City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

November 4, 2013

Full Commission - November 4, 2013

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, November 4, 2013
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

Revised Minutes
 

Commission President JD Beltran called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
 

  1. Roll Call
    Commissioners Present
    JD Beltran, President
    Sherene Melania, Vice President
    Gregory Chew
    Leo Chow
    Charles Collins
    Simon Frankel
    Roberto Ordeñana
    Abby Sadin Schnair
    Marcus Shelby
    Jessica Silverman
    Barbara Sklar

    Commissioners Absent
    Dorka Keehn
    Janine Shiota
    Cass Calder Smith
    Kimberlee Stryker
    Gwyneth Borden, ex officio
     

  2. Approval of Minutes
    President Beltran withdrew the minutes for September 9 meeting.

    She added that because of potential conflicts for Commissioners Schnair and Chow, the Moscone expansion item in the Consent Calendar would be considered separately.

    Public Comment:
    Paula Datesh said that the minutes were late, and that at the previous meeting of the Street Artists Committee, she had spoken under public comment and her comment was not recorded. She said that Wes Rojas, an attorney and leatherworker, also spoke and his comment was not recorded. She said that the minutes for the September 11 meeting were late, and there was no notice outside the door.

    There was no further public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows.

    RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-246: Motion to approve July 8, 2013 Minutes.
     

  3. President’s Report
    President Beltran reported on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which recently reviewed a first draft of the plan. She reported that a survey would be launched mid-November to gather input from the public, with a revised draft plan expected to be presented to the full Arts Commission in January.

    Mr. DeCaigny added that the survey was being translated into Spanish and Chinese, and would be available online as well as at four kiosks set up at events around the city from mid-November to mid-December. He explained that the goal was to have 2,000 responses, with a mix of respondents corresponding to the city’s demographics. He announced that two town halls would be held in December, and thanked Commissioners and staff for their participation in these important conversations.

    There was no public comment.
     

  4. Director’s Report
    Mr. DeCaigny invited Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious to present highlights of the Public Art Program and the Civic Art Collection over the preceding year.

    Mr. DeCaigny invited everyone to the November 23 rededication of the Brotherhood of Man mosaic mural at Franklin Square Park.

    He invited Communications Director Kate Patterson and Development Director Rachelle Axel to present highlights of the agency’s district-by-district draft annual report; Ms. Patterson explained that once the document was completed, it would be posted on the Arts Commission’s website. She explained the thinking behind the reorganization of the document as a series of fact sheets for each district that could stand alone, and the grouping of activities and projects by function rather than by program.

    Commissioners appreciated the new format. In response to questions, Mr. DeCaigny, Ms. Axel and Ms. Patterson explained that individual artist grantees were counted in the district where they lived or worked, and organizational grantees were counted in the district where their offices were located.

    Next, Mr. DeCaigny announced the upcoming dedication of a mural by Kelly Ording and a kinetic sculpture by Rebar, and congratulated Public Art Program staff for their work. He reported on the success of the Galleries’ recent annual Passport fundraiser in the Divisadero corridor, and the Zurich Sister City exhibition, Twisted Sisters.

    Mr. DeCaigny announced that after five years, Galleries Manager Aimee Le Duc was leaving to direct the Berkeley Art Center, and that WritersCorps Program Associate Alexandra Wilder had left the agency.

    Finally, he was thrilled to announce that Heyday was just about to sell out all of its copies of San Francisco: Arts for the City—Civic Art and Urban Change, 1932-2012, and staff was working with them on a further distribution plan.

    There was no public comment.
     

  5. Consent Calendar
    President Beltran withdrew item 1, approval of Civic Design Review minutes, and severed item 11, approval of Phase 1 of the Moscone Expansion project, for separate consideration because of potential conflicts for two Commissioners. Commissioner Schnair explained that her husband was a partner in the architectural firm involved in the project, and Commissioner Chow explained that he was a partner in the same firm.

    Commissioners Schnair and Chow recused themselves and left the room, and the Commission took up the following motion. There was no public comment, and the motion was approved unanimously.

    RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-257: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Moscone Expansion Project.

    Commissioners Schnair and Chow returned to the room. The Commission took up the remaining Consent Calendar. There was no public comment, and the Consent Calendar was approved as follows.

    RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-247:
    Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:

    Approval of Committee Minutes

    1. This item was withdrawn.
       
    2. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-248: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of October 8, 2013.
       
    3. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-249: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of October 16, 2013.

      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (October 16, 2013)

    4. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-250: Motion to approve the Final Design Phase deliverables by Colette Crutcher and Aileen Barr for artwork for the Arelious Walker Stair Replacement Project.
       
    5. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-251: Motion to approve the Construction Document Phase deliverables (final design drawings and sculpture mock-up) for a light sculpture by Merge Conceptual Design for San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3, Boarding Area E.
       
    6. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-252: Motion to terminate Merge Conceptual Design’s project for the Public Safety Building (Mission Rock location), due to the cost of relocating the underground utilities and utility access boxes.
       
    7. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-253: Motion to modify the Agreement with Nobuho Nagasawa to increase the contract amount by $5,931 to pay for the purchase of security lights for Ship Shape Shifting Time, the sculpture located adjacent to the Municipal Railway Maintenance Facility on Islais Creek.

      Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (October 21, 2013)

    8. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-254: Motion to approve Phases 1 and 2 of the Regional Groundwater Storage and Recovery project with the stipulation that the height of the doors is increased, the vents above the doors are eliminated, the downspouts are placed on the north elevation; and with the strong recommendation that the roof be changed to a straight gable style, contingent upon the provision of the drawing shown at the informal work session that occurred in September.
       
    9. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-255: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Alamo Square Stand-Alone Restroom contingent upon removal of the horizontal score lines in the concrete and treating it with a sandblasted finish, framing of the grillwork and simplifying it to a basketweave pattern, elimination of the right upper louver, movinh the left louver farther away from the restroom entrance, addition of a louver on the rear of the building and making the utility door a complete panel on the right side of the building.
       
    10. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-256: Motion to approve Phases 2 and 3 of the California Academy of Sciences West Garden Café Addition, contingent upon submission of construction documents which demonstrate the following changes: align the new pavement with the existing pavement of the West Terrace, set the new pavement apart from the existing with a gravel or grass divider, include a stainless steel edge on the tiles and pay attention to the detailing of the southwest corner where the glass wall meets the roof.
       
    11. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-258: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Washington Square Restroom Replacement.

      Executive Committee Recommendations (October 28, 2013)

    12. RESOLUTION NO. 1104-13-259: Motion to approve the following individual as a grants application review panelist for Cultural Equity Grants:
      Lex Leifheit
       
  6. Nomination and Election of Arts Commission Officers
    Commissioner Chow reported on the Committee’s discussion at its recent meeting, focusing on the areas of leadership qualities, policy and the time commitment involved in the offices of President and Vice President. The Committee praised the work of Commissioner Beltran as President and Commissioner Melania as Vice President over their tenure. Commissioner Chow reported that the Committee agreed that continuity of leadership was important, along with developing opportunities for succession. The Committee thus chose to nominate Commissioner Beltran to continue as President.

    In addition to Commissioner Melania, the Committee considered two additional candidates suggested for Vice President: Commissioners Collins and Schnair. The Committee agreed that all three were highly qualified. Commissioner Collins requested that his name be withdrawn because of his external commitments, and Committee members had conversations with Commissioners Melania and Schnair.

    Reiterating the Committee’s high opinion of all the candidates and speaking on behalf of the Committee, Commissioner Ordeñana nominated Commissioner Schnair as Vice President, citing both her background in fine arts photography and her instrumental role on the board of American Conservatory Theater in the renovation of the Strand Theater, a critical part of the revitalization of the mid-Market area.

    Mr. DeCaigny elaborated on the importance of succession to both the Commission and individual Commissioners, allowing for changes in Commissioners’ lives and careers affecting their ability to serve, so that members feel they can continue their service on the Commission after serving as officers.

    President Beltran spoke of how important her partnership with Vice President Melania has been, and how valuable her work has been to the Commission and to the agency. Commissioner Collins and Commissioner Chew praised Vice President Melania’s commitment and insight in her work on committees with them, and other Commissioners also praised her service. President Beltran added that Vice President Melania’s advocacy of arts education was critical at this time.

    Vice President Melania thanked her colleagues for their kind words, and welcomed Commissioner Schnair.

    Commissioner Schnair thanked the Commission for their confidence, and said that she was grateful for the opportunity to follow the excellent work done by Vice President Melania, noting their shared focus on arts education.

    There was no public comment.

    The Commission unanimously elected JD Beltran as Arts Commission President and Abby Sadin Schnair as Arts Commisssion Vice President.

    Mr. DeCaigny congratulated Vice President Schnair on her election, and thanked Commissioner Melania for her service; he looked forward to continuing to work with her on arts education. He thanked the Nominating Committee for its extensive process and added that committee assignments would probably be adjusted over the next few months.
     

  7. Committee Reports and Committee Matters
    1. Executive Committee—JD Beltran, Chair
      1. President Beltran reported that the Committee had a very fruitful meeting, reviewing the status of strategic planning and an extensive report on the budget; she said that the Committee was really glad to have such clear, transparent and thorough reporting on revenue and expenditures, and credited Deputy Director Rebekah Krell’s leadership as chief financial officer. Mr. DeCaigny added that the Committee will receive quarterly reports, with semiannual reports to the full Commission.

        Public Comment:
        Ms. Datesh said that minutes for the Committee have not been posted for over a year.

        There was no further public comment.
         

    2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
      1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Chow directed the Commission’s attention to images of projects posted with the agenda for this meeting. He reported that the Committee had reviewed several projects, including a building that is part of the City’s water system, a café at the California Academy of Sciences, the renovation of the Moscone Center, and a restroom at Washington Square. He added that the Committee will be reviewing the major renovation of Van Ness Avenue for the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit project (“BRT”), which will dedicate the center lanes to buses. Although they have not come for a formal approval from the Committee, Civic Design Review and Special Projects Director Jill Manton has been working closely with the design team, City staff and Civic Design Review Commissioners to help ensure a strong design vision.

        President Beltran complimented the Committee on their active involvement, making themselves available for informal meetings with City partners and design teams. She added that the Van Ness BRT is a once-in-a-lifetime project, transforming this major artery from sidewalk to sidewalk.
         

    3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherene Melania, Chair
      1. Commissioner Melania reported that the Committee had a wonderful policy discussion, touching issues involved in strategic planning, including the question of focusing grant funding on currently funded organizations or new organizations; that is, depth or breadth in grantmaking.
         
    4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
      1. Commissioner Chew announced that the Committee would meet on November 13. He encouraged everyone to do some of their holiday shopping with the street artists.

        Public Comment:
        Ms. Datesh said that in October, market manager John Tunui had been harassing her for eight months, and had a court date at 400 McAllister Street. She said that he submitted 118 pages of utter nonsense as a response. She alleged slander and forgery. She said that she was diabetic and that he should stop jumping out at her from behind light poles. She said that she was not around the street artists and could get a permit at any time. She said her health has been affected for eight months. She said that Mr. Tunui tried to reinvent the March hearing, and Judge Sullivan asked what the relevance was. She said that the court had to wait for 45 minutes for Mr. Tunui to appear, and that the judge told him to stop wasting the court’s time.

        She wanted to submit a YouTube video as her public comment. President Beltran said it could not be played at the meeting, but it would be entered into the record. Mr. DeCaigny asked that the link be forwarded to Commissioners.
         

    5. Visual Arts Committee—Barbara Sklar, Chair
      1. Commissioner Sklar reported that the Committee had a very productive meeting, reviewing murals for various organizations, including StreetSmARTS murals. Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff explained that all murals will now follow the same process for more consistency across the agency. Commissioner Sklar reported that the Committee reviewed other projects, noting that artists are very creative in devising tests and models.
         
  8. Public Comment
    Ms. Datesh said that she had checked with Sunshine Ordinance Task Force Administrator Andrea Ausberry about entering a YouTube video as public comment. She said that it was shocking. She said that the Clark brothers told her about this video, that she doesn’t engage in gossip, and it is clear to her that the author is John Tunui. She described the three-minute video as showing Adolf Hitler and Nazis, in German, slandering people by name. She repeated that it was shocking, and said she couldn’t be part of the Street Artists Program after this; she urged Commissioners to Google John Tunui to see the video.

    There was no further public comment.
     

  9. New Business and Announcements
    Rebecca Delgado Rottman of the Academy of Art University invited everyone to a screening of a film on Ruth Asawa at the Aquarium of the Bay on November 11. She said that Ms. Asawa was educating people about sustainability, repurposing, reusing and recycling before it became popular. She explained that the Academy was doing its part to provide resources for high school students, including a hundred scholarships each summer targeted to low-income, at-risk students, to give them an opportunity to better their lives. She added that she has worked with Arts Commission staff on graffiti, and on the StreetSmARTS program, and she would be happy to collaborate with the Arts Commission on any future projects.

    President Beltran added that while the showing was free, seating was limited, and she advised those interested to reserve seats. She also noted that Ms. Asawa, a former Arts Commissioner, was also the first recipient of the Mayor’s Art Award. Commissioner Chew reported that he had seen the film and encouraged everyone to see it.

    Commissioner Collins announced an upcoming performance by Commissioner Shelby, opening on November 19 at Z Space. Commissioner Shelby thanked him and described the production, Be Bop Baby, as the culmination of a three-year collaboration with writer Margo Hall and several other artists. He explained that he will perform with his big band, and that the show is a musical memoir based on the playwright’s relationship with her father and stepfather, growing up in Motown.

    He also announced a celebration for beloved artist Flo Oy Wong on November 9 in the Tenderloin. He said that youth bands from the Community Music Center, and from Rooftop, where he also teaches, will perform at the free event.

    Commissioner Silverman announced that she will be opening a new gallery space in the Tenderloin, at 488 Ellis, later in the month.

    Commissioner Ordeñana reported that he was honored to have represented the Arts Commission at the San Francisco Symphony’s Dia de los Muertos concert, a sold-out event with a beautiful, diverse representation of the Latino community.

    President Beltran announced that she and California College of the Arts design students would participate in an event at the California Academy of Sciences on the theme of metamorphosis. She explained that this is part of the Academy’s Thursday NightLife series, and will feature a session making wearable artworks.
     

  10. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
     

    11/27/13 spr

    Language Accessibility

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

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

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