Full_Commission
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, March 3, 2008
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
Minutes
President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:08 p.m.
- Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston
Topher Delaney
John Kriken
Alexander Lloyd
Sherene Melania
Jeannene Przyblyski
Lawrence Rinder
Sherri Young
Christina Olague
Commissioners Absent
Maya Draisin
Leonard Hunter
Dede Wilsey
Pop Zhao
- President’s Report
President Johnston began the meeting without a quorum, noting the difficulty of having three vacancies on the Commission. He has urged the Mayor’s office to fill those vacancies as soon as possible. He welcomed Commissioner Topher Delaney, renowned artist and landscape architect recently appointed by the Mayor; she will sit on the Civic Design Review Committee.
Commissioner Delaney thanked President Johnston, saying that she was pleased to join the Commission, and that she is involved in local and national arts communities. She said that she loves San Francisco and its diversity, and is interested in seeing how the Commission can include that diversity in its civic gestures, in both temporary and permanent artworks. Finally, she said that she was looking forward to working with her colleagues on the Commission.
President Johnston reminded the Commissioners of the party to thank Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar for her nine months of service as Interim Director, immediately following the meeting.
He welcomed Ex Officio Commissioner Christina Olague, Acting Planning Commission President, who was attending her first meeting. She explained that she was there to learn how the Arts Commission does things. She added that she would like to see more dialogue between the Planning Commission and the Arts Commission, and to see more commitment to the arts on the Planning Commission.
President Johnston noted that this was a busy time, with the budget process and with many issues swirling around the arts in San Francisco. He recalled that in the previous year, there had been a great deal of discussion in anticipation of having a new Director, and now that Mr. Cancel is onboard, that discussion is turning to action. President Johnston mentioned several issues and initiatives, including proposed legislation regarding the percent for art in the C3 Zoning District, which is being reviewed by the City Attorney’s office; murals and public artworks which generate a great deal of public interest and input; land use issues, including housing and studio space for artists; and the potential for public/private partnerships in various areas. He reported that Mr. Cancel has met with many different departments to raise the visibility of the arts agenda.
President Johnston recounted their meeting on Mr. Cancel’s first day on the job: Mr. Cancel had asked President Johnston what he wanted to do with the Arts Commission, and he answered first with a number of immediate concerns and problems. But what Mr. Cancel was really asking was what President Johnston’s vision was, what he cared about, what he wanted to do on the Arts Commission when he came to it. President Johnston encouraged Commissioners to meet individually with Mr. Cancel, and to discuss their particular interests with him.
- Approval of Minutes
Noting the arrival of Commissioner Przyblyski, and thus the constitution of a quorum, President Johnston took up the motion for approval of minutes.
The following Resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
RESOLUTION NO.0303-08-050: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Meeting of February 4, 2008.
NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
- Director’s Report
Director of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel reiterated President Johnston’s invitation to meet with him, encouraging Commissioners to take the opportunity to think grandly and deeply about their vision for the arts in San Francisco, from their perspective as citizens and representatives. He said that part of his responsibility is to help keep that vision in mind as the Commission does its work.
Mr. Cancel has been meeting with the heads of the City’s many departments and agencies, and he pointed out that they have an impact on artists and the arts in San Francisco. He argued that it is fundamental that they understand the role of the Arts Commission.
Mr. Cancel discussed the Civic Art Collection, noting that the City is blessed with one of the finest art collections in the nation, comprising some 3,000 objects: ceramics, fiber, steel, works on paper, photographs, and others, by world-renowned artists including Peter Voulkos, Richard Diebenkorn, Rupert Garcia, and many more. The recent hiring of Collections Registrar Allison Cummings means that there is once again a skilled professional tracking the condition and location of each of the works. Sadly, he noted that some of them are stored in far from ideal conditions. In some cases, paintings are leaning on one another, and some flat files are filled to the brim. These storage conditions contribute to the difficulty of doing a complete inventory. The initial physical count of artworks stored at 25 Van Ness and at Brooks Hall will be complete by the end of this fiscal year. There is a good database of the works that has been developed over several years, and the physical count will be compared with the database.
Mr. Cancel explained that the remaining challenge is the great number of artworks not housed at these two locations, but distributed throughout City offices and other locations. It is his goal for the next fiscal year to complete a thorough inventory of those pieces. It will require the cooperation of other agencies to determine the condition and location of all of the works. He highlighted the San Francisco Airport as one agency doing an exemplary job of maintaining information on the number and condition of artworks in its facilities.
Commissioner Delaney asked whether the public was able to see all of the artworks online. Mr. Cancel replied that a great majority of the items in the database do not have images online. As staff is inventorying the objects, they are photographing them for identification, although these images are not necessarily appropriate for online display. When the database has been cleaned up, staff will be able to investigate how to query the collection online. Mr. Cancel urged the Commission to make that a priority, adding that he would like for the collection to be a learning tool.
Commissioner Kriken recalled that a book on the collection was published in the mid-1990’s.
In response to Commissioner Lloyd’s question about how the public can see the actual artworks, Mr. Cancel explained that much of it, all of the public artwork created with percent-for-art funds, is visible in public settings. He added that he would like not only to create appropriate storage conditions, but also to adopt the approach taken by many museums to make it a study collection. He would like to bring more of the artworks out into City offices, noting that the loan program to do this was suspended a few years ago because of insufficient staffing.
President Johnston added that the collection had gone for several years without a custodian after the retirement of the Civic Art Collections Program Director, and the loss of her position. This, he said, has impacted knowing what the Collection has and where it is. He noted that, in addition to sculpture and paintings, the Collection includes jewelry and other objects one doesn’t usually think of as part of a municipal collection. He acknowledged the work of Commissioner Przyblyski, who continued to impress on the Mayor’s office that it was foolish not to dedicate staff to the care of this collection, valued at some $80 million.
Commissioner Przyblyski noted that the Visual Arts Committee has taken an active interest in the Collection, and that some work on it has been done by interns and by other program staff taking on pieces of the work peripheral to their main jobs. Following up on Commissioner Kriken’s comment on the book on the public sculpture collection, she said she would like to see a book on the Airport collection. She added that such publications quickly become outdated, and she thought that perhaps downloadable pdfs could provide a vehicle to showcase the Collection. She said that percent-for-art funding is a great way to support visual artists, somewhat comparable to the way that Cultural Equity Grants supports performing artists. She mentioned the Arts Festivals the Commission formerly held, which provided purchase awards for the artists and added to the Collection. She would like to see more work added to the collection, but can’t recommend that in good conscience, until the Collection’s resources are stabilized and strengthened. Mr. Cancel agreed with her.
Mr. Cancel reported that he had attended a meeting with artist Maya Lin to approve and recommend that the suspended wire landscape sculpture for the Academy of Sciences go into production. He noted that this is the first of two significant projects at the Academy. He was also pleased to be part of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Monument; the planning for this project has been underway for some ten years. He distributed to the Commissioners an invitation to the unveiling on March 30, with the Mayor, artist Walter Hood, and others.
Mr. Cancel reported that the March/April issue of Via, the American Automobile Association’s magazine, featured public art in the western states. In San Francisco, the article highlighted the newly installed Louise Bourgeois sculpture, Crouching Spider, and the untitled Keith Haring sculpture at Third and Howard Streets. He cited this example of how San Francisco’s public art is featured regionally and nationally, and commended Public Art Program Director Jill Manton for her efforts to continually promote it.
Mr. Cancel announced that the guidelines and application for the Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions grant have been published. He encouraged Commissioners to share them as widely as possible. He said that the grants would be awarded by a competitive process, and that the deadline for submission was April 1.
Mr. Cancel said that he would like to discuss the possibility of forming a development committee to help Bayview Opera House complete its capital campaign. They have had some success in securing City funding, and hope to get additional funding in the coming fiscal year. He would like to seek matching funds from other sources. This could serve as a model for attracting private-sector support for other cultural centers which need significant capital improvements.
In response to a question, Ms. Gonchar explained that it was not necessary to use a fiscal agent or private 501(c)3 corporation, because donations to the City are tax-deductible.
Commissioner Przyblyski mentioned the model of the Library; they knew from the beginning that the bond money for branch improvements was insufficient. Each branch had a mini-capital campaign, raising up to $500,000. She added that it would be important to assess the impact of any such capital campaign on others going on at the same time. She said that there has been some discussion of a “friends of the Arts Commission,” noting that in addition to the Cultural Centers, the Gallery has capital needs.
President Johnston thought it was a good time to discuss this, noting the new leadership at Bayview Opera House. He said that the relationship of the Arts Commission as landlord to the independent nonprofits that actually run the Cultural Centers presented some challenges unlike the libraries.
Commissioner Delaney liked the idea of reaching out to the broader community, and said that this could be a good way to reach untapped or unknown arts philanthropists. She said she thought they would want to know about the long-term programs they were funding, not just the facilities.
Mr. Cancel agreed that a well-crafted case statement would be critical to the success of this effort. He said that he would continue to develop the idea.
Mr. Cancel reported on his proposal, supported by the Mayor, for a Cultural Voucher Youth Program. He has begun to create a working group, with an initial meeting of cultural services providers scheduled for March 27. He expects to launch the program in November, 2008, giving a voucher worth $75 to each sixth-grader in San Francisco for use at cultural events or cultural activities (classes, workshops, etc.) of their choice.
- Consent Calendar
RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-051:
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. 0303-08-052: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of January 15, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-053: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of January 28, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-054: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of February 13, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-055: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of February 19, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-056: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of February 20, 2008.
Street Artists Committee Recommendations (February 13, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-057: Motion to approve FY 2008-2009 Street Artists Program budget, annual and quarterly certificate fees, and compensation for members of the Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Craftsmen Examiners.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-058: Motion to approve authorization of Program Director to submit resolution to Board of Supervisors requesting continuous seasonal designation of temporary winter holiday spaces for street artists.
Executive Committee Recommendations (February 19, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-059: Motion to approve the one-time transfer of funds in the amount of $96,259 from Community Arts and Education Hotel Tax Funds originally intended for the Native American Cultural Center in FY 2007-2008, to Cultural Equity Grants for disbursal of funds to Native American artists and organizations, to be encumbered no later than June 30, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-060: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists and guideline reviewers for Cultural Equity Grants:
Shawna Alapa’i, Executive Director, Halau Hula Na Pua O Ka La’akea
Chus Alonso, Program Director, Community Music Center
Jonathon Freeman, Program Officer, Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development
Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (February 20, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-061: Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0107-08-013 authorizing an agreement with the artist team of Peter Richards and Susan Schwartzenberg for an amount not to exceed $142,000, to design, fabricate, and install a public art project at McLaren Park.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-062: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into agreement with Peter Richards for a public art project to be executed in conjunction with Susan Schwartzenberg in McLaren Park, for a total amount not to exceed $145,000, for the design, development, fabrication, transportation and installation of an artwork as well as identification plaques.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-063: Motion to approve the Harvey Milk Memorial sculpture base materials: Autumn Brown granite with Optima regular typeface for the text, with real-gold leaf infill.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-064: Motion to provide an artist honorarium of $1,200 to Deric Carner, for his commissioned window installation at 155 Grove Street. The honorarium amount should be made available to the artist upon the installation of artwork on March 19, 2008.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-065: Motion to approve the design development for Language of the Birds by Brian Goggin and authorization to the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist for fabrication, transportation, and installation of the artwork for an amount not to exceed $130,000.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-066: Motion to accept a gift of restricted funds in an amount of up to $65,000 to augment the previous gift of $30,000 supplementing the Broadway Streetscape Project art enrichment allocation. The funds will be set up in an interest-bearing account that will be used exclusively for the art project by Brian Goggin.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-067: Motion to approve the temporary installation of nine bronze sculptures by artist Manolo Valdés in late spring or early summer 2008 for a total duration of four months based upon the assumption that all transportation, insurance and installation supervision and coordination costs will be privately sponsored.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-068: Motion to approve a modification of the agreement with Pol-X West to include an extension of the project completion date until December 31, 2010, an additional allocation of $60,000 for the fabrication, and shipping costs associated with the redesign of the motion system for the Facsimile artwork at Moscone Center West, the supervision of the removal of existing motion system components, the supervision of the installation of new motion system components, and the ongoing adjustments and repairs to the system.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-069: Motion to approve the design development of artwork by Horace Washington for the façade of Hamilton Recreation Center.
Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (February 25, 2008)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-070: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the Bernal Heights Branch Library.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-071: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the SFTMA Bus Shelters and Kiosk Designs with the stipulation that the roof be constructed of polycarbonate and the roof shape remain as submitted on February 25, 2008. The Committee also stipulates that the shelters on Market Street be bronze-coated or solid bronze.
- Committee Reports
- Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
- President Johnston reported that the Committee discussed the budget at some length, and that the Mayor’s office had given instructions for across-the-board cuts, some to be taken in the current fiscal year, and some in the new fiscal year. The Mayor’s Budget Office is allowing departments to “bundle” cuts in an eighteen-month period including the last half of FY2007-08 and all of FY2008-09. The Committee and staff are trying to minimize the effect of the cuts, and to preserve some of the new initiatives, including the international arts festival.
President Johnston reported that the Committee discussed the Native American arts funding just approved on the Consent Calendar. He gave a brief summary of events leading up to this program, beginning with problems that surfaced last year at the Native American Cultural Center. Rather than seeing that funding vanish, the Committee and staff felt it was important to maintain bonds with the Native arts community. After hearing a great deal of public comment at recent meetings of the Commission and its Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee, Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff and Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong developed guidelines for a grants program targeted to Native artists and arts programming, as a short-term solution. The Executive Committee affirmed the need for continuing discussion to clarify and resolve the long-term status of the Native American Cultural Center, and how best to serve the needs of the Native arts community, as well as the larger question of the virtual Cultural Centers.
He reported that the Committee discussed the cultural voucher program, which has been vetted by the Mayor’s office, as a way to engage San Francisco’s public school students with the arts, to get money flowing to cultural organizations mostly through these new young consumers.
- Civic Design Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Interim Chair
- Commissioner Przyblyski reported that the Committee was very pleased to approve the Phase 3 review of the new bus shelter design. They also approved the Bernal Heights Branch Library improvements. She noted that one project, a blank cube-shaped utility building, was sent back for further design work.
- Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Maya Draisin, Chair
- President Johnston reported that the Committee did not meet, being unable to get a quorum. Its main issue, the Native American arts funding, was discussed at the Executive Committee meeting, as previously reported. Some of the members also serve on the Executive Committee.
President Johnston presented the following motion.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-072: Motion to approve the following individuals as application review panelists and guideline reviewers for Cultural Equity Grants:
Theresa Harlan, Curator and Writer
Ray Moisa, Development Professional
John-Carlos Perea, Musician and Vocalist
Lori Lea Pourier, President, First Peoples Fund
- Street Artists Committee—Alexander Lloyd, Chair
- Commissioner Lloyd reported that the Committee approved a new budget with an increase in fees for the street artists. He noted that the legislation requires the program to be self-funding, and the current fees were insufficient to pay the total cost of the Program. He explained that for the past few years, the Program had been using up a surplus that had accumulated, and with that surplus now gone, the fee increase was needed. Commissioner Lloyd added that the Program will aim to keep revenue higher and costs lower, so that future fee increases will be small.
He also reported that the Program each year requests several temporary holiday spaces. The Committee authorized requesting the Board of Supervisors to designate these as permanent seasonal spaces so they will not have to be requested every year.
Commissioner Lloyd presented the following motion.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0303-08-073: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Fred Johnson, Joan Anderson, David Beaty, Armando Vazquez.
- Visual Arts Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Chair
- Commissioner Rinder reported that the Committee discussed the Gallery, and that they approved artist Brian Goggin’s artwork, since the artist has solved several technical issues. They also discussed a temporary installation by sculptor Manolo Valdés at Civic Center Plaza, new opportunities at San Francisco Airport, a wonderful new park at McCoppin Street, and the relocation of the bust of Mayor Rossi in City Hall in connection with the installation of the Harvey Milk bust.
President Johnston noted that moving busts in City Hall is frequently controversial, as there are relatively few available locations. He thought the sculpture was a wonderful work, and explained that there had been a competition to choose the artists, with models from the three finalists displayed in City Hall last year. The Harvey Milk memorial bust will be installed in May, 2008.
- Public Comment
There was no further public comment.
- New Business
There was no further new business.
- Reports and Announcements
President Johnston reminded staff and Commissioners about the party for Ms. Gonchar.
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
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