June 14, 2011
COMMUNITY ARTS, EDUCATION, AND GRANTSCOMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue,Suite 70
The meeting was called to order at 3:00 p.m.
CommissionersPresent: John Calloway, Sherene Melania, Sherri Young
Staff Present: Directorof Programs Jill Manton, Director of Grants E. SanSan Wong, Community Arts andEducation Program Director Judy Nemzoff, Community Arts and Education ProgramManager Robynn Takayama, Cultural Equity Grants Program Associate BeatriceThomas, Community Arts and Education Program Associate Cristal Fiel
1. Cultural EquityGrants Program Director Report
Director of Grants San SanWong gave a brief update on Cultural Equity Grant’s (“CEG”) current grant cycle. Cultural Equity Initiatives–LevelTwo (“CEI-L2”) provides grants of up to $100,000 to support capacity building andorganizational development of organizations that are rooted in historicallyunderserved communities. Ms. Wong reported that Sylvia Sherman has been broughton staff to coordinate this grant process and provide technical assistance toapplicants. Staff has completed the required one and a half hour interview witheach applicant to assess organizational readiness and relationship of theproposed initiative in their organizational plans. Ms. Wong reported that atthe Creative Space Grants (CRSP) application workshops, there were severalorganizations that had not previously applied to CRSP. CEG staff will need to conductsite visits to new and unfamiliar facilities, paying particular attention tothose with potential code, safety and permitting issues.
Ms.Wong explained that, as a partner of the Creative Capacity Fund (“CCF”), CEG participatedin the development and presentation of “Understanding Fiscal Sponsorship in theArts” which took place on June 13, 2011 at ODC Theater This knowledge-buildingworkshop was geared towards demystifying fiscal sponsorship and identifyingbest practices for both fiscal sponsors and fiscally sponsored projects.Initiated three years ago, CCF is a collaborative of arts funders who seek to betterunderstand and facilitate capacity building through three strategies: 1)providing training to individuals; 2) producing knowledge-buildingopportunities on content not offered elsewhere; and 3) working with funders andintermediaries to make systemic change. Ms. Wong explained that CCF’slongest-standing program is the QuickGrants Program, which provides funding to individualartists and staff, board and dedicated volunteers of arts organizations to accesstechnical assistance and professional development. CCF has grown from three tothirteen partners statewide. She added that having funding partners withdiverse geographies in their portfolio has extended the reach of theQuickGrants Program to all Bay Area artists and arts organizations.
CommissionerCalloway asked for clarification on strategy number three. Ms. Wong explainedthat more funders are thinking that grants alone are not sufficient; that inorder to insure positive return on investment, funders are seeking to bolsteradministrative capacity. Additionally, funders are beginning to investigate whatcapacity-building looks like for different organizations, while trying to stayabreast of the changing ways that artists are organizing and supportingthemselves. The idea for the fiscal sponsorship workshop stemmed from the trendof shifting away from the 501(c)(3) as an organizing model. Ms. Wong suggestedthat more groups and artists are seeking fiscal sponsorship in lieu of a 501(c)(3)status, while some organizations are considering becoming fiscal sponsors. Sheargued that it is critical to address this trend, because fiscal sponsorship isbecoming more prevalent in the arts field. As an evolving practice that doesnot have legal but contractual standing, it is important to identify healthyconcrete methodologies. She added that over 170 people attended and manycommented on how useful the information was, and she thought the workshop wasclearly timely and very successful.
Ms.Wong also announced that Arts Forum SF would take place on Tuesday, August 23,2011, in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Novellus Theater. Arts Forum willinvite the leading candidates in the upcoming mayoral race to discuss the artsin San Francisco. As requested by Arts Forum, the Arts Commission will beproviding its Annual District Report.
TheCommittee discussed upcoming commission meetings. Ms. Wong will not be presentfor the July Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee meeting, and ArtsCommission President Johnston has cancelled the August meeting of the full Commission.
2. Community Arts and Education Program DirectorReport
CommunityArts and Education (“CAE”) Program Director Judy Nemzoff stated that CAE isanticipating and planning programs for the next fiscal year, but will waituntil the budget is formally passed before presenting a programmatic calendarof FY2011-2012.
CAEProgram Manager Robynn Takayama updated the Committee on Art in Storefronts andstated that the launch event brought a huge crowd to Central Market, includingMayor Ed Lee and Supervisor David Chiu. She announced that on Wednesday, June 15,from 6 to 8 p.m., there would be anartists’ talk hosted by the luggage store, and an art walk to the eleven Art inStorefronts sites.
Ms. Takayama told the committee that Paz de la Calzada’s mural at the oldStrand theater was vandalized over the weekend, and Ms. Calzada would beworking on fixing the damage over the next week. Althoughthis unfortunate event happened, the response from the community had been very supportiveand protective of the mural.
3. Cultural Center Report
Ms. Nemzoff gave an overview of the four motions regardingadvances to the Cultural Centers. She explained that these advances would helpthe Cultural Centers operate over the summer months before they present theirManagement and Programming Plans and Budgets (“MPPs”) in August and September.Ms. Nemzoff stated that the motions for advances to the virtual centers wouldgo directly to the full Commission in July or September.
London Breed, executive director of African American Art andCulture Complex (“AAACC”), made public comment that the Committee shouldconsider amending the motion with increased advances to the Cultural Centers,since MPPs would not be presented until the September or October full Commissionmeeting.
Director of Programs Jill Manton clarified that the advancespresented were 10 percent of the proposed grants that would go to each of thecenters. Ms. Nemzoff stated that in the past, the advances were usually between16 and 20 percent of the grant agreement. With the cancellation of the AugustCommission meeting, there was an unanticipated impact on the centers since theadvance was originally intended to maintain one month of programmatic activity,not three.
The Committee discussed how to move forward with the motions,given the cancellation of the August Commission meeting. No action was takenand amended motions with increased advances would be presented at the June ExecutiveCommittee meeting.
The Committee moved on to discuss the motion regardingdiscounted rental rates to SFAC and the virtual centers by Cultural Centertenant organizations. Commissioner Young stated that SFAC has a great workingrelationship with the centers and would like to maintain this. The Committee decidedit would not take action on this motion, but opened the floor for publiccomment.
Ms. Breed suggested that the committee vote down the motion,arguing that it micromanages the Cultural Centers. She said that the CulturalCenters would prefer that any negotiations between one another be handledprivately.
Ms. Manton commented that Director of Cultural Affairs LuisR. Cancel felt very strongly about this issue and wanted to make sure thismotion was on the agenda. Commissioner Melania said that the intention of thismotion would be to maintain a reciprocal relationship, but it would be betterto hear more from the Cultural Centers.
Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center(“APICC”) Vinay Patel stated that this motion came out of a privateconversation that he had with Director Cancel regarding rental rates and fiscalsponsorship. Mr. Patel said that what came out of this meeting was figuring outa way for the centers to work collaboratively as opposed to working against oneanother.
Ms. Takayama stated that the rates the virtual centers payhave generally been at a reduced rate compared with the Cultural Centers’nonprofit rate.
Executive Director of Mission Cultural Center for LatinoArts (“MCCLA”) Jennie Rodriguez questioned how often requests for reduced ratesfrom the virtual centers and SFAC would be made, as the centers cannotanticipate the future demand of their rental spaces. She suggested that theCultural Centers and SFAC have a conversation about providing discounted ratesfor different seasons.
Executive Director of SOMArts Cultural Center (“SOMArts”)Lex Leifheit agreed that this motion should be voted down, as Director Cancelhad not consulted with any of the Cultural Centers before proposing it. Ms.Leifheit stated that this mandate would be divisive and unnecessary.
Development Director of Queer Cultural Center (“QCC”) JeffJones felt the consortium of Cultural Centers used to work out differences morefreely before SFAC stepped in. Now that SFAC meets with the Cultural Centers ona regular basis, Mr. Jones felt that the Cultural Center staff would speak lesscandidly about issues than they would among themselves. He hoped that the Committeewould come to consensus on this matter as opposed to adopting the resolution.
Ms. Breed commented that the resolution was too vague andopen to interpretation. She suggested that if there would be a resolutionintroduced, it should be clear with a reasonable basis.
Commissioner Calloway commented that for a multitude of reasons,this was a very complex issue. The Committee would need more time to thinkabout the ramifications of the mandate before reaching a decision. He expressedhis frustration with charging centers that fall under the same umbrella.
Ms. Breed stated that there were additional costs thatshould be considered when renting out the space for free. She stated that sheis open to a discussion to work this out, but did not understand why thereshould be a policy introduced.
Commissioner Young agreed with Commissioner Calloway that ifthe space were available, the virtual centers and SFAC should be able to useit. At the same time, she would want to respect the way that the CulturalCenters handle their own business. She did not feel comfortable voting on a motionthat was so open-ended.
Ms. Nemzoff stated that it would be better to work togetherto create an agreement with clearer language regarding the free use of space.Ms. Manton stated that Director Cancel’s motion was well-intentioned and hewould need to be present to explain his proposal.
Commissioner Melania stated that establishing a protocol isone thing, while establishing a mandate is another. She commented that thismandate brought up an important conversation and issue that needed to bediscussed. If SFAC had more going on in the Cultural Centers, this could have apositive effect, she thought. The committee should examine all the possibleramifications of such a motion.
Commissioner Young said she would like the statistics on thenumber of times SFAC used the Cultural Centers’ spaces for free and the numberof times SFAC rented the space. She did not want to vote down the motionwithout Director Cancel being present to explain the intentions behind it.
4. PublicComment
Ms. Leifheit asked for clarification on the capital improvement fundsthat would go to each center for FY2011-2012. Ms. Nemzoff stated that thebudget is moving forward with an opportunity given to Bayview Opera House(“BVOH”) for ADA accessibility renovations and repair to the south wall. Atthis time, no additional funds outside of the $75,000 maintenance and repairallocation would be available to the Cultural Centers.
Ms. Manton mentioned that SFAC had advocated equally for repairs to eachof the Centers, but made a specific request for south wall repair at BVOHbecause it is a safety issue.
5. New Business
Ms. Manton stated that the Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) would beinvesting money in the Cultural Centers for capital improvements. This matterwould be discussed further at the Visual Arts Committee meeting and ExecutiveCommittee meeting.
6. Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:37 p.m.
