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Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa Arts Commission tests its power, as authority of citizen-led groups is disputed
When a city appoints citizens to serve on municipal commissions and committees, what rights and responsibilities do those individuals have to inform policy, make recommendations to city leaders and to generally get things done? That point is being pondered in Costa Mesa, the self-proclaimed City of the Arts, where some council members this week sought further clarity after learning about a dispute on the subject between arts commissioners and staff. Upon reviewing the city's arts budget during a May 1 meeting, commissioners recommended shifting $160,000 from a large-scale art installation fund to a public-private mural initiative that would support the painting of historical scenes on participating local businesses. Vice Chair Fisher Derderian, who proposed the motion, explained it would be a more immediate way of getting eye-catching art into public places, particularly if businesses chipped in to cover a portion of the expense. Historical murals would also be a fitting way to celebrate Costa Mesa's rich and storied past, while positioning the city for federal arts grants aimed at honoring America250, the nation's bisesquicentennial, in 2026, Derderian reasoned. 'We have to be ambitious. We have to have a vision that says let's get art out there tomorrow, if at all possible,' he said at the meeting. 'I don't think there's any reason we couldn't at least propose this as part of the budget and then, if it gets approved, really flesh out what the idea would be.' The move, which passed in a 4-2 vote, is more than a mere recommendation. It's a test of the civic reach of the Arts Commission, established in 2022 to function as its own legislative body, compared to the erstwhile advisory-only Cultural Arts Committee. The vote followed a discussion between commissioners and Director of Parks & Community Services Brian Gruner, who oversees the panel, regarding the roles and responsibilities of the group and its power to seek new funding sources and create public art programs. Derderian asked Gruner to clarify whether the commission could form a subcommittee to discuss incorporating art in future public works projects or displaying it on city-owned buildings. Or maybe the commission could call a study session or make a motion to the City Council to hold a discussion at a higher level? The answer was, essentially, no. 'We'd have to have a discussion and dialogue, and connect with [then-City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison] first and see what the recommendation would be from her,' Gruner responded. Costa Mesa municipal code seems to state otherwise, specifying the commission shall: '...by its own motion, conduct studies and investigations and hold public hearings as it may deem necessary for the formulation of policies, plans and procedures relating to arts, or to determine the wisdom and efficacy of such policies, plans and procedures, or to determine an action plan to pursue in implementing the city's arts and culture master plan and report its findings and recommendations.' When asked about the rights described in the legislation, Gruner said he could request the city clerk hold a training session for commissioners on how to properly interpret the law. Instead, Derderian took a different course. During a discussion on the city's arts budget later on, he made a motion recommending $100,000 in a previously approved art-installation fund, and an additional $60,000 in the new budget cycle, be repurposed for the historical mural initiative. The motion carried on a 4-2 vote. And, just like that, the Costa Mesa Arts Commission took a first tentative step toward independence. Derderian said in a follow-up interview he reviewed the city's municipal code after hearing public comments — particularly from Jim Fitzpatrick, a former planning commissioner-turned-cannabis consultant and vocal City Hall critic — indicating the commission had more power than it was being allowed to exercise. 'There's a real question as to what we're supposed to be doing and how we fulfill that purpose,' Derderian said Wednesday. 'We're developing precedent in trying to understand what our role is.' Although it's unknown whether the Costa Mesa City Council will approve the commission's recommendation, it seems city leaders are open to exploring the power of citizen-led municipal groups. Councilman Jeff Pettis said during a regular council meeting Tuesday commissioners should feel empowered to carry out the duties defined in the municipal code. 'I do not believe the Arts Commission is functioning to its full capacity,' Pettis said. 'I'm going to be watching every minute of every Arts Commission meeting going forward to ensure they are being able to function within their role as commissioners to their highest level of authority.' Councilman Mike Buley asked whether a council study session might be convened to clarify the responsibilities of the groups. 'We've got citizens donating an extensive amount of their time,' he said. 'A lot of them are very skilled and knowledgeable in their specific areas, and it's a resource we should rely upon. They should be given a citizen voice in what we do in this community.'
San Francisco Chronicle
05-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Aztec sculpture from Mission District finds permanent home in Portola
A great winged totem representing an Aztec warrior landed in the Portola district Thursday afternoon, when it was installed as a permanent fixture guarding the Palega Recreation Center, a few blocks west of San Bruno Avenue. The wire mesh sculpture depicts a Mesoamerican eagle warrior and was titled 'Invocation' by its creator, the late Mission District artist Pepe Ozan. It was commissioned by the Civic Art Collection in 2001 and has been in storage since 2023 when a wind-blown eucalyptus fell on it at its previous location alongside the Highway 101 overpass near Cesar Chavez Street. The piece, which stands 9 feet tall with an 8-foot wingspan and weighs 245 pounds, was bent forward and its legs buckled, requiring surgery. 'It was fully conserved and repainted,' said Grace Weiss, project manager for the Civic Art Collection. 'It probably hasn't looked this good since it was installed.' 'Invocation' replaces 'Zephyros,' a kinetic sculpture that had to be removed from the same location due to mechanical failure. A survey by the Arts Commission conducted last summer garnered 75% approval to put the dynamic steel figure at the intersection where pathways connect the two park entrances, at Felton and Silliman streets, with the ball fields and the gym structure. It cost the Arts Commission $90,000 to renovate and re-install 'Invocation,' which arrived on site shrouded in white and wrapped in tape. It took most of a day for a crew from Atthowe Fine Art Services to get it installed atop a concrete plinth that is set in the ground and adds two feet to its height. The rebar at the base of the sculpture had to drop into holes drilled into the plinth at a precise angle, which took several tries and adjustments down to the inch. Patiently watching the process while awaiting the unwrapping was Kelly Torres, who grew up in the Portola district and still lives there. 'This is the appropriate place for it and we've been waiting,' said Torres, who recalled 'Invocation' from driving by its old perch at Cesar Chavez and Bayshore Boulevard, where it was for nearly 20 years. 'It's exciting because it stirs emotion in people. That's what art does. It's a good thing.'
Los Angeles Times
12-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa earmarked a slice of cannabis tax revenue for the arts. Where is it going?
When Costa Mesa officials drafted the city's retail cannabis ordinance, they agreed to dedicate one-half cent of the 7-cent-per-dollar tax toward the implementation of an Arts & Culture Master Plan. But until recently, it's been unclear where the money's going. Adopted in 2021, the same year as the cannabis law was crafted following the passage of Measure Q, the arts master plan took years to create as public input was sought on how citywide art and cultural events, programs, policies and staffing might be developed over a five-year period. The document comprised existing events — like a utility box art program and the annual ARTventure — and also called for new commitments, such as establishment of the seven-member Arts Commission and creation of a full-time arts specialist, hired in 2022 at an annual salary of $120,000. Some saw the tax earmark as a shot in the arm for local arts, including Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens, who helped draft the recommendation as part of a council-appointed cannabis ad hoc committee. 'Everybody, I think, realized it was a good thing to put money behind — here's a fund to hopefully spur and inspire some investment into public art,' Stephens said Thursday. 'My view was we'd see some great public art.' Now, with more than $3.3 million in total revenue having so far been generated from the legal sale of marijuana, the application of the arts funding is not so visible. Parks & Community Services Director Brian Gruner explained during an April 3 Arts Commission meeting the cannabis tax funds were not being accumulated for a special purpose, but were going into the city's general fund, from which arts programs and initiatives have historically been covered. Gruner told commissioners while city leaders initially projected the cannabis tax revenue would be sufficient to fund the total implementation of the master plan's programs — around $8 million annually — actual income has been less robust, possibly due to a cap placed last year on the number of dispensaries allowed to do business. 'Currenlty, the tax revenue coming in is not sufficient to basically fund the arts master plan, so the council has been supplementing additional funds from the general fund to help offset that,' he said. 'The council has been very, very supportive of the arts, and they certainly make that a priority to continue the funding, at least for the next fiscal year.' Total implementation of the five-year plan — which began July 2021 and ends in June 2026 — is estimated to cost $1,941,700, including a projected cost for next fiscal year of $457,300, according to figures provided by Gruner at last week's commission meeting. But given the arts master plan funding constitutes 1/14 of the total cannabis tax taken in, the city would have to earn $27,183,800 in revenue from dispensaries for arts and culture programs to be fully funded. By contrast, figures provided in the 2024-25 adopted budget show only $420,967 in arts-related cannabis taxes will have been collected by June 30. That the earmark is being returned to the city's general fund came as a surprise to resident Jim Fitzpatrick, a former planning commissioner-turned-cannabis-consultant who makes frequent appearances at public meetings to decry what he sees as waste and misspending at City Hall. 'Measure Q came after the Arts & Culture Master Plan. [The arts tax] was never intended to fund it,' Fitzpatrick said during the Arts Commission meeting. 'It was always intended to be incremental, over and above, to do more for the City of the Arts. Now [staff] is saying they're having to supplement it with the general fund. They've got it backwards.' City Finance Director Carol Molina, in the throes of preparing next fiscal year's budget, deferred questions about the cannabis tax to Costa Mesa spokesman Tony Dodero, who clarified that the city's intention was that the revenue would be the sole funding source for programs identified in the document. 'Ultimately, the money from Measure Q is supposed to totally fund the master plan, but at this point it's not. And, because of that, for the last three years the city's been taking money out of the general fund to fund the master plan,' Dodero said Wednesday. Stephens said while that's not exactly what he envisioned when the council approved the tax set-aside, he doesn't think of using the general fund to pay for arts programming as a 'subsidy.' 'My vision was that it would be tangible, that people would be able to see a tangible art piece and trace it back to the cannabis art funds,' the mayor said Thursday. 'But it's still obviously an additional source of funds we didn't have before. If that allows us to get [an arts specialist], that wasn't what I was thinking — but I don't disagree with that.'
Los Angeles Times
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa names UC Irvine poetry instructor Danielle Hanson its first poet laureate
Danielle Hanson in 2016 left a thriving corporate communications job in Atlanta to devote her time to her first love — poetry. That departure kicked off a six-year period of serving as a volunteer editor at various small publishing companies and literary journals, during which Hanson saw her own work published before securing a job as a part-time instructor in UC Irvine's School of Humanities. 'The curse, and also the blessing, of writing poetry is you're absolutely never going to make a living doing this,' the 53-year-old Irvine resident quipped in an interview Monday. Still, despite that rule of thumb, Hanson seems to be making a pretty good go at a life steeped in verse. In addition to teaching poetry, she's published two books of her own work, 'Ambushing Water' in 2017 and 'Fraying Edge of Sky' the following year. And she's currently working on a third. For those reasons and more, Hanson has been named the first-ever Costa Mesa Poet Laureate, a position that runs for two years and will see the UC Irvine instructor lending poetic flair to a host of city-sponsored events and creative programs. Officials announced Hanson's selection in a news release Monday, explaining the laureate program is one more investment being made to promote Costa Mesa's status as 'City of the Arts.' 'Not every city has a poet laureate, and I'm pleased to hear that we have one now,' Mayor John Stephens said in the release. 'Poetry is an important literary art form that provides a wonderful complement to the city's exciting performing and visual arts.' The program stems from the city's Arts & Culture master plan, a document adopted in 2021 to guide the development of cultural programs and initiatives. Selection of a poet laureate adheres to a goal stated in the plan to 'professionalize and elevate the status of arts and culture in city government.' Costa Mesa arts specialist Laurette Garner worked with members of the Arts Commission to review candidates for the new role. She said Tuesday the program is a conscious effort to include the literary arts among the city's rich cultural offerings. 'We needed someone who was solid, could work independently and could kind of take the reins,' Garner said of the ideal candidate. 'We weren't sure what we were looking for because it was a new program, and we didn't know what direction to go in. But, across the board, everyone liked Danielle.' Working on a $2,500 annual stipend, Hanson will produce original poetry and make appearances and lead workshops at city events, such as Costa Mesa's ARTventure. Hanson — who fell in love with verse as an undergrad at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and went on to earn two master's degrees, in creative writing and applied mathematics — is married to UCI Dean of Engineering Magnus Egerstedt and has twin daughters attending college. She encourages her students to read poetry and then try it for themselves by responding to prompts or phrases intended to inspire their creative thinking. And while she's not worked out the details of her two-year stint in Costa Mesa, Hanson is already thinking of bringing poems to local parks and organizing 'poetryoke' sessions, in which people recite famous works in an open mic format. 'I see who likes poetry among those whom I interact with, and I know they're representing a sample of all people out there who would like poetry if they interacted with it,' she said Monday. 'So how do we get it out there where people already are?' Costa Mesa is not alone in appointing poets laureate to further the cause of literary arts on a civic level. A countywide program, launched in 2021, selected Natalie J. Graham to a two-year term through a joint effort of the nonprofit LibroMobile Arts Cooperative and Orange County Public Libraries. Gustavo Hernandez is the county's current poet laureate. Municipally, the Laguna Beach Arts Commission named resident Kate Buckley poet laureate in 2017 as a means of 'promoting the literary community and celebrating the written word,' Cultural Arts Director Sian Poeschl confirmed Monday. In later years, that program shifted to a wider literary focus and then into a pandemic-era Artist-in-Residence program, followed by a Creativity in a time of Crisis grant program, that later morphed to an Artistic Innovation Grants program, the latter of which this year bestowed $100,000 to artists in varying stages of their careers, according to Poeschl. While the city of Anaheim has a Poet Laureate program, no such titles exist in Huntington Beach or Newport Beach, although the latter did maintain a program as far back as 1978, a city spokesperson reported Monday. Hanson's own city, Irvine, has no laureate program, but the UC Irvine instructor was able to apply for the Costa Mesa designation, after the city extended eligibility to published poets throughout Orange County, and is glad she did. 'At its best, a poet laureate position is like a cheerleader for poetry out in the community,' she said of her new position. 'That's how I approach it.'
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Austin City Council sees some pushback on several items regarding art
The Brief Several items regarding art are causing some pushback at Austin City Hall The city if considering out-of-town artists for the airport, while a local artist's work could be destroyed at the Convention Center The vote on the artists for the airport has been postponed to March 27 AUSTIN, Texas - Two issues surrounding art are causing chatter at City Hall. The city is considering out-of-town artists for the airport, while a local artist's work could be destroyed at the Convention Center. A vote on agreements with three artists for displays at the airport has been pushed back. The total cost is $10.6 million from the airport's capital improvement budget. Three finalists, Saya Woolfalk from New York, Jim Campbell from San Francisco, and Yvette Mayorga from Chicago, were picked out of 22 eligible applications. About a quarter of applicants were local. A recent presentation to the Arts Commission lists technical skills, aesthetic appeal, and ability to deliver projects on time as evaluation criteria. The other side There has been pushback over picking non-local artists for both airport displays and at the Convention Center. "They're choosing artists that aren't even from Austin, locking out our local artists. Meanwhile, we get lip service from our council that they care so much about local art. It's really wrong. They need to bring that back into the public sphere," Bill Bunch, who supports local artists, said. What they're saying City Council did pass an item, sponsored by Council Member Zo Qadri, to review the Arts in Public Places ordinance, to allow more flexibility for the maintenance, conservation, and deaccession of art. This stems from John Yancey's "Riffs and Rhythms" mosaic, which is connected to the wall at the Convention Center. The Convention Center is set to be demolished and rebuilt next month. Yancey told FOX 7 last week he's working with preservationists and attorneys to figure out what to do. "If an artist has a work in a museum, you don't expect the museum to take it, throw it in the dumpster at the end of the workday. You expect there's care, stewardship, and that there's a responsibility there," he said. The item won't be able to be applied to Yancey's work. "I would ask you to recognize the need to be more transparent to table this item and to make it retroactive to cover Mr. Yancey's artwork," Zenobia Joseph, who supports local artists, said during public comment. "[It's] an incredible piece of mural, Riffs and Rhythms, that y'all should be doing triple backflips to save," Bunch said during public comment. What's next Qadri says he hopes something similar doesn't happen in the future. "We must strive to do better. It's crucial that we support and uplift our creative community and their contributions to our city," he said. "This item will make sure generations of artists will get stronger support and greater investments from the city, and I look forward to seeing what new iconic pieces of public art that Austin artists come up with next." The vote on the artists for the airport has been postponed to March 27. The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen
