oaklandia

We Were Floored, Now It's Been Tabled

Assembly Member Mark Leno yanked AB 655 which proposed a 1% surcharge on admissions to entertainment venues as an alternate source of funding for the California Arts Commission. Plow your way through the routine howling this produced in movie theatre and amusement park owners to find the strange silence from the arts community on this one. The bill included taxing nonprofits themselves: 1% of the door, tithed to the CAC on the off-chance we might get it back through our participation in a re-capitalized CAC, which would be, thanks to us in small measure, and cineplexes and six flags in larger measure, back in the bidness of cultural funding.

• Theatre Bay Area published a March discussion with the author.
• This is the text of the languishing bill.
• The committee analysis of the bill, which lists the Oakland City Council as a supporter. Who was that? Nancy Nadel!
  THE ITEM | THE REPORT | DID YOU GET THE MEMO?
• And my favorite moment on this subject came, as usual, from a right-wing religious political action, er, sorry, educational nonprofit California Family Council who categorized it as a "Just Plain Silly Bill". They characterize the bill as taxing children who who want only to go see Bambi or Nemo.

One can always count on the religious right for modest proposals.

Would admissions to pony rides be subject to the surcharge?

Because those lil tykes aren't pulling their weight.

The other bill to diversify funding for the California Arts Council uses a tax... no, an admission surcharge upon each patron of an entertainment venue. CAC gets the dough and gets back to the bidness of arts granting.

Just to be clear: in this bill race tracks and sporting events do not qualify as entertainment.

And we knew this: performances for the benefit of a nonprofit do not qualify as entertainment.

It's an ingenious plan, she said, grasping for the exempted revenue as it fell into an inky void while scanning yet another headline about how concert promotions anticipate another set of sad, sad, so sad and depressive summer profits not due to Morrisey (I'm sick.. and sad!) comebacks.

The summary from the CAC's don't-be-skeered newsletter:

Assembly Bill 655 (Leno)

This bill by Assemblyman Mark Leno will levy a one percent fee on admissions at all entertainment venues in the state, both private and non-profit. This one percent bill is estimated to generate upwards of $30 million to the Arts Council for distribution in grants, according to preliminary analysis from the Board of Equalization. This proposed revenue stream would stabilize arts funding and remove a great deal of pressure from the competition for General Fund dollars from all government sources that depend on it for their programs and operations.

The Leno bill, AB 655 will be heard on Tuesday in the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media at 9 a.m. on April 19th.

The State Board of Equalization (you know... the TAX PEOPLE) analyzed the bill and raised interesting questions (like the ones I confront every day: is a professional wrestling event a sporting event?).

Mark Leno can be contacted here or via fax: (916) 319-2113.

Why Didn't We Whine About This Earlier?

Amy Kweskin sent this in, from the don't-quit newsletter of the California Arts Council:

Senate Bill 691 (Speier) Did you know that your personalized Arts License Plate purchase does not fully go to the California Arts Council, but results in a contribution to the Environmental License Plate (ELP) Fund as well?

For the past ten years purchasers of the Arts Plate have been contributing $40 of the $70 purchase price and $25 of the $40 renewal fee to the ELP Fund, with the remaining coming to the CAC to fund arts programs for children.

In the past, the revenue from the Arts License Plate was a small part of the overall CAC budget. Now, as a result of the greatly reduced Arts Council budget, the role of Arts License Plate fees to the CAC budget has became of greater importance. The bill SB 691 by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier would exempt the Arts Plate from contributing to the ELP Fund, and instead have the full amount go towards arts funding and distributed by the California Arts Council.

The Arts Plate is the most popular plate in the state. Seven million dollars have been generated for the arts since 1994. DMV reports $2.5 million have been contributed to the ELP Fund in the same period.

Senator Speier's new legislation aims at bringing fairness to the issue so that people who buy the Arts Plate can be assured that all the funds will be used to support local arts programs and arts education activities.

This bill will be heard initially in the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on Tuesday, April 19 at 1:30 p.m. Read the Senator's Fact Sheet on SB 691 at http://www.cac.ca.gov/proposal/SB691factsheet2.rtf

Item 7!

Don't miss this!

Cultural Affairs Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, March 28, 2005
5:30 - 7:30pm
City Council Chambers
Oakland City Hall
One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor

7. Informational Item
Oral Presentation - Report on 2005-07 Departmental Budget Proposal
Raissa de la Rosa, Cultural Funding Program Coordinator and Steven Husss, Public Art Program Coordinator

I think this is where we will learn that all hell is about to break loose. The Cultural Funding Program just concluded its panel reviews of hundreds of applications for funding from individual artists and arts organizations. Panels recommended over a million in awards... which could be sliced in half if the City's budget for the arts is adopted by City Council.

Hear it with someone you love.

the difference between a proletariat and a proletarian

something more than a consonant.

http://www.proletariatbronze.org/

I only mention it because in a post that I forwarded on behalf of Spokes of a Hub, Proletariat Bronze was called out as Proletarian Bronze. I hate mispelling band names almost as much as I hate hearing band names mispronounced by KALX DJs when they read the calendar listings.

But yes, Oakland Arts, it's all up inside those references and here's why:

Spokes of a Hub is convening again:

• tuesday 25 may 2004 at 6pm
  at the new pro arts
  550 second st at clay
  oakland, california
• MEETING TOPIC:
  alliances, collaborations and advocacy
  a candid panel discussion with funders and collaborators

This is my first billing as a Moderator and I'm hoping it goes straight to my head. I'll spend Sunday morning watching the news shows to hone my skills.

agenda for 5/19 cultural affairs commission

OK, so I blew it and did not let people know about the Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission meeting this past Monday. It happened to contain a tish-load of action items regarding public art commissions all over town and the approval of the cultural funding program package.

This is what I had to do:

• recuse myself from the item that approved the review panel for the open proposals program because mocha has a open proposal in front of the open proposal review panel.
• recuse myself again from the item that approved the cultural funding program recommendations for the cultural funding program because mocha has two recommendations for funding inside of that.

Recusing is fun. Before the item came up I just left my seat and walked out of the room, sitting on the steps in the City Hall rotunda, studying just how Doric the interior is. When I say Doric, I mean Dull. The 70s Disco Ball chandelier is still stunning, however, and I had a magical moment of staring at it while it was turned on for the evening. How Times Square.

Dan Fontes came out on his cell phone attempting to help caller Randolph Belle deal with a flat tire. I think Randy asked Dan where he was, and Dan said: commission meeting. Then in a few seconds he said: No, just the same old shit. That's when I put my head in my hands.

Here's the tricky part: When I left the room the Commission momentarily lost its quorum. So it couldn't vote on the action items I was conflicted about. So I might as well go back in, I thought. But then it would gain a quorum and take up the action item. But I had a conflict with that action item. So I had better stay put and not listen to Dan.

I looked up at the ceiling and squinted: perhaps the answer was hanging there, or I could pretend it was. Many many many moments passed. I can't tell you exactly how many. It was as if much weed had been smoked, and the simplest decision about the order of events was lost to me forever, due to a dank, bureaucratic overlay. The door to the chamber opened and a big wafting aroma of Kafka bloomed out the portal.

It's official: I'm Part Of The Problem.
GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH RESULTS ON THAT THOUGHT

Agenda for 4/19 Cultural Affairs Commission

Cultural Affairs Commission
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 19, 2004
5:30 - 7:30pm
City Council Chambers
Oakland City Hall - One Frank Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor
Agenda

1. Call to Order / Determination of Quorum
2. Open Forum
3. Action Item - Approval of minutes from: March 15, 2004
4. Oral Report - Chair
5. Oral Report - Department Director / Staff
6. Oral Report - Amy Kweskin re: 6 Women with an Idea for Sustaining Oakland's Arts & Culture
7. Agenda Building
   Next CAC meeting - Monday, May 17, 2004 5:30 - 7:30pm, City Council Chambers
8. Announcements
   Cultural Affairs Commissioners invite all interested to monthly post-meeting discussion and socializing at Cafe Van Kleef Contemporary Art Galley located at 1621 Telegraph Aven, two blocks from City Hall.
9. Adjourn
Note: Action Items will become Informational Reports if a quorum is not established.

Whoa Baby!

First off: check back here in a few days for Six Women and an Idea. Yes, I'm involved and I'm also in production with the students at the San Francisco School of the Arts. Hello. Kids First, People.

Second off: Agenda Building. In a world gone mad (you know the kind, where you are the 6th largest economy in the world and ranking dead last in per capita arts funding), what the helly hell hell would you want your local arts commission to do? Tell me.

Third off: Socializing at Cafe Van Kleef. I caught a nearby neighborhood gallery owner explaining Van Kleef's as a space that has been there for thirty years with its proprietor and his predilictions, but only recently opened its doors to the public. Most times it seems that everyone inside is having a good time, in that Caligula kinda way. As a first step to making the Commission accessible to Oakland's arts community, we may have already sprained something.

Nothing that can't be cured by a restorative at Mama Buzz, of course.

I think it's tidal

You are invited to help create a vision for sustaining Oakland's vibrant arts and culture.

Gather around the table on March 29 from 6:45-8:15pm at
Arts First Oakland
at First Congregational Church of Oakland
2501 Harrison St at 27th Street in the Gallery. Room 20.
Light reception at 6:45pm.

See agenda below.

We are Six Women with an Idea:
Raissa De La Rosa
Amy Kweskin
Eve Lindi
Suki O‚Kane
Stephanie JT Russell
Elena Serrano

Our Goals:
1) Bring together arts and culture workers and introduce our vision and mission for alliance and
collaboration.
2) Encourage networking among participants.
3) Discuss a shared vision for vibrant and sustainable arts and culture in Oakland.
4) Create buzz – pass this email on to 5 more people!

Host and Facilitator Eve Lindi of Arts First Oakland

RSVP to Amy Kweskin at [email protected]
Eve Lindi at 510-444-8511 x15
[email protected]

If you can't attend let us know if you want to be on the email list.

AGENDA
6:45–7:05-People arrive, sign in, network, nibble,
share marketing collateral (tables in atrium)

7:05–7:15-Welcome, host introductions, and purpose of
meeting (Eve facilitator, Amy, Elena, Suki, Stephanie)

7:15–7:25-Introductions: name & organization

7:25–7:30-Introduce Small Group Discussion Questions:
--What is a collaboration – what does it mean to be an
ally?
--If arts service organizations, funders, business
partners, etc. were in the room with us right now,
what would we say to them about the unique strengths
and challenges of Oakland‚s arts and cultural
community?
--Looking at the following areas of interest, what can
we do better in collaboration (vs. within our own
existing organizations)? What differences would an
alliance make?

1) Professional Development & Learning
--management/business
--creative/artistic

2) Board Development

3) Resource Development
--Funding
--Technical (legal, fiscal, technology, skills bank,
marketing & PR)
--Facilities
--Advocacy

4) Public & Inter-Org Communication
--Audience development – demographics, geographic
focus
--Calendar
--Media support

5) Others?

7:30–7:50 Small Group Discussion

7:50–8:00 Re-gather and report back on areas
identified for collaboration

8:00–8:05 Next Steps – Announce next gathering in May
at Pro Arts and explain follow-up survey

8:05–8:10 Brief Evaluation (one-word feeling)

We look forward to seeing you there!