Meeting of the Full Arts
Commission
Monday, May 5, 2003
3:00 p.m.
25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70
San Francisco, CA 94102
Minutes
Vice President Roth
called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m.
- ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present
Kirk Anderson
Blanche Brown
Andrea Cochran
Rod Freebairn-Smith
Ralph Guggenheim
Eddie Marshall
William Meyer
Janice Mirikitani
Denise Roth
Barbara Stauffacher Solomon
Dugald Stermer
Commissioners Absent
Stanlee Gatti
Dede Wilsey
Ethel Pitts Walker
- APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The following Resolution was Moved by Commissioner Roth, Seconded,
and unanimously Adopted:
RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-097: APPROVAL OF MINUTES ADOPTED
RESOLVED, that this Commission does hereby approve the Minutes
of the Regular Monthly Meeting of April 14, 2003.
NOTE: ALL ADOPTIONS ARE UNANIMOUS UNLESS OTHERWISE
NOTED.
- PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Vice President Roth stated that the day's meeting is
dedicated to the memory of Ella King Torrey. She added that a
memorial service is planned for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Yerba
Buena Center for the Arts.
- DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Director of Cultural Affairs Richard Newirth stated that
he is quite unhappy to report that the City's budget is being cut
drastically. Currently every source of revenue for the City is
down, including Property Taxes and the Hotel Tax Fund. The Arts
Commission is being dramatically affected and will have three
layoffs effective July 1, 2003. Those staff layoffs are: Michele
Liapes, Public Information Officer; Juan Martinez, Accountant; and
Thien Lam, Arts Education Program Assistant. Mr. Newirth explained
that two of the positions are being cut due to an additional
shortfall of $100,000 in the General Fund allocation to the Arts
Commission. These two layoffs are in keeping with City Hall's
emphasis on reducing administrative positions rather than program
positions. Mr. Newirth added that both Michele Liapes and Juan
Martinez have seniority and it is hoped that they will retain
employment with the City. The third layoff of the Arts Education
Program Assistant is the result of loss of funds from the
California Arts Council which had previously funded that position.
Until there is some stability with the State budget, which should
be finalized in the fall, it is uncertain whether there will be
more layoffs. The Arts Commission has been receiving grants from
the California Arts Council for WritersCorps and the Arts
Education Funders Collaborative. Because the Governor has proposed
a 50% cut to the California Arts Council, it is uncertain how
these programs will be affected.
Commissioner Mirikitani stated that with regard to the diversity
of programs run by the Arts Commission, she wondered how such a
drastic change in the staff infrastructure would affect the
organization. Because the staff members carry out the vision of
the Commission, she inquired how the Commissioners can be of
support to the staff. She also asked what the vision is for the
agency and the staff and wondered how the cuts will affect
programming.
Mr. Newirth stated that the Arts Commission is first attempting to
manage these layoffs and will then engage in a strategic plan. He
added that he would appreciate the Commissioners' involvement with
staff on the strategic plan.
Commissioner Mirikitani stated that this issue should be addressed
in the Executive Committee and that it should be added to next
month's agenda.
Mr. Newirth continued his report by stating that in this past
month he met with Pat Johnson who was previously at the Department
of Cultural Affairs in Chicago and is now the Director of the
Museum of the African Diaspora. Mr. Newirth explained that this
new museum is modeled after the Holocaust Museum in Washington,
D.C. and will present traveling exhibitions as well as permanent
exhibitions.
Mr. Newirth reported that he also met with Moy Eng of the Hewlett
Foundation to discuss the possibility of convening a meeting of
arts funders in the Bay Area to develop a unified message to give
to arts organizations. Funding for the arts in the Bay Area had
been around $70 million two years ago and is now down to $30
million. Mr. Newirth emphasized the importance for funders to have
a single message to give to arts organizations that addresses this
issue.
Mr. Newirth announced that the next event as part of "Sculpture in
the City" will be on May 8th at the San Francisco Zoo from 10:30
AM to 12:30 PM. This event will include a dedication of two art
projects: "Cougar III" and "Tiger 2" by Gwynn Murrill and "Split
Mound" by Barbara McCarren and Jud Fine. Mr. Newirth encouraged
the Commissioners to attend.
Mr. Newirth stated that Isis Rodriguez, one of the artists working
with the Public Art Program, will be having a reception on May 23
as part of her residency at Sunset Scavenger Sanitary Fill
Company.
Mr. Newirth announced that WritersCorps will be having a reading
and reception at the San Francisco Main Library on May 28. Mr.
Newirth stated that this event is always one of the Arts
Commission's best events.
Mr. Newirth reported that there has been a proposal to remove the
fountain at U.N. Plaza which has been sent to the Board of
Supervisors Land Use Committee and will soon be sent to the Full
Board of Supervisors. Because the fountain is a commissioned work
of art, Mr. Newirth added that if this proposal passes, it may
trigger protection rights from the Visual Artists Rights Act and
the California Art Protection Act in addition to Civic Design
Review approval.
Mr. Newirth announced that Natasha Garcia-Lomas, Arts Commission
Gallery Manager, has opened her own gallery called Manolo Garcia
Gallery located in the Lower Haight. The first exhibition features
work by Libby Black who has recreated out of paper the downtown
Louis Vuitton store. Mr. Newirth stated that Ms. Garcia-Lomas
would be happy to give Commissioners a tour of the exhibition.
Mr. Newirth concluded his report by presenting two Public Service
Announcements produced by the Ad Council that credit the San
Francisco Arts Commission. He stated that local stations have
donated time to air these announcements which are part of an
important and timely campaign for art and education.
- CONSENT CALENDAR
RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-098: 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
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-099: Motion to
approve the Community Arts & Education Committee Meeting
April 8, 2003.
Explanatory Document: Draft
Committee Minutes
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-100: Motion to approve the
Civic Design Committee Meeting Minutes of April 21,
2003.
Explanatory Document: Draft
Committee Minutes
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-101: Motion to approve the
Visual Arts Committee Meeting Minutes of April 16, 2003.
Explanatory Document: Draft
Committee Minutes
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-102: Motion to approve the
Street Artists Committee Meeting Minutes of April 9,
2003.
Explanatory Document: Draft
Committee Minutes
Community Arts & Education Committee
Recommendations (04/08/03)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-103: Motion to approve the
Programs in the Community (PIC) grant to the following PIC
grantee organizations, recommended by the PIC review panel,
from the 2003-04 Grants for the Arts Fund, pending written
confirmation from Grants for the Arts:
Central City Hospitality House $15,000
Chinatown Beacon Center $15,000
Eldergivers $15,000
Larkin Street Youth Center $15,000
Richmond District Neighborhood Center $15,000
Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind & Visually
Impaired $8,250
San Francisco Women Against Rape $ 8,661
St. Johns Educational Thresholds Center $16,800
Western Neighborhoods Project $15,120
Youth Outlook! (Pacific News Service) $15,000
TOTAL $138,831
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-104: Motion to approve
payment from Grants for the Arts funds for honoraria and
transportation reimbursement for Programs in the Community
panelists:
Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley (Dana Powell)
$167.06
Amy Taub $125
Sherri Young $125
Charles Wilmoth $134
Miko Lee $143.08
Civic Design Committee Recommendations (04/21/03)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-105: Motion to approve
Helen Wills Park and Clubhouse Renovation Phase 3.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-106: Motion to approve
Octavia Boulevard Improvement Project Phase 3.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-107: Motion to approve
Hayes Green Phase 3 contingent upon deletion of Palm trees
at the center of the park and addition of palm trees at the
northern end of the park.
Street Artists Committee Recommendations (04/09/03)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-108: Motion to approve
rescission of the amendment to Lottery Rule V which
prohibits any Lottery Committee member who has served for
twelve (12) months consecutively from being considered at
the next time of the Committee's selection of members;
rescission of amendment for the duration of one year subject
to the rescission's continuation unless a complaint warrants
a new hearing on the issue.
Visual Arts Committee Recommendations (04/16/03)
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-109: Motion to enter
into contract with Genevieve Baird of Baird/Reif Art
Conservation for maintenance of the Monuments on Market
Street for an amount not to exceed $25,000.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-110: Motion to enter into
contract with Architectural Resources Group for the
restoration of the Portals of the Past monument in Golden
Gate Park for an amount not to exceed $191,000.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-111: Motion to approve the
design of a bronze plaque to mark the Russian Hill Cemetery
to be given by the United Humanitarian Mission with support
from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-112: Motion to approve the
following pool of arts professionals to serve on upcoming
panels for new Public Art Projects commencing in 2003,
including, but not limited to: Ocean Avenue Streetscape
Project, Recreation and Parks 2003 Pre-Qualified Artist
Pool, Hamilton Pool and Rec. Center, SOMA Rec. Center:
Regina Almaguer, Public Art Curator/BART Consultant; Roger
Baird, Chair of the Art Department at City College; Mike
Blockstein, Ex-ED, Southern Exposure/Artist; Don Douglass,
GSA Fine Arts Program; Courtney Fink, ED Southern Exposure;
Donna Graves, Public Art Curator; Leslie Holzman, Public Art
Coordinator, City of Oakland; Steve Huss, Public Art
Program, Alameda County; Mark Johnson, Artist/Faculty, SFSU;
Chris Johnson, California College of Arts & Crafts
(CCAC); Leonard Hunter, Artist/Faculty, SFSU; Clara Kim,
SFMOMA Associate Curator, New Langton Board Member; Marina
McDougal, CCAC; Tara McDowell, Assoc. Curator, SFMOMA; Karen
Moss, SFAI Walter McBean Gallery; Anna Nabokov, SFAI; Rachel
Osajima, Artist/Curator, SF Craft and Folk Art Museum;
Sabina Ott, SFAI Graduate Program Director; Mary Rubin, San
Jose Public Art Program; Joe Sam, Artist; Saudi Sanchez, San
Jose Public Art Program; Donna Schumacher, Artist/Architect;
Moriah Ulinskas, Artist/Artists & Education Program
Director, Southern Exposure; John Weber, SFMOMA; Lewis
Watts, Artist/Faculty UC Berkeley.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-113: Motion to accept the
recommendation of the staff committee to decline the gift of
Peace Angel.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-114: Motion to accept the
recommendation of the staff committee to decline the gift of
a memorial to David Brower titled Spaceship Earth.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-115: Motion to approve
Victor Zaballa's final designs for the Visitacion Valley
Clubhouse.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-116: Motion to accept into
the Civic Art Collection four light sculptures by R.M.
Fischer titled Union Square Colonnade, 1999-2002, aluminum,
stainless steel, granite, commissioned by the San Francisco
Arts Commission for the Union Square Improvement
Project.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-117: Motion to approve the
Selection Panel's recommendation of the proposal by Wang Po
Shu for the Octavia Blvd. public art project.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-118: Motion to authorize
the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with
Wang Po Shu for the design development of his proposal for
the Octavia Blvd. public art project for a total amount not
to exceed $7,500.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-119: Motion to approve the
guidelines for Selection of Artwork for the Recreation and
Park Department Bond Projects.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-120: Motion to approve the
proposed change to the Art Enrichment Guideline.
- Committee Reports
- Civic Design Committee--Stanlee Gatti,
Chair
- Report from Chair of Civic Design Committee
regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.
- Visual Arts Committee -- Ralph Guggenheim, Chair
- Report from Chair of Visual Arts Committee
regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.
- Street Artists Committee - Dugald Stermer, Chair
- Report from Chair of Street Artists Committee
regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-121: Motion to approve
requests by former certificate-holders for priority issuance
of certificate with waiver of re-screening of wares:
Michelle Hanson, Vicky Carp, Gary Lam, James Brady.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-122: Motion to approve
requests by applicants for waiver of 15-day obtaining
certificate: Chris Pendergast and Cindy Louie.
- Executive Committee -- Stanlee Gatti, Chair
- Report from Chair of Executive Committee
regarding activities of the Committee and the Program.
- Community Arts & Education --Denise Roth, Chair
- Report from Chair of Community Arts &
Education Committee regarding activities of the Committee
and the Program.
- RESOLUTION NO. 0505-03-123: Motion to modify the
approval to authorize Director of Cultural Affairs to enter
into contract with Courtney Utt not to exceed $6,500 for the
design of the WritersCorps 2003 anthology project from Youth
Arts Fund (Resolution No. 0414-03-070 ) to not exceed $9,200
from Youth Arts Fund.
- Reports and Announcements
- Public Comment
- Adjournment
There being no further business, the Meeting adjourned at 4:10
p.m.
Approved by Richard Newirth, Director of Cultural affairs
RN/sw/05/05/03