July 2, 2012 | San Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - July 2, 2012

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, July 2, 2012
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

Minutes

In the absence of Commission President JD Beltran, Vice President Sherene Melania called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
JD Beltran, President
Sherene Melania, Vice President
Mark Breitenberg
John Calloway
Gregory Chew
Leo Chow
Amy Chuang
Charles Collins
Roberto Ordeñana
Kimberlee Stryker
Ron Miguel, ex officio
Commissioners Absent
Dorka Keehn
Jessica Silverman
Barbara Sklar
Cass Calder Smith
Approval of Minutes
President Beltran announced that because Commissioner Ordeñana’s employer, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center, rents space to the Queer Cultural Center, she would sever item 21 of the Consent Calendar to allow him to recuse himself from voting on that item. Commissioner Collins said that two items on the Consent Calendar named pool panelists for Central Subway projects, and a few of those were staff at the Museum of Modern Art, where he serves on the board of directors. He therefore requested that items 5 and 7 be severed to allow him to recuse himself from voting on those two items. President Beltran agreed.
Turning to the June 4 minutes, President Beltran called for public comment.

Ray Hartz of San Francisco Open Government said he objected to the last paragraph of the minutes. He acknowledged that the text is correct, but said it was a sanitized version of what happened. He said that, actually, on three occasions, Commissioner Smith said “time’s up” when the time wasn’t up. He said that the Commissioner asked whether he had the right to comment, and that if he had studied the Sunshine Ordinance, he would know that he did have that right. Mr. Hartz said that the phrases used by Commissioner Smith, “someone like you” and “Mr. Whoever-you-are,” were insulting. He quoted the Commissioner’s coarse language, and said that if he had used the same language, the Commission wouldn’t hesitate to call the Sheriff. He said that the language was totally inappropriate. Mr. Hartz quoted the Commissioner’s comment that he would “go out of (his) way to see that he would not be part of the process.” Mr. Hartz asked whether this was a threat, not to allow someone to make public comment or attend public meetings. He told the Commissioners that they each take a oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and its First Amendment protects free speech and the right to petition government, including the Arts Commission, for redress of grievances. He said that if someone says they don’t like what the Commission is doing, those dissenting opinions are protected; when someone makes positive comments, those don’t have to be protected. He said that Commissioner Smith’s comment was abusive, and sends the message to anyone sitting in the audience or listening to the audio recording of the meeting that the Arts Commission can be abusive if they don’t like what is being said.

Peter Warfield of Library Users Association agreed with the previous speaker that the minutes were deficient in reporting Commissioner Smith’s comments. He said he understood wanting to be diplomatic, and that everything Mr. Hartz had said was correct, and none of it was included in the minutes. He read from the minutes, and said they gave no clue of what was said to someone who might want to go to the recording. He said that the comments were insulting and intimidating to the speaker and to the general public, and that the Commission has an obligation to give members of the public an opportunity to speak and to listen to them. He questioned whether members of the public would feel welcome or would be allowed to make public comment disagreeing with something the Commission said.

Turning to item 5 in the minutes, Mr. Warfield said that he has come repeatedly to the Commission to discuss the “Bernal Heights Branch Library historic multicultural Victor Jara mural,” and he repeated that description. He said that the minutes did not reflect that the mural was community-created, and this needs to be said, as that’s what the discussion was about. He said that under item 7, there was no reference to the mural, and it needs to be stated.

There was no further public comment and the minutes were approved as submitted.

RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-191: Motion to approve June 4, 2012 Minutes.
President’s Report
President Beltran acknowledged the public comments, and emphatically stated that the Commission deeply respects the contribution of the public in its process. She said that every member of the public, by legislation, has three minutes to speak, except if there are many members of the public who wish to speak, comments may be limited to two minutes. She said that the Commission welcomes public comment, whether Commissioners agree with it or not, because the public is part of the process. She said that the incident at the previous meeting was unfortunate, and regretted that she was not present. She said that she and Mr. DeCaigny will take this opportunity to meet with each Commissioner individually to review their obligations under the Sunshine ordinance, and their obligation to treat members of the public with the utmost respect. She understood that Mr. DeCaigny had discussed the incident with Commissioner Smith, who apologized.
On another subject, President Beltran reported that just a few days earlier, the Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) celebrated the opening of its new $146,000,000 building. She reported that Arts Commission staff worked with the PUC to help select and install permanent public art in the building. She showed video of Macarthur “genius” honoree Ned Kahn’s artwork, Firefly, on the outside of the building. She explained that the piece contains tens of thousands of luminescent polycarbonate scales attached to a panel, which are activated by wind currents, and she noted that the area is quite a wind tunnel. In the daytime video, she pointed out how the rippling surface reflects the wind, and in the nighttime video, she pointed out the flickering LED lights activated by the movement of the scales. President Beltran noted that PUC Director Ed Harrington specifically acknowledged Arts Commission staff for their work in bringing the outstanding art to both the inside and the outside of the new building.

Mr. DeCaigny noted that the entire Firefly artwork consumes no more energy than a 75-watt light bulb, and that the new building is one of the preeminent green buildings in the nation. He, too, commended Director of Legislative and Special Initiatives Jill Manton and Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious and the entire Public Art team for their work on the building.

President Beltran reported that the Public Art Program staff was honored at the annual meeting of Americans for the Arts’ Public Art Network with two awards for the best public art in the country in 2011. She reported that over 500 pieces were juried, and the national organization chose only fifty. The two artworks honored were Walter Kitundu’s interactive musical installation in the children’s play area, and Norie Sato’s glass façade screen, Air Over Under, both at San Francisco Airport Terminal 2.

President Beltran called for public comment.

Public Comment:

Mr. Warfield thanked her for her report. He recalled being fascinated by a wind-sensitive artwork from a theater in New York City where he grew up, which reminded him of Mr. Kahn’s artwork. He said he thought there was an artwork that similarly used windpower at one of the BART stations.

There was no further public comment.

President Beltran confirmed that there is another artwork by Ned Kahn, Wind Portal, at the San Francisco Airport BART station. She added that another similar Kahn piece, a 15-square-foot panel, is on the side of a building at Howard and Fourth streets. She said that this was the first in this body of work, and used reflective silver-colored disks. She suggested he was influenced by the signage on Alhambra Water delivery trucks, and was glad to see his translation of that idea into art. Commissioner Chew said that art imitates advertising, explaining that his former boss had designed the reflective signage for Alhambra.
Director’s Report
Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny reported that June had been an eventful month. Beginning with strategic planning, he reported that the Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for a consultant has been issued, with a deadline of July 16. He hoped to select a consultant by mid-August, and to begin work in the fall. He explained that the strategic planning process will have a phased approach, including both traditional and innovative means of engaging the community broadly, in multiple languages and with cultural competency. He reported that the contract amount is expected to be $150,000 to $200,000, for a period of at least eighteen months, and up to two years. He explained that this will include not only extensive community engagement, but also work with staff and City partners, and fifty hours of ongoing coaching support in the second year to help staff implement the plan and meet benchmarks in a timely and accountable process.
He explained that the goal is a four-year plan, with some ten-year components: a capital facility plan for the Cultural Centers, and for the care and restoration of the Civic Art Collection and its ongoing cultural preservation. He hoped that the planning process would identify resources in the City’s capital plan and private funding. Other deliverables include: guidelines for art enrichment funds under the new Public Art Trust as Planning Code Section 429; a comprehensive arts education policy, in light of possible renewal of voter-approved public education enrichment funds; and an arts plan for the partnership with the Public Utilities Commission for their arts enrichment funds, all of which are generated by aboveground development. Mr. DeCaigny explained that for the first time, the PUC will allocate 65% of the funds to Community Arts and Education, engaging the community to help direct the funds to where the need is greatest. He added that the Arts Commission will also work with the philanthropic sector, and that the Hewlett Foundation has already committed $75,000 for planning; these funds would not otherwise come to the City. He pointed out that this will call for reporting outcomes, and other documentation, and added that he will be seeking additional support from other private funders to underwrite the remaining costs.

Mr. DeCaigny recalled that the 2011 Controller’s Review critiqued the grant to the Center for Cultural Innovation (“CCI”), which paid for evaluation of Cultural Equity Grants and initiated studies of the Asian and Latino arts ecosystems in San Francisco with an eye to determining how best to address underserved needs in those communities. He reminded the Commission that these funds were frozen shortly after President Beltran assumed the Interim Director position. Since then, Arts Commission staff has worked closely with CCI, who have submitted the preliminary materials they prepared, which will inform the strategic planning process. They have also submitted a check to the Arts Commission as a refund of the unspent funds, which will now be put towards strategic planning.

Turning to staff performance reviews, Mr. DeCaigny reported that the timeline has been extended through July to accommodate staff vacations and transitions. The reviews will cover broad skill sets, such as communication, as well as the specific duties for each position.

Speaking of transitions, Mr. DeCaigny announced the departure of two Arts Commission staff: Kan Htun and San San Wong. Mr. Htun served as Finance Manager for the Arts Commission, and Mr. DeCaigny noted that he will now be able to enjoy the artwork, placed with the help of Arts Commission staff, at the new PUC building, since he has transferred to the PUC. Mr. DeCaigny acknowledged Mr. Htun’s service, and said that he will be greatly missed. Ms. Wong, who has served as Cultural Equity Grants Program Director, is joining the Barr Foundation as its first senior program officer for the arts; Mr. DeCaigny likewise acknowledged and thanked her for her service to the Arts Commission.

He explained that he is now working closely with the Cultural Equity Grants staff to plan for this transition. He expected the grant guidelines for the coming cycle to be published in August. He explained that he proposed hiring an interim director for the program for the coming year while the agency goes through strategic planning, and then hiring a permanent program director in 2013. He emphasized that this is a critical program and it is important to keep the grant cycle moving on schedule, and he promised to keep the Commission and the public updated.

On other human resources matters, Mr. DeCaigny reported that the position vacated by Mr. Htun would be reclassified to 1654, one step down, since the agency again has a Deputy Director to serve as Chief Financial Officer to direct the accounting team. He explained that the accounting team was being restructured, allocating responsibilities by function rather than by program; this aligns with the Controller’s recommendations.

Mr. DeCaigny reported that the six-month follow-up on the Controller’s report was coming up, and that staff was developing reports on progress on each of the recommendations in preparation for a comprehensive response to the Conroller. He said he would report to the Executive Committee and the full Commission once the Controller’s review and the agency’s responses were completed.

Regarding the budget, Mr. DeCaigny reported that the Budget Analyst’s office had no recommendations for changes, and the Arts Commission was not required to go back to the Board of Supervisors to defend its budget, so he expected that it would be approved as presented by the Mayor’s office. He was pleased that this would allow the agency to address longstanding issues reflected in the organization chart, and to provide a path for promotion for several positions. He added that the Mayor and the Board were recommending a one-percent (now two-percent) increase to nonprofit City grantees for their cost of doing business.

Mr. DeCaigny reported that the recent celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Street Artists Program had been well-covered by the press, and he played a video clip from NBC Bay Area that ran several times over the weekend. President Beltran reported that Ray Taliaferro, a former president of the Arts Commission who was instrumental in the program’s beginning, was present at the celebration. President Beltran noted that San Francisco was first with this kind of program, and over 9,000 artists have participated over the forty years. She praised both Program Director Howard Lazar, who has been with the program from the start, and Program Associate Alyssa Licouris, who joined the staff a few years ago. She also acknowledged Ms. Pontious and Public Art staff for their fine work on the Ned Kahn piece.

Public Comment:

Mr. Hartz said that after his naval career, he went into consulting and teaching for the University of Hawaii, working on performance and employee development. He said that although times change and organizations change, it is unfortunately not always the practice of organizations to get their employees to change. He commended the Arts Commission on the strategic plan, and on the several items over the last few months dealing with staff. He said that these were important not only to address the issues raised in the Controller’s report, but that people need to understand how they fit into the organization. He said that in 1989, Hawaii instituted a new state employee appraisal process, the first such change since statehood in 1959. He said that the state had to sell each union on the process, which was a big effort. He said that this called for sitting down with each employee and let them know if they were doing well, and if not, to help them to improve. He reported that 50% of the problems that came up were communication problems, 30% were minor administrative changes, and when the policies were explained, things would go okay. He said that perhaps 15% required minor adjustment, and maybe 5% a major adjustment. He said that as a result of this, employees had buy-in, and were able to cooperate as a team.

Mr. Warfield thanked Mr. DeCaigny for an interesting report. He wanted to comment specifically on the strategic plan, and added that the Executive Committee heard his comments earlier. He said that it was important for the full Commission to know his concerns. He said that planning is an expensive process, and his concern was that the Commission is potentially being made into a spectator to what is quintessentially its responsibility. He said that the Commission is a policy body, reviewing what will be done in the future. He questioned the role the Commission had in defining the RFP for outside vendors to respond to. Other commissions, he said, exercise supervision to set what the agency will be paying for. He said that if the Arts Commission has some outside body, some kind of professionals, helping with setting policy, the Commission should have an understanding of what is being requested. He said that he heard that the planning process will reexamine the entire agency. He said that normally there is a reason or problem, or perceived problem, that causes a major planning process. He said that he hasn’t heard what that problem is. He said that he would like to see the Commission bring back the outdoor art festival, a wonderful way to use the City Hall plaza. He said that he was concerned that a hidden agenda was being advanced.

Stephen Worsley, founder of Coit Depression Preservationists, and a third-generation North Beach artist, announced an event at Live Worms Gallery on July 11, which he would be catering. He said that Rebecca Wolford Design was hosting the party, to celebrate the forty years that artists like her have been selling their work on the streets, and he invited everyone to come by.

There was no further public comment.
Consent Calendar
President Beltran said that she would sever items 7 and 21, regarding Central Subway panelists and Cultural Center grant advances, respectively, from the Consent Calendar to allow Commissioners Collins and Ordeñana to recuse themselves because of potential conflicts.
Public Comment:

Mr. Warfield asked about the conflicts.

There was no further public comment.

President Beltran explained that Commissioner Collins is on the board of directors of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts (“MOMA”), and two of the panelists named in item 7 are MOMA employees.

The Commission voted to excuse Commissioner Collins and he left the room.

The Commission approved the following motion, with the recusal of Commissioner Collins.

RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-199: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential panelists for the Central Subway Public Art Projects Selection Panels:
Lucinda Barnes, Chief Curator and Director of Programs and Collections, Berkeley Art Museum
Janet C. Bishop, Curator of Painting and Sculpture, SFMOMA
Abby Chen, Program Director, Chinese Culture Center
Kevin B. Chen, Program Director, Intersection for the Arts
René de Guzman, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California
Courtney Fink, Executive Director, Southern Exposure
Gary Garrels, Elise S. Haas Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture, SFMOMA
Betti-Sue Hertz, Director of Visual Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Jens Hoffmann, Director of the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts at the California College of the Arts
Hou Hanru, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs, San Francisco Art Institute
Chuck Mobley, Director, Camerawork
Julio César Morales, Adjunct Curator, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Ellen Oh, Program Administrator, Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Stanford University
Susan O’Malley, Curator and Print Center Director, San Jose ICA
Renny Pritikin, Director of the Richard Nelson Gallery at UC Davis
Larry Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Dara Solomon, Curator, Contemporary Jewish Museum
Grace C. Stanislaus, Executive Director, Museum of the African Diaspora
Catherine Wagner, Artist and Professor of Art, Mills College

Commissioner Collins returned to the meeting room.

Turning to item 21, the Cultural Center grant advances, President Beltran separated the advances into two motions, and took up only the portion related to AAACC and QCC.

Commissioner Ordeñana explained that the African American Art and Culture Complex (“AAACC”) is a fiscal sponsor for Queer Cultural Center (“QCC”), which rents space from the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center, his employer. Deputy City Attorney Adine Varah said that this conflict has been addressed in the past and is a recurring issue, so the Commission did not need to vote again on his recusal.

Commissioner Ordeñana left the room, and President Beltran called for public comment on the motion.

Public Comment:

London Breed, Executive Director of AAACC, thanked the Commission for the opportunity to speak. She was excited to report on changes happening every day at AAACC, and was happy to welcome QCC as a fiscally-sponsored organization, noting that AAACC has hosted part of QCC’s annual festival for the past three years. She reported that in the past, AAACC’s programs have focused mostly on children, particularly in the summer, but this year, there are also many evening events and performances. She invited everyone to performances on July 20 and August 9, to get a picture of what the center does all year. She was honored to be associated with so many amazing artists, and to welcome QCC. She thanked the Commission for its support and hoped to see everyone at the center.

There was no further public comment.

President Beltran recalled that the Commission was pleased to meet at AAACC a few months ago, and congratulated Ms. Breed on fantastic programming.

The Commission approved the following motion, with the recusal of Commissioner Ordeñana.

RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-213: Motion to authorize advances totaling $149,082 to the African American Art & Culture Complex (including $124,915 to African American Art and Culture Complex and $24,167 to Queer Cultural Center as subgrantee of African American Art and Culture Complex) for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, based on the prior year’s total grant allocation, and pending approval of the City budget.

Commissioner Ordeñana returned to the meeting room.

President Beltran called for a vote on the remaining Consent Calendar; it was approved as follows.

RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-192:
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. 0702-12-193: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of June 18, 2012.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-194: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of June 20, 2012.
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (June 18, 2012)
3. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-195: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the San Francisco Groundwater Supply—South Windmill Well Station.
4. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-196: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the Bayview Opera House—ADA and Plaza Improvements with the condition that the development of the bridge design and model are presented prior to Phase 3 review.
5. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-197: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the San Francisco International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and Integrated Facility with the contingency that there be a work session prior to Phase 3 to look into alternatives for the exposed truss, create a more solid railing on the top edge of the tower, and examine the placement of louvers as they relate to the patterns on the exterior of the tower.
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (June 20, 2012)
6. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-198: Motion to approve a modification to the selection process and timeline to include a review by a panel of arts professionals of the applicants to the following new Central Subway public art projects: Chinatown Station—Crosscut Cavern Wall; Moscone Station—Ticketing Hall Wall; Moscone Station—Entry Plaza Sculpture and Union Square Station—Elevator and Deck Glass.
7. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-200: Motion to approve the following Tnemec paint colors for Nobuho Nagasawa’s installation at Islais Creek: Cleats, “Moss”; Bell Frame Support: “Weeping Willow”; Ship: “International Orange”; Bell: blackened raw treatment.
8. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-201: Motion to approve the revised designs by Julie Chang for the Art on Market Street Poster Series 2012-2013.
9. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-202: Motion to approve the revised designs by Christina Empedocles for the Art on Market Street Poster Series 2012-2013.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-203: Motion to approve Susie Cagle, Amy Faville, Sanaz Mazinani, Robert Minervini, Lordy Rodriguez and Mark Ulriksen as finalists for the Art on Market Street Posters Series 2013-2014 as recommended by the Art on Market Street Selection Panel.
11. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-204: : Motion to approve curator honorarium payments in the amount of $700 each to the following individuals for the creation of free public programming for the SFAC Gallery’s current exhibition, FAX: Anne Colvin, Kevin Killian, Colter Jacobsen and Adrienne Skye Roberts.
12. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-205: Motion to approve artist honorarium payments for the production of newly commissioned work for the upcoming SFAC Gallery exhibition, Visible Horizon, in the amount of $700 each for the following artists: Andrew Chapman, Chris Duncan and Rhonda Holberton.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-206: Motion to approve the revised design by Paul Kos for an artwork for the Community Plaza at the new Public Safety Building.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-207: Motion to approve the revised design by Shimon Attie for a police memorial artwork in the lobby of the new Public Safety Building.
15. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-208: Motion to increase Attie Art Projects LLC (aka Scott/Shimon Attie) contract for a police memorial artwork in the lobby of the new Public Safety Building from $192,500 by $150,000 for a total amount of $342,500 for design development and construction documents.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-209: Motion to approve revised program plan and budget for Boarding Area E.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-210: Motion to rescind Resolution #1101-04-233, which approved the deaccessioning of Masquerade in Black (Accession #1980.6) by Jay DeFeo. The artwork will remain in the Civic Art Collection.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-211: Motion to approve artist Carmen Lomas Garza as recommended by the 17th and Folsom Park Public Art Selection Panel for an artwork at 17th and Folsom Park.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-212: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Carmen Lomas Garza for design of an artwork for 17th and Folsom Park in an amount not to exceed $22,480.
  Executive Committee Recommendations (July 2, 2012)
20. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-214: Motion to authorize advances totaling $379,170 to the following Cultural Centers for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, based on the prior year’s total grant allocation, and pending approval of the City budget, in the following amounts:
  Bayview Opera House, $77,915
  Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, $130,731
  SOMArts Cultural Center, $170,524 (including $146,357 to SOMArts Cultural Center, and $24,167 to Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center as subgrantee of SOMArts Cultural Center)
21. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-215: Motion to revise Resolution No. 0507-12-152 due to clerical error in total grant calculation and grant amount for ABADA Capoeira. The corrected motion is as follows:
  Motion to enter into grant agreements to award 42 grants totaling $467,640 in the 2011-2012 Organization Project Grants cycle and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with the following organizations for the amounts listed:
  
  3rd i South Asian Independent Film Festival, $11,260
  ABADA Capoeira San Francisco, $11,850
  Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, $11,850
  Campo Santo, $11,260
  Center for the Art of Translation, $11,850
  Charming Hostess, $11,850
  Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, $10,690
  Clerestory, $8,690
  Croatian American Cultural Center, $11,850
  CubaCaribe, $11,850
  Dancers’ Group, $11,850
  Eldergivers, $10,690
  EXIT Theater, $11,850
  Garret Moulton Productions, $11,850
  Genryu Arts/Gen Taiko, $11,850
  Intersection for the Arts, $11,850
  Jess Curtis/Gravity, $11,850
  Joe Goode Performance Group, $11,850
  Kearny Street Workshop, $11,250
  Kulintang Arts, Inc., $11,850
  Litquake, $11,850
  Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, $11,850
  ME’DI.ATE, $11,850
  Museum of Craft and Folk Art, $11,850
  National Japanese American Historical Society, $11,850
  Out of Site: Center for Arts Education, $11,850
  PlayGround, $11,850
  Playwrights Foundation, $11,850
  Post Ballet, $11,850
  Queer Rebel Productions, $6,600
  Root Division, $11,250
  San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, $11,850
  San Francisco Friends of Chamber of Music, $11,850
  San Francisco Transgender Film Festival (Tranny Fest), $5,090
  Scott Wells and Dancers, $11,850
  Shadowlight Productions, $11,850
  Small Press Traffic Literary Arts Center, $11,850
  Stepology, $11,850
  Voice of Witness, $11,850
  Women’s Audio Mission, $11,850
  Writers Among Artists, $1,660
  Yerba Buena Arts and Events, $11,850
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee
  1. President Beltran reported that the Committee had met immediately prior to this meeting, and approved two major items: the advances to the Cultural Centers and the correction of a clerical error in the Cultural Equity Organizational Project Grants, both just approved by the full Commission in the Consent Calendar. She added that the remainder of the discussion was covered in Mr. DeCaigny’s report.
    There was no public comment.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Chow reported that the Committee met on June 18 with all members present. He reported that they had reviewed a range of projects illustrating the diversity of activity in San Francisco. He reported that the Committee reviewed a groundwater well near the southern windmill; this is part of the PUC’s ongoing upgrade of the city’s water supply. The Committee like the project, finding it very sensitive to the setting and existing buildings.
    He reported that the second project was the Americans with Disabilities (“ADA”) and plaza improvements to Bayview Opera House, a positive contribution to the facility and the community. He said that the Committee found the work to be very high quality, and the team did a very good job creating a good place and integrating the ADA technical requirements into the design.
    
    Third, he reported on the new airport traffic control tower at San Francisco Airport, which the Committee found very interesting. They thought the team was doing an admirable job in the design development, integrating the very demanding technical requirements, including visibility and the ability to supervise aircraft, with an interesting sculptural design. He noted that the tower will be visible to passengers, who will be able to walk right up to the base of the tower, and this is unusual for airports.
    
    Commissioner Chow reported that the final project considered by the Committee was for a restroom for the Municipal Transportation Agency (“MTA”), which attempted to address an interesting challenge. He explained that MTA drivers spend many hours on their buses, and often don’t have access to adequate restroom facilities for many hours at a time. MTA’s original proposal called for a temporary prefabricated facility, essentially a mobile restroom parked in a lot. The Committee had serious concerns regarding safety and aesthetics, and considered this only a temporary solution. He reported that several representatives of the drivers, including union representatives, attended the meeting. They said that they desperately want the facilities, but are also very concerned that they be appropriate, safe, functional and secure. With the drivers’ input, the Committee did not approve the project and asked the design team to go back, literally to the drawing board, and come up with another approach.
    
    Finally, Commissioner Chow reported, the Committee asked staff to update the submission guidelines given to applicants, with the intention of clarifying for them the goals and expectations of the Committee in its review of projects. The Committee is reviewing a draft of the guidelines.
    
    President Beltran added that the renovations at Bayview Opera House are extremely exciting, representing a cross-agency effort and the result of a ten-year initiative spearheaded by Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff. President Beltran applauded her perseverance.
    
    Second, President Beltran noted that the City is getting a lot of press coverage on the new control tower, which she called “straight out of Star Trek.” She added that the site will have public art, planned by the Commission’s Public Art staff, and that there is an open request for proposals for artwork for the atrium surrounding the tower.
    
    There was no public comment.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee
  1. Vice President Melania reported that the Committee did not meet and she had no report. She too was excited to hear about the previously discussed work at Bayview Opera House, and wished Ms. Wong the best in her new position. She had nothing to add to Mr. DeCaigny’s report.
    There was no public comment.
4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
  1. Commissioner Chew reported that the program the previous Saturday celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Street Artists Program was a smashing success, and pointed out that in addition to the television coverage already discussed, a nice article appeared in the pink section of the San Francisco Chronicle. He reported that music at the celebration continued into the late afternoon, and President Beltran pointed out that among them was Commissioner Calloway on flute.
    Commissioner Chew presented the following motions, which were approved.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-216: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Boma Cho.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 0702-12-217: Motion to approve request by applicant for waiver of 15-day requirement for obtaining a certificate: Yao Yuan.
    President Beltran added that when she logged into sfgate.com, the headline story on the arts page was the Street Artists celebration.
    
    There was no public comment.
5. Visual Arts Committee
  1. In the absence of Commissioner Sklar, President Beltran reported that the Committee approved final designs by artists Julie Chang and Christina Empedocles for Art on Market Street posters in the 2012-2013 series, which she called quite beautiful. The Committee also reviewed the first round of Art on Market Street finalists for the 2013-2014 poster series. She said that the Bay Area was fortunate to have so many great artists, and noted that most of the six finalists are local, including Mark Ulriksen, whose work has appeared on the cover of the New Yorker.
    She reported that Galleries Director Meg Shiffler discussed the current FAX show, and Public Art Program Manager Mary Chou presented proposals for the Public Safety Building by Paul Kos and Shimon Attie; these are in a secondary design stage.
    
    She reported that the Committee revisited Jay DeFeo’s painting Masquerade in Black. Some time ago, she explained, the Commission moved to deaccession the work, since it was not able to find a way to display the large painting, with the hope that a museum would pick it up. Since then, the painting has increased many times in value, and has been chosen for a retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York. Staff has now recommended that the painting not be deaccessioned, and that it be kept in the collection. She praised the foresight of Public Art staff in acquiring the painting.
    
    She added that the Committee discussed the artist chosen by the selection panel for 17th and Folsom Park, and the two commissions by Ned Kahn for 525 Golden Gate. In addition to the previously-discussed Firefly, inside the building’s lobby is a piece called Rain Portal, a corridor of water near the stairway.
    
    Public Comment:
    
    Mr. Worsley asked whether this was the time for him to make his comment on Coit Tower, and President Beltran said that it would be taken during general public comment.
Public Comment
Mr. Warfield referred to President Beltran’s comment on the fact that the Jay DeFeo painting increased in value, and that this attests to the staff of the Arts Commission. He said that the Bernal Heights Branch Library Mural featuring Victor Jara is multicultural, historic, and painted by Arch Williams, was also approved by the Arts Commission, and that payment was made to Mr. Williams some thirty years ago.
He said that the Executive Committee had a very brief mention that Ms. Varah met with staff to discuss open government law and the Sunshine Ordinance. He repeated that it would be useful for the entire Commission to have a public discussion about these requirements, so that everyone would be clear about the requirements. He said that in five separate hearings in less than a year, the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force found that the Arts Commission violated the Sunshine Ordinance, sometimes multiple times.

Mr. Warfield said that Mr. Williams was the main artist of the Bernal Heights Library mural, and there was a dramatic eleventh-hour stoppage of the planned “paint-out” of the mural. He said that this was a result of their efforts to understand what the requirements were, and that the Library Commission and the Library failed to take into consideration the California Art Preservation Act, and failed to notify the artist’s heirs and personal representatives to give them a chance to remove the mural as required by law. He said that the sister of Mr. Williams sent a letter to various agencies, including the Library Commission and the City Librarian on Friday, June 8, which stopped the “paint-out” scheduled for June 11.

Mr. Worsley said that the Coit mural collection, the 1934 frescos, should be a depression-era cultural museum. In light of Proposition B, which they campaigned hard for, in 30 years of his being founder and spokesman of the Coit Depression Preservationists, every native, voter and supervisor he has spoken to thinks this should be a museum. He doesn’t think that gardeners at the Department of Recreation and Parks (“Rec and Park”) are qualified to handle, foster and teach fine art, although unfortunately the frescos are connected to the walls and they own the building. He asked for clarification of who owns the art and whether it can be given museum status.

He said that he does not stand to profit, and that he personally made Coit Tower a national historic site, although there’s no plaque. He said that Rec and Park was going to make the site a restaurant, probably selling seafood, and sell reproductions of the artwork, even though they don’t legally deserve the copyright. He said that as San Franciscans and artists, it is important to foster the city’s culture and teach its history. He said that the murals are fantastic, and that he is confident the Commission will do a good job repairing the water and salt damage. He said that someone needs to answer why Coit Tower isn’t a museum with public access, and he said that Rec and Park was extremely negligent. He thought that San Francisco could do better than selling laughing Buddhas and insulting license plates. He asked who could make this a museum, and said that he has been contacted by the National Parks Conservancy and other organizations.

President Beltran asked Mr. DeCaigny to comment on Coit Tower. He reiterated some of his remarks from his report at the June meeting of the Commission, updating the progress on preservation of the tower. He said that the Arts Commission, working in partnership with Rec and Park and in consultation with ARG Conservation Services, has commissioned a comprehensive report, which was completed in June. He added that the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors found $1.7 million to work on the preservation.

Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that the jurisdiction of the Arts Commission is limited to conservation of the murals at this point. He reported that conservator Ann Rosenthal has completed the first stage, cleaning salt efflorescence. He explained that the Arts Commission is conferring with Rec and Park to coordinate the guidelines, next steps and timeline for conserving both the murals and the building as a whole. He emphasized that timing is important, because the work on the building, providing protection from rain and water, must be done before further conservation work on the murals. He reiterated that Arts Commission staff is working closely with Rec and Park staff, and he expected to report again at the Commission’s August meeting.

Mr. Hartz said that while we judge others by their actions, we ourselves like to be judged by our intentions, and want everyone to give us the benefit of the doubt. He said that his two main concerns at public meetings are, first, whether the public is allowed to participate, and second, access to public records, which is sometimes the only way to speak meaningfully with facts rather than generic statements. He said that it is the responsibility of every commission and commissioner not only to passively allow public comment, but to actively encourage public participation. He said that the Bay area has a reputation for an active public, but when he attends public meetings, he often sees only two or three people. He said that when he talks to them, they often say the commission insulted them or treated them rudely. He said that if public bodies want public comment, they must actively encourage it, not just sit back and listen if they have to.

He said that none of us are as smart as all of us. He said that the Bay area is full of intelligent, industrious people, and if they are encouraged to participate, they can come up with new ideas. He said that with brainstorming, when people are encouraged, they sometimes get new solutions and great suggestions, which doesn’t place the whole burden on the Commission to come up with all the answers.

There was no further public comment.
New Business and Announcements
President Beltran showed a page from the Commission’s website listing the Commissioners’ names. She noted that there are fifteen seats, eleven for working arts professionals and four at-large. She said that each Commissioner goes through an extensive vetting process, and is recommended as being at the top of their field. She said that she was honored and proud to be part of this brain trust, and added that all of the Commissioners are volunteers. She said that they enjoy their status, and the opportunity to shape the landscape of the city, but acknowledge that they put considerable time into their responsibilities for which they are not compensated.
After the recommendations and background checks, she said, ultimately the Mayor appoints all of the Commissioners. She acknowledged and gave heartfelt thanks to all of the Commissioners for all that they do.

She was sad to say goodbye to Commissioner Breitenberg, who has served on the Civic Design Review Committee. She added that Mr. Breitenberg, a great literature scholar, will also be leaving California College of the Arts, where he has served for several years as provost, to take a position in Los Angeles. On behalf of the Commission, she thanked him for his service and wished him the best.

Commissioner Breitenberg thanked her, and thanked the Mayor’s office for the opportunity to serve. He said that he had learned so much from his colleagues, almost like going back to graduate school. He was privileged to serve during the transition in leadership at the Commission, and was confident that it was now on a great footing. He said that all of the Commissioners know that working with the Commission’s extraordinary staff is a pleasure; he named Civic Design Review Program Manager Vicky Knoop and the Commission Secretary, and thanked the whole staff.

Commissioner Stryker thanked him for his work and insight on Civic Design Review and wished him well, as did the rest of the Commissioners.

She invited Commissioners to the Dare to Dream luncheon at Bayview Opera House on July 18. She said that this was a successful program for arts education for underserved children, and the luncheon was an opportunity to enjoy that success and see some of the children’s work.

Commissioner Chew noted that on Saturday morning at 7:30, just before the Street Artists 40th anniversary celebration, he saw Senior Registrar Allison Cummings in a hard hat at Third and Howard streets, reinstalling the Keith Haring sculpture, and it looks great.

Commissioner Calloway announced a benefit concert on July 3, at Yoshi’s San Francisco, a fundraiser for KPOO radio, featuring multiple Grammy nominee John Santos. He said that KPOO has been community-based since 1971, serving the Fillmore and the city, and providing a place for local musicians to be played on the radio. With grants and donations drying up, he said, they have done a lot for people of color. He added that his youth group, the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, will perform.

President Beltran encouraged Vice President Melania to report on her recent trip. Vice President Melania reported that Presidio Dance Theater had been invited to Budapest by the ambassador, and had given several performances, including a piece created in the ambassador’s honor. She noted that their Hungarian was not good, but they did learn to count. She reported that the company was honored to receive an award for excellence in dance and cultural diplomacy; they later learned that Lady Gaga received the corresponding award for excellence in music and cultural diplomacy. She added that the company performed as part of an international children’s festival.

President Beltran announced that she was participating in an artist’s residency in Dogpatch, at the corner of 22nd and Third streets. She said that with her partner, she was working on a fine-arts based app, and on a video snow globe.

Public Comment:

Mr. Warfield said that he was always interested to hear the announcements. He acknowledged that Commissioners who serve without pay necessarily spend a great deal of time working on their duties, including additional time they spend in preparation and study which is not visible to the public. He wished Commissioner Breitenberg the best of luck, and thanks to the remaining Commissioners.

He said that KPOO was wonderful and that they used to carry the Board of Supervisors meetings, but stopped because of a conflict with the Redevelopment Agency’s meetings. Now that redevelopment agencies around the state have been abolished, he said, KPOO has resumed broadcasting Board of Supervisors meetings. He said that this was a big public service, so that anyone with an inexpensive radio could listen, without an expensive computer or monthly service fee.

He said that the suspension of the “paint-out” of the Bernal Heights Library “historic multicultural Victor Jara mural” was a temporary reprieve. He said that the California Art Preservation Act requires the artist or his/her heirs have the right to be notified before an artwork is removed, and this means a 90-day reprieve for the mural.

He said again that it would be useful and helpful for everyone, including staff, Commissioners, the Director and the public, to schedule a public Sunshine training at a Commission meeting by someone knowledgeable so that everyone could play from the same rulebook.

There was no further new business or announcements.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:48 p.m.

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