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Consent Calendar
1. Motion to approve the six poster designs titled Taking In by artist Pamela Wilson-Ryckman for the Art on Market Street 2009/10 Program and authorize the artist to proceed to print four reproductions of each design for installation in 24 Market Street kiosks from October 5 to December 31, 2009.
2. Motion to approve an honorarium in the amount of $4,000 to Kelly Lindner for her coordination of an exhibition at City Hall commemorating the 40th anniversary of the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery.
3. Motion to approve the artist selection panel's recommendation of the following artists as finalists for the North Beach Branch Library public art project: Bill Fontana, Paul Hayes and Mark Malmberg as finalists and Mark Baugh-Sasaki as the alternate.
Motion: Approve consent calendar items.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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Ortega Branch Library
Program Associate Mary Chou presented the revised proposal by Wowhaus for the Ortega Branch Library. Ms. Chou explained that during the June Visual Arts Committee meeting, the Committee reviewed the proposal by Wowhaus that was recommended by the selection panel for the new Ortega Branch Library in the Outer Sunset. In that proposal, there was one sculptural fish sited in front of the library and one in the planters behind the library. The selection panel collectively recommended that the artists move the fish placed at the back of the library to the front of the library, and the Committee agreed with the suggestion. The revised proposal with the two fish located at the front of the library was reviewed and approved by the branch librarian, Mindy Linetzky and Lena Chen of the Branch Library Improvement Program, and the landscape architect Lizzy Hirsch. Ms. Chou also presented a new sample of the mosaic surface of the sculpture, completed in collaboration with Colette Crutcher, who will lead the application of mosaic tiles on the sculptures. Commissioners supported the revision.
Motion: Motion to approve the artist team Wowhaus' revised proposal for the Ortega Branch Library, as recommended by the Ortega Branch Community Artist Selection Panel, and to authorize the artist to proceed to final design.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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Visitacion Valley Branch Library
Ms. Chou presented the preliminary proposal by artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector, recommended by the Visitacion Valley Branch Community Artist Selection Panel for creation of an artwork at the Visitacion Valley Branch Library. She stated that on July 30th, the selection panel met to review the proposals of three artists/artist teams for the new library. The six members of the panel included three elected community representatives, Anne Seeman, Tara Hui, and Chris Barnett, branch librarian Wen Chen, architect Andy Maloney, and Commissioner Johnston. After each presentation, discussion of the works and public comment, the panel unanimously selected the proposal of artist team Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector. Their proposal is a suspendend sculpture made of recycled bicycle gears, rims, and polished steel hoops of various sizes. It represents a universe of possibilities and alludes to technology, astronomy and biology. The panel selected their proposal because of its various layers of reference to knowledge, the individual narrative viewers can bring to the work, the dynamism of the work, and the way in which the work will change throughout the day depending on the light.
Commissioner Johnston reported that the panel unanimously liked the proposal by Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector. He also stated that the email sent from one of the artist finalists who were not selected revealed the finalists' misunderstanding of the panel's deliberations; the final decision made by the panel was based on aesthetics rather than issues of placement. Staff stated they would draft a response to the artists.
Motion: Motion to approve the artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector and their proposal for the Visitacion Valley Branch Library, as recommended by the Visitacion Valley Branch Community Artist Selection Panel.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector in an amount not to exceed $75,000 for the final design, fabrication, and transportation of an artwork for the Visitacion Valley Branch Library.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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Laguna Honda Hospital - Owen Smith
Program Director Susan Pontious provided an update on Owen Smith's artwork for Laguna Honda Hospital. She explained that Mr. Smith, who originally intended to create three lobby murals in the form of paint on canvas, (one 9' by 9' and the other two 9' x 6'), proposes to translate the paintings into mosaic, a more resilient material. She stated that the glaze on the mosaic tiles was specifically designed by the fabricator to mirror the painting style of the artist. Director of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel and Commissioners expressed their enthusiasm over images of Mr. Smith's work shown in mosaic format.
Motion: Motion to approve an increase of Owen Smith's contract for the fabrication and installation of an artwork at Laguna Honda Hospital from $197, 740 to $287,515 in order to change the material for the three lobby murals from paint on canvas to ceramic mosaic.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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Laguna Honda Hospital - Cliff Garten
Ms. Pontious provided an update on Cliff Garten's artwork for Laguna Honda Hospital. She stated that there were some accessibility issues regarding the design of the handrail due to its undulating shape. She stated that according to ADA guidelines, handrails have to be continuously 1 ½ inches from the wall. The solution to the artwork involved placing a strip along the backside of the handrail. The revised handrail design was approved by Kevin Jensen, the ADA/Disability Access Coordinator for the City and County of San Francisco. Commissioners supported the solution to the handrail.
Motion: Motion to approve the construction mock-up for Cliff Garten's handrail and release to fabricate.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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San Francisco General Hospital
Ms. Pontious provided an update on Rupert Garcia's proposal for the lobby of General Hospital. The revised proposal, simplified from the previous version, takes the form of a flower on the floor of the lobby. Ms. Pontious explained that the revised proposal was presented to the General Hospital Art Steering Committee, whose members were thrilled with the design. Commissioners supported the revised design and Commissioner Johnston, a member of the Steering Committee, explained that the artist had given a lot of thought to the selection of colors to be used in a hospital setting. Ms. Pontious further explained that the artist, partly in response to the oftentimes institutional or hotel lobby-like colors used in hospitals, selected deep and rich colors. Ms. Pontious stated that she is asking for design approval in the motion today and will ask for approval of a contract amount in an upcoming Visual Arts Committee meeting. Commissioner Johnston also stated that the various members of the Committee, who were very smart and opinionated, all embraced the revised proposal.
Motion: Motion to approve Rupert Garcia's proposal for the lobby of General Hospital, which includes artworks on the stairwell wall, the wall behind the reception desk, the terrazzo floor, and the pedestrian bridge.
Moved:Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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General Hospital Acute Care Unit - Surgery Waiting Room
Project Manager Jennifer Lovvorn presented Paul Kos' artwork proposal for the Surgery Waiting Room on Basement 1 of the General Hospital Acute Care Unit. Ms. Lovvorn explained that as the waiting room has no windows, the artwork was designed to function like a five-panel "window" comprised of five LCD monitors recessed into the waiting room's east wall. The monitors show a video with leaves of aspen trees fluttering in the wind at different levels of intensity. The video is an hour of footage placed on a seamless loop. Ms. Lovvorn stated that the Art Steering Committee responded positively to the work, which they thought was soothing and they liked that it resembled part of the architecture of the site. Mr. Cancel suggested that the artist could consider making the sound component available to visitors by using their cell phones to call a dedicated number which would play the sound of the wind blowing through the aspen leaves. Commissioners expressed their support for this project.
Motion: Motion to approve the artwork proposal by Paul Kos for the Surgery Waiting Room on Basement 1 of the General Hospital Acute Care Unit.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Paul Kos for an amount not to exceed $90,000 for design, fabrication, transportation and installation consultation for an artwork for the Surgery Waiting Room on Basement 1 of the General Hospital Acute Care Unit.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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General Hospital Acute Care Unit - Main Entry Drive Sculpture and Plaza Artwork
Ms. Lovvorn presented the public art approach and selection plan for the Main Entry Drive Sculpture and Plaza Artwork for General Hospital Acute Care Unit, as detailed in the staff report. She stated that the architects had envisioned the main entry drive median as a location for a significant sculpture, which would have the potential to become an emblem for the hospital due to its high visibility. The budget allocation for this sculpture would be $400,000. The other opportunity is at the plaza that connects the new Acute Care Unit to the existing hospital and lies at the center of the hospital campus. The design of the plaza is intended to be open to facilitate the flow of people. Staff suggests human-scale sculptural elements, possibly functional, that could be integrated into the plaza design. The recommended budget for this artwork is $300,000. Ms. Lovvorn stated the feedback from recent meetings is that the current pre-qualified pool of artists does not have a sufficient number of sculptors for the remaining two opportunities. She stated that staff proposes initiating a new RFQ limited to artists residing in the Bay Area. Staff will pre-screen the applications from the new RFQ and convene a panel with an Arts Commissioner, two General Hospital representatives, Ronald Alameida, DPW Project Manager, and two arts professionals. Commissioners supported the process of issuing a new RFQ to ensure that there are enough eligible candidates for these two significant opportunities at the hospital.
Motion:Motion to approve public art approach and selection plan for Main Entry Drive Sculpture and Plaza Artwork as detailed in the Main Entry Drive Sculpture and Plaza Artwork Project Outline.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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General Hospital Acute Care Unit - Windows and Glass Elements on Floors 3 - 7
Ms. Lovvorn presented the selected artists for the Windows and Glass Elements on Floors 3 - 7, as detailed in the staff report. Ms. Lovvorn provided an overview of the art opportunities on each of the floors and stated that the plan is to have one artist per floor to create a unified vision for each floor. She stated that the selection panel included Leonard Hunter, former Commissioner; Jennie Rodriguez of the Mission Cultural Center; Ron Alameida, DPW Project Manager; and two caucused votes by General Hospital representatives. The panel convened on August 12th to hear presentations made by the artists. The panel discussed each of the proposals and ranked the artists as follows: Mildred Howard, Stephen Galloway, Julio Cesar Morales, Paul Marioni, Anna Murch and Seyed Alavi. Ms. Lovvorn stated that the panel was not inclined to select the top five ranked artists for the five project opportunities. Based on the ranking, the panel recommended that the top three artists be selected for projects.
Ms. Lovvorn then presented the proposals of the three artists. The highest ranking proposal by Mildred Howard features a brightly colored landscape, which is processed to resemble the artist's earlier collage work. The second highest ranking proposal by Stephen Galloway consists of imagery of lush green tree leaves. Although this proposal looks similar to that of Paul Kos whose work will be located on the Basement 1 level, Mr. Galloway's images of tree leaves are larger than life-size and would be lit from behind with natural light. In addition, the two artwork locations would not typically be viewed by the same staff and patients. Ms. Lovvorn reported that the panel recommended that Mr. Galloway be asked to redesign the imagery for the curved glass element. Staff supports this recommendation. The third highest ranking proposal by Julio Cesar Morales includes drawn portraits of people he met and photographed at General Hospital, along with map-like drawings referencing their paths of travel to the hospital. The curved glass element also includes positive words such as harmony, strength and hope. Ms. Lovvorn stated that Mr. Cancel and Programs Director Jill Manton thought that portraiture was the strongest aspect of this proposal, and found the mapping and words to be visually confusing. There were also recommendations by staff and the panel that the artist include more diversity in gender, age and ethnicity in the portraiture. Commissioner Draisin stated that this artwork has a youthful feel. Commissioner Johnston stated that he liked the mapping but thought the words were a bit cliche and could be eliminated. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata liked the human element, but thought the design was not yet resolved, stating that the use of words and the font could become dated quickly. Commissioners agreed that Mr. Morales should refine his proposed artwork imagery during the design phase. Ms. Lovvorn stated that she will convey the Commissioners' comments to the artist.
Ms. Lovvorn concluded by reporting that staff will develop a plan for a second phase of the selection process to select the artists for the two remaining opportunities. After all five artists are selected, the site assignments will be made.
THIS MOTION WAS REVISED.
Motion: Motion to approve the following artists as recommended by the selection panel for the General Hospital Acute Care Unit Windows and Glass Elements on Floors 3 - 7: Stephen Galloway, Mildred Howard, and Julio Cesar Morales.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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Sunset Playground
Ms. Lovvorn presented the public art project approach and artist selection plan for the Sunset Playground art enrichment project, as detailed in the staff report. She stated that as part of the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Park Bond Program, Sunset Playground is being renovated. She stated that from discussion of potential art opportunities with the project team, the team preferred artwork located at both of the playground entries in order to make the park look more inviting. The budget for the artwork is $69,000. The artist will be asked to focus on the main entry on Lawton as the primary artwork site and to propose elements for the secondary entrance as an "add alternate" or as the budget allows. Ms. Lovvorn stated that the pool of artists will be selected from the 2009 Bay Area Registry with possible recruitment of additional artists. Commissioner Johnston asked if part of the renovation would include putting in steps at the entrance as the sloped entryway is relatively steep. Ms. Lovvorn responded that the Recreation and Parks Department will be addressing such issues as part of their renovation in order to comply with ADA guidelines. Ms. Lovvorn stated that the desire is to have an artist selected early enough to consult with the project team on the how the artwork integrates with the playground's new gates and fences.
Motion: Motion to approve the public art approach and artist selection plan for Sunset Playground as detailed in the Sunset Playground Public Art Project Outline.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
Motion: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential selection panelists for the Sunset Playground Public Art Project: Abby Chen, Curator, Chinese Culture Center; Jennifer Easton, Public Art Administrator, San Jose Public Art; Kate Eilertsen, Director, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art; Walter Kitundu, artist; and Ellen Oh, Executive Director, Kearny Street Workshop.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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Existing Artwork at Cayuga Playground
Program Associate Marcus Davies reported on the removal, storage and reinstallation of artwork by Demetrio Braceros at Cayuga Playground. Mr. Davies stated that Cayuga Playground is home to almost 400 hand-carved and painted wooden sculptures, created and installed throughout the park's landscape by Mr. Braceros, the Cayuga Playground gardener who was employed at this park site from 1986 until his retirement in 2008. As part of the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Park Bond Program, renovations are being made to the park and the Recreation and Park Department would like to integrate as many of Mr. Braceros' carved pieces into the new landscape for the park. The Recreation and Park Department hired the Arts Commission's Civic Art Collection program to catalog and assess the carved works in the park. The condition survey was conducted in April and May of 2009 and of the 376 three-dimensional works, about 120 are in great condition, about 100 in fair condition and about 160 are in such poor condition that they would prohibit successful conservation, due to wood rot and insect infestation. Mr. Davies stated that of the total works, approximately 150 may be successfully reinstalled and that the Arts Commission could perform the work to remove and store the artwork, to conserve the artwork, to design and fabricate permanent bases, to reinstall the work, and to conduct community outreach with the constituency of the park. Mr. Davies stated that some of the outstanding issue included whether it is appropriate to allow some of the pieces to deteriorate over time, and whether works with an overtly religious theme could be reinstalled in the park
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Cayuga Playground
Ms. Lovvorn presented the public art project approach and artist selection plan for the Cayuga Playground art enrichment project, as detailed in the staff report. She stated that one of the major concerns regarding the art opportunity is that the commissioned work will need to be harmonious with the natural setting of the park and not conflict with the existing artwork by Mr. Braceros. Ms. Lovvorn reported that there is an opportunity for artwork to be integrated into the main entry gate. The goal is create a strong visual impact at the park's main entry and to commission additional elements for the secondary entry as the budget allows or as an "add alternate." The art opportunities would be for an artist working in metal. The project budget would be $47,000. Commissioners supported the approach.
Motion: Motion to approve the public art approach and artist selection plan for Cayuga Playground as detailed in the Cayuga Playground Public Art Project Outline.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
Motion: Motion to approve the following arts professionals as potential selection panelists for the Cayuga Playground Public Art Project: Michael Arcega, artist; Kate Eilertsen, Director, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art; Jennifer McCabe, Director, Museum of Craft and Folk Art; Hal Nelson, curator, San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design; and Pepe Ozan, artist.
Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Draisin
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SOMA West
Project Manager Tonia Macneil postponed the presentation of images of the three finalists, Seyed Alavi, Mark Grieve, and Scott Oliver, and alternate Michael Hayden, recommended by the artist selection panel for the SOMA West Garden Improvements Project/McCoppin Gardens site until the September 16th VAC meeting.
Ms. Macneil presented project guidelines for the SOMA West Viaduct artwork, as detailed in the staff report. She stated that the goal of the artwork is to mitigate the dark and forbidding underpass area between Valencia and Otis Streets. She stated that in addition to the $60,000 art enrichment for the SOMA West Gardens Project, the SOMA design team obtained an additional $90,000 for the SOMA West Viaduct Project. Ms. Macneil stated that the goal of the artwork is to create light, color and atmosphere, especially under the Viaduct overpass over Valencia Street. Ms. Macneil reported that the Department of Public Works ("DPW") is considering providing uplighting to light the columns and a limited budget amount for an infrastructure to hold the artwork. The intention is to create a visual effect at night through lighting and possibly an artwork constructed out of steel scrim or industrial materials that would be attached to the existing street light poles. The artwork would also serve as a gateway to the Mission District. Ms. Macneil stated that staff's goal is to improve the pedestrian and automobile experience through a creative upgrade of the underpass area. Commissioners supported these project conceptual guidelines.
MOTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED
Motion: Motion to approve the following finalists to create proposals for the SOMA West Improvements Project McCoppin Gardens site: Seyed Alavi, Mark Grieve, Scott Oliver, and alternate Michael Hayden.
Motion: Motion to approve art project guidelines for the SOMA West underpass artwork for a budget not to exceed $72,000.
Moved: Draisin/Garcia-Nakata
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New Business
Project Manager Judy Moran announced Ms. Macneil's retirement from the Arts Commission after twenty years of service. Commissioners thanked Ms. Macneil for her commitment and dedication to the Arts Commission over the past years. Ms. Pontious introduced Genevieve Masse, an intern from Montreal who would be assisting Ms. Manton and the Public Art Program over the next year and a half.
Public Outreach Manager Kate Patterson announced that the dedication of Maya Lin's new sculpture at the Academy of Sciences will take place on September 17th with the press preview at 9 am and the dedication at 5 pm. Senior Registrar Allison Cummings reported briefly on her trip to Walla Walla Foundry to see the new sculpture, the bronze cone, in production.
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Old Business
There was no old business to report.
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Adjournment
This meeting was adjourned at 4:44 pm.
MC 8/28/09
