SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
3 p.m.
401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125
San Francisco, CA 94102

________________________________________

Minutes

 

1.            Roll Call

Commissioners Present:
Commissioner Chew
Commissioner Keehn, Chair
Commissioner Sklar

Commissioners Absent:
President Beltran
Commissioner Silverman

The meeting commenced at 3:02 p.m.

2.            Public Comment

Harvey Smith, President of the National New Deal Preservation Association and representative of The Living New Deal stated that they would like to see steel from the former Bay Bridge utilized in new artworks commissioned for Treasure Island. The Living New Deal would support the Arts Commission and other arts organization if such a call for proposals were to be approved as part of the of Treasure Island Art Activation plan.

Richard Rothman commented on the murals at George Washington High School and the Mother’s Building at San Francisco Zoo and his desire to see them restored.

3.            Consent Calendar
Action

1.          Motion to approve the mural design Diamonds on Divis, by Kristin Farr.  The proposed mural is 20 feet by 7 feet and will be painted on the ground of a new bicycle corral at parking space 1140-G in front of 1190 Fell Street. The new bicycle corral is a project of the SFTMA and is sponsored and funded by the Madrone Art Bar.

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

Motion: Motion to approve consent calendar items.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

4.            SFAC Galleries
Meg Shiffler
Action

SFAC Galleries Director gave a presentation and brief overview of the artists selected for the inaugural exhibition at the new SFAC Gallery entitled Bring it Home: (Re)Locating Cultural Legacies through the Body. The artists included in the exhibit are: Zeina Barakeh; Jeremiah Barber;  Victor De La Rosa; Dana Harel; Carolyn Janssen; Ranu Mukherjee; Summer Mei Ling Lee; Ramekon O’Arwisters; Guillermo Gómez-Peña; and Tsherin Sherpa. The exhibition will take place January 22 through May 7, 2016.

The Commissioners stated their support of the exhibition.

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

Motion: Motion to approve honorarium payments in the amount of $2,500 each for the research, development, creation and exhibition of newly commissioned artworks to the following artists: Jeremiah Barber Dana Harel; Carolyn Janssen; Summer Mei Ling Lee; and Ramekon O’Arwisters. And honorarium payment in the amount of $700 each for the exhibition of existing artworks by the following artists: Zeina Barakeh; Victor De La Rosa; Guillermo Gómez-Peña; Ranu Mukherjee; and Tsherin Sherpa. The works described in this motion will be on view in the SFAC Galleries inaugural exhibition, Bring it Home: (Re)Locating Cultural Legacies through the Body, opening January 22, 2016.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

5.            Ringold Alley
Jill Manton, Amir Massih
Discussion

Public Art Trust and Special Projects Director Jill Manton introduced Jeffrey Miller, the principal and founder of Miller Company. Mr. Miller presented design proposals for Ringold Alley improvements between 8th and 9th Street. He stated the design process included community meetings and will include art elements. Design features will include sidewalk bulb outs with garden enhancements, reclaimed granite markers engraved with historical references, colored pavement designs that reference the “leather flag” and inlaid bronze footprints.   Program Director Susan Pontious stated that the elements will need to be reviewed by Public Works (“PW”) and that a clear path of travel and that all Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requirements are met.

The Committee approved of their initial ideas for the art elements and congratulated the team for their voluntarily proposing art enrichment enhancements that were not required. The final design of artwork elements will come before the Committee at a later date for approval.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment.  Jessica Look from Urban Planning stated her approval of the project.

6.            Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association – Temporary Art Programming in Parcel O
Jill Manton and Gail Bough, Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association
Action

Jay Rosenberg co-founder of the Hayes Valley Farm presented on behalf of Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, the Hayes Valley Art Works and the Haight Street Art Center. He shared their proposal for a series of temporary art programs to take place on Parcel O from October 22, 2015 until October 21, 2016.  Parcel O is located at the intersection of Octavia and Fell Streets and will eventually be developed into affordable housing by Mercy Housing.  In the interim, the community groups would like to activate Parcel O with projects like temporary murals on the chain link fences surrounding the parcels, various kinds of art classes, performance and site decorations. The projects will be funded with private donations at no cost to the City.

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

Motion: Motion to authorize blanket approval for a series of temporary art activities programmed by the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, the Hayes Valley Art Works and the Haight Street Art Center and which would  include projects like  temporary murals on the chain link fences surrounding the parcels, various kinds of art classes, performance and site decorations within Parcel O in Hayes Valley, over the course of one year from October 22, 2015 until October 21, 2016.
Moved: Sklar/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

7.            Muni Art
Jill Manton and Darcy Brown, SF Beautiful
Action

Peter Clark, a project manager for the The Muni Art Project  presented images from the project. The project is a collaboration between SF Beautiful and the SFMTA partially funded by a Community Challenge Grant. The reproductions of original artworks  have been installed within the interior of five bus lines, traditionally slated for advertisements.  Artists included: Todd Berman, Reynaldo R. Cayetano, Jr., Philip Hua, Ariel Dunity Johnson and Andria Lo.  He stated the project had been a success. Supervisor Scott Weiner and Edward D. Reiskin Director of Transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (“SFMTA”) all supported the project and are planning an artist’s signing event in February 2016.

Commissioner Keehn asked if the project will continue. Mr. Clark stated it was their hope to continue the project in 2016.

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

Motion: Motion to retroactively approve the display of the reproduction of original artworks by Todd Berman, Reynaldo R. Cayetano, Jr., Philip Hua, Ariel Dunity Johnson and Andria Lo designed specifically for display in 50 buses city wide (ten buses per artist) for duration of three months from October 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 in spaces generally reserved for advertising.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

8.            Treasure Island Art Activation Projects
Jill Manton
Action

Ms. Manton presented the Project Outline for the Treasure Island Art Activation Temporary Art Projects, She stated the projects proposed were the result of a visioning session held in early September and that the goal of the temporary art activations will be to brand Treasure Island as a “Place for Art”. Ideas for the type of art activations include: photo documentary projects; construction barricade murals; painted mural projects; art treasure hunt; sited sculptural park; temporary monumental sculpture displays; floatable artwork and various public programs. The curatorial selection will include direct artist recruitments and a national request for qualifications.

Commissioner Keehn confirmed that new construction is slated to begin within three years. She inquired how and if there will be an evaluation process for the sustainable long term planning of an arts program. Ms. Manton stated the 1.5 million for the temporary art activations is in advance of the master plan and milestones will be set as part of the evaluation process to find out what works best the long term development.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the Project Outline for the Treasure Island Art Activation Temporary Art Projects, pending final approval from the Treasure Island Development Authority and the availability of funding for implementation.
Moved: Sklar/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

9.            San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3 – Lordy Rodriguez
Justine Topfer
Action

Project Manager Justine Topfer presented final installation images of Lordy Rodriguez’s artwork series Strangerhood, 2015.  The series, originally commissioned for the Art on Market Street poster series, was reproduced on aluminum panels and installed in the baggage claim area of the San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the completed installation of artworks from the series Strangerhood: Castro, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, Mission and North Beach, 2015, by Lordy Rodriguez. All are printed reproductions on aluminum installed at San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 3.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

10.         Central Subway: Chinatown Station – Clare Rojas
Justine Topfer
Action

Ms. Topfer presented a ceramic fabrication sample by Magnolia Editions for Clare Rojas’s public art project for  Chinatown Station of the Central Subway.  She stated that a competitive bid, qualifications and examples of previous projects were all criteria for the selection panel and that Magnolia had best met all the criteria.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the selected fabricator, Magnolia Editions, for artist Clare Rojas’s Central Subway: Chinatown Station public art project, as recommended by the Central Subway: Chinatown Station Rojas Artwork Fabricator Selection Panel, and to approve Magnolia Editions subcontract of $139,560  be assigned to Clare Rojas's contract with the City for this artwork commission.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

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

Motion: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to increase Clare Rojas’s contract from $94,750, to $234,000 (an increase of $139,560) to add  Magnolia Editions subcontract for fabrication, transportation, and fabricator's consultation during installation, to Clare Rojas's contract for the Central Subway: Chinatown Station Crosscut Cavern artwork project.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

THE FOLLOWING MOTION WAS TABLED

10.         Bayview Gateway
Mary Chou
Action
Explanatory Documents: Revised Design and Budget
Presentation Time: Approximately 5 minutes

Presentation of revised design and budget for the public artwork by Cliff Garten for Bayview Gateway.

Motion: Motion to approve revised design for the public artwork by Cliff Garten for Bayview Gateway.

11.         Balboa Pool
Mary Chou
Action

Project Manager Mary Chou presented the selected finalists for the Balboa Pool Improvement Project: Benicia Gantner; Lordy Rodriguez; and Jason Jägel; with Aileen Barr as alternate. A wall located on the interior of the building, overlooking the pool, has been identified as the possible art opportunity and measures roughly 13 feet high by 37 feet wide. She stated construction is slated to begin in February 2016 and that all artists will consider materials suitable for a pool environment as part of their proposal process.  The proposals will be reviewed and a finalist selected by end of November, 2015.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the selected finalists, Benicia Gantner, Lordy Rodriguez, and Jason Jägel, with Aileen Barr as alternate, as recommended by the Balboa Pool Public Art Selection Panel to develop conceptual proposals for the Balboa Pool Improvement Project.
Moved: Sklar/Chew
The motion was unanimously approved

12.         PUC Storm Drain Murals
Jennifer Lovvorn
Action

Senior Project Manager Jennifer Lovvorn reminded the Committee that the Public Utilities Commission (“PUC”) Storm Drain Mural project’s purpose is to promote public awareness of storm drains that are separate from the sewer system and ultimately to help reduce pollution draining into the San Francisco Bay. The project is being piloted in the Mission Bay neighborhood with a series of unique temporary murals installed at six storm drain locations for approximately one year each.

She reported that the panel selected two proposals and recommended that the proposal by Jenifer K. Wofford be implemented first as the higher scoring proposal and the proposal by Michael Bartalos will be implemented in the subsequent year.

The artists will be responsible for design of unique imagery for each of the six storm drain locations.  Printing of the artwork designs onto an environmentally friendly durable pavement sticker and installation at the storm drain locations will be done under a separate contract with a signage company and will not be part of the artist’s contract. She plans to work with PUC staff to develop interpretive signage, a walking tour and community meetings to promote the art project.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the conceptual proposal by Jenifer K. Wofford for the PUC Storm Drain Mural Project for display during the year 2016 and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist to develop and complete six unique mural designs for an amount not to exceed $10,000.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

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

Motion: Motion to approve the conceptual proposal by Michael Bartalos for the PUC Storm Drain Mural Project for display during the year 2017 and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with the artist to develop and complete six unique mural designs for an amount not to exceed $10,000.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

13.         Noe Valley Town Square
Mary Chou
Action

Ms. Chou presented the project outline for an art enrichment opportunity at the new Noe Valley Town Square.  A parking lot at on 24th Street between Sanchez and Vicksburg Streets will be turned into a new town square for the neighborhood using state and city funds and community donations. The lot currently hosts a weekly farmers market on Sundays. The art opportunities identified include seating elements or a sculptural element in the tot park towards the back of the square. Ms. Chou stated the project has an art enrichment budget of $38,000 and will be completed in October 2016.  The prequalified pool will be utilized, and the process will consist of a direct selection based on qualifications rather than site-specific proposals due to the modest budget and the quick deadline. Commissioner Keehn asked if there was still the intention to replace one of the planned touch-and-play elements specified by the landscape architects with an art element. Ms. Chou stated it was not possible, and introduced Melinda Stockman, the Recreation and Park Department ("RPD") Project Manager, who explained the difficulty of doing this due to the quick schedule.

Commissioner Keehn asked that the Arts Commission be involved sooner in the design process in order to allow for more integration of the public art with the park design.

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

Motion: Motion to approve the art enrichment program plan for Noe Valley Town Square.
Moved: Chew/Sklar
The motion was unanimously approved

14.         North Beach Branch Library
Mary Chou
Informational

Ms. Chou gave an update regarding the pending design modifications to Bill Fontana’s artwork Sonic Dreamscape, 2014 at the North Beach Branch Library.  She reminded the Committee that there had been numerous concerns from Supervisor Julie Christensen, neighbors and library staff that the sound piece is disruptive to library patrons as well as passers-by. She explained that she is working with the artist, audio visual contractors and Public Works (“PW”)  to evaluate several options that will address these concerns. The options include replacing some of the speakers in the soffit with a different type of speaker that creates much more directional sound; editing the digital sound files to remove some sounds that are more disruptive to the public; and possibly re-siting the piece in the adjacent and newly upgraded walkway between the library and the newly renovated Joe DiMaggio playground. There is an approximate budget of $30,000 for modifications to the artwork; originally set aside for future maintenance and conservation. The artwork will be turned off while solutions are being researched.

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

15.         New Business, Old Business, and Announcements
Discussion

No announcements were made.

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

16.         Adjournment
Action

The meeting adjourned at 4:39 p.m.

JDC 10/30/15 12:38 p.m.

Notices

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost.
For assistance, please notify Jenn Doyle Crane, jennifer.crane@sfgov.org, 415-252-2224.

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，Jenn Doyle Crane, jennifer.crane@sfgov.org, 415-252-2224.

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita.
Para asistencia, notifique a Jenn Doyle Crane, jennifer.crane@sfgov.org, 415-252-2224.

Ang mga materyales na nakasalin sa ibang wika at ang mga serbisyong tagapagsalin sa wika ay walang bayad. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si a Jenn Doyle Crane, jennifer.crane@sfgov.org, 415-252-2224.