March 16, 2011

Commissioners Present: Lorraine Garcia-Nakata, JD Beltran, PJ Johnston, Dorka Keehn, Barbara Sklar.

Staff Present: Mary Chou, Allison Cummings, Carol Marie Daniels, Marcus Davies, Jill Manton, Jennifer Lovvorn, Judy Moran, Judy Nemzoff, Kate Patterson, Susan Pontious, Zoë Taleporos.

Note: All votes are unanimous unless recorded otherwise.

The meeting commenced at 3:01 p.m.

1. Consent Calendar

1. Motion to approve the final designs for Once Upon a Time poster series by artist Elisheva Biernoff for the Art on Market Street Program 2010/2011, to be installed in 36 kiosks on Market Street from May 1 to July 31, 2011.

2. Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve an extensive modification of an existing mural by the original artist Max Allbee on the guard rail along the sidewalk on either side of Mission Street on the bridge over Alemany Boulevard and Highway 280, between Trumbull and Bosworth streets. The modification to the mural is the result of extensive community outreach and efforts to better depict the diversity of the community.

Motion: Motion to approve consent calendar items
Moved: Beltran/Keehn

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS SEVERED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

Community Arts and Education Program Director, Judy Nemzoff introduced Crimson Rose of Burning Man who will be project managing the temporary, six month installation of Karen Cusolitos’ artwork on Market Street in conjunction with the ARTery Project. Ms. Rose described the large-scale metal sculptures, Valliant and Dandelion, as two of the artist’s signature pieces. She noted that works will be installed across the street from each other with the intent of creating a gateway effect. She stated that the works will be installed three to four feet away from Market Street to avoid impeding pedestrian traffic. Ms. Nemzoff added that the sculptures have been approved by the Mayor’s Office of Disability, the United Nations Plaza and the Department of Public Works (“DPW”). Ms. Nemzoff then stated that the works have been evaluated and approved by a DPW engineer. The sculptures will be unveiled on May 13th, 2011 with the launch of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Art in Storefronts project.

Motion: Motion to approve the temporary six-month installation of two Karen Cusolito sculptures, Dandelion and Valiant Flower to be located at 1125 Market Street and the sidewalk of UN Plaza, respectively. The installations are part of The ARTery Project, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts Mayors’ Institute on City Design grant and Burning Man.
Moved: Beltran/Sklar

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS SEVERED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

Project Manager Carol Marie Daniels introduced Heidi Hardin, project manager for the New Neighbor Mural Project: Civic Leaders with Their Constituents. Ms. Hardin presented the designs by artists Malik Seneferu and Eustinove Smith for the first two of 12 mural panels to be displayed on the fence outside the Southeast Community Facility Commission building located at 1800 Oakdale Avenue. Ms. Hardin explained that the artists were chosen through a community process involving an ad hoc committee. She noted that the civic leaders depicted in the murals were asked to select their constituents to participate in the process. The hope is that over time, a cross section of neighbors would be represented in the mural’s 12 panels. The Commissioners decided to postpone the motion to approve the mural designs, stating they would like further explanation of the artist selection process as well as a more developed design presentation.

Motion: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve two murals by lead artist Heidi Hardin with artists Malik Seneferu and Eustinove Smith on the fence outside the Southeast Community Facility Commission (“SECF”) building located at 1800 Oakdale Avenue. The murals, New Neighbor Mural Project: Civic Leaders with Their Constituents depict members of the community, SECF Commission members, and elected officials.
Moved: NO ACTION TAKEN

2. Southern Exposure Performance
Judy Moran

Project Manager Judy Moran introduced Courtney Fink, the executive director of Southern Exposure, a nonprofit San Francisco arts organization, to seek design approval to present a public performance on Market Street as part of The Cries of San Francisco, a multimedia art project by artist Allison Smith to take place on June 4, 2011. Ms. Fink began her presentation by showing images of Ms. Smith’s previous work to demonstrate the artist’s focus on reenactment as a subject. She described The Cries of San Francisco as a project that takes the form of a participatory public re-enactment, transforming Market Street into a stage for about 50 artists to perform melodic cries, activism and craft through the articulation of street peddler identities. Ms. Fink explained that the project takes inspiration from the cries of London when early 17th Century English street merchants would hawk their wares with melodic songs and calls. She further explained that the project is nomadic in nature and would take place along Market Street between 5th Street and the Embarcadero with Mint Plaza acting as a starting and ending point. Ms. Fink reported that she is currently working with the Friends of Mint Plaza, the Street Closure Department, and the Police Departments at the north and south stations on Market Street to implement the project, and will be seeking approval from the Department of Pubic Works, if the Commissioners approve the project. Ms. Fink noted that Ms. Smith is a highly accomplished artist who has exhibited in numerous venues both nationally and internationally. She added that the artists involved in the performance were chosen through a rigorous application and selection process conducted by Southern Exposure staff. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata expressed some concerns about the various identities that the artists would portray, hoping that the artists would be sensitive to the various cultural groups in San Francisco. Ms. Fink responded by stating that Southern Exposure holds extremely high standards that were upheld to address such concerns during the selection process of the artist performers.

Motion: Motion to approve a public performance to be presented by Southern Exposure, a nonprofit San Francisco arts organization, on Market Street between 5th Street and the Embarcadero, as part of The Cries of San Francisco, a multimedia project by artist Allison Smith, on June 4, 2011 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Moved: Keehn/Johnston.

3. Special Program for the San Francisco Arts Commission’s 80th Anniversary
Luis R. Cancel

Director of Cultural Affairs, Luis R. Cancel opened a discussion regarding an exhibition entitled Shared Histories: Latino Artists in San Francisco, 1932-2012, curated by Anthony Torres, which will be part of the special programming associated with the 80th Anniversary year of the San Francisco Arts Commission (“SFAC”) in 2012. Mr. Cancel described his conversation with Gallery Director Meg Shiffler about the various ways the 80th Anniversary could be promoted through exhibitions in conjunction with the numerous activities associated with the event. Mr. Cancel explained that this discussion led to a conversation with San Francisco based curator Anthony Torres, a well respected Latino scholar, who proposed an exhibition highlighting Latino artists working in San Francisco over the 80 years of the SFAC. Mr. Cancel added that 1932 is an excellent year to begin the survey, allowing Mr. Torres to incorporate well known artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Mr. Cancel noted that as the timeline of the survey unfolded, there would be opportunity to focus on lesser known artists and introduce them into a larger cultural context. Mr. Cancel described the exhibition as having many components including collaborations with local institutions such as the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, City College of San Francisco, The Mexican Museum, The Art Institute of San Francisco, and others. Mr. Cancel remarked that the SFAC Gallery would host an exhibition of the most contemporary artists surveyed by Mr. Torres and would be curated by Ms. Shiffler. Mr. Cancel then requested approval for an honorarium for Mr. Torres to begin the extensive scholarly research needed to implement an exhibition of this depth and scale.

Commissioner Sklar inquired about the culturally specific focus of the exhibition and whether or not other ethnic constituents in San Francisco would be represented. Mr. Cancel responded by stating that many ethic groups will be honored through the various programs associated with the 80th Anniversary including a book project commemorating the activities of the SFAC over the years. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata suggested that while conducting research, Mr. Torres might take a curatorial approach that would relate the work of the exhibition’s artists to that of other cultures. Commissioner Keehn remarked that the connection between the exhibition and the 80th Anniversary was unclear. Both Commissioners Keehn and Garcia-Nakata suggested that Mr. Torres discover links between the artists and movements represented in the exhibition and the role of the SFAC. Commissioner Keehn proposed the inclusion of the Mission School as a way to broaden the exhibition’s cultural focus and connect it back to the SFAC. Mr. Cancel added that an important connection to make is between the SFAC and the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts/ Mission Grafica. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata agreed that through Mr. Torres’ research, intercultural connections could be made while involving the role of the SFAC. Both Commissioners Johnston and Sklar commented favorably on the program’s inclusion of various local institutions as a timely and positive attribute of the exhibition.

THE FOLLOWING MOTION WAS REVISED

Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to provide a $5,000 honorarium to Anthony Torres to curate the exhibition Shared Histories: Latino Artists in San Francisco, 1932-2012, part of the special programming associated with the 80th Anniversary year of the Arts Commission in 2012.
Moved: Sklar/Johnston

4. Review of Public Art Program Current Contracting
Susan Pontious

Program Director Susan Pontious conducted a review of current Public Art Program Artist Selection and Contracting processes. Ms. Pontious began by stating that the minimum time frame of a public art project is three years, while some last for up to ten. Because of this range of duration, it is imperative that the Public Art Program maintain consistency in its practices. Ms. Pontious noted that the program guidelines and a sample artist contract are available on the website for review. Ms. Pontious stated that at the beginning of each project a master plan is established to determine the approach to the project, goals, and objectives. She explained that Memorandums of Understanding are issued to establish how the Public Art Program relates to other agencies, artists and departments, with legal contracts issued at later dates. Ms. Pontious then presented the mission statement of the Public Art Program explaining that the context of an artwork often determines its meaning and how it relates to the constituents of a neighborhood. She noted that at the beginning of each project, the following questions are addressed: what is the mission of the artwork’s facility?, who is the audience?, and others. Ms. Pontious gave an example of the recently completed public art program at Laguna Honda and walked the commissioners through the steps of how a master plan for artwork was established for that facility.

Ms. Pontious described the process for selecting artists starting with the Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) or making selections from a Prequalified Artist Pool. She went on to explain how Public Art Program Staff curates a short list to present to a Selection Panel who chose finalists to compete for pubic art opportunities by making proposals for specific sites. Ms. Pontious noted that an Arts Commissioner is required to participate as a voting member on every Selection Panel. She added that during the proposal phase, finalists work closely with Public Art Program staff to ensure that their proposals are of high quality and are feasible. She explained that the proposals are displayed in the community of the art site, and are then presented to the Selection Panel who chooses a finalist to recommend. Ms. Pontious stated that once the artist recommendation is made, it has to be approved first by the Visual Arts Committee (“VAC”) and then by the Full Commission. To demonstrate the importance of Public Art Program staff working with artists as they develop conceptual proposals, Ms. Pontious showed several examples of proposals that had not gone through this process and how they were problematic in various ways. Ms. Pontious explained that once an artist is chosen for a project, every stage of the project is presented to the VAC to ensure that design intent and deliverables as outlined in the artist’s contract are being met.

5. Public Safety Building
Jennifer Lovvorn

Project Manager Jennifer Lovvorn presented the revised Public Safety Building Public Art Program Outline and presented the finalists as recommended by the Public Safety Building Artist Selection Panel. Ms. Lovvorn explained that since last November when the Visual Arts Committee approved the Public Safety Building Public Art Program Outline, several meetings with the project’s stakeholders had taken place resulting in a refinement to the artwork project locations and selection approach. Ms. Lovvorn reported that three art opportunities have been identified for the Public Safety Building site: a memorial to fallen police officers located in the entryway to the police headquarters; artwork to be installed at the new fire station located on the north side of the new building; and an artwork for the community plaza at the south west corner of the building site. Ms. Lovvorn noted that a national call for artists’ qualifications was issued in November. The Public Art Program received over 400 applications. Ms. Lovvorn explained that the Selection Panel comprised of nine voting members met on March 7, 2011 and chose the following artists for each of the opportunities: Police Memorial Site finalists – Shimon Attie, Larry Kirkland, Paul Kos and Catherine Wagner; Fire Station Site – Franka Diehnelt/Claudia Reisenberger, Donald Lipski, and Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group); and South Plaza Site – Lawrence Argent, Douglas Hollis, Paul Kos, Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group) and Roxy Paine.

Motion: Motion to approve the revised Public Safety Building Public Art Program Outline.
Moved: Johnston/Beltran

Motion: Motion to approve the selected finalists as recommended by the Public Safety Building Artist Selection Panel for the public art projects associated with the Public Safety Building: Police Memorial Site finalists – Shimon Attie, Larry Kirkland, Paul Kos and Catherine Wagner; Fire Station Site – Franka Diehnelt/Claudia Reisenberger, Donald Lipski, and Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group); and South Plaza Site – Lawrence Argent, Douglas Hollis, Paul Kos, Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group) and Roxy Paine.
Moved: Sklar/Johnston

Motion: Motion to approve the payment of an honorarium in the amount of $1,500 per finalist plus travel expense reimbursement for out-of-town artists for the Public Safety Building Art Project orientation and panel interviews: Police Memorial Site finalists – Shimon Attie, Larry Kirkland, Paul Kos and Catherine Wagner; Fire Station Site – Franka Diehnelt/Claudia Reisenberger, Donald Lipski, and Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group); and South Plaza Site – Lawrence Argent, Douglas Hollis, Paul Kos, Matthew Passmore (Rebar Group) and Roxy Paine.
Moved: Beltran/Sklar

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA AND THE MOTION WAS TABLED

6. Chinese Recreation Center
Mary Chou

Presentation of final design for Colette Crutcher’s artwork at the Chinese Recreation Center.

Motion: Motion to approve final design for the artwork by Colette Crutcher for the exterior of the Chinese Recreation Center and authorization to proceed with fabrication of the artwork.
Moved: NO ACTION TAKEN

7. Art on Market Street Program
Mary Chou

Project Manager Mary Chou presented the conceptual design for the kiosk poster series by artist Ian Huebert. Ms. Chou reminded the Commissioners that they approved the general idea for the poster designs at the February 2011 VAC meeting. The posters will depict six scenes of San Francisco life as seen from the perspective of a cyclist. Ms. Chou added that she will work with Mr. Huebert over the next couple of months to develop the designs. The final designs will be presented to the Commissioners at a later date for approval before going into poster production.

Motion: Motion to approve conceptual design of the Art on Market Street kiosk poster proposal by artist Ian Huebert.
Moved: Beltran/Keehn

8. Transbay Terminal
Jill Manton

Director of Programs Jill Manton announced that the Transbay Joint Powers Authority approved artist Tim Hawkinson’s proposal for the new Transbay Transit Center. Ms. Manton noted that the decision was announced in a recent San Francisco Chronicle article. Ms. Manton expressed her thanks to Commissioner Beltran and to the Public Art Program staff for their efforts in realizing this project. She stated that Mr. Hawkinson’s work is destined to become a landmark for San Francisco.

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS TABLED

9. Planning Code Update
Jill Manton

Presentation of the updated Planning Code, Section 429.

10. New Business

Ms. Pontious announced that five major artworks are in the process of being installed at the San Francisco International Airport, Terminal Two (“SFOT2”). She extended an invitation to the Commissioners to tour the works at SFOT2 later in the month.

11. Old Business

12. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m.

ZT 3/16/11
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Notices

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