DEPARTMENT: Department of Arts & Culture
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Debbie Racca-Sittre
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Revisions to San Antonio Arts Commission Bylaws
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing revisions to the San Antonio Arts Commission Bylaws to provide an updates to their Purpose, Mission, Roles and Responsibilities, simplifying Membership composition requirements and updating the Committee Structure.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In April 2015, the San Antonio Arts Commission was created by consolidating the Department of Arts and Culture’s two boards into one unified body. The Cultural Arts Board, which was established in 1984, and was responsible for making recommendations on arts and cultural funding programs, including arts funding guidelines and grant awards, and the Public Art Board which was established in 2009 and was responsible for developing and enhancing the city’s public art program in adherence to the City’s adopted public art ordinance that sets policies and guidelines regarding the commissioning of public art, acceptance of artwork donations, and stewardship and conservation of the city’s art inventory.
The bylaws were updated in 2015 with the creation of the San Antonio Arts Commission and reflected a fifteen member advisory board appointed to serve as the recommending body for all arts and cultural initiatives including grant funding and public art.
The Department of Arts & Culture held a retreat in July 2016 for the San Antonio Arts Commission to achieve a few key items, which included providing a clear overview of the Purpose, Mission, and Roles and Responsibilities of the Commission, and to simplify the Membership composition requirements and the proposed Committee Structure, Composition and Rules. These key items are reflected in the proposed updates to the bylaws.
ISSUE:
Department of Arts & Culture staff recommends City Council authorization to update the Bylaws of the San Antonio Arts Commission. The revisions include providing a clear outline of the Purpose, Mission, Roles and Responsibilities of the Commission, including simplifying the Membership composition requirements and the proposed Committee Structure, Composition and Rules.
— Commission composition:
— 15 members
— (1) Chairperson appointed by Mayor
— (4) Members appointed by Mayor
— (10) Single Member Council District Reps
— Representatives from: Cultural Events/Festivals, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, Art Patronage, Public Art & Urban Design (includes visual arts), Film, and Music
— Purpose: To serve as an advisory body to the City of San Antonio for Arts & Culture
— Mission: To advocate for excellent, accessible, and engaging arts and cultural opportunities for the citizens and visitors of San Antonio
— Roles/Responsibilities:
— Act as liaison to City Council and represent their council district at Arts & Cultural Events
— Work with City staff to develop, promote, educate and preserve SA’s unique artistic & cultural experiences
The Committee structure includes a newly created Film Committee (to be known as “Film Commission”) and Music Committee (to be known as “Music Commission”), in addition to the Arts Funding Committee and Public Art Committee that are currently in place. The updates develop a process to add non-San Antonio Arts Commission members to serve on these Committees. With the addition of non-SAAC members this would allow for Tricentennial Commission members to integrate into the SAAC to serve a two-year term on the Arts Funding and Public Art Committees. The updated Bylaws also establish a minimum/maximum number of members per committee.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should City Council not authorize the revisions to the San Antonio Arts Commission Bylaws, updates to the Purpose, Mission, Roles/Responsibilities and Committee structure would not be implemented. The existing Bylaws would remain in effect as per existing City Council authorization.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff and the San Antonio Arts Commission recommend adoption of the revised bylaws.