HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse in regard to consolidation of commissionsDear Andrea,
The Fine Arts Commission (FAC) would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the
time to update us on your proposed changes to the structure of the City’s Boards and Commissions.
We steadfastly agree with your words in a recent letter to Commissioners, dated December 7, 2017:
public involvement is a crucial part of the City’s decision-making process. By advising the Mayor,
City Council and staff, bringing new ideas to table, and representing all of the diverse elements of
our community, members of advisory bodies assist the City in making informed decisions that
benefit the community”
Therefore, we fully understand and applaud the effort to examine the work of City Commissions, the
regularity of meetings, what is accomplished at meetings and whether the work of a Commission is
beneficial to the overall growth and vitality of the City and its residents.
The Fine Arts Commission was reactivated in the summer of 2014 after a hiatus of over a year;
which was the result of the cut in staffing in the Mayor’s office due to the bankruptcy. The
Commission’s original home was with the Mayor’s office and the allocated funds (item 257) were
in the Mayor’s budget.
After the election of 2014, there was an effort, by the arts community and the City Clerk’s Officeto
resurrect the Fine Arts Commission; there were real concerns about the status of the Arts and the
economic revitalization value the arts could provide the City.
The City Clerk’s Office offered to assist in re-establishing the Fine Arts Commission, allocated
staff time to take minutes and send out and post agendas, as well as send other communications to
commissioners. We have met every month since July of 2014, and only once during that time was
there no quorum. During the past three years, we have had a total allocation of $700,000.00
Below is a summary of the Fine Arts Commission’s accomplishments during the years 2014
through 2017:
Seed money to initiate and fund the on-going completion of the Rosa Parks statue and
regular discussion of the value of finishing the statue and its installation at the California
State Building on E Street (the Rosa Parks building). Due to the efforts of one of our
Andrea M. Miller, City Manager
City of San Bernardino
290 North D St.
San Bernardino, CA 92401
commissioners (Bronica Taylor) and the collaboration with the Black Culture Foundation,
the statue will be installed on February 2, 2018.
Production of brochures about the two public sculptures just outside the City Hall
building: Julian Martinez Soto’s larger than life-sized Martin Luther King Statue, entitled,
The Dreamer,” and Bruce Beasley’s, “ The Gallup Flyer” Sculpture. The brochures give
the history of the sculptures and the artists who made them. These brochures were
distributed at the first Art Night in 2015.
Funding of an exhibit at the former Arts on 5th building, produced by Professors Tom
McGovern and Juan Delgado of CSUSB. Fine Arts commissioners contacted the owner
of the building, Gregory Villanueva, and had several meetings with him and the artists.
This exhibit ran for over a month, and was evidence that art was alive in downtown San
Bernardino.
Mini-grants of $5,000.00 each were given to Council Members, with the idea that they
could use the funds in their Wards to enhance the arts in that area. Six of the Council
Members accepted the grants and used them in various ways including music at the Food
Fests downtown, donations to the new Center for the Arts, donations to several long-time
organizations on the West Side of town, donations to organizations in other wards.
Exhibits in two other locations downtown: 1) a photographic exhibit by Micah Escamilla
Beneath the Arrowhead,” which was in the windows of 379 E Street, a building owned
by Paul Quinton. The Fine Arts Commission funded the exhibit, and some of the
commissioners and the City Clerk and a Rotary Youth group prepared the windows by
cleaning and stripping of advertisements and assisting in the installation. 2) FAC purchased
through the Art Department at CSUSB a series of posters done by Graphic Arts students
in the spring of 2015 with the theme “Celebrating the History of San Bernardino.” Several
of these were displayed in the windows of the Andreson Building in downtown. The
installation was assisted by a member of the FAC. Other posters from the collection are
currently displayed in the offices of Community Development.
Quilts of Valor were presented to December 2nd, 2015 First Responders who are also
military veterans. This was supported in terms of making contacts with the national
organization, but without financial support.
Grants, totaling $595,591.00, have been given to over 25 arts organizations in the City and
to the Parks and Recreation Department of the City. A strict process for awarding grants
has been followed. Organizations have applied, using the forms provided. Each year,
two information sessions were held, which potential applicants were required to attend.
Copies of the applications were provided to each Commissioner and were read and scored
using a rubric which covered several elements in the application. An interview with each
applicant was held by the entire Commission before decisions were made about to whom
the awards would be given and how much funding would be recommended. All of the
recommendations went to the Council for approval. All organizations have been required
to submit reports of their granted activities.
A monthly arts calendar was produced and sent to a massive email list, giving dates
and times of the many arts activities taking place in the City. This outreach effort was
discontinued this summer because of the staff time involved.
When the Food Fests first began, the entertainment was secured by a member of the Fine
Arts Commission until it became clear that the Community Development Department
was better able to make those contacts in as much as the Food Fests were a project of
that department.
The Commission has been actively involved in the planning of the Art Night (now
Arts Fest) each year. During the first two years, a major amount of the funding for the
event was from the Fine Arts allotment. This year, because we have no allocation in the
budget, the Community Development Department has funded the event to take place in
March 2018.
Much of the logistics and background work that has gone into the above events has been
done by Commission members because of the limited staffing provided. This is an active
commission with responsibilities taken by members.
In closing, we agree that a thorough, transparent and fair review of the work of the City’s commissions
that evaluates gaps, overlap, and the duplication of services is timely and prudent, however; it is the
view of the Fine Arts Commission that our work should be allowed to flourish in a City department
where our work can grow and add to the economic well-being and revitalization of our once and
future great City!
Sincerely,
Gil J. Botello, Chairperson
City of San Bernardino Fine Arts Commission
cc: Mayor R. Carey Davis
City of San Bernardino City Council