August 15, 2012

The meeting commenced at 3:07 p.m.

1. Roll Call

Commissioners Present:
JD Beltran
Greg Chew
Dorka Keehn
Jessica Silverman

Commissioners Absent:
Barbara Sklar, Chair

2. Consent Calendar
Action

1. Motion to approve the painted mural entitled Play in 14 Languages by Renee Mckenna for the exterior west wall of the South Sunset Clubhouse at Vincente Street and 40th Avenue. The mural is sponsored by Art in Every Classroom, Inc. and supported by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

2. Motion to approve, at the request of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks, the destruction of Johanna Poethig’s Flying Dogs, located at Father Alfred Boeddeker Recreation Center Clubhouse 295 Eddy Street, following the expiration of a 90 day notice period in which the artist or a party authorized by the artist is given opportunity to remove and relocate the artwork.

3. Motion to approve the final designs for [Title to be determined] poster series by artist Julie Chang for the Art on Market Street Program 2012/2013, which includes a total of 36 posters installed in 18 bus shelters on Market Street between Embarcadero and 8th streets from October 8, 2012 to January 4, 2013.

4. Motion to approve the proposed light “honey color” patina as shown in the material sample presented at the August 15, 2012 Visual Arts Committee meeting for the Chairs project by Primitivo Suarez-Wolfe for the Church and Duboce streetscape.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve Consent Calendar items.
Moved: Silverman/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

The following Item was moved from Item 4 to Item 3.

3. Bayview Branch Library History Panels
Allison Cummings and Kacey Jurgens, Principal of THA Architecture Inc.
Action

Senior Registrar Allison Cummings introduced Kacey Jurgens, Principal of THA Architecture Inc., to present the final design proposal for large-scale glass History Panels to be installed on the exterior façade of the Bayview Branch Library. Ms. Jurgens gave a brief overview of the project, stating that the architecture for the new library was developed largely in response to community input. She explained that the architecture strives to convey a sense of openness while providing a safe environment, particularly for children. Ms. Jurgens stated that the façade includes expanses of windows that will be etched with imagery relating to the history of the Bayview neighborhood. She added that these images were also developed with community involvement. Ms. Jurgens noted that these designs were presented to the Visual Arts Committee (“VAC”) during the Conceptual Design Development phase. At that time, the Commissioners requested certain elements of scale be revised and that the final color of the etching be presented. She provided a mock-up that illustrated how the tone of the images would look etched into glass, and showed images of the designs with the requested revisions.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve the final design proposal for the glass History Panels to be installed on the exterior façade of the Bayview Branch Library.
Moved: Chew/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

4. Civic Art Collection
Allison Cummings
Action

Ms. Cummings reported that Jackson Liles Architecture and Fletcher Studio will landscape the area around the sculpture Peace by Beniamino Bufano at 800 Brotherhood Way. This work is being performed as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Olympic View Realty, LLC and the San Francisco Arts Commission (“SFAC”) that was developed to provide for protection of the sculpture during a major construction project planned for the area directly behind the sculpture’s current location. The sculpture will be completely deinstalled while construction takes place and reinstalled within the same general location after improvements to the site. She introduced David Fletcher of Fletcher Studio to present the landscape design. Mr. Fletcher explained that currently the sculpture is listing which will be corrected when it is reinstalled in the new landscape. He stated that the MOU specifically asks that the landscaping accomplish three things: a plaza environment; lighting; and an Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) compliant pathway. Mr. Fletcher said that the landscape design includes a sloped pathway lined with pine trees and stone benches that create a reveal to the sculpture. He noted that in addition to the pine trees, the area will be planted with California native plants that will complement the materials of the Peace monument. Ms. Cummings said that SFAC staff is supportive of this landscape design as it corrects the listing of the sculpture and provides more visual access. She added that the design will be reviewed by Civic Design staff and presented to Commissioner Stryker for feedback.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve the new location and landscape design surrounding Beniamino Bufano’s Peace, 1939 (Accession # 1956.3) at 800 Brotherhood Way.
Moved: Silverman/Beltran
The motion was unanimously approved

5. SFAC Gallery
Meg Shiffler
Action

Gallery Director Meg Shiffler requested an approval to amend Resolution No. 0604-12-166 to increase the honorarium amount by $800 each to the following artists: Randy Colosky, Val Britton and Rachel Mica Weiss. She stated that the Gallery had previously paid $1,200 in honorarium fees to artists, and recently this amount was increased to $2,000.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to amend Resolution No. 0604-12-166 due to a clerical error to include an increase in the honorarium amount of $1,200 each to artists Randy Colosky, Val Britton and Rachel Mica Weiss to $2,000 to each artist. This reflects an $800 increase in each honorarium with a total increase of $2,400.
Moved: Chew/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

6. ArtIMPACT Third Street Kiosk Poster Series
Tyra Fennell
Action

Arts in Education Program Manager Tyra Fennell presented the concept of the ArtIMPACT 3rd Street Kiosk Poster Series that was developed for National Arts in Education Week. She explained that each of the posters features a local arts leader highlighting the importance of art education. Among those featured on the posters are Margaret Cho, Alonzo King, Martin Luther McCoy, Rhodessa Jones, and Sean Dorsey. These posters will be displayed in 15 bus shelter kiosks along the 3rd Street/T-Line from September 13 to December 31, 2012. Ms. Fennell introduced Marissa Mossberg who presented the design elements of the posters. Both Commissioners Beltran and Keehn suggested that the text on all the posters be incorporated into negative space. The motion was revised to include this change.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

The following motion was revised.

Motion: Motion to approve designs developed by Marissa Mossberg for the ArtIMPACT 3rd Street Kiosk Poster Series to support National Arts in Education Week based on reformatting the text into the negative space. Exhibition will be displayed in 15 shelter kiosks from the 3rd Street/T-Line (Embarcadero) to and including the Carroll Street stations from September 13 to December 31, 2012.
Moved: Beltran/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

7. Central Subway Selection Panels
Jennifer Lovvorn
Action

Senior Project Manager Jennifer Lovvorn requested the approval of additional arts professionals as potential panelists for the Central Subway Public Art Projects Selection Panels. This is to accommodate the number of panels.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve the following additional arts professionals as potential panelists for the Central Subway Public Art Projects Selection Panels: Joseph Becker, Assistant Curator of Architecture and Design, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Timothy Anglin Burgard, Ednah Root Curator of American Art, de Young Museum; Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Acting Head of Architecture and Design, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Kendal Henry, Faculty at School of the Visual Arts (New York City) and former Manager of Arts Programs at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Arts for Transit; Constance Lewallen, adjunct curator at University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; Marc Pally, Artistic Director, Glow (Los Angeles) and independent curator; Karen Tsujimoto, former Senior Curator of Art, Oakland Museum; Connie Wolf, Director, Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford.
Moved: Beltran/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

The following Item was moved from Item 11 to Item 8

8. SFO Terminal 3 - Boarding Area E
Mary Chou
Action

Ms. Chou presented the revised artwork locations and conceptual designs for Amy Ellingson’s artwork for San Francisco International Airport’s (“SFO”) Boarding Area E in Terminal 3. Ms. Chou explained that the artist was originally asked to produce two artworks for the North and South walls of the corridor leading to Boarding Area E. However, as the SFO Museum plans to use the North wall for rotating photography exhibits, Ms. Chou explained that the artist will now only use the South wall to translate her designs into an approximately 10 foot tall by 117 foot long tile mosaic. She also presented an additional possible location for art in the meet-and-greet area adjacent to the South wall, but explained that the design of the area was still in flux and plans for an artwork in that location would be put on hold until the design is more resolved. Ms. Chou showed two conceptual design approaches by Ms. Ellingson: option one with a more graphic style and higher contrast; and option two with less contrast and a more subdued pattern. She stated that SFO staff preferred option two. She added that the selected design would be further developed by the artist and presented to the VAC at a later date along with a full scale mock-up. The Commissioners selected option two and suggested that the artist bring in darker shades to increase the contrast.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Pending approval by the Airport Art Steering Committee, motion to approve revised artwork locations and conceptual design approach for Amy Ellingson’s artwork for San Francisco International Airport’s Boarding Area E in Terminal 3 and use option two as the basis for conceptual design.
Moved: Chew/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

9. Bayview Branch Library
Mary Chou
Action

Project Manager Mary Chou presented the mock-up of the exterior artwork piece at the new Bayview Branch Library by artist Ron Saunders. Ms. Chou explained that the artist’s designs had been translated into porcelain enamel. She noted that the design for this artwork had previously been approved by the VAC.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve mock-up of exterior artwork piece by artist Ron Saunders for the new Bayview Branch Library.
Moved: Silverman/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

10. Daggett Park
Marcus Davies
Action

Project Manager Marcus Davies reported that the final selection panel for the public artwork at Daggett Park was held on July 24, 2012. He said that the panel reviewed proposals by the finalists Michael Arcega, Adriane Colburn, and Charles Sowers. The selection panel chose the proposal by Ms. Colburn for recommendation to the VAC. Mr. Davies explained that Ms. Colburn’s proposal consists of three bear sculptures made out of water jet cut steel set on top of repurposed concrete from the yard of the Department of Public Works (“DPW”). He reported that the selection panel responded well to the sculpture’s shadow casting aspect which added dimensionality. They thought it was a great entryway to the park and felt it would act as a gathering place. And since repurposed concrete was being utilized by a nearby public space, the selection panel suggested that Ms. Colburn include some artistic embellishment. Mr. Davies added that the panel also wanted to see the three bear sculptures oriented so that a variety of angles and vantage points could be experienced. He noted that these comments were shared with the artist who will address them as she moves into the Design Development phase.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve artist Adriane Colburn for the design, fabrication, transportation and installation of an artwork for Daggett Park, as recommended by the Daggett Park Artist Selection Panel.
Moved: Beltran/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Adriane Colburn for the design, fabrication, transportation and installation of an artwork for Daggett Park in an amount not to exceed $192,780.
Moved: Beltran/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

The following Item moved from Item 13 to Item 11

11. Coit Tower Fundraiser
Kate Patterson and Representatives from Electric Works
Action

Public Relations Manager Kate Patterson explained that the SFAC was approached by Electric Works about doing a fundraising project for Coit Tower involving the sale of limited edition prints of select portions of the murals. She introduced Richard Lang of Electric Works who said he had implemented a similar fundraising project to preserve another WPA mural in Marin that was successful. Ms. Patterson reported that sections of the Coit Tower murals would be photographed, made into a limited edition print series, and Electric Works would donate 40% of the profits after they had recouped their photography and printing costs. Ms. Patterson said that the second floor murals would be highlighted as they are less publicly accessible. She added that if the fundraiser was successful, it could continue to be a model to help restore other Civic Art Collection artworks in need.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

Motion: Motion to approve Memorandum of Understanding between the San Francisco Arts Commission and Electric Works on the sale of limited edition prints featuring the Coit Tower murals as a fundraiser for ArtCare.
Moved: Beltran/Silverman
The motion was unanimously approved

12. Port of San Francisco - New Projects
Susan Pontious
Discussion

Ms. Chou and Ms. Pontious presented the new public art project opportunities in connection to the Port of San Francisco’s Blue Greenway project. Ms. Chou explained that the Port is developing the South East, mile-long corridor of the waterfront, and two sites are marked for public artworks. The first is an opportunity for a large scale gateway sculpture located at the intersection of 3rd Street and Cargo Way. The budget for this project is $265,000, and Ms. Pontious noted that she hoped to identify additional funds. Ms. Chou explained that the second public art opportunity is for a sculpture at Heron’s Head Park with a budget of $123,500. Commissioner Beltran suggested that staff conduct outreach to artists that live in the neighborhood. Ms. Pontious said that she may hire a curator to help with outreach. She added that these projects present an exciting opportunity to increase the public artworks in the neighborhood.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

13. Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station – Platform Artwork by Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz
Jennifer Lovvorn
Discussion

Ms. Lovvorn gave an update on the platform artwork by Jim Campbell and Werner Klotz for the Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station. She reminded the Commissioners that the artist team had been selected on the basis of a proposal that featured a sculptural ribbon of highly polished stainless steel disks installed from the platform level through the escalator areas and up through the concourse level. Because another artist was selected to create an artwork at the concourse level and due to changes to the station architecture, the Campbell/Klotz artwork was truncated to only be at the platform level. She stated that the VAC had previously approved this truncation.

Ms. Lovvorn explained that the artists are currently in the design development phase and have been working with an engineer on the support structure and attachment system for the artwork. Due to the significant visual impact of the structural engineering, Ms. Lovvorn stated that she is presenting the current design to the Commissioners for feedback. Ms. Lovvorn presented renderings of the sculpture, which includes a structural spine and ribs to which the stainless steel disks are attached. She also presented photographs of the mock up showing the arrangement of the disks to possibly feature dancing figures, as well as samples of the reflective disks.

Commissioner Chew commented that the support structure looks heavy and dense.

Commissioner Keehn commented that the structure dominates the artwork and asked why so much support was needed for the sculpture. Ms. Lovvorn said that the artwork needs to be engineered to resist moving due to wind from passing trains.

Commissioner Beltran suggested the artists could experiment with varying the size of the disks. She also felt that overall the disks could be bigger to have a greater impact and to make more of a reflective surface.

Commissioner Keehn suggested exploring a mesh of cable as an alternative to the support spine. Ms. Cummings replied that cabling had been discussed early in the proposal stage and ruled out due to seismic and maintenance concerns.

Commissioner Beltran suggested that the artists make the support structure less visible by possibly painting the spine a dark color. She reiterated that the artists should rethink the scale of the disks and find ways to make the form less rigid. She then asked the SFAC staff’s opinion about maintenance of the artwork. Ms. Pontious stated that staff had some concerns about whether the surfaces of the metal disks would remain clean enough to continue to be reflective over the years. She noted that the artists are exploring a coating that may make cleaning easier. She said a test model with this coating will be installed in the Powell Station to assess how well it resists grime. She added that the sculptural form needs to be interesting enough on its own to be successful even if the disks lose their reflectivity due to dirt and soot accumulation.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

14. Public Comment
Discussion

(This item is to allow members of the public to comment generally on matters within the Visual Arts Committee’s purview as well as to suggest new agenda items for the Visual Arts Committee’s consideration at a future meeting.)

There was no public comment.

15. New Business and Announcements
Discussion

(This item is to allow the Commissioners and Arts Commission staff to introduce new agenda items for consideration at a future meeting, to report on recent arts activities and to make announcements.)

Ms. Pontious reported that she attended a Historic Preservation Commission meeting who passed a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Memorial Court public art project.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment. There was no public comment.

16. Adjournment
Action

The meeting adjourned at 4:48 p.m.

ZT 8/29/12

JDC 11/06/12 - adopted minutes posted