News from SFAC, April 2008

Bayview Opera House Capital Campaign
Announcement of the Native American Arts & Cultural Traditions Grants
Bay Area Arts Town Hall
Nancy Pelosi’s Office Hosts San Francisco Grants Workshop WritersCorps Annual Literary Arts Festival at the Main Library
Art and Violence Prevention Panel Discussion

Bayview Opera House Capital Campaign
I am pleased to invite you to join the San Francisco Arts Commission as it launches a community-based capital campaign to renovate andrestore the historic Bayview Opera House. Our goal of raising $1 million will close the gap for the funds needed to fully restore the 1888 late Victorian era building and surrounding plaza at 4705 Third Street. A total of $5 million has already been secured, and funds raised will go towards restoring the stage andproscenium arch, restoring the main hall, installing new floors and lighting, remodeling classrooms, and redesigning and landscaping the plaza and gardens to include a new stage for outdoor performances and events. All these physical improvements will pave the way for significantly expanded educational and cultural programs for Bayview youth and families; an increase in cultural presentations; more community services at the facility; stronger partnerships with sister agencies; long-term organizational stability; community engagement and cohesion; neighborhood revitalization; and increased business for local merchants. The Bayview Opera House is a beautiful historic landmark and has never undergone a restoration effort of this scale. The Bayview-Hunters Point community has historically been underfunded, and coupled with recent developments in the neighborhood (such as the new T-Line running on Third Street) an investment in the Bayview Opera House will continue to help revitalize and strengthen the neighborhood, so it may be a cultural beacon for the community and an economic engine for District 10. The Arts Commission seeks to galvanize support from the entire San Francisco family to help return the Bayview Opera House to its original luster. I invite all San Franciscans to be a part of this exciting effort to establish this building as the cultural epicenter of the southeast corner of the City. For more information and to join the community campaign, go to: www.sfartscommission.org/bayview.

- Luis R. Cancel Director of Cultural Affairs

Announcement of the Native American Arts Grants
The Arts Commission is pleased to announce the award winners of the Native American Arts & Cultural Traditions Grants, a special one-time granting program. The goal of the program is to support projects guided by strong and capable Native American artistic leadership, and for which there is resonance within communities. Out of 26 applications, 17 grants totaling $116,226 were awarded to individuals and organizations representing a wide spectrum of rich cultural traditions and contemporary artistic expressions. Awardees are: The Cultural Conservancy ($6,000); Reid Gomez ($6,490); Nikki Lee ($6,490); Jeremy Goodfeather ($6,490); Edwardo Madril ($4,365); La Pocha Nostra ($6,000); Jeremy Arviso ($6,431); John-Carlos Perea ($6,490); Alliance for Native Arts ($6,000); Asociacion Mayab ($6,000); Danza Xitlalli de San Francisco ($6,000); Galeria de la Raza ($12,000); Luna Maia ($6,490); America Meredith ($6,490); Seventh Native American Generation ($12,000); Maximilian Wolf Valerio ($6,490); Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu ($6,000). For more detail on SFAC granting programs, go to: http://www.sfartscommission.org/ceg/index.html

Bay Area Arts Town Hall
Monday, June 9, 2008 from 12:30-8:30 p.m. @ Yerba Buena Arts Center The Bay Area Arts Town Hall is conceived as an opportunity for the entire Bay Area arts community – arts organizations, individual artists, funders, cultural policy leaders and other stakeholders – to convene for a day to consider some of the larger trends and forces shaping the regional arts ecology, as well as share practical information through a variety workshops and networking sessions. Admission is free but registration is required. Registration began on May 12, 2008. To register and view the program, go to: www.cciarts.org/artstownhall.