October 25, 2011 BT
FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Board of Trustees
October 25, 2011
I. Calling of the Meeting to Order and Welcoming New Trustees Holly Johnson Harris and Dr. Sarah Ogilvie – Diane B. Wilsey, President
A special meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was held on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, in the Piazzoni Murals Room of the de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Because of the change in date from Thursday, October 27, 2011 to Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the meeting was noticed as a special meeting. A quorum was present, that being one third of the number of Trustees in office. The meeting was called to order at 3:21 p.m. by Diane B. Wilsey, President.
President Wilsey welcomed new Trustees Holly Johnson Harris and Sarah Ogilvie to their first Board of Trustees meeting, and they were greeted with a round of applause.
President Wilsey presided: Mrs. Bourne acted as Secretary.
II. Calling of the Roll
The following Trustees were present:
Adolphus Andrews, Jr.
Carol N. Bonnie
David H. S. Chung, Vice President for Finance
Dr. Marc P. Cruciger
Belva Davis, Vice President
Jason M. Fish
Elise Friedman
Frankie Jacobs Gillette
Wheeler S. Griffith
Cynthia Fry Gunn
Lucy Hamilton
Katherine Harbin
Holly Johnson Harris
Laure Fullerton Headrick
Janet W. Lamkin
Kathryn Lasater, Vice President for Development
Monica Maduro
Dr. Sarah Ogilvie
Carl Pascarella
Lisa M. Sardegna
Arlene Schnitzer
David Spencer
Susan S. Swartz
Jeana Toney
Robert T. Wall
Diane B. Wilsey, President
Lisa Zanze
On motion, duly seconded and carried, the following Trustees were excused:
Edward D. Baker III
Zachary S. Bogue
Carol W. Casey
Penny Coulter (Leave of Absence)
Juliet de Baubigny
Denise B. Fitch
Karen B. Francois
Carlos A. Garcia
Vanessa Getty
Frederick M. Goltz
Lauren Hall
Gretchen Kimball
David Lamond
Lawrence B. Low
Nancy McFadden
Louise H. Renne
Venetta S. Rohal
Jim Tananbaum
Trevor D. Traina
The following ex-officio Trustees were unable to be present:
Mayor Edwin M. Lee
Mark Buell, President, Recreation and Park Department
Other Trustees in attendance were:
Cheryl Bancroft
George Hecksher
Jack McDonald
Lorna Meyer
Florence Wong
III. Report of the Nominating Committee – Lisa Zanze, Chair
A. Consideration and Possible Action to Elect the Officers Submitted by the President of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to a Term of One Year [1]
Lisa Zanze, Chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the report of the Nominating Committee. She submitted the following slate of officers of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for election to a term of one year:
David H. S. Chung, Vice President for Finance
Belva Davis, Vice President
Kathryn Lasater, Vice President for Development
A motion was made and duly seconded to elect the above officers of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums to a term of one year. There was no discussion among Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to elect the above three Vice Presidents to a term of one year.
B. Approval to Elect the Members of the Executive Committee Submitted by the President of the Board of Trustees of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to a Term of One Year [2]
Trustee Zanze presented the slate of members, recommended by the President of the Board of Trustees, for election to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for a term of one year:
Carol N. Bonnie
David H. S. Chung
Belva Davis
Juliet de Baubigny
Frederick M. Goltz
Cynthia Fry Gunn
Lucy Young Hamilton
Laure Fullerton Headrick
Kathryn Lasater
Carl Pascarella
Louise H. Renne
Jeana Toney
Trevor D. Traina
Lisa Zanze
It was noted that the President and three Vice Presidents also serve on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
A motion was made and duly seconded to elect the above members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees to a term of one year. There was no discussion among Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to elect the above members of the Executive Committee to a term of one year.
C. Consideration and Possible Action to elect a new member of the Board of Trustees to an initial Term of Three Years
Chair Zanze reported that the Nominating Committee is developing a slate of candidates but did not take action to nominate any individual for election to the Board of at this time.
D. Approval of a Resolution Setting the Number of Trustee Positions
Chair Zanze noted that the proposed resolution detailed in the meeting agenda set the number of Trustee positions at forty-nine (49). However, as reported previously, a candidate was not nominated, and therefore, the number of Trustee positions will be set at forty-eight (48). She read the following resolution setting the number of Trustee positions:
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Charter, Section 5.105, provides for a variable number of Trustees; and
WHEREAS, The Charter sets the number of Trustees at no more than sixty-two, with the exact number to be set by the Board of Trustees from time to time; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco does hereby set the number of Trustees at forty-eight (48) until such number is changed by this Board.
A motion was made and duly seconded to adopt the above resolution setting the number of Trustee positions at forty-eight (48). There was no discussion among Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1720.
IV. Report of the President – Diane B. Wilsey
A. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the Minutes of the September 22, 2011 Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees
There being no discussion among the Trustees or members of the public, the minutes of the September 22, 2011 Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, having been mailed in advance to all Trustees, were unanimously approved.
Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the Report of the October 5, 2011 Acquisitions Committee Meeting – George Hecksher, Vice President for Collections and Chair of the Acquisitions Committee
Chair Hecksher provided the following report of the October 5, 2011 meeting of the Acquisitions Committee of the Fine Arts Museums Foundation:
Purchases
The Acquisitions Committee recommends the approval of the purchase of a Five-piece Garniture, late 17th century, from Arita, Japan for the European Decorative Arts Collection. The Committee also recommends approval to purchase the artist’s book Stones, 1959 by artist Larry Rivers, for the Prints and Drawings Collection.
These two purchases are listed on page 1 of Appendix I of these minutes.
Gifts
Chair Hecksher acknowledged a gift to the American Art Collection, the completion of the remaining 30% partial interest in Winged Woman Walking VI, 1990 a sculpture by Stephen De Staebler. In addition, the following gifts were noted: four Faberge pieces, two gifts of porcelain; a portfolio of photographs by Arthur Tress; and prints by Barbara Horiuchi, Kathan Brown, Jeryl Parker and Minerva Chapman.
The Acquisitions Committee recommends the acceptance of 14 works of art from 7 donors. Chair Hecksher expressed sincere appreciation to all the donors. The gifts offered to the Museums by the Fine Arts Museums Foundation are listed on pages 2 and three of Appendix I of these minutes.
Funded Purchases
The artwork listed on page 4 of Appendix I of these minutes, including the purchases of two Rupert Garcia prints in honor of John Buchanan, was recommended to the Board of Trustees for purchase approval.
First Step Deaccessioning
The 67 European Decorative artworks listed on page 5 of Appendix I of these minutes were recommended to the Board of Trustees for first step deaccessioning.
Second Step Deaccessioning
The 328 porcelain objects, listed on page 6 of Appendix I of these minutes, were recommended by the Acquisitions Committee for second step deaccessioning. Chair Hecksher noted that in the opinion of Curator Martin Chapman and the Acquisitions Committee, these works of art are of lesser quality, or are duplicative pieces, which would likely never be exhibited.
Chair Hecksher introduced the following resolution:
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco does hereby approve the appended October 5, 2011 report of the Acquisitions Committee of the Fine Arts Museums Foundation, including approving the works of art acquired through purchase and donation as gifts to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco from the Fine Arts Museums Foundation, and approving first and second step deaccessioning.
On motion, duly seconded, there was no discussion among Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1721.
C. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Director to Accept 2011 Year-End Gifts of Works of Art - George Hecksher, Vice President for Collections and Chair of the Acquisitions Committee
Chair Hecksher presented the customary year-end gift resolution, as follows:
RESOLVED, That the Boards of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums Foundation and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Acquisitions Committee, do hereby authorize the Director (or his designee) to accept gifts of art offered to the Fine Arts Museums Foundation or the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco from October 5, 2011 (last Acquisitions Committee meeting) through
December 31, 2011, if in his (or his designee’s) judgment, he deems it
acceptable; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Director shall report to the Boards of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums Foundation and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco the gifts of art accepted during this period at their next meetings.
On motion, duly seconded, there was no discussion among the Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1722.
D. Consideration and Possible Action to Adopt a Resolution Setting the Dates of
the 2012 Meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of
San Francisco
President Wilsey presented the subsequent resolution setting the dates of the 2012 meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco:
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco does hereby set the following dates, times, and locations for its 2012 regular meetings:
Date Time Location
Tuesday, January 24 3 p.m. Board Room, Legion of Honor
Thursday, April 19 3 p.m. Piazzoni Murals Room, de Young
Tuesday, June 12 3 p.m. Board Room, Legion of Honor
Thursday, October 18 3 p.m. Piazzoni Murals Room, de Young
On motion, duly seconded, there was no discussion among the Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1723.
V. Report of the Director – John E. Buchanan, Jr.
A. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve Loan Request
Mr. Buchanan presented the following loan request:
From: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
For: La Festa di Venezia: Art and Music in the Golden Age of the Serenissima
Musées des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, 10/1/13 – 1/19/14
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 2/22/14 – 6/7/14
Pietro Longhi, Italian, 1702–1785
The Music Lesson (The Bird Cage), ca. 1740–1745
Oil on canvas
22 1/4 x 17 1/4 in.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Gift of Mortimer Leventritt
1952.83
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Italian, 1727–1804
La Furlana, no. 31 from the series Divertimento per gli ragazzi (Entertainment for Children), ca. 1800
Pen and brown ink and brown wash over charcoal on laid paper
35.4 x 47 cm (sheet)
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Museum purchase,
Georges de Batz Collection, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts Endowment Fund
1967.17.133
Stipulations: The artworks must be accompanied by a FAMSF courier to the Musées des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and from the Portland Art Museum, and be part of a couriered shipment between venues. All related expenses will be paid by the requesting organization.
A motion was made and seconded to approve the loan request noted above. There was no discussion among Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the loan, subject to the conditions stated.
B. Consideration and Possible Action to Adopt a Resolution Acknowledging Funding Expended by the Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums During the Period April 1 through June 30, 2011
The city’s Sunshine Ordinance requires the Fine Arts Museums to disclose the amount and source of all gifts received. Mr. Buchanan presented the following resolution, which acknowledges funding expended by the Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums for the period April 1 through June 30, 2011:
WHEREAS, The Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that exists to support the activities of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco does hereby acknowledge with gratitude funding in the amount of $13,257,086 expended by the Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums for operations during the period April 1 through June 30, 2011.
On motion, duly seconded, there was no discussion among the Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1724.
C. Consideration and Possible Action to Adopt a Resolution Acknowledging Bequests of Funds Received During the Period April 1 through June 30, 2011
In accordance with the city’s Sunshine Ordinance, bequests received by the Fine Arts Museums must also be disclosed. Mr. Buchanan introduced the following resolution acknowledging the subsequent bequests of funds received by the Museums during the period April 1 through June 30, 2011:
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco does hereby acknowledge the following bequests of funds received during the period April 1 through June 30, 2011:
Estate of Dorothy F. Boyesen, $3,035.00
Estate of Marion Cobb, $1,118.42
Muriel T. French Charitable Remainder Unitrust, $73,000
Estate of Henry Perrin, 11,550.00
Pearl H. Schnur Revocable Living Trust, $1,500
Estate of Hildegard Seidel, $1,693.37
On motion, duly seconded, there was no discussion among the Trustees. There was no public testimony. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1725.
D. Presentation of the Annual Report on the Education Programs at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, July 1, 2010- June 30, 2011 – Sheila Pressley, Director of Education
Mr. Buchanan extended praise and appreciation to Sheila Pressley, Director of Education, and her staff for their efforts in planning and organizing the high quality programs the Museums offer to the public. He introduced Ms. Pressley, who presented the appended Annual Report on the Education Programs at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011.
Ms. Pressley thanked Mr. Buchanan and Mrs. Wilsey for their unwavering support of education and presented the following overview of the 29 different public, school, family, and college programs of the Museums for fiscal year 2010 – 2011:
The annual report’s cover highlights several programmatic goals. For the opening day of Pulp Fashion, artist, Isabelle de Borchgrave led a participatory family workshop on painted textiles. Two sopranos from City Opera SF were brought in to help set the mood, in keeping with the goal of introducing Museum visitors to working artists in non-intimidating settings and working collaboratively with community groups. In conjunction with the Olmec exhibition, local artist Roberto Hernandez, was invited to a month-long residency in the Kimball Gallery, and shared how his artistic process is inspired by ancient Mesoamerica.
The Education program’s vision statement is “To further the museums mission by providing bridges to a deeper understanding of and appreciation for our collections and exhibitions through extensive and innovative art education programs for people of all ages and interests.” Last year 258,640 people participated in the Museums’ education programs.
The most popular and highly attended program is Friday Nights at the de Young. Friday Nights are designed to provide visitors with diverse points of access so that first time visitors and museum regulars can all find comfortable ways to engage with art. Friday Nights continue to attract younger and more ethnically diverse visitors to the de Young. From an audience survey conducted in spring 2011, we learned that 58% of Friday Night visitors are under the age of 45, representing an 11% point increase in visitors under the age of 45 since 2007. Currently 40% of Friday Night visitors are Latino, African American, Asian American, or Native American, representing a 14% point increase in non-white visitors since 2007. Ms. Pressley acknowledged Director of Public Programs, Renée Baldocchi, for her close collaboration with community groups to ensure that the museums are receptive to a multitude of voices, can benefit from outside expertise, and can showcase the highest quality programs.
Ms. Pressley also outlined the hard work and dedication of the Museums’ outstanding docent corp. Last year 150 docents provided tours and lectures to over 72,500 visitors, and provided weekly training classes and seminars to 90 new docent trainees.
In the last year, Education focused on increasing weekend programming at the Legion and expanding summer camp at the de Young to an all day program, in order to accommodate the schedules of working parents. School programs continue to be student- focused and are intentional about teaching 21st century skills: critical thinking, visual literacy, and lifelong learning. The more than 51,000 K-12 school children who participated in school programs prepared for their museum visit with curricula that dovetail with state standards. Docents received extra training to meet students needs and high school aged Museum Ambassadors visited their classes to introduce them to art. During and after their visits, school children wrote poetry inspired by objects in the collections or they created art in one of the de Young’s four classrooms. Many students had their own art work displayed at the de Young during the Young at Art exhibition.
Last year, the Museums received the very prestigious Irvine Artistic Innovation Award, with an $800,000 cash grant. The award recognized the Museums’ innovative Artist Fellows program, which provided the opportunity to hire three artists to work at the Museums and be inspired by being here. Filmmaker Kevin Epps is creating a documentary film on Black Family life; Todd Brown has done a series of performances and mounted an exhibition of visual art in the Kimball Gallery; and a theater in residence group, Campo Santo, will work and perform at the Museums and out in the community. The Museums are known for treating artists very well and paying them a living wage. In the last year, over 500 artists participated in Museums programs, and we are highly regarded for supporting the local arts community.
Ms. Pressley concluded by noting that all of these programs are possible thanks to the more than one million dollars raised by the Museums last year for education. They are also possible thanks the skills and professionalism of our Museum educators, teaching artists, and docents. She thanked the Board of Trustees for their unwavering support of Education at the Museums.
VI. Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Board of Trustees on items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Speakers may address the Board for up to three minutes; the President or the Board of Trustees may limit the total comment to thirty minutes. There was no public comment.
VII. Meeting Schedule, Future Events and Current and Future Exhibits
A. 2011 Executive Committee Meeting
Date Time Location
Tuesday, December 13 3 p.m. Piazzoni Murals Room, de Young
B. Future Events
Date Event
Thursday, October 27 Opening Reception for Masters of Venice: Renaissance Paintings of Passion and Power from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, de Young
Wednesday, November 16 Opening Reception for Bernini’s Medusa, Legion of Honor
Wednesday, December 14 Elegant Evening in the Court of Honor
C. Current and Future Exhibitions [3]
Legion of Honor - Major Special Exhibitions
Title Date
• The Mourners: Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy 08/20/11 – 12/31/11
• Pissarro’s People* 10/22/11 - 01/22/12
• Bernini’s Medusa 11/19/11 – 02/19/12
• The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde* 02/18/12 – 06/17/12
de Young Museum - Major Special Exhibitions
Title Date
• The Art of Anatolian Weaving: Highlights from the McCoy Jones Kilim Collection* 09/10/11 - 06/10/12
• Masters of Venice: Renaissance Paintings of Passion and Power from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna* 10/29/11 - 02/12/12
• The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk 03/24/12 – 08/19/12
VIII. Adjournment - Diane B. Wilsey, President
There being no further business, President Wilsey adjourned the meeting at 3:48 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Megan Bourne
Executive Secretary, Museums
Note: These minutes set forth all actions taken up by the Board of Trustees on matters stated but not necessarily in the order in which they were considered.
[1] Diane B. Wilsey was elected President for an additional three year term at the June 17, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
[2]The President of the Board of Trustees chairs the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
[3]The Dates of future exhibitions are subject to change.
[*]Exhibitions organized by FAMSF
