February 11, 2014

1. Roll Call
   Commissioners Present:
   Charles Collins
   Sherene Melania, Chair
   Abby Sadin Schnair (ad hoc)
   Marcus Shelby
   Janine Shiota

   Commissioners Absent:
   Kimberlee Stryker

   Staff Present: Tom DeCaigny, Judy Nemzoff, Lucy Lin, Beatrice Thomas, Tyese Wortham, Cristal Fiel
    

2. Cultural Equity Grants Program Report
   Interim Cultural Equity Grants Program (”CEG”) Director, Lucy Lin began her report with a reminder to Commissioners, that next month, they would be reviewing grantee recommendations for the Organization Project Grant (“OPG”) and Arts in Communities Innovative Partnerships (“ACIP”) grant categories. She also invited Commissioners to attend the one-day Native American Arts and Cultural Traditions (“NAACT”) grant review panel in the first week of March. Commissioner Collins will be one of the review panelists.

   When asked if Commissioner Collins would need to recuse himself from the motion to approve the NAACT grant recommendations, Ms. Lin explained that he would not. Like staff reviewers, Commissioners engaged as reviewers are listed for the sake of transparency.

   Public Comment: None.
    

3. Grants Review Panelists
   Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:

   Motion to approve the following individuals as a part of a pool of potential SFAC grant application review panelists through June 30, 2015:

   Kawika Keikiali'ihiwahiwa Alfiche, Kumu Hula (teacher), Halau o Keikiali'i
   Director, Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center
   T. Lulani Arquette, President/CEO, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF)
   Charles “Chuck” Collins, President and Executive Officer, YMCA, Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission
   Theresa Harlan, Curator and Writer
   Celia Herrera Rodríguez, Visual Artist and Educator
   Malcolm Margolin, Founder/Executive Director, Heyday

   Moved: Shiota/Shelby
   Public Comment: None.
   The motion was unanimously approved.
    

4. Arts for Neighborhood Vitality Grants
   Cultural Equity Grants Program Manager, Beatrice Thomas gave a brief presentation on the Arts for Neighborhood Vitality (“ANV”) grant recommendations. She explained that the ANV grant is unique to CEG’s portfolio. Though it is the smallest grant category with a budget of $30K, it impacts neighborhoods and communities across multiple districts. It encourages partnerships with non-arts entities and focuses on small neighborhood centered arts activities. Grant awards are capped at $3K. This year, fourteen applicants, spanning seven districts, applied. Activities, primarily served family audiences. Of the ten recommended applicants, there were seven festivals and three art walks/tours.

   This grant supports a host of diverse activities including a Bernal Heights community curated film crawl, which screens films by local filmmakers and engages many local merchants, venues and neighborhood groups in partnership. Brava Theater’s partnership with Epiphany Dance will bring “Baile en el Calle” to the Mission District’s- 24th Street corridor. This project is an interdisciplinary walking tour of the area’s rich mural history, punctuated by site-specific dance from local adult and youth groups. There is an emphasis on educating new residents and alleviating the negative impacts of gentrification. The Marigold Project demonstrates strong community partnerships with the local police department and school district. It invites residents and visitors to participate in a public procession and creative altar making activities. Other ANV funded activities include a youth mural maze for emerging graffiti artists, musical performances and best restaurant food competitions. This pool of recommended applicants demonstrates how organizations are galvanizing volunteers and leveraging partnerships for cost and resource-sharing.

   Commissioner Melania asked for an explanation of the grants demographic information. Ms. Thomas explained that in terms of impact, it is important to look at the reported ethnic demographics as well as the event geography in order to develop a full picture of the breadth of diversity and communities served within San Francisco’s neighborhoods.

   Director of Cultural Affairs, Tom DeCaigny pointed out that the ethnic demographics are based on the organization’s self-reported identity but the organizations make a much greater impact in terms of the populations they serve.

   Commissioner Shelby asked what the basic requirements were for the grant.

   Ms. Thomas explained that ANV was the smallest and most accessible grant because groups did not need to have 501c3 or fiscally sponsored status. The grant’s primary objective is to fund a singular neighborhood event centered on the arts.

   Director of Community Arts and Education (“CAE”), Judy Nemzoff stated that these funds come to CEG through an annual work order from Grants for the Arts (“GFTA”). They are intended to support annual or one-time community events and have a more accessible grant application process.

   Commissioner Melania gave the following motion:
   Motion to approve recommendations to award ten grants totaling $30,000 in the 2013-2014 cycle of Arts for Neighborhood Vitality (“ANV”) grants to the following organizations, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each organization for the amounts listed:

   Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, $3,000
   Brava Theater Center/Brava! For Women in the Arts, $3,000
   Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco, $3,000
   CounterPULSE, $3,000
   Excelsior Action Group, $3,000
   Genryu Arts, $3,000
   Marigold Project, $3,000
   Out of Site: Center for Arts Education, $3,000
   Precita Eyes Muralists Association, Inc., $3,000
   The Bay Bridged, $3,000

   Moved: Collins / Shiota
   Public Comment: None.
   The motion was unanimously approved.
    

5. Community Arts and Education Program Report
   Ms. Nemzoff updated the committee with CAE program news. WritersCorps would be kicking off a Kickstarter campaign to raise $5,000 to support printing 3,000 copies of the Words Within the Walls for free distribution to various writing programs nationally. The Words Within Walls journal was created last year by WritersCorps students at the Juvenile Justice Center and edited by former WritersCorps teaching artist Anhvu Buchannan.

   Ms. Nemzoff said that there would be posters going up along the Market Street bus kiosks in April with photographs of the Tenderloin, Central Market, and SOMA by youth in the First Exposures program. The posters were going to Visual Arts Committee (“VAC”) for approval and the final design would be presented to the CAEG committee in March.

   Ms. Nemzoff said that the Sights and Sounds of Bayview radio stories have all aired on KALW 91.7FM, but a few would re-air on KPFA 94.1FM in the coming months. She said this was a project that the staff hoped to continue with a new round of stories.

   She then updated the committee on the Community Arts in Bayview grant. Thus far, the cohort of ten grantees has come together for two professional development workshops. The first was around Bayview asset mapping; the second was centered on measuring meaningful impact and criteria for evaluation with grant projects and programs. The last will be a workshop about individual donor giving. A consultant from Klein & Roth Consulting would be brought in to facilitate a workshop, as well as provide three hours of one-on-one consulting to each of the ten grantees. The cohort workshops have been a very positive experience thus far. She said that staff would keep the committee informed about public events and performances happening in conjunction with the Community Arts in Bayview grant program.
   Ms. Nemzoff said she was thrilled to announce that the job opportunity for the arts education program manager had finally been posted. She said that staff hoped to start looking through candidates’ applications as early as the beginning of March. She said the position would support policy planning and advocacy in arts education.

   On that note, she added that there had not been a decision made whether the renewal of the Public Enrichment Fund (“PEEF”) and the Children’s Fund would be one ballot measure or two separate measures. Mr. DeCaigny said that the San Francisco Arts Education Alliance put forward a white paper recommendation related to PEEF. There was also a white paper recommendation for early childhood education and learning. Both policy papers were posted online and the Arts Commission received executive summaries of each policy paper. Ms. Nemzoff added that there were no radical changes to the structure of the funds, but they were advocating for additional funds.

   Ms. Nemzoff moved on to say that she was pleased to announce CAE Program Manager Tyra Fennell’s work with 3rd on Third has been recognized with an award from the Bayview YMCA. LaShon Walker from the Bayview Merchants Association was also recognized by the San Francisco Council of District Merchants for her work in the creation of 3rd on Third. She added that Wells Fargo had recently become a funder of 3rd on Third. She said that there would be posters designed by Bayview Hunters Point Shipyard artist Rhonel Roberts. The poster design would celebrate Bayview and tie into the renovation of Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre.

   Mr. DeCaigny said there was a new policy for StreetSmARTS murals: they now had to go through VAC for approval to be in alignment with the City charter public art policy. StreetSmARTS would still live in the CAE program, but go through VAC. Ms. Nemzoff said that CAE staff would work on presentations of murals and posters that have gone through VAC. She added that there was a great turnout of artists interested in participating in the StreetSmARTS program at the info session at SOMArts Cultural Center.

   Ms. Nemzoff then went on to give a brief update of the Bayview Opera House renovation (see explanatory document). Phase I of construction would be the demolition of the surrounding plaza, which was set to begin next month. Funding included federal funds that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (“SFMTA”) received a decade ago to do plaza work. In the chart of funders, she clarified that OCII stood for the Mayor’s Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, which was the successor of the former San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Phase II included design of the plaza by Walter Hood and Tom Elliot Fisch Architecture firm, as well as three fully accessible ADA bathrooms, an extension of the lobby, and repair of the sagging balconies.

   She said it was the effort of multiple City agencies to make this renovation project happen, including the Mayor’s Office on Disability; the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, who was helping to pay for the outdoor stage; the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development; and others.

   Ms. Nemzoff said that all permitting for Phase I and II were complete and that the contract for Phase I had been awarded. The groundbreaking ceremony was tentatively scheduled for March 12 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The commissioners would receive a formal invitation from Communications Director Kate Patterson. Ms. Nemzoff said that the project team anticipated that the building would be closed for construction for one year. She has met with the board twice to discuss how they could successfully maintain programming while the building was closed down. She said that the oversight of this project has been managed by Deborah Frieden, who was the throughway between the two phases. Phase I was being managed by SFMTA, while Phase II was being managed by the San Francisco Department of Public Works (“SFDPW”). The anticipated reopening would be in March 2015.

   Ms. Nemzoff moved on to present renderings of the redesign. She said the program area would increase by dividing up the parking. There would be a sliding fence along Oakdale Ave. so that programing could happen between the theater and Mendell Plaza. She said that the “commemorative” plaza would be vacant and that they hoped to have more funding in the future for a public art piece to go into the plaza. Renovation would bring the main entrance to the building back to the historic front. The entire exterior of the building would be ADA accessible. She said the intent of the renovation project was to create a significant performance venue of high caliber.

   Commissioner Shiota asked what the tenant organization would do programmatically during the year the building was closed. Ms. Nemzoff said they would move their programming into other venues. She added that this was not unprecedented, as the African American Art and Culture Complex was closed for renovation work a few years ago. Bayview Opera House, Inc. (“BVOH, Inc.”) Executive Director Barbara Ockel was looking to develop enhanced relationships and cross programming in the community. BVOH, Inc. received the 3rd on Third grant, so they would continue to program that event in addition to seeking new locations.

   Ms. Nemzoff said that during community meetings with designer Walter Hood, people expressed their desire for an enhanced outdoor stage. The new outdoor stage would have a strong emphasis of community. There would be a glass walkway that would start at the main entrance on Newcomb Ave. and work its way to the back of the building. The green space and program area would be expanded, so afterschool programming would not feel so crowded.

   Commissioner Melania commented that it was exciting to see the renovation finally beginning.

   Public Comment: None.

   Explanatory Document: Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre Renovation (pdf)
    

6. Grantmaking Strategy
   Mr. DeCaigny started this discussion by sharing the strategic plan and introducing topics for grantmaking policy discussions and cultural center meetings. He shared that as a result of the strategic planning process, the Arts Commission is implementing a vertical meeting structure to focus it’s efforts and look at outcomes, grantee perspectives and user-experience. He continued, that in terms of grantmaking and user-experience, it is important to look at the Arts Commission’s current position, and then assess how to improve, and be more responsive to community need.

   In early conversations with staff, grantmaking strategy, breadth vs. depth and capacity building were identified as key issues. Breadth reaches across the City, but requires the most staff time, due to more applications. This takes more review time, panel time, processing, contracting and oversight. The Arts Commission has had success in balancing these issues in different ways. Grants and their impact on multiple districts is an example of breadth, while the cultural centers to which the Arts Commission leases facilities to for $1, represents deep investments. In terms of capacity building, CEG offers the Cultural Equity Initiatives Level One and Level Two (“CEI-L1” and CEI-L2”) grants, which specifically funds capacity-building initiatives of organizations rooted in historically underserved communities.

   Mr. DeCaigny explained the complexities and nuances of a multi-year funding strategy, listing the 3-year funding cycles of the Haas Foundation and the Department of Children Youth and Families as examples. Noting, that, while it could increase the capacity of organizations and decrease the workload for staff, multi-year grant amounts could be subject to the City’s mid-year budget cuts. Based on the strategic plan, the agency is too examine the pros, cons and changes required to implement a multi-year funding strategy and look to the Commission for help in assessing whether or not the endeavor is worth taking staff time. Mr. DeCaigny suggested that time in the vertical meetings be dedicated to this discussion and a recommendation be brought back to the Commission. He added that the upcoming position for a research fellow would be ideal for reviewing the past ten years of grantmaking data, cleaning up the database and compiling information before taking staff time and energy.

   Commissioner Shiota added that three-year grants could fund bigger organizations with stable boards and single year grants, using the same benchmarks but scaled down, could fund smaller organizations. She added that they could also be a form of technical assistance to prepare smaller organizations for multi-year funding.

   Mr. DeCaigny and Ms. Lin agreed that funding should not all be multi-year and that the appropriate scaling of indicators is important.

   Staff and Commissioners discussed how to insert artistic quality controls into the grantmaking strategy, agreeing on the importance of having a standard of artistic excellence. Mr. DeCaigny highlighted that artistic excellence has best been determined when reviewed by a jury of peers but the challenge lies in how that can be benchmarked. He suggested that these benchmarks might be more driven by outputs.

   Commissioner Melania suggested that there might be something in the final reporting process that is measurable.

   Mr. DeCaigny responded by calling in to question the intent and use of the final reports.

   Director of CAE, Judy Nemzoff added that the use of reports with the cultural centers has allowed her program to successfully track transitional changes and push the organizations toward a certain trajectory over time.

   Mr. DeCaigny further stated that, while the cultural centers are healthy, there should be a conversation examining appropriate mechanisms for accountability.

   Ms. Lin pointed to a larger issue of defining appropriate accountability measures for individual artists, and large and small organizations. She stated that the objectives for these constituents vary and that understanding what sustainability means for each of these groups is key.

   Commissioner Collins loved the use of evidenced based analysis to gather outcomes, advocated for a move to multi-year funding and inquired about feedback received from the survey and during strategic planning on other topics

   Mr. DeCaigny responded that affordability and support for individual artists through re-granting programs were recurring topics and that the Arts Commission is one of the few remaining funders supporting these areas.

   Mr. DeCaigny explained that next steps included drafting a survey for past applicants, getting input from constituents regarding difficult decisions and potential changes and exploring multi-year funding with Commissioners. Additionally, re-granting for individual artists and the potential of outsourcing technical assistance to establish artist support networks needs to be discussed. He closed by stating that all of the potential strategies and changes must be in alignment with the CEG endowment legislation. All commissioners agreed.

   Public Comment: None
    

7. Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
    
8. New Business and Announcements
   There was no new business.
    
9. Adjournment
   There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:08 p.m.

CF 02/27/14 - draft minutes posted
CF 03/03/14 - minutes adopted
________________________________________
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.