Full_Commission
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, October 4, 2004
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
In the absence of Interim President Brown, Commissioner Meyer called the meeting to order at 3:09 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
Anne Brauer
Maya Draisin
Rod Freebairn-Smith
P.J. Johnston
William Meyer
Janice Mirikitani
Jeannene Przyblyski
Barbara Stauffacher Solomon
Dave Stroud
Ethel Pitts Walker
Dede Wilsey
Commissioners Absent
Blanche Brown
Andrea Cochran
Dugald Stermer
Shelley Bradford Bell
- Approval of Minutes
The following Resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-203: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of September 13, 2004.
NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
- President’s Report
As Commissioner Brown was absent on medical leave, there was no President’s report. Commissioner Meyer presided.
- Director’s Report
Director of Cultural Affairs Richard Newirth reported that Commissioner Brown is recuperating from surgery.
He recently met with a group working with the Performing Arts Library and Museum which has received a gift of sets from David Hockney which will be the basis for expanding the museum to include design. Funding has been found to restore the Hidalgo statue. He made a very successful presentation on the Arts Element of the City’s Master Plan to the Planning Commission at its last meeting. That presentation is available for viewing online on the City’s website.
Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar and Blake Summers are now on the San Francisco Airport Art steering committee.
Mr. Newirth promoted the Gallery’s fundraising event Commission ’04, set for October 15. He reported that a contest was being held among the staff to guess the number of applications received for the Third Street Light Rail project. A record number of applications, some fourteen crates or more, have arrived.
Mr. Newirth will participate in a “Nonprofit Boot Camp” to be held by the Craigslist Foundation. Several nonprofits will make their “pitch” to a panel of funders and receive feedback from the panel on the effectiveness of their presentations. Mr. Newirth distributed copies of an article on arts journalism in the Bay area; it includes discussion of the 2003 mayoral race and the changing relationship between the Chronicle and the Examiner.
He then began the discussion of the budget proposal described in his supporting memo. Just a week before this meeting, he got a request from the Mayor’s budget office for a proposal, due within four days, for a cut of $1.5 million to Grants for the Arts (GFTA) and the Arts Commission, with the request that both agencies mutually agree to the proposal. He responded that it was unrealistic to expect agreement from the two separate agencies. Spirited discussions ensued, and Mr. Newirth and Ms. Gonchar made the point very strongly that the agency could not sustain further staff cuts. Because Hotel Tax fund revenues have been down since 9/11, the staff has been budgeting conservatively. For the 2003-2004 fiscal year, there is a difference of approximately $183,000 between the amount authorized for Cultural Equity Grants (CEG) and the amount actually granted. The staff recommendation is that, in the most dire circumstance, and assuming that current ballot initiatives fail, any funds required to be cut from the Arts Commission to balance the budget be taken from that allocation to CEG.
In a very lively discussion, the Commissioners strenuously objected to further cuts. They asked about whether cuts ought to be made to other programs within the agency, including the Cultural Centers. Jennie Rodriguez, director of the Mission Cultural Center, was in the audience, and spoke forcefully about the impact of previous cuts on the Cultural Centers, and on the devastating impact of any further cuts to their budgets. Commissioners appreciated her testimony. Commissioners also discussed the possible impact of Proposition L, on the November ballot.
In response to a question, it appears that the proposed cuts are being taken across the City’s budget, and not falling disproportionately on the Arts Commission. Due to careful budgeting, and depending on economic activity in the city over the next year, it is possible that the CEG allocation could grow; Commissioners affirmed that it was important that the programs grow, and that this proposed cut be on a one-time basis.
Commissioners expressed concern that offering any plan for cutting would encourage the Budget Office to make that cut, but on balance felt that there was no way to avoid reductions and that it was better to propose a plan than to wait for it to be imposed from outside. This proposal was described as the “least atrocious,” and as the least untenable way to take money from an agency already hard-hit.
Commissioners praised the careful budget planning and creative thinking of staff in the face of the City’s financial difficulties, and finally unanimously adopted the staff recommendation, with the amendment that the Commission strenuously opposes any cuts being taken, and that this is to be a one-time measure.
RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-204: Approved as amended: Motion to approve the contingency Budget Reduction Scenario of $183,000 from Cultural Equity Grants, as described in the supporting memo by Richard Newirth, as a one-time reduction, under the strenuous opposition of the Commission to this or any further cuts.
- Consent Calendar
RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-205
Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the amended Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:
Approval of Committee Minutes
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-206: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of September 15, 2004.
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-207: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of September 20, 2004.
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-208: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of September 21, 2004.
Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (September 15, 2004)
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-209: Motion to approve the six final poster designs titled “Peripheral Visions,” by artist Jason Jagel, to be installed in 24 kiosks on Market Street between Van Ness and the Embarcadero between November 12, 2004, and February 10, 2005, for the Art on Market Street 2004 Kiosk Poster Program.
Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (September 20, 2004)
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-210: Motion to approve San Francisco 9-11 Memorial Phases 2 and 3.
Executive Committee Recommendations (September 21, 2004)
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-211: Motion to approve the following Public Art Allocation for FY 2004-2005:
Strategic planning $10,000
Web Survey $7,000
Salaries $53,507
Total Allocation $70,507
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-212: Motion to approve the following individuals for the Cultural Equity Grants panel pool:
Kathy Lu, consultant
Naomi Sheridan, Business Arts Council
Andrea Temkin, consultant
Jim Boin, Theatre Rhinoceros
Heather Tunis, consultant
Wendy Levy, Bay Area Video Coalition
Laura Parker, visual artist
Karen Moss, curator
Madeleine Lim, filmmaker and consultant
- Committee Reports
- Executive Committee—Blanche Brown, Chair
- There was no report from the Executive Committee.
- Civic Design Review Committee—William Meyer, Chair
- There was no report from the Civic Design Review Committee.
- Community Arts and Education Committee—Blanche Brown, Chair
- Mr. Newirth reported that the Committee did not meet, but that WritersCorps was hiring an additional teacher, Chrissy Anderson. WritersCorps Project Manager Janet Heller reported that she comes highly recommended from the Berkeley program Poetry for the People.
RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-213: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Chrissy Anderson to teach in the WritersCorps program in an amount not to exceed $20,000.
Funding source: Department of Children, Youth and Families (PAR 532).
- Street Artists Committee—Dugald Stermer, Chair
- Report from Chair of Street Artists Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program. Program Director Howard Lazar explained that the following motion was intended to address the fact that the Advisory Committee was intended to have five members, although there are currently only four; it is sometimes a strain on them to achieve a quorum for their meetings. The City Attorney has advised him that it is appropriate to draw from the list of candidates approved some years ago by the Mayor.
- RESOLUTION NO. 1004-04-214: Motion to approve candidates for selection by Mayor in filling one vacancy on Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Craftsmen Examiners: Jacqueline Thompson, Alicia Keshishian, Marlena Genau.
- Visual Arts Committee—Dugald Stermer, Chair
- There was no report from the Visual Arts Committee.
- Discussion: Arts Commission Identity
A discussion was held regarding the identity and mission of the Arts Commission, facilitated by consultant Nancy Feinstein.
- Reports and Announcements
There were no other reports or announcements.
- Public Comment
There was no public comment on any item of this agenda unless so noted.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Approved by Richard Newirth, Director of Cultural Affairs
10/22/04 spr
