November 1, 2010 | San Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - November 1, 2010

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, November 1, 2010
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
P.J. Johnston, President
Maya Draisin, Vice President
JD Beltran
John Calloway
Gregory Chew
Lorraine García-Nakata
Barbara Sklar
Cass Calder Smith
Kimberlee Stryker
Sherri Young

Commissioners Absent
Mark Breitenberg
Leo Chow
Amy Chuang
Sherene Melania
Jessica Silverman
Ron Miguel, ex officio
Approval of Minutes
RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-293: Motion to approve October 4, 2010 Minutes.
President’s Report
President Johnston made no report, predicting a short meeting to allow everyone to watch the San Francisco Giants play the fifth game of the World Series.
Director’s Report
Mr. Cancel agreed to keep his report brief. He wanted to highlight an important honor presented by First Lady Michelle Obama to the WritersCorps program. Of hundreds of programs nominated, only fifteen around the country received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The award recognizes effectiveness in developing creativity and fostering success in young people, and gives $10,000 to the program. WritersCorps Program Director Melissa Hung and student Nicole Zatarain-Rivera flew to Washington, DC to accept the honor at a White House ceremony. They returned to an event celebrating the award at the Main Library, recognizing the participation of the San Francisco Public Library and the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the Arts Commission’s partners in supporting the program. Mr. Cancel added that many Arts Commissioners were in attendance at this very special reception.

He asked Ms. Hung to introduce the WritersCorps teachers for the new year. Ms. Hung displayed the souvenir award ceremony book, pointing out that WritersCorps appeared on page 28. She introduced the four teachers present, out of six in the program this year. Anhvu Buchanan is a poet, working in Juvenile Hall; Aracely Gonzalez is a fiction writer in her third and final year with the program, teaching at International Studies Academy and the Excelsior branch of the Public Library; Rick D’Elia is a poet and fiction writer, teaching at Aptos Middle School and in the apprentice program for advanced young writers; Minna Dubin, memoirist, writes on identity politics and teaches at Hilltop School and the Main Public Library.

Ms. Hung added that the WritersCorps award has had great press coverage, including reports in the San Francisco Chronicle, 7x7, on KGO-TV, and an upcoming feature on Ms. Zatarain-Rivera’s makeover on KRON4’s Red Carpet Bay Area. Finally, she distributed biographies of all of the teachers to the Commission.

Mr. Cancel reported that the Community Arts and Education program has been producing lots of fabulous activities, and he praised Program Director Judy Nemzoff and Program Manager Robynn Takayama for their hard work. He announced that the Where Art Lives anti-graffiti curriculum has now rolled out in six schools, and with additional funding from the Department of Public Works, will include twelve schools this year. He noted that the program began last year with just one school, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Cancel reported that StreetSmARTS has commissioned three new murals, by artists Nico Berry and Vera Lowdermilk. He was excited to see this program reactivating the muralism movement, noting that San Francisco is internationally renowned for its murals. He reported that the free wall activity was rained out, and was rescheduled for Saturday, November 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bayview Opera House, with Chor Boogie facilitating. Mr. Cancel added that staff has reached out to students, youth and families in the Where Art Lives program for this event.

Mr. Cancel reported on the pilot of SFJAM, Jamboree for Arts and Music, a mission-based socially-networked arts and music game intended to promote young people’s visits to arts organizations. He explained that the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee and the Executive Committee had both discussed this project, and that Arts Education Program Manager Tyra Fennell had been working with school district staff to set up a four-week pilot program in February, 2011. He announced an orientation session at the end of November. The pilot will involve several hundred students, and will be evaluated to determine whether to expand the program for fall 2011.

Turning to the budget, Mr. Cancel reported that the Controller’s first quarter report projects that the General Fund will end the year with a $21.5 million surplus. He called this very good news for the City as a whole as well as for the Cultural Centers and grantees. At this rate, he explained, the budget reserve is likely not to be needed, and the funds could be released. He added that the City has been very conservative in budgeting for cuts in state funding, projecting a $30 million cut; only $7 million has been cut. At this point, he said, he was hopeful that the Arts Commission could “dodge the bullet” this year.

For the Public Art Program, Mr. Cancel reported that the selection panel for the Veterans’ Memorial had chosen three finalist teams, who would be announced at a press conference on November 10 at the site. He thanked President Johnston for serving on the panel, and praised their work on this important project. President Johnston added that he has served on several panels. In this case, the panel reviewed some 30 proposals from artist/designer teams, and he thought the Commission would be happy with the panel’s selection. Mr. Cancel added that there will be an opportunity for public comment on the design proposals.

Mr. Cancel reported that Kent Roberts’s beautiful sculpture Passage was unveiled at the Moscone Recreation Center, at a ceremony attended by Supervisor Alioto-Pier and Recreation and Parks General Manager Phil Ginsburg, among others.

Turning to development and fundraising, Mr. Cancel reminded the Commission that the strategic plan discussed the establishment of a friends of the arts nonprofit organization. He reported that one piece of that proposal was now in place with the establishment of a fiscal sponsorship account with Intersection for the Arts. This will allow the Arts Commission to receive credit card donations, although the City does not have the capacity to accept credit card payments directly. He reported that the ArtCare initiative has received $43,600 so far, all, except for a $15,000 foundation grant, from individual donors. He announced that the untitled Peter Voulkos sculpture at the Hall of Justice, one of the earliest in the collection, will be the first to be restored with ArtCare funds. He added that there will be an ArtCare event later in the month.

Mr. Cancel reported that the California Arts Council awarded two grants to the Arts Commission: $15,000 to the Arts Education program, and $10,000 to WritersCorps. Unfortunately, he reported, two other large grant applications from the Commission were turned down by the City’s challenge fund: one for Art in Storefronts and one for Zhang Huan’s Three Heads, Six Arms.

Mr. Cancel asked Gallery Director Meg Shiffler to report on the recent Gallery fundraiser, Passport. She thanked everyone who purchased a passport and participated in the event, and she explained that she did not yet have final totals. She reported that the Gallery was very successful in getting in-kind donations, including Moleskine notebooks for the passports, from Chronicle Books and Moleskine; and advertising in print and online from 7x7 and from the San Francisco Bay Guardian. The Bay Guardian also printed the map for the event as a press overrun. Ms. Shiffler estimated the value of that printing over $5,000.

She reported additional in-kind donations from Hayes Valley businesses for the raffle, and she reported that Timbuk2 auctioned an artist-designed bag and donated the proceeds to the Gallery. She estimated expenses for the event at $1,000, making it relatively inexpensive, and thought that the income from the event could grow in future years. She noted that income from the bar at the kickoff party was around $7,000. Ms. Shiffler added that participation by Hayes Valley businesses, and by the African American Art and Culture Complex, was a great success. Mr. Cancel added that the goodwill generated by the event was extraordinary. Ms. Shiffler added that the goal was to create a community event as well as a fundraising event.

Commissioner Chew commented that the passport stamps were beautiful, and Vice President Draisin noted that the artwork was donated. Ms. Shiffler added that the sale of some 300 passports meant 500 or 600 people participated in the day.

Mr. Cancel announced the Artwear event on November 21, a pre-holiday sale of very high-end art clothing, accessories and jewelry in four Geay Street galleries. He explained that this was the fifth year for the event, and the first time that it would raise money for ArtCare. He added that it was also a way to honor Ruth Braunstein, and pointed out that the event was highlighted in the latest e-newsletter from the Commission.

Finally, Mr. Cancel reported that on November 6, SOMArts would hold a major fundraising event concurrent with the closing of its Day of the Dead exhibition. He thought the show was mind-boggling and exciting, and encouraged everyone to attend the fundraiser.

President Johnston thanked him for his report.
Consent Calendar
Item two of the Consent Calendar was withdrawn. The remaining items were adopted as follows.

RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-294:
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. 1101-10-295: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of July 26, 2010.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-296: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of October 12, 2010.
3. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-297: Motion to approve the Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of July 26, 2010.
  
  Community Arts, Education, and Grants Committee Recommendations (August 10, 2010)
4. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-298: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the following teaching artists to work in the WritersCorps program for 2010-2011:
  Martha Aracely Gonzalez, $36,700
  Carrie Leiser-Williams, $37,410
  Richard D’Elia, $36,120
  Judith Tannenbaum, $59,000
  Minna Dubin, $32,400
  
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (October 20, 2010)
5. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-299: Motion to approve construction document phase deliverables (pedestrian gate latch post design and location plan) by Eric Powell for the Cayuga Playground Public Art Project.
6. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-300: Motion to approve design development phase deliverables (final placement of art panels) by Michael Bartalos for the Mission Playground Public Art Project.
7. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-301: Motion to approve the relocation of the Art on Market Street Poster Series from the older triangular kiosks to eighteen new bus shelters (two posters per bus shelter) for a total of 36 ad panels on downtown Market Street between the Embarcadero and 8th Street.
8. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-302: Motion to approve design development phase deliverables (revised design of sculptural artwork elements) by Bryan Tedrick for Sunset Playground.
9. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-303: Motion to approve the design development phase deliverables (decorative frame and details of artwork installation) by Paul Kos for the Surgery Waiting Room (B1) at the General Hospital Acute Care Unit.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-304: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to modify the agreement with Paul Kos to increase the agreement by $7,505 (for upgrade on artwork display monitors) for a total contract amount not to exceed $97,505 for artwork for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Surgery Waiting Room (B1).
11. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-305: Motion to approve the construction document phase deliverables (project budget) for light court windows and curved glass element for art glass by Mildred Howard for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Floor 3.
12. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-306: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to modify the agreement with Mildred Howard to increase the agreement by $188,800 for a total contract amount not to exceed $203,800 for design, fabrication and transportation of artwork for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Floor 3.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-307: Motion to approve the construction document phase deliverables (final art glass samples and project budget) for light court windows and curved glass element for art glass by Stephen Galloway for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Floor 4.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-308: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to modify the agreement with Stephen Galloway to increase the agreement by $103,039 for a total contract amount not to exceed $124,039 for design, fabrication and transportation of artwork for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Floor 4.
15. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-309: Motion to approve the construction document phase deliverables (final design imagery and project budget) for light court windows and curved glass element for art glass by Julio Cesar Morales for General Hospital Acute Care Unit Floor 6.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-310: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to modify the agreement with Julio Cesar Morales to increase the agreement by $131,531 for a total contract amount not to exceed $146,531 for design, fabrication and transportation of artwork for General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Floor 6.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-311: Motion to approve Amy Ellingson’s color palette for terrazzo floor at the San Francisco International Airport: Boarding Area E.
18. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-312: Motion to approve the following finalists for the Veteran’s Memorial Project: Larry Kirkland with J. Douglas Macy; Norman Lee with SWA Group; and Susan Narduli with Andrea Cochran.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-313: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement for conceptual design with the teams of 1) Larry Kirkland and J. Douglas Macy; 2) Norman Lee and SWA Group and 3) Susan Narduli and Andrea Cochran for an amount not to exceed $20,000 ($15,000 design fee with a $5,000 travel allowance for out-of-town team members).
20. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-314: Motion to pay the following artists an honorarium of $1,000 in return for license to the City to make a limited edition of reproductions of their following artworks for display in resident rooms at Laguna Honda Hospital: Rob Badger’s Golden Gate Bridge in Fog at Sunrise from Marin and Horses and Aspens in Fall Foliage; Jennifer Bain’s Phoenix and Yellow Bud; Brian Blood’s Lakeside Poppies; Frank Espada’s Marisol Collection #12, Marisol Collection #15 and Marisol Collection #17; Jack Fulton’s Altura, Earth Day and Mono Lake; Jan Gauthier’s Novato Wetlands and Last Light, Horse Hill; Tom Griscom’s Ocean Beach, San Francisco (people) and Ocean Beach, San Francisco (cliff); Susan Grossman’s Cross Wires; Mildred Howard’s Jam’s Sons 1997; Lucia Hye Yoon Joo’s Mother and Child: Inside out III, Mother and Child: Inside out VII, and Mother and Child: Inside out VIII; Dale Kistemaker’s Blossoms; Lisa Kristine’s First Rain, Lanterns China, and Los Niños; John McCormick’s Third Wind; Stephen McMillan’s Big Sur; Jim McVicker’s Luffenholtz Beach; Gary Morgret’s Fall on Porter Creek; Kerry Vander Meer’s Alhambra #10 and Reunion #38; Pamela Wilson-Ryckman’s Taking In—Holly Park, Taking In—Dolores Park and Taking In—Lincoln Park; and Lena Wolff’s Flight Pattern.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-315: Motion to approve the modification of Peter Richards and Susan Schwartzenberg’s proposal for the Philosopher’s Way to include an accessible loop, and increase in project budget of $46,000 to provide curb cuts and street crossing improvements at Mancel and Visitacion Streets to provide access from the parking lot to the accessible loop.
22. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-316: Motion to approve the work order for the Department of Public Works for $46,000 to provide engineering, planning and construction of the curb cuts and other street improvements at Mancel and Visitacion Streets to provide access from the parking lot to the Philosopher’s Way accessible loop.
23. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-317: Motion to approve the design development phase deliverables (revised artwork design reducing the elements from nine to eight) by Cliff Garten for artwork for the General Hospital Acute Care Unit: Entry Drive Median.
  
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (October 18, 2010)
24. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-318: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Regional Groundwater Storage and Recovery Project.
  
  Executive Committee Recommendations (October 25, 2010)
25. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-319: Motion to approve a grant to the Center for Cultural Innovation for a study of the needs of the arts community, the current state of cultural equity in the arts and an assessment of effective grantmaking practices, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a grant agreement in the amount of $80,000.
Election of Officers
President Johnston said that he and Vice President Draisin had been lucky enough to serve for several years, and reported that the Nominating Committee, including Commissioners Draisin, Chow and Young, had met just prior to this meeting.

Vice President Draisin gave the report of the Nominating Committee, nominating P.J. Johnston as Commission President and JD Beltran as Commission Vice President.

She said that the Committee was very grateful for the service of President Johnston, and she couldn’t imagine anyone doing a better job. President Johnston thanked her, and pointed out that Vice President Draisin would be leaving San Francisco, and the Commission, in the coming months, and accepting a promotion that would take her to New York City. She said that the two things she would miss most were her children’s school and her service on the Arts Commission.

She presented the following resolution, which was unanimously approved.

RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-320: Motion to approve the nomination and election of P.J. Johnston as President and JD Beltran as Vice President of the Arts Commission.

Vice President Beltran thanked the Commission, saying that she was incredibly honored to be elected to this position. She was very sad that Commissioner Draisin would be leaving, and praised her as a fantastic Commissioner and friend.

President Johnston thanked the Commission for its confidence. He added that it was fortunate that the Commission had a little notice of Commissioner Draisin’s departure.
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
  1. President Johnston reported that the Committee had received the first quarterly report on the strategic plan at its meeting on October 25, as reflected in the document now before the Commission. He reported that the Committee had spent a long time reviewing the document, and asked Commissioners and the public to take the time to go through it. While the format was not perfect, and needed to be tweaked into a good working tool for the Commission, he thought staff was making excellent strides in capturing the guidelines and goals set forth in the plan, and reporting how they were being achieved.
    
    He said that significant objectives were well on the way to being met in the first quarter, and that the nature of this kind of reporting means that it may be easier to capture where goals are met than where there are stumbles. He noted that for some programs, goals were in progress, and for others, they were not scheduled for the first quarter. He asked Commissioners to review the report, and encouraged their feedback at the Committee’s meetings. He noted that Commissioner García-Nakata had particular experience with strategic planning and asked for her guidance on the substance and form of reporting. He asked for communication with the Committee.
    
    He added that as the Committee reviewed the report, they were encouraged by progress made on the stated goals, and continued to discuss what goals should be. He added that most of what is in the plan has a broad consensus, and that progress has been made on virtually all of the goals. He reiterated that despite the challenges, there have been many successes this year, including Gallery events, public art projects, Cultural Equity Grants, and Community Arts and Education activities. He added that the Cultural Centers, despite ongoing stresses, have made progress unimaginable in previous years.
    
    Commissioner Young thought the report was a great map of where the agency is going, and encouraged Commissioners to look not only at their own Committee areas but at the whole agency. She congratulated Mr. Cancel and the staff, particularly the Communications and New Media group.
    
    President Johnston also singled out Director of Programs Jill Manton for her work in compiling the report, and echoed Commissioner Young’s comment about reading all areas of the report.
    
    Mr. Cancel commented that the strategic plan is important for both the Commission and staff, and that a lot of thought has gone into creating the goals and objectives. The monitoring that the Executive Committee and President Johnston have asked staff to implement, though unwieldy, is helpful, he said. He reminded the Commission that the planning process is ongoing, and he expects to request the Committee’s support for an additional year of planning, so that the agency will continue to have a fresh three-year plan.
    
    He pointed out that the sixty-page document illustrates that there are many moving parts to the agency. He explained that the City has a performance measures process, and that has been integrated into this report. He explained that staff tried to provide a holistic portrait, and that though the format of the report was somewhat unwieldy now, staff hoped to refine it.
    
    In response to Commissioner García-Nakata’s question, President Johnston explained that the plan would be reviewed quarterly. She observed that the plan had many components, and recommended that future reports include a brief narrative, a two- to three-paragraph statement of goals, to help readers understand where the agency was last year, where it intends to be next year, and what progress has been made.
    
    There was no public comment on this item.
    
    Turning to the following motion, Mr. Cancel explained that the language had been drafted by the City Attorney’s office to clarify the relationship between the Redevelopment Agency, the Mexican Museum, and the Arts Commission. The funds in question are work-ordered to the Arts Commission by the Redevelopment Agency to serve as its fiscal agent. He explained that this was not an additional appropriation, and that the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties was amended to include these funds. The motion at hand is intended to clarify the agreement.
    
    President Johnston reiterated that the Arts Commission is acting as fiscal agent for the Redevelopment Agency, and that the funds in question do not belong to the Arts Commission. He explained that this agreement was struck some time ago, as a way for the Redevelopment Agency to ensure that the Mexican Museum would move forward. He added that the Arts Commission receives an administrative fee for its work.
    
    President Johnston presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-321: Motion to:
    (1) Accept an increased work order from the San Francisco Redevelopment Authority (“SFRA”) to the Arts Commission, including any future increases that the SFRA may authorize from time to time, for the Arts Commission’s services and related administrative costs to help facilitate, support, and encourage the operational and financial stability of the Mexican Museum, including the Mexican Museum’s programs and activities, as an important cultural resource;
    
    (2) Approve any corresponding amendments made by the Director of Cultural Affairs, in consultation with the City Attorney’s Office, to the May 4, 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the SFRA and the Arts Commission to reflect these work order funding increases from the SFRA, including but not limited to, any changes in scope of services or budget allocations for specific services; and
    
    (3) Approve any corresponding amendments made by the Director of Cultural Affairs, in consultation with the City Attorney’s Office, to the grant agreement from the Arts Commission to the Mexican Museum to reflect the the above-listed SFRA funding increases and budget allocations.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. Commissioner Smith reported that the Committee had a relatively short agenda at its last meeting. He reported that they had reviewed drawings for the Central Subway as it rises from underground in the Caltrain station area. The Committee encouraged the design team to make the structure a little more sculptural, and pointed to Aaro Saarinen’s transportation architecture as a reference.
    
    Commissioner Smith reported that the Committee has written a letter supporting the Planning Commission’s approval of the Environmental Impact Report for the North Beach Branch Library. The Committee approved the proposed project last year, and he noted that it will increase the park area. Commissioner Smith added that the Board of Supervisors was scheduled to review the project today, and the Committee hoped they would support it and allow it to continue moving forward.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Maya Draisin, Chair
  1. Commissioner Young reported that the Committee had had a great meeting, that Ms. Nemzoff introduced Community Arts and Education Program Associates Rhonda Pagnozzi and Cristal Fiel, and that Ms. Takayama reported on the Cultural Centers. Commissioner Young reported that Bayview Opera House had a successful year, with outdoor activities as a happy accident resulting from extensive work on the building, and a lot of interest from the community. She said that there were still issues with the facility, but the floor has been beautifully restored. She reported that Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts had a great deal of outstanding programming. Still, she said, the center is struggling with high turnover and low morale. She reported that SOMArts has additional support for its gallery, and like all the centers, is doing a lot more with less. Commissioner Young reported that the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center held a wonderful event, and that the Queer Cultural Center had a fantastic year; they reported 750,000 visitors to their website, and they raised $325,000.
    
    Mr. Cancel offered a clarification of the situation at Bayview Opera House: one wall has some mold, and wood in the interior has deteriorated. He explained this as the result of a longstanding leak before the emergency roof replacement last year. Mr. Cancel cited this leaky roof as a deferred maintenance issue, symptomatic of long-term underfunding of the physical facility maintenance. As a consequence, he said, the center now has a very expensive repair. He explained that Opera House staff and Arts Commission staff are meeting with staff at the relevant City agencies to get the repair done quickly.
4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
  1. Commissioner Chew first cheered the Giants, then thanked Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar for his persistence, patience and love for the program and the artists.
    
    Commissioner Chew presented the following motions.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-322: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Daniel Hennessy, Michael Galicia, Owen Stenzel, Hsien Jen Chiu.
  3. RESOLUTION NO. 1101-10-323: Motion to approve honorarium payment of $300 plus materials to Mario Hernandez for assisting the Program Director, Howard Lazar, in painting permanent and winter holiday spaces.
5. Visual Arts Committee—Lorraine García-Nakata, Chair
  1. Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee reviewed several projects which required increases for design, transportation, fabrication or other costs. She reported that the Central Subway is entering the design development phase, and that the Committee reviewed artworks at General Hospital, the Public Safety building, Laguna Honda Hospital, Sunset Playground and Market Street kiosks.
    
    Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee heard public testimony on the preservation of murals at Coit Tower. She congratulated staff on keeping so many projects moving forward, and thanked President Johnston for his work on review panels.
    
    In response to Commissioner Sklar’s question about Coit Tower, Commissioner García-Nakata explained that this was a topic of general discussion, and there was no associated action item for the Committee. President Johnston added that, though he had to leave the meeting a bit early, he understood that a member of the public expressed his concern that the murals be preserved whenever any changes are made to the building. He also said that the Committee had many projects underway, and that he expected to hear a lot more about the Public Safety building, a new project for the Committee.
Public Comment
There was no other public comment.
New Business
There was no new business.
Reports and Announcements
Vice President Beltran reported that she had been contacted by Ann Simmons of Bay Area Video Coalition (“BAVC”), and that they had received a Renaissance Journalism Center grant allowing them to install studio spaces in the Cultural Centers, connecting them with City Hall and several other community locations in a high-speed fiber network. She explained that the first pilot project will be at SOMArts, allowing high-definition public access broadcast for City College and other community sites. She thought this was a great resource for the Cultural Centers.

Commissioner Calloway sadly announced the passing of Mauricio Vela, a long-time Bernal Heights activist, after a sudden short illness. He recalled that Mr. Vela was called the Mayor of Cortland Avenue, and hoped that his work on behalf of the Bernal Heights Library mural would be continued.

There were no other reports or announcements.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. in the memory of Mauricio Vela.

12/22/10 spr