Community_Arts_and_Education_Committee
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 COMMUNITY ARTS, EDUCATION, and GRANTS COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
4:30 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
Minutes
- New Business
Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve an administrative reimbursement of $23,830 to California Lawyers for the Arts for administration of the Emergency Rent Subsidy grant program.
Mr. Newirth summarized the Emergency Rent Subsidy Program which was implemented by the previous Mayor at the height of the ‘dotcom’ boom when space was at a premium in San Francisco. It was designed to help stabilize space for arts organizations. Mr. Newirth introduced Alma Robinson, executive director of California Lawyers for the Arts, which co-sponsored the program. They worked together to settle the final administrative expenses.
Ms. Robinson reported on the success of the project. She indicated that most of the funds were spent for rent subsidy but some funds went toward capital projects for example the establishment of the Ninth Street Media Consortium building and the Lines Ballet purchase of the Oddfellows building. Emergency Rent Subsidy Funds often provided leverage for groups seeking other funding. The program lasted three years longer than planned, in some cases, because of the length of time required to acquire appropriate permits, a task frequently facilitated by Kathleen Diohep. She also observed that the program had become a model for the Mayor’s office of Community Development granting to larger non-profit organizations.
Mr. Newirth explained that the funds coming before the Committee today will cover unexpected expenses and at the same time leave funds that can be returned to the City. There is still an outstanding grant to The Marsh which is in process but with these funds the program is ended.
Commissioner Johnston commented that he remembers when the program was established and observed this project, created by ‘thinking outside the box,’ had been a success.
Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve an administrative reimbursement of $23,830 to California Lawyers for the Arts for administration of the Emergency Rent Subsidy grant program.
Motion passed unanimously.
- Cultural Equity Grant Program Director Report
Jewelle Gomez reported that the upcoming meeting to review Individual Artists Commissions in Media marks the end of the 2004-05 funding year. Over the summer CEG staff will hold two public meetings. The first will engage dance organizations and dancers to discuss their concerns about the funding climate and CEG procedures. The second will engage the general constituency but most importantly former CEG panelists, to elicit feedback on the panel process and suggestions for the future. In addition staff will also have several day-long retreats in order to tackle procedural issues such as the scoring instrument used by panelists; web presence and our brochure.
Mr. Cuellar did not feel the list of scores and the results as presented reflected the review process fully. Ms. Gomez agreed and suggested that CEG would present the grants in three sections, showing the three fiscal groups in which they’d been reviewed, which would make the rankings more clear for Commissioners.
Commissioner Pitts Walker inquired about the presence of people with disabilities among the applicants.
Ms. Gomez indicated that she had this year increased the number of panelists who represented organizations working with disabled constituencies; a tactic that should attract more of that constituency to apply.
Commissioner Pitts Walker made the following motion:
Motion to approve 43 grants in the Organization Project Grants category for a total of $480,325.
Motion passed unanimously:
Ms. Gomez discussed the second motion, approval of the Cultural Equity Grants guidelines for 2005-06. She described the most significant change: Cultural Equity Initiative Level 2 will now require only a letter of intent for the initial phase of selection rather than a full application and panel meeting.
Motion to approve the 2006 Cultural Equity Grants guidelines.
Motion passed unanimously.
- Community Arts and Education Program Director Report
Ms. Nemzoff invited feedback on how to schedule meetings at the four cultural centers with buildings and the presentations by the seven grantees. A recommendation was made to meet off-site quarterly with sub grantees presenting at three off site locations. Ms. Nemzoff will present a proposed schedule at the July CAEG committee meeting.
Ms. Nemzoff explained that the centers will receive year to year leases associated with the annual grant agreements and explained how they can evolve to longer term leases with approval by the Board of Supervisors. Commissioner Johnston suggested that the Mayor’s office be consulted on how facility responsibilities should be divided. Commissioner Walker would like a report on the center directors’ responses to the news about the leases.
Ms. Nemzoff provided a review of facility improvements through 2004-2005 which included elevator maintenance, life safety management, a new roof at MCCLA, security improvements, and the return of what was a parking lot at BVOH back to being a plaza. She also said that three of the four centers will be wired with fiberoptics; BVOH seats too small of an audience.
Commissioner Walker made the following motion:
Motion to approve Neighborhood Festival grants of $27,000 from 2005-06 Grants for the Arts funds to the following organizations pending funding confirmation from GFTA:
Bayview Hunters Point Senior Citizens Center for Andrew's Boarding and Boarding Care 4th of July Picnic $3,000
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, Excelsior Festival $3,000
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema $3,000
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, Inc., Potrero Hill Festival $3,000
Precita Eyes Muralists Assoc., Inc., Urban Youth Arts Festival $3,000
Richmond District Neighborhood Center, Richmond District Multicultural Children's Arts Fair$3,000
Community Development Institute, SOMAfest $3,000
Sunset Youth Services, Sunset Community Festival $3,000
Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative, Treasure Island Community Day $3,000
TOTAL $27,000
The motion passed unanimously.
- WritersCorps Report
Ms. Heller summarized some recent events as WritersCorps wraps up the 11th year including the compilation of site publications that feature 600 youth’s writing; the trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico with the WritersCorps interns; her presentation in Vancouver on writing and assessment; the findings from the expansion assessment; the upcoming publication, Jump Write In; and WritersCorps’ acknowledgement from devorah major in her recent publication.
- Arts Education Report
Ms. Axel reported on the successes generated by the Arts Commission’s involvement in the arts education master plan, due out August 1, 2005. She also provided updates on the upcoming release of Inside/Out; a joint state-wide publication on professional development in arts education, the Arts Education Funders Collaborative, and Ms. Nemzoff reported on the First Five initiative that will expand the arts education program.
- Cultural Center Report
Ms. Nemzoff explained the absence of MPP and budgets from African American Art and Culture Complex and Native American Art and Culture Complex. She also explained that the center directors need more instructions to better understand how to complete the new MPP forms created by Coro Fellow, Abbie Conlee.
The following motion was recommended for continuation until there is clarification of the legal implications of long term development projects mentioned in the MPP. CAEG committee will hold a special meeting on this item prior to the July 11 full Commission meeting.
Motion to approve the proposed Bayview Opera House, Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre's 2005-2006 Management and Programming Plan and Budget for a grant not to exceed $276,848, from Cultural Center Line Item Hotel Tax Funds, contingent upon completion of revisions.
Commissioner Johnston made the following motion:
Motion to approve the proposed Mission Cultural Center for Latino Art's 2005-2006 Management and Programming Plan and Budget for a grant not to exceed $465,875, from Cultural Center Line Item Hotel Tax Funds, contingent upon completion of revisions.
The motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Walker made the following motion:
Motion to approve the proposed South of Market Cultural Center's 2005-2006 Management and Programming Plan and Budget for a grant not to exceed $691,772 ($520,032 to Somarts, $85,870 to sub-grantee APICC, $85,870 to sub-grantee QCC, and no allocation to sub-grantee NACC until MPP and Budget is received) from Cultural Center Line Item Hotel Tax Funds, contingent upon completion of revisions.
The motion passed unanimously.
- Adjournment
sl 6/28/05
Notices
Explanatory documents are available for public inspection and copying at the Arts Commission office, 25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 240, San Francisco CA 94102 during regular business hours. Tel: INFO: (Robynn Takayama 415-252-2598).
Public comment in regard to specific items will be taken before or during consideration of the item.
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