June 11, 2013

This meeting was called to order at 2:12 p.m.
 

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present:
   Charles Collins
   Sherene Melania, Chair
   Marcus Shelby
   Kimberlee Stryker

   Commissioners Absent:
   None

   Staff Present: Tom DeCaigny, Judy Nemzoff, Robynn Takayama, Tyra Fennell, Beatrice Thomas, Tyese Wortham, Cristal Fiel

   THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS MOVED FROM ITEM 4 TO ITEM 2.
    

2. Cultural Center FY2013-2014 Management and Program Plans
   Community Arts and Education (“CAE”) Program Manager Robynn Takayama gave a general overview of the Cultural Centers’ Management and Program Plans (“MPP”). She said that there was a Citywide Fiscal and Compliance Monitoring Team that had established best practices for review of nonprofit organizations that receive funding from two or more City departments. Definitions of best practices and items from the compliance sheet created by the monitoring team, as well as feedback from the Controller’s office, have been integrated into the fiscal year (“FY”) 2013-2014 MPP guidelines, including: personnel requirements, board responsibilities, annual review of the executive director, and an earlier deadline for the IRS Form 990. The MPP also asked for office rental rates, prioritization in budget to cover health insurance, and naming a facility manager that would be the primary contact for the San Francisco Arts Commission (“SFAC”) and Real Estate Department (“RED”).

   CAE Program Director Judy Nemzoff added that other than the revisions to the guideline requirements, no additional changes were made to the narrative questions.

   Ms. Takayama continued that all the Cultural Centers’ MPPs were turned in on time and complete, though the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (“APICC”) asked to withdraw their submission and go before the committee for approval later. She stated that these MPPs were the most thorough and thoughtful applications the SFAC had seen in many years, which she credited to the Cultural Centers’ work this past year with grant writer and development consultant Marie Biechart. She said there was still room for improvement, such as creating more concrete measures for the Centers’ goals and providing more sophisticated plans for outreach strategies. Ms. Takayama said that she and Ms. Nemzoff would speak directly with the Center directors about slight revisions that need to be made to the reports prior to approval at the Full Commission.

   The committee moved to sever the motion to approve SOMArts grant agreement with APICC as sub-grantee, and instead moved to approve the following motion without APICC listed.

   1. Ms. Takayama gave an overview of SOMArts Cultural Center’s (“SOMArts”) FY2013-2014 MPP, commenting that the organization provided concrete goals and objectives, including promoting strategic thinking about community, staff, and board; executing a fund development plan; providing access to the arts to SOMA residents by discounting tickets to local social service organizations; and others. SOMArts’ board will conduct a quarterly review status of measurements of success. The organization’s concrete strategies for outreach include outreaching to social service organizations; deepening relationships with partners, artists, and providing an outreach tool kit; recruiting a fellow from the California College of the Arts for event promotion; and advertising through social coupons like Living Social. In terms of fundraising, strategies include having a thank you party for volunteers to scale them up to potential donors; a silent auction; VIP receptions; warm invitations to VIPs; and increase donor interaction with artists, board, and staff. Programming includes anchor programs such as Murphy & Cadogan exhibition; The News (Queer performances); and Day of the Dead. Most of the organization’s earned income is from contracted services, which the organization projects to serve close to 250,000 audiences.

      Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:

      Motion to approve the proposed 2013-2014 Management and Program Plan (“MPP”) and budget for SOMArts Cultural Center for a grant not to exceed $596,044.
      Moved: Stryker/Collins
      Public Comment: None.
      The motion was approved unanimously.

      Before turning to the next motion, Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny asked if the grant amounts included the two percent cost of living increase. Ms. Takayama clarified that they did.
       

   2. Ms. Takayama said that Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts’ (“MCCLA”) showed improvement over previous years and that the application was much more clear and detailed. Some goals include increasing skills of staff and board with a $3,000 allocation for this in the budget; increasing the organization’s visibility, although the measurement for this goal was unclear; staff evaluation, which included a review of the executive director by the board, however the review date is on a Sunday; and expecting a substantial increase in board contributions.. The organization continues to have solid programs and events and a good articulation of their broadcasting, commissions, and premieres. Some areas of concern include understanding who is the point person for facilities maintenance; that most staff are part-time, including the executive director; and allocating money toward health insurance, as only $6,000 was shown in the budget.

      Commissioner Collins congratulated MCCLA Executive Director Jennie Rodriguez for a clear report. He said he was glad to see that the suggestions he made to the organization last year were acted upon in the new report. He was proud to be an advocate for the Center and believed MCCLA was headed in a great direction.

      Commissioner Melania agreed that it is one of the most comprehensive reports she has seen from the Center. She asked about the organizational chart and wanted to know if the organization had planned on adding more full-time positions and providing benefits. Commissioner Melania invited Ms. Rodriguez from the audience to address the committee.

      Ms. Rodriguez corrected that the executive director position was full-time and that there was a typo in the report. She explained that the Center was opened from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. so workers needed to work in shifts. As for the health insurance, there was no plan for that because the organization did not have the resources to offer it. Ms. Takayama said the organization did not meet the minimum qualifications (50 employees) to be required to participate in Healthy San Francisco.

      Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:

      Motion to approve the proposed FY2013-2014 Management and Program Plan (“MPP”) and budget for Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts for a grant not to exceed $533,381, contingent upon revisions.
      Moved: Collins/Stryker
      Public Comment: None.
      The motion was approved unanimously.
       

   3. Ms. Takayama said that Bayview Opera House, Inc. (“BVOH, Inc.”) had clear goals and objectives in their MPP. BVOH, Inc. planned to increase the board size to eleven by the end of FY2013-2014 and have the SFAC requirements in place by May 15, 2014. The organization planned to do an assessment of the Dare to Dream youth arts program curricula, provide professional development to the teaching artists, and retain 75 percent of the students upon building closure. SFAC staff wondered why the Dare to Dream curriculum was tied to San Francisco Unified School District (“SFUSD”) standards when it was an afterschool program. Other goals included diversifying funding sources and preparing for the building’s closure by finding offsite venues and developing a marketing plan to remain visible in the community. For fundraising, the organization wanted to launch a 125th anniversary donor campaign, produce a lunch with major donors, and find ways to get the board more involved in fundraising efforts. In terms of programming, rentals had been affected by the indefinite date of building closure, but the organization was planning to have offsite events at Mendell Plaza and consider other options as well. An area of concern was that the only other person who managed someone was 0.1FTE facilities manager, while the person he oversees was a 0.9FTE facilities assistant. SFAC staff needed clarity on who the point person for facilities maintenance was. Another concern was that the organization did not provide health benefits. Executive Director Barbara Ockel responded thatall of staff except for her had health coverage through other means.

      Commissioner Stryker commented that the MPP provided clear board goals and much more clarity overall all than in past reports. She believed the organization had a good relationship with schools, but wondered if they had any capacity challenges since they served hundreds of children. She understood that there were staffing and fundraising issues with the uncertainty of the building closure. She thought that the anniversary celebration offered an opportunity for fundraising and the community to acknowledge the importance of the building. She suggested that the organization work on branding graphics to help with fundraising. Overall, she was very pleased with the report.

      Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:

      Motion to approve the proposed FY2013-2014 Management and Program Plan (“MPP”) and budget for Bayview Opera House for a grant not to exceed $317,891, contingent upon revisions.
      Moved: Stryker/Shelby
      Public Comment: None.
      The motion was approved unanimously.

      Commissioner Shelby asked where the organization planned to move while the building was closed for renovation. He also wanted to know when the estimated closure and reopening were scheduled, and if the SFAC was helping the organization to find a new location during the closure.

      Ms. Nemzoff said that the organization’s relocation was still up in the air, but they were hoping to stay in the immediate proximity. The closure date was set for January 1, 2014; the renovation would take place for nine to twelve months and the building would reopen in fall 2014. The organization was working with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (“OEWD”) to find a space that was in close proximity to the building. The delays to the renovation have made a financial impact on the center because it is unable to rent out the space. Ms. Nemzoff said that the SFAC would continue to support this organization in serving the community and keeping a strong presence while the building was closed.

      Mr. DeCaigny said that part of the challenge of securing a closure date had been the loss of Redevelopment funds for the project. However, the mayor’s proposed budget with funds for the renovation would keep the project on track.
       

   4. Ms. Takayama gave an overview of Queer Cultural Center’s MPP, stating some of the organizations goals and objectives. Some goals include growing the next generation of queer artists and organizations by offering workshops in grant writing, outreach and tech production, and commissioning 20 new works. The organization would develop a new strategic plan that involved streamlining internal administrative processes and rethinking how the programs engaged community. The organization was training commissioned artists to produce events and the artists would keep 75 percent of box office sales, which encouraged their enthusiasm to develop their audience. For fundraising, the board was enthused by National Give Out fundraising effort and aimed to reach 100 percent board giving in FY2013-2014. For programming, the organization planned to continue the Queer Conversations on Culture and Arts, commission 20 new works through the Creating Queer Community program, and produce the National Queer Arts Festival.

      The committee agreed that overall Centers’ presented clear objectives that were much clearer and they were all going in a great direction.

      Ms. Takayama moved on to review the African American Art and Culture Complex’s (“AAACC”) MPP, which was the first submitted by the new executive director, Kimberly Hayes. The organization’s goals were to: promote and cultivate expression of Afro-centric art collaborating with resident artists to provide three new programs; generate exposure for emerging artists; program a safe space for youth; and increase funding and reach of the Center. Fundraising ideas included a renewal goal for individual donors; VIP receptions; enforce board giving by executive director; and renting out the recording studio. Ms. Takayama said the measures for goals could be more specific and detailed and that she and Ms. Nemzoff would work with Ms. Hayes on revising the report.

      Commissioner Melania said that the MPP was very clear and she believed the Center was doing a wonderful job with programming, especially programming for youth. She thought that the increase in facility rentals would help with earned income, but she understood that the community was concerned about rental fee increases.

      Ms. Hayes clarified that the decision for fee increases was made midyear prior to her becoming the executive director. She said it was the first time that the rates had changed in ten years, so the community was alarmed by the increase. Ms. Hayes said that the issue between subtenant organization African American Shakespeare Theater Company and AAACC had been resolved.

      Ms. Hayes also stated that AAACC has three different rental rates. There was a for-profit rate, nonprofit rate, and a rate for the resident artists.

      Ms. Nemzoff reminded the commissioners that rent for the Cultural Center tenant organizations is $1 a year and that there was an understanding that the mission of the Centers was to provide affordable access to the arts.

      Commissioner Shelby commented that he appreciated the tiered rental fees for nonprofit versus for-profit organizations and that there was special consideration for the resident arts organizations.

      Mr. DeCaigny said that this topic spoke to what was appropriate for nonprofit rental rates. From a policy standpoint, he thought it was good to keep in mind the vision for affordable space for artists and arts organizations.

      Ms. Nemzoff said that the SFAC does not determine rental rates because the SFAC wanted to leave it up to the nonprofit tenants to decide. Through the MPPs and reports, the SFAC saw that a bulk of the programming at the Centers met the intent of the mission.

      SOMArts Executive Director Lex Leifheit said that she supported the SFAC’s instinct to not get too granular. She said that the huge development and rent increases in the South of Market meant that commercial businesses were banging on SOMArts’ door wanting to rent the space. She said the purpose of the space was to make it available for nonprofits and that the organization had a policy to not confirm rentals sooner than three months in advance with commercial businesses to make the space available to the nonprofit community, and to not make rentals available for things that the SOMArts could not staff from within.

      Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:

      Motion to approve the proposed FY2013-2014 Management and Program Plan (“MPP”) and budget for African American Art and Culture Complex for a grant not to exceed $582,294 (including $483,690 to African American Art and Culture Complex and $98,603 to sub-grantee Queer Cultural Center), pending receipt of an MOU between the grantee and sub-grantee and contingent upon revisions.
      Moved: Shelby/Collins

      Public Comment:

      Thomas Simpson, artistic director of AfroSolo Company, thanked AAACC for being flexible around rental rates of nonprofit and resident artist organizations versus commercial organizations. He said that Ms. Hayes has not had an easy role of coming into the space, but he was proud of what she had accomplished thus far.

      Isabelle Barraza, a community member, said that she had been to all the Centers and thanked the Cultural Centers for supporting programs that helped everyone. She specifically wanted to thank Ms. Rodriguez for the work at MCCLA. Ms. Barraza was a longtime volunteer and her son has had the opportunity to take classes at MCCLA and thought it was a wonderful place. She said that serving the Tenderloin community should be a consideration, as there are many Latino families that have moved to the neighborhood and she didn’t see much programming or outreach to that community.

      The motion was approved unanimously.

   THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS MOVED FROM ITEM 5 TO ITEM 3.
    

3. African American Art and Culture Complex Midyear Report
   Ms. Hayes presented a report of AAACC’s programming highlights; organizational capacity; fund development goals and challenges; budget; and her goals and objectives as the new executive director of the Cultural Center. She highlighted board development and contribution, stating that she thought it was unacceptable that the board had not been required to contribute. In terms of operations and staff, she was implementing a staff evaluation process for programs to make sure that the input matched the output and that resources were being well-used. She wanted to diversify funding streams so that the organization did not rely so heavily on the Hotel Tax Fund (“HTF”). Some ideas she had were to reorganize donor cultivation strategies; rent out the recording studio; establish corporate sponsorship; and create a membership for the organization with perks. She said one of the challenges the organization has had to face was the significant loss of Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (“DCYF”) grant that the organization relied so heavily upon. She said she would like the organization to provide fiscal sponsorship, but it was difficult when there was limited cash flow.

   She said that because of the loss of DCYF funds, the organization was facing the possibility of eliminating a staff position. She said that any ad-backs or other revenue would go toward programs because the organization did not want to lose funding or resources.

   Commissioner Collins commented that there was a full Commission meeting previously at AAACC and that he loved the idea of going to the different Cultural Centers for Commission meetings.

   The committee thought that the membership drive was a great idea for generating revenue. Ms. Hayes said that she wanted AAACC to beef up its social media presence to target people and market the membership. She wanted the organization to operate on a maximum capacity with resources.

   Commissioner Collins asked about the relationship with the subtenant organizations.

   Ms. Hayes said that AAACC staff has been setting up meetings to discuss subleases and goals for strengthening the relationships.

   The committee discussed two upcoming facilities projects at the building, including electrical re-wiring and ADA accessibility of the second floor bathrooms. Ms. Nemzoff said she would report back to the committee about Cultural Center facilities projects as soon as the FY2013-2014 budget was passed.

   Commissioner Melania called for public comment. There was none made.

   Explanatory Document: AAACC FY2012-2013 Midyear Presentation (pdf)

   THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS MOVED FROM ITEM 3 TO ITEM 4.
    

4. Community Arts and Education Program Director Report
   Ms. Nemzoff turned her report to Arts Education Program Manager Tyra Fennell, who updated the committee about the 3rd on Third arts celebration that would take place on Thursday, June 20 in the Bayview. Ms. Nemzoff pointed out that the celebration was part of a larger commitment by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (“SFPUC”) to support community-based art enrichment programing through the Art Enrichment Ordinance.

   Ms. Fennell briefed the committee on all the activities taking place as part of the 3rd on Third celebration, including a partnership with Stern Grove Festival Association, who was building a sound stage and premiering “Grove on The Road” at the event. There would be live performances by Bayview artists on the Stern Grove stage; the Museum of African Diaspora was activating the restaurant, Auntie April’s on Third Street; there were pop-up galleries at Market on Third and Radio Africa Restaurant; live mural-making by StreetSmARTS artists; and other activities. She said that the idea was to work with people living and working in the Bayview to empower them with arts enrichment activation, in hopes that the community would embrace it and continue the celebration.

   Ms. Fennell said that 3rd on Third was getting great press including radio interviews on KBLX and KPOO; public service announcements (“PSAs”) on KBLX, KPOO, KMEL, and other local radio stations; articles in San Francisco Magazine, 7x7 Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle; and other press mentions.

   Commissioner Melania commended Ms. Fennell for getting so many different organizations together to hold the celebration. Commissioner Shelby said that it was a great lineup of artists performing on the Stern Grove stage.

   Ms. Nemzoff added that the WritersCorps program wrapped of the school year and pilot program in Bayview with an event at College Track San Francisco. The Bayview pilot program served a total of 25 youth.

   Commissioner Melania called for public comment. There was none made.

   THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS MOVED FROM ITEM 2 TO ITEM 5.
    

5. Cultural Equity Grants Program Report
   Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”) Program Manager Beatrice Thomas updated the committee on current developments and announcements. Ms. Thomas reported that the fiscal year FY2013 grant cycle closed with the approval of the Organization Project Grants and Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions grant at the May 6 Full Commission meeting. She announced that the SFAC awarded 117 individual artists and organizations grants totaling $1.7 million. She stated that Cultural Equity Grants CEG is working with Kate Patterson, Public Information Officer, to distribute a press release to relevant media outlets and peers in the funding community. CEG anticipates releasing similar press releases upon approval of each grant category for the upcoming grant cycle. Ms. Thomas reported that, currently, CEG is gearing up for the FY2013-2014 grant cycle. CEG will begin the cycle with two deadlines, which was the same model used last year due to limited staff capacity. Ms. Thomas added that the two-deadline model has allowed the grant deadlines and guidelines to be released earlier, giving potential applications more time to plan and complete their applications. All grant application deadlines, the guidelines for the first deadline, and the workshop dates were announced June 4. Ms. Thomas announced each grant category and the appropriate deadlines:
   Deadline #1: August 2, 2013
   • Cultural Equity Initiatives Levels 1 & 2 (“CEI”)
   • Individual Artist Commissions: Performing Arts¬–Dance, Theater, & Music (“IAC”)
   • Arts for Neighborhood Vitality (“ANV”)
   Deadline #2: October 4, 2013
   • Creative Space Grants (“CRSP”)
   • Organization Project Grants (“OPG”)
   • Arts & Communities: Innovative Partnerships (“ACIP”)
   • Native American Arts & Cultural Traditions (“NAACT”)
   Ms. Thomas stated that there will be two different types of application workshops offered before each deadline: 1. General Information Sessions and 2. Technical Assistance Workshops. This re-design is an effort to streamline and re-integrate the technical assistance opportunities that were eliminated year prior. She explained that the information sessions are designed for potential applicants to learn about the CEG program, eligibility, and grant strategy. Technical assistance offers a more intensive look at discreet pieces of the application. Dates and locations of the workshops are on CEG’s newly updated website along with application information. In an effort to outreach to the broader San Francisco population, CEG plans to hold a select number of workshops offsite, in the community. Ms. Thomas added that CEG will continue to work with Ms. Patterson on the outreach strategy to engage City Supervisor aids in spreading the word to their districts. An important outreach goal is to build a list of community partners who will then facilitate the dissemination of CEG’s annual grant application announcements. Ms. Thomas concluded by inviting the Commissioners to send her any leads on potential partners and listservs for outreach.

   Ms. Melania volunteered to be a partner in the outreach strategy and will follow up with Ms. Thomas.

   Mr. DeCaigny mentioned that the Arts Commission has already notified Supervisors Norman Yee’s and Katy Tang’s offices regarding the ANV and CEI grants. He suggested listing the grant deadlines on the California Arts Council’s listserv and website, since arts organizations, artists, and funders visit these portals often.

   Mr. Shelby asked if Facebook would be a viable tool for outreach.

   Ms. Thomas responded that Facebook has been challenging for the Arts Commission as a whole. Ms. Patterson is working on an overall agency strategy around social media networking. Ms. Thomas explained that the desire is to create a holistic Arts Commission that’s not segmented or siloed. She said that she thinks Facebook is great for a Commissioner or an individual artist to share the information. She posts SFAC information on her page.

   Mr. DeCaigny commented that he tweets deadlines to build an audience from the Arts Commission’s account. He further commented that to have staff and Commissioners disseminate information via social networking platforms is a very helpful way to get the word out. Facebook can become saturated with artist announcements. Mr. DeCaigny explained that Ms. Patterson is working on a strategy to highlight deadlines so that it stands out among all the other announcements.

   Ms. Melania added that it would be nice for the information to be streamlined on the SFAC website home page to get all SFAC program information on one page.

   Mr. DeCaigny pointed out that Creative Space Grants has returned to the CEG grant cycle. Last year, staff recommended to put it on hiatus during CEG’s transitional year and as he transitioned into his position. He explained that this allowed for more funding in the CEI category. He mentioned that CEG is proposing a change in the guidelines to increase the cap from $15,000–$20,000 to up to $50,000 to support more robust capital projects and planning. Mr. DeCaigny explained that this increase would allow CEG to support more diverse developments and account for the increase of the cost of living in the City.

   Ms. Melania expressed that it is wonderful to know CRSP is returning, since there are not many space grants available for arts organizations.

   Commissioner Melania called for public comment. None was made.

6. Public Comment
   Commissioner Melania called for public comment. None was made.
7. New Business and Announcements
   Ms. Nemzoff introduced Domenic Chang, an urban planning student at San Francisco State University. He just started as a summer intern for the CAE program and is working on mapping some of the history of the Cultural Centers.

   Commissioner Melania called for public comment. None was made.

8. 8. Adjournment
   There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Draft minutes post - CF 7/2/13
Minutes adopted - CF 7/8/13
________________________________________
Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Program Associate Cristal Fiel, 415-252-3145, cristal.fiel@sfgov.org.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。如需協助 Program Associate Cristal, 415-252-3145, cristal.fiel@sfgov.org. 

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Program Associate Cristal Fiel, 415-252-3145, cristal.fiel@sfgov.org.