MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OF THE ARTS COMMISSION

Monday, September 25, 2017
12:30 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125

Minutes
 

President Beltran called the meeting to order at 12:38 p.m.

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present 
   JD Beltran, President
   Charles Collins
   Simon Frankel
   Abby Sadin Schnair
    
   Commissioners Absent 
   Roberto Ordeñana, Vice President
    
2. General Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
    
3. Director’s Report
   Mr. DeCaigny reported that Mr. DeCaigny reported on the Cork Sister City trip with the Mayor, several City department heads, and representatives of San Francisco nonprofits and other organizations. He reported on their discussions with artists and arts organizations in Cork on funding and governance models. He noted that this was a longstanding relationship, founded by Dianne Feinstein when she was the Mayor.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny reported that he expected a large turnout at the upcoming meeting of the full Commission, regarding the Pioneer Monument, which will be on the agenda. He reminded the Committee of the third annual grants convening on Tuesday, September 26, with the first legacy award honoring dancer and choreographer Alleluia Panis.
    
   He and President Beltran gave a brief update on nonprofit sustainability and the issue of affordable space for artists. He noted that now that Senior Policy Analyst Anh Thang Dao-Shah has returned from family leave, she has been working with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development on a demographic analysis.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
4. Recommendation for Public Art Trust Legislation Revisions
   Mr. DeCaigny discussed the process for amending the Public Art Trust legislation, Section 429 of the Planning Code, emphasizing that the draft will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, and that the final decision rests with the Board of Supervisors..
    
   Commissioner Frankel entered the meeting room at 12:51 p.m.
    
   Public Art Trust and Special Projects Director Jill Manton discussed the history of the legislation. She discussed the changes being proposed in light of more than five years of experience with the legislation, what is working and what could be improved. She reviewed the changes in the draft document, and the Committee discussed the revisions and the process in detail.
    
   Commissioner Frankel left the meeting at 1:34 p.m.
    
   The Committee continued its discussion, reviewing the role of the Arts Commission in awarding funds from the Trust.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to recommend the proposed revisions to the Public Art Trust legislation, Section 429 of the Planning Code.
    
5. Revised Agreement with Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development Regarding Civic Design Review and Public Art Requirements for Affordable Housing Projects
   Mr. DeCaigny discussed the background of this motion, explaining that because of a change in the way the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development ("MOHCD") handles affordable housing projects, leasing instead of selling the land to the developer, these projects, now on City-owned land, require public art and Civic Design Review. MOHCD and the Arts Commission drafted an agreement exempting some projects that were already well underway, too far along for meaningful review; the agreement was approved by the Arts Commission in June, 2017. The current motion adds a few more projects inadvertently omitted from the list by MOHCD.
    
   The Committee discussed the agreement, noting that a Commissioner from the Civic Design Review Committee would now sit on the MOHCD review panel when selecting developers.
    
   Commissioner Collins noted that he would have to recuse himself from discussion of two of the projects, but Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that exemption of these two had already been approved by the Commission in its June action with his recusal at that time, and thus the Committee was currently discussing only the exemption of the added projects.
    
   The Committee proposed revised language in the agreement to indicate that those projects were exempt from Civic Design Review, but not from the public art requirement.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to approve the revised agreement between the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development regarding Civic Design Review and Public Art requirements for affordable housing projects. The earlier agreement was approved by Resolution No. 0605-17-173.
    
6. Increase in Arts for Neighborhood Vitality Grant to San Francisco Juneteenth Festival
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion would authorize an increase to the Juneteenth Festival as the result of a competitive process.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to increase the Arts for Neighborhood Vitality grant to the San Francisco Juneteenth Festival (Fiscal Sponsor: Queer Cultural Center; grant authorized by Resolution No. 0710-17-179) by $50,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $53,000. This grant has been increased to expand the annual festival and build the capacity of the organization.
    
7. Increase in Special Project Grant to Bayview Opera House
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion addressed a special project grant with funds authorized by the Board of Supervisors, and the funds would go toward capital improvements to the Opera House.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to increase the Special Project Grant to the Bayview Opera House (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-011) by $69,500, for a total grant amount not to exceed $369,500. This grant is to support capital improvements to the building.
    
8. Increase in Special Project Grant to Queer Cultural Center
   Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion addressed a grant of funds authorized by the Board of Supervisors.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to increase the Special Project Grant to the Queer Cultural Center (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-017) by $40,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $120,000 and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2018. This grant is to support capacity-building and technical assistance services to emerging artists from historically underserved and underrepresented communities.
    
9. Increase in Cultural Center Grant to African American Art and Culture Complex
   In response to questions from the Committee, Community Investments Program Director Barbara Mumby and Mr. DeCaigny discussed the recent leadership transition at the African American Art and Culture Complex, and that the funds authorized by this motion were intended as a one-time grant to help manage the transition and strengthen the board of directors.
    
   There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
    
   Motion to increase the Cultural Center grant to the African American Art and Culture Complex (authorized by Resolution No. 0807-17-214) by $150,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $805,302: $698,370 to AAACC to support the transition of leadership and build capacity, and $106,932 to sub-grantee Queer Cultural Center (“QCC”), pending MPP and budget revisions.
    
10. Increase in Special Project Grant to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion called for an increase in an existing special project grant with funds from the Board of Supervisors.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to increase the Special Project Grant to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society (authorized by Resolution No. 1205-16-319) by $200,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $400,000 and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2018. This grant is to support continued capacity-building efforts.
     
11. Increase in Special Project Grant to New Conservatory Theatre Center
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion called for an increase in a special project grant with funds from the Board of Supervisors, and that in the previous year, the project had been funded by a work-order from the Department of Children, Youth and their Families.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to increase the Special Project Grant to the New Conservatory Theatre Center (authorized by Resolution No. 1205-16-319) by $50,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $100,000, and to extend the grant windows to June 30, 2018. This grant is to provide continued support to the YouthAware children’s theater program.
     
12. District 7 Participatory Budget Grant to Youth Art Exchange
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion awarded funds authorized by the participatory budget process, and that the program had previously been known as Out of Site, and he added that staff would ensure that the grantee had permission from all the owners of the various utility boxes selected four the project.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement with Youth Art Exchange (Fiscal Sponsor: Tides Center) for an amount not to exceed $18,170 to complete utility box murals with funding as selected by the District 7 Participatory Budget process.
     
13. District 7 Participatory Budget Grant to Ocean View–Merced Heights–Ingleside Community Action Organization
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion authorized a grant awarded by the participatory budget process.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement with Ocean View–Merced Heights–Ingleside Community Action Organization (“OMI-CAO”) for an amount not to exceed $25,000 to complete a mural as selected by the District 7 Participatory Budget process.
     
14. Increase in Special Project Grant to the Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion would authorize an increase in a special project grant to the organization previously known as the Arts Providers Alliance, and would support hosting the National Guild of Community Arts, with scholarships for the professional development of teaching artists. He announced that the organization’s annual convention was being held in San Francisco in November, and he invited Commissioners to the reception being held in the Gallery on November 17. Commissioner Collins praised this important grassroots work, and was proud for the Commission to support it.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to increase the Special Project Grant to the Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-016) by $10,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $60,000. This grant is to support professional development and networking for the arts provider and teaching artists community.
     
15. Increase in FY2017-2018 Cultural Equity Initiatives Grant to CounterPulse
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that this motion would support another national arts conference, in December, of the National Performing Arts Network, with scholarships to San Francisco artists. The Committee agreed that it was wonderful to see San Francisco hosting so many national arts organizations.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to increase the FY2017-2018 Cultural Equity Initiatives grant to CounterPulse (authorized by Resolution No. 0501-17-111) by $10,000, for a total grant amount not to exceed $107,336. This grant is to support the organization’s ability to provide expanded capacity-building supports to their constituents.
     
16. FY2017-2018 Management and Programming Plan and Budget for Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that the other Cultural Centers’ Management and Programming Plans (“MPP”) and budgets had been approved at a prior meeting, and staff had been working with the Mission Cultural Center to complete theirs appropriately.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to approve the proposed FY2017-2018 Management and Programming Plan (“MPP”) and Budget for Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (“MCCLA”) and to authorized the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement for an amount not to exceed $578,434, pending MPP and budget revisions.
     
17. Organization Project Grant to Lenora Lee Dance
    Mr. DeCaigny explained that staff had recently been notified that the 501(c)3 status of Asian Improv aRts had expired, and that the City Attorney’s office had recommended rescinding any grants to them, or to organizations or artists for whom they were acting as fiscal sponsor, since the City cannot make a grant to an organization without current 501(c)3 documentation from the Internal Revenue Service. The Committee briefly discussed fiscal sponsorship. Mr. DeCaigny explained that grantee Lenora Lee Dance had obtained a new fiscal sponsor. In response to a question from the Committee, he explained that the Arts Commission would hold the funds from two grants awarded to Asian Improv aRts until their status was resolved, or they found a fiscal sponsor for their organization.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to rescind the FY2015-2016 Organization Project Grant to Lenora Lee Dance for an amount not to exceed $15,000 authorized by Resolution No. 0307-16-088.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a FY2015-2016 Organization Project Grant agreement with Lenora Lee Dance (Fiscal Sponsor: Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center) for an amount not to exceed $15,000.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0501-17-119, which authorized a FY2016-2017 Organization Project Grant to Asian Improv aRts for an amount not to exceed $20,000.
     
    There was no public comment. The motion was unanimously approved as follows.
     
    Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0501-17-110, which authorized a FY2016-2017 Artists and Communities in Partnership grant to Asian Improv aRts for an amount not to exceed $20,000.
     
18. New Business and Announcements
    President Beltran reported that she and Mr. DeCaigny have been working with LaPlaca Cohen to arrange for a presentation on Culture Track, a pro bono study on trends in culture. Their latest results will be presented at Fort Mason on October 25, at 6:00 p.m. She added that there will be an online summary of the report. Mr. DeCaigny added that LaPlaca Cohen is based in New York, and very well-respected nationally.
     
    President Beltran announced that she had collaborated with her son on a film which debuted in Venice.
     
    Mr. DeCaigny reported that staff is working on scheduling a full-day meeting of all staff and Commissioners, with half a day devoted to a racial equity training facilitated by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a project of Race Forward, which recently merged with the Center for Social Inclusion. The other half day will update the Commission’s strategic plan. The Committee endorsed this plan.
     
    There was no further new business or announcements, and no public comment.
     
19. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
     

posted 10/9/17 9:00 a.m. spr
approved 1/8/18



 

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Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2256, 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, 415-252-2256, 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, 415-252-2256, sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.