Arts Forum SF

« Survey Response: Alix Rosenthal: Candidate, D8 | Main | Survey Response: Chris Daly: Incumbent, D6 »

October 24, 2006

Survey Response: Sophie Maxwell: Incumbent, D10

1. Have you ever served on the board of an arts agency or organization?
[no response]

2. Describe your current arts activities as a patron, an audience member or worker, etc. What arts events have you participated in recently?
[no response]

3. Please list three arts organizations or working artists in your district. Do you know them personally?
I am proud to work with and to support a number of amazing art organizations and artists in District 10. Three of these are Thick Description, Bayview Opera House, and the collection of artists residing at the Hunters Point Shipyard. I know the directors of the organizations and many of the artists personally.

4. If elected, will you commit to displaying art created by local artists in your office at City Hall and attend arts events in your district?
Yes

5. The City's General Plan spells out a vision for the arts in San Francisco: "San Francisco is nationally and internationally acclaimed as a cultural center where the arts are central to the essence and character of the City. It hosts a flourishing cultural environment in which a profusion of art is created, performed and exhibited in adventuresome, creative and often ground breaking ways. The breadth of artistic achievement in San Francisco encompasses many disciplines, cultures, individuals and organizations of all sizes."
What does that vision specifically mean to you, and your district?
To begin, I believe that as an element in the City's General Plan, the Arts Element should be incorporated into our land use and planning decision-making. I am pleased to have sponsored legislation that would help incorporate the Arts Element into our planning for the city's Eastern Neighborhoods. The vision above reinforces my belief that San Francisco's diversity is its strength, and the arts are a fundamental element of this strength. We need to ensure that we support the many expressions of the arts, from big to small, from downtown to the neighborhoods, and across all disciplines and backgrounds.

6. What is your evaluation of and commitment to current city funding for the arts, existing agencies and priorities (such as Grants for the Arts and the Arts Commission's Cultural Equity and Individual Artist Commission Programs, etc.)?
I believe that our current city funding for the arts should be increased. To that end, I supported the additional funds in this past year's budget - although I recognize that this funding is not sufficient nor is it true to the commitment that our citizens made to the arts through the Hotel Tax.

7. What are your priorities for future or increased arts funding?
My funding priority for the arts is for neighborhood-based and ethnic arts.

8. Are you familiar with the recent report by the Arts Task Force?
Yes.

9. Do you support the Arts Task Force's recommendations to fully restore the statutory Hotel Tax Fund contributions to arts and tourism?
Yes, while recognizing that we may need to phase in the restoration of this contribution over a number of budgets.

10. If so, what would you do in next year's budget cycle to fulfill that promise?
Barring any budgetary crisis in the city, I would support doubling the funds added back by the Board of Supervisors in the FY 2006-2007 budget.

11. In past decades, a Neighborhood Arts Program was one of the largest recipients of funds from the City's Grants for the Arts; however, that program has been decimated in recent years, and many neighborhoods have limited access to arts and culture close to home. Do you support the Arts Task Force's recommendations to create a new and substantial Neighborhood Arts Program across the entire City?
Yes, I support this recommendation.
I believe that we need to do a better job at bringing the arts to the people, particularly in disadvantaged and marginalized communities.

12. If so, what would you do, as supervisor, to fulfill that promise?
I would support prioritizing city funds for the arts for this program.

13. Do you support the rest of the Arts Task Force recommendations?
Yes.

14. Do you find any of the other Arts Task Force recommendations to be particularly valuable to you and your district?
I believe the recommendations related to ensuring housing and studio space affordable to artists is particularly critical in my district; I am proud that District 10 is home to many artists and artists work spaces, and I believe that it is essential to the soul of our city to maintain and expand upon this presence. I also believe that incorporating the arts into the city's economic development program is a great recommendation, both in support of the arts and to provide opportunity to all San Franciscans, a critically important need in my district.

15. As a supervisor, how will you work with artists and arts organizations in your district to communicate the value of the work they do to other community-based constituencies, and to encourage and facilitate partnerships and alliances (e.g., merchants groups, neighborhood associations, trade unions, social service and healthcare non-profits)?
I think the key is to see the arts in all that we do; artists and arts organizations should be a part of our community outreach on a variety of topics. I believe that we have been successful, for example, in our work to develop the Hunters Point Shipyard and the Blue Greenway. We should build upon these models.

16. The City's General Plan lists artists and artisans as a population in special need of affordable housing policies and programs: "Artists have special housing needs for affordable accommodations that provide large wall space, high ceilings, lofts, lighting, and the ability to work at all hours of the day or night. There is high demand for such flexible space in the city, as many of San Francisco’s artists live in apartment units not suitable for such activities. It was estimated that about 60% of San Francisco artists are lower income households, earning less than $25,500 a year in 1990.” History has proven that the housing marketplace will not address these special needs on its own.
How will you work to develop and maintain long-term affordable housing and studio space for individual artists and arts organizations?
I believe that our work in the Eastern Neighborhoods is critical to this end, setting aside land for artisit space and art organizations, as well as ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing. In addition, we should utilize tax increment financing in our Redevelopment Areas to provide more affordable housing and artist space. I am proud to have sponsored legislation that requires that 50% of tax increment financing in Redevelopment Areas must be devoted to affordable housing. This helps all of our working-class residents, including artists.

17. The SFUSD recently created its first Arts Education Master Plan. As supervisor, how will you help the SFUSD find the resources to guarantee implementation of the plan?
As a member of the Joint Board of Supervisors/Board of Education Committee, I will work with my colleagues on the School Board to ensure that the plan's implementation is a priority. I will also look to opportunities in the city's budget to provide assistance.

18. How do you see the Board of Supervisors working in concert with the Board of Education, the Mayor's Office and the social service sector to provide expanded, coordinated arts education opportunities for children and youth across the entire city, during school hours and after school?
I believe that we should designate a lead agency, such as DCYF, to facilitate among the various government and non-profit agencies. We cannot separate our work from that of the School District. Children under school supervision become children under the city's supervision after school. We should have a seamless system, and one that builds upon each other's work.

19. Please give an example of an urgent issue in your district and how you would work with artists/arts organizations to address that issue.
The most urgent issue in my district, and honestly the city, is the violence that has been an epidemic. The solutions to the problem are not just more police on the streets. We need to look at this from all angles. This is a systemic problem and one that needs a fully comprehensive plan to combat it. I believe that part of the plan should include training in the arts and allowing our young people to have an avenue of expression that doesn’t include using violence. If our youth can take up a passion such as artistic expression, they will be less likely to get involved in gang and criminal activity.

Posted by at October 24, 2006 11:21 PM

Comments

Post a comment