City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

January 6, 2014

Full Commission - January 6, 2014

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, January 6, 2014
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place


Minutes
 

Commission President JD Beltran called the meeting to order at 3:06 p.m.
 

  1. Roll Call
    Commissioners Present

    JD Beltran, President
    Abby Sadin Schnair, Vice President
    Gregory Chew
    Charles Collins
    Dorka Keehn
    Roberto Ordeñana
    Marcus Shelby
    Janine Shiota
    Jessica Silverman
    Barbara Sklar
    Kimberlee Stryker

    Commissioners Absent
    Leo Chow
    Simon Frankel
    Sherene Melania
    Cass Calder Smith
    Gwyneth Borden, ex officio
     

  2. Approval of Minutes
    President Beltran called for public comment on the minutes.

    Public Comment:
    Paula Datesh contested the minutes.

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

    RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-001: Motion to approve December 2, 2013 Minutes.
     

  3. President’s Report
    President Beltran reported that she was excited to be introducing the draft strategic plan at this meeting. She added that she was still reviewing Committee assignments and would announce any changes at the February meeting of the Commission.

    There was no public comment.
     

  4. Director’s Report
    Mr. DeCaigny reported that the Galleries’ Sister Cities exhibit on the ground floor of City Hall, Twisted Sisters, has been extended through the end of January. He announced that Cece Carpio, formerly of La Peña, had joined the staff as Interim Galleries Manager after the resignation of Galleries Manager Aimee Le Duc.

    Mr. DeCaigny announced the media preview of public art at San Francisco Airport’s Terminal 3; this includes new site-specific artworks by Merge Conceptual Design and Eric Staller, as well as pieces from the Civic Art Collection that have been reinstalled. Among these is Jay DeFeo’s Masquerade in Black, which the Commission recently loaned for a major retrospective that traveled from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to the Whitney Museum in New York. Mr. DeCaigny praised Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious, Public Art Project Manager Marcus Davies, and other Public Art staff for their work on this project. Mr. DeCaigny added that the terminal would be open for “friends and family day” on Saturday, January 25, with a reception and dedication.

    Turning to the nonprofit affordability issue, Mr. DeCaigny reported that he has been appointed to a City task force investigating potential solutions for increases in nonprofit rental rates, for family and social service organizations as well as arts organizations. He and Development Director Rachelle Axel have been researching the historical responses to the spike in 1999-2000, including an allocation of some $2.5 million by the Board of Supervisors. He added that the committee expects to make its recommendations to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors in time to incorporate them into the budget.

    President Beltran requested input from Commissioners involved with nonprofits, noting that rent increases of perhaps 40% drive out many long-term, well-respected endeavors. Mr. DeCaigny added that the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor increased Cultural Equity funding by $190,000 in the current year, and this was a great help to the arts community.

    Mr. DeCaigny reminded the Commission that the City is now working on two-year budgets to allow better planning. The Arts Commission’s budget submission is due to the Mayor’s Office on February 21, and he explained that he will present it to the full Commission for its review on February 3, after an in-depth review by the Executive Committee on January 27.

    In response to a question about rents, President Beltran and Mr. DeCaigny explained that California’s Ellis Act addresses only residential properties, and commercial (and nonprofit) rents can be raised with 30 days’ notice unless a lease says otherwise; the Mayor and some of the local legislators are seeking to reform state law regarding the Ellis Act.

    Finally, Ms. Pontious explained that the Jay DeFeo work had to be carefully sited because it is sensitive to light, and the architects found a very good location for it. She added that the piece was in pristine condition when it was temporarily deinstalled and remains so.

    There was no public comment.
     

  5. Consent Calendar
    Commissioner Ordeñana recused himself from voting on item 7, the Individual Artist Commissions, because one of the grantees, Sean Dorsey, rents space from his employer, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center. In response to a question, Mr. DeCaigny explained that if a Commissioner has had a financial relationship with a party within the last two years, that is generally grounds for recusal.

    There was no public comment. President Beltran called for a vote on all of the Consent Calendar except for item 7 regarding Individual Artist Commissions. The Consent Calendar was unanimously approved as follows.

    RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-002:
    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. 0106-14-003: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of September 16, 2013.
       
    2. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-004: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of October 21, 2013.
       
    3. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-005: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of November 18, 2013.
       
    4. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-006: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of December 10, 2013.
       
    5. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-007: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of December 18, 2013.

      Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Recommendations (December 10, 2013)

    6. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-008: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
      Leticia Hernandez, writer and community leader
      Julia Robertson, multimedia artist
      Janine Shiota, producer, writer, project coordinator, and Arts Commissioner
      Mica Sigourney, Artistic Director, OX
      Khan Wong, Senior Program Manager, City of San Francisco, Grants for the Arts
       
    7. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-009: Motion to approve recommendations to award 28 grants totaling $272,500 in the 2013-2014 cycle of Individual Artist Commissions–Performing Arts grants to the following individuals, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each individual for the amounts listed:
      Alleluia Panis, $10,000
      Byb Chanel Bibene, $5,000
      Christy Funsch, $10,000
      Laura Arrington, $10,000
      Ledoh, $10,000
      Lenora Lee, $10,000
      Lily Cai, $10,000
      Sara Shelton Mann, $10,000
      Scott Wells, $10,000
      Sean Dorsey, $10,000
      Gang Situ, $10,000
      Jon Jang, $10,000
      Lisa Scola Prosek, $10,000
      Melecio Magdaluyo, $10,000
      Melody Takata, $10,000
      Pamela Z, $10,000
      Ben Randle, $10,000
      Edris Cooper, $10,000
      Erin Bregman, $10,000
      Eugenie Chan, $10,000
      Kevin Seaman, $10,000
      Lynn Marie Kirby, $10,000
      Marisela Treviño Orta, $7,500
      Maryam Rostami, $10,000
      Megan Finlay, $10,000
      Mica Sigourney, $10,000
      Niloufar Talebi, $10,000
      Sean San Jose, $10,000
       
    8. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-010: Motion to approve recommendations to award nine grants totaling $268,680 in the 2013-2014 cycle of Creative Space grants to the following organizations, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each organization for the amounts listed:
      ABADÁ Capoeira San Francisco, $15,000
      Acción Latina, $20,000
      Croatian American Cultural Center, $20,000
      Joe Goode Performance Group, $20,000
      Brava Theater Center/Brava! For Women in the Arts, $50,000
      Chinese Historical Society of America, $16,000
      CounterPULSE, $50,000
      San Francisco Mime Troupe, $37,680
      Women’s Audio Mission, $40,000

      Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (December 16, 2013)

    9. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-011: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the San Francisco International Airport Terminal 3 East Improvements Project, with the conditions of eliminating the number and further development of the penthouse design.
       
    10. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-012: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Glen Canyon Recreation Center, with the conditions of landscaping against the fence to keep people off the roof, making the upper windows at the rear of the building clear glass without columns or mullions, relocating the entrances of the restrooms to the side of the building, and eliminating canopies except at the main entry.

      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (December 18, 2013)

    11. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-013: Motion to approve Jennie Emiré Rodríguez, Executive Director of Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and Carolina Ponce de León, art critic, as potential panelists for upcoming public art selection panels in Fiscal Year 2013-2014.
       
    12. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-014: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the commemorative sculpture, Adolph Sutro, 2013 by Jonah Hendrickson. The artwork measures 90 inches x 36 inches x 24 inches with a bronze sculpture bust of the former mayor Adolph Sutro mounted on a granite base with engraved text. The artwork is a gift to the City of San Francisco for City Hall from the United Humanitarian Mission. The final design was approved (Resolution No. 0401-13-101) and the artwork was dedicated on April 29, 2013.
       
    13. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-015: Motion to retroactively approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork Games of the World, 1995, by Hilda Shum. The artwork is 18 inches x 36 inches, mixed-media on paper. The artwork is a proposal for the artwork by the same name commissioned for the San Francisco Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility at San Francisco General Hospital and accepted into the Civic Art Collection (Resolution No. 0710-95-345).
       
    14. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-016: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork, Spirit and Nature Dancing Together, 2013 by Ron Moultrie Saunders. The artwork consists of four black-and-white photogram images, each on a 60-inch by 48-inch porcelain enamel panel. The artwork was commissioned for the San Francisco Public Library, Bayview Branch. The final installation was approved (Resolution No. 0401-13-096) and the artwork was dedicated on February 23, 2013.
       
    15. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-017: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork, Symbiotic Relationships, 2013 by Ron Moultrie Saunders. The artwork consists of five black-and-white photogram images. Each image is an archival pigment print on aluminum panel with plexi, measuring 44 inches by 55 inches. The artwork was commissioned for the San Francisco Public Library, Bayview Branch. The final installation was approved (Resolution No. 0401-13-096) and the artwork was dedicated on February 23, 2013.
       
    16. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-018: Motion to approve the mural design by Clare Rojas to be temporarily installed on the Warfield Building (982 Market Street) from January 2014 to January 2015 with grant funds to the 509 Cultural Center from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s National Endowment for the Arts grant.
       
    17. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-019: Motion to approve the preliminary concept for the project entitled LightRail, designed by artists George Zisiadis and Stefano Corazza, which consists of the installation of a two-mile-long LED artwork on Market Street from Van Ness Avenue to The Embarcadero which shall be managed by Illuminate the Arts, to be contingent upon community outreach and support, final design approval, final implementation and maintenance budget, and approval of all relevant City agencies.
       
    18. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-020: Motion to approve the proposed project outline for a temporary art installation at Patricia’s Green from mid-May, 2014 through mid-November 2014.
       
    19. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-021: Motion to approve the following artists for the 2013-2014 Two-Dimensional Artwork Registry:
      Jessalyn Aaland
      Nora Akino
      Lennell Allen
      Kathy Aoki
      Deborah Aschheim
      Amy Auerbach
      Jo Babcock
      Rob Badger
      Hyun Ji Bae
      Jennifer Bain
      John Bankston
      Tom Baril
      Suzy Barnard
      Brian Barneclo
      Steve Bartlett
      Louisiana Bendolph
      Timothy Berry
      Leo Bersamina
      Marianne Bland
      Val Britton
      Christopher Brown
      Mark Brown
      Squeak Carnwath
      Vicky Chen
      James Chronister
      Patricia Claro
      Greg Colson
      Elaine Coombs
      Alika Cooper
      Beatrice Coron
      Counterpoint Studio
      Binh Danh
      Eileen David
      Peter de Lory
      Michael Eade
      Christina Empedocles
      Kota Ezawa
      Evah Fan
      Caio Fonseca
      Bernadette Jiyong Frank
      Annie Galvin
      Cliff Garten
      Carmen Lomas Garza
      Linda Gass
      Sheila Ghidini
      Stanley Goldstein
      Rachel Granofsky
      Isca Greenfield-Sanders
      Michael Hall
      Frederick Hayes
      Adrienne Heloise
      Sonja Hinrichsen
      Ophelia Ho
      Cynthia Innis
      Josie Iselin
      Diane Jacobs
      Ivy Jacobsen
      Chris Johanson
      David Johnson
      Kevin B. Jones
      Todd Lanam
      Beryl Landau
      Bovey Lee
      Katja Leibenath
      Lisa Levine
      Hung Liu
      Peter Loftus
      Steven Lopez
      Sharon Louden
      Reagan Louie
      Paul Madonna
      Kara Maria
      Kegan Marling
      Vanessa Marsh
      Adam McCauley
      Nikki McClure
      Robert Minervini
      Kelly Neidig
      Kelly Ording
      Siddharth Parasnis
      Maria Park
      Hendrik Paul
      Tahiti Pehrson
      Michele Ramirez
      Eric Rewitzer
      Lance Rivers
      Mary Robertson
      Lordy Rodriguez
      Clare Rojas
      Rom Moultrie Saunders
      Shan Shan Sheng
      Jenn Shifflet
      Tim Sullivan
      Deth P. Sun
      Seiko Tachibana
      Jason Tannen
      David Tomb
      Martin Webb
      Pamela Wilson-Ryckman
      Sarah Winkler
      Lena Wolff
      June Yokell

       

    20. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-022: Motion to approve the project outline for the Marina Earthquake Memorial Project, which calls for creating an artwork commemorating the San Francisco Fire Department and Marina community’s response to the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and approval to re-allocate $435,894 in art enrichment funds generated by new construction of Fire Station 16 and the Public Safety Building to the Marina Earthquake Memorial.
       
    21. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-023: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to modify Merge Conceptual Design’s contract to modify their scope of work to develop a design for the Marina Earthquake Memorial.
       
    22. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-024: Motion to approve the Public Art Project Outline for the Glen Park Recreation Center.
       
    23. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-025: Motion to approve the Public Art Project Outline for the Randall Museum.
       
    24. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-026: Motion to rescind Resolution No. 1007-13-244 to approve the conceptual proposal by Anthony Discenza for the 2014-2015 Art on Market Street Kiosk Poster Series and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist to develop and complete six (or more) unique poster designs for an amount not to exceed $8,000.
       
    25. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-027: Motion to approve the conceptual proposal by Anthony Discenza for the 2014-2015 Art on Market Street Kiosk Poster Series and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist to develop and complete 36 unique poster designs for an amount not to exceed $12,000.
       
    26. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-028: Motion to approve the Construction Document Phase deliverables (final lighting design) for a sculpture by Merge Conceptual Design at San Francisco International Airport: Terminal 3, Boarding Area E.
       
    27. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-029: Motion to approve the installation of a ceramic tile mosaic, titled Windmills, 2013, by Kelly Ording, at Palega Recreation Center.
       
    28. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-030: Motion to approve the Final Design Phase deliverable by Bill Fontana for the North Beach Branch Library.
       
    29. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-031: Motion to approve the Final Design Phase deliverables (rendering) by Randy Colosky for the Central Subway Yerba Buena/Moscone Station Construction Barricade along Folsom Street to be on display for one year beginning in early 2014 (exact date to be determined).

      President Beltran took up the following motion, and Commissioner Ordeñana left the meeting room.

      There was no public comment, and the motion was approved as follows, with the recusal of Commissioner Ordeñana.

       

    30. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-009: Motion to approve recommendations to award 28 grants totaling $272,500 in the 2013-2014 cycle of Individual Artist Commissions–Performing Arts grants to the following individuals, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each individual for the amounts listed:
      Alleluia Panis, $10,000
      Byb Chanel Bibene, $5,000
      Christy Funsch, $10,000
      Laura Arrington, $10,000
      Ledoh, $10,000
      Lenora Lee, $10,000
      Lily Cai, $10,000
      Sara Shelton Mann, $10,000
      Scott Wells, $10,000
      Sean Dorsey, $10,000
      Gang Situ, $10,000
      Jon Jang, $10,000
      Lisa Scola Prosek, $10,000
      Melecio Magdaluyo, $10,000
      Melody Takata, $10,000
      Pamela Z, $10,000
      Ben Randle, $10,000
      Edris Cooper, $10,000
      Erin Bregman, $10,000
      Eugenie Chan, $10,000
      Kevin Seaman, $10,000
      Lynn Marie Kirby, $10,000
      Marisela Treviño Orta, $7,500
      Maryam Rostami, $10,000
      Megan Finlay, $10,000
      Mica Sigourney, $10,000
      Niloufar Talebi, $10,000
      Sean San Jose, $10,000

      Commissioner Ordeñana returned after the vote.

      Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that the increase approved by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors for the Cultural Equity Grants budget was evident in this action; for the first time in several years, the Commission was able to fully fund the grants as requested, instead of the 80% level in past years.
       

  6. Draft 2014-2019 Strategic Plan
    Mr. DeCaigny introduced consultant Joan Chaplick, who reviewed the draft strategic plan. She reported on the work done to date, including interviews, focus groups, surveys and town hall meetings. She presented the mission, vision and goal statements as revised in November and December by the steering committee which included staff and Commissioners.

    Ms. Chaplick discussed the survey, which was intended to reach members of the broader San Francisco public; it was distributed both online and on paper, in English, Spanish and Chinese, with specific efforts to reach a broad cross-section of the community. She also discussed the two town hall meetings, held on Wednesday evening, December 4 and Saturday morning, December 14, attended by over 160 people in total.

    She reviewed highlights of the findings; one that surprised the team was that in response to the question about their favorite places to find art, several people named whole neighborhoods, including North Beach, the Mission, and the Excelsior.

    Ms. Chaplick added that the town hall format was very well received, and she had high praise for Commissioner Shelby, who opened each of the meetings with a brief solo performance. Ms. Chaplick thought he set a wonderful tone and reminded participants what the conversation was really about.

    She explained that the consultant team had set up live polling at both town hall meetings, and she reviewed some of those results. She explained that after reviewing the plan, Mr. DeCaigny opened up the floor for questions and answers; Ms. Chaplick thought this a bold and authentic gesture, and Mr. DeCaigny tried to respond to most of the questions, providing a lot of information. She added that several pages of detail will appear in the final summary report and requested that Commissioners contact her if there are specific areas of interest on which they would like more detail in that summary.

    Ms. Chaplick was pleased that the discussion had a very civil tone, and there was some interest in holding an annual town hall, or perhaps devoting one Commission meeting each year to a more general policy discussion.

    Commissioner Collins reported that he attended the December 14 town hall, and he admired how clearly Mr. DeCaigny explained the opportunities and challenges facing the agency, adding that there is huge good will in the community for the Arts Commission that is not always recognized.

    Mr. DeCaigny agreed that the town halls were a highlight, with warm and civil discussion, focused on solutions. He was impressed with how many people took the invitation seriously, coming forward with their ideas. He thought San Francisco was fortunate to have so many people passionate about the arts, and he liked the recommendation for an annual event like this, a forum for public engagement on policy questions beyond the regular day-to-day business of the Commission.

    Commissioner Collins added that he thought the Commission and staff came in without a clear agenda, and that all the outreach, the survey and the town halls helped to shape a better understanding of what the public wants, and how the Commission can shape that into coherent policies. He praised the transparency of the process.

    Commissioner Chew reported that he had attended the December 4 town hall at the Main Library, and he echoed the comment about transparency, calling this plan community-focused rather than top-down. President Beltran praised Mr. DeCaigny for setting a collaborative tone, so that the public felt invited into the process and wanted to step up and help the Commission perform its mission for them.

    Mr. DeCaigny thanked Ms. Chaplick and began a review the draft plan, pointing out changes from the earlier draft, including an increased focus on individual artists. He asked for the Commission’s comments, and for approval of the plan at this draft stage before committing staff time and resources to a detailed work plan, which he planned to bring to the Commission in February. He added that this will be a working document which will be frequently revisited to see how it is being implemented, and whether changes are needed.

    Commissioners wanted to emphasize arts education and the economic impact of the arts in the plan. Mr. DeCaigny agreed to keep these priorities in mind in determining specific goals and plans for working with other City agencies.

    President Beltran called for public comment.

    Public Comment:
    Marsha Kimmel said that she had held one of the early jobs through CETA, a federal program based on a model initiated in San Francisco that spread throughout the country through the Carter administration. She said that the situation looks worse now, and she would love to have input on artists and education.

    Mr. DeCaigny said that continuing public engagement was important, and that in addition to Commission meetings, including the possible initiation of an annual policy-focused meeting, staff was looking at other ways to engage people on more specific topics. He pointed out that Commission meetings, because of the Brown Act and Sunshine law, called for a standard three minutes of public comment for any speakers, and do not really allow for a more generative and informal conversation. He added that the Arts Commission’s e-newsletter and social media were important vehicles for keeping up with the agency’s activities and events.

    Mr. DeCaigny added that specific policy issues are often heard in Committee meetings, and at the January Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee meeting, the San Francisco Unified School District and Hydra Mendoza, the Mayor’s Education Advisor, are invited for a discussion on the Public Education Enrichment Fund (“PEEF”).

    In regard to a question, Mr. DeCaigny explained that survey respondents who identified themselves as artists were not asked about their artistic discipline.

    Neil MacLean of the Ohlone Profiles Project thanked the Commission for the process, which he said opened a lot of dialogue. He appreciated the support from the Arts in Communities: Innovative Partnerships grants to work with the existing Ohlone tribe on a photo project. He hoped to be much more engaged with the Commission over the coming years.

    Anthony Sul of the Coastal Ohlone community reminded the Commission that there was no Native American cultural center, and so the Native community came to this meeting to participate and represent themselves. He urged the Commission to choose carefully before supporting any group or “tribe” so that checks and balances, and transparency, are in place, to prevent the recurrence of past problems.

    Paula Datesh said that she had personally come to speak at meetings and submitted documents. She said that some of the Committee meeting minutes were not posted.

    There was no further public comment. President Beltran called for a vote, and the motion was approved as follows.

    RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-033: Motion to approve draft 2014-2019 strategic plan.

    Mr. DeCaigny thanked the Commission and pledged to bring a more fleshed-out plan in February, along with the budget.

     

  7. Committee Reports and Committee Matters
    1. Executive Committee—JD Beltran, Chair
      1. President Beltran reported that the Executive Committee did not meet in December.
         
    2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
      1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Stryker reported that the Committee had had a light agenda with only two projects in December. She reported that the Committee was generally pleased with the San Francisco Airport project, although they recommended additional design work for the roof, since it is so visible from the air.

        She reported that the Committee also reviewed a project at Glen Park, renovations of a complex of severely dilapidated buildings to accommodate some new functions. She reported that Special Projects Director and Civic Design Review Program Manager Jill Manton reported on the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”) master plan. Because recommendations from the City’s Historic Preservation Commission sometimes fail to align with recommendations of the Arts Commission’s Civic Design Review Committee, Ms. Manton is working with City colleagues to streamline the process to provide clear direction to project design teams. Mr. DeCaigny added that he and Ms. Manton had met with Planning Director John Rahaim and Planning staff on this question, and they have agreed to have Planning staff participate in the monthly Civic Design working sessions.

        Commissioner Keehn expressed some concern about structures being inappropriately declared “historic” just because they are over 50 years old.
         

    3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherene Melania, Chair
      1. In the absence of Commissioner Melania, Commissioner Collins reiterated that Ms. Mendoza would be attending the Committee’s next meeting, and he encouraged anyone interested to participate. He added that the Public Education Enrichment Fund (“PEEF”) would be on the ballot in November and it was important for the public to understand its impact.

        He reported that the Committee discussed the grants approved in this Consent Calendar, the review panel for 3rd on Third, and the ongoing concern about space affordability. He reported that the Committee saw a very interesting presentation on the Sights and Sounds of Bayview, and that Community Arts and Education staff were very enthusiastic about the project.

        Mr. DeCaigny added that besides fully funding Individual Artist Commissions, the funds for Creative Space Grants were also increased. These funds allow organizations to make much-needed renovations or plans to maintain their facilities and keep them fully functional. He noted that the cost of renovations has risen along with rents, making the Creative Space Grants even more important.

        (The following item was taken out of order, after the Visual Arts Committee report.)
        Commissioner Collins presented the following motion. There was no public comment, and it was approved as follows.
         

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-14-032: Motion to approve the following individuals as grant application review panelists for Community Arts and Education:
        Justine Topfer, San Francisco Arts Commission staff
        Susie McKinnon, North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefit District Associate Director
        Rey Cayetano, Sixth Street resident and photographer
        Tracy Everwine, Central Market Community Benefit District Director
        Ivan Vera, Central City Hospitality House Community Arts Program Manager
         
    4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
      1. Commissioner Chew reported that there was no meeting in December, and that the Committee would meet again on Wednesday, January 8.

        Public Comment:
        Paula Datesh said that she had gone to the Street Artists office 41 times, that each time, a sign was posted saying the office was closed. She made several complaints about the Street Artists Program Director.
         

    5. Visual Arts Committee—Barbara Sklar, Chair
      1. Commissioner Sklar praised Public Art staff for their work during the past year. She reported on several projects reviewed by the Committee, including a bust of Adolph Sutro added to the Civic Art Collection as a gift to the City, a temporary mural on the Warfield Building, and a conceptual proposal for a two-mile-long LED sculpture on Market Street, contingent upon community input. Commissioner Keehn thought this was an interesting idea, but the budget and presentation needed further work.

        Commissioner Sklar thanked Commissioners for serving on the many review panels over the past year.

        Vice President Schnair asked about including links to images of artworks with the full Commission agenda. Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that there were links to the original Committee agendas, and explained that he was in consultation with the City Attorney’s office on this question. He said that there was a question whether a single image extracted from a longer presentation was an appropriate representation upon which the Commission should rely. Ms. Pontious added that almost everything presented to the Visual Arts Committee was in digital form, and those documents were posted as attachments to the Committee’s agenda.
         

  8. Public Comment
    Robert Davis expressed concerns about a Bayview grant recently awarded. He said that both panels had been held during the day and this was not good for the general public. He said that there was some problem with the panelists, and that there should have been some “regular” residents included who were not employed by the City or by the nonprofit agencies. He had questions about the budget, wondering why $45,000 was left after three events, and why a 3% contingency fee was included in a grant written by the Bayview Opera House. He said there was a requirement to hire professionals for advertising and marketing, and this was not done, and he questioned the source of funding for the Arts Commission staff person.

    Mr. DeCaigny said that the 3rd on Third program would be discussed in detail at the next Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee meeting on January 14, when Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff will be present.

    Paula Datesh said that Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar should be required to attend the full Arts Commission meetings to hear what people say, and that the Street Artists Program is separate from the Arts Commission.

    There was no further public comment.
     

  9. New Business and Announcements
    President Beltran congratulated Commissioner Silverman on her new gallery. Commissioner Silverman invited everyone to the gallery, opening on January 16. She announced Fog Design + Art, a new incarnation of the Fogfair, at Fort Mason from January 14 through January 19. Commissioner Chew added that Commissioner Silverman had been named by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the Bay Area’s “People to Watch in 2014.”

    There was no public comment.
     

  10. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:50 p.m.
     

    1/31/14 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.