MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, September 12, 2016
2:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

Minutes

Commission President JD Beltran called the meeting to order at 2:11 p.m.

1. Roll Call
    
   Commissioners Present
   JD Beltran, President
   Roberto Ordeñana, Vice President
   Gregory Chew
   Simon Frankel
   Dorka Keehn
   Sherene Melania
   Abby Sadin Schnair
   Janine Shiota
   ​Jessica Silverman
   Kimberlee Stryker
   Paul Woolford
    
   Commissioners Absent
   Charles Collins
   Marcus Shelby
   Barbara Sklar
   Rich Hillis, ex officio
    
2. Approval of Minutes
   There was no public comment, and the minutes were unanimously approved as follows.
    
   RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-238: Motion to approve August 1, 2016 Minutes.
    
3. General Public Comment
   William Clark spoke against the elimination of the ten-day grace period for the issuance or renewal of street artist certificates, as approved by the Street Artist Committee. He argued that the decision had the effect of illegally amending Measure L, that there was no written City Attorney opinion on the change and that the public did not receive adequate notice. He submitted prior City Attorney opinions in support of his position.
    
   Robert Clark said that he and his brother had been sending e-mails to Commissioners on this issue, and called the action un-American and undemocratic. He argued that “modernizing” was just a cover to violate the will of the people, and he called for further public hearings.
    
   Michael Addario spoke as Chair of the Liaison Committee. He asserted that the Street Artist Program is in a “death spiral,” due to terrible mismanagement; that it is down to 300 artists from 800 in prior years. He argued that the license was twice as expensive as it should be, and cited the prices of peddlers’ licenses, gun store licenses and attorneys’ licenses for comparison. He said that if all licenses start and end at the same time, it will cause confusion, the program will lose members and the deficit will increase. He called the idea of backdating licenses “nuts.” He criticized the report prepared by Kate Faust, arguing that she had no background in a street artists program, and he thought the report should be thrown out.
    
   There was no further public comment.
    
4. Director’s Report
   Mr. DeCaigny reported that Bayview Opera House held a successful ribbon-cutting on July 14, and now the tenant organization has moved back into the building and will hold a grand opening with a number of exciting performances on Saturday, September 17, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m.
    
   He announced the annual grants convening on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:30 at the Veterans Building. He and Community Investments Senior Program Officer Barbara Mumby will present grants data from the prior fiscal year, and this is an opportunity for artists to learn how to get involved with the Public Art Program and the Galleries. Mr. DeCaigny added that the online grants management system is up and running. Finally, he added that although the event was free, interested people were requested to RSVP through Eventbrite.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny announced the sixth annual Creative Impact event on Thursday, September 15, at 5:00, at the Wilsey Center for Opera in the Veterans Building as part of National Arts in Education Week. He called the Arts Commission a proud partner in the Bay area consortium holding the event.
    
   He announced the third annual mini-conference on youth development, arts and culture, Every Day, Every Way, on October 13 at the African American Arts and Culture Complex.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny announced that two new staff members have joined the Arts Commission: Kate Faust is the new Community Investments Program Associate. He briefly reviewed her biography, including her Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley and her experience with a variety of issues including housing, arts and education. Patrizia Cortez is a City Hall Fellow who recently graduated from UC Berkeley and will be with the Arts Commission for a year.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny announced that the Galleries' annual fundraiser and do-it-yourself art event, Passport, will be held in Chinatown on Sunday, October 23 from noon to 4:00, with seventeen artists participating. He thanked the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development for partnering on the event.
    
   Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that the City has a comprehensive General Plan posted on the Planning Department's website, with an extensive Arts Component. He encouraged Commissioners to read through it as a guide for the Commission's work and priorities. He noted that although it was written some years ago, such issues as affordable artist housing and workspace are still relevant. He also pointed out that, as part of the General Plan, the Arts Component is intended to guide all of the City's departments, not just the arts and culture departments. Commissioner Keehn cautioned that art and culture are not interchangeable terms, and reiterated the importance of art, specifically.
    
   There was no public comment.
    
5. Committee Reports and Committee Matters
   1. Civic Design Review Committee—Kimberlee Stryker, Chair
      1. Commissioner Stryker reported that the Committee reviewed four projects, including two at the San Francisco Airport, an early phase of a wastewater treatment plant for the Public Utilities Commission, and improvements for the Rossi pool.
          
         There was no public comment.
          
   2. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherene Melania, Chair
      1. Commissioner Melania reported that the Committee did not meet, but had several motions to present. She and Mr. DeCaigny explained the background for each of the motions. there was a decision to pay the teaching artists through fiscal sponsors, and the grant amount was increased to allow for the fiscal sponsorship fee.
          
         There was no public comment, and the motions were unanimously approved as follows.
          
      2. FY2017-2019 WritersCorps Teaching-Artist-in-Residence Grants
         Mr. DeCaigny explained that staff made the decision to pay the teaching artists through fiscal sponsors, and the grant amount was increased to allow for the fiscal sponsorship fee.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-239: Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0711-16-195, which approved the following recommendations and authorized the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into three-year, fiscal years 2016-2019, WritersCorps Teaching-Artist-in-Residence grant agreements for an amount not to exceed $40,000 annually, pending availability of funds, with each of the following:
         Oasis for Girls (in partnership with Tina Bartolome)
         Woodside Learning Center (in partnership with Madeleine Clifford)
         Robyn Carter (in partnership with Redding Elementary School)
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-240: Motion to approve the following recommendations and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into three WritersCorps Teaching-Artist-in-Residence grant agreements with the following:
         Tina Bartolome (fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts) in partnership with Oasis for Girls for $44,000 annually
         Madeleine Clifford (fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts) in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District Court School, Woodside Learning Center at Juvenile Justice Center for $44,000 annually
         Robyn Carter ( fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts) in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District school, Redding Elementary School for $44,000 annually
         Each grant agreement would be up to three fiscal years (2016-2019) and for an amount not to exceed those listed above, pending availability of funds.
          
      3. Increases to FY2015-2016 Neighborhood Arts Grants
         Mr. DeCaigny explained that the following grants were awarded last year through addbacks from the Board of Supervisors, and the current motions authorized the second year of funding for those addbacks.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-241: Motion to increase the 2015-2016 grant with Noe Valley Chamber Music (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-010) by $15,000, for a total grant amount of $30,000, and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2017. This grant is to support free in-school workshops and performances for elementary and middle school youth located within District 8.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-242: Motion to increase the 2015-2016 grant with Bayview Opera House, Inc. (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-011) by $150,000 for a total grant amount of $300,000, and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2018. This grant is to support and increase their organizational capacity.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-243: Motion to increase the 2015-2016 grant with Bayview Opera House, Inc. (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-012) by $150,000, for a total grant amount of $300,000, and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2018. This grant is to support ongoing arts and economic vitality activation along the Third Street corridor.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-244: Motion to increase the 2015-2016 grant with the Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-016) by $25,000, for a total grant amount of $50,000, and to extend the grant window to December 31, 2017. This grant is to support professional development and networking for the arts provider and teaching artists community.
          
          
         Vice President Ordeñana recused himself from discussion of the following motion because grantee Queer Cultural Center rents space from his employer, the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, and this might present a potential conflict of interest. He left the room at 2:45 p.m.
          
         There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows, with the recusal of Vice President Ordeñana.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-245: Motion to increase the 2015-2016 grant with Queer Cultural Center (authorized by Resolution No. 0104-16-017) by $40,000, for a total grant amount of $80,000, and to extend the grant window to June 30, 2017. This grant is to support capacity-building and technical assistance services to emerging artists from historically underserved and underrepresented communities.
          
         Vice President Ordeñana returned to the room at 2:46 p.m.
          
      4. FY2016-2017 Participatory Budget Grant
         Commissioner Melania and Mr. DeCaigny explained that the following motion was the result of the City's participatory budget process, and that residents in the district have selected the mural. There was no public comment, and the motion was approved unanimously as follows.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-246: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement with Precita Eyes Muralists, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $25,000 to complete a mural at the entrance of Laguna Honda Hospital with funding from the Participatory Budget process in District 7.
          
      5. Arts Nonprofit Displacement Assistance Grant
         Vice President Ordeñana recused himself from consideration of this motion because the Northern California Community Loan Fund ("NCCLF") provides some funding from the New Markets Tax Credits to his employer, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, and this might present a potential conflict of interest. He left the room at 2:51 p.m.
          
         Mr. DeCaigny explained that the Board of Supervisors had originally provided funds last year to address nonprofit displacement assistance to social service and arts nonprofit organizations. The current budget provides an addback, thanks to Supervisor Avalos, which increases the funding for arts nonprofits, bringing it closer to parity with the funding for social service nonprofits. Mr. DeCaigny reminded everyone that nonprofits can go to the NCCLF website for information on applying for assistance under this program.
          
         There was no public comment, and the motion was unanimously approved as follows, with the recusal of Vice President Ordeñana.
          
         RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-247: Motion to modify the grant agreement with the Northern California Community Loan Fund authorized by Resolution No. 0908-14-224 to mitigate arts nonprofit displacement through technical assistance, direct financial assistance and public-private partnership policy strategies, increasing the grant amount by $185,000, for a total grant amount of $2,185,000.
          
          
         Vice President Ordeñana returned to the meeting room at 2:55 p.m. Commissioner Melania reiterated the invitation to all to the Bayview Opera House grand opening event.
          
   3. Street Artists Committee—Barbara Sklar, Chair
      1. In the absence of Commissioner Sklar, Commissioner Chew reported that the Committee met recently; they were pleased that Program Director Howard Lazar continued to work at Justin Herman Plaza on Saturdays. He reported that discussions were underway with the Union Square Business Improvement District about continuing the Winter Walk spaces. He also pointed out that the Committee had approved repeal of the 1982 action authorizing a ten-day grace period for licenses.
          
         Mr. DeCaigny noted that while earlier public comment had raised the question of legal exposure, Arts Commission staff have been working very closely with the City Attorney's office to ensure that all of the Commission's actions are legal. He explained the change in licensing, noting that the change was recommended in the exhaustive report done last year with a great deal of input from artists, that it would bring the program into alignment with the Controller’s office, aligning with fiscal year quarters, and that it is an important step toward implementing online payments, which artists have asked for. He explained how renewals will be handled for the current year as a transition to the system of quarterly licenses.
          
          
         Public Comment:
          
         William Clark spoke against the change in procedure. He said that the Committee violated the Sunshine Ordinance and the Brown Act, and that he had asked for three items to be heard, including the repeal of the requirement for small business taxes and the application fee. He read from legislation in support of his position, and he requested hearings on these items at future dates.
          
         Robert Clark spoke against the change in procedure. He said that it didn't matter if the Arts Commission violated the law only one time, it was still a violation. He said that the original certificate period was for three months, and that the Commission had to go to the ballot for a one-year license. He requested that the Committee calendar the items to which his brother referred, and alleged that his brother had to pay more for his license. He said that the program was for everyone including hobbyists, not just for professional artists who make a full-time living from their artwork.
          
         Michael Addario said that Mr. Lazar did not have the authority to protest at a meeting for food trucks in street artist spaces. He said that it was not Mr. Lazar's job to give parking tickets for parking too long at the plaza. He said that the program was now in deficit, and criticized the budget, and the payscale of the previous Program Assistant. He said that if people selling T-shirts and hats were not welcome in the program, they shouldn't be allowed to get a license; he argued that it was stealing their money to accept the fee and then prevent them from using spaces. He also criticized the performance of Mr. Lazar.
          
         There was no further public comment.
          
      2. Visual Arts Committee—Dorka Keehn, Chair
         1. Commissioner Keehn reported that the Committee reviewed several projects, including the Southeast Water Treatment plant also reviewed in Civic Design. She noted that, as an enterprise department, the Public Utilities Commission has the option to spend its public art funds at its own discretion, and it is a mark of their excellent relationship with the Arts Commission that they chose to do so with the Commission.
             
            She reported that some departments are using design-build strategies, where the projects move very fast, and by the time they come to the Arts Commission, the options for art are somewhat limited. She added that the Rossi Pool project will be a complex one.
             
            There was no public comment.
             
   4. Consent Calendar
      Public Comment:
      The Clark brothers requested separate consideration of the Street Artist Committee item from this Consent Calendar.
       
      President Beltran declined to sever the item, and invited public comment on any item on the Consent Calendar.
       
      William Clark said that passing the item would take away the right of artists to renew their licenses within ten days to allow expiration dates to conform to the fiscal year. He said this would mean having to pay a higher fee than Measure L stipulates. He spoke against the Faust report and said that public process was not followed.
       
      Robert Clark spoke against the motion, saying that it violated the legislation, and would punish people who pay late. He said that the Commission was implementing procedures that required voter approval, and that the meetings were not held in public.
       
       
      There was no further public comment.
       
      President Beltran asked Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer Rebekah Krell to clarify what was being changed. She explained that up till now, each license had its own renewal date, and that now all of the licenses are being transitioned to fiscal-year quarterly renewals. She explained that each artist renewing a license will be charged a prorated fee based on the prior renewal date to bring them to the quarterly calendar, and that it will take the whole year to complete the alignment. She explained that there have been multiple notifications to all of the artists, in multiple languages, to inform them. In response to Commissioners' questions, she reiterated that each artist's fee is prorated according to their individual dates. Commissioner Chew added that artists will be able to renew their licenses online or in person with a credit card.
       
       
      Public Comment:
       
      Mr. Addario said that this was misleading, and that backdating a license was illegal, as was requiring an artist to wait 90 days to the next quarter. He added that the program has already lost a lot of members. He asked the Commission to remove the item from the Consent Calendar, and added that William Clark wrote the first legislation, Proposition J, after being arrested many times because merchants didn't want the artists selling on the street.
       
      There was no further public comment.
       
      President Beltran called for a vote on the Consent Calendar, and it was approved unanimously as follows.
       
      RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-248:
      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. 0912-16-249: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of August 15, 2016.
          
      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-250: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of August 17, 2016.
          
         Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (August 15, 2016)
          
      3. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-251: Motion to approve Phase 2 of the SFO Terminal 1 Center Renovation Project contingent upon providing studies of different materials and compositions of the return wall.
          
      4. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-252: Motion to approve Phase 2 New Boarding Area B Reconstruction Project contingent upon 1) exploring and collaborating on exterior metals for land and airside and 2) investigating the use of roof wells as intake zones.
          
      5. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-253: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Angelo Rossi Pool Improvement Project contingent upon 1) exploring a richer color palette and 2) paneling of the mechanical room enclosure that is flat, not corrugated, and proportionate to the scoring of the building.
          
         Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (August 17, 2016)
          
      6. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-254: Motion to approve the design of The OMI Mural, a painted mural, by artist Maximilian “Max” Landis Marttila that will be painted on a wall of Lacy’s Barbershop at 101 Broad Street. The painted mural will measure approximately 21 ft. by 32-1/2 ft. The project is funded with a grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission and is sponsored by the Precita Eyes Muralists; the painted mural will not become part of the Civic Art Collection.
          
      7. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-255: Motion to approve Design Development deliverables (color palette, text layout and arrow design) for Scott Oliver’s artwork, Points of Departure, for the Masonic Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project.
          
      8. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-256: Motion to authorize an increase to ARG Conservation Services’ contract in the amount of $249,000 (from $500,000 to $749,000) to perform fine art conservation services for miscellaneous artworks, including the structural stabilization and treatment for William McKinley, 1904 by Robert Ingersoll Aitken (SFAC Accession No. 1904.2) and the restoration of Whales, 1939 by Robert B. Howard (SFAC Accession No. 1940.10).
          
      9. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-257: Motion to approve artist honoraria in the amount of $2,000 for each of the following artists: Stephanie Robison and Eli Thorne. The honorarium is for artist research and development of new installations for the SFAC Grove Street Window Installation Site at 155 Grove Street.
          
      10. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-258: Motion to approve the temporary display of The Seed, consisting of six sculptures with lighting, by Aphidoidea, designed for Jane Warner Plaza, located at Castro and Market Streets, pending final permitting from Public Works. The sculptures vary in height between 11 ft., 9 in. and 13 ft., with an approximate diameter of 4 ft., 8in. and are planned for display beginning May, 2017 and completing June, 2020. The project is sponsored by the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District and funded by the Office of Economic & Workforce Development.
           
      11. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-259: Motion to approve the selected artists, Kota Ezawa, Suzanne Husky, Leah Rosenberg and Alice Shaw for the San Francisco International Airport, International Terminals, Gate Rooms A and G opportunities as recommended by the San Francisco International Airport IT Gate Room Selection Panel.
           
      12. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-260: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Kota Ezawa for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at the International Terminal, Gate Rooms, San Francisco International Airport.
           
      13. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-261: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Suzanne Husky for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at the International Terminal, Gate Rooms, San Francisco International Airport.
           
      14. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-262: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Leah Rosenberg for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at the International Terminal, Gate Rooms, San Francisco International Airport.
           
      15. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-263: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Alice Shaw for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at the International Terminal, Gate Rooms, San Francisco International Airport.
           
      16. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-264: Motion to approve the films, Emilia the Typist and Jack’s City, by Laurie O’Brien for the Peephole Cinema project at San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1, Boarding Area B.
           
      17. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-265: Motion to approve the film Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, by Kota Ezawa, for the Peephole Cinema project at San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1, Boarding Area B.
           
      18. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-266: Motion to approve the films, ABC of Travel and The Purpose of Travel, by Signe Baumane for the Peephole Cinema project at San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1, Boarding Area B.
           
      19. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-267: Motion to approve the public art project outline for the Traffic Safety and Forensic Science Division building.
           
      20. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-268: Motion to approve the selected finalists Owen Smith, Nikki McClure, Kelly Ording, and alternate Lordy Rodriguez, as recommended by the Rossi Pool Public Art Selection Panel to develop conceptual proposals for the Rossi Pool Improvement Project.
           
      21. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-269: Motion to approve the following finalists and alternate for the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Pediatric Emergency Department Mural and Exam Room Art Project as recommended by the Artist Selection Panel: Michael Bartalos, Annie Galvin, Sirron Norris and alternate Misako Miki.
           
      22. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-270: Motion to approve the public art project outline for the Headworks Building of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant.
           
          Street Artists Committee Recommendations (September 7, 2016)
           
      23. RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-271: Motion to rescind Arts Commission Resolution No. 1982-145 (May 3, 1982) which provides for Ten (10) Day Renewal Grace Period of street artist certificate.
           
   5. New Business and Announcements
      Commissioner Schnair recommended the Home Land Security exhibit curated by Cheryl Haines at the Presidio, from 10:00 to 6:00 Wednesdays through Sundays. She directed people to the For-Site website for more information and praised that show as outstanding.
       
      President Beltran announced that she had work at a show in Santa Monica, and in the Orange Alley peephole cinema.
       
      Mr. DeCaigny sadly reported on the passing of two great friends of the arts. Commissioner Melania described the life and contributions of Margaret Mondavi, wife of pioneering Napa winemaker Robert Mondavi; she died on September 2 at the age of 91. Ms. Mondavi was instrumental in the creation and support of Copia, the Napa Valley Opera House, the Mondavi Center at the University of California at Davis and other Napa institutions. She was also an avid painter.
       
      Mr. DeCaigny reported on the passing of renowned gallerist Ruth Braunstein at 93. Originally from Minneapolis, she came to San Francisco at 19 with her husband. She was a purveyor and supporter of contemporary art, including ceramics, focusing on art before collectability. She closed her last gallery in 2011, and founded the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. She was a founder of ArtTable, and of ArtCare, which began as a program of the Arts Commission; she received its first lifetime achievement award. Mr. DeCaigny announced that a memorial will be held later, and that her family has requested donations to the ArtCare Founders Fund in her memory.
       
      There was no further news or announcements, and there was no public comment.
       
   6. Adjournment
      There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:33 p.m., in memory of Margaret Mondavi and Ruth Braunstein.
       

   posted 9/21/16, 2:00 p.m. spr
   approved 11/7/16
    

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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.

   Ang mga materyales na nakasalin sa ibang wika at ang mga serbisyong tagapagsalin sa wika ay walang bayad. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, 415-252-2256,sharon.page_ritchie@sfgov.org.