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MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, December 5, 2005
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:07 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston
Andrea Cochran
Maya Draisin
Leonard Hunter
John Kriken
Alexander Lloyd
Beverly Prior
Jeannene Przyblyski
Ethel Pitts Walker
Dede Wilsey
Pop Zhao

Commissioners Absent
José Cuellar
Janice Mirikitani
Lawrence Rinder
M. Sue Lee
Approval of Minutes
The following Resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted:
RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-257: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of November 7, 2005.

NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
President’s Report
President Johnston commented that he was pleased to see so many Commissioners present for a meeting so close to the holidays, and he thanked Commissioner Draisin for filling in for him in November.

He noted that the season of openings begun by the de Young continued with the Museum of the African Diaspora (“MOAD”) and the new location for the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, both of which he visited. He noted the success of MOAD as the result of a public-private development partnership, fulfilling the vision of Mayor Brown.

President Johnston reported that he and WritersCorps Project Manager Janet Heller had met with officials of the San Francisco Giants regarding a partnership. He anticipates having a WritersCorps day early in the next Giants season. Among the ideas discussed was a bookmark in the form of a baseball card. He and Ms. Heller were very pleased and grateful for the Giants’ enthusiastic reception.

He announced that the Arts Task Force would be meeting on Wednesday, December 7, and reported on recent meetings of the Task Force. He explained that he and Director of Cultural Affairs Richard Newirth are nonvoting members. He reported that the Task Force is moving closer to issuing recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, with a January 31 deadline. The Task Force has been extended three times, and he believes there is some reluctance to authorize a further extension. President Johnston believes that the recommendations are likely to reopen discussions the Commission has had, regarding funding, the use of general fund monies and the Hotel Tax. Commissioner Przyblyski suggested inviting Task Force Chair Debra Walker to speak to the Commission.

President Johnston announced that the Mayor would be hosting a holiday event in the City Hall Rotunda on Tuesday, December 6, for the City’s commissions, and invited all the Commissioners to attend.

He announced sadly that Vice President Blanche Brown had moved to Oakland and was therefore resigning from the Commission; he acknowledged her long service. He will be working on setting up a Nominating Committee, and noted that the Mayor will need to appoint a new dance Commissioner.

President Johnston reported that he had received e-mail comments about the Commission’s meeting schedule from fewer than half of the Commissioners, and he invited the rest to e-mail him about their preferences. He said that the most crucial work takes place at the Committee level, and that the Committee meeting schedule seems to be working well. He intends to keep the full Commission meeting on Mondays, but is willing to consider an earlier or later time, keeping in mind the availability of a City Hall meeting room.

He reported on the opening of the temporary exhibit of “Flock,” attended by the Mayor, who interviewed many of the children present about what the art meant to them. President Johnston said that the opening generated good press on temporary art, and he acknowledged that temporary projects can be a challenge to present.

To general applause, he congratulated Commissioner Cochran for her great work chairing the Civic Design Committee, which she had been somewhat reluctant to take on.

He thanked Commissioners for their contributions to the Gallery’s fundraising event, noting that the Commission’s promise of $1,000 was exceeded, due to a very generous contribution from Commissioner Wilsey, and several Commissioners who gave more than the requested $100. Now that the Gallery has a new director, President Johnston reaffirmed the commitment to seeing the Gallery flourish, and to take on the location of the Gallery and disposition of the Grove Street space.
Director’s Report
Mr. Newirth reported that Michael Christian’s sculpture “Flock” was opened as a temporary installation in the Civic Center, and that the temporary David Best sculpture at Octavia Green was taken down; though there were requests to keep it installed, it was not meant to withstand rain and so had to be removed. He reported that Public Art Program Director Jill Manton has prepared a first draft of a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for more art in Hayes Valley. They anticipate that a couple of projects will be possible with the $50,000 netted from a developer’s fine. The RFP should be issued early in 2006, and the first artwork should be installed sometime in the spring.

Mr. Newirth has been meeting with City Administrator Ed Lee to discuss ways to collaborate with the DPW, and with the Neighborhood Beautification Fund, that challenges the community to match the City’s contribution with either money or sweat equity, as was done in Hayes Valley. Possible projects include temporary murals at construction sites. Mr. Newirth reported that Mr. Lee has been supportive and enthusiastic.

He reported that Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff held a really successful meeting with the directors of the Cultural Centers, and they will be meeting monthly for the next several months. The Proposition 40 funding application on today’s agenda was discussed at that meeting.

Mr. Newirth advised the Commissioners that an old question, which last arose during the Brown administration, about the relocation of the Bufano Peace sculpture may be arising again. A large development is going up behind the sculpture, and Mr. Lee has proposed a new site for the statue prior to the construction. Mr. Newirth explained that moving a sculpture is a long and complicated process.

He expressed his pleasure that Commissioner Wilsey has invited John Buchanan, the new Director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, to meet the Commission. Commissioner Wilsey spoke briefly about Mr. Buchanan, who will start on February 1, 2006. She explained that she has great confidence in him, and was pleased to hear him say that he wants to get to know the whole arts community, and to bring all of the arts groups to the wonderful new facility of the de Young. She reported that the staff, too, is thrilled with the choice of Mr. Buchanan. Finally, she acknowledged the great leadership of departing Director Harry Parker throughout his long tenure.

Mr. Newirth announced the remaining dates for meetings of the Arts Task Force. He explained that they have three subgroups meeting: one each on programs, revenue and structure. The revenue group has been discussing recommendations for sustaining and growing funding for the arts. The structure group has been discussing a “cabinet-level” arts position in the Mayor’s office, and the creation of a department of culture encompassing Grants for the Arts and the Arts Commission.

He reported on the three successful Gallery openings, as well as the recent opening at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, the Museum of the African Diaspora’s artist reception, and the City staff reception at the de Young.

He reported that he and President Johnston are meeting with City Hall regarding Mid-Market. He announced a special meeting on December 14 at Intersection for the Arts for public comment on the Arts Task Force process.

He noted that the Visual Arts Committee Report includes an item on the Fountain of the Tortoises, and explained that the Nob Hill Association has offered a gift of funds to pay for the maintenance of the fountain.

Finally, Mr. Newirth announced that he will be moderating a panel at the Commonwealth Club on January 30 about community arts. The panel will feature artists working with specific populations and leaders of the agencies and organizations with whom they work; Rhodessa Jones of Cultural Odyssey and Sheriff Michael Hennessey will talk about the Medea Project in the jail, for example.
Consent Calendar
At the request of Commissioner Przyblyski, the minutes of the Civic Design Review Committee meeting of November 21, 2005, were withdrawn for correction. The minutes of the Executive Committee meeting of November 18, 2005 were also withdrawn because they had not been distributed to the Commissioners before the meeting. The remaining items on the Consent Calendar were approved as follows.

RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-258
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. 1205-05-259: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of November 7, 2005.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-260: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of November 8, 2005.
3. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-261: Motion to approve the Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of November 9, 2005.
4. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-262: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of November 16, 2005.
  
  Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Recommendations (November 8, 2005)
5. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-263: Motion to award internships to the following WritersCorps students who will work on special projects such as teaching, events coordination, editing, and filmmaking and participate in regular writing workshops from November 2005 through June 2006 from National Endowment for the Arts, Department of Juvenile Probation, and Youth Arts Fund. Funds not to exceed amount specified:
  
  Antonio Caceres $8,680
  Martrice Candler $9,330
  Robin Black $2,160
  Annie Yu $2,160
6. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-264: Motion to award a grant to Aunt Lute Books in the amount of $20,000 to support 2006 WritersCorps anthology celebrating the centennial of the 1906 earthquake from Youth Arts Fund.
7. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-265: Motion to modify the contract of WritersCorps teacher Chad Sweeney from $32,000 to $35,000 to increase hours of service in 2005-2006 program year from San Francisco Foundation grant.
8. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-266: Motion to approve recommendations for the following twelve grants in the 2006 cycle of Cultural Equity Initiatives—Level One, totaling $276,000.
  
  Aunt Lute Books $25,000
  Creativity Explored of San Francisco $25,000
  Cultural Odyssey $25,000
  Manilatown Heritage Foundation $25,000
  National Japanese American Historical Society $20,000
  Purple Moon Dance Project $25,000
  Queer Cultural Center $25,000
  Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project $16,000
  Radar Productions $15,000
  The San Francisco Black Film Festival $25,000
  Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco $25,000
  World Arts West $25,000
  
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (November 16, 2005)
9. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-267: Motion to authorize payment of an honorarium to graduate collection management intern Marcus Davies, in an amount not to exceed $3,000, to temporarily take over the duties of the Collection Archivist while she assists Cultural Equity Grants with a staff transition.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-268: Motion to approve a preliminary proposal of an artwork by artist Dana Zed, to be further developed by the artist, for installation in the Portola Branch Library.
11. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-269: Motion to rescind Resolution 0912-05-200, authorizing the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement with Larry Kirkland for $90,000 to relocate “Flight Patterns.”
12. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-270: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Larry Kirkland in an amount not to exceed $250,000, to remove “Flight Patterns” from Boarding Area B at San Francisco International Airport, and re-install it in Boarding Area C.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-271: Motion to approve the acceptance of ownership by the Arts Commission of nine latex molds created by artist Brian Goggin that were used in the fabrication of “Substrada,” nine cement artworks currently in the Civic Art Collection and installed in nine sidewalk extensions on Mission Street in 1999.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-272: Motion to increase the contract amount with Catherine Wagner for final design, fabrication and installation of an artwork for the Larsen Park Sava Pool Facility from $72,000, to an amount not to exceed $74,000, to cover the costs of hiring an engineer to prepare a drawing for the artwork attachment system.
  
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (November 21, 2005)
15. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-273: Motion to approve Sigmund Stern Grove Entry Arch Phases 1 and 2.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-274: Motion to approve Broadway Streetscape Phase II, Phase 1 with condition of reexamining the location of the dome relating to circulation in the space and how the sculpture meets the plaza. For Phase 2, specifics of paving design and location of street furniture should be clearly marked and identified.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-275: Motion to approve Moscone Center Clubhouse Phase 1 with condition that an alternative must be found for the chain link fence on the northern façade.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-276: Motion to approve Sunol Valley Treated Water Reservoir Chemical Storage Facility Phase 1 with recommendation for Phase 2 at full Commission meeting.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-277: Motion to approve San Francisco International Airport Secure Connector T3 to Boarding Area G, Phase 1 with condition of review of renderings in both metal and glass, continuation of existing airport design, and a three-dimensional model.
20. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-278: Motion to approve Western Addition Branch Library Renovation Phase 2.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-279: Motion to approve Upper Noe Valley Recreation Center Phase 2.
22. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-280: Motion to approve Larsen Park Sava Pool Renovation Administrative Review Phase 3.
Committee Reports
1. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
  1. President Johnston reported that the Committee met and had a good discussion, primarily focused on the budget.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Andrea Cochran, Chair
  1. Commissioner Cochran reported that a major topic at the Committee’s recent meeting was the Broadway Streetscape. They agreed that the whole space and the sculpture need to be looked at together, and they will hold a joint meeting with the Visual Arts Committee. She also presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-281: Motion to approve Sunol Valley Treated Water Reservoir Chemical Storage Facility Phase 2.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee
  1. President Johnston requested that Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff discuss the motions brought before the Commission. She explained that these would normally go to the Committee, but that time was of the essence. Proposition 40 provides funds through the California State Library’s California Cultural Historical Endowment for the preservation of cultural resources, and the Cultural Centers are eligible for up to $3 million of these funds. While there is a requirement that this grant be matched, the Arts Commission staff time and salary, as well as Cultural Center Executive Director salaries and facilities upkeep funds, can all be counted towards that match. The first motion below is to allow application for the grant, and the second is to allow the hiring of a consultant to work with Ms. Nemzoff on writing the grant, accompanying her to an initial informational meeting early in January. President Johnston explained that the cost of the grantwriter is proposed to be covered by an increase of $12,000 to the previously approved grant to SomArts. He also said that this activity will definitely be discussed at the next Committee meeting.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-282: Motion to approve an application to the California Cultural Historical Endowment by the San Francisco Arts Commission on behalf of the consortium of seven cultural centers to request funding for capital improvement to the four City-owned cultural centers; and to fully support the funded projects and assume responsibility for their implementation and continued maintenance.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-283: Motion to increase the 2005-2006 grant to SomArts Cultural Center up to $532,032, to support the hiring of a grant writer for the California Cultural Historical Endowment grant application, with funds from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s administrative portion of the Hotel Tax Fund.
4. Street Artists Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
  1. President Johnston reported that the Committee met, with two remaining agenda items not discussed as calendared. The meeting broke down when two members of the public refused to end their public comment after exceeding the time limit during a discussion of permit fees, making it impossible to continue with the agenda. Because December is the busiest time for the Street Artists, there will be no meeting this month.
    
    Mr. Newirth explained that in the future, Building Security may be called to remove anyone who disrupts a meeting.
    
    President Johnston presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-284: Motion to approve former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Yu Kai Louie, Carlos Kuncar, Leo King.
5. Visual Arts Committee—Jeannene Przyblyski, Chair
  1. Commissioner Przyblyski reported that the Committee had a very productive meeting. She commended Public Art Program Project Manager Judy Moran on the Portola Branch Library project, for which artist Dana Zed was chosen. After some negotiation with the architect, a nicely prominent location near the front door was chosen for the artwork.
    
    Commissioner Przyblyski reported that the Committee had discussed the downtown C-3 zoning ordinance, where she would like for the Arts Commission to have more curatorial input. President Johnston said that the ordinance had also been discussed at the Executive Committee, and there will be an overall review of art enrichment and the relevant ordinances.
    
    Commissioner Przyblyski was glad to have had a report from the energetic new Gallery Director, Meg Shiffler. She also reported that the Broadway Streetscape piazzetta is being designed, and the improvements generate approximately $40,000 for art enrichment. Commissioner Hunter, artist Vicki Saulls and a representative from the Chinatown business association were on the selection panel. They chose artist Brian Goggin, who came to the Committee for an informational review. She explained that there will be a public process as the project moves forward.
    
    She reported that artist Maya Lin had made her first visit to San Francisco for the Academy of Sciences project, and the Committee is thrilled to be working with her.
    
    The Committee also began discussions about the process of selecting artists, and how it might be improved.
    
    Finally, she was delighted to make the following motion to provide for the upkeep of the lovely Fountain of the Tortoises.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1205-05-285: Gift for Fountain of the Tortoises (Maintenance And Repair Funds)
    Motion to accept a gift of a minimum of $6,000 per year for a ten-year period from the Nob Hill Association for the maintenance and repair of the Fountain of the Tortoises in Huntington Park, consistent with the terms and conditions set forth in the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the Association and the Arts Commission, and authorizing the Director of Cultural Affairs to take all necessary steps to negotiate, finalize and execute the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (including any Attached Exhibits).
New Business
There was no new business brought before the Commission.
Reports and Announcements
The holiday celebration at the African American Art and Culture Complex on Thursday, December 8, 2005, was announced.

Commissioner Lloyd invited all to attend the San Francisco Cameraworks auction on Saturday, December 10, 2005.
Public Comment
There was no other public comment.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:04 p.m.

12/21/05 spr

Meeting Information

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