Full Commission - March 3, 2014

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, March 3, 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 3:03 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
JD Beltran, President
Abby Sadin Schnair, Vice President
Gregory Chew
Leo Chow
Charles Collins
Simon Frankel
Dorka Keehn
Sherene Melania
Roberto Ordeñana
Marcus Shelby
Barbara Sklar
Kimberlee Stryker
Commissioners Absent
Janine Shiota
Jessica Silverman
Cass Calder Smith
Gwyneth Borden, ex officio
Approval of Minutes
There was no public comment, and the motion was approved unanimously.
RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-062: Motion to approve February 3, 2014 Minutes.
President’s Report
President Beltran noted that she would have to leave the meeting early, and that Vice President Schnair would chair the meeting upon her departure. She reported that the Executive Committee had met, and she had no further report.
There was no public comment.
Director’s Report
Mr. DeCaigny reported that the Street Artists Program partnered with Art in Action, celebrating women artists in March.
He announced the groundbreaking at the War Memorial on Thursday, March 20 at noon, and the groundbreaking at Bayview Opera House on Wednesday, March 12 at 9:30, with the Mayor and Supervisor Cohen.

He reported on the dedication of a new illuminated mural, Bayview Rise, at Pier 92, created by artist team Haddad Drugan with Port funding and Arts Commission project management. The project, visible from Highway 280, has received critical praise.

Mr. DeCaigny reminded Commissioners that the Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) is due on April 1, and must now be filed online. He also reminded Commissioners about the requirement to file the Sunshine Declaration by April 1, and to file a Declaration of Ethics Training every two years. He noted that the Sunshine and Ethics training requirements were satisfied by the in-person training recently conducted at Nourse Auditorium, or could be satisfied by watching the training online on the City Attorney’s website.

Mr. DeCaigny reported that the nonprofit displacement working group, appointed by the Mayor and Supervisor Jane Kim to identify ways to mitigate rising real estate costs affecting San Francisco’s nonprofit sector, including the arts as well as health and social services, has been meeting with constituents. The Board of Supervisors has now identified $4.515 million to implement the working group’s recommendations, due in early April. Mr. DeCaigny reported that the working group is looking across the city for successful models, pointing out the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (“CAST”) as an example of private philanthropy investments in the Central Market area.

Public Comment:
Peter Warfield of Library Users Association said that he wondered whether the nonprofit displacement working group was considering the root causes, including the influx of tech companies and the Mayor’s tax breaks for them, which increase pressure and demand on housing and space.

There was no further public comment.

Mr. DeCaigny noted that the working group was focused on nonprofits rather than individual residents, noting that there is no commercial rent control; the group was looking at both root causes and potential solutions. The group’s initial charge was to examine past solutions to the identical challenges in 2000, and he noted that there are economic cycles in San Francisco regardless of tax policy. Mr. DeCaigny added that the working group was investigating both long-term (potential zoning changes or agreements with developers) and short-term solutions (potential bridge grants, or plans for shared space for “back-end” operations).
New Business and Announcements
President Beltran took this item out of order. She announced the membership of the Committees, and thanked Commissioners for their volunteer service to the City.
Pointing out the Strategic Plan goal of policy discussions at full Commission meetings, President Beltran asked Commissioners to suggest any specific subject they’d like to see on the agenda. Mr. DeCaigny added that this could be an opportunity to dig deeper on policy issues, and to identify potential overlapping areas between two or more Committees.

Commissioner Sklar recalled that in the past there had been meetings in the community, at Cultural Centers, for example, and she suggested doing that from time to time.
Commissioner Keehn suggested a discussion of federal and state funding sources for arts education and public art, noting that federal legislation in recent years limited freestanding public art in favor of more architecturally integrated artworks. She also proposed more discussion of the nonprofits funded by the Arts Commission. Vice President Schnair suggested a discussion of community benefit agreements, compiling a menu of ideas to benefit the arts. Commissioner Chew suggested inviting Dr. Jane Chu (no relation), the new head of the National Endowment for the Arts, to visit. Commissioner Shelby suggested inviting community artists to talk about their concerns and experiences with displacement. Mr. DeCaigny agreed that artists are critical stakeholders, who may also offer potential solutions, and illuminate for the Mayor’s office and the Board of Supervisors the potential policy levers. He promised to work with staff to publicize the time for that testimony and the policy discussion by the Commission.

Commissioner Melania agreed with Commissioner Shelby, noting that the Presidio has received many inquiries from artists who have recently lost their space elsewhere in the city. She also proposed a discussion of the renewal of the Public Education Enrichment Fund (“PEEF”) and the Children’s Fund legislation. Mr. DeCaigny suggested two other subjects that have been raised by Commissioners: the upcoming expansion of the Moscone campus and the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (“BRT”). He noted that these have both come to the Civic Design Review and Visual Arts Committees, and because of their scope and significance, he thought they should both have informational presentations before the full Commission.

President Beltran requested announcements. Commissioner Melania announced a gala dinner on Thursday, March 6, to raise funds for a new ballet, The Little Lantern, for her company, Presidio Dance Theatre. She added that the project is a collaboration with a dozen international organizations, and costumes and sets by artists of the Mariinsky Theatre.

Commissioner Keehn reported on the successful opening event on February 23 for And My Room Still Rocks Like a Boat on the Sea (Caruso’s Dream), with some 1500 participants. She added that the piece is installed hanging off the side of 55 Ninth Street. Vice President Schnair announced that her son’s rock band, Kiven, performed at the Bottom of the Hill, and would be back in May. President Beltran reported that she had a film opening in Shanghai, and an installation at the Sandler Neuroscience Building (designed by Commissioner Chow) at the Mission Bay campus of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. She added that she was one of seven artists who each collaborated with a neuroscientist to develop an artwork for the multistory atrium in the building. Finally, she added that she had artworks in the Southern Exposure show opening March 22, and at the Cannery Galleries for the Southern Graphics Council conference, opening March 29.

Public Comment:
Paula Datesh said that the City Attorney’s Good Government Guide says that if a Commissioner is absent from three meetings a year, the fact should be brought to the attention of the Mayor, and she alleged that Commissioner Smith had not been present at a meeting for over a year. She said that the Commission liked to gloss over such things.

Peter Warfield of Library Users Association said that he experienced a shell game in the Commission’s approval of the destruction of the Bernal Heights Branch Library mural, and that the Commission needs to establish written procedures for this type of project. He said that the Commission claimed not to approve the look and content of the new mural, but then saw views of the project. He said there was no interest in the process from the Arts Commission, and that the Library Commission and Arts Commission each said the other was responsible for approval. He said the Commission selectively ignored information regarding maintenance and the project’s challenge grant funding.

There was no further public comment.
Consent Calendar
President Beltran left the meeting at 3:40 p.m., and Vice President Schnair chaired the remainder of the meeting. She called for public comment on the Consent Calendar.
Public Comment:
Ms. Datesh said that all four meetings were violations of the Sunshine Ordinance, and though she came to talk about it, nothing changes.

Mr. Warfield commented on the Visual Arts Committee minutes, and on the two motions regarding the Bernal Heights Branch Library. He requested that each of those be considered separately, with separate public comment on each. Vice President Schnair declined to sever the items.

Mr. Warfield called it outrageous to include this number of items in the Consent Calendar. He said that the destruction of the mural was serious and should not occur. He said that the Director and others had supported restoring at least part of the mural with the image of Victor Jara, and that the Bernal Library Art Project (“BLAP”) said that the entire mural on three sides of the building could be restored. He said that the new mural wiped out the Native American history. He said that the whole process was dripping with illegalities, and there were multiple cases with the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force.

Ms. Datesh said that she had attended the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force hearings and didn’t understand why the Arts Commission held on to speaker cards. She referred to the film The Monuments Men, and said this was a perfect example of the cultural heritage of San Francisco being destroyed, and that if it didn’t need to be destroyed, it shouldn’t be.

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

RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-063:
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. This item was withdrawn.
3. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-064: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of February 11, 2014.
4. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-065: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of February 19, 2014.
  
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (February 10, 2014)
5. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-066: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the West Sunset Playground Renovation Project, contingent upon (1) further developing the landscaping, including hedgerows or other vegetation around fencing; (2) minimizing both the amount and height of fencing, (3) lightening and opening up the back, to make the restrooms more welcoming, possibly with glass block; (4) rethinking the parking to prevent cars crossing pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk; (5) marking the entrances or portals more clearly with a gate or overhead element tall enough to permit large trucks to enter; (6) eliminating the concrete posts at 39th and Quintara; (7) using a lower concrete retaining wall with guardrail and/or planting.
6. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-067: Motion to approve Phases 1 and 2 of the Burrows Streetscape Furniture Design Project, contingent upon (1) determining the appropriate type and finish of steel; (2) using a single radius of five inches or less throughout; (3) eliminating the wood underneath the steel ribbon; (4) simplifying the form over the window and maintaining a single continuous steel ribbon, with all bends related to a specific need; (5) submission of a final sketch with these changes.
  
  Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Recommendations (February 11, 2014)
7. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-068: Motion to approve the following individuals as a part of a pool of potential SFAC grant application review panelists through June 30, 2015:
  Kawika Keikiali’ihiwahiwa Alfiche, Kumu Hula (teacher), Halau o Keikiali’i, Director, Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center
  T. Lulani Arquette, President/CEO, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF)
  Charles “Chuck” Collins, President and Executive Officer, YMCA, Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission
  Theresa Harlan, curator and writer
  Celia Herrera Rodríguez, visual artist and educator
  Malcolm Margolin, Founder/Executive Director, Heyday
8. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-069: Motion to approve recommendations to award ten grants totaling $30,000 in the 2013-2014 cycle of Arts for Neighborhood Vitality (“ANV”) 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:
  Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, $3,000
  Brava Theater Center/Brava! For Women in the Arts, $3,000
  Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco, $3,000
  CounterPULSE, $3,000
  Excelsior Action Group, $3,000
  Genryu Arts, $3,000
  Marigold Project, $3,000
  Out of Site: Center for Arts Education, $3,000
  Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc., $3,000
  The Bay Bridged, $3,000
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (February 19, 2014)
9. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-070: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential panelists for artist selection panels for Fiscal Year 2013-2014:
  Jaime Austin, Curator and Director of Programs, ZERO1
  Maude Haak-Frendscho, Program Manager, Headlands Center for the Arts
  Anthony Huberman, Director, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
  Stephanie Johnson, artist, Instructor of Sculpture, Installation, Performance Art and Public Art, California State University, Monterey Bay
  Aimee Le Duc, Executive Director, Berkeley Art Center
  Juan Luna-Avin, artist, Lecturer, Visual and Public Art Department, California State University, Monterey Bay
  Sharon Maidenberg, Executive Director, Headlands Center for the Arts
  Marina McDougall, Director, Center for Art & Inquiry, Exploratorium
  Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Associate Director and Senior Curator, MACLA
  Anuradha Vikram, Director of Residency Programs, 18th Street Arts Center
10. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-071: Motion to approve the mural design, Rainbow Colors, by Ian Ross located at 435 Duboce Street.
11. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-072: Motion to approve the mural design, Blue Lines, by Ian Ross Gallery/Daniele Rocha located at 41 Freelon Street.
12. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-073: Motion to approve the mural design, Flying Bird, by Shawn Bullen located at 1818 Palou Street.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-074: Motion to approve the mural design, StreetScape, by Bryana Fleming located at 6333 Geary Boulevard.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-075: Motion to approve the installation of the public art project, Bayview Rise, by Haddad Drugan at Port Pier 92.
15. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-076: Motion to retroactively approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection Studies for the “Four Elements,” 2008 by Owen Smith. The studies include eight oil on board panels: Air (Aeronautics—Female Pilot), 18 inches by 18 inches; Air (Falconer), 18 inches by 18 inches; Water (Woman with Jug), 18 inches by 18 inches; Earth (Farmer Plowing Landscape), 19 inches by 30 inches; Earth (Farmers Gathering), 18 inches by 18 inches; Fire (Ceramicist), 18 inches by 18 inches; Fire (Glassblowers), 19 inches by 30 inches; Fire (Steelworker), 18 inches by 18 inches. The artworks were studies for the artwork by the same name (Accession No. 2011.30.a-n) commissioned for the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center and accepted into the Civic Art Collection (Resolution No. 0711-11-171).
16. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-077: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection Philosopher’s Way, 2012 by the artists Peter Richards and Susan Schwartzenberg. The artwork is a multi-component installation within McLaren Park along a 2.7-mile walking trail and another 1.1-mile loop. The components include: two granite trailhead plaques; 61 granite trail markers; 15 scenic stops marked with 13 viewing stations and two granite benches, all have inlaid polished black granite panels etched with historical photos; and one spring water fountain bowl made of carved basalt. The artwork was dedicated on January 5, 2013.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-078: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection Firefly, 2012 by Ned Kahn. The artwork is multi-component installation on the façade of the Public Utilities Commission building at 525 Golden Gate. The installation consists of five-inch-square, clear-polycarbonate panels hinged to move freely in the wind. At night, the movement of the panels is converted into light when the hinged panels move inward and connect to small embedded magnets connected to an electric reed that triggers the flickering of LED lights. The sculpture requires less energy than a 75-watt lightbulb. The artwork was dedicated with the opening of the building in June 2012.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-079: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection Rain Portal, 2012 by Ned Kahn. The artwork is located at the Public Utilities Commission building at 525 Golden Gate. The installation covers two walls located on either side of the lobby stairway. The installation is a self-sustaining system that continuously recycles water to create the illusion of rain inside the clear polycarbonate wall panels. The extruded polycarbonate has multiple cells of plastic through which water is pumped up from a reservoir at the bottom of the panels and released as small drops into the top. The artwork was dedicated with the opening of the building in June 2012.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-080: Motion to approve the final poster designs for First Exposures’ Market Street Youth Poster Series, April–July 2014.
20. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-081: Motion to approve the carved paver mock-ups by Masayuki Nagase for the General Hospital Acute Care Building: Roof Garden.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-082: Motion to approve the following artworks recommended for reproduction by the General Hospital Acute Care Building: Two-Dimensional Artwork Program Artist Selection Panel for installation at the General Hospital Acute Care Building:
  Nora Akino: Limantour; Monterey Pines; Wild-Mustard II
  Lennell Allen: Drakes Bay at Point Reyes #178; Ocean Beach at Noriega #114; Ocean Beach at Noriega #167; Ocean Beach at Noriega #274
  Rob Badger: Golden Gate Bridge in Fog at Sunrise Looking Toward San Francisco; Heart Lake, John Muir Wilderness Area, Inyo National Forest, CA; Poppies and Gilia, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, CA; San Francisco Beyond the Blue Hills of Marin, View From Mt. Tamalpais; Sycamores New Grass, San Luis Obispo, CA; Wildflowers and Owl’s Clover in Grass, Table Mountain, Butte County, CA
  Jennifer Bain: Flurry; Grasshopper; Pretty Bird; Shrinking Habitat; Single Source
  John Bankston: Big Machine
  Tom Baril: Baker’s Beach
  Suzy Barnard: Blue Conversation; Blue Position; July Jade; Still Overcast; Twilight State
  Louisiana Bendolph: Mayday; Shared Legacy
  Leo Bersamina: Lining Up III
  Frederick Brayman: Loosenders’ Last Summer
  Mark Brown: Drakes Bay Vista; Half Dome; Mt. Shasta and Forest; Mt. Shasta Western Landscape
  Vicky Chen: In Between; Road Side View
  James Chronister: Large Snowy Forest
  Patricia Claro: Momento
  Elaine Coombs: Connection 1; Distill 10; Distill 11; Distill 13; Lively 1
  Beatrice Coron: BZCT; Vertical Farming
  Counterpoint Studio, LLC: 23 Cranes
  Binh Danh: Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite, CA, May 15, 2012; Cathedral Rocks and Cathedral Spires, June 11, 2012; Lower Yosemite Fall October 13, 2011, 3:45pm
  Eileen David: Bernal Slice #2; Castro Slice #4; Columbus / Francisco; Kite Hill; Potrero; Russian Hill #2
  Michael Eade: Cape Arago, Southern Oregon Coast; Inlet; Mount Tabor; Vista
  Evah Fan: A Crab in Scrabble; House-O-Rama; Job Seekers; Pet Grass; Ticks Attack Toes
  Annie Galvin: Botany Bear; Cloud Bears; Transform
  Cliff Garten: Radiolarian – Mace; Radiolarian - Twist 3; Suspect Figure 2
  Carmen Lomas Garza: Baile en 1958; Cakewalk; Cumpleaños de Lala y Tudi; Empanadas; La Feria en Reynosa; Tamalada
  Linda Gass: After the Gold Rush; Fields of Salt; Sanitary
  Sheila Ghidini: Hummingbird Nest; Nest with Turquoise Ribbon; Robin’s Nest 5
  Stanley Goldstein: Late Afternoon; Rodeo Beach; Rodeo Beach–Fog; Spring in China Camp
  Rachel Granofsky: One Part of Something to Another; Tenuous Divide; Mountain Stream
  Isca Greenfield-Sanders: Tommy and the Ball
  Michael Hall: Group
  Ophelia Ho: Dragon Gate; Herbal Shop; Lantern Shop; Snowing; Tea with Friend
  Josie Iselin: Bolinas Seaweeds; Botryocladia (Sea Grapes); Halosaccion Glandiforme (Sea Sacs)
  Diane Jacobs: Bee, Magnolia, Bowl; Chicken & Egg; Farmland
  Ivy Jacobsen: Anise; Bending Towards Light; Forest Mist; Night Flyer-web; Protea; Smoke Bush; Solstice; Summer Light; Perceptions #8
  David Johnson: Bayview Boys and Wagon–2; Bayview Girls Hopscotch–6; Bayview Girls playing Hopscotch–1; Clarence
  Todd Lanam: Church Window; Park School Rail; Schoolyard Mural
  Beryl Landau: 22 Fillmore; Last Light; Memoria Pond; Pink Light; Primary Colors; San Francisco Skyline from San Bruno Mountain; The Real Thing; True to Form; Walking Along
  Bovey Lee: Dragging Cows up A Tree
  Katja Leibenath: Riverbank #18/2
  Lisa Levine: At the Cove; Swim #3; The Adoration of the Waters
  Hung Liu: Happy and Gay the Kite; New Old World Symphony Blue Foot; New Old World Symphony Pink Foot; New Old World Symphony Tender Foot
  Peter Loftus: Above Cambria: Evening; Towards Morro: Evening
  Steven Lopez: Shelf Life 003; Shelf Life 007
  Sharon Louden: Community (3); Community (4); Community (6); Community (7)
  Reagan Louie: Hangzhou; San Francisco
  Paul Madonna: All Over Coffee #283 through our roads; All Over Coffee #485 Dipsea Trail 3; All Over Coffee #517 Guerrero Park; All Over Coffee #548 Golden Gate Park Carousel; All Over Coffee #572 Rocket
  Kegan Marling: Duniya Dance and Drum Company, San Francisco City Hall; Gerry and Chris, Castro Street Fair; One Dance: Bay Area Dance Week
  Adam McCauley: Cretian Hillside; Stavros Beach
  Nikki McClure: Agree; Barter; Befriend; Home; Inhabit; Lunch; Practice; Rely
  Robert Minervini: After Glow; Predator and Prey; United by Fate
  Kelly Neidig: Chelsea; Sadie; Scully; Tone
  Siddharth Parasnis: Boats and Lotus in the Shallow Water; Boats in the Shallow Water # 6; House near Railway–Crossing; White Street; Two Storied House with a Backyard
  Maria Park: CN2_1; CN2_4
  Michele Ramirez: Big Cloud, Ripon; Burned Hills 3; Outside Butano State Park; Turlock
  Eric Rewitzer: Dogpatch; Golden Boy; Homeward Bound; One for the Fans; Yosemite Valley
  Mary Robertson: Girl with Gear; River Lounge
  Clare Rojas: Bleeding Hearts; Boundary Lines; Forget-Me-Not; Tulips
  Ron Moultrie Saunders: Acacia Flower Blossoms; Dodonea Descending (Green); Pine Needles
  Jenn Shifflet: An Eclipsed Wonder; Dreaming in Turquoise; In the Midst; Lumen; Wishing on the Wind
  Deth Sun: Donut Cat; Loving You
  Seiko Tachibana: Fern-21; Fern-22; Fern-3a; Fern-9
  Jason Tannen: Food Take Out; Prepare; Sam Wo
  David Tomb: Azure-breasted Pitta; Blue-capped Kingfisher; Collared Kingfisher; Philippine Trogon; Resplendent Quetzal; Rufous Hornbill; Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove
  Martin Webb: The Fog Was Lifting
  Pamela Wilson-Ryckman: Golden Gate Park; Lafyette Park
  Sarah Winkler: Mesquite Sand Dunes; Sculpted Dune; Solar Harvest: 10 a.m.
  June Yokell: China Camp Hill; Crossing; Hayward Salt Flats
22. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-083: Motion to pay the following artists an honorarium of $1,000 in return for license to the City to make a limited edition reproduction of the following artworks for display in public waiting rooms and corridors at the General Hospital Acute Care Building:
  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
  Christoper Brown
  Mark Brown
  Squeak Carnwath
  Vicky Chen
  James Chronister
  Patricia Claro
  Greg Colson
  Elaine Coombs
  Alika Cooper
  Beatrice Coron
  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
  Counterpoint Studio
  Michele Ramirez
  Eric Rewitzer
  Lance Rivers
  Mary Robertson
  Lordy Rodriguez
  Clare Rojas
  Ron 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 Wolf
  June Yokell
23. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-084: Motion to approve the following artists recommended by the selection panel for the San Francisco International Airport wall opportunities in Terminals 1 and 3, and the proposed site locations for each artist:
  Louisiana Bendolph: T3 East Departures, site #6; Gate 71B (north east)
  Chris Johanson: T3 East Departures; site #6; Gate 71 A
  Vanessa Marsh and Sanaz Mazinami: T3 East Departures; site #6; Gate 71 B (east)
  Lordy Rodriguez: T3 East Baggage Claim, site #9
  James Melchert: T1 Secure Connector
  Executive Committee Recommendations (February 24, 2014)
24. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-085: Motion to approve the removal of the murals on the south side (back) of the Bernal Heights Branch Library due to their deteriorated condition.
25. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-086: Motion to approve the final design and implementation of Story Cloud, a 20 ft. x 53 ft. mosaic mural by Johanna Poethig as a long-term temporary artwork for the south side of the Bernal Heights Branch Library, sponsored by the Bernal Library Art Project/Friends of the San Francisco Library.
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee—JD Beltran, Chair
  1. In the absence of President Beltran, Vice President Schnair explained that Mr. DeCaigny had reported on negotiations underway on a long-term lease between the City and the Mexican Museum, and she asked him to recap for the full Commission.
    He explained that as a result of the state’s dissolution of local redevelopment agencies, a number of assets of San Francisco’s Redevelopment Agency were being transferred, including the property identified as the future home of the Mexican Museum. Mr. DeCaigny is setting up weekly meetings with a number of City departments (Department of Real Estate, Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, Capital Planning, City Attorney), Jessie Square developer Millennium Partners and the Mexican Museum, with the aim of drafting an operating and lease agreement for submission to the Board of Supervisors by Labor Day. He added that he will ask the Mexican Museum to give an informational presentation to the Commission in the coming months.
    
    Noting that the Mexican Museum property was a state asset under Redevelopment, but at the end of this process it will be a City asset, Mr. DeCaigny explained that their project will be reviewed by the Civic Design Review Committee, but private structures in the development will not be subject to Civic Design Review.
    
    Public Comment:
    Mr. Warfield said that all of the Commissioners were smart and capable, and he thought the Executive Committee would have asked relevant questions as to the worthiness of the process and product regarding the Bernal Heights Library. He said that he had referred to illegalities here and at Supervisor Campos’s office found by the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force. He said ten pictures were posted and the Library Commission had not seen any of them. He said that the group had collected 50 images, but there was no information on any of them. He said there were no minutes, agendas or recordings of that process. He said that the statement of consensus said certain things should be considered, such as social significance, activism and remembering the previous mural. He said that nothing in the material that came before the Executive Committee described how the new artwork would satisfy those agreed-upon principles. He said that the first phase of work was completed more than a year ago, and there was no plaque commemorating the prior mural as was done in other situations. He was not very impressed witih the Executive Committee.
    
    There was no further public comment.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Chow reported that the Committee reviewed five projects across a broad spectrum. The first was the Van Ness BRT, previously mentioned in the Director’s Report. Because of its scope, he thought the whole Commission should be aware of this project, redeveloping Van Ness for bus rapid transit, affecting the traffic lanes, parking, sidewalks, power lines; everything on the street. He reported that the Committee did not approve Phase 1 of the project, adding that the design team has a very big challenge: Van Ness is not only a major city street, but also state highway 101, and thus subject to Caltrans regulations. The design team is trying to integrate freeway standards with the needs of a city street.
    Somewhat smaller in scale, the Committee reviewed the Recreation and Parks Department’s renovation of West Sunset Playground, with stadium seating, gates, fencing, parking lots, restroom and ADA upgrades. He reported that the design team did a very nice job, and this was part of an ongoing effort to bring the parks into the 21^st century.
    
    Commissioner Chow reported that the Committee reviewed the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Hunters Point, and a public-initiated project to turn the dead end of Burrows Street into an urban plaza. He introduced the motion below, for Phase 3 approval of the Burrows Street project, and reviewed the rendering of the bench. He explained that the original concept was for a single continuous metal strip that curved up and down along the wall for seating and other functions. He noted that the revised design calls for the strip to touch the ground in places to provide structural support.
    
    Public Comment:
    Mr. Warfield said that it was lovely to see places to perch in the city, which was very short of such spots, and he asked what the materials were.
    
    There was no further public comment.
    
    Commissioner Chow explained that the main band is metal and the seating areas are topped with wood. Commissioner Keehn reiterated her concern that powder-coated metal scratches very easily, and Special Projects and Civic Art Program Director Jill Manton explained that she is still working with the design team and Public Art staff to determine the most durable finish. In response to a question, Mr. DeCaigny explained that the Commission was being asked to approve Phase 3, the final approval for the project, with any remaining contingencies delegated to staff for resolution. He added that in Phase 1 or 2 approval, contingencies generally require the project to come back to the Committee for review, but not for this final stage. He also pointed out that the contingencies noted by the Committee are now being numbered to create a more specific record for the Commission and for the project team.
    
    The motion was approved unanimously as follows.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0303-14-087: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Burrows Streetscape Furniture Design Project, contingent upon (1) the wood being a minimum of 1.5-inch thickness and set on top of the metal ribbon; and (2) final resolution as to whether the metal ribbon is continuous.
    Commissioners noted that the Van Ness BRT presentation was posted online with the agenda for the prior Civic Design Review Committee meeting, and that a recent New York Times article noted the challenge for cities trying to make streets have this kind of double role.
    
    Mr. DeCaigny agreed to calendar an informational presentation on the project for an upcoming meeting of the full Commission.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherene Melania, Chair
  1. Commissioner Melania reiterated the most exciting item the Committee discussed, the groundbreaking at Bayview Opera House. She acknowledged Community Arts and Education Program Manager Judy Nemzoff’s work on behalf of the Opera House. She added that the Center’s programs will continue during renovations, possibly in alternative sites. Additionally, she reported, they are a partner in the ongoing 3^rd on Third series. She reported that the Committee approved grants, including Arts for Neighborhood Vitality, formerly the festival grant program, which brings together artists and organizations that would not otherwise be collaborating. She added that the Committee spent a great deal of time discussing granting policy, considering depth versus breadth in grantmaking, and whether the Commission should change from single-year to multi-year funding as other City agencies do.
    Public Comment:
    Robert Davis showed images of a mural on Palou which he said was part of StreetSmARTS. He asked several questions about the cost and who is maintaining it.
    
    Mr. DeCaigny offered to check with staff to see if the Arts Commission had something to do with this mural. He noted that the Visual Arts Committee had approved a different mural design called Flying Bird for 1818 Palou at its last meeting; it was approved in today’s Consent Calendar above.
4. Street Artists Committee—Barbara Sklar, Chair
  1. Commissioner Sklar reported that the Committee had not met in February. Commissioner Chew welcomed Commissioner Sklar as the new chair of the Committee, and pledged to work with her. Noting that the program was begun more than forty years ago, he praised the staff who run it and affirmed its importance to the livelihood of the artists who create and sell their work.
    Vice President Schnair thanked Commissioner Chew for his leadership of the Committee over the last several years, and thanked Commissioner Sklar for taking on the role now.
    
    Public Comment:
    Ms. Datesh said that the agendas for the Committee’s meetings are not posted timely, and she thought the meetings were not well-run, with certain people monopolizing the discussion. She said that there are disruptions, and she doesn’t think a San Francisco Police officer is required. She said that there were not bad people, they were just struggling.
    
    Mr. Warfield said he did not have a specific comment about this report, and he was reminded that comments needed to be on the topic.
    
    Mr. Warfield said that agendas should be posted more than the required 72 hours before the meeting, to allow the public more than one working day to study it. He thought that posting 72 hours in advance crippled the participation of the Commission and the public.
5. Visual Arts Committee—Dorka Keehn, Chair
  1. Vice President Schnair thanked Commissioner Sklar for her service on the Committee, and welcomed Commissioner Keehn as the new chair. Commissioner Keehn also thanked Commissioner Sklar for her service and, having served on two commissions with her, praised her wisdom and insight.
    Commissioner Keehn reported that the Committee reviewed 308 artworks, 270 for San Francisco General Hospital, and approved payment to the artists for limited-edition reproductions; they also approved the panel-selected artists for San Francisco Airport Terminals 1 and 3. She reported that the Committee and heard from staff about the status of the inventory of the Civic Art Collection and assessment of conservation needs.
    
    Commissioner Chew added that staff will be offering portfolio review to artists who have submitted their work for pool consideration. Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious added that five staff members will meet with five artists each, over the course of two evenings, to review what they submitted; this is the third year that such review has been offered. In response to a question, she explained that San Francisco artists receive first priority, and if slots remain, they are offered to other Bay Area artists.
    
    Finally, Mr. DeCaigny reported that future StreetSmARTS murals will be reviewed by the Visual Arts Committee.
    
    Public Comment:
    Mr. Warfield said that the Bernal Heights Library mural was on the agenda for this Committee’s meeting, and the minutes indicate that it was “tabled.” He said there was no discussion of the merits or when it might come back to the Committee, and he said that it was inappropriate to take this action without public comment. He said that “tabling” an item means that the body will take up the item again at a later time, but that everyone but the public know that the Visual Arts Committee would never take up the matter again. He said that the Commission’s bylaws indicated that this was the Committee’s job. He said that the item went to the Executive Committee in a different form, as two items instead of one, separating the destruction of the old mural from the approval of the new design. He said that the new mural was to be made of tile, with a 50-year life expectancy, and that President Beltran said it was a temporary mural. He asked why and said this was misleading and deceptive.
    
    There was no further public comment.
Public Comment
Ms. Datesh said that she could not get a simple question answered by Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar through an immediate disclosure request. She said that she went to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, and the next day had the same result for the same question. She said that construction on Stockton Street eliminated some selling spaces because the barricades extended too far. She wanted to know whether there were negotiations to cut into the barricades to restore at least one of the spaces. She said it was distressing not to get answers, and that’s why she was not in the program.
Mr. Davis showed images of a mural, pointing out that the mural was very inappropriate in his opinion.

He also said he would like someone to review the management of Bayview Opera House. He said that the bookkeeper was fired or laid off, and while the Opera House is closed, new professional management and advertisers or merchandisers should be brought in. He said the Opera House was poorly run, and he would like to see improvements.

Mr. DeCaigny said that, as he and several Commissioners had just taken the City Attorney’s Sunshine training, he wanted to point out that the Commission could not take up an item not on the agenda, and that a review of the Cultural Center was not appropriate. He said this question should be taken up with the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee since the item was not calendared for the full Commission and no one was here to represent the Opera House.

Mr. Warfield thanked Mr. DeCaigny for responding to a member of the public, and that openness and advance notice were key to allowing the public to know what the Commission was discussing. He asked how often the Visual Arts Committee moves a project to the Executive Committee and when it last happened.

Mr. DeCaigny said that because of the Executive Committee’s purview of overall agency matters, items can be and are moved from any Committee to the Executive Committee when appropriate. He pointed out that because the Commission began to receive public comment on the Bernal Heights Library mural only the day before the Visual Arts Committee meeting, the item was moved to the Executive Committee’s agenda to allow more time for public notice and comment. He added that the Executive Committee includes representatives of all the other Committees.

There was no further public comment.
Adjournment
Mr. DeCaigny noted with sadness the passing on February 12 of Masha Zakheim, daughter of the outspoken muralist Bernard Zakheim, and a noted expert on Coit Tower and its murals. He gave a brief biography of Ms. Zakheim, noting that she had written the definitive book on the Coit Tower murals and another on the murals of Diego Rivera, and that she was a longtime docent at Coit Tower. He added that she was also involved with other mural sites, including the City Club, the Stock Exchange and the Beach Chalet, and was known for her clear and articulate way of talking about art. Finally, he reported that a memorial is being planned for August.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m. in memory of Masha Zakheim.

3/26/14 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.

Full Commission - March 3, 2014 - Meeting Minutes