City and County of San FranciscoSan Francisco Arts Commission

 

 

Meeting of the Full Arts Commission

 

Monday, January 6, 2003

3:00 p.m.

25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70

San Francisco, CA 94102

 

Minutes

President Gatti called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.

  1. ROLL CALL

    Commissioners Present
    Stanlee Gatti
    Rod Freebairn-Smith
    Ralph Guggenheim
    Andrea Cochran
    Andrew Brother Elk
    Eddie Marshall
    William Meyer
    Janice Mirikitani
    Barbara Stauffacher Solomon
    Ethel Pitts Walker

    Commissioners Absent
    Kirk Anderson
    Blanche Brown
    Denise Roth
    Dugald Stermer
    Dede Wilsey

  2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

    The following Resolution was Moved by President Gatti, Seconded, and unanimously Adopted:

    RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-001: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
    RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting of December 2, 2002.

    NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

  3. PRESIDENT'S REPORT

    President Gatti wished everyone a happy new year.  He recounted his initial meeting with author David Blaine and described his own long-time interest in Mr. Blaine's art.

  4. DIRECTOR'S REPORT

    Richard Newirth reported that he had met with Margie O'Driscoll, executive director of the American Institute of Architects, and Alan Sandler, head of the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco, about future collaboration.

    He reported that he, Debra Lehane, and Nancy Gonchar had attended a preliminary viewing of the plans for the Golden Gate Park Concourse. The project will come before the Civic Design Review Committee, and there will also be monument relocation issues.

  5. CONSENT CALENDAR

    RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-002: ADOPTED UNANIMOUS
    Approval: RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby adopt the following items on the amended Consent Calendar and their related Resolutions:

    Approval of Committee Minutes
    1. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-003: Motion to approve the Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of November 20, 2002.
      Explanatory Document: Draft Committee Minutes

      Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (12/18/02)

    2. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-004: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the contract of Vicki Saulls for North Beach Pool in the amount of $32,000 for design modifications previously approved by the Arts Commission.

    3. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-005: Motion to approve six original poster designs for 24 posters by artist Robert Gutierrez for exhibition in 24 kiosks on Market Street from February 14 to May 15, 2003, for the Art on Market Street Kiosk Poster Program.

    4. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-006: Motion to approve $300 honorarium for exhibition artist Chris Cobb.

    5. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-007: Motion to approve the following artist for gallery exhibition May - July 2003: Ulrika Andersson, curated by Natasha Garcia-Lomas.

    6. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-008: Motion to approve the Selection Panel recommendation of the artist team Jon Rubin and Jim Goldberg to create a work of art for the Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center subject to interaction with the community, client and architects.

    7. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-009: Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist team Jon Rubin and Jim Goldberg to commence development of a design for a work of art for the Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center subject to interaction with the community, client and architects and subject to a 60 day review, for an amount not to exceed $5,000.

    8. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-010: Motion to approve the Selection Panel recommendation of the proposal by Johanna Poethig to create a work for art for the renovated Rochambeau Playground.

    9. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-011: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Johanna Poethig to complete design development, fabricate, transport and install a work of art for the Rochambeau Playground for an amount not to exceed $16,000.

    10. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-012: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement with Chenonae Kim for an amount not to exceed $15,000 for design and construction supervision of tile walls in the Aqua Therapy Center at Laguna Honda Hospital.

  6. Committee Reports
    1. Civic Design Committee--Stanlee Gatti, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Civic Design Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

    2. Visual Arts Committee -- Ralph Guggenheim, Chair

       
      1. Report from Chair of Visual Arts Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

    3. Street Artists Committee - Dugald Stermer, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Street Artists Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-013: Motion to approve request by former certificate holder for priority issuance of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares: Miguel Paez , Barbara Ramos, Douglas Brett.

    4. Executive Committee -- Stanlee Gatti, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Executive Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

      2. RESOLUTION NO. 0106-03-014: Motion to approve the addition of the following individuals to the Cultural Equity Grants Panel Pool:

        ·Jaime Jacinto, poet, educator

        ·Rosemary Catacalos, poet

        ·Corey Tong, film production/consultant

        ·Corey Ohama, producer and video editor

        ·Kate Fowle, associate director of curatorial practice at CCAC

        ·Tiffany Brioli, curator, development at SFMOMA

        ·Michael Ross, visual artist

        ·Tressa Berman, writer, administrator & founder of BorderZone Arts

        ·Cynthia Taylor, associate curator, Youth Programs, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

        ·Maya Gonzalez, visual artist

        ·Steve Woodall, curator, Education Director at SF Center for the Book

        ·Dynell A. Garron, fundraising consultant, former director of national programs at the Gap Foundation

    5. Community Arts & Education --Denise Roth, Chair
      1. Report from Chair of Community Arts & Education Committee regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.

  7. Reports and Announcements

    President Gatti named Commissioners Guggenheim, Mirikitani and Cochran to the Nominating Committee.

  8. Public Comment

    Richard Hanlin addressed the Commission on the subject of the continued purchase and installation of the Embarcadero Promenade Ribbon. He said that the sculpture had never worked. He claimed that, even after it had been determined that the design was flawed, the Commission had continued to spend money on additional segments of the project. He asked the Commission to assume accountability.

    Commissioner Guggenheim said that the Visual Arts Committee and the full Commission had recently voted to demolish certain segments of the Ribbon, and replace them with flat elements, because they had been damaged and replacement was not cost effective.

    Mr. Hanlin said that he wanted to know which individual had made the decision to proceed with the installation after the design flaw was recognized.

    President Gatti explained that the commissioning of the Ribbon was the result of a thorough process of review and approval by a panel and the Commission. When questions and doubts about the efficiency of the project had arisen, the Commission had taken steps to rectify the problems. He cited again the recent decision to demolish some of the sections that were continually damaged by vehicles. The Commissioner added that it would be possible to inform Mr. Hanlin which Commissioners had been on the Commission at the time decisions were made throughout the process.

    Commissioner Freebairn-Smith asked Mr. Hanlin for his own long-range view of the project if the construction was indeed flawed. Mr. Hanlin replied that a detail in the structure had not been paid attention to, and that the result had been a waste of taxpayer dollars. He repeated that he wanted to know which individual was responsible, and said that the person should pay for the mistake.

    Mr. Newirth said that none of the present Commissioners had served on the Commission when the Ribbon was commissioned, and that the decision had not been made by any single individual. He said that actions taken by the Commission at different times were a matter of public record. He also mentioned that the city had previously recouped money from a vendor for defective work. He added that reports about this project had been, and continued to be, made on a regular basis in public meetings. He said that specific questions had been raised at different times, and specific steps had been taken in response to answer the questions or rectify problems.

  9. Adjournment

    There being no further business, the Meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.

    Approved by Richard Newirth, Director of Cultural affairs

    RN/sw/01/06/03