Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission Meeting - May 9, 2022
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Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission Meeting - May 9, 2022
The Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission met virtually via Zoom on Monday, May 9, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. A quorum was present. The roll call initially marked Commissioner Hastings absent, although Commissioner Hastings later participated in the meeting. The commission approved the consent calendar, discussed a proposed mural at Memorial Garage, and received oral reports on the Clean California grant, the director's report, and the chairperson's report. No votes were required on discussion/report items.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the April 11, 2022 commission meeting minutes by motion (File ID 2022-00871). Motion passed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Davi Rodriguez (public speaker, Item 2): Opposed the mural agreement, stating the artist lacks a valid California state contractor's license, that the state contractors board previously issued a $1,500 citation, and that the city was warned about unlicensed contracting. Urged cancellation of the agreement.
- Vijay Singh (public speaker, Item 2): Appreciated the chair's diversity question but stated he did not feel represented by the proposed image and asked for diversity considerations earlier in future art processes.
- Vijay Singh (public speaker, Item 3): Expressed strong support for the Del Rio Trail art project, calling it social justice work and saying shared cultural space is essential to a healthy city.
Discussion Items
License Agreement and Mural Design at Memorial Garage for Wide Open Walls 2022
- Donald Gensler, Arts in Public Places Specialist, presented a proposed 10-year revocable license agreement with Wide Open Walls for a temporary mural by Australian artist Fenton McGee on the west side south wall of Memorial Garage, 1402 H Street. The mural depicts a woman holding an olive branch. Wide Open Walls would fund the project (estimated around $2,000), maintain the mural, and indemnify the city; cost to the city is zero.
- Staff recommended approval, noting the license is revocable at any time and the temporary art application defines temporary art as five years but permits city discretion to extend.
- Commissioner Naranjo questioned whether 10 years should be considered "temporary" and asked about diversity and cultural representation in the image.
- Commissioner Hastings praised the artist's ethereal style and said the abstraction made the figure universal rather than race- or gender-specific.
- Commissioner Lepore supported the mural as a beautiful addition to the garage.
- Commissioner Gott supported the peace message and asked about funding; staff said Wide Open Walls allocated its own funds.
- City Attorney Mike Fry said staff would review the licensing complaint, but argued requiring a contractor's license for all murals would be extreme.
- No formal vote was taken; discussion only.
Clean California Grants
- Staff reported a $5 million Caltrans Clean California grant award for the Del Rio Trail, with $1 million for cleanup and $4 million for artwork along the trail. Adam Randolph of Public Works described the trail as an old rail corridor, slightly under five miles, connecting Sacramento Levee Trail to the southern city limits and serving communities such as Land Park, Southland Park, Green Haven, Pocket, Freeport Manor, Z'berg Park, Meadow View, and Delta Shores. Construction is expected to start August 2022 and take about one and a half years. Commissioner Gott asked about jobs; Adam Randolph estimated 20-30 jobs.
- Proposed art components include up to five wayfinding sculpture zones and up to four gathering spaces near city parks, with potential use of historic railroad artifacts. Artists, community members, State Parks, and the Railroad Museum may be involved.
- Maintenance will not be paid by Caltrans; staff said the city's maintenance fund will support the artwork.
- Commissioner suggestions included interactive/resting art, community identity pieces, youth engagement through McClatchy, VAPA, and School of Science and Engineering, student-designed art competitions, outreach to BIPOC artists, local artists from nearby neighborhoods, bike clubs, and poetry.
- No vote required; item received and filed.
Director's Report
- Megan Van Voorhis, Cultural and Creative Economy Manager, gave the director's report. She highlighted: a Creative Startups visit and conversations about the entrepreneurial landscape; a new 18-month to two-year contract with Sound Music Cities (Austin, Texas) to conduct a music census and review permitting processes; continued cultural tourism work with Visit Sacramento centered on race and cultural equity; and launch of the Arts and Culture Match Fund.
- She reported that the proposed FY2022-23 city budget includes $839,000 for the Office of Arts and Culture but no Creative Edge augmentation; last year's roughly $2.65 million augmentation is absent. The proposed budget was released April 25, 2022, discussed May 6, 2022, and will be considered May 10, 2022, with adoption in June.
- Commissioners commented on making permitting less burdensome, lowrider commission issues, a centralized city arts calendar, the healing value of the arts, and past advocacy for a stable share of transient occupancy tax revenue.
Chairperson's Report
- Chair Dr. L Steven Winlock encouraged commissioners to attend arts events and to advocate for the budget by contacting their appointing city council members before final budget adoption. He explained consequences of no augmentation: no new dollars for Creative Edge Goal One arts education, delays in a new Cultural Equity Investment Grant cohort, loss of a $500,000 supplement to the Cultural Arts Awards program so the second year of funding drops to base amounts, and no second-year neighborhood arts/cultural match.
- Commissioner Blumenstock suggested the commission renew long-term budget advocacy and requested a packet showing arts projects funded in each council district. Director Van Voorhis said all $10 million creative economy funding is separate from the annual budget and confirmed information would be provided.
Commissioner Comments, Ideas, and Questions
- Commissioner Naranjo called for a renewed partnership among developers, artists, and the city in response to the budget setback.
- Commissioner Mehta noted public art at Southside Park is showing wear and needs attention after the park's reopening.
- Commissioner Gott asked about contacting council candidates before the next district council member is seated; staff advised waiting until a new member is in place.
- Director Van Voorhis announced the NEA subgrant "Creative Creativity," the first individual artist program, with guidelines published that day, applications opening next week and open through June, with targeted outreach to Indigenous, Latino, and AAPI artists.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar passed (April 11, 2022 minutes approved).
- Item 2 was a discussion item with no vote.
- Items 3, 4, and 5 were received and filed with no vote required.
- Staff will follow up on the contractor licensing complaint and provide budget talking points and district project packets to commissioners.
- The commission will advocate for a Creative Edge budget augmentation before June adoption.
- NEA subgrant application window opens next week and runs through June 2022.
Meeting Transcript
Chair Staff is ready when you are thank you. Good afternoon and welcome to Monday, May 9th, 2022, Sacramental Arts, Culture and Creative Commission meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioners, please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Blumenstock. Present. Commissioner Gott. Present. Commissioner Hastings. Is absent. Commissioner Lavulo. Present. Commissioner Meta. Present. Commissioner Naranjo. Present. Commissioner Perez. Present. Commissioner Wilson Raimi. Present. Vice Chair Enriquez. I do see Vice Chair online. Vice Chair Enriquez, could you unmute? It appears she might be having technical difficulties. Chair Winlock. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. This is Enrique. I'm here. Sorry. Thank you, Vice Chair. We have a quorum. This meeting is virtually via Zoom. For members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you've joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item. If you're online, click on raise hand on the bottom of your screen. If you're mobile app in the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. Telephone if you're calling in via phone to raise your hand dial nine, star nine, then to unmute or mute dial six, star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digit of their phone number. You will have two minutes to speak once you're called upon. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Before that, we'd like to please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of the Sacramento Indigenous People and Tribal Lands to the original people of this land, the Nisanan uh people, the Southern Maidu, and the Valley Plains Miwak, the Padlock One Two, uh Peoples and the Peoples of the Wilton Ranchiera, Sacramento's only federally funded tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on this ancestral land by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous People's Hory, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Please. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
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