are regularly rejected pending further information. If grantees do not comply, they can lose their right to apply in any category for up to three years. Ms. Gonchar reminded the committee that the commission lost one accounting staff so it is a priority to find ways to ease up on accounting staff.
Motion to review and approve the following to the Cultural Equity Grants panel pool:
Kim Mizuhara, Poet and Development Associate at Kearny Street Workshop
Mary Jane Eisenberg, Managing Director Joe Goode Performance Group
Diem Jones, Director Grants Programs, Arts Council Silicon Valley
William B. Churchill, former Austin Arts Commissioner, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Black Arts Alliance Board Member
Marina Wolf, founder and Executive Director Big Moves Dance Company
Yannis Adoniou, Dancer/Choreographer/Director
Jose Marquez, Multi-media artist, Professor CCAC
Julio Morales, Artist, Professor SF Art Institute
Sue Kwok Kim, Poet
Moved: Guggenheim/Cochran
Motion to review and approve 3 grants totaling $265,000 for the Cultural Equity Initiative-Level Two awarded to 509 Cultural Center - $100,000, Aunt Lute Books - $65,000, and Brava! for Women in the Arts - $100,000
Moved: Cochran/Guggenhiem
Motion to approve grant $10,000 to California Lawyers for the Arts for the Period July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004 for the administration of ArtHouse.
Moved: Cochran/Guggenheim
- Other Reports
Community Arts & Education
Ms. Nemzoff reported that CAE is streamlining program processes by: developing new guidelines and applications for Programs in the Community and Neighborhood Festival Grants, reworking quarterly reporting guidelines for grantees, and reworking the Cultural Centers monthly review process.
She spoke of the budget challenges CAE faces as Arts Education has lost one staff member with the recent layoffs. The other CAE program assistants have developed a system of support, rotating about once a week in grant writing and Inside Out distribution.
Arts Education Funders Collaborative is currently developing a strategic plan for the next two years. They have cut back from three to two days of teacher training. 50% of the recently awarded NEA grant goes toward the salary of the Arts Education Officer while the other 50% is for the Arts Education Funders Collaborative.
WritersCorps has won an award from Isabelle Allende Foundation for a book on peace. The Peace Book as it is been called will consist of writing by past WritersCorps youth and will include introductions to each chapter by current WritersCorps youth. Project Manager Janet Heller has pulled together a wonderful advisory board which is planning an adult only celebration of 10 years of work.
The Cultural Centers are doing well. AAACC is doing wonderfully with London Breed in the lead. They are waiting to hear about their new 501(c)3 status. The Advisory Board is transitioning into a full board. They will have a major event to announce the new leadership. There is a sound studio going in, the building has been painted and resident arts organizations are satisfied.
Bayview Opera House has been painted and looks wonderful. There are new classes there, and a plaza renovation. The other centers are also going strong. A Cultural Tourism conference is showcasing Mission Cultural Center. Considering that all the centers had to eliminate staff recently, things seem to be going well. Chinatown has a new show that just opened, a new advisory committee, and new signage is being worked on. The new show features the work of 6 artist-elder from the Chinese Community.
Motion to approve a $10,000 award to the Arts Education Funders Collaborative for the 2003-2004 FY from Youth Arts Fund.
Motion to pay Lois Hetland an artist honorarium of $400 for professional development/artist and teacher training out of Youth Arts Fund.
Adjournment 4:44 PM
Notices
Explanatory documents are available for public inspection and copying at the Arts Commission office, 25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 240, San Francisco CA 94102 during regular business hours. Tel: INFO: (Sarah Lenoue 415-252-3257).
Public comment in regard to specific items will be taken before or during consideration of the item.
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