12IAC RANKING FINAL.Xlsx

FY2011-2012 INDIVIDUAL ARTIST COMMISSION DANCE 16 APPLICATIONS

RANKING Panel Rating Name Grant Request Grant 85.8 Monique Jenkinson $10,000 $10,000 84.3 Sean Dorsey $10,000 $10,000 80.5 Sara Mann $10,000 $10,000 80.5 Scott Wells $10,000 $10,000 76.8 Lenora Lee $10,000 $8,100 73.0 Benjamin Levy $10,000 $8,100 67.5 Deborah Slater $10,000 $7,700 64.0 Lily Cai $10,000 $8,100 61.0 Catherine Galasso $10,000 52.8 Christy Funsch $10,000 50.5 Michelle Fletcher $10,000 48.3 Pearl Ubungen $10,000 42.3 Wilfred Mark $10,000 40.0 Erika Tsimbrovsky $10,000 31.0 Raissa Simpson $10,000 28.6 Erin Malley $10,000

TOTAL $160,000 $72,000

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Panelist Biographies 2012-Individual Artist Commission Grants Dance

Erika Chong Shuch, Choreographer, Director, Dancer, and Educator Erika Chong Shuch is a choreographer and director who makes original performance work with her company, the Erika Chong Shuch Performance Project, a resident company at Intersection for the Arts since 2004. Erika has recently been working in Korea on a new work inspired by and in collaboration with North Korean defectors, which will premiere in Seoul and at the SF International Arts Festival in 2013. The company has been commissioned by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to present After All (2008) and Dancers’ Group’s ONSITE program to present Love Everywhere (2010). A recipient of the Gerbode Foundation’s Emerging Choreographer’s Award and a Goldie Award, Erika’s work has been supported by residencies at Headlands Center for the Arts, Djerassi Residency Program, ODC, and Mullae Art Space in Seoul, Korea. Erika worked under the mentorship of Joe Goode through CHIME, a program of the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. She also directs plays such as The Lily’s Revenge by Taylor Mac at the Magic Theatre and God’s Ear, by Jenny Schwartz, for the Shotgun Players. As a choreographer of plays, Erika works continually with companies such as CAL Shakes (2009-present) and Campo Santo. Erika is an adjunct faculty member at A.C.T.’s MFA program, and has created new work on students as a guest artist at universities such as UC Berkeley (2008- 2011), UC Davis, University of San Francisco, and Naropa University. Erika teaches workshops to folks interested in creating interdisciplinary work.

Geol Weirs, Performing Arts Professional Geol Leonard Weirs is an artist, turned arts educator, turned arts administrator, turned arts grant maker. He continues to turn, and has done so for twenty-five plus years. Weirs directed GLW Associates providing consultant and management services to nonprofit arts and cultural agencies at the local, regional and national levels. Weirs is former Program Officer for Arts and Culture with the San Francisco Foundation and the Senior Program Officer for Arts and Culture at the Dayton Hudson Foundation. On the other side of the grantmaking table he served as Marketing Manager for Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Director of Theatre Arts Education at The Children's Theatre Company and School, and Artistic Director of Contemporary Concert Dancers and the New England Dance Theatre. Community service activities include; Yerba Buena Arts and Events BOD, San Francisco, San Francisco International Arts Festival BOD, San Francisco Arts Commission panelist, Gallery Tour Guide at The Museum of the African Diaspora SF, the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Arts Commission, Resources and Counseling for the Arts, Arts Over AIDS, Minnesota Dance Alliance and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Academically, he has held positions at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Macalester College, St. Paul; and Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. Most recently Weirs was Executive Director of Young Audiences of Northern California. He is now retired and returning to study at San Francisco State University. We'll see what this turn is about.

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Rita Felciano, Dance Critic, San Francisco Bay Guardian Born in Switzerland and educated there and at UC Berkeley, Rita Felciano has been the Dance Critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian since 1988. She has hosted a monthly half-hour show, “Dance Bay Area: Keep it Moving” on radio station KUSF and is a Bay Area correspondent for DanceView Magazine and a Contributing Editor to Dance Magazine. She also writes for the online DanceView Times. She has been a member of the Board of the Dance Critics Association and editor of its newsletter, DCA News. She co-directed “Crossed Stars,” an international conference on “Romeo and Juliet” with the late Eric Hellman. Her reviews, features and essays have been published by such national and international publications as the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Ballet Review, Pointe Magazine, Dance Now, BalletTanz, SRUTI, and Dance International. She has served as panelist for local and national arts funding agencies and has been a consultant for DanceAdvance, a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia. She was awarded an Isadora Duncan Award for her achievement in dance writing in 1998; the VoiceofDance Critic of Merit Award in 2004 and in 2005 she was the Dance Critic Association’s Senior Critic Honoree.

Yasmen Mehta, Choreographer and Dancer Yasmen Mehta has been a professional modern dance choreographer and dancer, performing nationally and internationally for fifteen years, with the California Contemporary Dancers. She retired from the company in 2004. Yasmen has also been a dance panelist for the Zellerbach Family Foundation for about seven years. From 1990 to 1996 she was the Director of Operations for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. In addition Mehta has worked for the Women’s Philharmonic and the San Francisco Dance Center for Alonzo King from 1996 to 1999. Yasmen currently teaches yoga and Pilates around the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Police Academy.

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Benjamin Levy Project Summary Comfort Zone is a dance and new media installation that will use a foundation of psychological research to investigate the ways in which we make sense of our behavior, form impressions of others, and define our roles in groups and communities. The project will be created by Benjamin Levy, commissioned by the Exploratorium, and will premiere in September 2013 at the new Exploratorium location on the San Francisco Pier.

Catherine Galasso Project Summary Grotesque is an evening-length multimedia dance work for five dancers inspired by fashion designer, provocateur, and performance artist Leigh Bowery. Blending movement, video projections, a live soundtrack and wearable sculpture, Grotesque will be presented by the San Francisco Film Society as part of their new media performance festival, Kinotek, to take place in summer 2013 in San Francisco. The project will be led by choreographer Catherine Galasso, in collaboration with curator/producer Sean Uyehara.

Christy Funsch Project Summary my night is long is a 24 hour durational performance that will take place at CounterPULSE Theater over March 9-10 and 16-17, 2013. my night is long is an installation performance for six dance artists, the electronic musicians Religious Girls, and the visual artist Gretchen Jane Mentzer. The work defies habitual attention spans and consumerist patterns of observation by transforming the performers, the audience, and the space through elapsed time. It will be webcast.

Deborah Slater $0 Project Summary How does one hold a warrior and an artist in the same brain and body? How is one a soldier and a dancer at the same time? Compare and contrast. The Art of War meets the Art of Love. A continuing study.

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Erika Tsimbrovsky Project Summary Ir-Rational is a grotesque fantasy about an imagined meeting between Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth of England. The two represent opposing archetypes: Mary intuitive, Elizabeth rational. In the multimedia, dance performance—a highly structured improvisation—the queens will be portrayed as characters in the constantly changing environment of a computer game. Their collision reflects the struggle in each of us between impulse and reason.

Erin Malley Project Summary “Hotel in a Bottle” will be multimedia dance performance inspired by Japanese author Haruki Kurakami’s fiction. The first of three installments in the “Murakami Hotel” series, this portion will take place at CounterPULSE, November 2012. A live, interactive-video design will be integrated into the choreography from the beginning of the process, creating a fully cohesive multimedia atmosphere.

Lenora Lee Project Summary I am respectfully seeking a $10,000 IAC grant to support the creation and presentation of a new interdisciplinary work, “Rescued Memories,” integrating dance, martial arts, multimedia, text and music which shares stories of the women and girls who sought refuge at Cameron House during the early 20th Century. The piece will be performed at ODC Theater in September 2013 and at the de Young Museum in October 2013.

Lily Cai Project Summary I am requesting support for the creation and development phases of What I See, What I Feel. The work, performed by 6 dancers, will comprise four original 12-15 minute pieces examining American life through the eyes of a Chinese immigrant. The project will culminate in a February 2013 workshop production at Chinese Cultural Productions’ South of Market Studio prior to its fall premiere at Yerba Buena Center.

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Michelle Fletcher Project Summary This proposal request $10,000 to support the creation and development of Play, Learn, Grow, Loss, Community / Self-Portrait, a live dance and music performance that takes the audience on multi-site walking-trail of performance within Golden Gate Park. This project further expands the ongoing exploration of how we as an audience view dance when it is in motion around us, among us. Awarded funds will support participating artists’ rehearsal and performance fees.

Monique Jenkinson Project Summary “Instrument” (Working title) is a dance-based solo performance for which I will enlist three very different choreographers (Miguel Gutierrez, Amy Siewert, and Chris Black) to create movement on me, which I will shape into a piece. We will take as a point of departure the exhibition ‘Rudolf Nureyev: Costumes from a Life in Dance’ opening in September at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to examine the performing body as archive, instrument and translator.

Pearl Ubungen Project Summary Sacred City: Legacy of Transcendence is inspired by Ed Mock and Al Robles, two west coast artists whose radical aesthetics laid the ground for community-based work and whose influences continue to resonate throughout the cultural landscape of San Francisco. pearl ubungen will devise a “double suite” n homage to Mock and Robles with rich musical and archival sources through a deep improvisational process complimented by a series of Death and Art in Everyday Life workshops.

Raissa Simpson Project Summary Affected by an illness disorder that takes over the body’s functions, “Study on a Butterfly,” is a 15-minute dance work for film by Raissa Simpson. In collaboration with Bayeté Ross Smith and Delina Brooks, the theme’s imagery takes the audience through a series of situations that manipulate Simpson’s existing condition with Degenerative Joint Disease.

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Sara Mann Project Summary “The Eye of Leo” will be a new work developed by choreographer Sara Shelton Mann in collaboration with media artist David Szlasa, composer/sound designer Norman Rutherford and 3 dancers. The piece will explore the archetypes of the Soul, and the concepts of individuation and integration, “all as one”, and will be developed over a period of 8-10 months through workshops at THEOFFCENTER, with a culminating performance in Spring 2013 at a larger venue such as Z Space.

Scott Wells Project Summary Scott Wells will direct a cast of professional dancers who are also fathers in Father Dances. They will create dance performance that explores the confusing and evolving role of fathers in contemporary society. The goal is a work that is artistically unique with meaningful social impact.

Sean Dorsey Project Summary This proposal requests $10,000 to support the creation and development of my next full-length dance concert: The Missing Generation and The Source Of Joy. During the grant period, I will create and develop the choreography and stage at least 8 work-in-progress performances. Awarded funds will support my creative fee and will compensate the dancers and my artistic collaborators participating in these two phases of my new work’s development.

Wilfred Mark Project Summary Creation of a street choreography with excerpt for the stage, based on the Jab Jab character from Grenada Carnival and drawing parallels between issues of Grenada’s underclass and issues of the 99%, as represented by journalists, intellectuals and, most recently, by the OCCUPY movement in San Francisco and other US cities, to be performed at Carnaval San Francisco in May 2013 for an audience of 250,000+.

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Benjamin Levy PROJECT SUMMARY: Comfort Zone is a dance and new media installation that will use a foundation of psychological research to investigate the ways in which we make sense of our behavior, form impressions of others, and define our roles in groups and communities. The project will be created by Benjamin Levy, commissioned by the Exploratorium, and will premiere in September 2013 at the new Exploratorium location on the San Francisco Pier. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• The samples showed a very strong performance. I’m glad to see the work samples because that set up the cerebral context of the work that’s being proposed. • I’ve seen his work before. I found the project description dry, but from what I’ve seen of his work, it’s not dry. • Every project that he undertakes uses his basic vocabulary and deals with the hyper‐connectedness of the body. As a whole he asks important questions. • I’m impressed with the collaborators, the background, interest and investment in this subject matter. • I’m impressed by the vision for this piece.

Project Merit  The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan:  The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth:  The project’s potential to further the development of the art form:

• This project is great. The outline of the process is clear. • The project budget is solid. • Director: There is $20,000 unsecured although budget notes state that he has history of procuring monies from Map. • I had a question about that too. Map monies are hard to get. Like every artist, he puts in what he can get. And unless it is a huge discrepancy, it is still doable. • I know Map funding is competitive, but I also know that with the support of the Exploratorium, this project will happen no matter what. • I see rehearsal fees for dancers, but don’t see performance fees. • I have a question about whether the performance or the installation is what is up at the Exploratorium for three months. I wanted more detail on how many performances will be involved and to see that reflected in the budget. • I have some questions. With this installation of curtained boxes, I understand how he will set it up but don’t know how it all works together. • I see a clear progression in his work. I can’t think of a better opportunity than to use the Exploratorium’s new space to introduce his new work. I see this as a clear extension of where he has been going. This is an opportunity to continue that trajectory.

Artist’s History and/or Promise  The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project:  Apparent artistic potential of the applicant:  The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project:

• The project builds on previous explorations on creating stuff that is interactive and site specific.

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• I’m impressed that he’s connected with the Joyce and has begun thinking through how this work will translate to other spaces. That’s important when looking at site specific work. He’s making sure his work can translate. • He and his company have a consistent track record of producing high caliber work. They’re always flexing into different areas and trying new things. And they try with complete conviction. • He has the support of a technical residency at Z Space where he’ll be working on how things will happen and thinking about capacity. • He has good support from important people.

• He’s relying on experts at the Exploratorium to help engage the target audience. He has a good track record of attracting an audience. • He’ll reach audiences in a deep way at the Exploratorium. He’ll have a new, large audience that is interested in the work. • I have some concerns about this project in the way he thinks about audience investigation. I’m concerned whether what he wants to convey will produce results and how will he determine that.

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Catherine Galasso

PROJECT SUMMARY: Grotesque is an evening‐length multimedia dance work for five dancers inspired by fashion designer, provocateur, and performance artist Leigh Bowery. Blending movement, video projections, a live soundtrack and wearable sculpture, Grotesque will be presented by the San Francisco Film Society as part of their new media performance festival, Kinotek, to take place in summer 2013 in San Francisco. The project will be led by choreographer Catherine Galasso, in collaboration with curator/producer Sean Uyehara. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• This is a very interesting project. She did a good job articulating what she wants to do. • I like how she talks about what she does and why she chose this project. • I like the multidisciplinary aspect of her work and the humor. • She has a great vision for the project. Fashion can be topical, but she really articulated why this artist was worth exploring further. It’s something much deeper. • Using fashion as a vehicle for performance art is exciting. • I love the idea of wearable sculpture. This will make a powerful piece if put together correctly. • I found it interesting that she choose a British icon to present to an American audience. It might be informative.

• She’s very coherent in talking about what she will be doing. • The project description is precise; it is organized. She has two outside evaluators in place who will tell her in what way her project succeeds. • She doesn’t have an identified composer in place. It would have been nice to have that information because these people will be of tremendous importance. • I’m concerned that if these collaborating artists are big part of work, she should already have them identified. I’m not clear about Sean’s role and why he is helping her choose the live band. What is the relationship there? That was fuzzy. • In terms of the budget, using this grant to provide seed money is fine. I only have a question about the identified foundation funds—I don’t know how this is broken out. • Director: With those funds, usually a choreographer gets $25,000 and $25,000 goes to a composer or organization. What she did here is an allocation. • That was not clear. • I have questions about the collaborators and budget. • I also have questions about the venue. Does the San Francisco Film Society have an adequate performance venue? The proposal didn’t specify a particular venue. • She identifies collaboration as the next step in her development, so this is a promising example. She has worked with exploring historical personages and figures. So in that way, this project is also the next step and expands her ability to do that kind of exploration. She wants to explore the interpretation and majestic imaging of a person. • More and more artists are using different genres to express themselves. It’s wonderful to see that with the technology coming out now, the art no longer has to be called dance, but it’s simply an artist using every possible genre to produce their work. It’s exciting to see that develop. This sounded exciting to me.

Artist’s History and/or Promise

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 The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project:  Apparent artistic potential of the applicant:  The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project:

• She works from mixed media perspective – dance and movement is important but not necessarily the primary driving part. She comes from an interesting background. • Her background predisposes her to do this. She has the knowhow to pull it off. • She has a clear history of presenting professional work. She has a great base of support at the Film Society.

• The audience description was general but possible. It is interesting that a dance audience is not the primary audience, but that makes sense in terms of her work. • The marketing plan sounded above average to me. • In her target audience description, she talks about reaching the film and visual arts community. She mentions a web‐based platform, but I wonder what else she would do to reach them in a new way. I wanted more information about how she’s connecting to those communities. I also have a question about the other activities: lectures, screenings, etcetera. She could have written more about the nature of those pieces.

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Christy Funsch

PROJECT SUMMARY: my night is long is a 24 hour durational performance that will take place at CounterPULSE Theater over March 9‐10 and 16‐17, 2013. my night is long is an installation performance for six dance artists, the electronic musicians Religious Girls, and the visual artist Gretchen Jane Mentzer. The work defies habitual attention spans and consumerist patterns of observation by transforming the performers, the audience, and the space through elapsed time. It will be webcast. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• This application touched my heart being an athlete myself. It’s great to see an artist wanting to do a 24 hour performance. • I feel like this project is driven by a genuine curiosity in its concept and audience. • This is a conceptual art piece. • She’s taking on a challenge to see dance in different ways. She wants to be off‐beat and create something that people don’t expect to see; which I appreciate. • Not much was said about the choreography, but the concept came through clearly.

• The development plan and budget is realistic. • It is admirable but I have questions. In the 24 hours, how much is improvised versus set choreographed work. • I have questions of how she will consider the composition, because from what I’ve seen of her past work, it’s very compositionally oriented. • I was challenged by this project. I have more questions than I could find answers in the proposal. I wanted to see more details about the plan in the proposal. • She has worked primarily on an intimate basis, so this is big step for her. But this is also not the first time she has stepped out of her comfort zone. • What we need to challenge the form to develop is for work that fails and reaches into new territory.

• The way she draws from different cultural sources shows she is a creative thinker. • There is some precedent in her history in terms of taking on this type of project. She is aware of the challenges. Still, would have liked to see details of how she will structure the marathon and what happens when the rhythm breaks. • Those dancers will have to train quite a bit to prevent sleep deprivation. This will be a challenge for her.

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• I have some questions about the public benefit. When hear about a 24 hour show, it is more about the artist and the company. So it’s intriguing for one company to do it for 24 hours, but I also have to wonder if the audience is expected to be there for 24 hours. • In terms of the public benefit, there is a discourse generated by work like this. That dialogue is valuable. It’s a performance that is not driven by the aesthetics. It’s meant to allow the dialogue to be broader. It is a brave and bold application. It allows for new relationships to be built with audiences and create beautiful collaborations like with the visual artists. • What do you do at 4 a.m. and who is it for? I have questions about audience development – how will she let people know she is dancing in the middle of the night? • She has to be savvy about who she targets to see the work. Maybe there are late night film goers and other kind of niche groups. She’s got some thinking to do around making this a success—an event rather than just a dance performance. • She talked about bringing in people from the de Young’s nighttime audiences. Those events are packed at 11 at night. • They have a great marketing strategy and include a bar and band. Marketing for this project has to be very clever. • Honestly, what I would do is go at the very beginning and very end—kind of like a sporting event. I would just know that the artists will be there. • She did an event at Z Space that I didn’t see, but I’ve felt the impact on that on my own creativity simply because of the dialogue she created. It raised questions for me about how I want to present work. This does that for me as well. • I understand that it is important to have specific ideas about the audience to be reached, but for me, the primary purpose of a project is for an artist to do what they want to do. The work is the primary focus and it spreads out from there. • Director: In a broader sense, I think it is true that the work can inform a broader, indirect audience conversation but because this involves public money, we want specifics about how projects will reach and impact their audience.

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Deborah Slater

PROJECT SUMMARY: How does one hold a warrior and an artist in the same brain and body? How is one a soldier and a dancer at the same time? Compare and contrast. The Art of War meets the Art of Love. A continuing study. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• She is a sassy, creative, funny choreographer who is refreshing to see. I love choreographers who are thinking from a slightly tilted scale. • This proposal is intriguing. She strongly articulates bringing together these two concepts. • This will be Private’s work and she will direct the piece and bring in her own dancers. I didn’t know he had served in the armed forces. To bridge that gap and be an artist and soldier is mind blowing. • I like this application a lot.

• The budget is clear. • The funding is not really in place yet. I wish I had more certainty that the funding will come together. • I couldn’t figure out how the project with Brian will work. She could have explained how he is both a professional artist and soldier. Is the solo created on him or somebody else? I found the application lacking in that respect. • She will be directing and Private will be choreographing for himself. This is the next step up for her to move from choreographer to director. • Becoming a director for her work is a logical next step. • She researches her subjects thoroughly, but I need to see more of the details. • The research will come from Private himself. • But then she needs to tell us that. • She makes the subject clear and what her focus is within that. I’m making the assumption that what they will be bringing to the choreography will be coming from him. • Staff: Do you have a sense of the collaboration and how that will be developing the content? • The narrative talks about multiple perspectives coming into the work. • Director: In budget notes she mentions that some artistic personnel will include writers.

• I’m impressed with how she’s able to bring together artmaking and a strong background in bringing her work to public. She has a good track record of making work. • This is an artist who is very experienced. Her work has always been narrative. The choreography is an important part of the work, but not always primary. She has worked with a dramaturge in the past. Dance is not necessarily the most interesting part of the performance, but I respect what she is trying to do. • She will be focused on directing the work and the material. I’ve seen how she has been able to work the process to allow artists to bring in material.

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• She’s doing this based on something that has worked before. It’s an interesting idea. • It’s a way of bringing people into your community.

• If the funding works, there’s a good chance to reach a broad audience. I wanted to see more detail in the outreach being done to military groups. I needed more detail. I have doubts about doing it the way it is described. • I loved her last project evaluation process that involved having post‐its on the wall of the lobby for audience members to leave thoughts. That kind of thing shows that she thinks outside of the box.

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Erika Tsimbrovsky

PROJECT SUMMARY: Ir‐Rational is a grotesque fantasy about an imagined meeting between Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth of England. The two represent opposing archetypes: Mary intuitive, Elizabeth rational. In the multimedia, dance performance—a highly structured improvisation—the queens will be portrayed as characters in the constantly changing environment of a computer game. Their collision reflects the struggle in each of us between impulse and reason. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• Her work is so visually striking—the performers create these great pictures. She builds great playgrounds for people to interact in. • I appreciate the research going into this, but it could be an overloading of genres. How do you edit your work? Where do you pull back? • This artist asks important questions about the nature of performance. However, the product of investigations is less compelling. • The shape and structure she developed was interesting but what she put into those structures is not very interesting. What I have seen has not convinced me. But the fact that she works here in San Francisco is important because no other artist is asking those questions. • It’s a beautifully written proposal. I like that the concept for the work is based on these two iconic queens. It has an interesting history and symbolic metaphor for looking at structure and chaos. • The concept of the rational and irrational sounded dry to me, even though I like the historical characters. It sounded like they were taking something rich and making it dry. • The history of the two queens is interesting in itself. There’s no need to take the historical figures and squeeze them into these archetypes. She could have done something else to bring those themes. It raises a lot of questions for me. • My question is why she chose to juxtapose these two characters. I don’t feel like she actually made the case for it. I couldn’t make that jump with her in choosing the subjects.

• Joe Goode’s letter helped me see the importance of improvised work like this in the context of San Francisco. • I have some questions about the allocation of CHIME funds to pay other artists. Perhaps that’s a question for Margaret Jenkins and ultimately artists will use their funds how they see fit, but I thought the intent is to pay the choreographer for their work. • I like the idea of using computer games to manipulate the action, but I’m not clear how that actually works. • I wasn’t clear on what’s happening in the workshops.

• I’m curious about her potential to develop her own vision. How will this be different from the book she references? Is it just different because it’s moving into the performance? • She’s presenting work regularly. I appreciate the range of venues in San Francisco she partners with.

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• When talking about improvisation there are questions that always come up. I have no problem with it, but to do something like that you have to be very skilled. You have to have people who really know what they are doing other than the choreographer. The group has to be well‐versed in the practice to present structured improv. How do they do that? • Staff: Did the biographies of the collaborators help answer those questions? • It does a bit, but eventually it is about the performers. The biographies and work sample didn’t convince me completely.

• I have a question about how the improvisation serves the audience that is not coming from a performance background and is in on the experiment. How is the work shaped to speak to people not coming from dance. • She has a consistent presence here. She talks about building a regular audience from her past work. • I’m not clear why she’s identified the gamer community. I wanted to hear more articulation about why they need to see this works and why she’s passionate about that connection. • The gamer community is huge. There are a lot of people in that community to draw in if the marketing is done right. They would totally come out—and they have in the past—if they know about it. Her marketing plan is average, but if she targets the audience and shows a good match, they don’t need much prodding to come out.

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Erin Malley

PROJECT SUMMARY: “Hotel in a Bottle” will be multimedia dance performance inspired by Japanese author Haruki Kurakami’s fiction. The first of three installments in the “Murakami Hotel” series, this portion will take place at CounterPULSE, November 2012. A live, interactive‐video design will be integrated into the choreography from the beginning of the process, creating a fully cohesive multimedia atmosphere. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I thought the most interesting part of the work was the video. The work as a whole seems fragmented. I couldn’t get a hold of it. There are some interesting parts. • I found the project description confusing. • Maybe she needs a writer. She struggles with articulating her work succinctly. I have a hard time understanding what she was talking about. There is something missing in thought process.

• I would love for this artist to survive and keep working. As an artist your whole life is a growth trajectory. I feel like she’s at an early stage where she has a lot to grow and mature. She has the fire and the seed—it is just a matter of time. • Director: Is it clear how this particular project assists in that trajectory? • The merit of this project is not where it needs to be. But as an artist she has the potential. I would like to see her in five or six years. • I have questions about the budget. The collaborators’ fee is the highest of that I’ve seen in other applications. She’s also listing an unusually high number of rehearsals.

• She has not been here for long but has a good track record. • She presents herself as videographer so I was excited to see how she would incorporate that element. But I was disappointed with the work sample. I expected to see a higher level of technique and integration. • I like that she designs her own videos. There is more growing to be done there. I see talent that needs to be refined and more sophisticated. If she has a passion for video and dance, kudos to her to develop those together—it has the potential to be cohesive if she’s working on the design of the video herself. • Working in these two forms together is something that can be developed over time. • She makes many assumptions and she has to learn how to clarify those so that the work translates to a theatrical experience. For example, there are small moments she talks about, like scratching the wall but the action didn’t translate in how the dancers actually interacted with the video.

• For an artist who has not been here for long, she has a good audience base. She will have open rehearsals.

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• She has general ideas about building up fans of Murakami’s work, but I would like to see more specificity.

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Lenora Lee

PROJECT SUMMARY: I am respectfully seeking a $10,000 IAC grant to support the creation and presentation of a new interdisciplinary work, “Rescued Memories,” integrating dance, martial arts, multimedia, text and music which shares stories of the women and girls who sought refuge at Cameron House during the early 20th Century. The piece will be performed at ODC Theater in September 2013 and at the de Young Museum in October 2013. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I have a lot of respect for this artist. She is a wonderful story teller. She brings her ancestral history in to the work. There is a lot of passion behind it. • This is the last part of a trilogy. So, there’s been thought process that’s built up behind the last two pieces. • She has juicy resources for research like Cameron House. Drawing from this history and community can be empowering. • In exploring a personal history, there is a fine line between being self‐indulgent and making things relevant for others. She handles this well. • I look forward to seeing this. It’s very moving.

• I had no problem with the budget. • Each piece she’s created has been an act of maturation. She is showing her growth. The piece makes sense as a next step for her.

• There are a lot of disciplines involved in her work—like martial arts and different dance forms—which could raise questions about how they work together. But she has proved that she can do it. • I didn’t feel like I got a good sense of her work from the first work sample. It was primarily focusing on martial arts forms. I liked the proposal but I didn’t quite get a sense of her development of the piece. The work sample did not help me. • The second work sample was more helpful in giving a sense of the artistry. • Her multi‐media collaborator will provide a lot of depth for the work and take advantage of the available technology; especially since she has old photographs to work with. Francis Wong is a seasoned collaborator.

• This was my favorite proposal in terms of public benefit. It’s so clear how the public benefits in a way that is true to the art.

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• I like that she will be having ODC performances. I find that artists from culturally specific backgrounds often perform for their own cultural group. But the story she will tell is relevant for communities beyond the specific people whose story will be told. I think it’s important for work to broaden out – particularly for artists who have history of support from their own community. She has clearly grown as an artist and needs that next step. • This is not just a history of somewhere far off – it’s our history whether we’re Chinese or not. It’s San Francisco’s history. • It’s important for the work for her to reach out to a broader community. The presentation at ODC is a good way to do that. • I was encouraged to see this. This is a story that needs to be told. I agree that bringing this to a broader community is good.

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Lily Cai

PROJECT SUMMARY: I am requesting support for the creation and development phases of What I See, What I Feel. The work, performed by 6 dancers, will comprise four original 12‐15 minute pieces examining American life through the eyes of a Chinese immigrant. The project will culminate in a February 2013 workshop production at Chinese Cultural Productions’ South of Market Studio prior to its fall premiere at Yerba Buena Center. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• It is incredible that she has developed her style. It includes the athleticism and softness we have come to expect from contemporary Chinese dance. • I’ve seen Lily since day one. Her work has changed over time. Her work does not fit into traditional modern dance or traditional Chinese dance. Hopefully more artists will work this way, because it’s interesting. • The work samples were excellent. Watching it, I get a good sense of her vocabulary. The work is strong. • The work sample was beautiful and she has a strong history.

• The budget is fine for a studio production. • I found this proposal very exciting to read. It’s nice that she wants to do more personal work that reflects on where she is in the community. • It’s nice to know that a trajectory like this is possible—that she now has the freedom to look inward. There is a lot of pushing that has happened with her work. And this is more like sinking into oneself. • She is working from the vocabulary she’s created, but moving inward. This is very exciting for her development. • I’m looking forward to how this impacts her development as an artist. • I’d like to see her work grow in different ways. Her work has been built a certain way. Maybe this is the beginning of her talking about her experiences in America. I’d like to see more of that. I’d like to see how she can use dance, technique, her body to explore those things. This is not to say that her past work does not have merit—I’d just like to see her push her boundaries.

• She has a strong community and a good history of producing and presenting work. • Her work with Gang Situ has been fruitful. • Gang Situ is a fantastic composer.

• I have questions about the fact that this supports a workshop production for 50 people. If the project also included the performance at Yerba Buena I think it would have a bigger impact when considering public benefit.

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• Director: Remember that the public benefit criteria are not just about audience numbers. It’s also about quality and depth of experience. • I still wonder if as a workshop production this will be as meaningful. • Director: As policy it’s okay for us to support the development of works‐in‐progress. • She does not reach people beyond her community. She does expect one rental at performance at YBCA— that is not enough. I don’t know if she’s not interested in reaching out further or if the audience has not been there to support her in the past? • Director: We shouldn’t make the assumption that because she is Chinese that she automatically has the support of the whole Chinese community. Remember Yerba Buena holds 750 people. The local Chinese community is much larger than that, so she has the potential to grow her audience even within the Chinese community. • I’ve seen her audiences. They’re 99% Asian. I don’t think that limit is good for her work. • But remember, she articulates the target audience as the local Chinese community—her community. So that is her stated goal. • She may have chosen to do that out of bad experiences like not having the support of outside presenters. • The subjects of this project, like homelessness and affection between a gay couple, are broader San Francisco issues.

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Michelle Fletcher

PROJECT SUMMARY: This proposal request $10,000 to support the creation and development of Play, Learn, Grow, Loss, Community / Self‐Portrait, a live dance and music performance that takes the audience on multi‐site walking‐trail of performance within Golden Gate Park. This project further expands the ongoing exploration of how we as an audience view dance when it is in motion around us, among us. Awarded funds will support participating artists’ rehearsal and performance fees. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I expected something more rigorous in the work sample. The proposal has great ideas and will be working in a great space. It will broaden the audience of folks who appreciate dance. But I would have liked to see more rigor in her dance vocabulary. • I had the same reaction about the work sample. It needs more sophistication. I did not get a sense of merit from the work. Then when you put the performance in an even bigger space like Golden Gate Park, the work has to stand on its own and fit in the space. • I think what you’ve identified is the modesty that she has. • When I saw the first work sample…I have to assume that she included that sample because she feels it is her best possible work. But the sophistication of that piece in the BART station didn’t match the sophistication in the proposal. Doing public work is challenging. Unless it was clearly meant to be a wallflower project, it falls short. The piece at ODC felt simplistic. • I thought it was flat. I didn’t get excited about it. • It’s important for her to understand the importance of the work sample. I want her to know how excited we were about the proposal. It’s important to submit a work sample that is at the level of the ideas in her proposal. • It was exciting to read the proposal. Her thinking is very thoughtful and creative. She’s looking at interactivity in so many different ways. • She has a clear vision of her creative process. For instance, she will video rehearsals so the participating artists can see the work as it develops.

• Her aims are clear. • The project is very clear. • This is a very strong and clear proposal. • In terms of the budget, she does not have a lot of money in pocket yet. The grant would be more than 50% of the budget which I guess is ok. I like that she added $500 for “the unforeseen.” That’s smart. • Based on what she has described, I am optimistic that this will help her develop a more mature practice in relation to her audience.

• This is an artist who has not lived here very long and does not have a strong track record.

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• From what I have seen in her open rehearsals and the work sample, she has a very fresh voice with a rigor to how she approaches the work. She takes a fashionable idea, like “installation,” and makes it her own. • She does not explore the potential of her vocabulary. She uses an existing vocabulary to explore her ideas. She seems relatively new to modern dance.

• She has a modesty about her audience. She thinks the work will be successful if 30 people come—and that includes her core audience and passersby in the park. • I love the idea of the picnic discussion to end the event. • It’s a great idea when a work can blend the boundaries between audience and performers—the social intermingling of performance. It brings a sense of togetherness. Modern dance has always been a hard sell for audiences. It’s like the stepdaughter of dance. I like that she is trying to make it less intimidating by holding a picnic at the end. It is nice to do things differently and to have a social gathering at the end. • Given that she hasn’t developed her vocabulary, if we were to see the project at Golden Gate Park, I don’t think it would stimulate the depth of conversation that she is hoping to have.

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Monique Jenkinson

PROJECT SUMMARY: “Instrument” (Working title) is a dance‐based solo performance for which I will enlist three very different choreographers (Miguel Gutierrez, Amy Siewert, and Chris Black) to create movement on me, which I will shape into a piece. We will take as a point of departure the exhibition ‘Rudolf Nureyev: Costumes from a Life in Dance’ opening in September at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to examine the performing body as archive, instrument and translator. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I just wanted to clap after seeing the work sample. • I also wanted to clap after reading the proposal. It was beautiful. She’s an amazing writer. I really support this project. I can think of no one better to do a project based on Nureyev. • I love her. The amount of detail about why she is drawn to this particular project is great. • The fact that she is bringing in 3 choreographers to work with her is great. She could use an outside eye and they can provide that.

• This clearly grows out of what she’s done in the past. How lucky the Museum is to have her do this alongside their exhibition. • If someone just told me she was going to choose three choreographers to work with, I would have had questions. But, she explains this process very well. • She has been her own mirror for so long. Working with these choreographers will take her to another level. • I have no questions about this. The budget seems clear. The support from the de Young and CounterPULSE is there. • My question is: does the work change when the venue changes? Does the choreography change with the venue? She’s going from working at the de Young to CounterPULSE. • She’ll be performing in the residency exhibition space at the de Young. It’s a smaller, enclosed space; not the huge open space. So it’s a little more controlled. The de Young is smart about who they hire to work in their space.

• She is singular. She has made drag even more profound. She creates full, evening length drag works. • This is one of those projects where a performer is crossing their training and boundaries . It’s ballsy. • She’s outrageous. It takes balls to do what she does in the drag performer community. You have to give her kudos. She’s a heterosexual woman who was voted the City’s best “faux queen.” That’s quite impressive in this City. • It’s interesting to see the way that she’s challenged the drag community to re‐evaluate their own boundaries around gender even as a straight, married woman. • I’ve seen several of her pieces. They’re very emotionally involved: you laugh, you see the parody, the self‐ reflection. This is a very complex artist.

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• I hope that her intellect will be reflected in the project. • What she’s done in clubs is great. She’s brought well developed work representing the dance community in the club environment. • I don’t know how these three choreographers input will work on her body. You can see that she has a trained athletic body, but I’m not sure how that will work out. • There are a lot of layers to her work. From the work sample, I’m convinced she can pull this off. I don’t have any reservations about that.

• She’ll bring night club audiences into the museum and then both museum and night club audiences into the theater. The work will have a ripple effect that gathers people as it progresses.

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Pearl Ubungen

PROJECT SUMMARY: Sacred City: Legacy of Transcendence is inspired by Ed Mock and Al Robles, two west coast artists whose radical aesthetics laid the ground for community‐based work and whose influences continue to resonate throughout the cultural landscape of San Francisco. Pearl Ubungen will devise a “double suite” in homage to Mock and Robles with rich musical and archival sources through a deep improvisational process complimented by a series of Death and Art in Everyday Life workshops. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I like her process of incorporating the public into her workshops, lending an unbiased eye to the process. She also allows her dancers to share their own stories in the development process; which is something many choreographers now do. • The concept of including stories of people who have struggled with their health or passed is moving. • There are two concepts in this: Mock’s and Robles’ history and the topic of death. It’s not clear how she’ll work those two concepts together. She talks about contemplation. But a work of contemplation has to have a physical manifestation. So what will that be? • The idea to bring mediation practitioners into a dance audience is a great idea because many dancers draw from yoga and that kind of physical practice. But it’s not detailed out in the proposal. • The applicant needs to understand that it is important to clearly articulate why she included the sample of Ed Mock’s work. The explanation needs to be there because I’m not sure it is appropriate for an assessment of her work.

• Paying tribute to your elders is a great idea, but it doesn’t change my perspective on how this is being presented. This is not planned enough. • Given her strong history, when I read the proposal I was disappointed. There was a lot of generalized language. She didn’t speak to what she wanted from her conversations with interviewees. • I hope she finds a way to do what she wants to do, but the proposal was not focused enough. • I wish she had given us a little more about how she plans to incorporate the percussionist and actress. It was a strong proposal but I have questions. • I’ve known of Pearl’s work for a long time. But this proposal is disappointing. I sometimes see this with artists who have been around a long time—they make assumptions about what people know about them and their process. • I thought this was a lazy proposal. • Staff: Can you explain what you mean by that? • She needed to talk about “why this project?” She didn’t explain the timeliness of this project.

• Pearl was really a pioneer in community‐based work. Her work goes way beyond a specific community. That is in part because of the subject and quality of her work. • Pearl has dedicated her life to community‐based artistic expression. This is clear in the application.

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• I love the interview clips that she included. It helped give me more of a sense of what she’s trying to do. Much more in‐depth than I would have gotten otherwise. • She clearly wants to integrate her dance and meditation practices. I hoped I would see some of that demonstrated in the work sample. • I have heard about the pioneering work she’s done in the past, but I was disappointed that I didn’t get a sense of how she’d pull off this project. • I’ve never seen her work live, so it would have really helped to have seen more of her own work in the sample; particularly current work that is more relevant to the project. • How good are the dancers who are building the performance? That’s what will draw people in. It takes a lot of skill to pull that off. • She has strong artistic collaborators with the percussionist and the actress.

• With the marketing, she’s doing all the right things: partnering with Shambhala Center, etcetera. But it would nice to move out of that particular arena into the general public. • She really embodies an artist with a strong community base. If I had to think of one person who has that, it would be her. So I just wonder how this plays for broader audiences. • She does a good job of weaving people into the process so that they are invested. • This feels introspective and contemplative. She’ll have the opportunity to contemplate her mortality in relation to the artists that she’s basing the work on. But I’m not sure that the audience will get that. • I had a question about the payment fees for the workshop. • I’m unclear about the role of the workshops. These seem to be for her to gather information to develop the piece. Why are people paying for the workshop? It seems like the artist should be paying the people contributing to the content if anything. • That also brought up questions for me. Are we supporting her to do the outreach workshops? I would look at this differently if she wasn’t charging for the workshops. How does this benefit people who wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise? • The workshop participants don’t pay for the performance? I’m confused. She has a workshop at Shambhala for people who want to talk about how they deal with grief and death. She then uses that information in the piece. This is my understanding • She talks about doing a workshop that addresses art making and death. This is not necessarily for the dancers. It can be for the general public.

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Raissa Simpson

PROJECT SUMMARY: Affected by an illness disorder that takes over the body’s functions, “Study on a Butterfly,” is a 15‐minute dance work for film by Raissa Simpson. In collaboration with Bayeté Ross Smith and Delina Brooks, the theme’s imagery takes the audience through a series of situations that manipulate Simpson’s existing condition with Degenerative Joint Disease. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• She has an interesting history. She has consistently done work that comes from her history as a person of mixed race. The consistency of this line of inquiry is interesting. This project looks at a different aspect of her identity— dealing with degenerative joint disease. She articulates it as her big issue. • I would have liked to see more of examples of her work dealing with this disability. I have a sister who had this disability so I’m familiar with it. I don’t see the relevant questions reflected in the narrative and project planning.

• There are a lot of hopes and a lot of leaps. It doesn’t weave together well. • She lays out the kinds of people she wants to work with—including doctors and patients—but this feels a little thin. I’d like more information on who she plans to interview. The timeline doesn’t detail out when they actually plan to make the movie itself. It talks about sound, interviews, and workshops for choreography, but overlooks post‐production and editing. I’m also not clear how the dance workshop serves the film project. • In the budget it looks like all of her home season ticket income will go to this project—is that really her plan? • She projects that ten people will pay $100 to take this workshop. I’m not sure that’s realistic. • This is consistent with the autobiographical focus of her past work. On the other hand, it would be interesting to see what would happen if she chose to focus on other sources for inspiration.

• I had a lot of questions about this application as a film project in this category. Does the Arts Commission support film in this category? It feels like the criteria needs to be different. • Director: You are still assessing this against the criteria for review as with the other projects. • The application doesn’t speak to her work or experience as a film maker. Her work samples are from her work as a choreographer. She’s proposing work in a different form. • It’s exciting that she wants to work in film. • Is she the one leading the shoot? • Director: She’s not doing the shooting. She has a collaborator, Bayeté, who is a film maker. It sounds like it would have been helpful to see a sample of his work? • This feels like it is a different grant. Maybe it should have been structured more clearly as a collaborative grant or his grant application.

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• I’ve seen her work. I think she does well with small pieces and a few dancers. One of the pieces she included in the work sample, the Black Swordsman, was not her best moment. It was all over the place. I saw a rehearsal for the other piece she presented at MOAD. The material was interesting—more interesting than what we saw in the work sample with all of those dancers. She may eventually get to the point where she can work with larger groups. But it makes me wonder if she knows what it will take to create a 15 minute film.

• I don’t think this makes the case about how this will have relevance for people other than herself. • She talks about a workshop where people are paying a fee, but she will also be taking material to be incorporated in her piece. This seems problematic. • The letter of support talks about how she has a history of working with non‐performance based organizations and working with youth. This is relevant. But no organizations are identified except Third Street Clinic. I looked at the clinic’s website and I didn’t see any indication that they work with mixed ability people. So it seems like the partnership is convenient, but I’m not sure it’s relevant.

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Sara Shelton Mann

PROJECT SUMMARY: “The Eye of Leo” will be a new work developed by choreographer Sara Shelton Mann in collaboration with media artist David Szlasa, composer/sound designer Norman Rutherford and 3 dancers. The piece will explore the archetypes of the Soul, and the concepts of individuation and integration, “all as one”, and will be developed over a period of 8‐10 months through workshops at THEOFFCENTER, with a culminating performance in Spring 2013 at a larger venue such as Z Space. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• She’s had a consistent and meaningful impact on the San Francisco arts community over time. It’s amazing how her work continues to effect younger generations of artists. Her teachings are still totally relevant. • We have had the opportunity to engage with her work over her lifetime. With every interaction with her work over time, I understand it more deeply. It is important for her work to be a consistent part of the San Francisco arts ecology. • I’m impressed with her work. • If I support this project, it is based on past works. Her craft and imagination are extraordinary. • She delves deep into her psyche to develop work and challenges the audience to look at it in an intellectual way. • Reading the proposal, I was getting frustrated because I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Her work is really hard to put words to—it speaks to, and legitimizes, the energetic experiences of performers and audiences. In a time where we want to measure and quantify notions of success, it’s a very different kind of work. I couldn’t fully get a hold of the proposal, but it is true to how her work functions; it is wordless. It speaks to the boldness and bravery her work as it exists in that state. • If I read about her successful past works in the form of a proposal, I probably wouldn’t understand it either. But she has a deep thinking and theatrical imagination. • The artist solos are interesting. I wanted more information about these artists and their backgrounds.

• The project was clear to me. • I’m not clear about how the performance at Z Space relates to the budget. It doesn’t seem to include the activities there. • She has a great relationship with David Szalza who can help with logistics at Z Space. • Director: In the budget notes, she includes expenses for a space rental for Z Space. • Z Space is producing the final work and covering other expenses. If they’re producing the work, there are expenses we are not seeing. The narrative notes that she is looking for a venue “such as Z Space” so I was unclear whether it was confirmed. • The $800 she’s putting into the budget is a sign of the commitment she has to this project. • She’s always choosing a new focus each time. She’s always on a trajectory of upward growth. • She’s always pushing to dig deeper into questions about life. She’s pushing boundaries all the time.

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• She’s a larger than life choreographer. She has a strong thematic approach to developing work. She delivers epic pieces that take time, but ultimately come together. • Going into her work is more about coming to an experience than coming to a dance performance. • She can’t be classified. She breaks all boundaries. • She does have a consistent track record of presenting her work in different venues. I don’t doubt she can do it. • Her ability to produce the work is not a problem. • Some of her collaborators are new, but she knows who she should work with.

Public Benefit  The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience:  The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The partnership with the Off Center is smart. They’re serving young, queer artists. This will be a great way for people unfamiliar with her work to learn about her. • She has developed a following. She has no reservations about who she is and what she does. • Her target audience is not articulated well. But I also think she will attract audiences based on her track record. • Her work is an experience that passes from one human being to another. • What she produces takes the audience to another level.

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Scott Wells

PROJECT SUMMARY: Scott Wells will direct a cast of professional dancers who are also fathers in Father Dances. They will create dance performance that explores the confusing and evolving role of fathers in contemporary society. The goal is a work that is artistically unique with meaningful social impact. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• He’s a rare artist that has been able to build a niche for himself over 20 years. He’s found a way to combine sports and dance—something no other artist has done. He is first rate. • His mission is clearly articulated. • I was impressed with the proposal. It was good to see the work sample. • I sometimes have questions about the structure of his work. He is a superb entertainer so sometimes gets away with things other artists cannot. So he sometimes takes the easy way—particularly in the endings for his pieces. • This exploration of fatherhood is not a major departure for him, but it is appealing. It will be a challenge. • This new piece is a continuation and extension of a question he asks in all his work: “what does it mean to be a man?” He shows the complexity of it. • I have not heard about anyone else doing an exploration of fatherhood through dance. Jessica Robinson Love’s letter of support talks about how he has a take on gender and masculinity that we don’t normally get in the dance community. That perspective he brings is unique. He’s able to talk about gender in a way that is driven by an authentic curiosity. I believe that this investigation is honest for himself and the collaborators. • There is a playfulness to his work. He talks a lot about improvisation. But his pieces are carefully rehearsed.

• He’s clearly outlined what he wants to do and has a good insight into it. • The evaluation isn’t a lot, but it is necessarily introspective. • I’m impressed that he will take the risk of working with children. I feel it will broaden his improvisational vocabulary. • He makes it clear that if it doesn’t work, he won’t use the kids.

• He has proven himself. He has a good track record and is a very popular choreographer. • What I like about his work over the years is that it isn’t heavy and dense. We have a lot of that kind of work already. He has a freshness, humor and energy. It allows him to take on some serious topics and blow them out of the water with humor. In that way, comedy can be more daring. • He also uses music in a sophisticated way. • He has introspective moments in the work and uses music in interesting ways to bring in that focus.

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• His target audience is clear. • He has been making work in the community for a long time. His impact has been steady. • Having someplace for fathers to gather is good. It will have an impact on the audience. He talks about the loneliness of being a parent, so this could be worthwhile for the fathers involved. The audience will show up for this. • The people he will be working with in workshops are those that he will be working with on stage. I’m assuming he will be using both father‐dancers and non‐fathers? It would be great if he used the fathers in the performances. • In the research phase he is holding workshops that people have to pay for which bothers me. As we have discussed with other applicants, I find it problematic when artists are charging fees for workshops that help to generate material for their work. • The budget lists classes for fathers and children and notes that they will have to pay. So he’ll be getting content from the workshops and charging. So it was just a question I had in relation to the merit of the project.

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Sean Dorsey

PROJECT SUMMARY: This proposal requests $10,000 to support the creation and development of my next full‐length dance concert: The Missing Generation and The Source Of Joy. During the grant period, I will create and develop the choreography and stage at least 8 work‐in‐progress performances. Awarded funds will support my creative fee and will compensate the dancers and my artistic collaborators participating in these two phases of my new work’s development. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• The work in the sample is beautiful and I love the way he uses text. He has a lot to draw from and lots of resources from his own backyard. It is beautiful. • His work is strongly connected to the LGBT community. It’s really important for our San Francisco community as a whole—it is so much a part of our history. There is a lot to be looked at in these San Francisco histories that he is uncovering; including elders and youth. • I was moved by the proposal. He brought to light the long term effect of the AIDS epidemic across generations. Just by reading this, I learned something new. • I’m impressed with his creative process. It’s well structured and worked out. • I have no hesitations about supporting something that is a work‐in‐progress showing because of the integrity of its presentation and its valuable building process. • I totally support this project.

• I have questions about the timeline. What are the performances before the August through November period? It doesn’t make sense to have these performances before the draft and soundscore development. He said he works the other way around. I’m confused about what comes first. • Those are not performances of the proposed work. Those events are for the elders and youth to share their poetry. It’s not a work‐in‐progress showing; it’s part of the research. • The work fits his trajectory. • The process has the potential to be super meaningful.

• His work in the San Francisco dance scene is significant. It’s important to have work that speaks to the transgender experience. He’s bringing professional, high‐quality, and developed work to speak to that experience. The work is inclusive—it is about specific experiences, but also connects to universal themes. The work itself builds from one set of stories and opens them to all of us. The inclusivity of the work is important to have the impact that it does. • I’m impressed by the way he works. His ability as a performer is at the level of Joe Goode. He is the Joe Goode of the new generation. The content of the work is so strong that he can work with simple choreography. He illustrates the text without being overly direct about it. He’s also trained a group of dancers to work with the text. • It is developed, refined choreography. It’s simple and structured choreography. • The work is intergenerational and deeply rooted in social activism. He has a great network for what he does.

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Public Benefit  The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience:  The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • His explanation about the formation of LGBT families was wonderfully touching. It will benefit the younger generation to know the history and impact of HIV/AIDS. • The outreach to elders and youth addresses the issue of LGBT youth not being able to find elder mentors by proactively creating bridges. The organizations he’s working with serve a lot of people in a real way. • The collaborations are so strong. • He works with a specific community, but doesn’t address whether he wants to reach beyond that. He comes from a specific point of view but is speaking in broad, human terms. And he already has that community. He focuses on the LGBT community, but he also already has a broader audience beyond that. I thought he could have acknowledged that audience. His work is inclusive, which makes it attractive to a larger audience. • Staff: In the narrative he outlines a plan to reach out to mainstream media like public radio. • OK, see it. He is a smart business person. He’s smart about getting the word out on broad platforms.

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Wilfred Mark

PROJECT SUMMARY: Creation of a street choreography with excerpt for the stage, based on the Jab Jab character from Grenada Carnival and drawing parallels between issues of Grenada’s underclass and issues of the 99%, as represented by journalists, intellectuals and, most recently, by the OCCUPY movement in San Francisco and other US cities, to be performed at Carnaval San Francisco in May 2013 for an audience of 250,000+. Artistic Excellence  Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self‐expression as demonstrated through previous work:  Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project:

• I would have liked to see more cultural context provided about the Jab Jab. The characters he references are specific and strong, but there wasn’t a strong effort to educate us about the Jab Jab character and its significance. • At first I didn’t understand the connections he was making between Carnival, the Jab Jab and the Occupy movement. But then I saw the photograph of the traditional Grenadian performers and it was much clearer. But the rest of the proposal narrative didn’t help explain the connections. The project could have been more explicit in explaining that. • I thought he was clear in linking the fierceness and anger of the Jab Jab character in relation to the present economic situation.

• The proposal didn’t help me ask questions about what I want to know and learn. • His voice should be supported and added to the mix, but I needed more from the proposal. • Other than the context piece, the proposal was well‐written and concise. • This was a simple, but clear grant. This had no muddiness for me. • There was no money in the budget for participating artists. I understand that is common, but I would have liked to see that included. • I didn’t understand the need to take the dancers to Grenada. I’m not clear about what they would learn in such a short trip. • Taking students to the home country of a traditional form is a common practice in the ethnic dance community. I understood the need for that. However, whether it informs the work in this project is a question. • He is an experienced Carnival performer. The challenge is in training the performers to present in their roles.

• I like Mark’s experience as a choreographer, dancer and performer, but I wanted to learn more about the Jab Jab character. • I wish the work samples presented less of solo work and gave a sense of his capacity to direct people and groups since that is essentially the focus of the project. That was disappointing. • My main issue was that I wanted the work samples to be more reflective of the project. If we had a work sample that showed his skill in working with large group choreography, it would have been more informative. I didn’t see enough of that in what we were able to see. • Who are the other dancers and performers in the group? I needed more information about the others involved.

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• The proposal addresses our mutual community. • I hope that this performance of the Jab Jab character will enlarge the community’s understanding of Caribbean dance, but that isn’t addressed in the proposal. • But if the goal and context is performing in a festival and parade, what more can you do to educate? It does impact the community in a real way.

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RANKING Panel Rating Name Grant Request Grant 94.0 Jon Jang $10,000 $9,500 89.3 Francis Wong $10,000 $9,500 89.0 Erling Wold $10,000 $10,000 87.0 Marcus Shelby $10,000 $10,000 86.0 Jacob Felix Heule $10,000 $8,100 86.0 Jewlia Eisenberg $10,000 $7,700 82.0 Sascha Jacobsen $10,000 $8,100 77.0 Weishan Liu $10,000 $7,700 76.0 Idris Ackamoor $10,000 $8,100 75.0 Allison Lovejoy $10,000 74.3 Beth Custer $10,000 74.0 Anna Maria Mendieta $10,000 74.0 Shawna Virago $10,000 73.0 Annie Bacon $10,000 72.0 Brent Bishop $10,000 71.0 Ross Cunningham $10,000 70.0 David Graves $10,000 69.0 Joshua Brody $5,685 62.0 Tyson Ayers $10,000

TOTAL $185,685 $78,700

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Panelist Biographies 2012-Individual Artist Commission Grants Music

Rob Bailis Organizational Consultant/Independent Producer/Musician/Theater Director/Writer Rob Bailis is a San Francisco based musician, theater director, and writer. Since 2003, he has been the Director of ODC Theater. In 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle honored Mr. Bailis, naming him "MVP" in the field of dance presenting. At ODC, his programming has played a critical role in linking emerging and mid-career artists with a broad public regionally and nationally. Mr. Bailis has served as a panelist and consultant for many organizations, including the Creative Capital Foundation, Western States Arts Federation, Chamber Music America, MAP Fund, the Regional Dance Development Initiative (a program of the National Dance Project / NEFA), Center for Cultural Innovation, and the Rasmuson Foundation. Equally active as a classical clarinetist, Mr. Bailis was appointed to the Napa Valley Symphony, and performs regularly with the Santa Rosa Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. He was clarinetist with Mirage Ensemble, from which he has recently launched "Grand Duo," a partnership with pianist Hadley McCarroll. As a playwright and lyricist, Mr. Bailis was first produced in 1991 when his musical play "The Culture Counter," written with composer Robert Steel, premiered at the Around the Coyote Arts Festival in Chicago. Since then, he has produced a widely performed body of work primarily in art song, song cycle, and libretto. His newest piece, "Love/Hate" is in development at American Opera Projects in New York City.

Gabriela Lena Frank Composer/Musican A member of G. Schirmer’s prestigious roster of artists, Frank creates work that incorporates Latino/Latin American mythology, archeology, art, poetry, and folk music into western classical forms, reflecting her Peruvian-American heritage. Frank has received a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2009 Latin Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and a 2010 United States Artists Fellowship given each year to fifty of America’s finest artists across eight disciplines. The all-Frank Naxos CD “Hilos” broke into the top 100 classical recordings on Billboard and earned Frank a 2012 Grammy nomination as pianist with the Alias Ensemble in the category of Best Small Ensemble Performance. The Berkeley Symphony gave the West Coast premiere of Frank’s Peregrinos (Pilgrims) in October 2009. Peregrinos depicts a world inspired by the stories of Latino immigrants in Indianapolis and was the subject of the Emmy-nominated PBS documentary “Peregrinos/Pilgrims: A Musical Journey.”

Other recent premieres include New Andean Songs for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, ¡Chayraq! for Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Quijotadas for the Brentano String Quartet, Tres Mitos de Mi Tierra for the King’s Singers, and La Centinela y la Paloma (The Keeper and the Dove) for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Joana Carneiro (based on original new texts by frequent collaborator and Pulitzer Prize playwright Nilo Cruz).

Born in Berkeley in 1972, Frank holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Rice University, and a doctorate from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She currently resides in Oakland

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and travels often to Latin America.

Wayne Vitale Composer/Performer/Teacher/Instrument Conservator/Arts Administrator Wayne Vitale is a composer, performer, teacher, instrument conservator, and arts administrator who has long been inspired by the music of Bali, Indoneisa. As a composer, he has created numerous works for gamelan, performed by Bali’s most noted orchestras. His most recent was Makrokosma Bali, a multimedia work premiered at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum in May 2011 by a 25-member gamelan ensemble from Tunjuk, Bali and a US-based multimedia design crew. He is a founding member and past director of Gamelan Sekar Jaya (www.gsj.org), an ensemble of sixty musicians and dancers that has achieved an unparalleled reputation for its cross-cultural creative work. His recording label, Vital Records (www.vitalrecords.ws), releases critically acclaimed CDs of Balinese music. He has also devoted himself to the metallic art of gamelan tuning, grinding and filing his way throughout the US and Europe to restore Balinese instruments. He recently taught at the University of Oregon in Eugene as Robert M. Trotter Distinguished Visiting Professor.

Pamela Z Composer/performer and Media Artist Pamela Z is a San Francisco-based composer/performer and media artist who works primarily with voice, live electronic processing, sampling technology, and video. A pioneer of live digital looping techniques, she creates solo works combining experimental extended vocal techniques, operatic bel canto, found objects, text, digitalprocessing, and MIDI controllers that allow her to manipulate sound with physical gestures. In addition to her solo work, she has composed and recorded scores for dance, theatre, film, and new music chamber ensembles. Her large-scale multi-media works have been presented at venues including Theater Artaud and ODC in SanFrancisco, and The Kitchen in New York, and her media works have been presented in exhibitions at the Whitney Museum (NY), the Diözesanmuseum (Cologne), and the Krannert Art Museum (IL). Her multi-mediaopera Wunderkabinet – inspired by the Museum of Jurassic Technology (co-composed with Matthew Brubeck) has been presented at The LAB Gallery (San Francisco), REDCAT (Disney Hall, Los Angeles), and Open Ears Festival, Toronto. Pamela Z has toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Japan. She has performed in numerous festivals including Bang on a Can at Lincoln Center (New York), Interlink (Japan), Other Minds (San Francisco), La Biennale di Venezia (Italy), and Pina Bausch Tanztheater Festival (Wuppertal, Germany). She is the recipient of numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Creative Capital Fund, the CalArts Alpert Award in the Arts, The MAP Fund, the ASCAP Music Award, an Ars Electronica honorable mention, and the NEA and Japan/US Friendship Commission Fellowship. She holds a music degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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Allison Lovejoy $0 Project Summary The composition, performance and recording of “Three New Nocturnes for Piano” by Allison Lovejoy. The program will include new works by a variety of Bay Area composers, and will be performed in two free concerts in October 2012 at the Community Music Center in San Francisco. A CD recording of the Nocturnes II will be completed by January 2013 and 300 free copies will be provided to San Francisco libraries, institutions and schools.

Anna Maria Mendieta Project Summary I plan to present multi-media performances of a combination of Latin styles particularly Argentine Tango and Flamenco music featured on the harp as the main instrument accompanied by strings and percussion. The performances are to be included on an interactive CD/DVD as well as a film documentary. The music will be cleverly joined by Tango and Flamenco dance as well as film and theatrical vignettes in an entertaining yet educational manner appropriate for all ages.

Annie Bacon Project Summary To expand and adapt an existing music work, my “Folk Opera” into a minimalist stage production. It would involve composing additional music, arranging the existing piece for a larger group of performers, adapting the performance to a stage, and presenting the performance publicly. The piece is a rich, emotional exploration of love and loss, and its vivid imagery and indelible characters are ripe for this adaptation.

Beth Custer Project Summary The composition and premiere performances of two original live film scores for the films of Pare Lorentz: THE RIVER (1938, 31 min.) and THE PLOUGH THAT BROKE THE PLAINS (1936, 25 min.). San Francisco Cinematheque will present The Beth Custer Ensemble in a premiere run in 2013 at the Victoria Theater.

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Brent Bishop Project Summary The proposed project is a multimedia performance combining original music performed by string quartet with a series of cinematic interludes - dreamlike soliloquies portraying different stories, conflicts, and aspirations through a poetic narrative voice. These interludes will have an ethereal aesthetic and be presented on a triptych of large video screens surrounding the string quartet. They will possess thematic connective tissue tying them to each other as well as the string quartet movements’ emotional narratives.

David Graves Project Summary Create a new piece for string orchestra, The 99% Solution. As a part of the writing process, employ a string quintet reading midway, with each section of the string orchestra represented by experienced orchestral musicians. After revision, a public reading will occur at Old First Church, to further assess the work, gauge public reactions, and attract new audiences to the process of composing for strings.

Erling Wold Project Summary Certitude and Joy is a chamber opera based on two true interwoven stories: that of a young woman from Oakland who was told by God to throw her three children into the Bay and that of my own upbringing in the Christian faith. It is being developed collaboratively by myself and Jim Cave along with two actors, two dancers and two singers and will be presented in March 2012 at Bindlestiff Studio.

Francis Wong $0 Project Summary I seek an IAC grant of $10,000 to support the commission and perfomance of a 45 minute work entitled, “Executive Order: For John Miyoshi.” The work will be written for and performed by an ensemble of two saxophones (myself and Jim Norton doubling on flutes and clarinets), trombone (Wayne Wallace), yangqin (Melody of China’s Yangqin Zhao), shamisen (Tatsu Aoki, and Chizuru Kineya), taiko (Melody Takata), bass and drums.

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Idris Ackamoor Project Summary I request support to provide the time and resources to compose and arrange music for the follow-up second CD Album release on Disko B Records by THE PYRAMIDS. The culmination of the compositional project will be the premiere and return of THE PYRAMIDS to the San Francisco Bay Area for a performance run at the Buriel Clay Theater at the African American Art and Culture Complex located in the Western Addition/Fillmore community from February 6 - 12, 2013.

Jacob Felix Heule Project Summary I will compose a song cycle based on mythology and literature, addressing ideas of or origins and what it means to be human. The compositions will be nontraditional approaches to the song form, with a foundation in my primary practice of sound-oriented improvised music. The music will incorporate traditional notation as well as graphic and text elements. The pieces will be performed on voice, percussion and electronics, by my duo with Danshita Rivero.

Jewlia Eisenberg $0 Project Summary TERAPHIM is a song cycle based on ancient Near Eastern texts about women and household gods. It explores the connections between material and literary culture, canonized and marginalized voices, ritual power and popular practice, and the ways music mediates these relationships. Composed by Jewlia Eisenberg, TERAPHIM, will be performed by Charming Hostess at Meridian Gallery in December 2012.

Jon Jang $0 Project Summary I seek a $10,000 IAC to compose “Bright Moments! A Tribute to the Keystone Korner Legacy from Rahsaan Roland Kirk to Todd Barkan,” a 20 minute work dedicated to the pivotal history that helped shape jazz and Black Classical Music today. It will be performed by SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo (8 performers) under the direction of SFJAZZ Education Director Rebeca Mauleon. I will perform as a guest in the ensemble as well.

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Joshua Brody Project Summary A one-man show entitled, “The art Song in Late 20th Century Pop Culture, or a history of music, playing particular attention to the years 1966-1971 (when things got REALLY interesting) but touching on everything before and since”

Marcus Shelby Project Summary I will compose a 60 minute long multi-movement suite of music for jazz orchestra that is inspire by the story of “Baby Jack Rice” by visual artist and writer Flo Oy Wong. The proposed instrumentation features 5 saxophones doubling on flute and clarinets, 3 trombones, 4 trumpets, piano, bass and drums. The narrative is based on the childhood memories of Flo Oy Wong’s husband, Edward K. Wong, who grew up in Augusta Georgia during segregation.

Ross Cunningham Project Summary As lead artist and member of the band Audiopharmacy, I will co-produce, arrange, record and mix a new collectively made full-length album to completion; collaborate with visual artists to produce new album artwork that is representative of our collective vision; strengthen and enhance our live performance by adding visuals and new music; video document the writing and creation process so that it may be used as a tool to continue to refine our artistry and host and perform at an inspirational community record release, performing the new album in its entirety.

Sascha Jacobsen Project Summary With the Pan-Americana Suite, I aim to expand the notion of what chamber music can be by fusing it with rhythms found throughout the Americas. Seven movements, each exploring a different rhythm/dance form in a precise, melodic and accessible way will be composed. The Suite will be performed by the Musical Art Quintet and will deepen my understanding of the breadth of possibilities of American music and move, inspire and excite the audience.

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Shawna Virago Project Summary This proposal requests $10,000 to support two performances of Devil’s Daughter, a 75-minutet musical production exploring one transgender woman’s journey from childhood to middle-age, and her struggle to reconcile her rejection by the Church with her Christian upbringing. I will stage Devil’s Daughter as a work-in-progress at The Garage in fall 2012 prior to its March 2013 world premiere at CounterPulse. Awarded funds will support my creative fee and will compensate my collaborating musicians.

Tyson Ayers Project Summary The Sound Cave is a room-sized musical instrument and echo chamber functioning as a highly engaging and unique interactive sound sculpture, new musical instrument, sound healing device and performance stage. This SFAC IAC will fund stage four of this project: composing a full set of music for this newly invented musical instrument, train an ensemble to perform that music, and debut it all to the public in San Francisco.

Weishan Liu $0 Project Summary This project is to promote the integration of Chinese culture, poetry and music from the Tang and Song dynasties. Original music composition for the guzheng and vocal using poems from famous poets from the Tang and Song Dynastic such as female poet Li Qing Zhao and male poet Li Bei.

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Allison Lovejoy PROJECT SUMMARY: The composition, performance and recording of “Three New Nocturnes for Piano” by Allison Lovejoy. The program will include new works by a variety of Bay Area composers, and will be performed in two free concerts in October 2012 at the Community Music Center in San Francisco. A CD recording of the Nocturnes II will be completed by January 2013 and 300 free copies will be provided to San Francisco libraries, institutions and schools. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • I liked a lot of this application. There is a lot to recommend. There are great things and slightly murky things in the application. The intent is clear. The artist has real interest in nocturnes. What succeeds is talking about nocturnes as a style and collecting different sources and range of styles. This is the second piece in the series and is a contemporary response as a composer amongst others. • In how she is reinventing nocturnes, she has got such range, what a perfect fit. This is a strong project. This will be delivered beautifully and really well. • Beautiful playing. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • It took me a couple passes to understand where the project is now: if other composers had written their works; who receives the commissioning fees, etc. The feeling I got is the funds are for Allison. I was confused about the other composers’ presence in the entire project. • The budget under artist fees is for her compositions. So I had a question around the collaborators. It took me awhile to understand what the grant is funding. But that is terrific for her. • This does hit development of the art form and develop my feeling of the whole form. • There is a lot of benefit in taking a neglected form and shining new light on it. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • I would have liked to hear something she composed. I feel confident that she can compose because of her reputation, but it would have felt more solid to hear past compositions. That is a little leap. • She is seeking context as a western classical player. This is early on in composition but not as a player. I’m extending good bit of faith from what I know. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • I like that her career is embedded in the bay area. The Community Music Center (“CMC”) is a great place and this is a great thing to release through the CMC. • It is understated what the CMC is and what they do. The access piece is there in their cultivating a diverse audience. They are financially accessible. There are a lot of benefits in working with them as a presenter. But that could be a lot stronger in the proposal. • She doesn’t say if she is looking to the CMC to do a lot of this for her. • I agree with and hope that CMC will carry that for her. But that wasn’t articulated well in the proposal. • She is also doing this through academia. I was wondering why we did not hear more about publishing and how other people will engage in it, particularly in improvised forms, but I appreciated this scope of project.

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Anna Maria Mendieta

PROJECT SUMMARY: I plan to present multi-media performances of a combination of Latin styles particularly Argentine Tango and Flamenco music featured on the harp as the main instrument accompanied by strings and percussion. The performances are to be included on an interactive CD/DVD as well as a film documentary. The music will be cleverly joined by Tango and Flamenco dance as well as film and theatrical vignettes in an entertaining yet educational manner appropriate for all ages. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • This artist’s work blew me away. It is powerful. I am struck by her openness to full complexity of art form: tango integrating dance and music. She just goes for it. She has a nice use of multimedia. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • I liked the documentation goals of making produced videos. On many levels this is strong. My biggest concern is the overall gist of this program and what I see as a piece that exists and has been performed. What she is asking for is money to produce it. I have a question of whether it fits this program. I am wondering about presentation because it is underdeveloped as a project plan. With the updates, this is no longer a concern. The biggest new goal is documenting it, which is revealed in the budget. Half of the budget is for that piece. So what is the goal of the application and how does it align with this grant program? • Staff: You see in income, line 15, $2k was received from Harp Society to support composition of new work. • In the end she expresses a hope for new work, but what I hear is that is beyond what she is applying here for. • The presenting part is what they are asking for SFAC funding for. • Is there an argument for this finished video as a new piece? • In her summary she is clear that this doesn’t exist in that way and that is where the innovation is. She says this is an unusual ensemble. The arrangement of tango is really composition. At some level there is new work but it isn’t translating as clearly. I did think there was something very new. • The newness has mostly happened. Now she wants to present that existing piece. It is not the worthiness of what she has done, but that this program is about the generation of new work. • The final product is not what exists already but putting it in a new form and interweaving with live performance. Some of it has been done but there is an argument for this. It’s a slippery line between disciplines. This is interdisciplinary. • It doesn’t meet certain criteria in a critical way but it is a great project that would activate this artist and benefit communities. • Director: Do you have information about the filmmaker? Do you have people that can help create that art form and artistic product? • They may have left out critical information. • Director: You need to score on the information they give you. The reality is you may be creating the project through inference. You might not have enough info from the work sample. • The artist makes it clear in the budget that the SFAC grant will go for artist fees. • Director: We are investing in a project and want it to be successful. If the project will not succeed or is not clear, it does not matter. • The rational is there, but the actualization of the project is not clear. It is not mapped out. • Director: In the update, there is a film director listed, more detail of production team, engagement and marketing. They have more of the plan detailed out.

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Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • Her work is fantastic. In the application her passion and warmth came through. I felt her burning desire to create and share music. She works with other excellent artists. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The move to the Herbst Theater is great. I’d be excited to see this work there. • People will come out for novelty and interest in what she is doing. They will have relationship to tango in a concert setting. • The whole essence of the project is inherently audience development. They have a classical venue and to have people get up and dance, will bring in new people and expose them. On that level it is hardwired in the project. On the other hand it would be good to see a plan. • Regarding appreciation of the art form: bringing in the classical harp is really innovative. She has chops to do this.

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Annie Bacon PROJECT SUMMARY: To expand and adapt an existing music work, my “Folk Opera” into a minimalist stage production. It would involve composing additional music, arranging the existing piece for a larger group of performers, adapting the performance to a stage, and presenting the performance publicly. The piece is a rich, emotional exploration of love and loss, and its vivid imagery and indelible characters are ripe for this adaptation. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • It was good to hear the work because I could have gone either way. Rather than lengthening the piece, it was more compelling to me to take the idea of folk opera to more operatic proportions. It’s an interesting idea to meld art forms into a genre that is not normally thought of. The music sounded like the artist has a voice. • This is a folk rock opera on the edge of musical theater. It is using that word but these are pop tunes. It is not a folk opera but a folk inspired work. It is in a lineage but it is not that. It is really listenable and nicely written. It has nice counterpoint and trumpet players. • Good people are recommending the piece to help it get to fruition. The presence of how she’s going to get there is genuine in her voice. The genuine nature of the artist is high and vocals are great. I heard real sincerity and a talented artist. I’m less concerned about categories. I hear is sincere and passion. The recording is beautiful; the quality is outstanding. • I was pleasantly surprised to hear the work sample, to hear the clear and lovely recording is encouraging. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • I have a question of how great the expansion will be of the work that already exists. • I wanted to know more about the piece and put it in context; it is a bit misleading. That is concerning because you need to know when making new work. • The project plan is taking this to the stage. The stage director is a key figure. The budget indicates this person is a bit underpaid, but at least the line item is present. • There were questions about dramaturgy and the director. I am seeing people involved and will oversee this project. I see the money for this to help the artist expand this piece. • The timeline is excellent, well thought out. It is strong that she knows how she does it. • The bios are here for the director, personnel, etc. • It is clear that this is a new step, taking it to a different place she hasn’t yet. Then she will know how much things cost. That is a stretch, pushing boundaries and potential growth. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • I feel the artist’s voice is solid. It seems like she has the capability to create this. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The outreach looks well planned, but she doesn’t talk about community, new audience or existing audience. She’s playing with hot bands so we know that that community will be there, but she didn’t articulate well. • It benefits the community that artists are putting more good work out in the world, but it is important to learn to articulate how you will connect with audiences. • I get the caliber and how that relates to understand the work, but there is a lot of learning to be done. • So many people are allergic to “Disney musical theater. People doing new work to push the form have public benefit.

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Beth Custer PROJECT SUMMARY: The composition and premiere performances of two original live film scores for the films of Pare Lorentz: THE RIVER (1938, 31 min.) and THE PLOUGH THAT BROKE THE PLAINS (1936, 25 min.). San Francisco Cinematheque will present The Beth Custer Ensemble in a premiere run in 2013 at the Victoria Theater. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • Beth’s great. I lover her work. She’s found a completely unique niche she inhabits with grace and intrigue. She’s begun to have her moments where she’s challenging herself to be in other environments. She comes out of a strange and eclectic mix of music. A response to western music she’s good in a mix of the sound world, the noise world, and the visual world. She challenges herself and pushes herself to the next thing. She has few hang ups about this work. She is dead centered in her career. This has a lot of value. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • I don’t see herself pushing her boundaries and asking new questions. Is she moving the form forward? She is the form. But she’s not pushing herself. There are other artists who explain more clearly how they’re pushing themselves. But I’m not seeing any evolution in this or a challenging of herself. But, I’m entirely in support of her work. She’s unusual and great and important in this community. I would see anything she did. Standing alone she’s still unique and great. • Each time she does this, the films have a historical context. In this one she’s concerned with the topics of the films. It’s subtle, but it’s there. But, if the artist is doing good work, each time do they have to have an extreme change in their method? Or can they bring what they do to something else? She’ll find something new in this and the work is strong. What she’s done in the past, the films have been amusing, but in this one she’s concerned with the film’s topics. • I don’t know that she’s being pushed in creating work. • This is a strong plan; it is well done. It has a strong budget. • The budget seems good. Nothing is out of place. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • She’s an outstanding artist. My feedback is what it is. It’s frustrating that we have to talk about the new things, but it’s relative to the body of work. This is outstanding. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • There is a strong audience plan and a great partner is involved. I think it will land. For most people it’s the first time they will see a work like this. It’s groundbreaking for them. She’s one of those people that bridges audiences and helps people come to live performance from just mediated work.

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Brent Bishop PROJECT SUMMARY: The proposed project is a multimedia performance combining original music performed by string quartet with a series of cinematic interludes - dreamlike soliloquies portraying different stories, conflicts, and aspirations through a poetic narrative voice. These interludes will have an ethereal aesthetic and be presented on a triptych of large video screens surrounding the string quartet. They will possess thematic connective tissue tying them to each other as well as the string quartet movements’ emotional narratives. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • This is a really big vision and a lot of exciting ideas. He’s beginning to get somewhere with all of that. When you are a polymath and multi disciplinary, it is hard to look at all of it in a discipline specific panel. He looks self-made and a good context is the breadth of a vision versus mastery in any one of those segments. He is a talented artist, but what concerned me about the project, is that I wasn’t sure of the how the imagery and the music pieces fit in a broader sense of his aesthetic toward building characters in vignettes and music. I didn’t get what that piece looks like and how you are going to get there. I get the dream state but couldn’t get his aesthetic out in a way that I could connect to it. There is a lot to recommend. • Director: to clarify this discussion there is blurring of lines and as a panel you have the experience in different disciplines. The projects do not have to be only music. • I don’t get clear signal about aesthetics, and between visual and musical. • I have sympathy for different categories. The work sample seems confusing. My gut is there is a strength of live chamber musicians. This reads like images are well considered and carry their own weight. I feel it is compelling and that makes it strong to me in that area and pushing forward an interdisciplinary art form. • We still don’t know what it will look like at a content level. • My sense is that the artist is interested in the abstract approach. When presenting that to people it is hard to know what the details mean. Maybe he’ll do a fantastic job. • It is not clear. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • The project plan is great. • Where is the aesthetic advancement for the artist? • The project could push forward an interdisciplinary art form. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: The work sample is good and I can hear the craft. • I don’t understand if there were intonation issues or something else: putting micro-intonation and jazz. • I think it can be done. I have so much hope for this: it has potential. It is so rare to have some one understand bigness of vision from the start. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • I thought if he found a community he is being grounded in, that would be helpful to the project. But, even when he talks about community, it is not clear. It is just a little to the side of being clear.

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David Graves PROJECT SUMMARY: Create a new piece for string orchestra, "The 99% Solution". As a part of the writing process, employ a string quintet reading midway, with each section of the string orchestra represented by experienced orchestral musicians. After revision, a public reading will occur at Old First Church, to further assess the work, gauge public reactions, and attract new audiences to the process of composing for strings. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • It’s great to hear the work sample. At first, I had trouble with the literal idea of emotions and basing the orchestral work on this political idea by fusing instructions for emotional instructions for rendering. I think it’s hard sometimes to talk about the real process of composing. What ends up being distilled out hopefully goes beyond simplistic, literal renderings of emotions. I think the work sounds strong and shows strength in being able to create strong and moving work. So I think it will be good. I just think the concept is a bit weird for me. • I read this a little different. The instructions to the performers in the score were part of the previous piece. I don’t think this piece will have that. But on the same token, based on the political ideas—he didn’t say how he would do this. • I find it a difficult thing. I think when we compose whatever has been on our minds and in our atmosphere goes into the work. I think it’s sometimes hard to distill it out, so that might be why it’s clearer to give a very literal example. But there’s a funny thing about the titling of feelings about what’s going on. It is a challenge to convey to other people what an orchestral work is based on. You feel compelled to have the specifics of how it ties in. but when you make work it’s not always clear-cut; it’s about the environment in which you make it. • I totally see how you can make political ties to orchestration. Orchestras have a dictator up front. I mean there’s a million ways to play with that. Isn’t that plain to everyone? It’s very hierarchical. But by the same token, if you come at that with some plan on how you flesh that out, I’d be totally open and welcoming of that. However, I did not see that. He just said he had inspirations, but not how he gets there. • Staff: How did he demonstrate that in the past from what you got from the work samples? • It boils down to what you are in when you write. There’s not a direct corollary, it seeps into the work as you make it. But it’s how he talks about it and frames it. It’s the title. It’s marketing. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • There is something there for him. But it’s not communicating well in the narrative. It’s something people have done over time. It doesn’t literally deal with it, but they title it because that’s what was going through their head at the time and he might have his way of expressing those emotional things. But it’s prickly; it could be just as strong as abstract work that moves me and brings up emotions. But I might not know it came up because of politics. So I have mixed feelings, but I don’t want to undercut this because I have problems with the literalness. • People can always look back and ask whether it carries the zeitgeist whether it is titled something or not. • He doesn’t tell us enough about the political inspiration and its connection to the music. And so it just feels like a marketing gimmick. But maybe we need that. That is what develops audiences. So it’s complicated. He talks a lot about string orchestra dying because of economics. And that was interesting. So I’m glad he put that on the table and said he’s not going to let that die because of money. • He’s going to do a quintet version with feedback. And then he can perform that in all kinds of venues. The metaphor is more to do with the title; I’m ok with that. So few people are writing in this way with this kind of music that is purely abstract classical. • San Francisco has developed a scene of folks who are interested in classical composition and who are interested in revolution and conveying that. So in that sense his ideas are realized. • That compels me more in a way. Taking it out and making it available to everybody speaks to furthering the art form.

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Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • The quality is very good. I was thinking, the sample needs to be good, and I’m glad it was. • The work samples bear out his strength as a composer. Although want to hear them beyond just a literal synthesis of current politics. • The example demonstrated how it happened (in his previous work). But, the instructions he describes (in the narrative) didn’t resonate. • They were too literal. • But, the quality of the work did resonate. • I listened to the work samples. I hear his craft, his aspirations. It is good music. • It’s clear he has the capacity to carry this out. There’s no question there. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The smaller ensemble with individuals representing each section and audiences getting exposed to see the process as it’s made is a good idea. This gives more engagement with the audience. • Right, audience development. The classical revolution connection is very strong. • He is dealing with it in a very smart way. That’s very cool.

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Erling Wold

PROJECT SUMMARY: Certitude and Joy is a chamber opera based on two true interwoven stories: that of a young woman from Oakland who was told by God to throw her three children into the Bay and that of my own upbringing in the Christian faith. It is being developed collaboratively by Jim Cave and myself along with two actors, two dancers and two singers. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • I really like this application. I really like Erling’s work. I think there are a lot of wonderful things to say about this. • I’m glad to know he’s still doing work. I know he was getting frustrated about not getting further in his work so I’m glad to see him here. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • My concerns were that it was outside the scope of the timeline of the grant period and I think he addressed that (in the update.) The reality of the opera is that the first time you see it is when you first have a sense of the work that needs to be done. • That worried me too. He’s done so many of these, and done so many grants I thought he should know better about the timing. • Sometimes I worry that as a dramatist he is very isolated and doing everything himself. But this breaks that, he has collaborators from the get go. It will help in ways where he’s been overwrought at times. This is perfect for him. Sometimes he can have questions about appropriation and where he sits in relation to his sources. And in this that can come up. But I think he’s shown how in the past that he can deal with things well and authentically. • The work plan looks good to me. I found this very strong. The plan is very thorough. Got casting, design, venue, funding. Timing was addressed. Very high in that regard. • It’s one of the more realistic budgets. He knows what it takes to do these kinds of things. There are some applicants who don’t understand what it takes. They might have low-tech support fees. But he’s done it before and he knows what people need. • It’s a well -proportioned fee for himself. • The partners were good. Very mature. Very humble. This read very well. • I’m excited about the partnership with Bindlestiff. It’s a great way to get in the game. • If there’s one thing he does, he goes in non-traditional spaces with high quality. To do it in Bindlestiff is really cool and great. And the subject matter is strong. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • Is this his 4th full-length opera? Maybe it’s the 3rd…with every piece he’s gotten better and better and more astute. At first the work was all over the map. The people on stage were great but the aesthetic was vague. But he’s gotten clear. He has a lifetime of evaluating and getting better and he’s very authentic. He is very outside the vein of opera traditional cannon. At some point he might break through and show his body of work is strong, I do think he has that potential. • After reading such a thoughtful and humbling letter and then reading Paul Drescher’s letter of support I was blown away. Paul’s letter was very impressive.

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• He does well in addressing audience. • Not knowing Bindlestiff, I didn’t see any strong audience outreach aspects. He doesn’t seem to talk about a marketing plan much. Tony Kelley has suggestions for doing outreach. But, what are they? • Staff: In the update there are some comments on audience and there is a letter from Bayview Opera House. • That’s the new phase correct? With the next phase also going to Cornish? Which is beyond this project. • But it’s good to see that it’s going out of state.

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Francis Wong PROJECT SUMMARY: I seek an IAC grant of $10,000 to support the commission and performance of a 45 minute work entitled, “Executive Order: For John Miyoshi.” The work will be written for and performed by an ensemble of two saxophones (myself and Jim Norton doubling on flutes and clarinets), trombone (Wayne Wallace), yangqin (Melody of China’s Yangqin Zhao), shamisen (Tatsu Aoki, and Chizuru Kineya), taiko (Melody Takata), bass and drums. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • (Listening to work sample): That’s Melody of China’s youth group too…that’s insane! • This is a strong application. Francis is obviously a gifted artist. His creativity and imagination high. The project is clear. It appeals to me because of its cross-cultural aspect, something he has done for a long time. He will focus on Japanese and Chinese musical elements. The theme is on Japanese incarceration. It is Historical and a personal story as well. There is a direct connection through a family friend to a person who was interned. It makes sense to bring together Chinese and Japanese forms. • The work samples are totally terrific. I really enjoy Francis as a true composer in an improvised form. He really does this work well. I don’t think this is a stretch for him artistically. I don’t care because I like it. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • The plan and its components: funding, outreach and venue are all very well done. • This is a strong application with a good budget. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • It’s not a huge leap from what I’ve heard from him. But the quality is high. I don’t want to mark it down if the contribution is still just to bring in good work. • Director: Where does this work sit in the context of other work in the form? • His work is a trailblazer to other work. There’s other artists…there’s a contingent of Asian culturally influenced/jazz influenced work. And he’s one of the cornerstones of that. • And it’s actually different. He’s a trailblazer in how he puts it together culturally and intellectually. He comes from a traditional jazz background. And if that is all he did he wouldn’t be him. He fuses jazz and really learns everything he’s using. He really puts it together. It is an unusual sound and respectful of what he uses, a timeless exploration of materials. That’s wonderful. There’s something different here in bringing together Japanese and Chinese music. • That’s the switch. • The challenge in working with traditional Japanese music that’s not in Chinese music is that there are things around pitch and micro-tonalities that you don’t get in Chinese music. He’s not glossing over those challenges. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form:

• The target audience and community are clear. And it’s a nice effort to bring together some communities. • I like this a lot. I applaud the reach into this part of the bay’s history. It’s a rich place and important to understand who we are. The steel development in the bay, it was a time when we were very progressive. I appreciate that this generation of artists who are dealing with that chapter of our history, excavating it. He’s great.

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Idris Ackamoor PROJECT SUMMARY: I request support to provide the time and resources to compose and arrange music for the follow-up second CD Album release on Disko B Records by THE PYRAMIDS. The culmination of the compositional project will be the premiere and return of THE PYRAMIDS to the San Francisco Bay Area for a performance run at the Buriel Clay Theater at the African American Art and Culture Complex located in the Western Addition/Fillmore community from February 6 - 12, 2013. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • I’m really excited about this. That sax sound is to die for. I think there is an extraordinary quality of musicianship. After the gentrification of jazz, that sound is gone. So hearing the vocal approach, the polyrhythms; it’s so vocal and virtuosic, and it’s subtle. • I’m glad he put in the audio recording. The video didn’t show the quality. We know it, but it’s good to hear. • Straight out of Coltrane, but it’s all his. • It’s also positive to see that he expresses bringing the band together. A collective aspiration. There are sometimes artists who really want to develop themselves, but in this it is about developing the band together. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • There are no red flags in the budget and timeline. • The grant goes to him to develop the project. • The artistic fees are going to band members. He is not allotting himself funds to compose work. • Staff: the 10,000 requested from CEG in the budget goes to him to compose work. • Oh, yes. Ok good. • Just a note for later: the development for the art form felt nebulous in this application. But I don’t think that matters. I think that’s still strong here. • Director: It seems like the conversation earlier focused on how his work as a purity of the form that hasn’t been brought forward more recently. So is that part of it? The reintroduction of the form? • The rhythms under that are West African. It’s not jazz as we hear it here. It is pretty awesome to bring that in, but given how long he has been here, his body of work is the contribution to the art form. He addressed who he is and what he does. • That question is a hard one. Sometimes the art form itself, because it’s good art, it serves the community. In this case it serves a clear community, but pushing forward the art form, sometimes someone is just really deeply rooted, they’re not changing it, they’re perpetuating it. They’re revitalizing it. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • He has long lasting relationships and they can communicate with each other. They have been together for so long and you hear it. I am glad to see an application that shows where he is at this point. It shows improvement over the last application I saw. It’s not just a reunion tour. It’s doing something with these relationships and shows deep knowledge of this material. I am happy to see this. I hope these continue to be deep relationships again. My frustration is that it is still all in the family. The support letters are still from the same “in” group, so that frustrated me. But overall I think it was great. And the clarity of it. That sound is so beautiful. • Director: The support letters are from Bill T. Jones and Joanna Haigood. The Cultural Odyssey letter is a production letter. So to clarify: the letter from Joanna is from someone outside of his circle, but someone he’s worked with in the past. She is talking about their collaboration.

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• I was pleased to read this.

Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • I didn’t see anything that talked about audiences. • There’s an interesting possibility of bridging jazz in San Francisco now and what this is, which is very different. He alludes to that in relation to broad jazz awareness and what this is. He goes outside the jazz community because the definition here is so narrow so he’s outside of that. He talks about breaking down that. • Staff: page 3 and 4 he talks about audience. • He’s going to do workshops. That will expose youth who are not necessarily aware of this or the history. He talks about publicity plans. Straightforward. • He is talking about at risk youth and low-income audiences. That’s great and deserves credit. • He’s done this that long that he needs to answer that clearly but he’s also been doing that for years. • It’s clear what community it serves here

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Jacob Felix Huele PROJECT SUMMARY: I will compose a song cycle based on mythology and literature, addressing ideas of or origins and what it means to be human. The compositions will be nontraditional approaches to the song form, with a foundation in my primary practice of sound-oriented improvised music. The music will incorporate traditional notation as well as graphic and text elements. The pieces will be performed on voice, percussion and electronics, by my duo with Danshita Rivero. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • This is a wonderful application. I really like the samples. I think there’s some real craft there. There is a move toward something new. The song cycle idea appeals to me as well. It makes me think of 60s experiments. • I’m interested in this song cycle. My problem is that he says its an equal collaboration, but there’s no work samples from the collaborator or samples that show examples of song work. I don’t doubt he can do that but I want to be true to what’s here. It’s a pity there’s no sample from her. • I don’t know the collaborator’s work so I really wish I could have heard it. I trust the integrity of the artist himself. • The weakness in the application is that he made a statement about the collaborator but didn’t back it up. Is it a true collaboration? • In improv you can’t do the work with out materials. When I’m working with a composer in improv I’m working from the parameters. But the amount of reflection, overall I really like it. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • It is refreshing that he’s combining percussion and analog instruments in this time. He’s doing it a rigorous way staying deep in electronics. • The budget is clear and detailed. He breaks down the hourly rate. • It makes me laugh that he’s very precise in the marketing costs to the cents • He is trying to be honest and clear. • I can’t wait to hear this myself. I feel like there is a really broad community, drawing from experimental music, improv, electronic, adding in the vocal music world. I like this idea of doing something vocally that is examining the human condition. • I thought it was a nice developmental step for him. He’s been focused on percussion and electronics and he’s bringing in a new element. • This more than many others is strong in pushing into a new area and is very deliberate about that. • It is exciting to see the vocal beginning to come in. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • I know the community well. Anyone getting letters of recommendation from these folks is good. He has great support from discerning people I trust. • The letter from tom Nunn is such a keystone of the instrument building community. He has been around for a long time. I feel like if he has respect for this artist; it’s good. • The letter supports the whole application. He pivots in many ways. The support from an improviser and an instrument maker shows he will be able to bring in all these communities in his work. The work samples back up the caliber. That community is so interesting.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The outreach looks good. He thought about his community and knows the improv music scene well. He knows the difference between programming and audiences. He’ll take advantage of the Soundwave Festival to do outreach. There is a real marketing plan here. He also discusses connections to other musicians in these interrelated scenes, which will stimulate understanding of electronics. I also appreciate the analog thing. • Younger artists are delving back into that but he’s really deep into it. • I really can’t wait. • I’m so happy now. The community is broadening. I used to have to jump through hoops to bring the cliques together. Folks would only go to their own thing. But it’s happening organically. And this artist is really a part of that new energy and bringing together various communities.

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Jewlia Eisenberg PROJECT SUMMARY: TERAPHIM is a song cycle based on ancient Near Eastern texts about women and household gods. It explores the connections between material and literary culture, canonized and marginalized voices, ritual power and popular practice, and the ways music mediates these relationships. Composed by Jewlia Eisenberg, TERAPHIM, will be performed by Charming Hostess at Meridian Gallery in December 2012. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • (Looking at bowl project work sample): wow how cool, I was trying to imagine it in my mind. • Incredible. • The work will be beautifully rendered and smart. • I like the theme of this. Her intelligence shows in the theme of household gods. It is a cross-cultural thing. There may be distinctions, but everyone has a household and connection. This is a brilliant choice of subject matter. The work samples were outstanding. The second video was transporting. • That was a really nice show. It was a sound installation with different sound artists. It was a radical Jewish thing curated by john Zorn. It was a lovely show and her installation was good. She’s all over the map as a composer. Some of her work is complicated and other work is not, which is fine: she’s all over the map. The samples showed it. We saw a call and response thing and then a woven together textural thing. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • Sitting in a gallery installation is going to be really fun. • It is always hard for me to evaluate the development of the art form. She is creating her own thing. So yes, she’s developing it. • She succeeds in her project plan even though I have my complaints. One way in which she succeeds is the way is that she contextualizes herself in this community. She talks about who is in her community with whom she participates. This makes me think about it and gives perspective on her work. • She obviously knows how to produce her work. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • There is lot to like about this, lots to like. It has been over a decade now she’s been making work here. I really like it. I think she’s really good. Looking at a project like this there are questions about cultural appropriation. But, it doesn’t come up for me with this because she’s so good at it. She’s so smart. She comes out with great music. Musically, she is really driven by minimalist and post minimalist aesthetics. She comes out with this great pop mix: very accessible but really sophisticated. It is a really controlled mix of text and culturally embedded messaging. So there are many ways they bring things together. A heavy visual aesthetic is always a part of the work. Very cool. As music goes there is more sophisticated music, and as far as culturally specific work, there is more specific work. But she does a good job at the combination. I think it will be delivered well. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • This was one of those where the response to the question about the target audience was: “I have one, stop asking”. But, you need to answer that question. That wasn’t well done. She leans a lot on partners. She’s getting out in community, but a lot of leaning on the partner and not answering question. • I like the way the piece is connected to cultural organizations, presenters, etc.

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Jon Jang PROJECT SUMMARY: I seek a $10,000 IAC to compose “Bright Moments! A Tribute to the Keystone Korner Legacy from Rahsaan Roland Kirk to Todd Barkan,” a 20 minute work dedicated to the pivotal history that helped shape jazz and Black Classical Music today. It will be performed by SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo (8 performers) under the direction of SFJAZZ Education Director Rebeca Mauleon. I will perform as a guest in the ensemble as well. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • There is so much to like about this too. One thing that strikes me, I always realized this, but it is not surprising that Jon and Francis are friends. They work at such a high level; the cross-cultural aspect is front and center. The process is well thought out and imaginative. They have the same approach to looking at a historical theme with an autobiographical element. He went to Keystone Corner as a kid and saw Roland Kirk there. • I’m so in love with Jon’s work. He is such a gift. I am not as in love with his symphonic work. • Huh? I love that work sample. It was so moving. • I thought it was moving, but it is just not his strongest work. • I love the orchestral work sample. I think it’s strong. Technically, but it is also emotionally moving. • Gorgeous. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • This is a great project. It brings together different elements. I like the way the collaborators are brought together. SF Jazz is an appropriate presenter. The budget shows they are covering all project expenses except for his fee so it is a straightforward budget. • Jon keeps on pushing boundaries. He doesn’t sit still. • I love that this is about generational transmission. I love that generational transmission will be the center of the project. It’s going to be on the stars of SF Jazz and they are so fierce. This piece will be written for them. It is not just the style and replication but the transmission of the values over time. Unless you are part of the lineage it is just about applied technique. I think that happens with SF Jazz a lot. So I think this is a boon to them to think about the transmission over generations: to have that important message to them is a big deal. That inspired me. He is great. He hit this out of the park. • It’s also about the technical part. Part of the project focuses on Kirk’s technique too. It is still in that realm of generational transmission, but takes it further. • I like that there’s an educational component but it’s not tacked on artist as social worker. It is actually a part of the work. But, at the same time he is making a gift of it for people. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • I like the dynamics of it. He seems so competent. He showed the breadth of an artist who has everything from ensemble jazz chops to very serious classical composing chops to the point where it’s not just perfunctory knowledge from classes. He showed how he works with an orchestra. • He has years of experience. He knows exactly what he’s doing Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • He has engagement with the community and schools, especially the Chinese community. He is well networked with service organizations and activists. I don’t see any weak spot. This is a very strong application.

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Joshua Brody PROJECT SUMMARY: A one-man show entitled, “The art Song in Late 20th Century Pop Culture, or a history of music, playing particular attention to the years 1966-1971 (when things got REALLY interesting) but touching on everything before and since” Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • Joshua’s work is bizarre. And I have no doubt that this will be quite a production. It could be all over the map in terms of how it is put together. He has a long history of composing work but also interpreting work that is from pop music. He is very educated and rooted in new music/classical music. He is an odd duck. It is hard to put him into a box. I think this bound to be a trippy, fun project. • I think Joshua is an interesting guy and his contribution to underground strange pop music scene he has a unique throne in that world. • I really struggled with this. Joshua is an important figure in a lot of ways in this community. This is very much in his vein. He is in his element here. He’s everyone’s best sideman, but he’s very much his own artist. He often works as a translator and does it well. But in this application it felt like it was very “it’s been a while since he’s done his own work”. He did the New College thing, taking his thesis and he’s going to bring that forward. But, then in the narrative he declines to tell anyone to talk about what he found in his research. He has found something but he didn’t talk about it. I know he can talk about it and make a show about it but he didn’t talk about what that would be aside from reading his dissertation at the piano and that wouldn’t’ be interesting. But, I think he is very compelling and talented. But it was hard to find the project in this, and then he denied the reader the content of what the main interest is. I can guess what was going on (in music In the years 1966-1971), but he didn’t talk about it. I couldn’t get excited about it. He didn’t compel me to get this application. • I wonder if he’s just not trying to steal his own thunder. • I see what you are saying but I don’t think the application is the place to deliver that. He gives enough around it: he loves that period of music, the context for it, songs that explicate and show the change he sees and to me that’s enough to do it without giving the content, itself. I want to point out that being an accompanist, is a psychology, I see someone trying to climb out of that. I think it’s kind of hard to do. If you are used to supporting other people’s vision • Joshua is the Paul Shaffer of the Bay in a way. His ego is pretty kept in check. He is the glue that holds together a lot of things. So it’s hard not to do the filling in the blanks because I know him. And I’m not sure how I would read this if I hadn’t seen him over the years, with Karen Carpenter or other people’s operas. And The Residents’ secret identity, it’s a large percentage this guy. So I think he tries, in a quasi-modest way to step out to do his thing and maybe that’s awkward so maybe it’s hard not to mirror. • I’m with you on that. • His accompanying in the first work sample is brilliant. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • The budget was peculiar…it’s interesting that his request is the only less than the max. He is putting down $150 for production, which seems very low. I think he is basing it off of him doing this off a shoestring budget. He sits down at a keyboard and does his thing. The production values are low for this thing • He’s conscious of it. He just sits down and does it. • That’s his intention. • I don’t know if it’s really pushing anything in terms of the art form, but in a way the premise is an educational thing for the public, so there is the public benefit built into the idea of the show • It is like an accumulation of found materials.

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• The creation of new materials is important. The new work is the glue connecting existing songs; this is what will be his creative work. His fee is to spend hours writing a show knitting together those things. It’s a revue. We have to think about that. He has compositional chops and has written operas. And he has created accompaniment to songs that makes them songs. He’ll write some ditties and bridges. But it’s really about arranging and connecting famous pop songs. And we have to be ok with that. • Director: In this panel we will see projects that are not a single genre. It is important to expect all elements of interdisciplinary work to be strong. In his biography he talks about his musical background. • He will get this piece in front of the public. The venue is perfect. If I walked in and saw him I would probably love it. And he of all people put that in context in a good way. That was kind of original. The fringe piece was great. And it might be the thing that works in that environment. • Part of me wants to really support this effort, but I’m not sure. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • He is capable of putting this together given his history. • I have mixed feelings. I know he’s a brilliant musician and has a really good and knowledgeable and rigorous and all of those things. His output is really all over the map. Some are ridiculous and corny but some are genius. He did this arrangement of the star spangled banner and it’s a joke but it’s brilliant because it’s so hard to sing. He modulates the key when it goes out of a certain range, so it’s kind of funny and musically brilliant. That’s the kind of thing he excels at. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • In terms of an educational project it is “wow”. But since the focus (of this grant category) is music I’m not sure. I see it as an educational piece. • I see it as entertainment.

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Marcus Shelby PROJECT SUMMARY: I will compose a 60 minute long multi-movement suite of music for jazz orchestra that is inspire by the story of “Baby Jack Rice” by visual artist and writer Flo Oy Wong. The proposed instrumentation features 5 saxophones doubling on flute and clarinets, 3 trombones, 4 trumpets, piano, bass and drums. The narrative is based on the childhood memories of Flo Oy Wong’s husband, Edward K. Wong, who grew up in Augusta Georgia during segregation. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • There is so much to like about the artist’s work and the project. It is not surprising to know that Marcus also hangs out with Francis and Jon. It’s a wonderful community. I like the project in terms of the way it goes back into history. The autobiographical connection is to Flo’s husband’s experience. • I like that there are artists combining African American and Asian music, but this particular project is doing something that those do not in going into the historical relationship between those communities in the world, not just art. • People throw that out in applications because it’s sexy but Marcus can really do it. • That work sample was…I wanted to be in a movie where that’s the soundtrack. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • The weaknesses are with the personnel and doing the project. It will be highly theatrical but I did not see staging, sound/stage designers, or dramaturg. Will Marcus and Flo do it all? • The project, itself, is a suite. It doesn’t necessarily say he will stage it elaborately. • Isn’t there a multimedia projection element with Flo’s work? I guess the emphasis is on music. • Staff: The application talks about the integration of text and ensemble readings and presentation of the story by Flo. • I don’t think it’s a multimedia work. • Maybe I misread it. • Staff: The application implies that text will be a part of it. • This is a lot of how he composes. He uses a lot of text-based sources. It is not unusual to have a collaborator who is unseen in the final product but who helps develop the work in the creative process. One thing I think is so successful is that he has a really narrative voice in the composition. You feel the relationship to text. You hear trouble on the bus and you see that. • It’s so cinematic. • His gift is that he tells stories. And he collaborates with story and text. But I’d be surprised if it was multimedia. • There is a letter on letterhead from the African American Art and Culture Complex that is signed by London Breed with the title of ODC Theater Director. That was a mistake. • Director: London signed the letter with all those typos. So it’s a note to her too. • That shocked me. • This is so weird though. In a way he can’t help (the letter mistake) it. Maybe it was just running late. • He should get catch that. But, he really succeeded in this application. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • As a player, composer, and arranger he works at a high level.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The audience was really strong. T outreach and development was exemplary. He has a huge list of partners and a marketing plan. It was top notch on that level. I thought the piece has potential to inspire knowledge about the topic and Chinese and African American connections. Jazz as a way to be a kind of tone poem, to tell a story not with words but what’s behind.

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Ross Cunningham PROJECT SUMMARY: As lead artist and member of the band Audiopharmacy, I will co-produce, arrange, record and mix a new collectively made full-length album to completion; collaborate with visual artists to produce new album artwork that is representative of our collective vision; strengthen and enhance our live performance by adding visuals and new music; video document the writing and creation process so that it may be used as a tool to continue to refine our artistry and host and perform at an inspirational community record release, performing the new album in its entirety. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • I wasn’t familiar with his work. This is my first exposure. I like the application. The way he talks about his location and identity is very successful. He does a great job about that. My favorite line: the creative process will include group hikes. I like that. • That actually works. There’s a lot of self-sufficiency in the application. He contextualizes himself. Considering what he’s up against, he has done a good job. • I also really like that he is so concerned with the interior group dynamics and spends a lot of time talking about that. This resonates with his values. • I appreciate that the values are spelled out. I’m glad they talk about that. I think we assume we share values as artists. They are explicitly talking about peace and social justice. Glad that they say that. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • They made a little residency for themselves. That’s great and unusual. • The project is very clear and how he wants to do it. Those are strengths. • Director: Comments on the development of the art form? • I didn’t give high marks for that. I am not sure; it is hard. I just could not honestly say the project as defined further develops the art form. But, I’m open to hearing otherwise. • I do not feel that competent to answer that. I am not immersed in this genre. He is getting textures in the mixes but I am not sure if that is what others do too. • When I listen to hip-hop, the composition exists as a rhythmic power and use of language. That does not exist in other things; it’s a genre and style. • It is a genre…I don’t spend a lot of time in that, but I know it enough to know that people on the cutting edge of the genre have pioneered a lot of texture and strange rhythmic underpinnings and sampling and processing. Average ones use it the ways you hear in the radio. But, the ones pushing it are using it in ways that only avant garde artists do, where they reverse it and throw polyrhythms under it. But hearing this I don’t think it’s really exceptional given the entire field. Most things in the pool are not from this field so it’s hard to say. • Director: One thing that may help in the future is if they can talk about what he is trying to achieve in the music, what he’s trying to draw influences from, particular kinds of letters of support that talk about the musical edge or context. • Staff: in terms of the art form, they talk about documentation piece. • I loved that. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project:

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• There is a lot of authenticity. As far as the music and the band, I am not sure it is exceptional as music. It is definitely of a genre. They succeed at what they do. The sound is good. It is a good group. You can hear the influences they list. It’s in their sound. I don’t respond to it at a musical level. I respond at a lyrical and content level. The music is sitting in the lyrics and content. At that level it’s high. The authenticity, and process, group dynamics, community, they aced. That felt genuine. • I cracked up at the jumping the turnstile in the work sample. I agree with the comments about the music, I read this, but needed to see the music. I was not sure if this was going to be just any dub/roots/rock influence or if it stands out. The opening of the first work sample was nice. There was a nice quality there. I know that as an applicant you want to show there is development over time in a sample. But, if there is only a small clip and it sounds like an intro you have to make assumptions about what the meat of the piece sounds like. It was a nice beginning, but I still don’t have enough to be convinced by the music. • Director: You seemed familiar with the other applicants; did you look for work samples prior with artists you were not familiar with? • I resisted listening to samples ahead of time. However, when I didn’t have prior knowledge I did turn to the work sample. • Director: I’ll suggest listening a little further into the sample since people are not familiar with this artist like they are with the other artists. • I would encourage them in the future to think about the work sample for people who don’t know their music. It’s ok not to start at the beginning if it gives more of a sense of what is there. The first few minutes didn’t give enough. • (Panel hears more of the work sample.) • I liked a lot of the collective process. We should take note that part of the skills has to do with music production. • It’s all in the mix. • It’s pretty well done. • Really smooth. The grooves they use in the dubbing are sort of like found objects in visual work. The skill is where the compositional translation exists, which is quite high. • Giving it higher marks artistically than when we listened earlier. There was a beautiful collage going on that has some sonic interest. • The hard part is the artistic excellence. I’m not sure who to put it up against. In the broader musical field, it has to stand up to a lot of things that are much stronger. And I’m not sure how to assess it in the genre. • Director: You also have the reviews and critical comment from the Smithsonian • The level of the work is spoken to in the reviews. He is taking it to a level with calling himself an “Afropomo”. I’m drawn to the word. The rhythm. There are compelling intentions there. I score it well on that front. But it sounds like we all agree that there are questions about what it’s advancing. • Some of what they talk about in the articles is so much more interesting than what was in the work sample. Instruments, dancers. I almost feel like this is death by sample. The sample didn’t give access to those parts. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • It’s not so strong in terms of the audience part. The values and goals are great. But I don’t see in the proposal real strategies and activities to get their values out there. This is a bit of a weak spot. • In that arena of music, you don’t always think about audience development in the same way. The audience is there and they’re alongside big names. These guys are in a whole different place than other artists. • Director: On page 2 he talks about the community he is a part of. Are you not sure how he is connecting to audience and community?

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• Especially for artists who frequently get grants, audience development is strengthened. I know I had to learn that and had taken that for granted before. So this is talking about knowing community and going more deeply with them. Not necessarily adding realms. Maybe that’s fine. • Director: So we are saying that is fine to just deepen. • Staff: The application talks about his historic connection and youth community, so are you saying you need more in relation to this particular project? • Yes, at the end of the application it talks about participation and social media. This is all good and true and valuable. But, it is not developing new audiences. So I’m looking at this in a different way. • Staff: Does he give you the information about connecting to audience? • I think he succeeds at that. But, I want to hear more how he is doing it. There’s ways they’re getting the music out and they’re not talking about that. They said great things about being embedded but are not talking about how they are engaging with the audience and actually doing the work.

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Sascha Jocobsen PROJECT SUMMARY: With the Pan-Americana Suite, I aim to expand the notion of what chamber music can be by fusing it with rhythms found throughout the Americas. Seven movements, each exploring a different rhythm/dance form in a precise, melodic and accessible way will be composed. The Suite will be performed by the Musical Art Quintet and will deepen my understanding of the breadth of possibilities of American music and move, inspire and excite the audience. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • The rhythms are honest sounding and make sense. The music composition is well integrated. It is coming from the authentic voice of artist; musically it is great. • I really liked the work sample. It is very strong and did sound authentic. • This is not classical music tourism. • I liked the work samples: the textures were beautiful in terms of arranging and voice leading. Bravo. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • The project seemed sound in budget and process. The budget is modest but takes care of the artist. • The artistic merits of the plan: they are grappling with that within well a worn grove. They are focusing on distillation so that’s a next step. • This could be seen as a move forward. I have seen artist and it is spectacular. • This really is composition for him; what I’ve known is his work as an arranger. • The step from arranging to having his own voice is the move forward for him. This has an emerging quality. • He will move himself forward as an artist. • What they have done for classical music is important for San Francisco and the field. They have a conversation about what is classical or traditional, which is more culturally driven. • This is more interesting and layered in the field of classical revolution. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • There is no feasibility question; there will be broad community of listeners. • This is a completely feasible project. It seems clear. He has a lot of good support as shown in letters. He is committed. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The community aspect is great. He is at the heart of the classical revolution community. Venues are places where there is a relaxed atmosphere but also range from Revolution Café to the De young Museum. That brings more of a possibility of different audiences than at traditional venues. That aspect is interesting. • My question is where are they at this point: are they within Classical Revolution or outside? They are referencing so much of Classical Revolution in their plan. This relationship could be better clarified. • Audience outreach is very strong. They have diverse networks. They have different venues that cross over to different audiences in a fluid natural way. He is conscious about what he is doing, looking at the age of classical music audience and how that age can be broadened.

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Shawna Virago PROJECT SUMMARY: This proposal requests $10,000 to support two performances of Devil’s Daughter, a 75-minutet musical production exploring one transgender woman’s journey from childhood to middle-age, and her struggle to reconcile her rejection by the Church with her Christian upbringing. I will stage Devil’s Daughter as a work-in-progress at The Garage in fall 2012 prior to its March 2013 world premiere at CounterPulse. Awarded funds will support my creative fee and will compensate my collaborating musicians. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • This is a strong application. She is an expressive artist. She is not a stellar singer, but this is about identity. She has diverse experience including film curating. The project sounds interesting and appropriate for her to do. • She is making a fleshed out full theatrical work is, It is great that she is tackling the subject. It is good to see people who are beyond basic ideas about particular groups versus an individual struggle. She has more depth. Musically, this has to be taken into artistic excellence of music. The guitar was good; singing was not strong. But, within the context of the work, it is appropriate. • The stand-out pieces of this project were the embodiment of the performer and the content of the work more than other elements. Making a theatrical work is great. Her presence and wit are strong. It will be performance art in nature. This will be terrific work. The content is pain of rejection by church; it is not saying church is bad. I like that perspective, not reversing the blame. That acceptance is good. Clear how she will approach that and that it is meaningful within context of work. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • This is a well-planned project. The concept is clear. The work in progress venue will take place at The Garage. CounterPulse is committed. Budget well thought out and proportioned. She is moving forward in good way and expanding artist role on stage. This is a shared opportunity for growth and I like that a lot. • I am not sure what form is being developed but I always ask that. • The actual plan is adequate. • The budget is well put together. • She is capable of carrying out the budget. She knows who she will be working with and has a plan in place. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • Her background and accomplishments are relevant to project. • This is the genre at a high level. She is accomplished in putting this kind of work forward and already has audience. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • The CounterPulse relationship is exciting. CounterPulse has a queer underpinning and has also embraced Shawna as a full on performer.

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Tyson Ayers PROJECT SUMMARY: The Sound Cave is a room-sized musical instrument and echo chamber functioning as a highly engaging and unique interactive sound sculpture, new musical instrument, sound healing device and performance stage. This SFAC IAC will fund stage four of this project: composing a full set of music for this newly invented musical instrument, train an ensemble to perform that music, and debut it all to the public in San Francisco. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • I loved the sound cave. I am proud that the San Francisco Arts Commission commissioned this or has something to do with this. I didn’t find the rest of the application compelling. I didn’t think the composition would do anything for the work. I didn’t get what the composition will do. The sound cave is great. Unless there was a deep compositional talent to happen in the cave, I didn’t get excited about it. Perhaps other composers will come in to do a project within the cave. It’s a wonderful thing as an installation. But, the proposed project did not take me to a new place. That said it’s a well put together, thought out application. This artist is capable. I feel the sound cave has gotten its due at this level. I didn’t feel compelled to reexamine this. The application is not flawed. I did not feel it addressed many of the same questions as other applicants. • I am curious about the second work sample. What is that composition? • It was taken from different things: live music from different musicians, what does that mean? Did he compose it? • Staff: He does say that he composed it. • I don’t understand if he composed it as in John Cage music circus or composed the piece. If not jump cuts then it would be contiguous piece. • We got interactivity from the sample, but not the content of the artist as composer and that is huge in this. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • What I see is incredibly creative and open-minded. This is a brilliant person in outreach, creation, and construction. I don’t think composition is what it needs. I think it would need other elements: people, a different audience to continue on another powerful path. • There have been other things that do this, but he has taken it further. Historically there have been people who have played with dead deconstructed pianos and singing into pianos. I am not convinced this project takes it to another level. I would like someone to go in and investigate the vocals and the sound. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • I am not convinced about this artist as a composer for new work. It is nice that the sound cave exists as an experience and that people are coming who he will train in the cave. As a principle it is cool, but there is no track record that will manifest in a compositional setting. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • This has potential inherently in the installation to reach new audiences if it is placed in good places where people can walk in or happen upon it. This has that potential built in. But, I don’t see anything in particular about composition. The application is muddled between the sound cave and composition.

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Weishan Liu PROJECT SUMMARY: This project is to promote the integration of Chinese culture, poetry and music from the Tang and Song dynasties. Original music composition for the guzheng and vocal using poems from famous poets from the Tang and Song Dynastic such as female poet Li Qing Zhao and male poet Li Bei. Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work: w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project: • The first audio piece is beautiful. I didn’t like the video. I didn’t like stylistically what was going on. The first piece with all that resonance was remarkable. • This application is unapologetically serving ancient music, art and writing. My understanding is it will be fairly traditional, but putting at the forefront poetry and including women poets who were never honored the way they should have been. This is a straightforward project. • I was so happy to se this application: from someone who is deep in her culture and wants to go deeper. This is a unicultural grant. And doesn’t have pretense to be beyond that. • The application was fine and it was exciting that this is coming to the San Francisco Arts Commission. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan: w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth: w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form: • This is a multimedia work right? I’m not seeing her team. That is the one missing link in the application • Director: The final multimedia presentation is with visuals. This application is from someone whose first language is not English and for whom this is her first grant to us. You saw in the work sample some visual elements in staging so you have some information on that. Look at collaborating people’s bios. And also in the history, look to see if there is information about doing multimedia exploration. • I am pretty sure she will find some projectionist. The visuals are a representation of work. She is not trying for some new kind of synthesis. It will be an incorporated element. • The only question I have is what is she going to do with poetry and singing. I do not know how she will be dealing with voice. I was not sure what her were intentions artistically around that piece. I have no question of her being a master artist and putting this on. • There is a bio of the singer; she is a soprano. That fills in my question. • I am curious about singers and how the vocal parts sound. • I didn’t quite get what was going on with the poetry and singing. A vocal rendition of the poetry; I wasn’t sure what we are going to get. Is she moving her composing style into that arena or pulling that singer into her arena? • An unsecured venue: the difference was 500 people. That was ambiguous and we had to dig out the information. • Staff: She is showing a contingency plan based on resources available. • If the project doesn’t get funding in this round, she should enlist a grants writer because its just that the questions weren’t answered. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project: w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant: w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project: • The last worry I have is that she is not going to do an extraordinary production. The levels of mastery of instrument and production are clear. She has been selling out the Herbst for many years. She has a huge following. • The artist is capable of accomplishing this. • The only question is about her capacity to carry out the project because of the holes of the visual component and also what ability she has to compose for classical voice. Is this going to be in traditional style and if so what is the classical singer’s ability to sing in that style?

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• Her singer is Chinese but western classically trained soprano. • If there were someone trained like her, she would have no problem. • It doesn’t mean she has or hasn’t sung this music. It is not clear. • Director: the Beijing opera house doesn’t just do western opera. • I do see strong artistry and ability on the instrument. I did not see the ability to write vocal music and I do not see anything in what she has written to indicate the direction. My guess is that the music will be traditional. The first work sample was the only one that was not so traditional. • From her bio, jazz is the one crossover art form she is working with. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience: w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form: • This project will appeal to aficionados of Chinese music. There is no strong explanation of a new audience that would be brought. But it is clear-cut in terms of the project. • She means to bring together artists and forms and wants to reach people with it. She did not spell out how but she is doing it.

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RANKING Panel Rating Name Grant Request Grant 85.0 Todd Brown $10,000 $10,000 79.9 Guillermo Gómez-Peña $10,000 $10,000 79.0 Anthony Williams $10,000 $10,000 78.3 Elizabeth Stephens $10,000 $10,000 74.5 Lisa Gray-Garcia $10,000 $8,100 72.3 Dave End $10,000 $8,100 69.3 Annie Danger $6,200 $5,060 67.8 Nathaniel Justiniano $10,000 $8,100 67.1 Mica Sigourney $10,000 $8,100 66.6 Leticia Hernandez $10,000 $7,700 66.3 Abraham Burickson $10,000 61.0 Ali Tabatabai $10,000 58.0 Silvia Girardi $10,000 57.3 Sia Amma $10,000 57.3 Veronica Majano $10,000 56.5 D-L Alvarez $10,000 56.5 F. Allen Sawyer $10,000 54.5 Kat Evasco $10,000 54.3 Tara Jepsen $10,000 49.8 Christy Chan $10,000 46.0 Madison Young $10,000 42.3 Nato Green $10,000 36.3 Kevin Caulfield $10,000

TOTAL $226,200 $85,160

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Panelist Biographies 2012-Individual Artist Commission Grants Theater

Joan Osato, Producing Director, Youth Speaks Joan Osato has been working for over 15 years in support of the Asian Pacific Islander Communities of San Francisco in such diverse roles as; Counselor, Expressive Arts Therapist and Administrator for Asian American Recovery Services, and also dedicates her time to other Community Based Arts Organizations in San Francisco. Director of Asian American Theater Company from 1997 - 2001, she joined AATC as the production manager forPhilip Kan Gotanda's workshop(s) of Sisters Matsumoto at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and saw the project through to World Premiere co-productions with Seattle Repertory Theater and San Jose Repertory. With AATC she was proud recipient of the national Civil Liberties Public Education Fund and the California CLPEF, awarded to projects that examine and educate the public on the forced removal and internment of Japanese during the Second World War. For her continued service to the Arts in San Francisco, she was awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2007.Since joining Youth Speaks in 2002, she has help guide the expansion of the organization from a budget of $200,000 and a staff of four, to a combined budget of over 1.8 million between Youth Speaks, and The Living Word Project (Theater Company). As a professional dedicated to the development and presentation of works by emerging artists, and as an advocate of youth, she is also Company Manager of The Living Word Project with Artistic Director Marc Bamuthi Joseph. With the LWP she has additionally served as AD, Stage Manager, Production Manager or Lighting Designer on runs of Repertory works such as Fear of a Brown Planet (The Carlyle Theater, Miami,and Project Artaud, SF), Word Becomes Flesh (ODC Theater, SF and JAAT,L.A.), Scourge (YBCA, SF 2005, and upcoming at ODC Theater in Fall 2007),and a new work-in- progress, Regarding Women which was presented at the first National Asian American Theater Festival in New York this summer atthe Kirk Theater. She has independently produced API Theater in San Francisco including The Cure by Joel Tan and Ginu Kamani (author of Junglee Girl), and Begum Sumroo (Project Artaud Theater), directed by Vidhu Singh.

Kevin Seaman, Arts and Culture Program Assistant, San Francisco Foundation Kevin Seaman received his B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Colorado and has appeared on-stage locally with various theatrical festivals and at various venues around the Bay Area. He has also toured throughout California with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival‘s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Kevin was a founding member of The Living Room, a live/work art collective in South Berkeley and has sat on planning committees for Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ Big Idea Night parties. He is also an inaugural champion of The Institute for Aesthletic’s Drinking and Dancing Competition (along with dance partner Kate Dunphy). Kevin’s artistic practice focuses on performance and video art, fusing his theatrical history of over-the-top comedy, absurdism, and costume with strong DIY and Internet meme-based aesthetics resulting in work that is accessible and light-hearted. His short film SILENCE=FILTH was presented at FRAMELINE35 and has been featured on various blogs including Joe.My.God, The Bilerico Project, and Towleroad. His persona Dr. Zebrovski has generated nearly 25,000 hits on YouTube and has performed interactive psychic dances in various venues throughout San Francisco. As an advocate for the queer community, Kevin has led community workshops in grantseeking and

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collaborative creation for the National Queer Arts Festival as well as bringing the Bay Area queer arts scene to the attention of national funders by co-facilitating Queering the Arts: Aesthetics and Economies at the Grantmakers in the Arts 2011 conference. As Arts and Culture Program Assistant at The San Francisco Foundation, Kevin has adjudicated individual artist and organizational grants through the multiple rounds of the Fund For Artists Matching Commissions, the Bay Area Documentary Fund, and the Koshland Arts Mini-Grants and has facilitated panels for several Art Awards including the Murphy and Cadogan Fellowships in the Fine Arts and the John Guttmann Photography Fellowship Award.

Lisa Steindler, Executive Artistic Director, Z Space Lisa Steindler is the Executive Artistic Director of Z Space. Annually, Z Space has over 10 works in various stages of development, nurturing a wide variety of artists in the common goal of increasing visibility and opportunity. Lisa also serves as the Artistic Director of Encore Theatre Company for the past 18 years where she has shepherded such established playwrights as Adam Bock, Claire Chafee, Adam Rapp, Leigh Fondakowski, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and Steve Yockey. Lisa has produced over 20 world premiere productions in the past 15 years. She is an Equity actor and has performed in many plays over the years, including Adam Bock’s award winning Five Flights, and American Conservatory Theatre’s production of Angels in America. She has also directed many productions, including the world premiere of Claire Chafee’s Darwin’s Finches. From 1996-2004 Lisa also ran the Zoetrope Live Series at Francis Ford Coppola’s studios in North Beach. She also created A.C.T.’s ArtReach program, which she ran for 17 years bringing theatre into the Bay Area public schools. Lisa taught acting classes at Actor’s Alliance in San Diego, California, and the American Conservatory Theater, and has experience as an independent casting agent, commercial and film actress, talent agent and private acting coach. Lisa received a Master of Fine Arts from the American Conservatory Theater and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Vermont.

Roberto Varea, Associate Professor, Performing Arts and Social Justice Director, Center for Latino Studies in the Americas, University of San Francisco Roberto G. Varea began his career in theater in his native city of Cordoba, Argentina. In the US, he has directed numerous productions and workshops associated with new play development, particularly with Latin@-Chican@ artists. Roberto is the founding artistic director of Soapstone Theatre Company, a collective of male ex-offenders and female survivors of violent crime, El Teatro Jornalero!, a performance company that brings the voice of Latin American immigrant workers to the stage and founding member of the SF-based performance collective Secos & Mojados. He is a founding faculty of the Performing Arts and Social Justice Program at the University of San Francisco, where he also directs the Center for Latino Studies in the Americas (CELASA). Roberto is Associate Editor of "peace Review" (Routledge, U.S.), and guest editor of "e-misférica" (NYU) and "Contemporary Theater Review" (Routledge, U.K.). His two-volume anthology "Acting Together: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict" has just been published by New Village Press.

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Abraham Burickson Project Summary Odyssey Works: SF is a large-scale, multisite, cross-genre performance that will radically rethink the audience- artist relationship, reconsidering traditional processes of art-making, performative potentials of public spaces, and the nature of human relationships. It is a performance that will be performed once, last a whole day, and will be centered around a singe audience member who has applied to have the piece done for her.

Ali Tabatabai $0 Project Summary Nanos Operetta will collaborate with the AKHE Group of St. Petersburg, Russia to research and develop a new physical theater piece titled The Blind Owl based on the writings of Iranian existentialist author Sadegh Hedayat. The Blind Owl will be developed and created between St. Petersburg and San Francisco over a one-year period. The finished production will be a physical theatre piece with live score and projections and live narration by German vocalist Blixa Bargeld.

Annie Danger Project Summary This proposal requests $6200 to support More Than You Ever Knew: Trans Women’s Hearts, In Glitter, On Stage, an interactive theatrical event that will explore the curious and profound social and emotional landscape of trans women seeking love in dyke community and how that process mirrors human experience. Awarded funds will be used to underwrite artists’ fees and production costs for a two night run at SOMArts for an audience of 100 people per night.

Anthony Williams Project Summary “Shafted: The Blaxploitation Project” is a full-length work of collaborative interactive multimedia performance art that integrates ethnotechno ritual, house music, jazz dance and realtime video to reconsider African-American experience and aesthetics through a theatrical deconstruction of the blaxploitation cinema of the 1970s. Returning audiences to a badass world of afro picks, street pimps and foxy mamas provides an opportunity to reconstruct black/queer performativities of cultural potency in communities challenged by continuing poverty, violence and racism.

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Christy Chan Project Summary I am reguesting support to write “Pen Pals” a play based on autobiographical details of my childhood in Virginia during the 1980’s. In “Pen Pals” a young Chinese girl writes idealistic letters to the Ku Klux Klan on behalf of her non English speaking immigrant family, in the hopes of thwarting racial hostility. The Klan, who has targeted the immigrant newcomers, has no idea it’s communicating with an 8-year old.

D-L Alvarez $0 Project Summary The Visitor Owl is a live performance with a two-channel video, which parodies two seminal Sidney Poitier films (1955 and 1967) about high school. The work creates a triangle between mid-Fifties’ Cold War culture, student unrest circa 1968, and Hollywood depictions of pedagogy, racism, and adolescence from those times.

Dave End Project Summary To support the expansion and production of “F.A.G.G.O.T.S. The Musical,” my original musical theater piece exploring themes of trans-feminine lives and experiences. Featuring nine original songs, monologues, and highly sculptural costumes, the piece will be staged at CounterPulse in June 2013. Awarded fees will support artists and production costs.

Elizabeth Stephens Project Summary “Earthy: An Ecosexual Love Story” is a new play written and performed by Elizabeth Stephens, with cast member Annie Sprinkle, directed by Patty Gallagher. Earthy explores what happens when two queer San Francisco women join the environmental movement and try to make it more sexy, fun and diverse in order to help save the planet. As they shift the metaphor from Earth as mother, to Earth as lover, heavy drama mixed with ribald humor ensues.

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F. Allen Sawyer Project Summary This proposal requests $10,000 to support the creation and development of my next full length play, “The Man From P.A.N.S.Y.” During the grant period I will create and present at least 2 staged readings. Awarded funds will support my creative fees and will compensate my cast and crew for the reading.

Guillermo Gómez-Peña Project Summary I am requesting support for the creation and development of 2012: The Return of Border Brujo, a new solo performance piece that will deconstruct the maelstrom of violence confronting Latinos living on the border and explore its psychological, cultural and economic consequences.

Kat Evasco Project Summary The ultimate goal I would like to accomplish through this project is to further develop and mount the world premiere of my autobiographical one-woman show, “Mommy Queerest” in 2013 in San Francisco, after refining my skills as a solo performance artist, becoming a stronger writer, and standup comic.

Kevin Caulfield $0 Project Summary My project is to complete writing the original musical Suzy Mae, finish composing the score, and to present a fully staged production with music on August 3rd and 4th, 2012 at the Community Music Center. This will also require numerous rehearsals. The venue has already been secured. If there is success and momentum, I hope to continue the run at other venues.

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Leticia Hernandez $0 Project Summary I am requesting support in the amount of $10,000 for the creation and presentation of Mortaja, a series of multimedia performances centered around the historical Central American figure, Prudencia Ayala, and the conversations between Ayala, an immigrant seamstress, and a young muralist and dancer that occur in the ever changing Mission neighborhood. The conversations will be presented through spoken word, narration, movement/dance, clothes design, photography and music.

Lisa Gray-Garcia Project Summary Theater of the Poor will deconstruct mythologies and stereotypes propagated by society about the poor by creating a space for people struggling with poverty to share their stories of survival and thrival through performance art. The project will consist of a series of workshops for low and no income youth, adults and elders on playwriting, acting and producing, culminating in a feature-length play that explores the myriad of issues facing those struggling with poverty.

Madison Young Project Summary This proposal seeks $10,000 for creation and development of a new theater piece on queer motherhood and sexuality. Down the Rabbit Hole: A Year in the Life of a Sexy Mama is loosely based on Lewis Carroll's classic story, Alice in Wonderland. The piece will be written and performed by Madison Young. The world premiere will open at CounterPulse theater and be co-presented by Femina Potens Art Gallery/ Awarded funds will support artist fees for the writer/performer.

Mica Sigourney Project Summary To support the development, production and staging of my newest performance piece, “Nicole Kidman is Fucking Gorgeous.” I will create an evening-length work that crosses between nightlife/fringe venues and more traditional venues utilizing the vernacular imagery found in drag performance and live music shows combined with the rigor and technique of formal theater. Awarded Arts Commission funds will underwrite all artists’ fees.

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Nathaniel Justiniano Project Summary “You Killed Hamlet, Or Guilty Creatures Sitting At A Play” is a 60-minute, original bouffon production created by Nathaniel Justiniano that asks, “If Hamlet was allowed out of the confines of his own play, what would his preoccupation with mortality lead him to say about our audience, about mainstream culture, and about our time?” Featuring two grotesque, ecstatic anti-clowns the show is a disturbing and hilarious satire about society’s dysfunctional relationship with death.

Nato Green $0 Project Summary A comedic solo performance piece, tentatively titled “Can They Do That?” about my life and lessons learned from growing up on the political left in San Francisco in the 70s and 80s, spending 14 years as a union organizer in the Bay Area, and changing careers to become a stand-up comedian.

Sia Amma Project Summary “The Immigrant Dialogues” will be a theatrical presentation exploring the mass deportation of Liberians from the United States of America when President Obama’s extension of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to Liberians ends in 18 months (through March 31, 2013) and their contributions to American history, as well as providing information about the Liberian civil war through monologues, storytelling, and song. The play is written and performed by Sia Amma and will be directed by Goldie Award-winning playwright David Ford, artist-in- residence at The Marsh Theater in San Francisco.

Silvia Girardi Project Summary FAITH: Through the Eye of a Skater is a multidisciplinary theatre project that explores the themes of belonging, the individual need for aggregation, and single-minded dedication. It is a composition of movement, text, music and video. A non-linear narrative will include intersections of real life stories, imaginary worlds and psychological landscapes. Collaborators include: Silvia Girardi (Director), Michael Shiono (Musician), Mike Giant (Visual Artist), LEAF (Video Artists), and four performers (to be cast).

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Tara Jepsen Project Summary Nice and Easy will be a splashy, fabulous stage production celebrating and skewering the female experience, specifically in television, sex and through the eyes of a father. Humorous monologue, powerfully enthusiastic/totally unskilled dancing, and original music shall warmly and bombastically command the loving gaze of our audience. Viewers will be comforted, astonished, tickled and ultimately deeply consoled by the playful and truth-y tone of the production. Three acts, bright colors, full hearts, can’t lose.

Todd Brown Project Summary Teobi’s Dreaming is a multi-disciplinary performance work about ‘otherness’, a peculiarly awkward feeling with a unique capacity to compel a person toward self-discovery. The work joins music, contemporary dance, and installation, to stage a series of tableaux investigating ‘otherness’ as experienced across a diverse scope of personal narratives and social, political and cultural contexts. I am asking for $10,000, majority to cover artist fees, the remainder for installation materials, and minor admin/marketing expenses.

Veronica Majano $0 Project Summary “Shorty Rodriguez is a Dyke” is a one-woman show- the journey of an 11 year old, queer Mission homegirl.

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D-L ALVAREZ ...... 2 SIA AMMA ...... 3 TODD BROWN ...... 5 ABRAHAM BURICKSON ...... 7 KEVIN CAULFIELD ...... 9 CHRISTY CHAN ...... 11 ANNIE DANGER ...... 13 DAVE END ...... 15 KAT EVASCO ...... 17 SILVIA GIRARDI ...... 19 GUILLERMO GÓMEZ-PEÑA ...... 21 LISA GRAY-GARCIA ...... 23 NATO GREEN ...... 25 LETICIA HERNANDEZ ...... 26 TARA JEPSEN ...... 28 NATHANIEL JUSTINIANO ...... 30 VERONICA MAJANO ...... 32 F. ALLEN SAWYER ...... 34 MICA SIGOURNEY ...... 36 ELIZABETH STEPHENS ...... 37 ALI TABATABAI ...... 39 ANTHONY WILLIAMS ...... 41 MADISON YOUNG ...... 42

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D-L Alvarez PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Visitor Owl is a live performance with a two-channel video, which parodies two seminal Sidney Poitier films (1955 and 1967) about high school. The work creates a triangle between mid-Fifties’ Cold War culture, student unrest circa 1968, and Hollywood depictions of pedagogy, racism, and adolescence from those times.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I loved the work sample, but it didn’t show the theater aspect of the project. The sample was focused on film. I wish the sample was more related to what is being proposed. This project will lead to another film project. It keeps referring back to film. • I liked that the project is steeped in history but put in a more modern context. I see the wonderful, creative potential of re-casting and bringing a new light to iconic films that are supposed to be frozen in time; particularly as they relate to certain historic civil rights. But I still have questions. • I was unclear about the relationship between this project and “The Unforgiving Minute” project. • This puts the performance in the context of the museum atmosphere. I like that. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I’m left a little unclear about how the live performance fits in. I remain unclear after watching the sample, which is about film language. How film and live performance intermingle could be interesting, but the proposal lacks clarity about that. Maybe it’s not so much about live performance? A piece of the application talks about the live performance, but there is not enough information about it. I have the same questions. In the setting of SFMOMA, where the most fleshed out part of the proposal is about the film, that is a passive experience. How the live performance integrates is the most important piece because that’s the creation piece. Where does the performance come in? It’s not clear in the narrative or work sample. It made me think about other productions that do this, such as ACT. If they could somehow explain the film and live performance aspect, it would be helpful and could be fascinating. • The films are two acts in a four-act piece, with the film pieces being 30 minutes each. What happens in the other acts? I just don’t see the elaboration on that. • I didn’t see how this would be an important step in the artist’s trajectory. • I liked that they had a contingency plan. • Their budget has a surplus, but the budget doesn’t show what that will go to. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • There is tremendous talent, a timeline and support. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • I appreciated the audience via SFMOMA and schools, but are they just relying on what’s already there or are they doing anything additional? The educational piece is thoughtful.

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Sia Amma PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “The Immigrant Dialogues” will be a theatrical presentation exploring the mass deportation of Liberians from the United States of America when President Obama’s extension of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to Liberians ends in 18 months (through March 31, 2013) and their contributions to American history, as well as providing information about the Liberian civil war through monologues, storytelling, and song. The play is written and performed by Sia Amma and will be directed by Goldie Award-winning playwright David Ford, artist-in-residence at The Marsh Theater in San Francisco.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I enjoyed the work sample although the audio quality not the best. It gave a good sense of the performance and writing skills. It was great to see that. • I love the lighthearted take on the heavy material. It is important that the material resonates with the audience and you can hear that in the sample. • In reading letters and seeing the work sample, she radiates energy. That energy and presence is, to a degree, a culturally African means of dealing with difficulties: there is a sense of rejoicing even though she is speaking about devastating material. That is positive and reassuring in seeing the project come to light. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I did not feel the passion in the proposal, but I did feel the timeliness and urgency in doing this in 2013. • I’m confused about the work with students and volunteers. I don’t know how that will happen, what the input is, and who they are. I would like to see more fleshed out. • I don’t know about the touring fees. I would have wanted more in showing what is beyond the Marsh and how that fit into the project. • The project fits as her next step. • How does this stretch her as an artist? She is continuing as a solo artist and she’s go a good director. I want to see her stretch more. • I wanted to hear where this project will take her and why that is important. • That was missing in the application for me, which is somewhat problematic. • I had hoped the letters of support would speak to that trajectory, but they didn’t. • One, because I see her long and active schedule and two, her involvement in the types of organizations she’s running with weekly performances and festivals. She’s embedded in community and the subject matter is compelling, timely and urgent. It is also something you don’t see. • But we don’t hear about it. This is a huge community she is speaking to and I wanted to hear her voice. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • It was hard as a reader to get a sense of the artist’s passion. I think this is because the application was written in third person. I wonder if there is something culturally specific about speaking in the third person like that. • She has a long history of being out in the world performing pieces for a long time. That history is relevant to this next work. • She has a great resume.

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• She is working with a director and the Marsh, which is a well-known site where artists can develop. That set a certain standard that I feel the work will attain. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • I wished the public benefit piece were flushed out. She’s so gifted as storyteller—it would translate to a huge impact. • Everything she’s proposed in her outreach is solid, but I want to see more. I know she will probably do it. • There are confluences in what is going on politically and the community living here. I would like to hear more about the activation of that community. That is where the missing passion in the writing would have helped me. • While I appreciate the timeliness of looking at Liberian immigrants’ status and Obama’s deportation policy, that’s not reflected in the project outreach. There’s no plan to target Liberians or West Africans. That is a key, missing detail although she says the audience is mostly African.

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Todd Brown PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Teobi’s Dreaming is a multi-disciplinary performance work about ‘otherness’, a peculiarly awkward feeling with a unique capacity to compel a person toward self-discovery. The work joins music, contemporary dance, and installation, to stage a series of tableaux investigating ‘otherness’ as experienced across a diverse scope of personal narratives and social, political and cultural contexts. I am asking for $10,000, majority to cover artist fees, the remainder for installation materials, and minor admin/marketing expenses.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The proposal speaks to a deep and thorough conceptualization of the work. There are good ideas being put forward about transcending identity. • He talks about “othering” a lot, but doesn’t talk about what that means more specifically—particularly for him. • Todd walks a fine line of bringing forth an artistic project and almost curating artistic input. He is good at pulling in the right combination of people. I like that the performers have a say in how the story arc and text develop. There is a commitment to creating a holistic approach—something that includes having the right people at the table. • Overall, I’m impressed by the proposal. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I want him to cut to the point about what the project is about. It is a performance arts jam session. • The budget looked good. I like the individual fundraising efforts. I have a question about the $20,000 in government funding which wasn’t in the budget notes. He put it in the wrong line. It’s from foundations. • The project could be an important new direction for him. • In talking about growth, it seems like he is in constant reinvention. It makes sense as he is able to enter so many creative spaces, that reinvention just happens. The wealth of connections he has in all of that brings an interesting force. • The plan is well thought out. • STAFF: Is it clear what the facility expense is going toward? Given the expense and plan, the capacity is too big for it to be from Red Poppy. The de Young Museum is giving him a commission but we don’t know if they are also charging him. The de Young gives the venue for free, but the next night is usually run by corporate events. So it could be that he has to pay for something. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • Red Poppy Art House is a testament to the success of what Todd puts his mind to. • It is exciting to see an artist with cross disciplinary talent. Not only is he talented in different creative disciplines, he has skill in the business of being an artist. I love that he has handed Red Poppy over to others to run.

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• He talks about drawing from various disciplines in one project versus just working in one discipline per project. This project is meshing together disciplines to push his artistic work. • There is no doubt he will succeed with this project. He is capable of choosing a team that will expand his artistic potential. • He has the backing and support of his collaborative teams. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • The project will have national appeal and a life beyond the Bay Area. It is social justice focused. • It seems like a deep impact for a smaller group of people. • I like the project. I have a lot of respect for him as an artist especially over the past year in partnerships. This project is more on the tip of assisting other artists. There is a great spirit. It is a great project.

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Abraham Burickson PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Odyssey Works: SF is a large-scale, multisite, cross-genre performance that will radically rethink the audience-artist relationship, reconsidering traditional processes of art-making, performative potentials of public spaces, and the nature of human relationships. It is a performance that will be performed once, last a whole day, and will be centered around a singe audience member who has applied to have the piece done for her.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • It was helpful to see the work sample. My questions changed when I saw the work sample. I liked seeing the work sample; it reaffirmed what I read in the narrative. • I’ve never heard of anything like this, which is always exciting. • It’s very thoughtful, especially when you look at something like the work sample book from a past project. It is very well thought out. It’s unique. • It’s a fascinating project. It makes me think about whether I would want to participate. I would want to do it! • This applicant really contributed to the diversity of the pool. • I am left with a lot of questions, which is not a bad thing. I had difficulty connecting with the premise. How long does it take to really get to know someone? It makes sense that as an architect who designs living space for people, the artist is used to getting to know a client. His professional training validates this process of getting to know someone and reflecting their life back to them. If he were just a theater person, I would wonder what kind of training he’d need to build this process? I also wonder, is the participant the target audience or a protagonist? She is no longer really the target audience. So it’s a strange dynamic – it’s a protagonist placed in a passive role. It raises questions through the individual focus and what it says about the larger community aspects of theater making. I didn’t get enough information about the engagement of the community around the targeted audience/protagonist. Is the protagonist’s own community part of this process? Does this end up isolating them or opening them up? The framework of “we are doing this for you,” implies a passivity on the part of the protagonist. We are already isolated from others through social media, gadgets, and work schedules. We don’t have a lot of opportunity for community experience. So I wonder if this ends up reinforcing a self-centered culture where we believe everything is all about ourselves. This project touches on many issues. It is a case study about performance—the creative act of what you’re about and how we witness that. In the briefing post process, they talk with the protagonist to see if the project was “received as intended” rather than how the art opens up new things; things we didn’t know that we knew. It’s an incredible project to discuss the experience of performance, however it raises questions. • It’s like we are funding a methodology, an approach, rather than a specific project. This is like the making of a form of working. We have Boal’s theater of the oppressed, this is Odyssey Works; it’s a genre. We’re being asked to support a vision, a genre where it’s not clear what the project is about. The key component, the person, will determine that. This is the most radically different perspective approach on theater in this batch. STAFF: I encourage you to think of this category more broadly as performance, not just theater. In looking at the history of the artist, he comes from a background in visual art and architecture. There are also other art forms that are in play here. Consider being more porous about the lens we’re using. I clearly see this with a larger lens of performance practice. I applaud this completely different approach. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form

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• I ‘m not sure that the project pushes the artist. It seems that he has his form and process established. He is repeating it. But he may be taking it to another level. • It is pushing the art form in how we integrate an audience into art. • I had some questions about the budget. The notes were confusing. There are some things missing, such as in-kind donations. STAFF: We ask people not to include in-kind as a figure in the budget. I didn’t see a note to explain artist fees. The $400 seems low to handle administration for the project given the scope of work. • I see there are a lot of collaborating artists being flown out here but they are not being compensated. Maybe their compensation is the flight? • I wondered what kind of insurance they have for an event like this. • Overall I don’t doubt that this can happen and the budget is modest for the work they will do. They have some confirmed support already from Zellerbach. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • I always appreciate when an artist is so single minded that they’re willing to do a really comprehensive, almost nutty project like this for one single person. This was very well written. • The applicant comes from a traditional theater background – he blends different disciplines. The creativity comes from the planning and the interpretation of participants’ lives, and how they will create this transformative experience. The bigger accomplishment is how they will carry it out. • The art form is so switched around and changed – I really liked that. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • Obviously the impact on one individual could be transformative and life changing. This is what we all hope for when we see art. It doesn’t happen on a grand scale with this project, but I also imagine that the project impacts the collaborators as well as the individual who is the focus. • This not only impacts one targeted person, but all collaborators, some are artists and some are not. • It is taking one person‘s life and reflecting it back at them. There is not necessarily a discovery in that. Although, how the whole team interprets the person’s life and how it’s shown to the person could have a deep impact. The outside interpretation of one’s life could be scary. • He does talk about the growth process for participants and the workshops in Seattle. But when he talks about community involvement, the flash mobs in particular, I didn’t think that was central to the process. It is the artists, collaborators and the individual participant that the project was revolving around. The thought process around the general project participation wasn’t very thorough – either flesh that out or focus on the people really involved. • Something to note when looking at the work sample is the very small amount of people involved. But, I can imagine how you can impact more people just because the concept is exciting. • As far as targeting an audience, I’m not sure if it’s relevant. • STAFF: On page 5, he answers that by talking about concentric circles of audiences. • It’s interesting. One of the letters of recommendation was from a person who’s gone through the experience. • Some other projects really explore specific communities. This project doesn’t include content on community or subject because they have not selected the person yet. They do not describe issues or community yet. STAFF: The key question is, do you have enough information about the process and is there enough rigor in the investigation? You have articles, the book and the work sample to give you a sense of the process.

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Kevin Caulfield PROJECT DESCRIPTION: My project is to complete writing the original musical Suzy Mae, finish composing the score, and to present a fully staged production with music on August 3rd and 4th, 2012 at the Community Music Center. This will also require numerous rehearsals. The venue has already been secured. If there is success and momentum, I hope to continue the run at other venues.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The story and outline of the piece seems thorough. • It is not a new story or idea. It is not that innovative, exciting, or new to me. • The narrative voice was tentative. I found it ambiguous. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • There is a rich opportunity here for his talent to be exposed and grow, but I didn’t hear the passion behind this or solid plans. • This proposal made me ask if this is right category for him. He is primarily a composer but writes full-length musicals. • The genre of music is where he is stretching himself as an artist. This will be looking at a new form for him. • As for pushing the art form, I didn’t see that in this application. If he is moving forward with this as a traditional music project, I don’t know why he isn’t exploring more of the independent country genre. Overall, didn’t feel bring this brought anything new to the artistic form. • It is odd that he’s looking at fundraiser events with the goal to raise $400 but with a cost of $200. I would ask him to rethink that model. This individual is putting his own money into the work. STAFF: Can you elaborate on that? Anytime you’re spending half of the funds you’re hoping to raise—which doesn’t even account for the time spent putting on the event—there’s a problem. He should raise the bar somehow if he is going to be putting so much cash down. • The budget had a lot of discrepancies. He budgets $200 for administrative costs, but $500 for supplies. That doesn’t seem to line up. He is not paying himself at all and is losing money on this. It raises questions about how this is a commission. I think this is a labor of love for him. However, without the allocation broken out, I couldn’t get a sense of how the SFAC funds will be used. The budget is confusing. I am concerned that there is entertainment fundraising built in. I’m concerned about the lack of clarity concerning the quality of production in relation to this budget. The samples gave me sense of the production values. It feels like he has a more rounded vision of production values for this show but that is not reflected in the budget. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • In the work samples, the characters didn’t seem thorough or dynamic. • He has a good track record and history. • I don’t doubt that he can make this happen because of what he has done in the past.

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He is capable of staging this project and it will, no doubt, come to fruition. • He is an artist who does it all, which I appreciate tremendously but that can be downfall. I would like to see him focus on the artistic aspect and allow others to help. I agree that he is a jack-of-all-trades. He writes and is a student of theater. I wonder why he does not work with a master? Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • I like the outreach to radio stations, which is an innovative way to reach different audiences. Although that kind of publicity is probably difficult to get.

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Christy Chan PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I am requesting support to write “Pen Pals” a play based on autobiographical details of my childhood in Virginia during the 1980’s. In “Pen Pals” a young Chinese girl writes idealistic letters to the Ku Klux Klan on behalf of her non English speaking immigrant family, in the hopes of thwarting racial hostility. The Klan, who has targeted the immigrant newcomers, has no idea it’s communicating with an 8-year old.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I appreciated the writing about the proposed project—the story and personal narrative about her childhood. The subject is fascinating, but I didn’t hear a lot of introspection or ideas about where the live performance comes into the process. Her history played into how well the story was told. • The subject matter is extremely timely. We are living in intense, xenophobic times. Xenophobia is rampant. The national discourse that is going on in more and more states is frightening. There is a timeliness and beautifully disarming angle to dealing with racism in the work. It is refreshing. I’ve been working around immigration issues for so long, but I haven’t come across an approach like this. • While this is not strongest proposal, I am favorably disposed toward the relevance and narrative. • I loved the concept and the support materials. • The biggest issues are in the transitions in form from screenwriting to playwriting. It’s hard once the film is written to then write the play. But I did understand her need to make this a theater piece; that rationale. STAFF: Is it unclear why the move from film to theater is happening? She didn’t say how that would happen. STAFF: So having a work sample that showed her doing some kind of live storytelling would be helpful. A sample of her moving from the writing to a theater would help give a sense of her awareness of space. • STAFF: Additional feedback seems to be that it would be helpful to have the biographies of all the collaborators involved in the project. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The budget didn’t align for me. The SFAC grant allocation wasn’t mapped out in the budget. I can attribute that to her being a first time applicant, but I also see that as being incomplete and unorganized; these are signals about whether the applicant is taking the grant process seriously. STAFF: The SFAC grant is reflected in the budget notes in terms of where she wants to spend it. What you’re looking at is similar to a film budget in terms of outlining a pre-production phase and the production phase. But it sounds like it would have been helpful to have that pre-pre-production budget. She has support from her family but the budget confused me about what’s been raised and what was given. • I didn’t hear about how the project contributes to the theater as an art form. I like this project as a storytelling form and theater is an opportunity to stretch that. • She is not starting from scratch. This will help her grow. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project

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• It is straddling forms in the storytelling. She has a deep breadth of experience, but not as much in terms of working with theater and live performance. I have trouble seeing the links between the different pieces. The more I read the application, the more I understand that the applicant comes from a screenwriting background. She also has collaborators in the project that are from different disciplines as well. When I saw the work samples, I was confused about whether it was a movie or a play. I didn’t see the experience doing live performance and plays. There are good letters of recommendation but they are also not in the discipline, even if we take a wide interpretation of the discipline. The problem was the live setting, performance on stage and creation of work. I didn’t see the articulation in the application and therefore was not comfortable with it. My overall response was positive. But there were questions about going from a background that is not in theater to producing a play. • She seems to have a lot of resources, such as with marketing and through people she knows. • There are too many pieces to pull together in constructing a new play for someone with no experience in putting on a play. • She has a short but generative history. She can do a lot if she wants to make the film. She is a good writer, so in terms of potential there is no limit on that. • This project has a track record. She is not starting from scratch. The question is whether she will be successful in translating the work to stage. She has expressed interest in that kind of interaction, which is meaningful in bridging those issues. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • The outreach with the mailbox idea is inventive but I don’t get a sense of her passion to reach an audience and why she’s targeting them. I didn’t feel this was a super strong application. • The outreach does not strongly target a specific community. Given the project’s focus on immigration, it would have made this proposal stronger if she included outreach to organizations and partners dealing with immigration issues or considered something similar. Also, collaboration with the audience would add to the community benefit. • The outreach seems to be defined by the potential resonance of the subject with the audience.

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Annie Danger PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This proposal requests $6200 to support More Than You Ever Knew: Trans Women’s Hearts, In Glitter, On Stage, an interactive theatrical event that will explore the curious and profound social and emotional landscape of trans women seeking love in dyke community and how that process mirrors human experience. Awarded funds will be used to underwrite artists’ fees and production costs for a two night run at SOMArts for an audience of 100 people per night.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • We saw work samples of her solo work—monologues before an audience—that are based on frameworks from the church and motivational speakers. She plays roles in which she can cajole the audience into thinking about queer and transgender issues and how they affect people. • I appreciated this proposal. The work samples help to contextualize the application. I‘ve been working with the transsexual community, so I’ve been learning about their struggles directly. I remember when Latino theater was referred to as “necessary theater” that was beyond “entertaining”. I believe this is “necessary theater.” • I appreciate the subversive take on the shaman/preacher character. There is something profoundly real about the impact that a performer can have in a marginalized community. She is very explicit about this: this is about reconciliation and moving forward. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • She has a venue and a timeline. The timeline looks very truncated in terms of this kind of process. She’ll be working with a community of performers and non-performers to talk about very personal issues of healing. Planning in more opportunities for interaction and checking-in with people would be good. • Her budget is quite modest. I’m impressed that she is doing individual fundraising even for such a small project. I wondered why she doesn’t ask for the full amount. I wanted her to pay herself more. I agree about this being a small budget. But I think it is an honest proposal that comes from a humble place. I agree that artists should pay themselves. • Even though it is evident that this project will stretch her, there were also some things that came up for me in reading the narrative. The process may be a stretch for her, but artistically it is not as evident how she will grow—I didn’t see that discussed in the narrative. The process itself may need some more thinking through. The applicant has been doing performance art from a personal place for a number of years. The new project will include collaboration with others. This is a new thing for her. • It’s good that there will be an open call within this marginalized community to find people. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • She has been producing her own work and has a track record for self-producing her performances. • Because this project has new elements, it looks like she wants to keep it small to keep it manageable. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form

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• I identify her process as good in terms of outreaching to trans women – she’s already started in October. She has a specific target audience she wants to reach. • I didn’t see evidence that the applicant wanted to step outside of their usual audience. They plan to perform in the Queer Arts Festival. I didn’t see that this message, which is very close to the artist, wouldn’t go beyond the queer community. It’s always great when an artist creates work with specificity; and I have a feeling she has a group of followers. But, it’s also good to make yourself vulnerable by stretching yourself. • STAFF: The criteria is enlarging audience or going deeper with the current audience. • Yes. But I’m not clear that this project will go deeper. • It looks like she is going into areas that are not as safe. • It would have helped if she talked about taking this on tour. • In her bio, it says she went to Hampshire and Amherst College. So she does take her work outside her regular audience. The work sample was done at UC Santa Cruz, so she is taking it to student audiences. Her history shows that she does do this and it would have helped to say she would do that with this project. • The issue of new audiences is complicated. The project seems to be quite clear about how it wants to serve a particular community. Although San Francisco is a “safe” town, it is not for the transgender community. I understand why she wants to target the demographic that she chooses. • Her community is deeply impacted by her work. I was present at the show of the first work sample – and what it doesn’t show is the audience reaction where people were crying. They were being deeply impacted. • I love that she wants to “invite” not challenge - to invite people into her perspective. • Sean Dorsey has a national audience. I think that putting this in the Queer Cultural Festival will attract people nationally who want to see this kind of work. She could do more with partnerships to attract people – but the work is so deep I think it will attract people.

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Dave End PROJECT DESCRIPTION: To support the expansion and production of “F.A.G.G.O.T.S. The Musical,” my original musical theater piece exploring themes of trans-feminine lives and experiences. Featuring nine original songs, monologues, and highly sculptural costumes, the piece will be staged at CounterPulse in June 2013. Awarded fees will support artists and production costs.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I liked the narrative. • What I like is he is not waiting for social validation to promote his creative impulse. I liked reading the narrative regarding his project. • The outline of the story is a little magical and I couldn’t quite see the premise. The work sample helped me understand that. I wonder how it will be pulled together. • There are a lot of exciting aspects to the proposal. First and foremost, the artist and how much he brings to the piece. Then comes the costuming, music, performance and text. • I appreciate the lens he’s using on the issue of becoming your own homophobe. He comes to this with a connection to the community but also enough distance to be critical. It is important not to get caught in a bubble of feeling safe. If we’re not being targeted by homophobes, how does that impact the urgency to do this work? I appreciate the contextual piece. He’s really looking at decolonialization and what happens when you investigate those issues. I appreciate his notes on how the process works. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • His project plan is solid; he mentions a lot of people in the Bay Area. • He is applying for a CounterPulse residency. • He states that he wants to move beyond the formal arts community. He sees the value of having a critical eye on his work by audiences that are not his own. I like the way that can promote growth and ways you practice. • The timeline is lengthy. • The budget was good. After seeing the work sample, I think there are a lot of areas that need refinement and will have their additional costs. There is a lot that can go into enhancing his work. I don’t understand the touring fees. It is for Sister Spit, a group of touring performers. He will be getting $3,000 to do the tour. He is using those funds to develop the piece and support the overall budget. STAFF: Page 5 of the timeline explains this. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • He seems to have experience in everything. • He has an extensive record of DIY touring in living rooms, laundromats, etcetera. • He’s done a version of this piece at a festival in New York. • He has a lot of performance experience and no lack of collaborators, including his technical director. There is a lot of support for his work.

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• I’m intrigued to see the choice of director. That choice was to take him to next level. The director’s affiliations with the organization can open doors. • He has collaborators behind him at CounterPulse. The play will happen; the foundation is there. This will be for the next stage of development. It speaks volumes to the DIY nature of the project and the artist being able to get things done. • He says he is not as skilled in certain areas but doesn’t say how those areas will be developed or covered. He does note that is where he will grow. This is the right time and the right project to propel this artist. It brings together pieces that the artist has built. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • Although he doesn’t go far out of his target audience, he is specific about the queer and transgender art audience in San Francisco. I appreciate the targeting of queer youth. His plan to attract that audience is fairly solid in terms of using Twitter, etcetera. • He is clearly acknowledging the audience. He’s planning to outreach to youth, articulates how this will be done, and identifies partners he can work with to make that happen. • The outreach to LYRIC and queer youth is fantastic.

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Kat Evasco PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The ultimate goal I would like to accomplish through this project is to further develop and mount the world premiere of my autobiographical one-woman show, “Mommy Queerest” in 2013 in San Francisco, after refining my skills as a solo performance artist, becoming a stronger writer, and standup comic.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I have questions about how far along she is with this project. • We have the script and can see where it is. • I loved the work samples; they are hilarious. They show how she is integrating discussions of sexuality and queer issues. • Addressing family issues through a queer lens is something we don’t see enough. I enjoyed the narrative at that level and the way it deals with issues of likeness. She acknowledges that talking about the issues is necessary, but that there is often no other place than the theater to talk freely. • This piece will do well in university circuits, although there is less funding there. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The budget includes $500 for web and fundraising but there are no individual contributions on the income side. That’s a question for me. • There is a $1,200 surplus projected as well. • This project will impact the artist’s trajectory and allow her to work toward larger scale projects. • This project will not develop the form but it is on par with other one-woman shows proposed in this pool. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • She began doing stand-up comedy but that’s not reflected in her resume. So I am wondering if she will be able to execute a show of this scope? • She has the capacity to get there. • I have questions about how far along she is in the project, but I don’t have concerns about her ability to pull it off. I don’t have enough information around the amount of work already done. Therefore, it’s hard to get a good idea as to what the grant will do for the work, and where she wants to take it. • Evasco has experience as Stage Manager, which counts toward showing her professional capacity. • Here is the opportunity for her to take a leap as an artist, but being a stage manager and applying it to your own performance is different. It’s still a question I have. • What is changed from stand-up performance to a full show? It requires a large bridge and I am not sure she knows how to get there. She has the backing of Intersection, which is good. • We have seen similar things happen with some of her collaborators. The work sample shows that she has charisma and stage presence. • STAFF: You have biographies of her collaborators and letters that address her as a performer. She talks about the work-in-progress performance in early December. The applicant may want to consider providing updates in the future so that we have a sense of what came out of that run. • But, then I question how much she has done and what she has left to develop. • STAFF: So the question is identifying what she wants to further develop in the work. Outlining that would be important for the applicant.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • This is an important demographic to address. It’s an interesting intersection of queer and Filipino culture. • She lists people to reach out to as partners, but it’s not tangible. But I love that she is creating a curriculum and partnering with schools. • This project addresses an audience base that from what I have seen supports Filipino performance; a lot of which is driven by comedy. The venue is an interesting space to address queer and family issues. • She will have a niche in terms of touring schools—both universities and high schools.

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Silvia Girardi PROJECT DESCRIPTION: FAITH: Through the Eye of a Skater is a multidisciplinary theatre project that explores the themes of belonging, the individual need for aggregation, and single-minded dedication. It is a composition of movement, text, music and video. A non-linear narrative will include intersections of real life stories, imaginary worlds and psychological landscapes. Collaborators include: Silvia Girardi (Director), Michael Shiono (Musician), Mike Giant (Visual Artist), LEAF (Video Artists), and four performers (to be cast).

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The project was described with rigor and clarity. • I appreciate the take on the skateboarder as symbolic of our sense to try to stay balanced while dealing with risk—a look on us as humans. • I have remaining questions about the scope and depth of the local projects. • After reading the artist’s background and seeing the work samples, I felt reassured about her ability to deal with physical work but wanted more of a sense of her ability to work with new performers. • I wanted more about the take on the site-specific aspects of the work and the gender dynamics present in skater culture. This project might not be about that, but as a female artist leading the project, I was curious to see what she brings to the topic. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The project plan is challenging but was described in a way that was feasible. • She is explicit about the purpose of the new phase to her work and the way that this will develop her exploration of interdisciplinary aspects. • The strength of this interdisciplinary project was undermined by the budget, which structured this as a traditional director-led approach over a collaborative-type of project. • I have questions about the site-specific components of the work. There is a certain amount of skill and resources you have to bring to that and I don’t feel that piece is supported thoroughly enough. • I love that she is tapping into the skater community, but I agree that there is a lot to be done in planning, permits, etcetera that I would caution the artist to think through and prepare for. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • This applicant is a serious practitioner of physical theater. • The artist possesses a strong foundation and is well regarded in the letters of support. • I disagree with that assessment of the letters—they were disappointing to me. The writers were not excited and didn’t understand what the artist is doing as a performance artist. I would have liked to see more understanding of this project reflected in the writing. • The artist is ready to take on a challenge. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • I appreciate the outreach to the skater community. • The plan is clear. I appreciate the outreach and potential to reach out to new audiences, and know there are a large number of skaters in San Francisco. The outreach is important.

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• It wasn’t clear about how this works in terms of its community benefit. In terms of the population, lots of people engage in skater culture, but I wonder if there is socio-political significance to it. This application wasn’t as strong in that regard as other projects. • STAFF: It’s fine to have this as a target audience. But it sounds like identifying more of the specific characteristics and dynamics of the community and audience would have helped. • The ideas of belonging and aggregation weren’t explained in depth. How will they tap into the community and how will it help expand the audience, or carry through to future projects? • Girard wants to reach out to a younger, ethnically diverse audience, but doesn’t explain how.

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Guillermo Gómez-Peña PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I am requesting support for the creation and development of 2012: The Return of Border Brujo, a new solo performance piece that will deconstruct the maelstrom of violence confronting Latinos living on the border and explore its psychological, cultural and economic consequences.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • This project harkens back to one of his earlier works, Border Politics. The work sample speaks to the text/content so it was helpful to hear. • He is one of the older artists in this group. Some applicants have been very new and emerging artists. But, it’s also important to support mature artists. It was great that he wanted to take the time to create. He has an incredible track record of support locally, nationally, internationally. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The proposal was able to cover the intersection with his past work, sketched out the visual aspects and clarified the roles of the other performers. It’s clear and it’s laid out in the budget as well. • What’s new for this artist? I’ve seen his lectures and his large-scale performances. This is a place in his career where he is looking inward rather than out. • I see that he is re-visiting issues from 12 years ago, but the issues are changing all the time and the relevance of the project is still important. • Although the subject matter is the border, it deals with it on a personal level through the subject of violence. How does border violence play into an acceptance of violence on either side of the border? He writes about how his friends and family are impacted by violence. It feels personal. • I don’t think this proposal will add new elements to the artist’s repertoire. I didn’t understand the participatory element. Other than the feedback sessions, I didn’t see more about that element in the performance. He doesn’t know what that will be yet. • I appreciated the process of relying on a close knit community of artists and friends to give him feedback. • Having both of the salons at Galeria de la Raza is almost “too easy.” It is great to do one there and get feedback from the close-knit community but, it would be helpful to get feedback from another community for the other salon. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • This artist has a long, incredible history in San Francisco arts and is also nationally and internationally known as a solo performer, visual artist, and for making large-scale performance art in museum settings. • He’s an incredible artist; I have no doubt he’ll create something that I’d look forward to. • I have no doubt that it will happen no matter what. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • In terms of stretching his audience, he’s creating for a specific audience, but my hope is that he’ll choose some mechanisms for reaching beyond that audience. • A lot of younger people have not been introduced to his work. In the Mission District there are a lot of people who have not been introduced to his work because a younger generation has come up. • STAFF: This is a developmental phase. Then he talks about it going out on tour. So, it has potential for reaching a wider audience later.

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• Yes, but he does not address that. He talks about a local audience. I’d like to see more people involved. With touring, he is presented in museum settings, which is limited to that audience. I’d love it to touch the grassroots a little more. • I agree with that. But it’s hard when you get to his professional level. I would love to see him tour to high schools, etcetera, in conjunction with museum presentations. But he’s being paid well by those places and he deserves to be presented in that way. So it’s a challenge in the presenting world where we’re figuring out how to subsidize tickets to wider audiences. • I wonder if there may be more of an opportunity to go into San Francisco schools during the process to hear from that audience and see how that would influence the work. If he could do that as part of his process it could be informative.

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Lisa Gray-Garcia PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Theater of the Poor will deconstruct mythologies and stereotypes propagated by society about the poor by creating a space for people struggling with poverty to share their stories of survival and thrival through performance art. The project will consist of a series of workshops for low and no income youth, adults and elders on playwriting, acting and producing, culminating in a feature-length play that explores the myriad of issues facing those struggling with poverty.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • What she is doing is extremely impressive, and I don’t see others doing it. • Gray-Garcia is in the trenches and front lines as an artist. • I could ask about artistic excellence and what she’s doing, but the way she is accomplishing the work outweighs those questions. • I don’t think one can connect with this demographic except though being with them. She is relating life experiences and life commitments. One cannot learn that in school. • I liked the phrase, “poverty scholars,” there is something beautiful about that. • I appreciated the vocabulary introduced like, “houseless vs. homeless,” because it made me rethink the whole issue. The concept of the proposal is very similar to Theater of the Oppressed. When I first read Poor Magazine I could see that it has an honesty that is hard to utter in public. Even the choice to use the word “poor”—it’s not a euphemism we’re more used to hearing these days, and there are people who are simply poor. There is an honesty grounding this project. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I am confused about the workshop’s end result. • There are all sorts of things built in to the project, which may not all be explicit, but they are relevant and have the potential to be successful. • This is the only funding for this project, but I was able to get through that. • I want the artist to think about expanding fundraising. • The compensation for participants in the workshop and rehearsal process is a bit low, though I love that they will be compensated. • I would like to see more in compensation for participants in the budget. • I appreciated that she allocated a hefty chunk of the budget to childcare because it shows that she knows her community. • A one-month rehearsal and creation period seemed short, but I also recognize that a shorter timeline is often better at keeping up engagement—especially for a population that is often not under normal circumstances. • There is some vulnerability in trying to sustain a rehearsal schedule. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • The purpose is to create a feature length play using life stories to weave the issues together. It is a challenging proposal, but if anyone can do it, she will. • She has a history of doing this and has support to carry it out. • She has a proven record of bringing projects to life, and it’s particularly important at a time when we have become a harder town for folks with lower incomes to live here.

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• I love this project and its community connectivity, and for bringing people on stage to tell their stories for themselves. Gray-Garcia has a strong history with this community and it is not hard to see this project succeeding. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • The audience is well targeted. • Expanding the community is important and complicated and there is a tremendous validation to seeing yourself on stage. The issue is that there is little information on how outreach will actually happen. • STAFF: Do you see that the specific mechanisms in place that will target the audience appropriately? • Yes, because of her participation with the organizations mentioned there will be support and she will be able to go after the target audience. She’s aware and wanting to connect two groups. It is an inspiring grant proposal to read. • The support letters describe the unique service to an underserved community. • This is an opportunity for participants to be present and visible in the community through the arts-- a role that perhaps only the arts can accomplish. • Giving voice is important, and she recognizes that in allowing them to speak for themselves. • She is a context provider and gives an artful container, which will break through barriers. • Although I have never met this artist, through the work I do at the transgender community center next door, I see a constant flow of folks in the community being served, and Poor Magazine puts those people in touch with community. This is a relevant project to support. • I would like to see this work expand to a larger audience to bring it to another level of respect. I don’t see that here but that could be the next level.

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Nato Green PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A comedic solo performance piece, tentatively titled “Can They Do That?” about my life and lessons learned from growing up on the political left in San Francisco in the 70s and 80s, spending 14 years as a union organizer in the Bay Area, and changing careers to become a stand-up comedian.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I enjoyed his story of growing up in San Francisco in his narrative. I see that he is adept on stage and a good storyteller from his work sample. • He states the title of the piece and what it is but not why. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The budget didn’t allocate for a lot of the marketing efforts. • I don’t think the proposed project will push him or push stand-up to another level. I had a hard time understanding how it will take him to another level when he is doing same thing. • The narrative feels like it is only the beginning of proposal. If given an opportunity to talk about his experience/history in a field, or how he is pushing the project forward, why didn’t he discuss that? • There is no information at all to support how this project will develop the artist. • The budget was fairly right on. But since I don’t have clear understanding of pushing the work/aesthetic, it is hard to assess the budget. For example, what are the theater and storytelling devices, if he is taking a traditional approach? Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • The artist is solid and has roots in the grassroots activist community and has mastered bringing it to stand up. • He does say that he is working with a director. • It is helpful to see he can do standup. It is hard to do and he is good at it. But there is not enough in the narrative to move us beyond supporting a comedy piece. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • His first person perspective and political satire will have a huge audience as local for locals. • The people who go to see him are in line with him, so it seemed safe. What if he had to win people over to his perspective like having a performance in Walnut Creek? • He states that he has worked with organizations in the past but doesn’t say if they will be working with him to do outreach. I want to see more connectivity to work together and bring his work to new audiences. • I didn’t see a plan to reach larger audiences, or to reach them more deeply. At first thought I was missing pages. I would have liked to hear more. • He’s not giving me much detail to get me to rally behind this project. • STAFF: It would be helpful for the applicant to look at exemplary applications from funded grants.

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Leticia Hernandez PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I am requesting support in the amount of $10,000 for the creation and presentation of Mortaja, a series of multimedia performances centered around the historical Central American figure, Prudencia Ayala, and the conversations between Ayala, an immigrant seamstress, and a young muralist and dancer that occur in the ever changing Mission neighborhood. The conversations will be presented through spoken word, narration, movement/dance, clothes design, photography and music.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I liked the components of the project and how elements intertwined. • I liked the interdisciplinary aspects. • I would’ve liked to see conversational writing in the work sample. It is hard to think about spoken word translating into the theatre. • I loved the narrative that was presented. • I’m excited about the subject matter because little is known of the subject. There is potential for looking at a woman in her 30’s in a negative, violent community life. It is important information, but its also casting doubt with the violence and extreme poverty that exists in El Salvador. • I like the central role fiber arts will play. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I question how this project will help her grow. • I see this as the next stage for her in terms of scope of the project. • Overall, this is a great next step, as an artist. This grant could compel her to the next development phase. She’s pushing herself. • There is honest growth but it still stays true to the work. • As for art form development, I’m not worried about that because this is an exciting multidisciplinary approach. • This type of project is not that new, but it is a good fit in the evolution of this artist’s work and she doesn’t come from a traditional background. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • Her history and promise lends to a successful project, and the community aspects, but I wanted her to tap the marketing power of grassroots partnerships. • She is someone who can get it done. • Having the backing of Intersection for the Arts is very positive. • This application is well rounded and easily translatable to theater. All the supporters around her and the genre will help bring it all together. • I appreciate how she’s spending money to positively reinforce the collaborative nature of project. It is good practice in compensating collaborators. It speaks to an investment in all parties that will make a good project. • I agree that she is compensating the artists well. • I was impressed that she’s accomplished such work in her short life.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • Along those lines, the project has the potential to reach out across different issues, and backgrounds. It addresses Salvadorian themes, and there is a large population in the City. We do not see enough projects from that angle.

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Tara Jepsen PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Nice and Easy will be a splashy, fabulous stage production celebrating and skewering the female experience, specifically in television, sex and through the eyes of a father. Humorous monologue, powerfully enthusiastic/totally unskilled dancing, and original music shall warmly and bombastically command the loving gaze of our audience. Viewers will be comforted, astonished, tickled and ultimately deeply consoled by the playful and truth-y tone of the production. Three acts, bright colors, full hearts, can’t lose.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I enjoyed reading this application because of the tone of writing, and background on previous work done. • The ideas are expressed clearly and articulately in regards also to the production schedule. • More information is needed on the relevance and originality of proposed project and less could have been devoted to past work. • I have seen her work and she’s talented, dynamic, and original. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • Clear project plan. • She consistently says she will do things but doesn’t always explain how in this proposal. I trust that she can because of her background but I would like to see how she plans to implement it. • Questions remain on what aspects will result in growth and shift her out of her previous work. • We are supporting an artist, who is continuing to do work, and has proven to do it well. The work is for an audience that is established. This won’t necessarily push boundaries formally or aesthetically. • I love the partnership with Beth—it is a fun partnership. I want to see her push that, but it is not presented in this application. • The live band is great and this is a great group of collaborators. I want to see them push themselves. There is so much support within the community of friends that I want to see all of them being paid as well. Paying them would take the credibility up a notch, but that is wonderful she has that support. • She’s paying performers $100 per event. If the content of the performances is to be generated by the performers they should be paid for both the performances and creation of work. Not doing that is a bit problematic. • In the budget there are fees for people that are quite well known. • This proposal will not push any boundaries in art form. It is for the creation of new work but the narrative doesn’t speak to pushing the form or show that what is being done is new and innovative. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • Jepsen has a positive track record of self-produced work. • There is a track record of doing work and she can do it well. • One of the letters says she is an artist that has been doing things out of nothing. • This is her first time to apply for grant support. This would be a next step of growth. • From the amount of touring she’s done I would have preferred to see more range and a higher quality. It is essential to elevate your profile in that way.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • This project fits the venue and there is a following built into the venue for an audience. • The venue will not necessarily reach an audience outside of its usual, but the projected numbers are realistic. • She has built an audience with that work. • There is potential for reaching a different audience. • She performs to a community that follows her but she creates that community through the work. How can she move the work forward and reach a new audience? • Wouldn’t she want to reach out to women’s organizations? This seems like an easy marketing plan, instead of putting more thought into expansion. • STAFF: Page 2 notes that being at the Center for Sex and Culture will draw a different audience for her. She’s talking about expanding outside of her usual audience. • There is a sense that this work has an impact in this community, but it would have been stronger to include more about why she is doing this and her rationale. There is not enough information about the shift.

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Nathaniel Justiniano PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “You Killed Hamlet, Or Guilty Creatures Sitting At A Play” is a 60-minute, original bouffon production created by Nathaniel Justiniano that asks, “If Hamlet was allowed out of the confines of his own play, what would his preoccupation with mortality lead him to say about our audience, about mainstream culture, and about our time?” Featuring two grotesque, ecstatic anti-clowns the show is a disturbing and hilarious satire about society’s dysfunctional relationship with death.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The narrative was great. • I could feel the artist’s passion in the obsessive-compulsive quality with the language he uses. • I enjoyed reading proposal. It was well thought out. • This is an interesting subject matter being presented in a new way and context. • It is a well-written proposal. It was illuminating for me to read, in the style of it. I appreciated that he took the time to teach us and write to people who don’t know the form. • While there are justifications for doing Hamlet - I think it is overdone - he is turned on by this and is finding ways to make it work. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • His plan was good. • This project allows him to grow in areas that he can’t artistically. It also allows him to grow in terms of collaboration – the relationship with mentor/mentee. • I’m concerned about the tight timeline. • This support is for the performance costs rather than development. • In the budget there is $3,500 dollars that I can’t account for. • The research phase is from February to June, which seemed tight to me. He has done it before so I’m not that worried he will get it off the ground. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • I appreciate the dedication to the form. He has created a lot of work and kept on it. • Justiniano brings originality and creativity to his process and speaks to his ability to do the project. I have no doubt of that. • His accomplishments are strong and relevant to the project. It seems to be his life’s dedication. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • He has a solid, ongoing relationship with the venue. • I appreciate his decision to work in the Excelsior District since it is not a district that people go to participate in art. • He will make the public aware of the art form. • The biggest weakness with this proposal was an incomplete plan to expand audience.

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• He does have a following. It would benefit the form that you’re promoting to be able to reach more people. It is a mistake to keep the work closed to a safe and regular audience when the message is meant to confront. So confront away! I enjoyed reading it. • I would love to see this tour to schools. It is a unique art form and is fun to watch. It would be great to expand that. • The target audience seemed vague because it is a large demographic without specific targets. I would suggest to him to consider reaching the Shakespearian community because of the content.

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Veronica Majano PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “Shorty Rodriguez is a Dyke” is a one-woman show- the journey of an 11 year old, queer Mission homegirl.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I really liked the project. Reading the narrative, the applicant comes from a real and authentic place for what compels her to create. • I appreciated the tone of the narrative in coming from a real place. • It was nice to see in the work sample, an ability to tell stories and engage with audiences. • The story is great, but I feel I’m missing information that would help to really assess this application—it seems that some parts that were left out. • I hear the relevance of this work and how grounded it is. Even in the short description, she was successful in communicating the connection with this. The work she’s done to find this footage, which fills in a lot of missing history of the Mission for many who have come after the dotcom era, and I lean towards wanting to support this. • She is describing the love and longing for the low rider culture, and it really hasn’t been that long since the task force disbanded it as a racist response to something they did not understand. It was a deep aspect of the culture, and this project seeks to rescue that and cast critical a lens on homophobic space. She positions herself as queer Latina. • This project has the ability to reconnect us with an important part of this city’s history, yet do it critically, and help us move forward. • It seems that this came from the neighborhood, to have a reconnection with culture and a critical perspective. The letters recognize that she is not coming to this with an axe to grind, but rather to understand, hold the past, and to know where we stand. It’s not being done with any negative agenda. I feel, in spite of the missing application components, that this is worthy of support. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • There is a huge opportunity for growth in translating a personal story that’s specific to place and culture and to dedicate that to live performance. • There should be more to articulate how this project will benefit her artistic trajectory. • There is not enough funding set aside in the budget to properly develop the piece and to set people up in the best possible way. • She’s going through the Marsh Theater, which is really great, but it’s not reflected in the budget. Does she not know the process, cost, resources, or time? • It would be helpful to have a much clearer budget. • The letter of support from the venue notes that their relationship is being developed, but offers little money – only $700, which doesn’t feel enough. • I don’t have enough information about the arrangement. • The short narrative lacked the detail to show us how this project will take place. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • The letters speak to her performance ability but being fairly new at it, you’ll want to show it. • I am unsure of applicant’s experience of theater production as opposed to film.

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• She has skills that can evolve. Being short on the language and with the ability to let us know how she will be developing this piece is a major gap for me. • The artist’s love for the Mission and commitment to community is obvious; it is a testament to her ability to hold an audience even as she acknowledges her training, that she already has a practice. Her training and previous practice is good enough that I can put faith in the missing application pieces. • It’s a passionate project and she is very authentic. I wish I could give her a bunch of collaborators to support her – which something I saw her missing. • I don’t know if classes at The Marsh will bring her to same level of artistic excellence that we see in other proposals. • STAFF: Are there particular skill sets or personnel you can advise? • I want to see a director, composer, and costume designers. This is a lonely project. She could really use more of a team even if this is a solo show. • She is working with director but doesn’t name the person. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • With as much deep involvement she has with this community it’s the only time they are engaged, or give feedback. I don’t know if she’s including enough other perspectives. • She doesn’t specifically address her target audience although I know she is connected and that many people will come out for this.

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F. Allen Sawyer PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This proposal requests $10,000 to support the creation and development of my next full length play, “The Man From P.A.N.S.Y.” During the grant period I will create and present at least 2 staged readings. Awarded funds will support my creative fees and will compensate my cast and crew for the reading.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The project is in line with the long track record of work, in not only addressing the same genre of camp but also thematically. He is subverting the oppressive pulp narrative and turning it upside down into a form that embraces, addresses, and uses variations on the theme to bring awareness and a different take while keeping the hyperbolic campy style. • The narrative explained enough, although much of it was spent in ideas of the genre instead of the proposed work. • I question his choice to write a novel and then adapt it to the stage; it confused me. • I thought it was poking fun at the word-for-word genre understanding that the novel will be the pulpy type of work, not a novel in a traditional sense. • That is helpful. • I enjoyed the work samples. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I question how we define originality, as this is work that has been written for many years. • Although the proposal is very articulate, that was a point that he did not demonstrate - it is going to be another twist or originality on a form that he has mastered? • There is a hint that this would be a move forward, but I don’t see it. That is not a strong negative, but that is not there. • In terms of exploration of growth, this was not strongest proposal. • Questions exist about the development stage and nature of the grant request. A great amount of budget is for personal time. • While all the money is going into development, he does have a history of getting it done. The samples are good in that sense. • STAFF: Is this budget appropriate for the scope of work? If expenses are aligned with scope it is okay. • In general, I have a positive read on the budget. • The free showings would be an opportunity for individual fundraising—it would be an easy thing. • The project will culminate in two staged readings, which is a fun project and he has a good track record. But I would hope that he would offer a staged production. • He mentions Phase 2, which is not covered by this grant. • We are funding a development stage that will be continued. • If there is no other funding, and if it’s not funded today, it won’t happen? • I don’t believe that it is pushing boundaries of the art form. • He is jumping back into the form, so he is stretching himself as artist. • If he was out of it for 10 years, and is not bringing anything new to this, and the production is minimal, then what is different between a staged reading and a final production for this artist? • He’s good at the form. Just seeing him stretch content, form, and an expansion of his audience would have been appreciated.

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Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • The artist has a strong track record. • Artist background and history are good indicators that the work has potential. • The letters helped a lot. The argument he’s making is that he’s been out picking up different skills. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • Sawyer has a strong following and people who care about his work. • After a hiatus he probably has an audience that will be craving the next one. He says wants to reach younger audience; there isn’t much in there that would sustain that statement. • He did not deeply articulate the outreach to new audiences; his is a simple strategy. I agree that there are 50 year-olds interested in this genre, but how will he get the next generation interested? I’d like to see him craving that. • Discussion of audience is disappointing because he makes the art form sound so alive and exciting in the narrative, but doesn’t seem to reach out and introduce people to that—it’s a missing opportunity. • There is general audience outreach and a blanket talking about strategy instead of thinking deeper and perhaps talking to youth queer organizations he could access.

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Mica Sigourney PROJECT DESCRIPTION: To support the development, production and staging of my newest performance piece, “Nicole Kidman is Fucking Gorgeous.” I will create an evening-length work that crosses between nightlife/fringe venues and more traditional venues utilizing the vernacular imagery found in drag performance and live music shows combined with the rigor and technique of formal theater. Awarded Arts Commission funds will underwrite all artists’ fees.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • These are great samples. I’ve seen some of his work. They are theatrical, exciting and interesting. • This is a well-written proposal. • I appreciated this work sample. He has awesome production values. • First piece was good. What I see is a real craft and being professional in how it is presented. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • He’s taken his foundation of skills from the traditional theater world and blows it out. His work is something to watch. Sigourney is pushing boundaries. • I agree with the letter from Jess Curtis. I’m excited to see this artist blossom and go to the next steps. • The budget seems great and modest. • I enjoyed reading the narrative. I wasn’t sure about “Kidman” in terms of importance and urgency, but what brought it together is the explanation about the work as folk art expression. The person is teaching you about the form and it is great to come across artists that are that expansive and knowledgeable. • I wasn’t sure how this would further the art form when I couldn’t envision it. • I couldn’t do that without seeing the work samples. • STAFF: On the last page it talks about the work moving out of the form. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • He is capable in making the proposed show happen. He is well rounded in background in theatrical techniques. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • I wonder if he is pushing himself in regards to target audience. Sometimes I want this to target a mainstream audience. There is a feeling of creating a rock show and finding that energy that will speak to younger audiences and cross disciplines in a theatrical way. • It is great. He has the capacity to expand depending on venue size and different lengths of shows. That is wonderful and he has done it in past and is touring so it could reach wide audience base. • I saw a short piece of his at CounterPulse, but it was still so nice to see the work sample because I have questions of what we are talking about. I appreciated seeing the production. Pushing form to interesting places. This is my lens of bias – what is the social nature of this work? It is answered in the style of work it does and work that builds community, validates, creates spaces in a way he has articulated. Has large following – so social political relevance in creating space for community. I am not as concerned about pushing it to a more mainstream audience because it is valid in its home space.

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Elizabeth Stephens PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “Earthy: An Ecosexual Love Story” is a new play written and performed by Elizabeth Stephens, with cast member Annie Sprinkle, directed by Patty Gallagher. Earthy explores what happens when two queer San Francisco women join the environmental movement and try to make it more sexy, fun and diverse in order to help save the planet. As they shift the metaphor from Earth as mother, to Earth as lover, heavy drama mixed with ribald humor ensues.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • There is incredible commitment to environment and cause. This broke my head open as to what we call theater as pageantry and what is all encompassing. 150 collaborators are impressive. The history of collaboration between Annie and Elizabeth is deep – there is great strength in that. That they created the “sexecology” is impressive. • I found it enjoyable reading. It was well written. They did a good job articulating the project conceptually. • They have something through which they can touch a number of issues in our community and pop culture. The approach is so radical but thoughtful in deepening understanding of issues with humor, but at the same time giving profound, radical notions. What relationships are embedded in the project? I think this project has a strong sense of nuancing in the relationships between performers and audience but also the relationship with the Earth is transforming. It is still symmetrical; it puts us in place of responsibility. I appreciate moving from a heterosexual perspective to a more radical notion of relationship and eroticizing it. It is not new conversation but they make it relevant. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • I love that there are ceremonies all over world; it is impressive that this is not only San Francisco based. I like that they are designing it to go on tour. They have thought out the process. • The timeline is well thought out. The proposal is well written. • I liked that they pay artists well. The budget is tight, lean, and realistic. It is a plus that they are putting resources into paying artists and not just primary artist but key collaborators. • I liked the budget; it was sound and thorough. • To me it is pushing boundaries of theater and that is exciting. I liked the idea of tackling theater and the environment and marrying those two. It is innovative, timely and seems to keep moving further, building on past knowledge. There is humor and seriousness, which is good. • It is an interesting intersection of sexecology: bringing two things together that makes sense. • I liked that they were doing new media in performance. • Related to artistic growth, they plan to enlarge the cast; I did not quite understand that. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • Looking at their history and bios, I am confident they can make this happen. • Looking at their history, this is doable. • The artists have a great track record of working together. If this grant does not come through they will still make it happen. • I wished the second piece had better video, but I understand it.

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Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • They have great support in the community. Elizabeth was at UC Santa Cruz so she has the potential to outreach to different generations and new audiences. Her position as a professor is an asset in having a voice. • For their target audience, they want to reach out to beyond traditional environmentalists, but they don’t say how. It could have stretched further in describing who else they can include and how they will bring in existing audience. Those who stay for talk back will have deep engagement. • If they are making strategies to reach out to further audiences is a question, but still this is a strong proposal with assurances that they will see it through. • In terms of making use of new venues as they stated, their current one is in line with what they are doing. So, I wonder if working with environmental groups would be the next logical step. This didn’t seem like they were expanding but rather going deeper into one realm.

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Ali Tabatabai PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Nanos Operetta will collaborate with the AKHE Group of St. Petersburg, Russia to research and develop a new physical theater piece titled The Blind Owl based on the writings of Iranian existentialist author Sadegh Hedayat. The Blind Owl will be developed and created between St. Petersburg and San Francisco over a one-year period. The finished production will be a physical theatre piece with live score and projections and live narration by German vocalist Blixa Bargeld.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • I want to know more about the artist to understand his artistic vision. He has an incredible history. • Is this application in the right place? With a dance theater troupe and music I do not know if lands in the theater category. • Director: The proposal talks about it being physical theater. • It is dance oriented as well. I feel it would fit more into dance. I did love the blending of traditional and new as a style of the organization. • Staff: In the founding of the organization, they talk about physical theater. • He has a great record of accomplishments and quality work. He has performed here before. I am not as worried about the genre issue. Although I understand the concerns, ultimately what I’m reading will translate into a theatrical event. • I have questions about the nature of project and the form to fit in this. Every artist is a producer, but I feel this is an organizational project grant. It is more of an organizational project than an individual artist project. That is my big question. • Director: So you are saying that the voice of the individual artist: their growth and trajectory is not there. • In carrying out the huge large beautiful vision, he is that person that is pushing it forward. I appreciate his skill in that. • It doesn’t come across as individual artist driven commission. • Staff: On page 2 it does talk about the vision and connects the history of the artist, his relationship to post revolution Iran and ties to Russia. Does this signal enough vision and motivation? • On page 2 there is the nature of the project. There is the genesis and seed of the project, but still it is a larger collaboration driven by two groups. • Director: Score similarly to how you have to other applicants with the criteria. There might not be enough information that reflects back on the individual artist in that voice. • Especially with an application that was too long and not having enough of that. • Perhaps this was used to apply for other grants, but the feedback is to adjust the narrative to reflect the spirit of grant. • I am feeling conflicted stemming from the question of whether this is the right grant category for the work. Although it is a strong proposal and the artist’s background has a record of accomplishments and a quality of work, there was not enough in the application to establish if this was the right category. In the score sheet, there was nothing addressing that point of it being from an individual artist. There were no criteria where that would be reflected. Besides that I’m comfortable with my score. • Director: the discussion was about where is the voice of the individual artist and the artist’s experience in this. Look at those places where it looks at the individual artist. In creativity, originality, do you see the individual artist voice? The other place is looking at the project’s potential to further artist exploration and growth. Has the artist articulated where they are in their career trajectory and where they want to go? Artist history and promise: are you seeing clarity of the individual artist role in the ensemble relative to the project? What is the apparent artist potential of the applicant? These are areas to pull apart the ensemble and the applicant. • So we can score something lower: that while the project is strong this is speaking in collective terms rather than individual terms.

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• Director: Do you have enough information about the individual artist to be able to distinguish between the individual versus the ensemble? • I have difficulty divorcing the artistic quality of the individual versus the ensemble. Everything is very high quality so having tension between the work sample shown and the individuality. • Director: in the work sample are you clear what the individual artist role is? You have raised that question for other applications. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • He has the logistics in place. He is writing about this as a project for an ensemble rather than an artist. The plan is well thought out and doable. • He has a good budget in place. I wonder if the foundation contributions are secured or pending. I wonder if the artist in the group has to pay for the venue or if the International Arts Festival will supply it? • I did not understand a vocalist being paid and did not see the administrative expenses or detailed. • I’m mostly concerned giving the scope of budget. What is reassuring is they are realistic about resources. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • He has a relationship with AKHE that is organic and longstanding, preserved through language. He is leading Improvisation and actual performances. • It is such an incredible effort. There is nothing here that will prevent them from doing this. Of course logistics of the visiting company might be a challenge Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • There is a lot of marketing behind this project. It is a great target audience. I do not know if there is a tremendous amount of work targeted toward the Persian community in San Francisco. He understands it is a focused targeted community and there will be interest in this project because of the subject matter. • Because of the Persian content, I would have liked to see what is the specific outreach to that community, to guarantee they will be there. They have marketing but not to that specific community. • It would be nice if there were a larger audience for something this large scale, it seems like a missed opportunity. In terms of geography and communicating with each other, there is a huge amount of resources for this. In terms of the return, I would like to see more people benefit from this. • I am not as worried with the Persian angle. They seem to be going for universal ideas and grounding themselves in the specificity of the Persian artist work while going for something else. The intersection of the collaborators can use this to come together. Maybe the Persian following will be from Ali because of his background. • On page 4 they talk about reaching out to the Persian community. In the rigor of the project, the outreach to the specific community might be lost and they could be relying too much on the International Arts Festival. • It will be featured at San Francisco International Arts Festival. Is that it? • Director: On the 2nd page of the application form, it just has the International Arts Festival.

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Anthony Williams PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “Shafted: The Blaxploitation Project” is a full-length work of collaborative interactive multimedia performance art that integrates ethnotechno ritual, house music, jazz dance and realtime video to reconsider African-American experience and aesthetics through a theatrical deconstruction of the blaxploitation cinema of the 1970s. Returning audiences to a badass world of afro picks, street pimps and foxy mamas provides an opportunity to reconstruct black/queer performativities of cultural potency in communities challenged by continuing poverty, violence and racism.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • That was one of the more enjoyable applications – I was engaged from the get-go. The issues raised are increasingly relevant. The intersection of Queer and African American issues is relevant. The third person narrative helped; it was articulate and ambitious project with all sorts of elements including “in-reach” and outreach phases. The artist has a meaningful body of work. The work sample is an affirmation of the work and the restriction of the space. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • The project plan was thoughtful: there was great potential for growth. This is an ambitious plan for the artist. He will use different methodologies and approaches to the work: i.e. ethno/techno, and Theater of the Oppressed. There is a meaningful mix of exercises as a frame for the piece. • He is revising the genre for the times. • This is the most thorough application of the pool. I love the use of new technologies and incorporates historic content. The project will improve the artist’s technical capabilities and support him as a leader. • Budget: This budget is larger than some of the other applications. However, there are a few unclear points. With the larger outreach component, I wonder if he has already approached Pam Grier. The budget for their artist fees is small. They are $500 and I would suspect her artist fee would be in the thousands. There is no note about if she would waive her usual fees. It raises questions about how it will come together. • It would have been great if he would have had a letter from Pam that would have confirmed that she would do the fundraiser; this would have locked this in. • I agree that fundraising was not clear. If he gets Pam Grier he’ll make more than $3,000. • But I don’t think this project hinges on Pam Grier. There’s enough here even if she didn’t come. • I wonder how the project would change if all of the projected money does not come. But, I could imagine that some components could be scaled back and this would be an engaging project. No contingency was described. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • I agree on all points. I do see that this artist is resourceful so he could scale back if he needs to. He has a good grasp on the many components. • I like that there is humor. I like to see support for someone who is rooted in African American culture and can work in the whole urban movement – to work with the African American Complex in the Western Addition. I appreciate that he is working outside the comfort zone. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form. • It has great potential to reach audiences. There is a thoughtful process to bring people into the theater. This will reach beyond the African American community.

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Madison Young PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This proposal seeks $10,000 for creation and development of a new theater piece on queer motherhood and sexuality. Down the Rabbit Hole: A Year in the Life of a Sexy Mama is loosely based on Lewis Carroll's classic story, Alice in Wonderland. The piece will be written and performed by Madison Young. The world premiere will open at CounterPulse theater and be co-presented by Femina Potens Art Gallery/ Awarded funds will support artist fees for the writer/performer.

Artistic Excellence w Quality of applicant’s creativity, imagination, originality, meaning, and self-expression as demonstrated through previous work w Originality, clarity and rigor of investigation of concepts and ideas of the proposed project • The work sample seems too much like a Kickstarter campaign video. Maybe the current trend is to automatically launch into a Kickstarter type of campaign. • The originality and subject matter feels deep. Young is a creative artist and spirit with community in San Francisco that is represented by her work, a community that may not exist in other parts. Project Merit w The soundness and thoroughness of the project plan w The project’s potential to further the artist’s creative exploration and growth w The project’s potential to further the development of the art form • There is at heart a meaningful question for her, us and the community at large about mainstream culture’s conflict between sex positivity and motherhood. This is interesting and filled with good questions that turn a mirror to us about our understanding of morality in motherhood. The ultimate moral ground for many people is that of a caring mother. • Will she have enough time to make the connections of motherhood and sexuality in Alice in Wonderland? What’s she attempting to do? We don’t know if she has an extensive background in translating work to a theatrical setting. She has been at CounterPulse, so she seems to know the space and tech elements. She’s done her homework in these respects. There were some questions in her letters of support. • At first, I was disappointed with the letter from CounterPulse, but I see that others were similar. It would be helpful in the venue letter to communicate the context of how this project fits the venue’s mission. I believe this piece belongs in that space but would like to have more about how it was arranged. • Knowing what I do about the residency at CounterPulse, I would have expected to hear certain things that would support this artist in residence. • Young’s other letters were positive and important endorsements. • Staff: The venue letter as we ask for it is a commitment letter not necessarily an endorsement letter, which would be additional. • There is implicit endorsement in co-producing. • Different people/positions are not being paid in the budget that she mentions in the narrative. Artist’s History and/or Promise w The applicant’s artistic history and accomplishment is strong and relevant to the proposed project w Apparent artistic potential of the applicant w The artist’s capacity and capability to carry out the proposed project • The year-long production schedule made sense to me. I have questions about this type of theatrical medium for this artist. It is a stretch and I ask if she has enough background to pull it off. Is she giving herself enough time to research Alice as an original work with its layers and symbolism? There is just enough time to mine the original to serve her but not to translate it into her own. To me this is a stretch for her. She’s grounding it in familiar aspects of previous work. • There are so many different elements to this show, I worry about it being able to do everything. It might be a stretch to get everything done as a solo artist, although she’s working with others. I wonder which pieces will fall out or not be executed fully. • The work sample was disappointing. The beginning seems like a fun party to be at, but I didn’t understand which part was her work. Something more representative would have helped.

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• I understand that she is stretching her work, but I want to see elements of past work that can help us understand what she is doing. The work sample was more of a trailer for what’s to come. • If she is writing this, I have questions about the artistic work. So many other elements are referred to that it almost had blocked it but didn’t see anywhere in the process where the threading was going to happen. • I feel she’s begun to develop pieces as her own elements and is figuring out the container to fit all these pieces. Public Benefit w The clarity and thoroughness of the plan to reach a new audience and/or to deepen the experience of the target audience w The potential of the public activity to stimulate understanding and appreciation of the art form • The conflict I have with this proposal is my doubt that this project will reach an audience beyond her following. On the other hand, she does articulate a strong built audience for this. What will the quality of conversation be given the number of people she feels can reach with this work? Is it interesting ground to open up conversation about role of mothers in community and what motherhood is about? At that level, it will deepen the experience of target audience for those who already follow her work. • She knows who she wants to reach. • The project will get great dissemination: from mommy blogs to the queer community’s word of mouth. She’s really hitting everything in the interviews and dissemination.

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