City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - December 12, 2011 - Meeting Minutes

Full Commission - December 12, 2011

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, December 12, 2011
2:30 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place


Minutes

Commission President PJ Johnston called the meeting to order at 2:33 p.m.

  1. Roll Call

    Commissioners Present
    PJ Johnston, President
    John Calloway
    Gregory Chew
    Sherene Melania
    Barbara Sklar
    Kimberlee Stryker
     
    Commissioners Absent
    Mark Breitenberg
    Leo Chow
    Amy Chuang
    Lorraine García-Nakata
    Dorka Keehn
    Jessica Silverman
    Cass Calder Smith
    Sherri Young
    Christina Olague, ex officio
     

  2. President’s Report
    Noting that the Commission had the meeting room only until 4:00 for this special meeting, President Johnston announced that he would take general public comment out of order. He thanked members of the public and Commissioners for the time and work they’ve put in to serve the community.
     
    There was no public comment.
     
  3. Director’s Report
    There was no Director’s Report. President Johnston announced that at its December 5 meeting, the Commission had selected Tom DeCaigny as the new Director of Cultural Affairs, to start on January 9.
     
    There was no public comment.
     
  4. Public Comment
    Peter Warfield said that he was concerned about this Commission’s and the Library Commission’s death sentence on the Bernal Heights Library mural. He said there had been no discussion of its history, content or meaning, and of the importance of Victor Jara in the mural.
     
    Melody Takata of GenRyu Arts discussed the huge impact of Cultural Equity Initiative grants received by her organization, which tells the stories of Japantown through taiko, and she praised the work of former Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong.
     
    There was no further public comment.
     
  5. Controller’s Report on Financial Management Review
    Interim Director of Cultural Affairs JD Beltran commended the Controller’s office team for their work, and Arts Commission staff for their cooperation. She said this meeting was intended to provide a public forum to discuss the report, and she wanted to reassure everyone that the report’s guidance on fiscal responsibility was in no way intended to jeopardize Cultural Equity Grants or any other program.
     
    She reviewed the report and each of its findings and recommendations in detail, and explained how Arts Commission staff is responding and has already begun to implement the recommendations.
     
    Deputy City Attorney Alicia Cabrera discussed the recommendations, stressing that the Controller’s office was not dictating how the Arts Commission should manage its programs, but that it should improve its procedures and make them more consistent.
     
    President Johnston thanked everyone for their participation, and discussed how the Controller’s office was requested to complete the audit. He emphasized that the Commission was committed to maintaining funding for Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”) and the many organizations it supports. He called for public comment.
     
    Public Comment:
    Idris Ackamoor of Cultural Odyssey spoke in support of CEG and an equitable, open process.
     
    Brad Erickson of Theatre Bay Area spoke in support of CEG and its visibility around the country.
     
    Mike Addario thanked the Commission for its good work and requesting the audit. He asked for an audit of the Street Artists Program and raised questions about its funding and management.
     
    Michelle Tea said she was a Cultural Equity Grants recipient, and was very grateful for the work of Ms. Wong and the CEG staff. She urged the Commission not to limit the number of times an organization doing good work could be funded.
     
    Maria Acosta said she was an original member of the earlier arts task force. She expressed concern about funding for the Native American community and some of the areas listed in the Controller’s report.
     
    John-Carlos Perea, a Grammy-winning powwow singer, thanked Ms. Wong for her support of Native artists, and expresssed his concern for transparency in the grants process.
     
    Jon Jang of Asian Improv aRts said that he had served on the earlier arts task force, and he gave a historical perspective on models of funding and cultural equity.
     
    Matthew Tedford, of the Chinese Culture Foundation, said that organizations rely on simultaneous grants, particularly when they serve low-income communities.
     
    Vinay Patel, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, thanked the Commissioners for their support of cultural equity. He reported that CEG had national attention at the recent Grantmakers in the Arts conference.
     
    Alan Manolo of Bindlestiff reported that they had just opened a new theater, and he thanked Ms. Wong and the CEG staff for years of guidance.
     
    Lex Leifheit, Executive Director of the SOMArts Cultural Center, thanked the Commission for their support. She said that she and others had protested rising administrative fees and was discouraged when action wasn’t taken earlier.
     
    Lily Carazi of Traditional Arts said that although they make grants statewide, most go to the San Francisco Bay area. She added her support for CEG.
     
    Brenda Wong Aoki of First Voice and Mark Izu of Asian Jazz said they had received CEG grants over many years, and they expressed their support for San San Wong, and for Cora Mirikitani of the Center for Cultural Innovation.
     
    A speaker from Voice of Witness spoke in support of CEG and its help in growing this small organization.
     
    A professor at San Franciso State praised the efficiency and professionalism of the CEG panel process and spoke in support of the program.
     
    A speaker, formerly secretary for a Native arts program that predated the Cultural Centers, spoke in support of CEG.
     
    Mr. Warfield spoke in support of the multicultural mural at the Bernal Heights Library and thought the Controller’s report was devastating. He hoped the new Director would deal with the issues raised.
     
    Villy Wang of BAYCAT and of the San Francisco Film Commission urged separating the problems from the people and programs, and fixing fiscal problems.
     
    Darin Ow-Wing said he has worked in the nonprofit world for 30 years, supervising budgets up to $3 million, and has gone through many audits. He said that he had never seen such a focus on a single program as in the Controller’s report.
     
    Terri Winston of Women’s Audio Mission spoke in support of Ms. Wong and CEG. She said that the media perception of the situation needs to be addressed along with the items raised in the report.
     
    Joan Pinkvoss of Aunt Lute Books said she had worked in nonprofits for twenty years, and praised the work of Ms. Wong and CEG staff.

     
    President Johnston thanked all the speakers and said he heard their concerns clearly. He noted that he was once a reporter, and that there are limits to what the Commission can do in dealing with the press; reporters write the story they want to write. Commissioners discussed possible next steps. President Johnston reiterated the Commission’s support for all the organizations that it works with, and for the value of cultural equity, as well as its commitment to an open and inclusive dialogue. He added that the agency would soon have a new director in place.
     
    There was no further public comment.
     

  6. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
     

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Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。如需協助,Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.

Ang mga materyales na nakasalin sa ibang wika at ang mga serbisyong tagapagsalin sa wika ay walang bayad. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2591, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.