City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

January 10, 2011

Full Commission - January 10, 2011

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, January 10, 2011
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416


Minutes

President Johnston called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
 

  1. Roll Call
    Commissioners Present
    P.J. Johnston, President
    JD Beltran, Vice President
    Mark Breitenberg
    Gregory Chew
    Lorraine García-Nakata
    Dorka Keehn
    Barbara Sklar
    Cass Calder Smith
    Kimberlee Stryker
    Sherri Young

    Commissioners Absent
    John Calloway
    Leo Chow
    Amy Chuang
    Sherene Melania
    Jessica Silverman
    Ron Miguel, ex officio
     
  2. Approval of Minutes
    RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-001:
    Motion to approve November 1, 2010 Minutes.
    RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-002: Motion to approve December 6, 2010 Minutes.
     
  3. President’s Report
    President Johnston wished everyone a happy new year, and noted that City Hall has had a lot of interest and activity in recent days. He announced that one of Mayor Newsom’s last acts was the appointment of Dorka Keehn to fill the seat vacated by Maya Draisin. He called Commissioner Keehn a good friend, whom he has known for many years. He added that she has long served on the Commission on the Status of Women, and that she is a well-known figure in the arts, one of the artists responsible for the celebrated public artwork Language of the Birds in North Beach, and a maker of documentary films. He noted that one of his favorites was her film on Fred Korematsu, a fearless leader who fought the wrongful internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans in World War II. He added that she hosted a radio show and podcast, Keehn on Art, was a longtime community activist, co-founder and co-chair of Emerge America, a Democratic women’s leadership organization.

    Commissioner Keehn thanked him and said that she was looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Commissioners and to helping with the Commission’s work. She explained that she had served on the Commission on the Status of Women for twelve years, and had worked with Arts Commissioner Barbara Sklar. She said that it was amazing to work with Director of Programs Jill Manton on Language of the Birds, funded by a public-private partnership, and was the first solar-powered public artwork in San Francisco. She said that she had briefly spoken with President Johnston about her thoughts and interests regarding the Arts Commission, and said she’d begin by listening quietly for awhile. President Johnston noted her appointment as one of several bold acts by Mayor Newsom in his final days in office. He added that he appreciated her willingness to serve and welcomed her.

    President Johnston noted that there were other changes on the Commission, including the departure of Commissioner Draisin, moving to New York after six years on the Commission, and the election of Commissioner Beltran as the newVice President. He took this opportunity to announce new Committee appointments. First, Commissioner Young will serve as Chair of the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee; President Johnston said that she has served on that Committee for almost five years, and that the Committee has important responsibilities, including funding and oversight of the Cultural Centers, grants to artists and organizations, and arts education. He praised Commissioner Young as very hard-working (and cited her near-perfect attendance record), and appreciated her willingness to serve. He added that her first Committee meeting as Chair would be the next day, Tuesday, January 11.

    He announced the appointment of Commissioner Stryker to the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee, noting that Commissioner Melania, while not yet officially resigned, has been unavailable for many meetings. He acknowledged that Commissioner Stryker already has a lot of work on the Civic Design Review Committee, and thanked her for agreeing to serve on this additional Committee.

    President Johnston announced the appointment of Commissioner Keehn to the Civic Design Review and Visual Arts Committees, noting that she was certainly already familiar with the Visual Arts Committee. He announced the appointment of Commissioner Chew to the Executive Committee, adding that he always tries to have one member, if not the Chair, of each Committee on the Executive Committee, which focuses on long-range and overall agency concerns like planning and the budget. He requested Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie to distribute the new list to all Commissioners.

    President Johnston, recognizing that Commissioners follow the news, reviewed recent changes in City and County government, beginning with the Board of Supervisors’ near-unanimous approval of Edwin Lee, most recently City Administrator, to serve as Mayor until the election in November, 2011. President Johnston explained that Mayor Lee has served in a variety of positions with the City over a long and distinguished career; before that, he was chair of the Asian Law Caucus. President Johnston noted that he had the support of all but one of the Supervisors and of the departing Mayor Newsom, and that without question, he absolutely understands the practical operations of City government. He reminded Commissioners that they serve at the pleasure of the Mayor and can be replaced at any time with or without cause. While he thought Mayor Lee was unlikely to make changes in the Commission right away, he certainly could do so.

    President Johnston reported that the Board of Supervisors had reelected Supervisor David Chiu of District 3 as its President, indicating some continuity. He noted that the Commission has had a lot of interaction with Supervisor Chiu on both district and citywide issues, and that he had not yet named committee chairs. President Johnston added that Mr. Cancel would make his presentation to the Board’s Budget Committee in the spring. President Johnston predicted further changes, including in the Mayor’s office staff, although he understood that Steve Kawa would remain as chief of staff. President Johnston added that he had spoken briefly with Mayor Lee to congratulate him, and was hopeful for a period of positive interaction between the Board and the Mayor.

    President Johnston reported that the Executive Committee had discussed the budget, and that in his final days, Mayor Newsom had asked for cuts from all departments. President Johnston said that the $300 million-plus budget deficit was the toughest question for the new Mayor. Describing Mayor Newsom as a champion for the arts, he recalled that the Mayor had spared the Arts Commission from cuts at the end of the budget process; he warned that if budget cuts are ultimately required across the board, there might not be a last-minute reprieve this time.

  4. Director’s Report
    Mr. Cancel reported that he had enjoyed his vacation, and that it was a pleasure to be back. He, too, welcomed Commissioner Keehn to the Commission, noting that Language of the Birds was one of the public art installations he has most enjoyed during his tenure. He added that the work is one of the most important in recent years and has enjoyed national recognition. He noted that he had returned from his vacation just in time to see Mayor Lee chosen by the Board. He was pleased with the choice and said that he has enjoyed a collaborative and supportive relationship with him in the City Administrator’s office, most recently on mid-Market and StreetSmARTS initiatives.

    He added that he will always be grateful to Mayor Newsom for supporting his appointment by the Arts Commission as Director of Cultural Affairs, and for the extraordinary support he gave to the arts community and to the Commission, particularly in these difficult economic times. Mr. Cancel noted that Mayor Newsom was receptive to the Arts Commission’s appeals, and as a “parting gift,” exempted the Arts Commission from a 2.5% cut over the holidays. Mr. Cancel wished Lieutenant Governor Newsom continued success and looked forward to his continued arts advocacy at the state level.

    Turning to the budget, Mr. Cancel explained that in December, departments were directed to prepare plans for a 10% cut, and an additional 10% contingency, with 2.5% in the current fiscal year. By February 21, the agency will need to submit a plan for a 7.5% cut, and the 10% contingency cut for fiscal year 2011-2012.

    Mr. Cancel presented a draft proposal, and explained that the mandated cuts affect two of the Arts Commission’s several funding sources: the Hotel Tax Fund and the General Fund. The agency has other sources of funding which are not subject to these cuts, including Street Artists funds, work-orders, and the Symphony “POPS” funds. Mr. Cancel explained that the Hotel Tax Fund and General Fund mainly support Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”) and the Cultural Centers. Referring to the draft document, he explained that very few staff positions are funded by the General Fund, and that others have been able to be shifted to other funding sources in the face of reductions in recent years.

    Mr. Cancel explained that staff have prepared several options to meet the required cuts. For the mandated 7.5% cut, one option (“Option A”) takes 60% of the cut from CEG and 40% from the Cultural Centers. Option B takes 50% from each. For the additional 10% contingency cut, Contingency Option A again takes 60% of the total cut from CEG and 40% from the Cultural Centers, and Contingency Option B includes the elimination of one full-time position along with cuts to CEG and the Cultural Centers. If both the 7.5% cut and the 10% contingency cut are required, the two pairs of options yield four possible proposals, taking the entire cut from CEG and the Cultural Centers (at 60/40, or 60/40 and 50/50 respectively), or combining cuts to CEG and the Centers with the elimination of a position.

    The Commission discussed the proposals. President Johnston said that he had spoken with Mr. Cancel and understood that a reduction of approximately $90,000 could be achieved with the reduction of one position, or a combination of partial positions, and he acknowledged that this was a sensitive issue. Mr. Cancel added that the Executive Committee would discuss this question at greater length later in the month, and that he was now seeking the Commission’s first impressions. The Executive Committee will make a recommendation to the full Commission for its February 7 meeting, just before the Mayor’s budget deadline.

    Vice President Beltran noted that CEG had frequently borne cuts in the past, and that at the same time, continued support of the Cultural Centers is a priority. She lamented the feeling that sometimes one program is pitted against the other. Commissioner Stryker asked about the open internship position, and was told that it had a separate funding source and could not be applied against the required cut.

    Commissioners wondered how to balance the impact of cutting a grant to one artist against hundreds of children affected by programming at a Cultural Center, as well as pointing out that a single grant may impact many more people than the individual applicant, including the affiliated organization. Commissioners expressed their concern about the impact of past cuts on both the Cultural Centers and grants, and several emphasized the difficulty of feeling that they were pitting one valuable program against another. Commissioners asked whether there might be some possibility of raising income rather than looking only at cuts. Some Commissioners thought it would be important for staff to share the pain of cuts. Others were strongly opposed, arguing that first, staff was already extremely overstretched, and secondly, once a position was eliminated, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get it back when the economy improves.

    President Johnston invited everyone to attend the Executive Committee meeting, and agreed that it was very unpleasant to feel that Community Arts and Education is being pitted against CEG. He said that the Commission has continually urged Mr. Cancel to look for other areas to cut, and that pretty much all of the possible accounting strategies to fund other programs have already been used. The programs on the table are the only ones funded by the General Fund and Hotel Tax Fund. He agreed with Commissioner Keehn that staff cuts were a bad idea, that they never, or almost never, come back. He recalled that around 2000, the agency lost some key positions in Public Art and Collections, and it took almost a decade to get them back.

    As to potential revenue, he explained that staff is working on that front, and being successful in certain areas. The Gallery has been raising funds, and he noted that after a dismal report in December, 2009, Development Director Rachelle Axel has been extremely successful in 2010. Nonetheless, he thought it unlikely to significantly affect ongoing operating expenses. He also praised the efforts of Mr. Cancel and Ms. Manton to raise funds for the City’s collection and to combat graffiti and vandalism, but reiterated that it was difficult to meet operating and staff expenses with grants and fundraising.

    President Johnston said that the Executive Committee would look more carefully at the percentage split of the proposed cuts, adding that none of the options were attractive. He noted that grants go to an intentionally diverse group of grantees, and cuts to CEG raise the question of what role Arts Commission funding plays, versus funding by other organizations, in the community. While he tends to favor a 60/40 split in favor of the Cultural Centers because the City has the added responsibility of being their landlord and is responsible for their success, he acknowledged that the opposite argument could be made that they are somewhat protected because the Commission is their largest funder. Ultimately, he feels a slightly greater responsibility to the Centers because of their relationship with the City.

    Commissioner García-Nakata agreed, and reminded the Commission that many nonprofit organizations have had to cut staff over the last several years. She said that nonprofits are being scrutinized more intently. She feared that withdrawing support from them might jeopardize their nonprofit status if their contributed income fell below 33-1/3%. She added that it is difficult to know how or whether to cut staff without clarifying what the organization is trying to accomplish.

    President Johnston repeated his invitation to Commissioners to attend the Executive Committee meeting, and said that the Committee will make its recommendation and report to the full Commission. He added that the budget will be open for discussion by the full Commission and not be added to the Consent Calendar.

    Commissioners asked how the Cultural Centers would be alerted to potential cuts, and Mr. Cancel explained that they will receive a letter. Vice President Beltran asked for a summary of what they might cut, and asked Director of Grants San San Wong to prepare a summary of grantees. Mr. Cancel explained that he would request impact statements from both the Cultural Centers and CEG, and that one possibility was to suspend one of the grants programs rather than reducing all of them; this would reduce staff time. Some Commissioners thought that perhaps suspending Individual Artist Commissions might have less overall impact, although others noted that the grant usually affects more than just the individual artist.

    Mr. Cancel observed that with so many relatively new Commissioners, it would be wise to provide a “crash course” on the budget, and why one area was being considered for cuts rather than another. He said that he would contact Commissioners; President Johnston thought this was a very good idea.

    Continuing his report, Mr. Cancel reported on the very successful launch of the ARTery project, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to impact the mid-Market Street area. He reported the launch of Lights on Market Street, six-month light installations by three artists: Jim Campbell, Paul Notzold and Theo Watson. He added that the artworks have been well-received, and have had good media coverage, including one newspaper story after another during the last month. He thanked Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff, and Program Manager Robynn Takayama, as well as Public Art Program Manager Kate Patterson for a phenomenal job under tight time constraints. He explained that they had only five months to select the artists, commission the artworks and install them. He thanked Public Architecture, the consultant who helped with selection and installation, and the opening night performers, including People in Plazas, Bayanihan Community Center and Kularts, as well as mid-Market partners the luggage store, Central City Hospitality House, the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, David Addington at the Warfield and Carey Perloff at American Conservatory Theater.

    Mr. Cancel reported that the agency closed out the year with appeal letters for WritersCorps and the Gallery, which yielded $2,550 and $4,100, respectively. By the end of the year, gifts to ArtCare had reached $400, with additional donations still coming in occasionally. He added that the Street Artists Program got a really great portrait in the San Francisco Chronicle.

    Finally, Mr. Cancel announced that Robynn Takayama was celebrating her tenth anniversary at the Arts Commission.

    President Johnston thanked him.
     
  5. Consent Calendar
    Items 2, 3 and 5 were withdrawn. The remaining items were adopted as follows.


    RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-003:
    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. 0110-11-004: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of October 18, 2010.
       
    2. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-005: Motion to approve the Civic Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes of November 15, 2010.
       
    3. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-006: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of December 15, 2010.

      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (December 15, 2010)
       
    4. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-007: Motion to approve a (1600 square foot) mural by artist Cory Ferris on the U.S. Highway 101 traffic island freeway pillar at San Bruno Avenue and Alemany Boulevard. The project is sponsored by the Portola Neighborhood Steering Committee.
       
    5. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-008: Motion to approve 48 (48" x 66") panels by artists Katherine Connell and Oscar Melara, depicting what Portola means to local residents, to be installed along the east and west Caltrans fence on San Bruno Avenue. The project is sponsored by the Portola Neighborhood Steering Committee.
       
    6. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-009: Motion to approve a mural, What’s Going On? (8' x 55') by lead artist Christy Majano and Precita Eyes on the southern wall of Revere Avenue at Selby Street, under Interstate 280, and two cylindrical freeway supports (8' x 18') on the northeast and northwest corners of Revere Avenue and Selby Street. The project is sponsored by the San Francisco Clean City Coalition.
       
    7. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-010: Motion to approve the Art on Market Street kiosk poster proposal by artist Elisheva Biernoff and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Elisheva Biernoff to develop and complete six poster designs for an amount not to exceed $8,000.
       
  6. Committee Reports and Committee Matters
    1. Executive Committee—P.J. Johnston, Chair
      1. President Johnston reported that the Committee did not meet in December. He noted that the agency has received a lot of press coverage in the waning weeks of the year, including the Street Artists Program, and a story about the status of Coit Tower’s murals in light of proposed changes to the tower. While staff had expressed some concern about the Coit Tower article, he felt that the it did a good job of explaining the problem and may help the Commission advocate for needed resources.
         
    2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
      1. Commissioner Smith reported that the Committee did not meet in December.
         
    3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee—Sherri Young, Chair
      1. Commissioner Young reported that the Committee did not meet in December. She presented the following motion.
         
      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-011: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
        Tara Lulani Arquette, President and CEO, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
        Celia Herrera Rodriguez, Lecturer, Chicano Latino Studies, University of California, Berkeley
        Cornelius Moore, Co-Director, California Newsreel
        Vanessa Camarena-Arredondo, vocalist and cultural worker
        Anuj Vaidya, Festival Associate Artistic Director, 3rd I South Asian Independent Film

         
    4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
      1. Commissioner Chew began by saying that he is delighted to serve on the Executive Committee, and appreciates the opportunity to look at the broad issues for the agency. He added that the Street Artists Committee can be intense and emotional at times, with a focus on very specific issues, even minutiae.

        Commissioner Chew reported that the Committee did not meet in December, but will meet in a few days. At that meeting, he said, the Committee will consider the budget, additional spaces and regulations for selling flat bottles. He promised a fuller report after this week’s meeting.

        Commissioner Chew thought that the San Francisco Chronicle’s January 3 article on the program, headlined “Street Artists Thrive in ‘Grassroots Economy’” was great, highlighting positive perception of the artists.

        Commissioner Chew reported that Street Artists Program Director Howard Lazar had a certificate honoring Commissioner Melania. Since she was out of town for this meeting, continuing her studies, he withdrew the agenda item for its presentation for another time when she is able to be present.

        Finally, he encouraged everyone to take a look at the work of the street artists, who are doing very interesting work. He added that they seemed to have had a good holiday season.

        Commissioner Chew presented the following motions.
         
      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-012: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Walter Molina, Phillip Shaw, Somsak Asavathamavut, Jimothy Hoang, B.E. Pietrzak, Diswani Nono.
         
      3. RESOLUTION NO. 0110-11-013: Motion to approve request by applicant for waiver of 15-day requirement for obtaining a certificate: Joel Jeffrey, Aubsorn Ward.
         
    5. Visual Arts Committee—Lorraine García-Nakata, Chair
      1. Commissioner García-Nakata reported that the Committee had met and discussed several projects, and referred Commissioners to the minutes for more detail. The Committee discussed a piece for the Chinese Recreation Center. The original proposal called for it to be made in glass, but since it hangs over the doorway, there are some concerns about safety. The first solution proposed, an armature, obscured the work. The discussion considered using a different material which is still highly refractive.

        Commissioner García-Nakata reported that Ms. Manton presented an update on the reused concrete project proposed for the Transbay Terminal. She is working with the artist to find ways to keep the project within its budget. Commissioner Beltran added that her proposed changes were well-received, and Commissioner García-Nakata agreed that it looked like a win-win situation for everyone.

        She reported that the Committee discussed the Coit Tower fresco murals, explaining that although they are under Department of Recreation and Parks jurisdiction, their maintenance is the responsibility of the Arts Commission. She said that Arts Commission representatives hope to meet with Recreation and Parks representatives to come up with a comprehensive approach and clarify long-term and short-term goals, since the project is really important to both agencies.

        Finally, she asked the Commission to express its condolences for the tragic shootings in Arizona.

        President Johnston reminded Commissioners that the Transbay Joint Powers Authority has responsibility for the Transbay Terminal, and it sits on their land. Ms. Manton and Vice President Beltran are serving on the steering committee as advisers at their invitation.
         
  7. Public Comment
    There was no other public comment.
     
  8. New Business
    There was no new business.
     
  9. Reports and Announcements
    There were no reports or announcements.
     
  10. Adjournment
    There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:35 p.m., in the memory of the Arizona shooting victims.
     

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