May 2, 2011 | San Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - May 2, 2011

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, May 2, 2011
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston, President
JD Beltran, Vice President
Mark Breitenberg
Gregory Chew
Leo Chow
Lorraine García-Nakata
Dorka Keehn
Barbara Sklar
Cass Calder Smith
Kimberlee Stryker
Sherri Young

Commissioners Absent
John Calloway
Amy Chuang
Sherene Melania
Jessica Silverman
Christina Olague, ex officio
Approval of Minutes
RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-092: Motion to approve March 7, 2011 Minutes.
RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-093: Motion to approve April 4, 2011 Minutes.
President’s Report
President Johnston recalled that at the Commission’s last meeting, he discussed a news story published that day about the long-sought changes to the Planning Code for public art enrichment for private structures in the downtown C-3 district. At the time, he pointed out some misleading elements of the story, and noted that the proposed legislation continues to be an important topic for the Visual Arts Committee. He added that the closer the legislation came to being voted on by the Board of Supervisors, the more attention it would draw. He explained that the proposal was a major change intended to improve a successful program, long supported by staff and Commissioners at both the Arts Commission and the Planning Commission. He asked Arts Commissioners to be sure they understood the proposal, since they were likely to be asked about it in the coming months; he encouraged them to talk with Director of Programs Jill Manton, who has been working on the legislative proposal for years, or with Mr. Cancel.

Over the last couple of decades, he said, lots of great public art has been commissioned that might not be there except for the percent-for-art legislation. Briefly, he explained, the goal of the legislation is to create greater flexibility for developers in the downtown area, and to slightly expand the region where they can spend their public art funds. In some cases, publicly accessible art is not feasible, or the developer doesn’t have the expertise or the capacity to commission it. Planning Commission staff, he explained, acknowledges that they do not have the expertise of Arts Commission staff in this area. The proposed changes would call for the Arts Commission to manage the commissioning process, and would allow developers the option of paying into a public art fund in lieu of actually installing art at their location. He added that the proposal was not about telling developers what art they can choose, but about improving an ongoing process, and serving the interest of citizens in having beautiful, accessible public art in and around downtown.

President Johnston turned to another item in the press, a recent story in the Bay Citizen on the Civic Art Collection. He thought that raising the issue of the Collection was a good thing, and the Commission itself has often pointed out how important the Collection is, and the need for resources for its care and cataloguing. Unfortunately, he said, the article compressed 80 years of history, criticizing the current staff who have made valiant efforts to reverse the effects of years of insufficient staffing and funding. He noted that for several years in the recent past, there was no staff dedicated to the Collection, and before that it was not supported in a comprehensive way. He explained that Collections Senior Registrar Allison Cummings and staff was midway through a comprehensive survey of over 4200 artworks throughout the 47 square miles of San Francisco. He added that it is easy for anyone to see how a big statue in Golden Gate Park is doing, but harder to evaluate a painting in a City office or in General Hospital. While the City was adding objects to its collection throughout the 1930’s, the 1940’s, the 1960’s and the 1970’s, the first registrar wasn’t hired until the 1980’s, and that position was later left vacant for several years. He reiterated that the current Collections staff is doing long hours of intense work to address the longstanding needs. When the thorough survey is complete, he said, the agency can plan its next steps, asking questions about what really belongs in the collection: should the City own small, portable works like jewelry, for example?

President Johnston complained that the article, particularly in the first few paragraphs, suggested that there has been willful neglect, persisting through today. A follow-up article over the past weekend, he thought, had a little more perspective. Noting the constraints of the City budget and procedures, he said that the agency had created ArtCare as a vehicle for private investment in the maintenance of the City’s Collection, but likened it to a parent-teacher association holding a bake sale. While the press attention might strengthen the Arts Commission’s case for more resources for the Collection, he thought it unlikely that the agency would get more money when every department is being asked for a 17.5% budget cut.

Commissioner García-Nakata noted that, as anyone involved with a museum knows, they make choices about what to hold in their collections, and that outside the field, people don’t really understand the huge expense and labor required to maintain a collection. She agreed that appropriate care of the City’s big collection is a challenge in these financial times.

President Johnston noted that while many of the Commissioners come to the Commission with an interest in a particular issue, the small size of the agency requires both Commissioners and staff to grapple with all of the competing interests. As an example, he recalled how hard it was to make the recent decision about dividing Hotel Tax Fund money between grants and Cultural Centers, and observed that each priority had to be considered in relation to the others, not in isolation.

Commissioner García-Nakata thanked staff for their work; President Johnston concurred and said he would request a presentation from Collections staff to the Commission at a future meeting. He applauded Ms. Cummings, Collections Registrar Marcus Davies, Public Art and Collections Manager Carol Marie Daniels, and everyone who helps to manage the program for their efforts to “dig the agency out of the hole.”

Ms. Pontious pointed out that during the period of time between the retirement of Deborah Lehane from Collections management and the hiring of Ms. Cummings and Mr. Davies, a team of staff from several programs took on oversight of the collection in addition to their other responsibilities. That team included Cultural Equity Grants Program Associate Sarah Lenoue, Administration and Civic Design Program Manager Vicky Knoop and Deputy Director Nancy Gonchar, as well as Ms. Pontious and Ms. Daniels. She explained that it was this team that undertook the task of creating a database of the collection now being used to criticize the agency, and she recalled working with Ms. Daniels, in masks and gloves, to remove artworks from the basement of General Hospital. She asserted that although resources were inadequate, the Collection was never ignored, and staff have always worked very hard to do what was right by the City’s Collection.
Director’s Report
Mr. Cancel reported that in April, one of the largest celebrations of public art, the opening of San Francisco Airport’s Terminal Two, was universally acclaimed. He acknowledged Ms. Pontious and the Public Art Program staff for smoothly delivering all of the wonderful public art in the terminal.

Mr. Cancel thanked President Johnston, the Commission and staff for accommodating his and Commissioner García-Nakata’s absences for the National Museum of the American Latino (“NMAL”) Commission over the last year and a half. He said that he had no idea when Mayor Newsom put their names forward to Representative Pelosi how much time would be required. Mr. Cancel explained that in just a few days, the NMAL Commission would present its final report to the president in Washington, DC, recommending locating the museum on the National Mall. He thanked the Commission and staff for their patience and support for this national initiative.

Next, Mr. Cancel asked Director of Grants San San Wong to discuss the studies approved by the Executive Committee at its last meeting, and presented to the Commission in this month’s Consent Calendar. Ms. Wong explained that altogether there are five studies underway, and that she would focus on the two recommended below. These two, she explained, addressed Cultural Equity and the cultural needs of the Asian American and Latino communities, the fastest-growing communities in San Francisco. She briefly mentioned the Americans for the Arts economic impact study, a national study in which San Francisco is one of the participating cities, and the Theatre Bay Area intrinsic impact study, now a national study in which the Arts Commission was an initial investor.

Ms. Wong discussed the history of the Cultural Equity Grants program, which started in 1993. She proposed that this was a good time to reconsider the strategies used by the program, and discussed four strategies: grants as investment; knowledge-building; building partnerships and alliances; increasing visibility. She discussed changing demographics in San Francisco, and in the United States, as revealed in recent census figures; Asian-Americans now represent 33% of San Francisco’s population, and Latinos, 15%. She discussed the complexities of the communities, citing race, age, income, education, culture and subculture, and patterns of migration.

Ms. Wong also discussed the increasing complexity of art and cultural production, including the variety of disciplines and new aesthetics, formal and informal art practices, and the variety of support and organizing structures. She reviewed trends in grantmaking, comparing percentages of grants received by various groups with their representation in the city’s population. She explained that the goal of the two studies on this meeting’s agenda was to increase understanding about the needs of these two growing communities.

Ms. Wong discussed the key questions to be addressed, and the target audiences for the findings, including, in addition to the Arts Commission, other arts and social justice grantmakers, artists and arts organizations and community leaders. She explained that these would be the first two studies of their kind and she expected them to have regional and national, as well as local, impact.

She described the members of the study teams, including the Center for Cultural Innovation (“CCI”), and Helicon Collaborative. She explained that it was important to choose top-notch partners, to make the reports broadly applicable. Ms. Wong said that the team hoped to have results to report for the Arts Forum and the national Grantmakers in the Arts (“GIA”) conference in in San Francisco in the fall.

Mr. Cancel added that the study is being carefully designed so that it can be replicated regionally for the larger Bay area, as well as statewide and nationally, to appeal to potential partners. In response to a question, Ms. Wong explained that the Arts Commission is the sole funder for the San Francisco study, and that she is talking with potential partners, including the San Francisco Foundation. Commissioner García-Nakata suggested that she talk with the Kellogg Foundation, and Ms. Wong replied that she is participating in a national study group with the Kresge and Ford Foundations, and they plan to invite Kellogg to join them. Commissioner Chew was glad to hear that the Arts Commission was taking the lead in this research on two significant and growing groups.

President Johnston said that he had a lot of questions, and though this item was on the Executive Committee’s agenda, he was sorry that he had to leave early and missed the discussion. While he was earlier inclined to sever the motion from the Consent Calendar and refer it back to the Committee, he now thought perhaps the Commission could discuss it at this meeting.

Mr. Cancel replied that timing was critical, and that if the Commission hoped to have some initial findings for the Arts Forum and the GIA conference, the Commission would have to act now. Commissioner García-Nakata added that the GIA conference is a major event, and that the research is badly needed by those working in the field. She said she would be sad to see the agency miss this opportunity, and that she welcomed the input of the Commission.

President Johnston’s concern was that $90,000 is a lot of money. He acknowledged that it was a compelling argument that these are growing populations, though he was doubtful that the case for their importance could not be made before the Arts Forum without this funding. He asked why the Commission had to be the party to foot this bill.

Mr. Cancel explained that for a policy-making agency like the Arts Commission, it was important to create a context, to put some work into developing knowledge that can really inform policy. This research, he said, is not about rehashing demographic information, but diving deep into each community, developing current and clear information about what their needs are, and how and whether the Commission is addressing them. He added that for this fact-finding study, it was important to have really good partners.

Commissioner García-Nakata asked about finding partners to share in the costs. President Johnston asked about the other studies in which the Arts Commission is participating, and Mr. Cancel explained that two of the five (Americans for the Arts and Theatre Bay Area) were big national studies which the Arts Commission was not funding, but was participating by providing information, circulating questionnaires, etc. President Johnston asked about the Center for Cultural Innovation study, and Ms. Wong explained that it was focused solely on Cultural Equity Grants. Mr. Cancel added that after nineteen years, it was appropriate to evaluate the impact and direction of the program.

Commissioner Keehn asked about the funding source for the new studies; Mr. Cancel replied that they were administrative funds. Commissioner Young thought the studies would add important information and answer important questions, although she was concerned about spending the money at the same time the agency might have to consider laying off staff. Commissioner García-Nakata said that the information the studies will provide is really important, and that the Commission should do the studies. She also was interested in seeing who else could support this work.

President Johnston explained that he did not like to pit one-time expenses against ongoing expenses, like grants and collections maintenance. But, he thought, there have been a lot of one-time expenses in recent months. He asked for an example of why it was important to spend these funds on the studies, what the agency needed to know.

Ms. Wong explained that she has been meeting with the heads of other funding organizations, that they don’t want the studies to sit on the shelf but to have impact. She said that people are waiting for these studies to give them the tools to go out and raise more money. She argued that this will raise the Arts Commission’s visibility, and that these kinds of studies are critical to attract credible partners. She added that Latino and Asian arts organizations are not being equitably funded, that the assets and activities that exist are not supported by grants. She reported that a review of the formal 501(c)3 organizations applying to CEG showed that they had decreased from eleven to five. She suggested that this was not because the communities are less vibrant than others, but that they are not entering the grants system, and that it was important to consider the impact of institutionalized racism in funding.

Commissioner García-Nakata said that there was an impact both locally and nationally, and that many philanthropic organizations are turning from funding arts and culture to social justice. She argued that this kind of study helped return the focus to funding these communities by funding the arts. She added that the Ford Foundation and other funders are looking for these studies. She noted that this research was important to small arts organizations to help them make their case, and that it was not a waste of time or money. She said that within the ecology of philanthropy, much of the funding for minority communities in the current economy is rolling over to social justice, and she worried about funding for arts and culture.

President Johnston asked about the relationship between a community growing and its being underserved, and he asked how this research might inform the mayoral discussion. He wondered whether if a community is decreasing, there might not be enough support for their artistic programs.

Mr. Cancel said that the implication is that if a portion of the constituency is growing, but the delivery of services to them is not, this raises a question of equity. He said that this population trend has continued for twenty years, and that it was important to give the data to policymakers in order to address equity.

Commissioner Breitenberg asked about the source of the funds for the studies. Mr. Cancel explained that the agency’s administrative fund has been growing over the last three years, and has not been tapped. These are reserve funds to allow the agency to undertake one-off initiatives, such as these studies and the office move, for example. He emphasized that these were not funds that could be turned to the Cultural Centers, or to grants, maintenance or other ongoing needs. Commissioners asked whether they could be used for staff positions; Mr. Cancel replied that they could not.

Commissioner Breitenberg thought that perhaps the studies could be generative, helping to produce more grant funds, and Commissioner García-Nakata agreed. Commissioner Breitenberg noted that grantmaking is more and more driven by data, and that funders really want to have data, helping them to feel that they’ve made rational decisions.

Commisioner Chew said that this would be important as the first study on the Asian community, where there was little information. He thought it significant that San Francisco, not New York or Los Angeles, would do this research, and he was sure that there was broad interest.

Turning to another matter, in response to Mr. Cancel’s question, President Johnston said that he would also sever the question on the publisher for the 80th anniversary book from the Consent Calendar.

Next, Mr. Cancel drew Commissioners’ attention to the invitation to the ArtCare event honoring attorney Richard Greene for his long service to the arts in San Francisco, including many years on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Mr. Cancel explained that the Peter Voulkos sculpture at Seventh and Bryant Streets, the first sculpture commissioned by art enrichment funds, is also the first to be restored with funds raised by ArtCare. He said that the bronze sculpture has been repatinated and looks fantastic. He explained that for the second year, the San Francisco Fine Art Fair’s opening evening will be a fundraiser for the ArtCare program, and he was hopeful that it would raise more money.

Mr. Cancel announced the next Art in Storefronts kickoff event and reception on Friday, May 13, at Sixth and Market Streets. He thanked partners Hospitality House, Gray Area Foundation, and the luggage store. This round of Art in Storefronts, he explained, coincides with the installation of two temporary public artworks by Black Rock Arts Foundation, and the event will include a performance by Gamelan X and a procession up Market Street. Mr. Cancel thanked Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff and Progam Manager Robynn Takayama for their hard work and creativity to make the event a success.

Mr. Cancel announced that the Arts Commission Gallery would hold a reception on May 12 for the Sydney Sister City exhibition.

Finally, Mr. Cancel announced the Arts Education Program’s annual Young at Art on May 20 at the de Young Museum. He thanked the San Francisco Unified School District for its partnership on the event, adding that last year, there was quite a turnout, with many parents and young people.
Consent Calendar
Items 29 and 34 were severed from the Consent Calendar, and discussed under Committee Reports.

The remaining items were approved as follows.

RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-094:
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. 0502-11-095: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2011.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-096: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of April 12, 2011.
3. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-097: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of April 13, 2011.
4. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-098: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of April 20, 2011.
  
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (April 11, 2011)
5. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-099: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the San Antonio Backup Pipeline, Chemical Facility and Electrical/Control Building.
6. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-100: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Cabrillo Playground and Clubhouse plans, subject to the committee’s requests that Phase 2 incorporate more green area, provide more detail on fencing and plant material for landscaping, show where rubber matting will feature colors and patterns, and consider walls in the area as opportunity for interactive art.
7. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-101: Motion to approve Phases 1 and 2 of Davies Symphony Hall Poster Holders design, on the condition that Phase 3 shows incorporation of audio possibilities for future implementation.
  
  Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Recommendations (April 12, 2011)
8. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-102: Motion to approve recommendations to award thirteen grants totaling $110,395 in the Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions grants to the following organizations and individual artists, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each for the amounts listed:
  
  Individual Artists
  Roberto Hernandez, $7,500
  Kapiolani Lee, $2,520
  Geri Montano, $7,500
  Skye Thorstenson, $7,500
  Laura Lehua Yim, $7,500
  
  Presenting Arts
  Seventh Native American Generation, $7,500
  American Indian Film Institute, $7,125
  Yerba Buena Arts and Events, $7,500
  
  Mini Grant
  Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, $1,000
  
  Building Sustainable Arts
  Galería de la Raza, $14,250
  Friendship House Association of American Indians, $15,000
  The Cultural Conservancy, $13,500
  Ohlone Profiles, $12,000
  
  Street Artists Committee Recommendations (April 13, 2011)
9. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-103: Motion to approve authorization of Program Director to request Board of Supervisors for temporary designation of six (6) months of two (2) selling spaces on the northwest corner of Post Street at Stockton Street, to replace spaces on Geary Street at Stockton Street, impacted by Central Subway construction.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-104: Motion to approve for the Cliff House Lottery the same two-tiered lottery system as that which was approved for the Downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf lotteries by Arts Commission Resolution No. 0207-11-025 on February 7, 2011 for the assignment of street artist selling spaces: (a) a main random drawing for the selection of spaces; and (b) a secondary random drawing for spaces left over from the selection of spaces by the main drawing.
  
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (April 20, 2011)
11. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-105: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential panelists for the Art on Market Street Selection Panel:
  Ellen Oh, Director, Kearny Street Workshop
  Julio Morales, Adjunct Curator, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
  Courtney Fink, Executive Director, Southern Exposure
  Maysoun Wazwaz, Exhibitions Program Manager, Southern Exposure
  Kevin Chen, Program Director, Intersection for the Arts
  Jenifer Wofford, artist
  Thien Pham, artist
  Packard Jennings, artist
  Helena Keeffe, artist
  Stephanie Syjuco, artist
12. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-106: Motion to approve a mosaic tile mural by lead artist Josef Norris at the entrance of Jose Ortega Elementary School located at 400 Sargent Street in the Oceanview District. The mural will be in four separate sections of the tiered entrance. The theme of the mural is the Amazon rain forest.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-107: Motion to approve a mural by lead artist Johanna Poethig for the exterior of 101 Hyde Street Post Office Building. Project sponsor is the North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefit District. The theme is a cultural garden with hummingbirds and musical notes.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-108: Motion to approve restoration of the historic advertising mural, Par-T-Pak Beverages by lead artist Susan Cervantes on the Hotel Warfield building at 118 Taylor Street.
15. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-109: Motion to approve restoration of the historic advertising mural Hotel Warfield by lead artist Susan Cervantes on the Hotel Warfield building at 118 Taylor Street.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-110: Motion to approve the restoration of the historic advertising mural, United Railway Telegraph Schools by lead artist Susan Cervantes above Original Joe’s at 144 Taylor Street.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-111: Motion to approve the restoration of the historic advertising mural, Cola by lead artist Susan Cervantes above Original Joe’s at 144 Taylor Street.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-112: Motion to approve the restoration of the historic advertising mural, Original Joe’s Italian Foods by lead artist Susan Cervantes above Original Joe’s at 144 Taylor Street.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-113: Motion to approve a mural on the retaining wall at 16th Avenue and Kirkham Street. The mural’s garden motif will be painted by Woodside International School students. The project is sponsored by the San Francisco Parks Trust.
20. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-114: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork Topograph, 2011 by Kendall Buster, commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport. Fabricated of powder-coated steel and shade cloth, the hanging sculpture is installed in two parts in the atrium of Terminal 2.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-115: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork Every Beating Second, 2011 by Janet Echelman, commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport. A sculptural installation comprised of powder-coated steel, colored fiber, computer-programmed airflow and colored light, and terrazzo floor, the artwork is installed in Terminal 2, post-security.
22. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-116: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork San Francisco Bay Area Bird Encounters, 2011 by Walter Kitundu, commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport. An installation fabricated of wood, ink and plastic, the artwork consists of a wall mural and two benches located across from Gate 54B in Terminal 2.
23. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-117: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork Air Over Under, 2011 by Norie Sato, commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport. Fabricated of hand-painted and silkscreened glass enamels on float glass, the artwork consists of two large-scale glass façades located on the exterior entrance of Terminal 2.
24. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-118: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork Butterfly Wall, 2011 by Charles Sowers, commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport. An installation comprised of a glass case, steel levers, mechanical butterflies, motors and custom electronics, the artwork is located in the children’s play area in Terminal 2.
25. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-119: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential panelists for the Public Safety Building Artist Selection Panel:
  Gary Garrels, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  Janet Bishop, Curator of Painting and Sculpture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  Alison Gass, Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  Dara Solomon, Curator, Contemporary Jewish Museum
26. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-120: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contractual relationship with artists Ernest Jolly and Terry Berlier who will each receive a $1,200 honorarium for their upcoming art installations at the SFAC Gallery window installation site at 155 Grove Street.
27. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-121: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contractual relationship with artist Elizabeth Axtman who will receive a $1,500 honorarium for her artistic contributions to the SFAC Gallery exhibition, Three Solo Projects: Elizabeth Axtman, David Huffman & Travis Somerville.
28. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-122: Motion to approve the revised selection process for Art on Market Street poster series and theme for the 2012 poster series.
29. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-123: Motion to approve the project outline plan for artwork at Pier 92 for the Port.
30. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-124: Motion to approve the project outline for the SOMA West Skate Park.
31. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-125: Motion to approve public art program outline for Cabrillo Clubhouse.
  
  Executive Committee Recommendations (April 25, 2011)
32. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-126: Motion to award an Innovations in Strengthening the Arts grant, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreement with California Lawyers for the Arts in the amount of $5,000 for the start-up of a new state-of-the-art e-learning system which will provide affordable business and legal presentations by expert attorneys to artists and arts organizations, including live and archived webinars.
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
  1. President Johnston returned to the discussion of funding for the Asian and Latino arts and culture studies. Saying that he didn’t want to belabor his concern about the amount of money to be spent on the studies, he admitted that some of his colleagues knew a great deal more about grantmaking than he did. He thought the point of having the research for the Grantmakers in the Arts conference made sense, though he was less convinced about its importance for Arts Forum. He wasn’t convinced that singling out these two populations was the best way to address cultural equity as he understood it. At the same time, he did not wish to be so focused on details as to limit the ability of staff to manage discretionary funds.
    
    Commissioner Young said that she trusted staff, including the Director, to recommend the best course for the Commission, adding that the current studies were more of a priority for her than the one approved some months ago. She was, however, concerned that if something comes up and the agency needs to use discretionary funds, they won’t be available; she worried about what might come next.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata argued that when times are financially challenging, you can either make the case for a larger pie or guard the pie you have. She asserted that this decision was about making the case for a larger pie. She cautioned against getting stuck, and reiterated the importance of updating knowledge and information about arts and culture in various communities, to expand the pool of resources.
    
    Commissioner Chow asked about other partners who wanted this information, and asked who might be called upon to help fund the studies. Mr. Cancel replied that interest in the studies is not only local, but statewide and national. He added that the Irvine Foundation and others have reduced or eliminated their funding within San Francisco, and it was unlikely that anyone else would step forward to help with the modest cost of the studies. Commissioner Keehn asked about the San Francisco Foundation; Ms. Wong said it was possible, that they were interested but have been shifting funding to safety net programs. She said that these studies would help them put money back into arts and culture.
    
    Commissioner Smith asked whether the research could be done in-house. Mr. Cancel said that the agency didn’t have the bandwidth, staff or time to do so, and that it had to be outsourced. Commissioner Breitenberg added that an independent organization was important for the credibility of the studies.
    
    President Johnston thought that if it were simply a question of comparing changes in population with funding over the period 1990 to 2010, staff could do that. Commissioner Breitenberg demurred that having a separate organization doing the research was even more important than just the data, and that good data could serve as leverage, helping to raise additional funds.
    
    Mr. Cancel agreed that this was a way to influence policymakers and corporate philanthropy. He argued that if someone takes the first step, beginning to clarify the changing picture, some will step up right away, and others will pause to commission additional studies.
    
    Commissioner Keehn agreed that the research needs to be done by an independent organization. She asked whether these were the kinds of questions that will leverage funds, and suggested that other issues, like security and global warming, for example, needed to be weighed along with cultural equity and the safety net. She asked how to be sure the studies would ask for the kind of information that the Arts Commission needs.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata said that the San Francisco Foundation, a community foundation, is struggling to know the community as well as to fund it. She thought they didn’t necessarily have a desire to look at these two populations. She thought that the arts and culture are not necessarily separate from serving human needs. Acknowledging that it seemed like a lot of money, she thought it would be important for San Francisco to take the lead in the national GIA, that it would make a national impact. She reinterated that the field is hungry for studies like this, and said that they usually cost $175,000 or more. She said that the Center for Cultural Innovation was one of the top organizations in the field and had worked on some important studies.
    
    Ms. Wong explained that a lot of time has been spent trying to clarify and simplify the questions. She said that philanthropic organizations don’t know whom to invest in, whom to trust, how best to fund. She argued that in these communities, arts and culture are not separate from human services, and it is a loaded question where to put grant funding.
    
    Vice President Beltran said that funders are looking for measurable outcomes; for example, after underserved students participated in a class, so many of them decided to go to college. She said that funders are looking for measures of the impact of their grantmaking.
    
    Ms. Wong said that in the 21st century, immigration is on the rise and communities are expressing their concerns through arts and culture.
    
    Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Director Jennie Rodriguez spoke, saying that some information on these communities has already been gathered, and said that she has not been approached by anyone for a survey. She urged the Commission to take the Cultural Centers into consideration, and asked what the purpose and expectations for the studies were. She said that the centers and other organizations needed funding and resources for technical assistance and professional development. She asked how the communities would benefit once the studies were completed.
    
    Mr. Cancel said that only the first steps had been taken, and that the studies could not be launched without the approval of the Commission. He added that a number of organizations, including the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (“NALAC”) and the California Cultural Data Project (“CCDP”) would be used to gather data, and that Ms. Rodriguez is on the list of people the study would engage.
    
    Commissioner Keehn asked whether the study came more from the needs of the philanthropic community rather than as a request from the communities. Ms. Wong replied that the request has arisen within the communities, but not in a structured or organized way, and not aggregated in groups. She said that individual voices have been heard, particularly by CEG. She said that the need is also coming from the philanthropic community, where funders don’t always know where they should make grants.
    
    Commissioner Sklar said that this would be an image of a point in time, and thought it was too bad the studies would not be longitudinal. She said that if the Commission were to pursue an ongoing study, that data would be the Commission’s, an important insight into an ongoing dynamic issue.
    
    President Johnston agreed that a living study would be useful. Ms. Wong agreed that with the data points in place, the Commission could revisit the issue in three years to see what changes.
    
    Commissioner Chew said that these studies would be great tools for the organization, and that the $90,000 expenditure is a “two-fer,” only $45,000 for each of the two populations.
    
    President Johnston called for a vote on the motion.
    
    The motion was approved by roll call vote as follows:
    Aye: Commissioners Johnston, Beltran, Breitenberg, Chew, Chow, García-Nakata, Keehn, Sklar
    Nay: Commissioner Smith, Stryker, Young
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-127: Motion to award an Innovations in Strengthening the Arts grant from the Administration Fund, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreement with the Center for Cultural Innovation in the amount of $90,000 to commission two studies about artistic and cultural production in San Francisco’s Asian American and Latino communities, the city’s two fastest-growing ethnic populations.
    
    (Commissioner Sklar left the meeting at 4:35.)
    
    Mr. Cancel described the proposed book commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Arts Commission in 2012. He explained that Susan Wels was writing the bulk of the book, that former Arts Commissioner Jeannene Przyblyski was writing an essay on the highlights of the Civic Art Collection, that photographer Michael Rauner was taking large-format negatives of key artworks, and that Mr. Cancel himself was writing a chapter on the history of public support for arts and culture.
    
    He explained that the Commission has received publishing proposals from two well-respected publishers based in the Bay area, University of California Press (“UC”) and Heyday. He reviewed the terms of the offers, noting that the economic terms from the two publishers were very similar. He thought the most critical difference was that Heyday would commit to delivering the book at the beginning of March in their spring catalogue, while UC would deliver the book on May 1, but include it in their fall catalogue. This would mean a substantial period when the public could not get the book except by buying it directly from the Arts Commission. Mr. Cancel recommended, primarily because of the release date, choosing Heyday as the publisher, and solicited the Commission’s thoughts.
    
    Commissioners discussed the merits of the two publishers’ offers. Commissioner Breitenberg asked about the audience, and whether the book was intended to have a broad audience; he thought UC had a broader reach. Commissioner Keehn thought the terms were good, and said that in her own recent publishing decision, she had chosen a spring release over fall. She thought that the fall date would be better for holiday sales to the general public.
    
    Mr. Cancel explained that the anniversary date for the Arts Commission is January 21, and that many events are planned from the beginning of the year. He thought that Heyday’s publicity would allow the agency to take advantage of the rollout over several months. If the book is released by UC in the fall, there would be only one major Arts Commission event after the release, then the anniversary year would be over.
    
    Commissioners discussed distribution and marketing plans from the two publishers, observing that while UC has a certain imprimatur and gravitas, Heyday may be better able to actively promote the book to its real audience. The consensus was that the book could do well with either publisher, but the earlier release date was the deciding factor.
    
    The motion to select Heyday was approved unanimously as follows.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-128: Motion to select Heyday as the publisher for the 80th anniversary book on the San Francisco Arts Commission.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. Commissioner Smith reported that the Committee spent most of its time discussing Central Subway stations. They have encouraged the design team to do much more work developing the Chinatown station.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherri Young, Chair
  1. Commissioner Young reported that the Committee heard a report on the Cultural Centers and their facilities, including damaged roofs and walls, and recognized that the Commission is not in compliance with its leases with the tenant organizations regarding health and safety.
    
    (Commissioner Smith left the meeting at 4:50 p.m.)
    
    Commissioner Young reported the exciting news that WritersCorps was invited back to the White House for Poetry Night on May 9 by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. WritersCorps Program Manager Melissa Hung and four young writers (Anna Lei, Hong Truong, Raeme Miccio Gavino and Yasmin Bhatti) will participate in the event at the White House.
    
    Commissioner Young reported that African American Art and Culture Complex Director London Breed won a grant of $50,000 from AT&T for the center, and that they had sold an artwork by Fela Kute for several thousand dollars. President Johnston added that the shrinking African American population in the city raises a question about how the African American Art and Culture Complex is sustained into the future. He added that the African American Shakespeare Company’s production of Twelfth Night was a great show.
    
    Commissioner Young added that Ms. Wong and Cultural Equity Grants Interim Program Associate Jaime Cortez reported on the Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions grants program, noting that the program was conceived partly as a path for Native artists and arts organizations to the general Cultural Equity Initiatives grants. Commissioner Young reported that of eighteen applicants, fourteen were funded, and only four were returning applicants; she explained that staff intended to study why more applicants were not returning to the program.
    
    Finally, she reported that the Committee was very interested to see presentations from grantees, including a visual artist creating a piece based on the Mayan calendar.
4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
  1. Commissioner Chew reported that the Committee met on April 15, approving two items on this meeting’s Consent Calendar, regarding temporary spaces, and the lottery. He briefly described the work made by the returning artists named in the motion below, including silkscreened clothing, leatherwork, sculpture, jewelry, photography, and baby clothing and shoes.
    
    Commissioner Chew presented the following motions.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-129: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Vicky Carp, Bo Svensson, Wan Zhu Liu, Kathy Hallinan, Valery Fargo, Steven Leslie Cox, James Barchard, Nicholas Sanguinetti, Sak Yee, Xing Zhi Yuan, Sherri Nessenson.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-130: Motion to approve request by applicant for waiver of 15-day requirement for obtaining a certificate: Victoria Russell, Oscar Carrasco, Rosa Carrasco.
5. Visual Arts Committee—Lorraine García-Nakata, Chair
  1. Commissioner García-Nakata presented the following motion, corrected from the withdrawn item 29 in the Consent Calendar. She explained that the Commission had previously authorized the contract with artist Colette Crutcher.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0502-11-131: Motion to approve the revised conceptual design for the artwork by Colette Crutcher for the exterior of the Chinese Recreation Center.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee had continued to discuss the proposed revision to the Planning Code, and would do so again. She reported that they also discussed a project currently under discussion with the Public Utilities Commission. She hoped that the presidents of the two commissions would be able to discuss it and address some concerns that the PUC has expressed.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee discussed several other projects that are moving along, including upcoming Gallery shows, Art on Market Street posters and their selection process, the design for the Chinese Recreation Center, a project at Pier 92 with Port funding, potential art opportunities at SOMA West, and an ocean-themed artwork at the historic Cabrillo playhouse.
    
    Finally, she added that President Johnston was continuing to follow up with the proposed revision to the Planning Code. He said that this was a major issue, and it would continue to be discussed at both the Visual Arts Committee and the Executive Committee.
Public Comment
There was no other public comment.
New Business
There was no new business.
Reports and Announcements
Vice President Beltran announced that the current issue of the San Francisco Arts quarterly included a long article about the Arts Commission for which she had been interviewed.

There were no other reports or announcements.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:07 p.m.

7/8/11 spr