SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
3 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125
San Francisco, CA 94102
________________________________________
Minutes

1. Call to Order, Roll Call and Agenda Changes

Commissioners Present:
Dorka Keehn, Chair
Suzanne Ferras
Nabiel Musleh
Abby Sadin Schnair
Janine Shiota
Barbara Sklar

Commissioners Absent:
JD Beltran

Commissioner Keehn called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.

Commissioner Keehn announced that Item #6D ITB Phase 1—Alicia McCarthy and Item #10 Guy Place Park would be tabled.

2. General Public Comment

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

3. Consent Calendar

Commissioner Keehn announced that she would need to recuse herself from consideration of the Consent Calendar item regarding the approval of a mural funded by AvalonBay, as AvalonBay is her client. Commissioner Keehn called for a vote on the remainder of the Consent Calendar. There was no public comment, and the remainder of the Consent Calendar was approved unanimously as follows.
 

1. Motion to approve Ingleside Gateway, a sculptural gateway by artist Eric Powell. The sculptural gateway will be installed at Ingleside Library, which is located on 1298 Ocean Ave. The gateway structure will measure approximately 11 ft. by 28.5 ft. The project is funded by grants from the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development. The sculptural gateway will not become part of the Civic Art Collection.
    
2. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into an agreement with Devco Engineering, Inc. for $8,170 for engineering services related to the installation of a sculpture by THEVERYMANY in the Consolidated Administrative Campus at San Francisco International Airport.
    
3. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the as-needed fine art services agreement (Contract No. 100012706) with Atthowe Fine Art Services from an amount not to exceed $500,000 to an amount not to exceed $749,000 (an increase of $249,000).
    
4. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the as-needed fine art services agreement (Contract No. 100012707) with Atthowe Fine Art Services from an amount not to exceed $500,000 to an amount not to exceed $749,000 (an increase of $249,000).
    
5. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the as-needed fine art services agreement (Contract No. 100012708) with Atthowe Fine Art Services from an amount not to exceed $500,000 to an amount not to exceed $749,000 (an increase of $249,000). 
    
6. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase the agreement with Amanda Hughen and Jennifer Starkweather from an amount not to exceed $60,000 to an amount not to exceed $82,000 to include additional work necessitated by changes to general contractor’s art glass fabricator for an artwork at the Union Square Central Subway Station.
    
7. Motion to approve the Final Design Phase Deliverables (Construction Documents and final materials) by Dana Hemenway for an artwork at San Francisco International Airport Terminal 1.
    
8. Motion to rescind Resolution No. 0909-19-258 authorizing 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.
    
9. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with the selected artist Andrea Bowers (DBA Radical Patience Inc.) 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.

Commissioner Keehn left the room at 3:06 p.m. and Commissioner Schnair called for a vote on the following motion. There was no public comment, and the motion was approved unanimously as follows, with the recusal of Commissioner Keehn.
 

10. Motion to approve the design of Sailing Sunrise Sunset, a mural by artist Antoine Marnata. The mural will be installed on two columns holding up the 20th Street ramp at Indiana Street, in the new dog park adjacent to the new development Avalon Dogpatch at 800 Indiana Street. The mural will be on Caltrans property and the Department of Public Works will be the formal sponsor from the City and County of San Francisco. AvalonBay is funding the mural and will be responsible for maintenance. The mural will not become part of the Civic Art Collection.

Commissioner Keenn returned to the room at 3:07 p.m.

4. Sculpture Honoring Dr. Maya Angelou at the San Francisco Main Library
Commissioner Keehn

Commissioner Keehn announced the discussion of the Sculpture Honoring Dr. Maya Angelou project at the San Francisco Main Library and introduced District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani.

Supervisor Stefani discussed the ordinance affirming San Francisco’s Commitment to 30% Female Representation in the Public Realm by the year 2020, stating that the legislative intent was for a significant figurative representation of Maya Angelou. She said that the artwork is to honor women in the same way that men have been historically elevated. Supervisor Stefani recommended that the path forward should be to issue a new Request For Qualifications (RFQ) for the project that adheres to her legislative intent.

Commissioner Keehn stated that the Arts Commission’s artist selection panel results are advisory in nature and that the project sponsors can choose to not accept the recommendation of the panel, the Committee, or the Full Commission.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment.

Public Comment:

Edward Sewell read a letter written by Guy Johnson, Maya Angelou’s son, who asked that the letter be submitted into the public record:

“My name is Guy Johnson. I am Dr. Maya Angelou’s son. I am writing to clarify my position in this process. I was involved in the selection process for the artist who would develop the memorial to my mother that would be located outside San Francisco’s Main Library. I was actually invited to participate after the initial screening process had whittled the potential pool of candidates down to ten finalists.

“Although I am not a visual artist and have no specific training in the field, it was my personal assessment after reviewing samples of the artist work presented that all ten finalist were professional level artists who were capable of producing a creative, representational memorial.

“After several meetings, the Selection Panel chose Ms. Lava Thomas. I freely admit, Ms. Thomas was not my first choice, but she was selected by a democratic process and I was fine with that. I knew that she was quite capable of producing a work that would honor my mother. While I may have wanted a different artist, I know my mother would be happy to know that a local artist who is a woman of color had been selected to develop her monument. I left the meeting grateful that a memorial artwork to honor my mother was in process. I later learned that Ms. Thomas’ selection was not confirmed.

“It is important for me to state that I support the Democratic Process; that does not mean that one gets one’s way, or gets one’s specific choice. Rather, that means that one has access and input into the decision making process. Ms. Thomas was selected by such a process, ergo she has my approval. If the actual decision makers behind this process had a different criteria for determining the successful candidate, that criteria should have been clearly stated in the Request for Proposals.

“I realize that considerable time and effort was invested in this process, and that a number of different people have been involved at various stages to bring this project to fruition. I am grateful to all those who were willing to give of their time to produce a monument to my mother. I can only hope that this process will move forward with greater clarity.”

Mr. Sewell asked that the Committee be more specific about the next steps and thought that reopening the call might have the effect of discouraging artists to participate in the application and selection process at the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Commissioner Keehn clarified that the term “figurative” means representing forms that are recognizable and derived from life, which is different from a statue.

Mildred Howard stated that it is very discouraging to artists to work very hard on a proposal, be selected, only to have that taken away. Ms. Howard was extremely disappointed that Lava Thomas’s selected proposal was being rejected by the project sponsors.

Indira Allegra said that Lava Thomas was selected fairly through a public process, for a public work, with the same parameters given to all applicants. Ms. Allegra was disappointed that the time and expertise of Ms. Thomas and the selection panel was not valued and the professionalism of both Ms. Thomas and the selection panel was not reciprocated.

Lava Thomas explained that in the ordinance, the word “statue” is crossedout and “artwork” is replaced. Ms. Thomas said that it is unbelievable that her proposal was being rejected because the project sponsors would like a conservative statue in the manner of European figurative traditional monuments that Confederate and Colonial monuments are based on. She has felt disregarded and disrespected during this process.

Kija Lucas stated that the Supervisor and the project sponsors could have looked at the proposals beforehand and stated their position on the legislative intent prior to an artist selection.

Angela Hennessey explained that the selection panel, on which she served, spent a lot of time deliberating the merits of each proposal and was disheartened that the panel never had an opportunity to explain their selection of Ms. Thomas’s proposal to the project sponsor. Ms. Hennessy said that Ms. Thomas’s proposal was quietly radical and poetically subversive, that it challenged conventions of traditional monuments and that the work being situated within the context of the library was an opportunity to educate the public.

Nick Stone argued that it was disingenuous for both first- and second-place proposals to be presented simultaneously during the August 21, 2019 Visual Arts Committee meeting.

There was no further public comment.

Commissioner Keehn thanked all the speakers, the staff, and selection panel members. She stated that there is precedent for a client department wanting to reopen an application process after a selection has been made, and she reiterated that artist selection panel results are advisory in nature.

Commissioner Schnair stated that when the project came to the full Commission meeting, it was discussed that the artwork would not be just another sculpture or bust. The Commission felt that an artwork honoring Maya Angelou should be more expressive, rather than a simple likeness. Commissioner Schnair expressed her disappointment at having to reopen the call for artists.

Commissioner Shiota hoped for additional dialogue between the project sponsor and Ms. Thomas.

Public Comment:

Marina Bianchi wondered if the decision to reopen an application after a selection has been made sets a precedent that compromises the democratic process of the selection panel.

Commissioner Keehn confirmed that the Arts Commission will reopen the application process for the Sculpture Honoring Dr. Maya Angelou at the San Francisco Main Library, and will more clearly articulate the intention of the project sponsor.

5. SFAC Galleries

A. 2020 Award Exhibition Celebrating Juana Alicia
Jackie Im

Associate Curator Jackie Im presented a brief biographical overview and past works of artist Juana Alicia. Ms. Alicia is a muralist, printmaker, educator, activist, and painter, and has been teaching for over thirty years, working in many areas of education. She is currently full-time faculty at Berkeley City College, where she directs a public art program called True Colors.

Ms. Alicia works in many forms and traditions, with a particular devotion to fresco buono, a painting technique that is practiced all over the world and has been for many centuries. She has painted murals all over the world including in Nicaragua, Mexico, and throughout the Bay Area.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve an artist honorarium in the amount of $9,900 to Juana Alicia for the research and development of artwork for the SFAC Galleries exhibition, Juana Alicia: The Golden Capricorn Award (July 10–September 12, 2020).
Moved: Schnair/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved.

B. Bed of Trouble Exhibition
Jackie Im

Ms. Im presented the artists who will be included in the SFAC Main Gallery exhibition Bed of Trouble, which will explore ideas around care and kinship. The show will feature newly commissioned works by Josh Faught, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Lauren McKeon, Bri Williams, and Carmen Winant and Mierle Laderman Ukeles. Additionally, Ms. Im is working with the Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation on the loan of an artwork for the exhibition.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion for the Director of Cultural Affairs to approve the artist honoraria to the following individuals: Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo $2,600, Josh Faught $2,700, Lauren McKeon $2,300, and Bri Williams $2,000, for the development of works that will be included in the SFAC Main Gallery exhibition Bed of Trouble, which is set to open to the public on January 17, 2020.
Moved: Shiota/Ferras
The motion was unanimously approved.

6. San Francisco International Airport

A. International Terminal—Plaque to Honor Mayor Edwin Lee
Susan Pontious

Director of Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Susan Pontious presented the project outline for a bronze plaque honoring Mayor Edwin Lee for the International Terminal Building Departures Lobby at the San Francisco International Airport. The plaque will be 5 ft. x 5 ft. and will feature a bas-relief portrait of the Mayor along with biographical text. Arts Commission staff will use the 2019-2020 Prequalified Artist Pool and the Sculpture Honoring Dr. Maya Angelou at the San Francisco Main Library Artist Pool to identify a short list of candidates judged best qualified for this opportunity.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve the project outline for a bronze plaque honoring Mayor Edwin Lee for the International Terminal Building Departures Lobby, San Francisco International Airport. The project budget is $70,000; funding will by provided by the San Francisco International Airport. The plaque will not become part of the Civic Art Collection.
Moved: Schnair/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved.

B. T3 Connector, Sterile Corridor
Susan Pontious

Ms. Pontious discussed the art plan for the San Francisco International Airport: T3 Connector, Sterile Corridor and asked the Committee their opinion on the type of medium they would recommend for the 146 ft. long corridor. The work needs to be fabricated out of durable materials that can survive being touched. The exact medium will be determined later, although the Commissioners agreed that the opportunity should not be a mosaic tile piece.

C. International Terminal—BAA and BAG Recompose Walls
Marcus Davies

Project Manager Marcus Davies presented the selected finalists for the San Francisco International Airport: International Terminal, Boarding Area A & Boarding Area G Recompose Walls public art project. The artist selection panel met on Monday, October 7, 2019, and reviewed 25 artists who were shortlisted from the 2019-2020 Prequalified Artist Pool. The artist selection panel chose as finalists Elisheva Biernoff, Linda Geary, David Huffman, Jet Martinez, Ranu Mukherjee and Muzae Sesay, who will develop site-specific conceptual proposals for the project.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve the finalists Elisheva Biernoff, Linda Geary, David Huffman, Jet Martinez, Ranu Mukherjee and Muzae Sesay for the San Francisco International Airport: International Terminal, BAA & BAG Recompose Walls public art project.
Moved: Sklar/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved.

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS TABLED
D. ITB Phase 1—Alicia McCarthy
Marcus Davies

Motion: Motion to approve Alicia McCarthy’s Construction Document Phase deliverables for Alicia McCarthy’s artwork at the San Francisco International Airport’s International Terminal Boarding Area A, Holdroom 3.

E. AirTrain
Jennifer Doyle Crane

Project Manager Jennifer Doyle Crane presented the completed project We will walk right up to the sun, by Sarah Cain, located at the San Francisco International Airport, AirTrain Grand Hyatt Station along the North Wall. The artwork is 9 ft. tall and 144 ft. long, consisting of 37 stained and fused glass panels (each different) and was fabricated by Judson Studios.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed stained and fused glass window mural, We will walk right up to the sun, 2019, by Sarah Cain, located at the San Francisco International Airport, AirTrain Grand Hyatt Station along the North Wall.
Moved: Schnair/Shiota
The motion was unanimously approved.

F. Grand Hyatt Hotel
Zoë Taleporos

Project Manager Zoë Taleporos presented the completed public art commissions as installed and two-dimensional program as installed at the SFO Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment on the following motions; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork Green Map, 2019, by Ellen Harvey for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork This Infinite Gateway of Time and Circumstance, 2019, by Jacob Hashimoto for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork Circadian Transit, 2019, by Tahiti Pehrson for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork Ether, 2019, by Kohei Nawa for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork Winter/Spring, Standing in Claremont Canyon, 2019, by David Wilson for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the completed artwork Cultural Fabric (Bay Area), 2019, by Miguel Arzabe for the San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Motion: Motion to approve as installed the two-dimensional artwork program of purchased works at San Francisco International Airport Grand Hyatt Hotel:

Miya Ando, November Evening Cloud 4.6, 2017, dye on aluminum, 48 in. by 72 in.
Natalya Burd, So much more than this, 2018, acrylic, mirror, Plexiglas, 47 in. by 94 in.
John Chiara, Cabrillo Highway at Pescadero Creek Road, Variation 4, 2017, Camera Obscura Ilfochrome photograph, 58 in. by 71 in.
James Chronister, California (1), 2018, oil on canvas, 72 in. by 50 in.
Michael Dvortcsak, Sublimens, 1985, oil and wax, on canvas, 85.5 in. by 72.5 in.
Richard Diebenkorn, #2, 3, 5, 7, from Nine Drypoints and Etchings, 1977, Drypoint and etching, 25 in. by 33 in. each.
Crystal Liu, underground, ‘stuck in between’, 2016, collage, gouache, ink and watercolor on paper, 47 in. by 104 in.
Terri Loewenthal, Psychscape 73 (Downs, Mount, CA), 2017, archival pigment print, 40 in. by 30 in.
Terri Loewenthal, Psychscape 18 (Banner Ridge, CA), 2017, archival pigment print, 42 in. by 56 in.
Klea McKenna, Born in 1717, 2017, gelatin silver photogram, 43 in. by 50 in.
Richard Misrach, Golden Gate Bridge, 2.27.00, 4:55 pm, 2000, pigment print, 60 in. by 74 in.
Richard Misrach, Golden Gate Bridge, 4.17.00, 4:01 pm, 2000, pigment print, 60 in. by 74 in.
Richard Misrach, Golden Gate Bridge, 3.4.01, 7:30 pm, 2001, pigment print, 60 in. by 74 in.
Moved: Shiota/Schnair
The motion was unanimously approved.

7. 49 South Van Ness
Zoë Taleporos

Ms. Taleporos updated the Committee on the 49 South Van Ness Avenue Video Art Project and draft MOU language. Ms. Taleporos consulted with the various departments and agencies who will occupy the building, and came up with some rough parameters regarding the video works. The videos will be broadcast once per hour, will be one to three minutes in length and can be shown consecutively, making a possible nine minutes of dedicated art time per hour. The client will be using the space for multiple events, so there will be language in the MOU that allows them to pause the art video program during these times. Ms. Taleporos will be issuing a Request for Qualifications for this opportunity soon.

Commissioner Keehn left the room at 4:37 p.m.

8. 2019 Art on Market Street Posters Series
Craig Corpora

Program Associate Craig Corpora presented the final designs by Taraneh Hemami for the 2019 Art on Market Street Kiosk Poster Series. In Witness, the last poster series for 2019, Ms. Hemami created nine photographic collages, showcasing the way Market Street has played a central role in the civic lives of generations of San Franciscans. Market Street is the main artery for the City that brings together people of all creeds for parades and celebrations, as well as for protests and demonstrations.

Ms. Hemami roughly cut figures out of newspaper clippings and other media and inserted images of various crowds, creating layers of overlapping lives and histories and revealing new connections across time to produce a complex portrait of place.

Events covered in the posters include antiwar protests, the Occupy Movement, Black Lives Matter protests, Victory parades, Pride rallies, the Women's March and Climate marches.

Commissioner Schnair called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve artist Taraneh Hemami’s six final designs for the 2019 Art on Market Street Kiosk Poster Series.
Moved: Ferras/Shiota
The motion was unanimously approved.

9. Alameda Creek Watershed Center
Jackie von Treskow

Program Manager Jackie von Treskow presented the selected finalists for the Alameda Creek Watershed Center public art project. The artist selection panel met on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 and reviewed seventeen artists who were shortlisted by the artist qualification panel upon its review of the applications submitted in response to the request for qualifications. The artist selection panel chose as finalists Nicholas Galanin, Walter Kitundu and Nora Naranjo Morse, who will develop site-specific conceptual proposals for the project.

Commissioner Schnair called for public comment; there was none.

Motion: Motion to approve the selected finalists, Nicholas Galanin, Walter Kitundu and Nora Naranjo Morse for the Alameda Creek Watershed Center public art project.
Moved: Sklar/Shiota
The motion was unanimously approved.

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS TABLED
10. Guy Place Park
Marcus Davies           

Motion: Motion to approve the material sample for Adriane Colburn’s artwork at Guy Place Park.

11. New Business, Old Business, and Announcements

Senior Program Manager Mary Chou welcomed Aleta Lee as the new Project Manager in the Public Art Program. Ms. Lee was formerly the Program Associate in Civic Design Review and the Public Art Trust.

There was no public comment.

12. Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:59 p.m.

CC 10/28/19 9:50 a.m.
approved 11/4/2019

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.

我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料和口譯服務。

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.

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