Full_Commission
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, September 8, 2008
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
Minutes
President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston, President
Maya Draisin, Vice President
René Bihan
John Calloway
Topher Delaney
Lorraine García-Nakata
John Kriken
Sherene Melania
Cass Calder Smith
Commissioners Absent
Nínive Calegari
Alexander Lloyd
Jeannene Przyblyski
Dede Wilsey
Sherri Young
Pop Zhao
Christina Olague
- Approval of Minutes
The following Resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-178: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Meeting of July 7, 2008.
NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
- President’s Report
President Johnston began by noting that there have been many changes recently: both he and Commissioner Calegari had new babies, and Director of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel had a new grandson. As well, he welcomed three new Commissioners, John Calloway, Lorraine García-Nakata, and Cass Calder Smith. With Commissioners Bihan and Calegari, appointed a few months earlier, and Commissioner Delaney appointed in January, he noted, the Commission has six new members this year. He expressed his gratitude to the Mayor’s Office for filling the Commission’s vacancies with such highly qualified appointees. He invited each of the new Commissioners to speak briefly about their backgrounds.
Commissioner Calloway, a jazz musician, introduced himself by saying that he is a native San Franciscan who is both a performing artist and an educator. Commissioner Smith, founding principal at Cass Calder Smith Architecture, explained that he has lived in San Francisco since 1985, and has designed restaurants (Lulu, Rose Pistola) among other projects. Commissioner García-Nakata, who also came to the city in 1985, is a practicing artist, a member of the Royal Chicano Artists Collective, and an arts educator and administrator. All three Commissioners were pleased and honored to be appointed, and looked forward to working with the Commission.
President Johnston explained the importance of the Committees as the place where much of the Commission’s “nuts-and-bolts” work is done, with reports and approvals coming to the full Commission. He emphasized the importance of attending meetings, noting the irony that such highly qualified appointees often find it difficult to make time in their schedules for meetings. He advised that he, Mr. Cancel and the Mayor will be paying attention to Commissioners’ attendance at meetings. He then announced new Committee assignments.
He summarized the role of the Commission as supporting the hard work of the staff, to be creative, supportive and helpful, and to provide important oversight over the budget; while the Director’s role is to carry out the vision for arts in the City.
Finally, he announced the Commission-staff retreat on Friday, November 21. He explained that the Commission held a retreat in 2007, before Mr. Cancel’s appointment, and that both Commissioners and staff found it really helpful.
- Director’s Report
Mr. Cancel welcomed the new Commissioners, assuring them that each is important in shaping the City’s arts and cultural policies. He encouraged all the Commissioners to participate in the November 21 planning retreat, and explained that the facilitator would interview them before that date. He expected that the retreat will help to clarify the Commission’s vision, in light of the Mayor’s priorities, for the current and future years of budgetary challenges.
Mr. Cancel reported progress on an operational goal developed at the staff level, the consolidation of individual program mailing lists into a unified database of some 3,500 to 4,000 names.
Mr. Cancel reported that the Arts Commission is one of some 75 funding organizations statewide participating in the California Cultural Data Project (“CCDP”). It enables arts organizations to do their financial and organizational reporting, and prepare their grant applications, through a single form. Cultural Equity Grants staff is holding training workshops, and all applicants will be expected to submit their applications through CCDP by the end of this fiscal year.
Mr. Cancel reported that he has begun discussions with SFGTV, the City’s cable and online television channel, about a planned program on the arts. The weekly show will include workshops and artist talks at the Gallery’s openings, along with other events.
Mr. Cancel reported that, although negotiations with SFJAZZ on the Grove Street site ultimately failed, Arts Commission staff and the Mayor’s Office are continuing to try to find a long-term home for the Arts Commission Gallery and the Civic Art Collections. The Arts Commission is committed to this goal so that the City’s Collections can be maintained for future generations in a way that meets museum standards, although staff has done great work with the resources they have.
Mr. Cancel reported that he had spent a good part of the last several months reviewing the budget, and working with Chief Accountant Kan Htun, Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar and Development Director Rachelle Axel to create a set of spreadsheets that really explains the budget. He observed that it is a complex and spidery spreadsheet, accounting for multiple funding sources funding parts of multiple programs. He asked whether the agency should look at other kinds of funding models, perhaps having all staff positions funded by the part of the budget that the Arts Commission helps to generate, that is, the Hotel Tax Fund. Noting that tourism is the only bright spot in the local economy, the cultural sector, as a major driving force in that success, should be fully funded.
Mr. Cancel reported that the agency has commissioned a study by the Center for Cultural Innovation on grantmaking, evaluating the effectiveness of the Arts Commission’s grantmaking programs. The final report is expected within the month, and will be distributed to Commissioners as a basis for discussion of the agency’s grantmaking.
- Consent Calendar
Agenda items 3 and 7 were severed from the Consent Calendar because the Executive Committee’s minutes for July 15, 2008, and August 19, 2008, had not been distributed.
RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-179:
Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:
Approval of Committee Minutes
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-180: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-181: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of July 8, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-182: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of July 16, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-183: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of August 13, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-184: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of August 18, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-185: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of August 20, 2008.
Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Recommendations (July 8, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-186: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the following teaching artists to work in the WritersCorps program for 2008-2009:
Milta Ortiz $38,000
Cindy Je $38,000
Myron Michael Hardy $38,000
Katharine Gin $51,500
Judith Tannenbaum $57,000
Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (July 16, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-187: Motion to approve an artist honorarium to Jesse Schlesinger in the amount of $1200 for his contribution to the installation at Grove Street to be installed on August 24, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-188: Motion to approve the design in concept by RHAA Landscape Architects for the installation of Robert Howard’s Whales sculpture at the Ocean Campus of City College San Francisco.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-189: Motion to approve the revised proposal by Clare Rojas for boarding area G gate room wall at the San Francisco International Airport, which includes a faux molding and picture hanging hook.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-190: Motion to approve the public art program plan for Terminal Two of the San Francisco International Airport.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-191: Motion to approve the following pool of potential panelists for the San Francisco International Airport Terminal Two Artist Pool Selection Panel:
Ann Alger, Director of Public Art Program for Phoenix Airport;
Janet Bishop, Curator SFMOMA;
Timothy Burgard, Chief Curator, de Young Museum;
Susan Gray, Artist and Public Art Director, L.A. Redevelopment;
René de Guzman, Chief Curator, Oakland Museum of California;
Susan Harrison, Director of Art in Architecture for GSA, Washington, D.C.;
Kendal Henry, Public Art Administrator, N.Y.;
Walter Hood, Landscape Architect and Artist;
Mildred Howard, Artist;
Arlan Huang, Artist;
Larry Kirkland, Artist, Washington, D.C.;
Miwon Kwon, Art Dept. Faculty, UCLA;
Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins, Independent Curator;
Wang Po Shu, Artist;
Renny Pritikin, Director of Richard L. Nelson Gallery, UCD;
Mary Rubin, Public Art Administrator, San Jose;
Richard Shaw, Artist;
Hilda Shum, Artist;
Meredith Tromble, Critic;
Shelly Willis, Public Art Administrator, Sacramento;
Ruri Yampolsky, Seattle Arts Commission.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-192: Motion to approve the selection panel’s recommendation of the proposal by artist Bob Zoell for the secure connector at San Francisco International Airport, and authorization for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement with Bob Zoell for up to $200,000 to design, fabricate and transport their artwork for the Airport, pending Airport Commission approval of the design.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-193: Motion to approve the public art program plan for General Hospital.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-194: Motion to approve the following pool of potential panelists for the San Francisco General Hospital Artist Pool Selection Panel:
Ann Alger, Director of Public Art Program for Phoenix Airport;
Janet Bishop, Curator SFMOMA;
Timothy Burgard, Chief Curator, de Young Museum;
Susan Gray, Artist and Public Art Director, L.A. Redevelopment;
René de Guzman, Chief Curator, Oakland Museum of California;
Susan Harrison, Director of Art in Architecture for GSA, Washington D.C.;
Kendal Henry, Public Art Administrator, N.Y.;
Walter Hood, Landscape Architect and Artist;
Mildred Howard, Artist;
Arlan Huang, Artist;
Larry Kirkland, Artist, Washington D.C.;
Miwon Kwon, Art Dept. Faculty, UCLA;
Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins, Independent Curator;
Julio Morales, Artist and Co-Director of Queen’s Nails;
Wang Po Shu, Artist;
Renny Pritikin, Director of Richard L. Nelson Gallery, UCD;
Favianna Rodriguez, Artist;
Mary Rubin, Public Art Administrator, San Jose;
Richard Shaw, Artist;
Hilda Shum, Artist;
Meredith Tromble, Critic;
Shelly Willis, Public Art Administrator, Sacramento;
Ruri Yampolsky, Seattle Arts Commission.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-195: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist team of Brianna Miller and Thien Pham for the development and implementation of a kiosk poster project with auxiliary programming for the Art on Market Street 2008 Program for a contract amount not to exceed $18,000.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-196: Motion to approve the following pool of potential panelists for the Central Subway Artist Pool Selection Panel:
Jorge Pardo, Director, L.A. Metro Art;
Courtney Fink, Director, Southern Exposure;
Hung Liu, Artist;
Jenifer Wofford, Artist;
Fred Wasserman, Director of Programming, Contemporary Jewish Museum;
Janet Bishop, Curator, SFMOMA;
Elizabeth Thomas, Matrix Curator, Berkeley Art Museum;
Lucinda Barnes, Chief Curator, Berkeley Art Museum;
Suzette Min, Assoc Professor, UC Davis;
Jens Hoffman, Phyllis Wattis Curator, California College of the Arts;
Walter Hood, Architect;
René de Guzman, Chief Curator, Oakland Museum of California;
Hilda Shum, Artist;
Julio Morales, Artist and Co-Director of Queen’s Nails;
Sandra Percival, Executive Director, New Langton Arts;
Jim Melchert, Artist;
Marina MacDougal, Curator;
Lawrence Rinder, Director, Berkeley Art Museum;
Jeff Kelley, Independent Curator;
Hou Hanru, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs at the San Francisco Art Institute.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-197: Motion to approve the pooling of funds for the public art projects to be planned and developed for the four new branch libraries—Bayview/Anna E. Waden, Ortega, North Beach and Visitacion Valley—as part of the Branch Library Improvement Program.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-198: Motion to approve the following pool of potential panelists for the BLIP Artist Pool Selection Panel:
Courtney Fink, Executive Director, Southern Exposure;
Mark Thompson, Director, San Francisco State University Gallery;
Carolina Ponce de León, Board Member, Galeria de la Raza;
Linda Raynsford, Artist;
Reddy Lieb, Artist;
Joyce Hsu, Artist;
Elizabeth Thomas, Matrix Director, Berkeley Art Museum;
Katherine Aoki, Artist;
Leo Bersamina, Artist;
Sabina Chen, Executive Director, Chinese Culture Center;
Kristen Zaremba, Project Manager, Oakland Public Art Program;
and René de Guzman, Chief Curator, Oakland Museum of California.
Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Recommendations (August 12, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-199: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
Jack Carpenter, Production Manager, World Arts West, theater facilities consultant
Rudy Garcia, Artistic Director, Alegría de San José
Wayne Hazzard, Executive Director, Dancers’ Group
Ken Ikeda, Executive Director, Bay Area Video Coalition
Raul Lozano, Executive Director, Teatro Vision
Thérèse F. Martin, Executive Director, ArtSpan
Marc Vogl, Program Officer, Arts & Culture, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Michael Warr, Projects Director, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-200: Motion to enter into a 2008-2009 grant agreement with the CIF (Community Initiative Funds) of the San Francisco Foundation in an amount not to exceed $28,000 to support the arts education program intern.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-201: Motion to approve Neighborhood Festival grants to the following organizations pending written confirmation from Grants for the Arts:
Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative to support the Treasure Island Community Day Festival, $3,000
North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefit District to support the Safe Streets Holiday Street Festival, $3,000
Visitacion Valley Community Development Corporation for Visitacion Valley Business Opportunities and Outreach to Merchants to support the Leland Avenue Street Fair, $3,000
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-202: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Aracely Gonzalez to teach in the WritersCorps program in an amount not to exceed $39,000.
Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (August 18, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-203: Motion to approve changes to approved Phase 3 design Mission Bay Pump Station at P-15.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-204: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the Parkside Branch Library.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-205: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the Bay Division Pipelines Reliability Upgrade—Tunnel Shaft Housing on the condition that the design team reevaluate the design of the base of the building.
Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (August 20, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-206: Motion to approve the six final poster designs by artist Jenifer Wofford scheduled for reproduction and installation in 24 kiosks on Market Street from September 22 to December 18, 2008 for the Art on Market Street 2008 Program.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-207: Motion to approve a mural by artist Cory Calandra working in collaboration with workshop participants from The Giants Community Fund, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the Excelsior Playground Program, and San Francisco Giants player Omar Vizquel, located at the Excelsior Playground at 579 Madrid Avenue in proximity of first base, pending approval from relevant parties to paint over an existing mural in the same location.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-208: Motion to approve an artist honorarium to Michael Zheng in the amount of $1000 for his organizational contribution to the main gallery exhibition to be installed on January 25, 2009.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-209: Motion to approve artist honoraria in the amount of $200 each to artists Todd Hido, David Maisel and Christina Seely to develop unique proposals for new North Light Court art banners in City Hall.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-210: Motion to approve final images of artist Beliz Brother’s photographic lightboxes for south resident floors for Laguna Honda Hospital.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-211: Motion to expend up to $15,000 of funds provided by the Emergency Management Department for the removal of the artwork Water Table from the Emergency Communications Center, for its relocation to an alternate site, and for rehabilitation of the artwork to its original condition.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-212: Motion to approve the final installation of five stainless steel sculptures and one stainless steel and glass sculpture by Troy Corliss at the Upper Noe Valley Recreation Center.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-213: Motion to accept five sculptures by artist Troy Corliss at the Upper Noe Valley Recreation Center into the Civic Art Collection.
Executive Committee Recommendations (August 19, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-214: Motion to approve the allocation of $139,800 from the Public Art Fund to support several activities including the Mayor’s Art Award, the Arts Commission Gallery, the Arts Commission Planning Retreat expenses, and other administrative functions.
- Committee Reports and Committee Matters
President Johnston took the Street Artists Committee matters out of order, as a courtesy to two street artists who wished to address the Commission.
- Street Artists Committee—Alexander Lloyd, Chair
- In the absence of Commissioner Lloyd, Commissioner Melania thanked Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar for his efforts in obtaining nine additional spaces for the artists. She added that this was very important to them.
Commissioner Melania presented the following motion.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-217: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: David Ortiz, Maryann Milburn, Libo Chen, Terence M. Hurley, Tanya Key, Javiera Kuncar, James Barbera, David Moses, Janice Patten, Julianne Sterling, Jeff Zepeda, Alma Caldwell.
Commissioner Melania explained that the following motions were made in response to a complaint made to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force about the process by which the Committee’s meeting schedule was changed. President Johnston noted that although most Committees meet monthly, the Street Artists Committee’s meetings are frequently cancelled, either because there are no agenda items and the artists would rather be out selling their work than meeting, or because it has sometimes been difficult to reach a quorum.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-218: Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0407-08-096 (“Motion to change the schedule of meetings of the Street Artists Committee from monthly to bimonthly, beginning with the meeting of May 14, 2008”) pursuant to directive of Sunshine Ordinance Task Force.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-219: Motion to change the schedule of meetings of the Street Artists Committee from monthly to bimonthly, beginning with the meeting of May 14, 2008.
- Public Comment
Street artist Jo Anne Fitzsimmons addressed the Commission. She is the owner of Sugar City Rock Candy, making crocheted jewelry which she sells at Justin Herman Plaza. She described how Sugar City Rock Candy has grown from a sideline to her earlier medical transcription business into a successful full-time business. Noting that thousands of people pass her stand every day, she described how she has worked diligently to establish her business, following her business plan.
She explained that she is one of a group of artisans who are working to explain to the public that this is an artisan market, not a flea market. They hope eventually to make Justin Herman Plaza a world-famous artisan marketplace. She thanked the Commission for its support of the program, and was pleased to be able to speak to them about its success, believing that they hear complaints much more frequently than compliments.
Street artist Jeff Potter described his journey as an artist, beginning at Seattle’s Pike Place Market as a silversmith and goldsmith creating jewelry. He described how the business outgrew the market and he opened one shop, then another, and traveled to shows around the country. He had fourteen employees and 1,400 accounts when cancer stopped him. He described how he later learned to screenprint clothing and returned to the art fair circuit, but found that his expenses were rising and his sales were dropping. Needing to find someplace close to home to sell his work, he learned about the Street Artists Program from Ms. Fitzsimmons. When he visited Justin Herman Plaza, he felt he had come home, and he has been in the program for two years. He thanked the Commission for its support of the program, and hoped to see the Plaza become a permanent place for the artists.
Commissioner Melania and President Johnston thanked both artists for their comments.
In response to a Commissioner’s question, Mr. Lazar explained that the Street Artists Program was established by a vote of the people in 1972.
- Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
- President Johnston reported that the Committee met and mostly discussed the budget. The Committee agreed that small agencies like the Arts Commission are disproportionately affected by cuts. The Committee noted that the Hotel Tax Fund has done well, and the Arts Commission should benefit.
President Johnston reported that the Mayor has made his selection for the second annual Mayor’s Art Award, to be celebrated on October 1, but the honoree has not been announced. President Johnston recalled that Ruth Asawa was the first to be honored with this award last year. The event, held at the Green Room in the War Memorial complex from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., is an opportunity for the Mayor to recognize a great artist’s lifetime of work and the artist’s contribution to the life of the City, as well as a chance to gather and celebrate with the Arts Commission’s closest constituents and community.
President Johnston reported that the Committee discussed the decision of SFJAZZ not to work with the City on 155 Grove Street. He gave a quick history of the site, explaining that the building, the historical home of the Arts Commission’s Gallery, was badly damaged in the 1989 earthquake and has since been closed for daily use by the public. It is partly used for storage, and its windows are used to display installations visible from the street. While there has been interest for several years from the Mayor’s office as well as the Arts Commission in redeveloping the site, including the adjacent vacant lot and the rest of the corner, the process is complicated by the fact that the City does not own the entire block. The SFJAZZ proposal developed out of a feasibility study conducted by Economics Research Associates (“ERA”) at the direction of the Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (“MOEWD”).
In response to Commissioners’ questions, Mr. Cancel explained that Arts Commission and MOEWD staff are working with other City agencies to identify viable partners. President Johnston added that MOEWD representatives will probably present an update to the Executive Committee within the next few months, which Commissioners and the public are welcome to attend. He will continue to keep the full Commission informed on further developments.
Mr. Cancel noted that when the first draft of the feasibility study was prepared by ERA, the partnership with SFJAZZ was a serious possibility. He offered to circulate that draft, which is not yet public, to interested Commissioners,with the caveat that much of it is no longer relevant without the SFJAZZ collaboration. He added that it is a high priority to determine where, over the long term, the Collections, Gallery and staff will be housed. He reported that the War Memorial is doing a major seismic renovation in the upcoming years, and the Arts Commission might partner with them. Commissioners raised the question of potential impacts of the difficult economy on funding for that renovation.
- Civic Design Review Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Chair
- In the absence of Commissioner Przyblyski, Commissioner Kriken reported that the Committee had favorably reviewed two Public Utilities Commission utility buildings, and Commissioner Delaney had encouraged a design upgrade. The Committee also reviewed the Parkside Branch Library, as well as one of the buildings in the San Francisco General Hospital complex. He explained that all hospitals are mandated to make seismic upgrades within a specified time. Planning Department Director John Rahaim suggested a joint meeting with the Committee, since they are reviewing the project, too. That meeting was set for September 16, 2008 at 25 Van Ness Ave. Finally, Commissioner Kriken reported that the Committee reviewed a connector between the United domestic and United international terminals at the San Francisco Airport, and requested further design modifications.
- Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Maya Draisin, Chair
- Vice President Draisin reported that the Committee had a very busy year, with seven different grants programs, and Cultural Equity Grants staff working very hard. She noted that the motion below does not name specific panelists for specific panels, but adds them to a pool from which panels can be drawn as needed. She added that Commissioner Melania had raised a concern about whether having panelists from organizations previously funded created a “closed loop.” The Committee will continue to review this question.
Vice President Draisin noted that relatively few organizations have so far entered their information into the CCDP database, and staff is working with them to train and encourage them.
She reported that SomArts updated the Committee on their Director search and other news, and that Bayview Opera House was to make their report at the Committee’s next meeting on September 9. She noted that many of the Cultural Centers are undergoing transitions, and that Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff is working closely with them.
Vice President Draisin presented the following motions, noting that the first was intended to correct an error in identifying the fiscal sponsor for a previously approved Neighborhood Festival grant.
President Johnston added that although it required a lot of encouragement from staff to get organizations to sign onto the CCDP project, it would ultimately be worth the effort to all parties.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-215: Motion to amend the Neighborhood Festival grant to support the Sunset Community Festival from Sunset District Neighborhood Coalition to (fiscal sponsor) Sunset Youth Services.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-216: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
Linda Blackaby, Director of Programming, San Francisco Film Society
Dyana Curreri-Ermatinger, Executive Director, San Francisco Center for the Book
René de Guzman, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California
Sergio De La Torre, Filmmaker and Assistant Professor, Art and Architecture Department, University of San Francisco
Lisa Dent, Owner and Manager, Lisa Dent Gallery
Taro Hattori, Visual Artist and Curator
Summerlea Kashar, Assistant Director, Cartoon Art Museum
Andrew Leland, Managing Editor, Believer Magazine
Genny Lim, Poet, Playwright, Performer and Educator
Michelle Mansour, Executive Director, Root Division
Jessica Mele, Program Director, Performing Arts Workshop
Kirthi Nath, Multimedia Artist
Ramedon O’Arwisters, Assistant Curator of Exhibitions, San Francisco Airport
giovanni singleton,Writer and Editor, Nocturnes Journal
Elizabeth Thomas, Phyllis Wattis MATRIX Curator, Berkeley Art Museum
Anurahda Vikram, Writer and Curator
- Visual Arts Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Chair
- In the absence of Commissioner Przyblyski, President Johnston invited Public Art Program Director to report on the Program’s activities. She was pleased to report that after two years, there is a final draft of legislation for the private percent-for-art ordinance. The initiative came from the Mayor’s office, and will give developers more options regarding public art expenditures for their projects, as well as consolidating curatorial authority in the Arts Commission. The legislation will offer a developer the option of placing art at their project site, contributing to a public art fund, or both. The Arts Commission will maintain a database of artworks privately obtained under this legislation. The public art fund may be used for conservation as well as for the acquisition of new artworks. If the developer chooses the third option, they will get a five percent discount, allocating fifty percent of their required amount to artwork at the project site, and forty-five percent to the public art fund. President Johnston explained that the proposed ordinance now proceeds through the legislative process at the Board of Supervisors, and the Committee is excited to see progress on this initiative.
Ms. Manton gave background information on the following motion. She explained that in the Consent Calendar above, the Commission approved a new mural, whose design she showed to the Commission. The following motion is a companion to that approval, authorizing the removal of the previous mural, which was in poor condition.
Ms. Manton introduced Cory Calandra of Precita Eyes, and discussed how staff had worked with them to obtain written permission of all the artists they could reach, and they made great efforts to contact them. Commissioner García-Nakata asked several questions about that process and about documenting the mural, explaining that she herself had a long history with murals.
Ms. Manton explained that staff was doing the utmost to comply with the law, and that the mural was documented by a ceramic plaque at the site. Ms. Calandra explained that, as far as they have been able to determine, the mural was a project of the youth organization at the Recreation Center. They were able to contact six of the twenty artists, and several of them will participate in painting the new mural. She noted that several motifs from the original mural are incorporated into the design of the new mural, including a ribbon motif and images from the Excelsior district. She added that the original artists’ names were recorded on the contemporaneous mural painted on an adjacent wall.
Commissioner García-Nakata was pleased to see how thorough the process had been, not only to comply with the law, but also to work with the community.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0909-08-220: Motion to approve the removal of a mural located on the back wall of the ballpark in proximity to first base at Excelsior Playground, 579 Madrid Avenue, San Francisco, painted in 1977 by a consortium of artists, subject to direction from the City Attorney.
After approval of the above motion, Commissioner Delaney returned to the question of the proposed percent-for-art legislation, inquiring about its application to the C-3 zone, essentially the downtown area. She suggested that the area be expanded to include her district and other zones in the city where a lot of development is underway. Commissioners thought there was a real possibility that the area might be expanded, and that the Mayor had expressed some interest in including a larger area.
- New Business
There was no new business.
- Reports and Announcements
There were no announcements.
- Public Comment
There was no further public comment.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:39 p.m.
10/3/08 spr
