SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
3 p.m.
Remote meeting via video and teleconferencing
________________________________________
Minutes

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

Commissioners Present:
JD Beltran      
Suzie Ferras
Dorka Keehn, Chair
Nabiel Musleh
Abby Sadin Schnair
Janine Shiota
Debra Walker

Commissioner Keehn called the meeting to order at 3:02 pm.

Commissioner Beltran entered the meeting at 3:04 pm.

2. General Public Comment

Commissioner Keehn announced virtual meeting instructions. Program Associate Craig Corpora announced public comment instructions.

Commissioner Keehn called for public comment; there was none.

3. Director’s Report

Commissioner Keehn announced new Acting Director of Cultural Affairs Denise Bradley-Tyson. Mrs. Bradley-Tyson introduced herself, her professional background and gave an update on the Mayoral directive of the Monuments review process and the Dr. Maya Angelou Sculpture project. She reported that Arts Commission staff has drafted a project outline, a template defining seats for a Historic Monument Advisory Committee and an approach to selecting a committee; the process is currently being reviewed by the Human Rights Commission and Recreation & Parks Department.

Mrs. Bradley-Tyson stated that she and Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious had met with the San Francisco Public Library’s Head Librarian Michael Lambert and their Communications Director, Kate Patterson, to discuss the status of the Dr. Maya Angelou Sculpture project. The Library Commission has requested an update on the project at their upcoming November 19^th meeting.

Mrs. Bradley-Tyson then introduced Supervisor Catherine Stefani. Supervisor Stefani talked about the Maya Angelou Sculpture Project and issued an apology to artist Lava Thomas. Supervisor Stefani took responsibility for the hurt and anger caused by the actions of the 2019 RFQ process to Lava Thomas and the public. She stated that she had recently met with Ms. Thomas and Mayor Breed to discuss the project.

Ms. Thomas appreciated and accepted Supervisor Stefani’s taking responsibility and apology. She was grateful that this has been a learning opportunity for all involved and that Supervisor Stefani and Mayor Breed “have done the right thing” and that “justice has been served.” She thanked the circle of Black women, the larger community and everyone who stood by her and supported her through this arduous process. Ms. Thomas thanked the San Francisco Arts Commission and the City of San Francisco for the “courage to turn this around” and closed her statement with a quote from Dr. Maya Angelou.

Commissioner Keehn thanked Ms. Thomas for her words and stated that this item would be moved to full discussion at the November 2^nd Commission meeting.

Public Comment:
Deborah Stein, professor at San Francisco State University and California College for the Arts, thanked Supervisor Stefani for responding to the community and being brave enough to apologize. She thanked Ms. Thomas for her courage, persistence and commitment and the See Black Womwn collective who supported Ms. Thomas. She is overjoyed that this monument will be put up in the City and looks forward to seeing it. It is important to her that women continue to stand with each other.

Dana King, See Black Womwn collective, wanted to underscore how important this moment is that an apology has been made to Ms. Thomas and the effort that it has taken, over a year, to get to this point. Ms. King underscored the need to stand with Black women and all women at this time. She is happy the sculpture will go up but questions how a payment by a wealthy donor looks when this is a public art piece and thinks this money obliterates the public aspect/process/equity and asks that the Commission revisit the idea of having wealthy people pay for sculptures.

Commissioner Keehn thanked the project sponsors, Supervisor Stefani, Ms. Thomas, the Arts Commission staff, and commissioners, who have spent an extended amount of time on this issue. She stated that she was pleased it is moving towards resolution.  As there are no existing resolutions made by the Commission regarding the artwork, the decision will be made at the November 2^nd Full meeting on next steps to proceed.

4. Consent Calendar
 

1. Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0914-20-136 which approves the temporary installation of an illuminated temple-like sculpture titled, The Shelter in Place Temple in Joseph Alioto Performing Arts Piazza by artists Laurence Renzo Verbeck and Syliva Lisse for a period of six months commencing late fall 2020 which is to be installed at no cost to the City, pending procurement of all necessary approvals and the funding required for the project in addition to arrangements for security night and day. The project team shall be responsible for the performance of maintenance of the sculpture as required for the duration of the installation. This installation may be extended upon approval of the Arts Commission and Recreation and Park Commission.
2. Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0912-16-261: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Suzanne Husky for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at the International Terminal, Gate Rooms, San Francisco International Airport. 
    
3. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into contract with Suzanne Husky for an amount not to exceed $135,000 for an artwork at San Francisco International Airport: Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Meet and Greet Area.  
    
4. Motion to accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork titled Green Map, 2019, by Ellen Harvey. The hand-cut glass, stone mosaic celebrates the beautiful parks and open space that characterize the Bay Area by inverting the traditional idea of a map to highlight the region’s green space. The artwork was commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport: Grand Hyatt Hotel. The 28 ft. x 28 ft. mosaic spans the first and second floors of the hotel lobby main staircase.
    
5. Motion to accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork titled Ether, 2019 by Kohei Nawa. The painted aluminum sculpture stands 35 feet tall outside the main entrance to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the form of a droplet of liquid falling from sky to earth creating a symmetrical and potentially infinite column created within a space of zero gravity. The artwork was commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport: Grand Hyatt Hotel.
    
6. Motion to accept into the Civic Art Collection the artwork titled This Infinite Gateway of Time and Circumstance, 2019, by Jacob Hashimoto. The immersive sculpture floats between two floors of the building in an undulating, interwoven canopy composed of over 3,500 individual kite-like ellipses comprised of Paper, UV ink, resin, bamboo, Spectra, acrylic, stainless steel and is 9 ft. x 39 ft. x 9 ft. The artwork was commissioned for the San Francisco International Airport: Grand Hyatt Hotel and is installed on the fourth floor of the hotel.
    
7. Motion to rescind RESOLUTION NO. 0803-20-114: Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Carter-Lynch (Stacey Carter) for an amount not to exceed $133,333 for the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation consultation of an artwork for the SFO C3C Secure Connector Wall project.
    
8. Motion to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into a contract with Carter-Lynch LLC (aka Carter-Lynch/Stacey Carter) for an amount not to exceed $133,333 for the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation consultation of an artwork for the SFO C3C Secure Connector Wall project.

Motion: Motion to approve consent calendar items.
Moved:  Beltran/Ferras

There was no public comment.

The motion was unanimously approved
Ayes: Keehn, Beltran, Ferras, Musleh, Schnair, Shiota, Walker

Commissioner Keehn called item 5 but Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director Susan Pontious asked if item 6 could be taken first as Michael Degregorio of Recreation and Park Department, a co-presenter, had a time constraint. Commissioner Keehn made the agenda change.

6. Portsmouth Square Art Enrichment Funding Recommendation

Ms. Pontious presented the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project and the Public Art Program’s recommendation for use of the Art Enrichment funds associated with the project. The project has a small Art Enrichment budget of $104,000 that is either enough for the conservation of the four current artworks on the site or for a new commission of a mural on the exterior of the new building; but not for both options. Ms. Pontious gave an overview of the four artworks currently at the site, their history/significance and the conservation estimates for these pieces. Unfortunately, the Arts Commission does not have any additional funds to supplement the conservation of these artworks.

Michael Degregorio spoke on behalf of the client, Recreation and Parks Department, and stated that due to the current effect of the pandemic on the economy that the budget for this project is set at 2%; there are no additional funds. Therefore, they are in agreement with the recommendation to use the funds for conservation of the existing artworks instead of commissioning a new artwork.

Commissioners Schnair, Walker and Keehn expressed disappointment that there was not more money available for this project to include a new artwork but all agree to conserving existing artworks that are significant to the community.

Public Comment:
Erika Gee, Senior Planner at Chinatown Community Center, stated that while the community would love to add a new artwork to the new construction they understand the constraints of the budget and would prefer to maintain the existing artworks; particularly the Goddess of Democracy and the Zodiac artworks. They support the recommendation for the conservation of the artworks and hope new funding sources may be found to support new artwork in the future.