Meeting Information

Visual_Arts_Committee

VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70

Minutes

Commissioners Present:
Jeannene Przyblyski, Lorraine Garcia-Nakata, Alexander Lloyd
Absent: Dede Wilsey, P.J. Johnston

Staff Present:
Luis Cancel, Mary Chou, Allison Cummings, Marcus Davies, Jennifer Lovvorn, Jill Manton, Judy Moran, Kate Patterson, Susan Pontious, Ellen Shershow

Note: All votes are unanimous unless recorded otherwise.

The meeting commenced at 3:04 p.m.

1. Consent Calendar
   
   1. Motion to approve a mural by lead artists Dan Anh Nguyen and Dana Irving in collaboration with VVBOOM (Visitacion Valley Business Opportunities and Outreach to Merchants) covering the exterior wall at 91 Leland Avenue with funding provided by a San Francisco Community Challenge grant, pending evidence of community support.
   
   2. Motion to approve the selection panel pool for the Chinese Recreation Center Artist Selection Panel: Abby Chen, Program Director, Chinese Cultural Center; Hilda Shum, Artist; Sabina Chen, Former Director, Chinese Culture Center; Francis Wong, Deputy Director, Chinese Historical Society; Judy Hu, Communications Manager, Chinese Historical Society; Mona Shah, Interim Director, Oakland Asian Cultural Center; Rene De Guzman, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California; Michael Almaguer, Artist, Educator; Susan Schwartzenberg, Artist; Kevin Chen, Program Director, Intersection for the Arts; Ellen Oh, Director of the Kearny Street Workshop; and Hou Hanru, Director of Public Programs, San Francisco Art Institute.
   
   Motion: To accept consent calendar items.
   Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Lloyd
   
   
2. SOMA West Phase II Improvements Project
   Project Manager Tonia Macneil reported on plans for two public art opportunities in the SOMA West Project Area. One opportunity is a sculpture to be located in McCoppin Garden, the proposed new community garden at the end of McCoppin Street. The other opportunity is associated with the Cal-Trans parcels under the freeway overpass that include a skate park, a dog park, a basketball court, and a green area. For the Cal-Trans parcels, Ms. Macneil proposed selecting artist to work on the design team to create an artwork using light that would illuminate the freeway overpass columns.  This might include rheostats to direct sunlight to the column, uplighting on the columns with projected images, or reflective material attached to the columns. This project might involve community youth in the design of imagery or the installation of the work. She announced that there would be a community meeting in April to gather input from McCoppin Garden residents and the skate park community. Ms Macneil explained that conceptual design for the project is estimated to be complete by June 2009.
   
   Commissioner Przyblyski asked if McCoppin Garden residents would be interested in the Rabbinoid sculpture by Gerald Heffernon, but Public Art Program Deputy Director Susan Pontious explained that the Rabbinoid will be relocated to Laguna Honda Hospital.
   
   Commissioner Przyblyski stated that the scope of work described for the underpass project does not sound practical given the size of the budget. She suggested that staff identify a specific opportunity for artists, whether it is a treatment on the column or a lighting component. She stated that the work should be a strong graphic placemaking feature of the area. She supported the idea of working with youth to develop the graphic elements and encouraged staff to consider different issues when selecting an artist, such as if the work should be visually accessible to passersby, or just from people using the park. She also noted that access to the park at night will be limited if it is locked during the evenings. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata agreed that staff should identify certain areas for artwork and then bring in artists for proposals.
   
   Director of Cultural Affairs Luis Cancel stated that it would be advantageous for the artist to create an integrated design in order to leverage the construction budget. He also stated that the challenge for this project will be to create a work that functions well at night. Ms. Manton and Ms. Macneil responded that the project scope will be clarified at the next Visual Arts Committee meeting, at which staff will present examples of successful artworks in challenging locations such as the underpass. 
   
   THIS MOTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
   Motion: Motion to approve the Public Art plan for the SOMA West Improvements Project pending community response.
   
   
3. Laguna Honda Hospital
   Ms. Pontious reported on the completion and installation of four tapestries at Laguna Honda Hospital by artist Lewis deSoto. The motion was revised to include the sizes of the tapestries and to clarify that the tapestries in the motion are auxiliary to the series commissioned for Laguna Honda Hospital.
   
   THIS MOTION HAS BEEN REVISED.
   Motion: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection the following cotton tapestries by Lewis deSoto, commissioned for Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center as auxiliary to the series Woven, the Laguna Honda Hospital History Project:
   1908: The Construction of Clarendon Hall, 2004-2009, 80-1/2" x 116"
   1929-1941: Patient Care During the Great Depression, 2004-2009, 80-1/2" x 119-1/2"
   1947-1954: University of California, San Francisco Establishes a Clinical Research Project at Laguna Honda, 2004-2009, 80-1/2" x 119-1/2"
   1949-1958: Community Activities at Laguna Honda, 2004-2009, 80" x 120"
   Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Lloyd
   
   
4. San Francisco International Airport - Terminal 2
   Ms. Pontious presented Janet Echelman's design proposal for Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport, which consists of three large net elements with small slumped glass pieces suspended from the ceiling. Ms. Pontious stated that Ms. Echelman's work will encompass the Recomposure Area, located just past security check-in, and that the Airport is considering a work by Charles Sowers for the Gateroom Area.
   
   Commissioner Lloyd asked about the signage that would accompany the work and Ms. Pontious explained that there would be an informational plaque that will most likely include more extensive descriptive text than past plaques installed at the Airport.
   
   Commissioner Przyblyski expressed her enthusiasm about the way in which the design has been pulled back and clarified from earlier iterations. She stated that she is in support of Ms. Echelman extending her work into the Gateroom Area so that there is some continuity between the different areas of the Airport. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata also expressed her support for the revised design.
   
   Motion: Motion to approve revised design proposal by Janet Echelman for Terminal Two at San Francisco International Airport.
   Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Lloyd
   
   
5. San Francisco General Hospital
   Ms. Pontious provided an update on Rupert Garcia's conceptual design proposal for the lobby of San Francisco General Hospital. The work is a total environment, which includes colored glass walls and panels with images of flowers and abstract designs and a design of district maps on the floor. There was some discussion about the saturation of the color on the floor design, and Ms. Pontious explained that as the floor is terrazzo, it will not look as saturated as the color on the print-out.
   
   Commissioner Garcia-Nakata stated that the design appears complex with many different components that do not seem integrated. She stated that the various parts of the design should appear as though they are works that belong to the same series. Commissioner Przyblyski stated that the color and texture of the glass panels is strongly executed, but does not find the floor design as compelling because the collage of maps is abstract and will probably not read as maps to visitors. She stated that the design of the lobby is an ambitious undertaking and the artist should work towards a more unified graphic design, which may not include the outline of the district maps. Commissioner Przyblyski asked if the artwork has to be extended onto the floor. Ms. Pontious stated that it did not, but the floor is a great opportunity because it can be viewed from the balcony above.
   
   Ms. Pontious agreed to communicate Commissioners' suggestions to the artist. Ms. Manton suggested that the architects create a simulated fly-through in order to provide a more realistic experience of the work.
   
   THIS MOTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
   Motion: Motion to approve the revised conceptual design proposal by Rupert Garcia for the lobby of San Francisco General Hopsital.
   
   
6. City Hall Commemorative Bust Guidelines
   Ms. Manton presented the final draft of the City Hall Commemorative Bust Guidelines, which has been reviewed by staff in its various drafts and includes an administrative fee for staff as well as a maintenance reserve. Mr. Cancel had one suggestion to change the flat fee amount of $5,000 for the maintenance reserve for each new commemorative bust to a relative amount or percentage. Ms. Manton agreed to incorporate the suggestion into the guidelines.
   
   THIS MOTION HAS BEEN REVISED.
   Motion: Motion to approve the City Hall Commemorative Bust Guidelines pending modification of fee structure.
   Moved: Garcia-Nakata, Lloyd
   
   
7. George Washington High School
   Public Art Program Associate Marcus Davies reported on the current condition of five New Deal-era artworks located at George Washington High School ("GWHS"). Mr. Davies explained that the GWHS Alumni Association is seeking the Arts Commission's endorsement of their fund-raising efforts for the conservation of the school's interior murals. Mr. Davies explained that because the last condition assessment of the artworks was done in 1994, he and Senior Registrar, Allison Cummings, had visited the school to document their current condition. Mr. Davies then showed images of the artworks highlighting areas of particular concern, such as cracking, staining and damage sustained during improper cleaning and repair following a fire in 1989. Of particular concern, he noted, is damage done by recent construction. This includes holes drilled through the face of the Victor Arnautoff mural in the school's lobby, areas of significant loss to the Lucien Labaudt mural in the library due to the application and removal of painter's tape, and the installation of sprinkler piping across the face of the Gordon Langdon mural in the second floor hallway. Mr. Davies then presented an image of the Sargent Johnson frieze located on the school's athletic field and addressed ongoing damage to the artwork due to poor water drainage. Upon Commissioner Przyblyski's inquiry, Mr. Davies confirmed that the murals are part of the Civic Art Collection, accessioned in 1935 and 1936. The Johnson frieze, he explained, is not a part of the collection, although the Arts Commission originally approved of the design on behalf of the School District.
   
   Commissioners supported the motion to provide the Arts Commission's support of the Alumni Association's fund-raising efforts. Mr. Davies stated that Collections staff intends to guide and oversee any eventual conservation of the artworks. Mr. Cancel requested staff to draft a letter from himself to the Unified School District regarding the Arts Commission's stewardship of the artworks. Commissioner Przyblyski asked if there was an inventory of all the New Deal murals in San Francisco. Mr. Davies responded that independent surveys have been done and that Collections staff continues to research and document the WPA artworks in the Civic Collection. Commissioner Przyblyski expressed the significance of documenting and conserving the murals as they are part of the cultural patrimony of the City and suggested staff contact Gray Brechin, who is currently writing a book on New Deal works in California.
   
   Motion: Motion to endorse the George Washington Alumni Association's fund-raising efforts for the conservation and restoration of George Washington High School's frescos.
   Moved: Garcia-Nakata/Lloyd
   
   
8. San Francisco General Hospital
   Public Art Project Manager Jennifer Lovvorn presented a conceptual proposal by Tom Otterness for the Potrero Avenue Pedestrian Entry Plaza and Walkway at San Francisco General Hospital. The proposal is based on the shape of a heart, which is the logo of General Hospital. Ms. Lovvorn presented two proposals for the entry plaza sculpture and stated that the client preferred the sculpture with the human-like figures and a heart-shaped stuffed toy. The series of sculptures to be placed along the walkway consist of smaller heart-shaped figures in various poses and situations, each ranging from one to two feet. She stated that the client was very enthusiastic about the proposals.
   
   Mr. Cancel stated that he liked the combination of the human-like figures with the anthropomorphic heart in the larger entry-way sculpture and thought the smaller figures should be a combination of both types of figures, and possibly other types such as animals. Commissioner Przyblyski stated that the proposed works are warm, popular and lighthearted, and will attract people who are not just visitors or patients at General Hospital.
   
   
9. Academy of Sciences
   Ms. Manton reported on the project by Maya Lin, What is Missing?, to be installed at the Academy of Sciences, which is the artist's memorial to extinction and will be her last memorial. Ms. Manton stated that Ms. Lin has moved away from the concept of the video bench and is currently working on two alternate options. The first option consists of a videoscreen that looks like plexi-glass cutting boards that visitors can hold in their hands over the light projecting upwards from several projectors built into wooden benches. The retractable screens would be housed in the wooden benches and there would be enough available so that up to ten people could pull-out the screens to view the video projected from the benches. Ms. Manton explained that the work is symbolic of holding the life of the planet in one's hands. The work also includes a sound component with recordings of the sounds of extinct of endangered animals from Cornell University. Ms. Manton stated that the Academy has expressed some concern about the light source harming people's eyes as well as the maintenance of the retractable screens. The second proposal is a large cone-like sculpture made of either bronze or marine-grade stainless steel with wood paneling inside, which would also be placed on the East Terrace. The cone would become the icon for What is Missing? and the objective would be to draw people onto the terrace with the form. The interior of the cone would include a video with images of extinct animals and scrolling text. The sound of extinct and endangered animals would also be a component to the work. Ms. Manton stated that the Academy is also interested in repurposing an interior room for the display of the video work.
   
   Commissioner Przyblyski reported that Ms. Lin has been focusing mainly on the second proposal. She stated that the cone is a very strong, physical form, which creates a dynamic relationship with the airiness of the wire landscape sculpture on the West Terrace. She also stated that an indoor work would function more as a gallery piece in a temporary exhibition room, and while it may be a project the artist would like to pursue with the Academy, it would not be the project managed by the Arts Commission.
   
   Mr. Cancel asked about the placement of the cone and cautioned that the sound emanating from the cone could travel a long way. Commissioner Garcia-Nakata stated that the artist may want to strengthen the content of the video so it does not look so commercial or resemble a nature documentary. Commissioner Przyblyski also stated that while the sound is compelling, the text may be problematic as it can be quite didactic such as cautioning people not to eat sushi. She stated that the text would have to be relevant even twenty years from today. Ms. Manton stated that perhaps the video could be less of a central component of the work with the emphasis of the work on the sculptural form and sound.
   
   
10. Public Utilities Commission ("PUC") Funding
    Ms. Manton stated that PUC projects which generate art enrichment funding are placed in a reserve as PUC facilities are generally not located in areas that are accessible or visible to the public. She stated that the PUC art enrichment reserve has been used to fund the following projects: Louise Bourgeois's sculpture on the Embarcadero, Peter Richards' and Susan Schwartzenberg's work at McLaren Park, John Melvin's design work at Lake Merced, the Patrick Dougherty installation on Civic Center Plaza, Tony Labat's temporary sculpture at Patricia's Green, Charles Sower's installation at the Randall Museum, and a portion of Wowhaus' permanent installation at Sunnyside Conservatory. Ms. Manton reported that she will present recommendations for projects using future expenditures at an upcoming meeting.
    
    
11. New Business
    There was no new business to report.
    
    
12. Old Business
    There was no old business to report.
    
    
13. Adjournment
    The meeting was adjourned at 4:40 pm.
    

MC 3/25/2009