Community Investments Committee - October 12, 2021 - Minutes

Meeting Date:

October 12, 2021 - 1:00pm

Location:

Related Meeting Content:

Agenda Supporting Documents

MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 12, 2021
1 p.m.

Remote Meeting via video and teleconferencing

Minutes

Chair Collins called the meeting to order at 1:09 p.m.

1. Roll Call

Commissioners Present

Charles Collins, Chair

Roberto Ordeñana

Linda Parker-Pennington

Marcus Shelby

Debra Walker

Commissioners Absent

Nabiel Musleh

Janine Shiota

Staff Present

Joanne Lee, Deputy Director of Programs

Chair Charles Collins announced virtual meeting instructions. Commissioner Collins then made a motion to suspend the agenda and bring forward Items 3, 5 and 6 to precede Item 2 in order to maintain a quorum to approve the motions.

Program Associate Lorena Moreno announced the public comment instructions.

2. General Public Comment

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

3. Special Project Grants

Commissioner Ordeñana recused himself from Item 3 Subitem 1 due to financial conflicts of interest with the Queer Cultural Center and Fresh Meat Productions at 1:20 p.m.

Deputy Director of Programs Joanne Lee introduced this agenda item. She noted the 30 special project grants are funded by district supervisor’s add backs and Mayoral enhancements to the San Francisco Arts Commission’s (SFAC) 2021 budget. She additionally noted these grants were competitively bid, the guidelines were released in early September and applications were reviewed in early October.

Commissioner Walker wanted to clarify if these grant amounts are increases to the grantmaking budget. Deputy Lee confirmed this is the case.

Commissioner Parker-Pennington expressed excitement at the range and diversity of the special projects grants portfolio and gave thanks to the staff for their work. Additionally, Commissioner Collins acknowledged Indigenous People’s Day and noted the expansion of support the SFAC has provided for the American Indian Cultural Center (AICC).

Motion carried by Commissioner Shelby, seconded by Commissioner Parker-Pennington moved to approve the motion, as presented:

Subitem 1. Motion to approve recommendations to award four (4) Special Project Grants, funded by District Supervisor add backs and Mayoral enhancements to the following organizations and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each organization for amounts not to exceed the following at this time:

District 2 and 8 – Fresh Meat Productions, $100,000 over two years to support the Trans Dance Festival.
Citywide – San Francisco Trans March (Fiscal Sponsor: QCC-The Center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Art & Culture), $25,500 over two years to support an LGBT historical event.
Citywide – QCC-The Center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Art & Culture, $68,000 over two years to support capacity building.
Citywide – Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (Fiscal Sponsor: QCC-The Center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Art & Culture), $42,500 over two years to support Native American cultural activities.

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

The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:

Ayes: Collins, Parker- Pennington, Shelby, and Walker

Commissioner Ordeñana returned to the meeting at 1:29 p.m.

Motion carried by Commissioner Parker-Pennington, seconded by Commissioner Shelby moved to approve the motion, as presented:

Subitem 2. Motion to approve recommendations to award twenty-six (26) Special Project Grants, funded by District Supervisor Add-Backs and Mayoral enhancements to the following organizations and to authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into grant agreements with each organization for amounts not to exceed the following at this time:

District 3 – North Beach Business Association, $42,500 over two years to support “First Friday” Art Walk & Arts in Storefronts event.
District 3 – Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco, $700,000 over two years to support an API Youth Arts Initiative.
District 3 – Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco, $250,000 over two years to support an AAPI Artists Fund.
District 3 – Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative, $350,000 over two years to support AAPI Arts and Cultural Programming.
District 5 – San Francisco Juneteenth Festival (Fiscal Sponsor: African American Art and Culture Complex), $85,000 over two years to support the annual Juneteenth festival.
District 5 – African American Art and Culture Complex, $136,000 over two years to support administrative operations and infrastructure.
District 5 – First Voice Inc., $10,000 over one year to support storytelling and mentorship programs for youth.
District 5 – Fillmore Jazz Ambassadors (Fiscal Sponsor: Renaissance Parents of Success), $60,000 over two years to support Jazz programming in the Fillmore and Western Addition neighborhoods.
District 6 – Veterans Alley Mural Project Inc., $20,000 over one year to support the creation and appreciation of murals in Veterans Alley.
District 8 – Noe Valley Chamber Music, $25,500 over two years to support Classical music programs for youth.
District 8 – The Marsh A Breeding Ground for New Performance, $85,000 over two years to support theatre programs for youth.
District 8 – Theatre Rhinoceros Inc., $25,000 over one year to support youth theatre education programming.
District 8 – New Conservatory Theater Center, $100,000 over two years to support health and wellness theater programming in schools.
District 8 - 3rd I South Asian Independent Film, $15,000 over one year to support the South Asian Film Festival.
District 9 – The Dance Brigade A New Group from Wallflower Order, $200,000 over two years to support tenant improvements.
Citywide – Marigold Project (Fiscal Sponsor: Intersection for the Arts), $400,000 over two years to support capacity building for the Día De Los Muertos Cultural Event.
Citywide – First Voice Inc., $170,000 over two years to support Asian Pacific Islander arts programming.
Citywide – First Voice Inc., $150,000 over two years to support Asian American artists.
Citywide – Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, $100,000 over one year to support Asian and Pacific Islander Arts and Culture programming.
Citywide – California Lawyers for the Arts, $40,000 over two years to support citywide arts services.
Citywide – Dancers’ Group Inc., $40,000 over two years to support citywide arts services.
Citywide – Intersection for the Arts, $40,000 over two years to support citywide arts services.
Citywide – ArtSpan, $40,000 over two years to support citywide arts services.
Citywide – American Indian Cultural Center (Fiscal Sponsor: Intersection for the Arts), $300,000 over two years to support administration and operations.
Citywide – International Indian Treaty Council, $35,000 over one year to support a Native American event honoring Native American history.
Citywide –Yerba Buena Arts & Events, $42,500 over two years to support Native American arts and cultural events.

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

The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:

Ayes: Collins, Ordeñana, Parker- Pennington, Shelby, and Walker

4. Grant Amendments

Deputy Director Lee introduced this agenda subitem.

Commissioner Parker-Pennington asked for some background on the new fiscal sponsor, Renaissance Parents of Success. Deputy Director Lee introduced Program Officer Molly Barrons to provide this background. Program Officer Barrons confirmed the SFAC has performed its due diligence to ensure the bonafides of Renaissance Parents of Success.

Motion carried by Commissioner Walker, seconded by Commissioner Parker- Pennington moved to approve the motion, as presented:

Subitem 1. Motion to approve the change in fiscal sponsor for grant 20CEI23 (authorized by Resolution No. 0507-12-143) for The Village Project, the current fiscal sponsor is Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco, and the new fiscal sponsor is Renaissance Parents of Success.

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

The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:

Ayes: Collins, Ordeñana, Parker- Pennington, Shelby, and Walker

Deputy Director Lee introduced this agenda subitem.

Motion carried by Commissioner Shelby, seconded by Commissioner Parker-Pennington moved to approve the motion, as presented:

Subitem 2. Motion to amend the following grants to extend the grant windows through June 30, 2022, and authorize the Director of Cultural Affairs to enter into such amendments:

Bayview Opera House, Inc. (Grant No. 16SPX03, authorized by Resolution No’s. 0104-16-011, 0912-16-242, 1002-17-311)
Bayview Opera House, Inc. (Grant No. 19SPX05, authorized by Resolution No. 0107-19-014)
Blue Bear School of Music (Grant No. 18CSP03, authorized by Resolution No. 0507-18-158)
OMI Community Action Organization (Grant No. 17SPX23, authorized by Resolution No. 1002-17-316)

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

The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:

Ayes: Collins, Parker- Pennington, Shelby, Ordeñana and Walker

5. Staff Report

Deputy Director Lee introduced this agenda item. She announced that the FY22 Cultural Equity grant guidelines for the Cultural Equity Initiative, San Francisco Artist, Creative Space, and Artist Legacy grants are live and accepting applications with deadlines in mid-October through mid-November and grant review panels taking place in Spring 2022.

Deputy Director Lee announced Denise Pate as the new Director of Community Investments and provided a brief bio. She also announced the departure of Program Officer Tina Wiley and provided a list of her accomplishments in Arts Education while with the Community Investments team.

Deputy Director Lee provided an update on the Sankofa regranting program for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). This grant was designed for the continuity and transmission of the collective values of artistic expression deeply rooted in and reflective of historically marginalized communities. ACTA received 120 applications with a request amount of over $1 million. 100 applications, 40 individual and 60 organizational, were advanced to the review panel, which took place on October 10 and 11, 2021.

Community Vision closed the Reopening Safely grant on October 8, 2021. This grant supports equipment and operating expenses for arts and culture organizations to comply with health and safety protocols. They received 77 applications with a request amount of $1.8 million. Applications will be reviewed at the end of October and award announcements will be made in early November.

The results for both grant categories will be shared out at a future Community Investments Committee meeting.

Commissioner Collins noted the importance of the arts as a sector in the re-emergence of our economy and gave great encouragement for these initiatives, which will help boost the revenues and feed the ecosystems of San Francisco.

Commissioner Collins and Walker applauded the staff and Director Ralph Remington for their work on these initiatives.

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

6. Cultural Centers Presentations

Deputy Director of Programs Joanne Lee introduced this agenda item. The directors were asked to address how the Cultural Centers have responded to community needs over the past 18 months and how they will continue to respond.

Executive Director April McGill presented on the American Indian Cultural Center of San Francisco (AICC).

The Commissioners discussed the presentation.

Commissioner Collins thanked Executive Director McGill for her presentation given on Indigenous People’s Day. He noted the development and strengthening of the AICC and acknowledged the importance of Executive Director McGill’s leadership.

Commissioner Shelby echoed Commissioner Collins’s sentiments, acknowledged the Ohlone people and thanked the AICC for their work. He also made a commitment to learning more about the AICC, its programming and the ways it carries the history of the American Indian community in San Francisco.

Executive Director McGill invited all the Commissioners to the Alcatraz Island sunrise ceremony in November during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Executive Director Vinay Patel presented on the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC).

The Commissioners discussed the presentation.

Commissioner Collins and Walker thanked Executive Director Patel, and all the Cultural Center directors, for their work on their presentations and in the communities they serve. Commissioner Parker-Pennington appreciated APICC’s intersectional approach to serving their community. Commissioner Shelby expressed appreciation for the AAPIC community/APICC for standing hand-in-hand with the Black community and for finding ways for art to be a voice, solution and a healing mechanism.

Executive Director Jennie Rodriguez presented on the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA).

The Commissioners discussed the presentation.

Commissioner Shelby and Walker expressed appreciation for the MCCLA’s work during. Commissioner Collins noted that the MCCLA helped him understand what it means to lead an organization on the ground and noted that the trust the MCCLA has cultivated is foundational.

Executive Director Natalia Vigil presented on The Queer Cultural Center (MCCLA).

The Commissioners discussed the presentation.

Commissioner Ordeñana, Shelby and Walker thanked Executive Directors McGill, Patel, Rodriguez and Vigil and their staff for all the work they’ve done and the ways the cultural centers have partnered over the last two years.

Commissioner Ordeñana left the meeting at 3 p.m.

Commissioner Walker and Collins expressed appreciation to Director Ralph Remington, Deputy Director Joanne Lee and the SFAC staff for supporting the cultural centers and noted the enormity of this work.

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

7. New Business and Announcements

Commissioner Walker thanked the SFAC staff for inviting the Commissioners to the SF Symphony and the importance of experiencing these performances in person.

Commissioner Collins noted the recent tour he and Director Remington took of the Public Utilities Commission’s new Southeast facility, which is currently under construction and will feature SFAC-sponsored installations. Director Remington described his experience of the facility tour and noted the various community benefits that will be a part of this construction.

Commissioner Collins called for public comment.

8. Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:24 p.m.

Posted 10/25/21, 5:22 p.m., CED
Approved 11/1/21 CED

Archives Available
A recording of this meeting will be available online after the meeting at the following address: https://sfgov.org/arts/audio-archive-1.

Language Accessibility

Translated written materials and interpretation services are available to you at no cost. For assistance, please notify Community Investments at sfac.grants@sfgov.org.

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，Community Investments at sfac.grants@sfgov.org

Materiales traducidos y servicios de interpretación están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Community Investments at sfac.grants@sfgov.org.

Community Investments Committee - October 12, 2021 - Minutes

Stay Connected