3901 Appendix a FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF
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3901 Appendix A FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO Board of Trustees April 15, 2010 I. Calling of the Meeting to Order – Diane B. Wilsey, President A special meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was held on Thursday, April 15, 2010, in the Piazzoni Murals Room of the de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Because of the change in date from April 8, 2010 to April 15, 2010, the meeting was noticed as a special meeting. A quorum was present that being one third of the number of Trustees in office. The meeting was called to order at 3:20 p.m. by Diane B. Wilsey, President. President Wilsey presided; Mrs. Gough acted as Secretary. II. Calling of the Roll The following Trustees were present: Adolphus Andrews, Jr. Carol N. Bonnie David H. S. Chung Marion Moore Cope, Vice President for Annual Support Penny Coulter Belva Davis, Co-Vice President for Audience Development and Civic Affairs Juliet de Baubigny Denise B. Fitch Elise Friedman Carlos A. Garcia Frankie Jacobs Gillette Wheeler S. Griffith Cynthia Fry Gunn Lauren Hall Laure Fullerton Headrick Gretchen Kimball Kathryn Lasater Lawrence B. Low Monica Maduro, Co-Vice President for Audience Development and Civic Affairs Lisa M. Sardegna Arlene Schnitzer Susan S. Swartz Jeana Toney Trevor D. Traina Robert T. Wall Diane B. Wilsey, President Lisa Zanze On motion, duly seconded and carried, the following Trustees were excused: Edward D. Baker III Roger Barnett Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 3902 Board of Trustees April 15, 2010 Lisa Zanze On motion, duly seconded and carried, the following Trustees were excused: Edward D. Baker III Roger Barnett Carol W. Casey Iris S. Chan Harrison S. Fraker, Jr. Karen B. Francois John A. Friede Janet W. Lamkin David Lamond Nancy McFadden Carl Pascarella Louise H. Renne Venetta S. Rohal Jim Tananbaum David Winton The following ex-officio Trustees were unable to be present: Mayor Gavin Newsom Mark Buell, President, Recreation and Park Commission Other Trustees in attendance were: Richard W. Goss II George Hecksher, Vice President for Collections Lorna F. Meyer Paul A. Violich, Vice President for Finance Florence Sue Wong III. Closed Session for Conference with Legal Counsel for Existing Litigation President Wilsey stated that this item concerns litigation between the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (City and County of San Francisco) and defendants Robert L. Friede and Thomas W. Jaffe, brothers of Trustee John Friede, and the related claims regarding the Jolika Collection. As was reported in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 14, 2010, the Museums have settled the litigation regarding the Jolika Collection. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees will not proceed into a closed session. President Wilsey called on Deputy City Attorneys Adine Varah and Donald Margolis to provide a brief report on the settlement. Ms. Varah was pleased to report that this matter has finally come to a close. The City and County of San Francisco (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco) has reached final agreement with Robert L. Friede and Thomas W. Jaffe; John and Marcia Friede; and Sotheby’s. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 3903 Board of Trustees April 15, 2010 The litigation in California, New York, and Florida has been dismissed. Most importantly, the Museums have achieved their goal of ensuring that the Jolika Collection will continue to be an unparalleled example of the masterworks of Papua New Guinea for the benefit of the public. Ms. Varah reported that the Museums now have clear title to at least 274 of the 398 Inaugural Exhibition Works at the de Young Museum. With respect to Sotheby’s, Ms. Varah explained that prior to lending the Inaugural Exhibition Works to the Museum as a promised gift, the Friedes had pledged some of the artworks as collateral for a loan from Sotheby’s. This loan is now in default. As a result, the Museum has released some of the artworks to Sotheby’s to sell in order for Sotheby’s to reduce the Friedes’ debt. While it is unfortunate that these works need to be sold, the Museums and Sotheby’s have worked collaboratively in addressing this situation. The Museums are pleased with this progress towards achieving the goal of retaining the core of the Jolika Collection, which contains extraordinary and important artworks, for continued exhibition and appreciation at the de Young Museum. Ms. Varah reminded Trustees to refer any inquiries regarding this matter to the City Attorney’s Office or to Director John E. Buchanan, Jr. She concluded her report by emphasizing the great honor it has been to work with the Museums on this matter and expressed appreciation to the Board of Trustees for giving the City Attorney’s Office the opportunity to help protect and preserve the Jolika Collection for current and future generations. Ms. Varah also thanked City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who supported the Deputy City Attorneys in representing the Museums; Deputy City Attorney Margolis commended Joanne Hoeper, Chief Trial Deputy, for her invaluable assistance in this matter. IV. Consideration and Possible Action to Adopt a Resolution of Appreciation Honoring City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Deputy City Attorneys Adine Varah and Donald Margolis, and Chief Trial Deputy Joanne Hoeper for Their Significant Efforts in Preserving the Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park President Wilsey expressed the Board of Trustees’ profound gratitude to City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Deputy City Attorneys Adine Varah and Donald Margolis, and Chief Trial Deputy Joanne Hoeper for their significant efforts in preserving the Jolika Collection of Papua New Guinea Art at the de Young Museum. She read the following resolution of appreciation: WHEREAS, City Attorney Dennis Herrera recognized the significance of the Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art to the de Young Museum and the people of San Francisco and beyond; and WHEREAS, With utmost conviction, he generously committed the resources of the Office of the City Attorney to the protection of the Collection at the de Young Museum; and WHEREAS, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco could not have been better represented than by the tireless and tenacious work of Deputy City Attorneys Adine Varah and Donald Margolis and Chief Trial Deputy Joanne Hoeper; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 3904 Board of Trustees April 15, 2010 does hereby express its everlasting and profound gratitude to Dennis Herrera, Adine Varah, Donald Margolis, and Joanne Hoeper for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the de Young Museum and the public it serves; and, be it FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees acknowledges with deepest appreciation their dedication and commitment to the preservation of the world-renown Jolika Collection at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park now and for generations to come. The Board of Trustees recognized the City Attorneys with a sustained round of applause. A motion was made and duly seconded to adopt the above resolution. There was no discussion among Trustees; there was no public comment. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the above resolution as Board Resolution 1685. City Attorney Dennis Herrera thanked the Board of Trustees for the resolution honoring the City attorneys and acknowledged the cultural history and importance of the Jolika Collection to the City of San Francisco and to the Fine Arts Museums. He recognized President Wilsey, Director Buchanan, and the staff of the Museums for their assistance in helping his office to formulate and execute an aggressive strategy to preserve the Jolika Collection at the de Young Museum. V. Report of the President – Diane B. Wilsey A. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the Minutes of the January 19, 2010 Meeting of the Board of Trustees There being no discussion among the Trustees or members of the public, the minutes of the January 19, 2010 meeting of the Board of Trustees, having been mailed in advance to all Trustees, were unanimously approved. B. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the Report of the February 25, 2010 Acquisitions Committee Meeting – George Hecksher, Vice President for Collections and Chair of the Acquisitions Committee Chair Hecksher provided the following report of the February 25, 2010 meeting of the Acquisitions Committee of the Fine Arts Museums Foundation: 1. Purchases Chair Hecksher called upon Lynn Orr, Curator in Charge of European Art, to present The Bard (Le Barde), ca. 1806, by Anne-Louise Girodet de Roussy-Trioson (French, 1767- 1824). Girodet, one of the first artists to explore Romanticism, studied under the Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, but was influenced by Italian artists and came to embrace the expression of emotion and imagination. He was also influenced by the stirring nationalism across Europe as different peoples sought to reclaim their own folk and mythological histories, separate from ancient classical Greek and Roman traditions. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 3905 Board of Trustees April 15, 2010 The Bard (Le Barde) is based on a Celtic folkloric poem written by Thomas Gray. The poem laments Edward I’s subjugation of Wales in 1282 – 83, and sings the story of the last Welsh bard, who cursed Edward’s Plantagenet line, and then leapt to his own death. The painting with its extraordinary light effects will be the first artwork in the permanent collection to represent this period in European painting. Chair Hecksher then invited Karin Breuer, Curator in Charge of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, to discuss Untitled (Costume Design for La Création du Monde), by Fernand Léger (French, 1881 – 1955).