SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
3 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125
San Francisco, CA 94102
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Minutes
 

1. Call to Order, Roll Call, and Agenda Changes

Commissioners Present:
Commission Beltran
Commissioner Ferras
Commissioner Keehn
Commissioner Musleh
Commissioner Schnair
Commissioner Shiota

Commissioners Absent:
Commissioner Sklar

Commissioner Keehn called the meeting to order at 3:10pm.

2. General Public Comment

Richard Rothman commented on the Mother’s Building murals in the San Francisco Zoo. Mr. Rothman suggested that Commissioners invite Recreation and Parks, who owns the building, and the Zoological Society, who is responsible for the leasing of the building, to a Visual Arts Committee meeting to discuss their future plans for the building or ask Arts Commission staff talk with Rec and Park and the Mayor’s office to get the public interested in the murals.

The Mother’s Building was designed by architect George W. Kelham who worked on other prominent buildings, such as the San Francisco Public Library (now the Asian Art Museum) and the Federal Reserve Bank. The building is noted for its artwork, which includes egg tempera murals by Helen K. Forbes and Dorothy W. Pucinelli. These are the largest egg tempera murals in the West. The murals were installed between the years of 1933-1938 and are some of the best examples of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) art in San Francisco.

3. Consent Calendar

1. Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0603-19-167, which authorized the temporary installation of Gateway Tower by artist Sean Orlando, a privately funded sculpture 30 ft. high by 8 ft. wide, the design of which is inspired by the ornamentation of doors in Victorian architecture using a form evocative of Coit Tower, to be placed in Embarcadero Plaza from July 22, 2019 through October 17, 2019, pending approval of the interior murals by the Visual Arts Committee, and pending approval from the Recreation and Park Commission.
2. Motion to approve the following arts professionals for the San Francisco Arts Commission selection panels for the 2020 Fiscal Year:

Theresa Harlan, artist and independent curator
Linde Lehtinen, Assistant Curator of Photography, SFMOMA
Constance Wolf, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Fort Mason Center for the Arts and Culture

3. Motion to approve Frederick Hayes, recipient of the fifth highest score from the Artist Selection Panel, as a finalist for the Southeast Community Facility Plaza Sculpture Project.
4. Motion to approve the Construction Document Phase deliverables (Structural and Electrical Engineering Drawings) by Jorge Pardo for his artwork at the Van Ness BRT Geary Street station.
5. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the contract with White Light Inc. for an artwork at Central Subway Union Square Market Street Station from $435,623 to $448,623 (an increase of $13,000) to allow for additional engineering services required of the project.
6. Motion to approve Faith, Hope and Charity, a mural design by artist Sylvester Guard Jr. The mural will be installed at the Seneca Hotel, which is located on 34 6^th St. at Stevenson St. The painted mural will measure approximately 10 ft. by 24 ft. The project is funded by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The painted mural will not become part of the Civic Art Collection.

Motion: Motion to approve consent calendar items.
Moved: Beltran/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved

4. SFAC Galleries Café Exhibition—Keith Secola
Meg Shiffler

SFAC Galleries Director Meg Shiffler presented the next SFAC Galleries exhibition at Café Valor by the artist Keith Secola, which will be on view from October 4 until December 14, 2019. Keith Secola (Ute Indian Tribe/ Bois Forte Chippewa) is an emerging Bay Area artist. He received his MFA from the California Collee of the Arts in 2018 and recently finished a residency at Kala Art Institute. The work that will be shown in the café involves the reinsertion of the American Indian image through screen-printed portraits on top of collaged and deconstructed book covers of American history. This exhibition is being presented in conjunction with the SFAC Main Gallery exhibition, The Continuous Thread.

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

Motion: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve an artist honorarium in the amount of $600 to Keith Secola for his participation in the next SFAC Galleries exhibition at Café Valor (October 4–December 14, 2019).
Moved: Beltran/Shiota
The motion was unanimously approved

5. Margaret Hayward Playground
Zoë Taleporos

Project Manager Zoë Taleporos explained a new approach for an artwork at Margaret Hayward Playground. The previous approach was a partnership between the artist Emory Douglas and artist Caleb Duarte, which has since been dissolved. Mr. Douglas asked if the Arts Commission can enter into an agreement with African American Art and Culture Complex (AAACC), who will act as his representative in the sale of his final design cartoon. The AAACC will also handle the community engagement aspect of the project.

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

Motion: Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0108-18-032 authorizing the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with artists Emory Douglas and Caleb Duarte for an amount not to exceed $33,200 for design, fabrication, transportation and installation consultation of an artwork at Margaret Hayward Playground.

Motion: Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0805-19-228 authorizing the Director of Cultural Affairs to decrease Caleb Duarte’s contract for an artwork at Margaret Hayward Playground from $33,200 to $17,000 (a reduction of $16,200) to decrease the scope of work to design only. Fabrication, transportation and installation of the artwork will be managed by the Arts Commission through contracts with preapproved fine arts services providers.

Motion: Motion to authorize the purchase of a design cartoon by Emory Douglas for an artwork at Margaret Hayward Playground in the amount of $20,000 from the African American Art and Culture Complex. 
Moved: Beltran/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved

6. 49 South Van Ness Avenue
Zoë Taleporos

Ms. Taleporos presented the 49 South Van Ness Avenue Video Art Project Outline. The Video Art Project will consist of a library of approximately 10 video artworks that rotate on a LED screen measuring approximately 25’ x 8’. The videos will be will be either existing or newly commissioned work. Given the specific aspect ratio of two screens, each at (16:9), the content will most likely consist of new commissions. Videos will be non-narrative and without sound. The Video Art Project will share screen space with content from the various City Departments occupying the building.

The Commissioners had some concerns with the maximum length of each video and the frequency the video art pieces will be displayed. Ms. Taleporos stated that she will come back to the Committee with new parameters of the project after she had a chance to speak with the stakeholder departments at 49 South Van Ness on the specifics of the video programming.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the 49 South Van Ness Avenue Video Art Project Outline.  
Moved: Shiota/Beltran
The motion was unanimously approved

7. San Francisco International Airport

A. Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Underpass Lighting 
Susan Pontious

Director of Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Susan Pontious presented selected artist Andrea Bowers and proposal We’ve Got to Give them Hope for the San Francisco International Airport: Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Underpass Lighting project. Ms. Bowers’s design concept was inspired by the neon elements and graphic aesthetics of the Castro Theatre marquee. The work has a fun, joyous, and celebratory spirit that the panel thought complimented the life and legacy of Harvey Milk.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the selected artist Andrea Bowers for the proposal We’ve Got to Give them Hope for the San Francisco International Airport: Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Underpass Lighting public art opportunity, as recommended by the artist selection panel.

Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with the selected artist Andrea Bowers for an amount not to exceed $1,100,000 for the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation of an artwork for the San Francisco International Airport: Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Underpass Lighting public art opportunity.
Moved: Beltran/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved

B. Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Boarding B
Jennifer Doyle Crane

Project Manager Jennifer Doyle Crane presented artwork images of the Final Design Cartoon for Hyper-Natural Bay Area, 2019 by Robert Minervini and the Final Design Cartoon for The Author & Her Story, 2019 by Jason Jägel and explanation of purchase costs.

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

Motion:  Motion to approve the purchase of the Final Design Cartoon for Hyper-Natural Bay Area, 2019 by Robert Minervini (the mosaic commissioned for San Francisco International Airport, Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Boarding Area B) for $18,000. The cartoon is oil on canvas, measures 54 in. by 186 in. and is dated 2018.

Motion: Motion to approve the purchase of the Final Design Cartoon for The Author & Her Story, 2019 by Jason Jägel (the mosaic commissioned for San Francisco International Airport, Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Boarding Area B) for $18,000. The cartoon is oil on canvas, measures 75.2 in. by 184.4 in. and is dated 2018.
Moved: Beltran/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved

8. Ambulance Deployment Facility
Jennifer Doyle Crane

Ms. Crane presented the Design Development phase deliverables by Michael Bartalos for the Ambulance Deployment Facility Project. Serving the City is a sculptural artwork that embellishes the entry/exit gates and fencing of the new Ambulance Deployment Facility. The artwork will be comprised of overlapping stainless steel and painted steel layers, with cutouts or iconography that references emblems, insignia, and badges associated with emergency medical response procedures.

Since the last review by the Committee, the projects has had a couple changes. The fence height has been raised from 8 ft. to 10 ft. Some symbolic heraldry has changed, notably the phoenix is more of a direct reference to the phoenix on the San Francisco Fire Department’s flag. There has also been the added imagery, such as Coit Tower, a Chinese Dragon, a California grizzly bear, a Tule elk, and California poppies.

The San Francisco Fire Department has also reviewed and approved of the final design presented.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the Design Development phase deliverables by Michael Bartalos for the Ambulance Deployment Facility Project.
Moved: Beltran/Shiota
The motion was unanimously approved

9. Sculpture Honoring Dr. Maya Angelou at the San Francisco Main Library
Jackie von Treskow

Project Manager Jackie von Treskow presented the selected artist Lava Thomas’ proposal, titled Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman and the alternate artist Jules Arthur’s proposal, titled The Gift of Literature.

Lava Thomas’s proposal Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman began with research, immersing herself in Dr. Angelou’s works, interviews, and performances, and reading works by other black women writers and scholars to provide a broader context in which to think about her life and work. She looked at selected artworks in Dr. Angelou’s art collection, and was particularly drawn to the portraits by Elizabeth Catlett. Ms. Thomas conducted online research to see what images of Dr. Angelou predominate. Over the course of her research process, it became clear to the artist that she did not want to use an image of Dr. Angelou that was already familiar.

By including an original representation of Dr. Angelou that doesn’t already exist in the public consciousness, Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman claims a new visual territory, allowing for Dr. Angelou to be seen and experienced in a contemporary and fresh way, and embodying her courage, beauty, and fierce self-possession. A new icon, whose formal and conceptual choices are driven by Dr. Angelou’s own words--how she defined herself, her values, and the overarching philosophy of her life and work.

Fabricated in bronze and measuring a total height of 9 feet tall, the monument is in the form of a standing book. Ms. Thomas’s choice to use bronze was inspired by the Benin Bronzes of West Africa, as well as by Elizabeth Catlett’s memorial to Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, a bronze monolith that stands in Harlem.

A portrait of Dr. Angelou, translated from the artist’s original drawing in bas-relief, appears on the book’s cover, with her name in bold letters on its spine. The monument’s book form - a symbolic repository of her life and works - conceptually and physically ties the monument to its site, while the scale emphasizes the vital importance of the library and reading throughout the course of Dr. Angelou’s life. The monument’s clean lines, devoid of embellishment, are in harmony with the surrounding built environment, and reflect Dr. Angelou’s quote, “the epitome of sophistication is utter simplicity.”

Ms. Thomas’s portrait of Dr. Angelou is based on stills from her 1973 interview with Bill Moyers. Untethered to a specific geography or era, her portrait is timeless and universal. Making evident the artist’s hand, this is generative portrait that captures the complexity of her life and personality with a nuanced expression than can be interpreted differently by each person who encounters it, transcending the decade from which it is based, and projecting a timeless presence into the future.

The quote on the back of the monument further reinforces the importance of the library, and illustrates how reading and information cultivates empathy and understanding - necessary qualities to counter ignorance and intolerance.

The panel took into consideration not only the aesthetic quality of Ms. Thomas’s proposal, but also its appropriateness for the site and project goals, the feasibility of her budget, and the maintainability and durability of the artwork’s design and materials, and the public comments made on all finalist proposals. The panelists also stated that Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman is open to interpretation and would inspire inquiry and conversation. That the work is “quietly radical” and powerful in its simplicity; and that the artist’s portrait of Dr. Angelou not only reveals the hand of the artist, but allows one to see the internal life of a complex human—that it acknowledges and reveals the “multitude within.”

Jules Arthur’s proposal The Gift of Literature represents metamorphosis and transformation. The monument measuring 8’ high by 8.75” wide and is designed in 3 parts: Two larger than life size bronze statues and a radial curved granite stone wall with an engraved quote by Dr. Angelou.

The first figure depicts Dr. Angelou in her golden years siting refined and reflective as she gazes upon her yesteryears as a seven-year old girl poised for the world. In mid-stroke of the typewriter’s keys she looks up in memory and reflects upon her humble beginnings when she was a seven-year old girl, the juxtaposition of the figures speaking to the duality of beginning and end, and the life-giving power of literature.

The second figure depicts a young Dr. Angelou, Marguerite Ann Johnson, embracing a book, and standing on tippy toe as though in flight, evoking a feeling of escapism, freedom and literary wonderment. Mr. Arthur wanted also to honor Dr. Angelou’s passion for dance by capturing a gestural movement in the statue. The figure of this young Dr. Angelou stands upon a birdcage that represents her most famous work I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). The caged bird sits upon a short stack of books, which is comprised of Dr. Angelou’s volume of poetry And Still I Rise and books by authors who greatly influenced her: Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Lewis Carol and her friend James Baldwin grace the spines of the books.

The two bronze figures site opposing ends upon a white stone wall onto which the following quote is engraved: “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”

Commissioner Beltran stated that the artist selection panel had comments and revision suggestions for each proposal. For Ms. Thomas’s design, the panel thought it would be more successful if the book was thicker than in the original concept, and that it have more book-like features, such as a bent corner.

For Mr. Arthur’s design, the panel thought that both figures would need to be revised. Guy Johnson, Maya Angelou’s son, confirmed during the panel meeting, that Dr. Angelou wrote on a legal pad, not on a typewriter. The seated figure would need change in order to conform to historical accuracy. The panel also agreed that the child figure would have to be altered into a more modest pose. The panel noted that all the books underneath the birdcage are inscribed with male author names and that the design should include female authors. Additionally, the granite base that the figures are resting on is reminiscent to a tombstone and Mr. Arthur did not consider what to do with the back of the sculpture.

The Committee considered next steps and determined that each proposal required revisions to the design concepts prior to recommending a proposal to the full Arts Commission. Chair Dorka Keehn tabled the motion and instructed staff to revisit the design proposals with each artist for future consideration by the Visual Arts Committee.

10. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:24pm

CC 8/28/19 11:26pm
approved 9/19/19

Notices

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost.

For assistance, please notify Craig Corpora, craig.corpora@sfgov.org, 415-252-2249.

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如需協助，Craig Corpora, craig.corpora@sfgov.org, 415-252-2249.

​Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Craig Corpora, craig.corpora@sfgov.org, 415-252-2249.