February 6, 2012 | San Francisco Arts Commission

Full Commission - February 6, 2012

MEETING OF THE FULL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, February 6, 2012
3:00 p.m.
City Hall Room 416

Revised Minutes

Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.

Roll Call
Commissioners Present
JD Beltran
Mark Breitenberg
John Calloway
Amy Chuang
Chuck Collins
Sherene Melania
Roberto Ordeñana
Jessica Silverman
Barbara Sklar
Kimberlee Stryker
Ron Miguel, ex officio
Commissioners Absent
Gregory Chew
Leo Chow
Dorka Keehn
Cass Calder Smith

Mr. DeCaigny introduced the two new Commissioners, Roberto Ordeñana and Chuck Collins. He explained that Commissioner Ordeñana was a 34-year-old native San Franciscan of Nicaraguan descent, and briefly described his work in social justice and community-building for almost fifteen years. Mr. DeCaigny explained that Commissioner Ordeñana is the Development Director of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, and spent nearly a decade as Director of Community Development Programs, leading arts and culture programs, children, youth and family services; and community deveolopment and policy initiatives. Before that, he managed peer-led HIV prevention programs at the STOP AIDS Project, and has served on the LGBT Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and as president of the board of directors of BAY Positives. He added that Commissioner Ordeñana is a graduate of San Francsico State, and lives in the Mission District, where he was born and raised.

Mr. DeCaigny said that Commissioner Collins was also a native San Franciscan, President and CEO of the YMCA of San Francisco. He has served as President and CEO of the Family Service Agency of San Francisco, and has a long history of community service, including membership on the boards of directors of the National Urban League and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Art Institute.

Mr. DeCaigny welcomed both to the Arts Commission.

On behalf of the Commission, Mr. DeCaigny offered heartfelt thanks to outgoing Commissioners Lorraine García-Nakata and Sherri Young for their years of service. Pointing out their deep roots in the community, he said that their contributions had greatly benefited the Commission and the City, and he looked forward to a continuing relationship with them.
Nomination and Election of Arts Commission Officers
Mr. DeCaigny took up the nomination and election of officers, continued from the previous meeting of this Commission. Commissioner Sklar reported that the Nominating Committee had nominated Commissioner JD Beltran as President and Commissioner Sherene Melania as Vice President. Mr. DeCaigny asked if there were any other nominations; there were none. He called for discussion and for public comment. Since there was no further discussion, nor any public comment, Mr. DeCaigny called for a vote.
The Commission unanimously elected JD Beltran as President and Sherene Melania as Vice President.

President Beltran thanked the Commission, saying that she was deeply honored and humbled to be elected to serve after one of the most incredibly skilled Commission Presidents, PJ Johnston. She said that she was excited to be heading the Commission at this time, and expects to tap into all of the talents and expertise of Commissioners and staff in moving the agency forward. She noted that she has known Commissioner Collins from her association with the Art Institute and was pleased to welcome both new members to the Commission. Finally, she added that, after serving as Interim Director of the agency for six months, she is excited to be moving forward.

Vice President Melania thanked the Commission and said that she was very honored as well to be elected, and she looked forward to getting to know the new Commissioners and to work with all of the Commissioners and staff to move forward into a new era.
Approval of Minutes
After a motion for approval of the January 9 minutes, President Beltran called for public comment.
Public Comment:
Ray Hartz, Director of the San Francisco Open Government Advocacy Coalition, said that the motion should be continued, because the minutes were not on the website when he went to look for them. He said that it was inappropriate to approve them. He said that he looked at the Visual Arts Committee’s draft minutes, and was able to review them in advance and see whether he wanted to speak to them. He said that it was very easy to post draft minutes so that the public could read them, that the Visual Arts Committee did so within the appropriate time. He said that it ws not much to ask to continue the motion for review of the minutes, and give the chance for a meaningful comment. He said that it was time for the Commission to get up to speed on the Sunshine Ordinance.

Former Commissioner Sherri Young thanked everyone she has worked with on the Commission, including Commissioners, Commission Secretary Sharon Page Ritchie, Deputy City Attorney Adine Varah, and Mr. DeCaigny. She assured Cultural Equity Grants Program Director San San Wong and Community Arts and Education Program Director Judy Nemzoff that she would be available anytime they might need her.

Peter Warfield, Executive Director of the Library Users Association, said that in some respects the minutes gave a full account, but they could use improvement. He said that allowing two minutes for public comment was becoming a habit with the Commission and its subcommittees. He said that meetings were routinely scheduled with an ending time, which meant rushing and stumbling through the meeting. He said this closed off people’s minds, that there would be more comment if more time were allowed, and there was a rush to completion. He said this was a habit that the Commission should change to give due consideration to the agenda.

Mr. Warfield said that the minutes did not express his comments at the January meeting. He said that he would have said the Commission’s conduct was unlawful, and that the Library Users Association had won two complaints before the Sunshine Task Force. He said that in regard to Item 3, the Director’s Report, the report of his comment doesn’t make much sense, and that his comments about the audit and complaints against the Arts Commission needed to be included in the minutes.

There was no further public comment on this item.

Commissioner Breitenberg suggested that the Commission consider extending approval to the next meeting, as part of turning a new leaf in transparency.

In response to a question, Ms. Varah said that if the minutes were not available, the Commission might postpone the approval to allow additional time to review them.

President Beltran added that Ms. Ritchie works hard on the minutes, and that they take a lot of time.

President Beltran tabled the motion on the minutes and postponed it to the March meeting.
Director’s Report
Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny recalled that the last meeting had been his first day in office, and said that he has since had a little time to settle in. He reported that he is holding one-on-one meetings with everyone on the staff, and has so far met with about ¾ of the staff. In those meetings, he is asking staff to share in confidence their perspectives on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (“SWOT” analysis), addressing the Controller’s audit’s recommendations for greater openness and strengthening connections across programs. He reported that he is also meeting with Commissioners, and hopes to meet with all of them soon. He is also attending all of the Committee meetings, and noted that although the Street Artists Committee did not meet in January for lack of a quorum, they will meet in February. He reported that all of this is helping him to develop a picture of how all the parts fit together.
Mr. DeCaigny reported that he has also begun meeting with other City agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission, Department of Public Works, Library, Recreation and Parks and other agencies to learn more about ongoing partnerships (with the Public Art and Community Arts and Education [“CAE”] programs, for example), and how to better serve San Franciscans. Mr. DeCaigny has met with the directors of the Cultural Centers, facilitated by staff. He has attended several public forums and other events, including the opening of the SFAC Gallery show Windswept. He is also working with CAE staff to better understand the Central Market initiatives.

Mr. DeCaigny reported that he has also met with Department of Human Resources and City Attorney staff on various internal issues, including human resources issues and the classification system, and understanding how the agency’s organization chart can serve employees and the agency. He has also been working closely with Deputy Director Rebekah Krell to implement recommendations set forth in the Controller’s report.

Mr. DeCaigny reminded Commissioners that they will soon have to file key compliance forms, including the Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700), the Sunshine Declaration and, depending on when they last filed, the Certificate of Ethics Training. He added that new Commissioners will need to file all three forms within 30 days of their appointment.

Mr. DeCaigny invited Ms. Krell to review the agency’s current Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget and explain the process and timeline for the upcoming FY 2012-2013 and FY 2013-2014 budget. She presented the attached report and reviewed it for the Commission (Arts Commission Budget Presentation PowerPoint).

She pointed out that this was the first year of two-year budgeting for all City departments; enterprise departments were required to prepare two-year budgets last year.

After her presentation, Mr. DeCaigny explained that he wanted to hear questions in two categories from the Commission to help guide the budget process: clarifying questions and strategy questions.

President Beltran commended Mr. DeCaigny and Ms. Krell on their expedience in getting this presentation together for the Commission. She reiterated that the budget deadline was imposed on all City departments by the Mayor, and that the Mayor’s budget office has recognized the steep learning curve required of Mr. DeCaigny. She emphasized that it is important to clearly understand that the reduction called for by the Mayor applies specifically to General Fund expenditures, not to the total agency budget. She pointed out that there are a variety of funding sources for the Arts Commission’s budget, and the 5% reduction target does not apply to those.

Commissioner Calloway asked whether, as it seemed, the amounts in administration, Community Arts and Education and Cultural Equity Grants (“CEG”) were always the biggest General Fund areas; President Beltran said they were.

Mr. DeCaigny said that the 5% target cut for FY 2012-1013 was $100,234, and for FY 2013-2014 was $200,468.

President Beltran noted that in prior budget cycles, the target reduction was as much as 20%, and the agency had to look at cutting staff. She said that a cut of 5% was a much better situation in comparison.

Vice President Melania pointed to page 8 of Ms. Krell’s presentation and asked whether the agency was going to create a strategic plan to implement the cuts. Mr. DeCaigny replied that, given the timeline, that would not be able to happen before February 27, the date of the next Executive Committee meeting. He said that the strategic planning process would definitely be moving simultaneously, and that his goal was a broader strategic plan with deep community engagement and professional facilitation. In the meantime, he said, the agency is looking at where best to make the required cuts. He said that the Mayor’s Budget Office will offer the opportunity, after the first year, to amend the budget for the second year. He expected that, with that rolling budget process, there will be a chance to take a look at a deeper strategic plan with significant community engagement.

Mr. DeCaigny then took up his second category, strategies. He asked what the agency’s core function was, how to minimize service impacts to the community, and what were the priorities for General Fund expenditures. He said that he would like to hear the Commissioners’ thoughts on these questions. He added that he and Ms. Krell will be meeting with all of the program directors to understand the impact of cuts in each program. As he and the staff get into the details, he said that he would very much like to hear from Commissioners. He said that he was also interested in public comment at this meeting and at the Committee meetings.

Commissioner Calloway asked whether Mr. DeCaigny wanted individual Commissioners’ thoughts, or whether he was seeking a group consensus. Mr. DeCaigny invited individual Commissioners to speak and then see what the group came to.

Commissioner Calloway said that in the three big areas he identified earlier, cutbacks have been going on for at least the three or four years he has served on the Commission.

Commissioner Breitenberg said this was a hard question, and that the distribution of the programs the Commission supports, and the balance between CAE and CEG funding makes sense. He said that he wouldn’t argue for spending more in one area or the other. He asked about variables in revenue; if, for example, Hotel Tax Fund revenue exceeds projections, is there a chance to revisit the cuts? Mr. DeCaigny explained that the agency will need to meet the target set, and that the Hotel Tax Fund is separate. Ms. Krell said that she believed the Mayor’s office has kept the Hotel Tax Fund amount at the current level, and has the discretion to allocate any growth in the fund. Ms. Varah noted that the laws governing Hotel Tax allocations and expenditures are complex. To the extent the City appropriates funds through an appropriation ordinance for certain purposes, the funds must be used for such purposes. With respect to General Fund allocations, in the event of excess funds, the City could explore appropriate alternative allocations for such funds through the applicable City procedures.

President Beltran asked Mr. DeCaigny to clarify what he meant regarding core functions.

Mr. DeCaigny appreciated the Commission’s discussion. He said that, based on his first month’s assessment, he had identified three core functions: producing and curating the aesthetics of the City (through the Public Art and Civic Design Review programs, or “production”) equitably across San Francisco; capacity-building (through grantmaking and helping to build a richer arts ecosystem); and legislation (for example, the current draft revision to Planning Code Section 429, providing new revenues for the arts in San Francisco). He saw these as the ongoing work of the Arts Commission as a governmental body. He solicited others’ thoughts. Noting that he came from a nonprofit background, he wanted to preserve grants. He called the Cultural Equity Grants program a landmark program that needs to be protected as a primary commitment. He said that looking more to administration to make cuts has a relationship to a lack of staff morale. He noted that the Controller’s report pointed to consistent cuts for many years in the area of agency administration. He added that this was an area where it was perhaps easier to make cuts that mitigate community impact.

Commissioner Breitenberg thought administration was a difficult place to cut. He said that he had recently met with the chief innovation officer of the City, Jay Nath, and they discussed looking for greater efficiencies in administration.

President Beltran said the Commission was fortunate to have a grant executed for a study of the effectiveness of CEG over the last five years. She said that this report would help guide the agency in how to move forward.

Commissioner Calloway said that Mr. DeCaigny had not mentioned the Cultural Centers, which he called an integral part of the Commission’s work. He said that he had grown up in the Mission with the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, and he didn’t want the Centers to be forgotten. Mr. DeCaigny said that he included them in the community capacity-building area of the organization’s work.

Commissioner Stryker said that the Cultural Centers were really stretched to the breaking point, and she was glad to see that the Commission was conscious of that. President Beltran said that not only were they aware of it, but staff was taking positive steps to address their needs; Director for Legislation and Special Initiatives Jill Manton and Deputy Director Krell are taking proposals to the City’s Capital Planning Committee for them. President Beltran explained that the Arts Commission, on behalf of the City, is the landlord for the Cultural Centers, and should be a responsible landlord. Right now, she said, the serious capital needs are addressed by band-aid solutions and patchwork. She said that there are exciting things on the horizon for the Bayview Opera House, thanks to the hard work of Ms. Nemzoff in collaboration with the Public Utilities Commission in finding funding and assembling a really talented team of designers and architects. She said that the work couldn’t be done without this collaboration, and she hoped to see some of the same kinds of improvements for the other Cultural Centers.

Mr. DeCaigny mentioned the historical funding of cultural assets by the Redevelopment Agency, and said that new revenue sources and new partnerships with City peers would have to be found to continue this critical investment. He noted that StreetSmARTS was funded through the Department of Public Works. He said that if new funds were to be found to supplement General Fund cuts, this would mean looking at a broader strategy that serves quality of life issues in San Francisco and helps our Department peers meet their agency’s goals.

Vice President Melania said this was certainly not a quick discussion, and is a continuation of a discussion stretching back, off and on, for the last three or four years. Every time, she said, it seemed like the Commission was in a transitional state. She said there hasn’t been a thoughtful overall strategy, and she pointed out, especially to new Commissioners, that the Arts Commission has Charter mandates.

Commissioner Calloway said that there was a strategic plan which also talked about priorities. He noted that this has been out there for a couple of years for people to look at. Mr. DeCaigny said that he has carefully reviewed both the existing strategic plan and the City Charter, and it is important to align strategies with them.

President Beltran said that she appreciated the division between capacity-building and legislation. She said that, finally, she was hopeful that there could now be some forward movement on other strategies such as the Arts Education Master Plan.

Mr. DeCaigny thanked Commissioners for their ideas, saying that the discussion was helpful to him, and he looked forward to continuing the discussion at the Executive Committee meeting on February 27.

Public Comment:
Mr. Warfield began by saying that the clock showed two seconds lost. He thanked Mr. DeCaigny for his extensive report. He said that the copies of Ms. Krell’s presentation were not printed in color and that without the colors, the public was at a real disadvantage in following the presentation. He said he did appreciate that the actual numbers are on one side of the page.

Mr. Warfield said that Library Users Association has repeatedly requested to meet with the Director of Cultural Affairs, and earlier, with the Interim Director, in part because of the massive number of Sunshine violations. He said that they had won nine, and others were in the pipeline. He said that he considered that the Director was being kept prisoner of the staff. He said that the meetings sounded good. He said that the Library has come before the Commission with the Bernal Heights Library mural whose destruction the Commission has approved. He said that the group needs Sunshine training, and that the City Attorney would tell them that disclosure was cheaper and simpler than nondisclosure.
Consent Calendar
Item 3, approval of the Civic Design Review Committee's minutes, was withdrawn because the minutes were not ready.
President Beltran severed item 5, regarding Cultural Equity Grants, for a separate vote. Commissioner Ordeñana explained that he had requested severing it because of a potential conflict. One of the grantees listed, the Gay Men’s Chorus, is a tenant at the LGBT Center where he is the Development Director.

President Beltran called for public comment on item 5.

Public Comment:
Mr. Warfield asked if this was public comment only on item 5 or whether he had to request severing items 6, 7, 10 and 16, from the Visual Arts Committee.

President Beltran explained that the Commission was currently considering only item 5 under the Consent Calendar.

There was no further public comment.

The motion was passed unanimously, with Commissioner Ordeñana abstaining.

RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-018:
Motion to approve recommendations to award ten grants totaling $220,730 in the Cultural Equity Initiative Level One grants category to the following organizations, and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each for the amounts listed:
Asian American Women Artists Association, $18,530
Eth-Noh-Tec, $25,000
Fifth Stream, $25,000
Galería de la Raza, $25,000
Golden Thread, $25,000
Lenora Lee Dance, $15,700
Lily Cai Chinese Cultural Productions, $12,750
Luggage Store/509 Cultural Center, $23,750
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, $25,000
Zaccho Dance Theatre, $25,000

President Beltran then called for public comment on the remainder of the Consent Calendar, excluding items 3 and 5.

Public Comment:
Mr. Hartz submitted the following written statement:
Mr. Hartz said that there should be public process for every artwork, and that real participation leads to a sense of ownership and pride. He said that one goal of the Arts Commission was to foster interest in public art, pride in the City and County of San Francisco, and what it does in the effort to promote the arts. He said that he’d like to think the Arts Commission was open, and would encourage rather than discourage participation. He said that he attended the Visual Arts Committee meeting and did not feel welcome. He said that it started with the agenda, and the Committee saying that the meeting had to end at a certain time. He said that public comment was met with “oh, brother,” and annoyance. He said that Commissioners, staff, interested parties and only a couple of membes of the public attended. He said that if the public was not encouraged, they were discouraged.

Mr. Warfield asked for and got confirmation that what was under discussion was all of the Consent Calendar except for items 3 and 5.

He said that for item 10, it was first very disappointing that the full Arts Commission was not seeing or hearing abou the artworks today, regardless of what people saw at the Committee meeting. He said that in regard to the Bill Fontana artwork, the number of speakers was to be reduced by half with no discussion of reduction of payment. He said, in jest, how do we know that the project is not being reduced to just a boombox. He said the Commission had financial responsibilities, as well as critical faculties for this mysteriously shrinking project.

As to the logo, he said there was no discussion of the goals or purposes of a new logo, or what was wrong with the old logo. As to the Fire Station artwork, he was very much in support of that, and was very proud of the work of Jay DeFeo being lent to this traveling exhibition.

There was no further public comment.

President Beltran said she was completely thrilled about the loan of the Jay DeFeo work.

She severed item 16, regarding the loan of the artwork by Jay DeFeo, because Commissioner Collins was on the board of directors of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of the venues for the traveling exhibition. She called for a vote on that item.

The motion passed unanimously, with Commissioner Collins abstaining.

RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-019:
Motion to approve the loan of Jay DeFeo’s artwork Masquerade in Black, 1974-1975, an acrylic and mixed media painting, approximately 96 in. x 96 in. (San Francisco Arts Commission Accession Number 1980.6) to the exhibition Jay DeFeo Retrospective, organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The traveling exhibition will be on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from November 3, 2012 to February 3, 2013 and from February 28 to June 2, 2013 at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Finally, President Beltran called for a vote on the remaining Consent Calendar, excluding items 3, 5 and 16.

The Consent Calendar of the remaining items was approved as follows.

RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-020:
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. 0206-12-021: Motion to approve the Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Meeting Minutes of January 10, 2012.
2. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-022: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of January 18, 2012.
  Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee Recommendations (January 10, 2012)
3. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-023: Motion to enter into a contract not to exceed $50,000 with Deborah Frieden to serve as the project management consultant for the renovation and restoration of the Bayview Opera House.
  Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (January 18, 2012)
4. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-024: Motion to approve conceptual design by Merge Conceptual Design for an artwork for the Fire Station at the new Public Safety Building.
5. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-025: Motion to approve the logo (option one) for the San Francisco Arts Commission for recommendation to the full Arts Commission.
6. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-026: Motion to approve the design of the Hidden Garden Steps project, a tile mural by Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher on 16th Avenue and Kirkham Street. The mural is sponsored by the San Francisco Parks Alliance and supported by the Department of Public Works “Street Parks” program.
7. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-027: Motion to approve the revised design by Paul Kos for an artwork for the Community Plaza at the new Public Safety Building on the condition that the artist further simplify the design and prioritize the primary elements.
8. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-028: Motion to approve revised design by Bill Fontana for an artwork at the North Beach Branch Library.
9. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-029: Motion to approve art opportunity as described in the Project Outline for Central Subway, Moscone Station: Entry Plaza Sculpture.
10. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-030: Motion to approve art opportunity as described in the Project Outline for Central Subway, Moscone Station: Two-Dimensional Artwork for Ticketing Hall Wall.
11. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-031: Motion to approve art opportunity as described in the Project Outline for Central Subway, Moscone Station: Platform Floor Terrazzo Design.
12. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-032: Motion to approve Design Development Phase (artwork location, placement and configuration) of the Wayfinding artwork by artists Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz for Central Subway, Union Square Market Street Station.
13. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-033: Motion to approve art opportunity as described in the Project Outline for Central Subway, Union Square Market Street Station: Elevator Enclosure and Deck Glass Public Art Project.
14. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-034: Motion to approve the loan of Richard Diebenkorn’s artwork Still Life with Letter, 1961, an oil on canvas painting, approximately 20½ in. x 25½ in. (San Francisco Arts Commission Accession Number 1967.31) to the exhibition Richard Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, organized by the de Young Museum in San Francisco. The traveling exhibition will open at the de Young Museum in June of 2013, and travel to the Palm Springs Art Museum in October and to a third U.S. venue in early 2014, as yet to be determined.
15. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-035: Motion to approve and accept into the Civic Art Collection Windswept, 2011 by Charles Sowers—a kinetic sculpture approximately 18 ft. 3 in. high by 33 ft. 6½ in. wide, made of aluminum and aluminum composite panels installed on the east facing exterior façade of the Randall Museum in Corona Heights Park.
16. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-036: Motion to approve the Project Plan and Budget for America’s Cup art enrichment funding.
17. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-037: Motion to approve the Project Plan and Budget for the non-secure corridor of the Airport Control Tower at San Francisco International Airport.
  Civic Design Review Committee Recommendations (January 23, 2012)
18. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-038: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Kimbell Playground renovation on the condition that the standardized Recreation and Parks contemporary restroom design is used as a basis for the restroom, real rock is used instead of synthetic, the size of the tree pits is considered and the design team looks into the layout of the equipment in the play areas.
19. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-039: Motion to approve Phase 1 of McCoppin Hub Plaza.
20. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-040: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the Central Subway Chinatown Station on the condition that the handrails on the concourse level are revised.
21. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-041: Motion to approve Phase 1 of the Mission Dolores Park Renovation project.
Committee Reports and Committee Matters
1. Executive Committee
  1. President Beltran reported that much of the Committee’s discussion had already been reported in the discussion of the budget. She said that staff is completely informing Commissioners about the budget, and that there was concern that in the past the budget was not totally clarified. She said that was being completely reversed, and hoped that all of the Commission would all be thinking very carefully about it. She said that the Committee discussed the requirements from the Mayor’s office, an update on the Street Artists budget, and the overall budget timeline.
    Public Comment:
    Mr. Warfield said that perhaps he had missed something, but it was not clear that anything was passed. He said that he has knowledge of budgets elsewhere. He pointed to the timeline on page 14 of Ms. Krell’s presentation and said that he did not see any action to approve the budget presented here. He said that the public meeting where the full Commission will approve the budget is scheduled for March 5, after the budget submission is due to the Mayor’s office. He said that it seems the budget will go to the Mayor with no action from the Commission. He said that he hoped the Commission would clarify this.
    
    Ms. Krell said that the agency would be submitting a base budget to the Mayor’s office on February 21, and would be working with the Mayor’s office to develop the final budget submitted by the Mayor to the Board of Supervisors. She noted that the Mayor’s office recognized that the Arts Commission was in a transitional time.
    
    President Beltran explained that neither the Committee nor the full Commission had taken an action on the budget, that the presentation today was simply a review of the previously-approved current year budget, and of the timeline for the FY 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 budget process.
2. Civic Design Review Committee—Cass Calder Smith, Chair
  1. In the absence of Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Stryker reported that the Committee had a full calendar at its last meeting, reviewing a number of excellent projects. The Committee reviewed the Daggett Park proposal, which they found very innovative and interesting, and approved Phase 1. She reported that they approved a new proposal for remodeling the Kimbell playground with the stipulation that the bathroom architecture should be made more modern. She reported that the Committee reviewed the McCoppin Hub, a small bump-out being turned into a multi-use plaza, which they found very innovative. She reported that the Committee approved Phase 3 of the Chinatown station of the Central Subway. She reported that the Committee found the Mission Dolores Park project small but well done.
    Commissioner Stryker presented the following motion, explaining that the Committee had reviewed the North Beach Branch Library for Phase 3. They thought the project very fine, and thought the architect had worked very hard to make a nice building. The Committee approved the project contingent on reviewing other tile options for the façade. After representatives of the Committee met with the architect and members of the community, they decided, based on the tile options that fit within the budget constraints, it was most appropriate to move forward with the original tile selection presented at the Committee meeting.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-042: Motion to approve Phase 3 of the North Beach Branch Library with the tile selection as presented at the January 23, 2012 Civic Design Review Committee Meeting.
3. Community Arts, Education and Grants Committee
  1. Vice President Melania reported that the Committee had held a wonderful meeting, and referred to President Beltran’s remarks about Bayview Opera House. She reported that the staff and Committee are looking forward to having planning consultant Deborah Frieden join the team. Vice President Melania called it a coup for the Arts Commission, since Ms. Frieden has worked on several high-profile projects, including the De Young Museum. She reported that the Committee had presentations from Cultural Equity Initiatives, Level 1 grantees, including Golden Thread’s Torange Yeghiazarian and Joanna Haigood of Zaccho Dance Theatre.
    She reported that Ms. Nemzoff updated the Committee about Where Art Lives, the anti-vandalism program conducted in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District. She was happy to announce that the program was launching in twelve sites this year, including schools in the Bayview. Vice President Melania reported that the January 18 Central Market ARTery Project brainstorm at the California Art Institute provided an opportunity to hear from residents, artists, and community organizations. With some fifty participants, she called it a very successful event.
    
    President Beltran commended CAE staff, specifically Project Manager Robynn Takayama, for the success of the event, bringing together the community and mid-Market arts activists. She said that the area is gaining some exciting momentum every week. Vice President Melania said that the entire team was outstanding in reaching out to a variety of parties.
    
    Vice President Melania presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-043: Motion to approve the following individuals as grants application review panelists for Cultural Equity Grants:
    Pamela Z, composer/performer and media artist
    Yasmen Mehta, choreographer, dancer, and arts administrator
    Erika Chong Shuch, choreographer, director, dancer
    Gabriella Lena Frank, composer
    Roberto Varea, Associate Professor in Theater, University of San Francisco
    Kevin Seaman, Program Assistant, San Francisco Foundation
    Lisa Steindler, Executive Artistic Director, Z Space
    Deborah Steinberg, Director of Artist Services for WomenArts
4. Street Artists Committee—Gregory Chew, Chair
  1. Commissioner Chew reported that the Committee had not met for lack of a quorum. He presented the following motion.
  2. RESOLUTION NO. 0206-12-044: Motion to approve requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Gonzalo Ortega, Lisa Mendelson, Kay Merryweather, Rion Merryweather.
5. Visual Arts Committee
  1. Commissioner Sklar reported that the Committee had a very long and hard meeting, and she appreciated staff’s efforts, particularly those of Project Manager Mary Chou. She reported that the Committee allowed everyone to tell them their opinions about the design for the Fire Station at the Public Safety Building, and the Committee saw all the points of view. After the discussion, she reported, the Committee decided unanimously to proceed with the design proposed by Merge Conceptual Design. She described the discusion as wonderfully open and very complex.
    She also reported that the Committee discussed the new logo design for the Arts Commission, including the explanation of how the Commission gave the Committee the responsibility to review the designs and make the final selection. The Committee also looked at the staff’s preference before making their final decision.
    
    Commissioner Sklar reported that the discussion of Bill Fontana’s proposed sound installation at the North Beach Branch Library covered several technical considerations, including the need to have some silence. She reported that the Committee also had lots of discussion on the Central Subway, as reflected in the Consent Calendar. She reported that there are opportunities to move forward, and much discussion. She said that often, ideas or opportunities for artwork are stymied by technical issues, like heating or ventilation; the engineers say that the idea is nice but can’t be done.
    
    Turning to the loan of the Jay DeFeo artwork, Commisioner Sklar said that the Committee was thrilled to have the opportunity to lend work from the Civic Art Collection to other institutions; saying the pieces should be shared and not simply locked up.
    
    President Beltran thanked the Committee and Ms. Patterson for shepherding the agency through the logo process. She reported that the services of Studio 1500, whose principals came from the world-renowned design firm Pentagram, have been done pro bono.
    
    She announced that Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious has been elected to the Public Art Network Council, as a national representative on upholding standards for public art.
    
    Public Comment:
    Mr. Hartz said that he printed out the Committee’s minutes and got twelve pages. He commended staff on having them up on the website, allowing the opportunity for review. He said this should give a heads-up to other Committees. He said that this was the first Committee meeting he had the opportunity to attend. He said, first, are members of the public encouraged, not allowed, to attend meetings? He asked whether minutes were available, and whether visual aids were readable. He said that they were not available and readable if not in hand. He said that if the visuals are not readable, the public can’t participate, and it takes the meaning out. He said that one of his goals was not to make the process more onerous, but more beneficial. He said that if the documents are online, it saves paper for the agency in that he will print them himself.
    
    Commissioner Breitenberg thanked Mr. Hartz for his comment, and encouraged him to attend a Civic Design Review Committee meeting. He said that the Committee spends a great deal of time, and a great deal of material is supplied, and they listen to the public regarding City buildings and projects.
    
    Mr. Warfield said that he also attended the meeting, and that the Committee said that the meeting would end at a certain time, but it went longer. He said this created pressure to hurry. He said that the Committee and staff are already doing a lot of work, and much of what they do is fascinating, certainly a lot of it is interesting and very worthwhile. He said that the room in which the Committee meets has no loudspeakers. He said that presentations are made to the Committee, with the back of staff facing the public, that this was not welcoming and made it hard to follow what was going on. He said that visuals were not available and couldn’t be seen. He said that when members of the public asked questions, they were berated, asked if they weren’t paying attention, told that was already discussed. He said that impatience doesn’t speak well for welcoming, and that the setup of the room was not welcoming.
    
    He said that the Jay DeFeo piece was very beautiful and he wished the full Commission could see it. He said that the firehouse was quite wonderful and wished the full Commission could see it here.
    
    There was no more public comment.
    
    President Beltran pointed that the Commission will have the opportunity to see the work at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Public Comment
Mr. Hartz submitted the following written statement:
In addition to his written statement, Mr. Hartz said that he assumed the Commission didn’t make its decisions lightly, and made them with the benefit of citizens in mind. He said that the history of the murals was laid down with staff reports and minutes. He said that when he goes around and sees public art around the city, he tries to get more information, on the conceptual design and the artist. He said that if the Commission allows members of the public to become involved, not only in the decision about what is put up and what it means, the public will have more information, more ownership and pride in the artwork. The more open the Commission is to the public, he said, the more open the public is to the Commission’s decisions.

Mr. Warfield thanked Commissioner Breitenberg for his invitation to Civic Design Review Committee meetings, and said he appreciated it. He said that the Bernal Heights Library mural, for those who are new to the Commission, is a wonderful piece, created by the community, covering three sides of the building, created over two years. He said that many members of the community, including children, helped paint it. He said that the mural was approved by this Commission and the Library Commission. He said that the mural was getting a very unfair rap, that this Commission never had a lot of material that should have been considered by the Visual Arts Committee in its August meeting. He said that what is happening is cultural destruction, cultural cleansing. He said that the mural at its best was never shown to any of the folks making the decisions, including this Commission, nor was it researched. He said that endorsements of the mural, including by the former Director of Cultural Affairs, were never brought to public meetings. He said that the process was badly flawed, but was being relied on to pronounce a death sentence on the mural.

There was no further public comment.
New Business and Announcements
Vice President Melania announced the Mid Riff pop-up block party in the Central Market area on February 9. She said there would be several great events, and encouraged everyone to check out the area.
She also announced the Valentine’s Day Art Impact event with soul singer Martin Luther at the Museum of the African Diaspora. She said that further information about both events was on the Arts Commission’s website.

Commissioner Breitenberg announced that on Thursday, February 9, the California College of the Arts (“CCA”) Visual and Critical Studies program will show several film shorts by queer filmmakers in a program called Female Trouble. He said that more details were on the CCA website, that it looked like a good program and the event was free.

Commissioner Calloway recalled that the Commission passed a resolution a few months ago asking the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (“NARAS”) to reinstate several categories that it had eliminated from the Grammys. He said that the issue was taken to the Board of Supervisors and morphed into hearings with the Office of Economic Development. He announced that there will be a protest in Los Angeles on Grammy night. He thanked the Commission and said that their support meant a lot to local artists in zydeco, Latin jazz, which arguably was created in San Francisco, and other forms. He added that the artists are not trying to fight NARAS, but are trying to work with them.

President Beltran was delighted to have the two new Commissioners, and said this meant she would be reconfiguring the Committee memberships. She said that she would contact Commissioners and would contact them, and would answer questions for the new Commissioners.

Public Comment:
Mr. Hartz said that he didn’t want to be contentious. He said that he served in the military, and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. He said that it hit home. He said that he had been living for two decades and never felt that his country asked him to serve. He said that he couldn’t lay down that oath. He told Commissioners that they take a similar oath, and it constantly surprises him to be told he is not allowed to speak, to sit down. He said that the Police Commission told him to sit down, that he was not allowed to criticize. He said that the Occupy movement, leaving aside some problems, was creating a synergistic effect with creative people. He said that he was willing to discuss any issues one-on-one with Commissioners, and he urged all, including the new Commissioners, to take the Sunshine training seriously.

Mr. Warfield said that he hoped that somebody would pay attention to the Bernal Heights Library, and reconsideration of the most unfortunate decision, with no consideration of what was there, what will be put up with minimal discussion. He said that the minutes of the Visual Arts Committee showed the only discussion about the process.

Commissioner Chuang left the meeting at 4:40 p.m.

Mr. Warfield continued that he appreciated that the Visual Arts Committee was now audio-recording its meetings. He asked for the information about the Mid Riff event to be repeated. Vice President Melania repeated that the event would be on Market between Sixth and Seventh streets.

There was no further public comment.

President Beltran commended Ms. Ritchie and Ms. Varah for their work.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

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