August 2, 2010 | San Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - August 2, 2010

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, August 2, 2010
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston, President
Maya Draisin, Vice President
JD Beltran
Gregory Chew
Leo Chow
Lorraine García-Nakata
Sherene Melania
Kimberlee Stryker
Sherri Young
Ron Miguel, ex officio

Commissioners Absent
Mark Breitenberg
John Calloway
Amy Chuang
Jessica Silverman
Barbara Sklar
Cass Calder Smith
Approval of Minutes
RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-179: Motion to approve June 7, 2010 Minutes.
RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-180: Motion to approve July 12, 2010 Minutes.
President’s Report
President Johnston thanked Commissioners for attending the meeting when so many are traveling this month.

He welcomed Commissioner Stryker, who was recently appointed and stepped into her first Civic Design Review Committee meeting with only a few days’ notice. He noted that this Committee, which has important business for the City, has had difficulty reaching quorums.

Commissioner Stryker said that she was delighted to be participating in this important Commission, and she looked forward to diving into the work.

President Johnston noted that with the appointments of Commissioners Stryker and Breitenberg, the Commission now had its full complement, and he distributed new Committee assignments. He reminded Commissioners of their responsibility to attend and participate in meetings, both of the Committees and of the full Commission, noting that he perhaps needed to address those absent from this meeting more than those present. He added that this was not an invitation to explain why someone is absent; he acknowledged that everyone was at the height of their professions, and all had legitimate reasons for missing meetings. Nonetheless, he said, Commissioners made a commitment to the City and to the Mayor. He pointed out that it is both an honor and a responsibility to serve on the Arts Commission, adding that other commissions have considerably larger commitments. For example, as Commissioner Miguel knows, the Planning Commission meets weekly, sometimes for ten hours at a time.

President Johnston added that it was his responsibility, not that of Mr. Cancel, to continually remind Commissioners that the agency’s work gets backed up if they don’t attend their meetings. The Commission oversees the Director, not the other way around. President Johnston promised more reminders in the coming months.

Noting that only Commissioner Young’s attendance record was better than his, President Johnston pointed out that it was quite likely there would be a new Mayor in January. He thought that Mayor Newsom and his staff would want to be sure that commission vacancies were filled, and that appointments and reappointments were up to date. President Johnston predicted a busy September.

He explained that he had appointed Commissioner Chew to chair the Street Artists Committee, not because he had lost faith in Commissioner Melania, but because she is embarking on a new venture, a graduate program at Harvard. Although she will maintain her residence in San Francisco, and her position on the Commission, he thought the position of Committee Chair was simply too demanding while she spends a lot of time on the East Coast. President Johnston praised Commissioner Chew’s energy, and assured him that Street Artists Program Chair Howard Lazar would bring him up to speed on this always interesting Committee and program.

President Johnston announced that Commissioner Chow would take Commissioner Smith’s place on the Executive Committee; his aim is to have at least one representative of each of the other committees on the Executive Committee. Noting that these busy architects travel a great deal, he acknowledged that Commissioner Smith’s work kept him on the East Coast much of the time. He said that the Executive Committee has important business, and can have a heavy workload at budget time, or in the case of a search for a Director, as was the case a couple of years ago, but that otherwise the meetings are generally shorter.

He announced the appointment of Commissioner Silverman to the Street Artists Committee, and the two newest members, Commissioners Stryker and Breitenberg, to the Civic Design Review Committee. He added that the bylaws used to say that each Commissioner had to serve on two committees, and that is almost what is required to fill each committee. He has tried to balance the workload, noting that Commissioner García-Nakata’s service as Chair of the Visual Arts Committee is a lot of work, and she is also serving on the National Museum of the American Latino Commission. Commissioner García-Nakata thanked President Johnston for his solid presence on the Commission, and for how much time he puts into the work of the Visual Arts Committee. He thanked her, quoting the saying that 90% of success is just showing up.

Finally, he added that he enjoys attending the formal swearing-in ceremonies in City Hall because they are a good reminder of the importance of the position. He said his remarks were not so much an admonition as a call to enthusiasm.
Director’s Report
Mr. Cancel reported that Dede Wilsey, who served on the Arts Commission for many years, had graciously offered to host an event at the de Young Museum on August 19 for the visiting National Museum of the American Latino Commission. The museum will open the Birth of Impressionism exhibit for the evening as well as hosting the reception. He appreciated the generous gesture, and added that Ms. Wilsey sent warm wishes to her former colleagues on the Commission.

Mr. Cancel was happy to announce that the Board of Supervisors had approved the final budget with no cuts to the Arts Commission, including Cultural Equity Grants and grants to the Cultural Centers. To general applause, he hailed this as a major milestone, noting that many departments’ budgets were cut. He again thanked the Mayor and the Supervisors for holding the arts harmless in this budget, for agreeing that the arts play an important role in tourism and in neighborhood stabilization. Mr. Cancel noted that in New York City, the arts budget was cut by 5.6%, and that Los Angeles cut half of its arts agency staff. Not all cities, he said, are as nimble or astute as San Francisco in placing the arts at the core of their growth strategy, and he is very pleased to be here. He added that it was a joint success to convince the Mayor and the Board that it was important to maintain the arts budget.

Mr. Cancel reported that several artists were being presented on today’s agenda for approval for Central Subway projects, in the culmination of a yearlong effort reaching out to the diverse communities that will use the line. The Central Subway line will serve Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach. He was pleased with how the agency has been able to engage the Chinese community with bilingual materials and information, outreach in the Chinese-language press, and public meetings. He explained that this will be a long-term public art program, taking many years to complete. He said that the Arts Commission was sponsoring an innovative program to help mitigate the impact of construction in these neighborhoods. Two-year grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations to create opprtunities for temporary public art projects in each of the three neighborhoods.

Mr. Cancel reported that Laguna Honda Hospital now has over 100 new artworks installed, and reported that the Valencia streetscape improvements, including artwork by Michael Arcega were celebrated with an inauguration ceremony featuring the Mayor.

Mr. Cancel reported on recent press coverage of Arts Commission projects and activities. First, Where magazine, placed in hotels throughout the city, featured Zhang Huan’s Three Heads, Six Arms on the cover of its July issue; he thought it was wonderful publicity. He also reported that the Examiner had a recent cover story on the fabulous photography exhibition on the lower level of City Hall, a partnership between the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery and the International Museum of Women. He reported that the Chronicle did a story about the street artists (now posted on sfgate.com). Mr. Lazar explained that the Street Date story, focused on Market and Steuart Streets, featured street artists at Justin Herman Plaza, with a big photo of Joso Vidal, a street artist originally from Spain, who makes lacquered seashell pendants.

Mr. Cancel explained that, for the benefit particularly of the newer Commissioners, Development Director Rachelle Axel would make a presentation on development efforts. He said that it was important to remember that some of the programs for which the agency is most recognized are not fully funded, or funded at all, by the General Fund. These include the Gallery, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, which has to fundraise extensively. Other projects include temporary public art installations like Three Heads, Six Arms and Louise Bourgeois’s Spider; both required extensive fundraising. The celebrated WritersCorps program has funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (“NEA”). A new initiative, ArtCare, was created to address the gap between the approximately $15,000 that the City appropriates to take care of its collection of some 4,000-plus art objects, and the huge backlog of conservation and restoration needed. Arts Education, too, relies on collaborate with private sector donors and on grants.

Mr. Cancel explained that fundraising from both private and public donors is important to a variety of Arts Commission projects, and that the position of Development Director was created in March, 2007, to address this need. Since its creation, he said, the position has been ably filled by Rachelle Axel; he introduced her.

Ms. Axel said that since March, 2007, she has been working really hard to get federal, state, private and corporate funds for the Arts Commission. She presented a summary of the last three years of funds requested, and how much was actually awarded. She said that while fiscal year 2007-2008 was a good year, and 2008-2009 was moderately successful, 2009-2010 has been really difficult. This year, of almost $3,000,000 requested, a little more than $1,000,000 was awarded, and a little under $1,000,000 was rejected; the rest was still pending.

Ms. Axel highlighted some of the awards for 2009-2010, including the NEA’s Mayors’ Institute on City Design grant of $250,000. This grant, recently awarded, has received a lot of attention in the press. She reported that grants from the California Arts Council support Arts Education and WritersCorps. She explained that the City’s Capital Improvement Program awarded a small fraction of the over $4,000,000 requested for the Civic Art Collection and Cultural Centers, adding that it was important to continue to make the point that the need is significant. Ms. Axel credited the efforts of Director of Programs Jill Manton in winning support for StreetSmARTS from other City funds, including the Department of Public Works, and the Community Challenge Grant.

Finally, Ms. Axel reported on grants and gifts from foundations and corporate and individual donors, totalling over $92,000.

Mr. Cancel made a comment about the Cultural Centers. He said that the Commission was finally addressing capital renovation items there that had been neglected for decades, that the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, the African American Arts and Culture Complex, and SOMArts have long suffered with leaky, cold spaces. Commissioner Beltran added that she was helping SOMArts to start a ceramics class, and that the director had to carry a two-hundred-pound kickwheel up the stairs because the building’s elevator was broken. Ms. Axel thanked her for that anecdote, and encouraged anyone to share with her other stories illustrating the impact of funding, and the lack of funding.

Ms. Axel reported that private funding was instrumental in bringing Zhang Huan’s Three Heads, Six Arms to the Civic Center. She reported on rejections from foundations and corporations, noting that it has been a difficult year for everyone. She learned that while grants have deadlines that must be followed, corporate giving doesn’t follow the same pattern. She plans to ask for corporate funding earlier in the year, because they have usually given out whatever funds they plan to give by fall.

President Johnston congratulated her, and recalled the January Commission meeting where staff presented a review of each area. At that time, he said, fundraising was looking very tough, and he knows this has been a very difficult year. He congratulated Ms. Axel on doing such a great job in this climate. He added that fundraising is just as much work whether the grant ends up being awarded or rejected. Mr. Cancel added that if you don’t ask, you’re out of the running for the funds.

Mr. Cancel announced that the Gallery had several special events coming up, in connection with the Now and When exhibition. The first will feature former Commissioner Jeannene Przyblyski of the Bureau of Urban Secrets, and Alexander Rose of the Long Now Foundation, on the evening of August 18. Gallery Director Meg Shiffler explained that the Gallery was trying new kinds of events, thinking that the panel discussion of artists is a somewhat stale format. This series of events will pair an artist with a non-artist. She announced that the second event, a brown-bag lunch, will pair artist Gay Outlaw with anthropologist Douglass Bailey.

President Johnston noted that Ms. Przyblyski was never shy about expressing her ideas, and Ms. Shiffler was looking forward to a conversation between these really smart and interesting thinkers. She said that these events have been curated by Gallery Assistant Shannon Green, who came to the Gallery recently from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ms. Shiffler praised his vibrant voice.

Mr. Cancel referred to the budget once again, and explained that the Programs in the Community (“PIC”) program was formerly funded by Grants for the Arts (“GFTA”), with funds distributed by the Arts Commission. This year, GFTA wanted to go in a new direction and, instead of passing the funds through the Arts Commission, will distribute them directly.

This concluded Mr. Cancel’s report.
Consent Calendar
RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-181:
Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:

Approval of Committee Minutes
1. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-182: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of April 19, 2010.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-183: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of May 17, 2010.
3. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-184: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of July 13, 2010.
4. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-185: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of July 14, 2010.
5. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-186: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of July 21, 2010.
  
  Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Recommendations (July 13, 2010)
6. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-187: Motion to enter into a 2010-2011 grant agreement with Community Initiatives in an amount not to exceed $40,000 to support the arts education program intern.
  
  Street Artists Committee Recommendations (July 14, 2010)
7. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-188: Motion to amend Resolution #1209-96-585 to replace a limit of three (3) arts or crafts with a limit of two (2) arts or crafts which any applicant may submit for verification at a single screening/meeting of the Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Craftsmen Examiners.
  
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (July 19, 2010)
8. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-189: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant.
9. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-190: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Mission Playground Renovation Project.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-191: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Palega Recreation Center.
11. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-192: Motion to approve Phases 1 and 2 of the University Mound Renewable Hydroelectric Plant with the condition of removing the canopy and maintaining consistency with other colors used on PUC structures.
12. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-193: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project with contingency to use cast limestone and match the window grills to the roof.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-194: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Forest Hill Pump Station with the contingency to remove the louver above the door, increase the door size to the next score line, and remove the part of the reveal that wraps around the building.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-195: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Sunset Playground Renovation Project with a contingency to reduce the equipment screen, use metal panels around the glass entry, reduce the appearance of drainage pipes, investigate alternatives to the shingle roof, and make the four punch opening windows a consistent width on the front wall.
  
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (July 21, 2010)
15. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-196: Motion to increase Magnolia Editions’ Contract DPAR10000212, to design and prepare nineteen artist finalists’ proposal boards for the Central Subway Public Art Program, by an amount not to exceed $5,000, for a total new contract amount not to exceed $15,000, for additional design work required by the artists to prepare their images and text for their proposal boards.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-197: Motion to grant approval to the Port of San Francisco to modify the Promenade Ribbon where adjacent to Pier 30-32 on The Embarcadero Promenade, to allow raised sections to be reconstructed flush with the adjacent pavement. Reconstructed sections would continue the light concrete paving and glass block as per established Promenade Ribbon specifications.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-198: Motion to allow the Port of San Francisco to make modifications to the Promenade Ribbon where previously authorized by the Arts Commission without including electrical lighting components.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-199: Motion to approve the final design by Eric Powell for artwork gates for Cayuga Playground.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-200: Motion to approve designs developed by designer Adrienne Aquino for the CAE Market Street Kiosk Poster Series based on the youth mural artwork from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Where Art Lives program. Exhibition will be displayed in 24 kiosks on Market Street from Monday August 2 to Friday, October 29, 2010.
20. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-201: Motion to approve the artist Amy Ellingson as recommended by the SFO Boarding Area E Selection Panel with Eric Hongisto as an alternate.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-202: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Amy Ellingson as recommended by the SFO Boarding Area E Selection Panel, for design of artwork for the terrazzo floor in SFO Boarding Area E, in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
22. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-203: Motion to recommend to the Full Commission the de-accession from the Civic Art Collection of Paul Selinger’s Untitled, 1971 located at Broderick and Bush Mini Park (Accession #1971.44).
23. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-204: Motion to approve the destruction of what remains of Paul Selinger’s sculpture, Untitled, 1971 (Accession #1971.44) due to the sculpture’s deterioration and resulting threat to public safety.
24. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-205: Motion to approve the de-accession from the Civic Art Collection of Armand Trahan’s Worldscape III, 1968 (Accession #1969.61).
25. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-206: Motion to approve the destruction of what remains of Armand Trahan’s sculpture, Worldscape III, 1968 (Accession #1969.61) due to the sculpture’s deteriorated state requiring restoration and that is unjustifiable.
26. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-207: Motion to approve the modification of Rupert Garcia’s design proposal for the lobby of San Francisco General Hospital, which consists of changing the field color of the terrazzo and eliminating the colored glass for the pedestrian bridge.
27. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-208: Motion to approve artist Charles Sowers’ mock-up and design development materials for the Randall Museum (with a preference for option one: panels extending beyond building to conceal duct work).
  
  Executive Committee Recommendations (July 26, 2010)
28. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-209: Motion to direct Arts Commission staff to continue meeting with San Francisco Architectural Heritage, a California nonprofit corporation, to discuss the terms of a proposed 50-year preservation easement to protect the historical features of the Bayview Opera House.
29. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-210: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the San Francisco Symphony to produce twelve concerts during the 2010-2011 season, in an amount not to exceed $1,910,283.
30. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-211: Motion to approve the allocation of $100,000 from the Public Art Fund to support several activities including the Mayor’s Art Award, the Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco JAM and other administrative functions.
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
  1. President Johnston reported that the Committee had discussed several budget items, the historic preservation easement for Bayview Opera House, and the longstanding agreement with the San Francisco Symphony, in which the Commission allocates funds to the Symphony and 40% comes back to the Commission. He said there had been some question about approval by the Board of Supervisors, but the agreement was approved.
    
    Commissioner Chew agreed that this was good news, and he asked about programming for the concerts supported by the Arts Commission.
    
    President Johnston explained that as of last year, the agreement between the Arts Commission changed, so that the Commission was no longer supporting the summer pops series, but instead supporting community and culturally specific concerts like the Day of the Dead and Chinese New Year concerts. He noted that when the series occurred over only a few weeks in the summer, it was easy to focus on them, and attend some of them. He thought the Commission was still feeling its way through the new arrangement. On a larger level, he considered it a better opportunity to seal the Commission’s involvement with the Symphony, and its community involvement. On the downside, he said, it was harder to keep track of the specific events, and planned to make a point of highlighting the schedule of concerts.
    
    Commissioner Chew thought it was great to have the Commission involved in holiday-specific and community-based concerts, and he thought the pricing was reasonable. He hoped to see the program continue and perhaps expand.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Chow reported that the Committee was pleased to welcome Commissioner Stryker within minutes of her swearing-in, adding that she moved seamlessly into the business of the Committee.
    
    He reported that the Committee had reviewed seven projects, all in phase 3, and they were glad to see the incorporation of the Committee’s comments. There were several Public Utilities Commission projects, including a number of pump stations. He reported that the Committee also reviewed a very innovative project in Phase 1, noting the creative use of limited funds. He reported that all of the projects were approved, with some comments, and thought that this was a good meeting.
    
    Commissioner Stryker agreed that the meeting had gone very smoothly. President Johnston thanked her, noting that she had been sworn in at 2:30, and then attended the meeting at 3:00.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Maya Draisin, Chair
  1. Vice President Draisin reported that the Committee had found its last meeting very informative. She explained that Director of Grants San San Wong was moving the Cultural Equity Grants cycle three months earlier to make the grants less vulnerable to midyear budget cuts. The Committee discussed the vulnerability of the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, in light of the deaths of its two founders only weeks apart. She said that this was a significant loss to the community, and the Committee was committed to help support the theater as they move forward in the wake of this loss.
    
    Vice President Draisin reported that the Committee had a very significant presentation from Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff, reporting that altogether the Cultural Centers are now in the best situation they have been in during her tenure. She reported on funds raised through the efforts of Ms. Axel, and added that the Centers still need significant work on their heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems. Vice President Draisin reported that Art in Storefronts has been a tremendous success, that WritersCorps reached a record number of students this year. She reported that Arts Education staff plans new programs in the next year, and the publication of a new edition of the Inside/Out guide.
    
    Vice President praised staff for rising to the occasion. To general applause, President Johnston congratulated Ms. Nemzoff and CAE staff, as well as Vice President Draisin and the Committee, for all their blood, sweat and tears. He added that, as a former member of this Committee, he paid close attention to the situation of the Cultural Centers, and thought it really wonderful and gratifying that they are now all in such good shape. Commissioner Melania agreed with him.
    
    Vice President Draisin presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-212: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
    
    Renny Pritikin, Director and Curator; Nelson Gallery and Fine Art Collection at the University of California, Davis
    Victor Cartageña, artist
    Ernest Jolly, Head Preparator; de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University and artist
    Pireeni Sundaralingam, editor and PEN USA Rosenthal Fellow
    Mimi Lok, Executive Director; McSweeney’s Voice of Witness series, writer and arts educator
    Michella Rivera-Gravage, Director; Digital Media at the Center for Asian American Media, and artist
    Joan Pinkvoss, editor
4. Street Artists Committee—Sherene Melania, Chair
  1. Commissioner Melania noted that this would be her last report as Chair before Commissioner Chew takes over that position. She said that the Committee has been wonderfully lively. She was pleased to report that the program was about three months away from being able to accept online payments for licenses. She also reported that the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development was working on United Nations Plaza, and the program is investigating possible street artist spaces there; the artists always need more spaces.
    
    Commissioner Melania presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-213: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Shui Ken Yu, Min Xiong Li, Theresa Mabalatan.
    
    President Johnston thanked Commissioner Melania for her years of sensitivity and dedication serving as Chair of this Committee. He said that this program is probably the Commission’s most immediate connection with individual artists; this is their daily livelihood, and sometimes strong feelings arise. He praised Commissioner Melania for showing sensitivity and concern, while maintaining a strong spine.
    
    President Johnston throught Commissioner Chew would do very well in taking on this role, and praised his dedication to the Commission’s work and his diligence. President Johnston added that Commissioner Chew came to the Arts Commission from the Immigrants Rights Commission, and pointed out that there are many immigrants in the Street Artists Program.
5. Visual Arts Committee—Lorraine García-Nakata, Chair
  1. Commissioner García-Nakata reported that, as usual, the Committee has been very industrious. She reported that work on the Cayuga Playground continues. She reported that two important artworks were being deaccessioned because of their seriously deteriorated condition, and that staff had made extensive efforts to contact the artists. She reported that Rupert Garcia was working on San Francisco General Hospital, and that the Committee and Mr. Garcia were satisfied with changes recently made in that design. Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee approved an exterior artwork proposal for the Randall Museum; the artwork will respond to wind. She reported that the Committee also discussed the color palette for Janet Echelman’s artwork at San Francisco Airport Terminal Two.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata asked Public Art Project Manager Judy Moran to present the artwork proposals just recommended for the Central Subway motions below.
    
    Ms. Moran said that she was pleased that artists for the three Central Subway stations have now been chosen by the selection panels. She explained that the panels had met very recently, and the artists were under a very strict deadline.
    
    President Johnston explained that although ordinarily the Visual Arts Committee will review detailed presentations like this, rather than the full Commission, the very tight schedule meant that the panels’ recommendations were not made until after the most recent Visual Arts Committee meeting. In fact, he said, one of the panels met on the same day as the Committee. Commissioner García-Nakata thanked everyone involved, particularly President Johnston, who had served on that panel. Ms. Moran explained that one Commissioner had sat on each panel: Commissioner Chew on the Chinatown station panel, and Commissioner Beltran on the Moscone station panel.
    
    Ms. Moran explained that the conceptual proposals approved will be developed more fully over the next year, with accommodations for maintenance, safety and architectural concerns. She added that although the federal grants involved prohibit the use of geographical criteria in choosing artists, it happened that one of the artists chosen by each panel is a San Francisco artist.
    
    She presented the proposals for the Chinatown station, by artists Yumei Hou and Tomie Arai. Ms. Yumei’s proposal is for a laser-cut steel artwork based on the traditional form of paper cuts. Ms. Arai’s proposal is for glass work that will be visible primarily from the elevators. At the platform level, it will feature underground fossils and early San Francisco history; as you move up to the street level, the images will be more contemporary.
    
    Commissioner Chew applauded the choice of Ms. Hou as a bold one; she is an immigrant, living in a single-room occupancy in Chinatown. Ms. Manton and Ms. Moran added that the artist was deeply moved by her selection, and at first didn’t believe that her work had been chosen.
    
    Ms. Moran said that for the Union Square station, the panel and staff were very pleased with the artists on the short list, and the panel found it a difficult decision. The artists chosen were Erwin Reidl and the artist team of Werner Klots and Jim Campbell. Mr. Reidl, an internationally known artist, has proposed Lucy in the Sky, an LED artwork intended to create a complex experience for viewers moving back and forth between Union Square and Market Street. The artwork will span the two-block concourse and change color throughout the day. Ms. Moran explained that Mr. Klotz’s and Mr. Campbell’s project is non-electronic, although the artists are known for their electronic and video work. The artwork will consist of polished metal disks forming a band of light and reflections looping through the station.
    
    President Johnston said that the images presented onscreen by Ms. Moran were somewhat difficult to read, and that the artists had been smart to come to the panel with models and material samples to give a fuller sense of the artworks. He added that Mr. Reidl will use modules which he creates, using a proprietary program to shift color so slowly and gradually that the viewer doesn’t notice. He said that the modules are very small and the proposed artwork is the length of a football field. Of the proposal by Mr. Klotz and Mr. Campbell, he explained that the polished surface was like a mirror, and the work would use reflection to create text and images, though it was not easy to see the full effect in a slide. Commissioner Beltran said that Mr. Cambell was internationally renowned, and that it will be really nice to have his work here in his hometown. She added that he had recently complete a huge artwork in southern California.
    
    Ms. Moran reported that for the Moscone Center station, proposals by Catherine Wagner and Tom Otterness had been chosen. She explained that Ms. Wagner was an accomplished photographer, honored as a Time Magazine innovator in 2001, and with several public artwork commissions, including the University of California at San Francisco Medical School, and the City of Los Angeles. Her proposal for the station draws from photographs she began taking many years ago of the development of the Moscone Center and the SOMA area. The artwork will feature etched detail images from those photographs. Commissioner Beltran explained that the panel considered the scale of the artworks very important. The station is tens of hundreds of feet long. She said they found one advantage of Ms. Wagner’s proposal was that the work was so big. She said that the pieces were not photographs, but reliefs. Commissioner Beltran explained that Ms. Wagner’s studio was across the street from the Moscone Center location during the 1970s, and that two years into her process of photographing the area, she won a grant from the NEA to continue the work.
    
    Ms. Moran presented the proposal of Mr. Otterness, consisting of whimsical figures dressed in costumes, or with objects, specific to San Francisco. Commissioenr Beltran added that although he has done similar figures in New York City, these will be original, tailored to San Francisco.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata thanked Ms. Moran, saying that everyone involved was working hard to keep up with the fast track for these projects. She wanted all Commissioners to be assured of due diligence, and she called for comments.
    
    Commissioner Chew thanked Ms. Moran for her professionalism and attention to detail in taking the lead on these projects, and called for a round of applause. Commissioner Beltran appreciated the impressive panel, and said that the whole group was a delight to work with. Ms. Moran agreed that all the panels were great, and a pleasure to work with. Commissioner Chew agreed, and added that he appreciated the frank and open discussion.
    
    Since there was no further comment, Commissioner García-Nakata presented the following motions.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-214: Motion to approve the recommendation by the Central Subway Chinatown Station Artist Selection Panel, which met on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, of two artists, Yumei Hou and Tomie Arai and each of their conceptual proposals for artworks to be integrated into the Central Subway Chinatown Station; and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a separate Design Development contract with Yumei Hou and Tomie Arai in an amount not to exceed $25,000 for each contract.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-215: Motion to approve the recommendation by the Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station Artist Selection Panel which met on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, of artist Erwin Redl and the artist team of Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz and each of their conceptual proposals for artworks to be integrated into the Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station; and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a separate Design Development contract with artist Erwin Redl and the artist team of Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz in an amount not to exceed $25,000 for each contract.
  4. RESOLUTION NO. 0802-10-216: Motion to approve the recommendation by the Central Subway Moscone Station Artist Selection Panel, which met on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, of two artists, Tom Otterness and Catherine Wagner and each of their conceptual proposals for artworks to be integrated into the Central Subway Chinatown Station; and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a separate Design Development contract with Tom Otterness and Catherine Wagner in an amount not to exceed $25,000 for each contract.
Public Comment
There was no other public comment.
New Business
There was no new business.
Reports and Announcements
President Johnston reminded Commissioners of the reception for the National Museum of the American Latino Commission, hosted by former Commissioner Dede Wilsey at the de Young Museum on August 19.

Ava Roy of We Players announced that the company was presenting a large-scale site-specific performance of Hamlet on Alcatraz Island, in partnership with the National Park Service. She explained that this was the first theatrical residency there, and that the company had presented Macbeth at Fort Point a couple of years ago. She said that this performance would be island-wide, and would run during the fall. Participants will need to wear closed-toe shoes. This is the second phase of a three-year residency. She said that the organization is still growing, and that they work with people formerly involved with the criminal justice system. She added that they plan more outreach work in 2011. President Johnston thanked her and said that although they had spoken on the phone, they had not met, and he was excited about what the program was doing.

There were no other reports or announcements.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

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