SR 12-18-2018 8A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: December 18, 2018
Agenda Item: 8.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Karen Ginsberg, Director, Community & Cultural Services
Subject: Authorization to enter into a management agreement for Airport Art Studios
with 18th Street Arts Center
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #190 to 18th Street Arts Center, a California-based company for
management of the arts program at the Santa Monica Airport for the CCS
Department;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with 18th
Street Arts Center, in an amount not to exceed $250,000 per year (which
includes a $50,000 contingency per year), for an initial two year term, with three
additional one-year renewal options in the amount of $250,000, on the same
terms and conditions for a total amount not to exceed $1,250,000 over a 5-year
period with future funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
As part of the Council’s efforts to regain local control of the Santa Monica Airport and
repay General Fund subsidies of the Airport Fund, the City’s Airport Leasing Policy was
revised in March 2016. An important change eliminated the widespread practice of
subleasing City property that resulted in windfall profits to many aviation tenants holding
master leases. Provision was made in the revised Leasing Policy to support continued
“opportunities for arts, education, and culture, including, but not limited to, the Artist
Space Program administered in conjunction with Cultural Affairs Division.” Since the
new Leasing Policy was adopted, the City’s Airport Administration has been working to
close out all master leases on the site and establish direct leases between the City and
all current subtenants. One of the last of the existing leases to be brought into
compliance is with the Santa Monica Arts Studios (SMAS), the private entity currently
managing and operating the City-owned building located at 3026 Airport Avenue.
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Establishing new lease terms for the existing SMAS facility necessitated a different
business model for the arts program at the site, which allowed the City to consider how
it might best utilize this public asset to enhance its support for artists and the public in
the future. With direction from City Council, a thorough community input and planning
process was conducted during 2018. The process focused on best practices for
implementing a new management structure that meets the requirements of the Council
and the Consent Decree with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as
exploring ways to expand the arts program offerings to benefit both tenant artists and
the greater Santa Monica community. The resulting findings and recommendations
served as the framework for the development of a Request for Proposals (RFP),
informing the scope of work and review criteria for the future management of the site.
As required by the RFP, an Evaluation Committee, which was composed of national,
regional and local arts professionals, was assembled to evaluate the proposals. In the
interest of transparency and impartiality, no City staff served on the Evaluation
Committee. After reviewing the proposals submitted in response to the RFP and
conducting interviews with the applicants, the expert panel determined that 18th Street
Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, best meets the RFP selection criteria
and public objectives of both supporting local artists and enriching the lives of the
general public through the arts. Accordingly, staff recommends that Council approve the
selection of 18th Street Arts Center to manage the Santa Monica Airport Arts Studios.
Background
The Santa Monica Airport (the “Airport”) is home to the largest concentration of artists
working in Santa Monica, with 50 artist studios spread throughout several airport
hangars. These artist studios are viewed as a vital asset to the city to ensure that
working artists can continue to have a presence in Santa Monica as cost of living
continues to rise. There is a long and rich tradition of artists working at the Airport going
back to the 1950s, with many notable artists based in studios there over the decades.
Today, the majority of the studios are housed in one main hangar that was started in
2004 and continually operated by the Santa Monica Art Studios (“SMAS”), a private
partnership. This hangar also includes 2,000 square feet of gallery space. The other 18
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studios outside of the main hangar are managed separately by the Public Works
Department’s Airport Administration Division in consultation with the Community and
Cultural Services Department’s Cultural Affairs Division.
In March 2016, Council adopted a policy to prohibit subleasing at the Airport, which
required a change in the current leasing arrangement with SMAS, who was operating as
a master tenant on a month-to-month lease after the expiration of its initial ten-year
lease on June 30, 2014. Further, in February 2017, Council reached an agreement via a
consent decree with the Federal Aviation Administration to close the Airport after
December 31, 2028, which requires, among other things, that all non-aviation Airport
tenants be charged market rate. To comply with these requirements going forward, the
artists will need to lease directly from the Airport Administration and pay market rents
set on an equal, transparent basis (note that this change is anticipated to lower the
rents for a majority of the artists). A portion of the rents will be set aside to fund this
contract for management of the arts program at the site.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
03/22/2016 (Attachment
A)
City Council Adoption of policy to prohibit subleasing at
the Airport.
02/28/2017 (Attachment
B)
City Council Agreement with Federal Aviation
Administration to close the Airport after December 31,
2028.
Discussion
In January 2018, the Community and Cultural Services and Public Works departments
initiated a planning process in recognition of the importance of preserving this creative
space to ensure that the arts continue to thrive in Santa Monica and to facilitate a
smooth transition to the new required leasing structure for the current tenants. The
planning process was led by an arts consultant Casey Summar, and captured input of
key community stakeholders, including the SMAS tenants, other Airport arts tenants,
and community members, through an online community survey, over 30 one-on-one
stakeholder interviews, two presentations to the Santa Monica Arts Commission for
feedback and consultation, and two focus groups to refine the recommendations.
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The planning process resulted in a report titled “Findings & Recommendations from the
May 2018 Airport Artist Studios Planning Process” (Attachment C). The report contains
context about the history, opportunities, and challenges of the site, as well as
recommendations for the future management team, including City staff roles.
Findings from the Planning Process
The stakeholder interviews provided insights regarding the SMAS hangar as to what is
currently working well and what could be improved.
Strengths:
Providing workspace: 93% of tenants surveyed indicated that their artistic
endeavors are pursued as a full- or part-time career. 88% indicated they spend
more than 15 hours a week at their studio.
Stability: two-thirds of the artists indicated that they highly valued the stability of
the space. Eighty percent of the artists have been tenants for more than three
years; 35% for more than 10 years.
Another key strength identified by three-fourths of the artists was the strong
sense of community fostered among tenants.
Two-thirds of the artists emphasized the exposure they receive from events
hosted in and around SMAS (including gallery exhibitions, open studios, the
Annual Airport Art Walk, and events at Barker Hangar) as a strength.
Challenges/Areas for Improvement:
All of the artists interviewed described some challenges related to the building
condition. However, the artists often followed these comments up by recognizing
that the conditions help keep the space affordable and are a worthwhile tradeoff.
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78% of the tenants interviewed offered suggestions for improving the
management of the studios.
o The primary suggestion was to operate in a less “top-down” fashion and
provide more transparency in dealing with the artists to avoid any
perception of favoritism.
o The second key area of concern was about the practice of renting the
walls on the outside of the studio spaces to artists for exhibit space for a
fee, and whether this indicated that the management was too profit-driven.
o The tenants suggested that management use a more objective artist
selection process as they perceived that the current system might favor
particular demographic groups.
Two-thirds of tenants interviewed also mentioned affordability as a chief concern
with a similar percentage saying they felt the price they paid to rent the studios is
currently too high. Currently, the majority of the artist subtenants are paying at-or
above-market rate rents.
Two-thirds of the artists shared some variety of concerns about the reputation or
perception that SMAS is viewed as being “just for hobbyists” and therefore not as
well-respected in the art-world as some other artist studio complexes in the Los
Angeles area.
Concerns:
During the planning process, a number of tenant artists expressed, confidentially,
concerns with regard to the current management of the site, particularly actions
by SMAS Director Yossi Govrin. These concerns were expressed during one-on-
one meetings as well as via email. Some of the concerns revolved around
episodes of verbal abuse directed at artist subtenants and unannounced entries
into artist studio spaces without prior notice to the subtenant. Because the City
was not in a position to determine whether or to what extent these episodes took
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place, these concerns were not considered as part of the RFP process outlined
below.
At the beginning of the process, the incumbent (SMAS) had been advised in
writing that its month-to-month lease would be extended through the planning
process to “minimize disruption to the arts program, to you, and to your
subtenants, and to provide the City with the additional time required to complete
the selection of the arts program for the 3026 Airport Avenue property.” The letter
stipulated that SMAS was not to increase rents or evict existing tenants without
just cause. After learning of the complaints from tenants, the City Attorney’s
Office sent a letter to Mr. Govrin, dated January 16, 2018 (Attachment D), putting
him on notice not to engage in “any conduct that can give rise to a constructive
eviction of your subtenants.” A response from Mr. Govrin to this letter is attached.
(Attachment E).
RFP Development
The stakeholders were asked to help shape the RFP for selecting the Management
team to operate the arts programming after the leasing transition. They offered
guidance that helped develop the criteria by which respondents to the RFP process
were evaluated.
Artist selection: at each stage of the process, stakeholders shared a desire for
increasing diversity of tenants (in all respects including gender, ethnicity, age,
religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, artistic experience, artistic
discipline, and more) and emphasized the importance of looking for factors that
indicate the artist is actively pursuing their career/practice.
Management Qualities: the most important quality identified by stakeholders for
the Management team was an inclusive/welcoming attitude, with excellent
communication skills as well as transparency and fairness in treatment of the
artists. Another key theme was around having a deep understanding of artists’
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needs and a commitment to helping artists advance their careers. A
Management team that has a collaborative nature with a knack for sparking
partnerships and reaching out to the greater community was also deemed
important.
Programming: Almost all stakeholders expressed a desire for expanded
programming to both attract patrons into the studios and also provide growth
opportunities for the artist. Many would like to see exhibitions of the tenant artists
on a more regular basis as well as curated exhibitions of non-tenant artists.
Temporary artist residencies were also prioritized, which many viewed as a way
to increase the diversity of artists working in the space without forcing turnover
for the current tenants. In addition, a majority of artists wanted professional
development, such as workshops on the business of being an artist, peer-
learning, and/or mentorship. As part of its consultation during the planning
process, the Arts Commission recommended that the selected management
entity consider how programming at the Airport could be of service to other artists
in the greater Santa Monica community.
Coordination of Arts at the Airport: With regard to connectivity between the
overall arts uses at the Airport, less than half of the tenants felt it was currently a
cohesive arts campus, but there was a desire to increase connectivity between
the arts tenants. Survey participants encouraged capitalizing on the “strength in
numbers” and “making it a real arts hub.” Stakeholders had a range of ideas for
what increased connectivity might look like, including a shared calendar, joint
marketing, regular gatherings to foster community, joint exhibits and workshops,
joint management of all artist studios and increased partnerships.
See the attachment, “Findings & Recommendations from the May 2018 Airport Artist
Studios Planning Process,” for greater detail on these findings. Grounded in the
recommendations from this planning process, an RFP was developed and issued,
seeking an individual or organization to manage the Airport Arts Studios program. The
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RFP was issued on August 13, 2018 and closed on October 1, 2018. 367 vendors were
notified, 40 downloaded the bid, and three submitted proposals: 18th Street Arts Center,
ArtShare L.A. and MAXIMA Art Initiative.
RFP Review Criteria:
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: Up
to 30 points may be awarded based on the evaluation of the proposer’s
knowledge, prior experience, and qualifications. Evaluation will be based on
relevant experience of key personnel based on resumes showing technical
knowledge and experience. Evaluation will also be based on level of the
individual or firm’s previous projects of comparable complexity, scale and nature;
and training and proven expertise in the area of work required.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: Up to 30 points may be awarded
based on the evaluation of the proposer’s programming plan. Evaluation will be
based on the plan’s feasibility, innovation, and alignment with the
Recommendations.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar
Setting: Up to 20 points may be awarded based on the evaluation of the
proposer’s knowledge and prior experience working with artist populations and/or
working in a similar setting in a capacity that displays a deep understanding of
the issues, challenges and opportunities of individual artists.
Three Valid and Recent References: Up to 10 points may be awarded upon an
evaluation of proposer’s work for similar engagements. Please submit at least
three references from projects of similar size and scope. Additionally, provide
evidence of insurance; description (if proposer is a firm) of firm size and
structure, including number of partners and owners; and confirmation of firm’s
independence and license to practice in California.
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Cost of Services: Up to 10 points that may be awarded for the lowest price,
fixed or blended hourly rate or annual not to exceed fee listed separately for each
contract term. The consultant’s overall cost proposal for the project should
reflect cost effective work and services. Cost control, performance within budget
allocations, prudent auditing practices, management and clear and constant
communication with City staff are essential to the success of this project. Brief
descriptions of previous project experiences should be used as examples of how
this was achieved with former clients, along with key examples of the firm’s
accuracy in cost estimating.
Vendor Selection
As required by the RFP, City staff assembled an Evaluation Committee of five
individuals with expertise in artist programming and artist studios to review and score
the proposals. The members were:
Eric Wallner, former director of Torpedo Arts Factory, an artist studio complex in
Arlington, Virginia.
Allison Wyper, Artists Knowledge Manager at LA’s Center for Cultural Innovation.
Their mission is to promote knowledge sharing, networking and financial
independence for individual artists and creative entrepreneurs.
Marisa Caichiolo, Gallery Director at Building Bridges Art Exchange, a nonprofit
gallery at Bergamot.
Hirokazu Kosaka, Master Artist in Residence at the Japanese American Cultural
and Community Center (JACCC) in Little Tokyo.
Cezanne Charles, Director of Creative Industries at Creative Many in Detroit,
Michigan.
To ensure impartiality and transparency, no City staff were involved in scoring the
proposals.
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The Evaluation Committee reviewed the proposals and completed an initial round of
scoring to determine which proposers should be invited for finalist interviews. The
Committee conducted interviews with all three proposers on October 26, 2018. The
proposers responded to questions related to the RFP criteria including their ability to
ensure diversity and inclusion in the use of the site, engagement of other arts tenants at
the Airport outside the main hangar, methods for conflict resolution, and specific
inquiries regarding the details of their plans and cost proposals. Following the
interviews, panelists reviewed their scores and made no adjustments.
After its thorough review as outlined above, the Evaluation Committee unanimously
concluded that the proposal submitted by 18th Street Arts Center (18SAC) best
responded to the RFP selection criteria.
RFP Data
RFP Posting
Date
RFP Posted
On
RFP Advertised In
(City Charter &
Municipal Code)
# of
Vendors
Downloaded
# of
Submittals
Received
Date
Publicly
Opened
08/13/2018
City's
Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica
Daily Press 40 3 10/1/2018
RFPs
Received Selection Criteria
18th Street Art
Center
Municipal
Code SMMC 2.24.073
ArtShare L.A. Evaluation
Criteria
Experience and technical competence, strength of
proposed programming plan, evidence of experience
working with artists, references, and cost of services.
MAXIMA Art
Initiative
Justification to Award
18th Street Art Center (“18SAC”) has an outstanding national reputation and decades of
clear, demonstrable, and relevant experience executing similar programming. 18SAC
proposes building a significant and enduring asset for the City that will outlast the
individuals involved today. Its programming plan is specific, realistic, and yet innovative.
18SAC has a long history of excellence working with artists of all career stages and
disciplines in a similar setting grounded in a sophisticated, nuanced approach to equity
and inclusion. Their proposal includes a carefully crafted budget that supplements the
City’s budget with substantial existing and new funding sources. Further, 18SAC
proposes to invest more of the funds directly into programming than the other proposals
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Details regarding the panelist scoring and comments on each of the proposals is
included in Attachment F.
Protest
On November 6, 2018, City staff posted a pending award notification on the City’s
online bidding site, putting all bidders on notice of the ranking of proposals, indicating
staff’s recommendation to Council would be to award Bid #190 to 18th Street Arts
Center. On November 14, 2018, the City’s Director of Finance received a timely protest
from MAXIMA Art Initiative (Attachment G).
On November 26, 2018, after review of the protest documentation submitted, and
working with Cultural Affairs staff who had conducted the bid review and selection
process, the Director of Finance denied the protest (Attachment H) based on lack of
evidence and grounds for protest. Per the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance
Director’s decision is the final determination of the protest.
Arts Commission Action
As previously referenced, the Arts Commission was consulted a number of times during
the planning process for the future management of the Airport Art Studios; however the
RFP did not authorize or contemplate Arts Commission review of the management team
procurement process. Nonetheless, at the November 19, 2018 Arts Commission
meeting, staff presented its recommendation for award of the Professional Services
Contract to 18th Street Arts Center. Over 20 members of the public attended, including
representatives from 18th Street Arts Center and MAXIMA Art Initiative. Since the Arts
Commission was not listed as part of the proposal review process as published in the
RFP, the Commission was informed that their discussion and any possible action they
took would not affect the results of the bidding process or staff’s recommendation to
Council. The Commissioners had not reviewed the proposals, per City procurement
(as opposed to staff or overhead).
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policies. Commissioners raised a variety of questions regarding the proposals and the
Evaluation Committee’s scoring, in particular why MAXIMA’s proposal received such
low scores. Commissioners had a robust discussion about the arts ecosystem in Santa
Monica, and some expressed concerns about awarding this contract to 18th Street Arts
Center, which would expand an existing arts institution at the loss of adding another
organization.
A number of Commissioners noted that, without evidence of mismanagement or
negligence, the current 50% owner of Santa Monica Arts Studios—and future director of
MAXIMA—should be offered the opportunity to demonstrate he can fulfill the obligations
of this government contract. They also discussed the award amount of $200,000,
wondering if that budget would be adequate to achieve the level of programming
outlined in the RFP. Staff noted that this project needs to be revenue neutral, so any
increase in budget would likely result in a higher rent for the artists.
The Arts Commission adopted a motion recommending that Maxima Art Initiative be
granted the Arts Management plan for the Airport Arts Studios for the next 24 months
and to encourage City Council to consider increasing the award amount. The motion
passed 6 to 1 with 3 abstentions.
Staff Recommendation
Consistent with the RFP’s evaluation criteria and review procedures, developed with
thorough community stakeholder input and which did not include or contemplate City
staff or Commission’s review, and because the Finance Director determined that
Maxima Arts Initiative’s protest was not supported by evidence, staff recommends that
Bid #190 be awarded to 18th Street Arts Center. Alternatively, the City Council may
reject all proposals and direct staff to undertake a new RFP process.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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Staff seeks authority to award a contract with 18th Street Arts Center for management of
the Airport Arts Studios program.
Contract Request
Request Amount FY2018-19 Budget
Department Account #
Total Contract Amount
$250,000 10400003.550240 $1,250,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Shannon Daut, Cultural Affairs Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. March 22, 2016 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. February 28, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. Attachment C - Recommendations for Airport Arts Studios
D. Attachment D 1-16-18 CAO Letter to SM Art Studios
E. Attachment E - Govrin response to CAO letter
F. Attachment G - Govrin_MAXIMA_ Appeal
G. Attachment H - Response to Protest of RFP 190
H. Attachment F - Summary of panel scores and comments
I. Written Comments
J. PowerPoint
Santa Monica Airport
Artist Studios Planning Process
Findings & Recommendations
May 2018
Summar Law & Consulting
Casey Summar
Carpinteria, CA
casey@caseysummar.com
615-429-2141
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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………3
Context…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
This Report……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Summary of Findings………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…7
Current Strengths & Challenges……………………………………………………………………………………….7
Takeaways for RFP……………………………………………………………………………………..…………………….9
Artist Selection……………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Management Qualities…………………………………………………………………………………………9
Programming……………………………………………………………………………………………………..10
Coordination of Arts at the Airport……………………………………………………………………..10
Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………..………………………….1 2
For Future Management………………………………………………………………………………..………………12
Business Model…………………………………………………………………………………………………..12
Process for Artist Selection………………………………………………………………………………….12
Tenant Relationships…………………………………………………………………………………………..13
Programming Opportunities……………………………………………………………………………….14
For Cultural Affairs…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……16
Accountability Measures…………………………………………………………………………………….16
Artist Communication…………………………………………………………………………………………16
For the Airport Administration…………………………………………………………………………….…………16
Property Management……………………………………………………………………………………….16
Long-range Opportunities for Arts at the Airport………………………………………………..17
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………1 9
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………20
Resources…………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………..20
Arts Commission Presentation……………………………………………………………………………………….22
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Introduction
Context
Brief History
The Santa Monica Airport (“Airport”) is home to the largest concentration of artists working in
the city with 50 artist studios spread throughout several airport hangars. This space is viewed by
many as a vital asset to the city to ensure that artists can
continue to have a presence in Santa Monica as cost of living
continues to rise. There is a long and rich tradition of artists
working at the Airport going back to the 1950s with many
notable artists based in studios there over the decades.
Today, the majority of the studios are housed in one hangar ,
which is operated by the Santa Monica Art Studios (“SMAS”), a
private partnership. The other 18 studios are managed
separately by the Santa Monica Airport Administration
(“Airport Administration”) in consultation with the City of
Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division (“Cultural Affairs”).
Current Conditions
The SMAS hangar opened in 2004 following two years of renovations to build out 32 artist studios
as well as a gallery space called “Arena One.” The initial ten-year lease with the City of Santa
Monica expired on June 30, 2014 and continued month-to-month like most tenants in the other
hangars. In recent years, some key Santa Monica City Council (“Council”) decisions prompted the
need to initiate a change to the SMAS leasing arrangement. The primary consideration was that,
in March 2016, the Council adopted a policy to prohibit subleasing at the Airport and directed
the Airport Administration to bring all leases into compliance. This presents a change to SMAS’s
business model because it currently operates as the master tenant, subleasing the individual
studios to artists. The other decision was in February 2017, when Council reached an agreement
with the Federal Aviation Administration to close the Santa Monica Airport after Dec. 31, 2028
(the “Consent Decree”). The Consent Decree requires, among other things, that all non -aviation
Airport tenants be charged market rate.
Impetus for Planning
This planning process was initiated by Cultural Affairs, demonstrating the City of Santa Monica’s
firm commitment to the arts and recognition that preserving creative space is key to ensuring
that the arts thrive in Santa Monica. Further, the Airport Administration recognized the impact
these changes would have on SMAS and desired to facilitate a smooth transition to the new
“The Airport is a critical
location for artists in
Santa Monica.”
– Jan Williamson, Executive
Director, 18th Street Arts Center
4
required leasing structure. There has been a good deal of uncertainty about the future of
properties at the Airport in recent years, and this represents a time to transition to more long -
term planning.
As a result, the City selected Summar
Law & Consulting to lead this planning
process through a public Request for
Proposals (“RFP”) with the goal of
engaging current SMAS tenants, other
arts tenants at the Airport, and key
stakeholders including the current
SMAS management team and Airport
Administration staff.
The process has focused on best
practices for implementing a new
management structure that meets the
requirements of the Council and the Consent Decree described above, as well as exploring ways
to expand the arts program offerings to benefit both tenant artists and the greater Santa Monica
community. The recommendations contained in this report were garnered during this planning
process and will be used to create an open RFP process to select the team that will manage the
Airport arts program going forward (the “Management”).
Future Considerations
In addition to the need to plan for the
current changes facing SMAS and the
Airport, the process has also considered the
long-term context for the conversation. The
Airport is facing an exciting future transition
as it anticipates ceasing aviation uses in
2029. Santa Monica voters passed a
measure in 2014 allowing the City to replace
these aviation uses with public amenities
including parks, open space, arts, education,
and/or culture.
This backdrop makes it a key moment for Santa Monica to reflect on the history of the arts at the
Airport; gain a deeper understanding of the current arts assets including the 50 artist studios, the
Ruskin Theatre, the Santa Monica College Airport Arts Campus, the Barker Hanger, and the
Museum of Flying; and to consider how the arts could play a key role in the Airport’s future.
“The small office and artist spaces
scattered throughout the Airport
serve an important component of
the fabric of a community.”
– Don Girard, Senior Director, Government
Relations & Institutional Communications,
Santa Monica College
5
This Report
About the Process
After a period of researching best practices for artist studio spaces, the Airport Art Studios
planning process kicked off on March 13, 2018 with a reception for SMAS tenants, other Airport
arts tenants, and key community stakeholders (collectively referred to throughout as the
“stakeholders”). The kickoff provided an opportunity for tenants from various hangars, many of
whom had not met before, to mix and mingle with the planning process facilitator, City staff, and
Arts Commissioners. The program included sharing an overview of the process and inviting
questions and feedback.
Following the kickoff, these stakeholders were invited to
complete an online survey to provide a baseline foundation
for the process. The survey had one track for current SMAS
tenants and another track for other community members
including tenants in other hangars, arts patrons, and other
artists. Seventy-four surveys were completed: 38% from
SMAS tenants (representing 80% of the tenants) and 62%
from other community members (of these, 11% were other Airport tenants, 45% were arts
patrons, and 30% were other artists).
In addition, all artist tenants were invited to sign-up for a stakeholder interview—a one-on-one
meeting—to share more about their experiences. Thirty stakeholder interviews were completed
during March and April including meetings with 74% of the SMAS tenants, as well as the current
SMAS management, other Airport arts tenants, and former Airport arts tenants.
The initial findings were brought to the Santa Monica Arts Commission (“Arts Commission”) as
well as a few City officials for their feedback and consultation.
To conclude the process, survey participants who indicated a willingness to join a focus group
were invited to attend one of two sessions to prioritize the feedback gathered from the survey
and stakeholder meetings. Fifteen individuals participated in these sessions in late April and early
May, which further refined the insights heard throughout the process.
Contents
This report includes a summary of findings from the entire process including the current strengths
and challenges of the SMAS studios, takeaways from the stakeholder input that will shape the
RFP regarding selection of artists for studio space, desired qualities for the management of the
studios, programming, and coordination of arts uses at the Airport.
These takeaways are followed by specific recommendations for the next chapter of artist studios
at the Airport, including recommendations for:
“The arts bring life to
the Airport.”
– Survey respondent
6
The Management team on: 1) business model, 2) process for artist selection, 3) tenant
relationships, and 4) programming opportunities
Cultural Affairs on: 1) accountability measures, and 2) artist communication
The Airport Administration on: 1) property management; and 2) long-range opportunities
for arts at the Airport
Also included is an Appendix with resources for best practices in managing artist studios as well
as the key takeaways presented to the Arts Commission in April 2018.
7
Summary of Findings
Current strengths & challenges
The stakeholder interviews provided insights
specifically regarding the SMAS hangar as to
what is currently working well and what
could be better. These findings are offered
both as a helpful background for future
Management as well as to inform the RFP
process.
Strengths of SMAS
Far and away the greatest strength of SMAS
described by almost every tenant is
providing workspace, which is a critical need
for working artists. Ninety-three percent of
the tenants surveyed indicated that their
artistic endeavors are pursued as a full or
part-time career. Eighty-eight percent
indicated they spend more than 15 hours a week at their studio.
Further, two-thirds of the artists indicated that they highly valued the stability of the space.
Eighty percent of the artists have been tenants for more than three years; 35% for more than 10
years. Several artists emphasized the importance of having a stable work environment in order
to effectively plan for their businesses. One artist described how she is typically preparing for
exhibitions two to three years in advance and therefore
needs to know she will have workspace for at least that
length of time.
Another key strength identified by three-fourths of the
artists was the strong sense of community fostered among
tenants. Several described it as feeling “like a family” and
shared how they felt supported by their fellow tenants and
thrive as a result of this camaraderie. This was a common
reason offered by artists for why they rent a space at SMAS
as opposed to working from a home studio or other
independent space.
Finally, two-thirds of the artists emphasized the exposure they receive from events hosted in and
around SMAS (including gallery exhibitions, open studios, the Annual Airport Art Walk, and
events at Barker Hangar) as a strength. One artist shared, “I’m paying a premium for the space in
Full-time
75%
Part-time
18%
Hobby
7%
SMAS ARTISTS -
PURSUIT OF ARTISTIC CAREER
Full-time Part-time Hobby
“Remember that these
are individual
businesses and to
respect what they need
to survive and thrive.”
– Tenant interview
8
return for the benefits of the foot traffic.” Another said, “The Barker Hangar is a wonderful asset—
having opportunities to leverage the people they attract to their major events is one of the
reasons I have a studio here.”
Challenges for SMAS
All of the artists interviewed described some challenges related to the building condition
including the roof shedding rust and debris into the studios, lack of heat/air (both discomfort and
lack of climate control for artwork), electrical issues, and lack of security (no security system,
concerns about which people have access to master keys). Many of the artists had ideas for
inexpensive ways to mitigate some of these issues such as cleaning the ceiling, using fans, and
implementing security protocols. However, the artists often followed these comments up by
recognizing that the conditions help keep the space affordable and are a worthwhile tradeoff—
essentially what one would expect when renting a studio space in a large airport hangar.
In addition, 78% of the tenants interviewed offered suggestions for improving the management
of the studios in describing ways their experience could be better. The primary suggestion was
to operate in a less “top-down” fashion and provide more
transparency in dealing with the artists to avoid any
perception of favoritism. The second key area of concern
was about the renting of the walls on the outside of the
studio spaces for a fee, and whether this indicated that the
management was too profit-driven. Third, the tenants
suggested management use a more objective artist
selection process as they perceived that the current process
might favor particular demographics.
Two-thirds of tenants interviewed also mentioned affordability as a chief concern with a similar
percentage saying they felt the price they paid to rent the studios is currently too high. Currently,
the majority of the artist subtenants are paying at or more than market rate. This concern about
a need for affordability and clarity in pricing was echoed by the Arts Commission who offer a
valuable citywide perspective and confirmed that it is a challenge to find affordable studio space
in Santa Monica and emphasized the importance of maintaining affordability for these spaces.
Last, two-thirds of the artists shared some variety of concerns about the reputation or
perception that SMAS is viewed as being “just for hobbyists” and therefore not as well-respected
in the art-world as some other artist studio complexes in the Los Angeles area. Many artists
described feeling that they were missing out on opportunities because SMAS is passed over by
the artworld gatekeepers that frequent other artist studios. “If this reputation could be changed,
it would be a huge boon to the artists and attract more serious collectors and curators,” said one
artist.
“There is currently a
very limited range of
voices and ideas.”
– Tenant interview
9
Takeaways for RFP
The stakeholders were asked to help shape the RFP process for selecting the Management team
to operate the arts programming after the leasing transition. They offered guidance that helped
develop the criteria by which applicants to the RFP process will be evaluated. Their guidance is
described in this Summary of Findings section. Specific suggestions for implementing their
guidance are included in the Recommendations section below.
Artist selection
At each stage of the process, stakeholders shared a desire for increasing diversity of tenants (in
all respects including gender, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status,
artistic experience, artistic discipline, and more) and emphasized the importance of looking for
factors that indicate the artist is actively pursuing their career/practice.
The stakeholders largely cautioned against relying on traditional notions of “artistic excellence,”
which can present concerns from an equity point of view. Artistic excellence is often determined
based on credentials that may be inaccessible for some populations, such as holding a higher
degree, inclusion in gallery and museum exhibitions, and participation residencies. Further, this
criterion would discourage the inclusion
of emerging artists, which was noted as
a valued element of a diverse group of
tenants.
Related to this idea, the stakeholders
encouraged weighing favorably factors
indicating that the artist would actively
use the studio space and prioritizing an
artist with a demonstrated need for
space over an artist who might use the
studio primarily for storage or only
occasional use.
Management Qualities
Stakeholders were asked what qualities are most important in the Management beyond the
fundamental requirements of having a track record of relevant arts experience and strong
references. The most important quality identified by stakeholders for Management is an
inclusive/welcoming attitude. This was accompanied by a strong desire for excellent
communication skills as well as transparency and fairness in treatment of the artists. The need
for this was underscored by the fact that the studios do not have ceilings, therefore providing
little privacy for the tenants and increasing the importance of having Management that is skilled
at fostering a harmonious environment and resolving interpersonal conflicts.
10
Another key theme was around having a deep understanding of artists’ needs and a
commitment to helping artists advance their careers . These comments reflected a desire for
Management that could offer critique, mentorship, and guidance as well as possess the ability to
make connections, create opportunities, and jointly market the tenant artists. Most of the artists
felt it was important to have a Management team that has a consistent presence onsite and is
accessible to the artists with an “open-door” policy.
In addition to these qualities for serving the artist tenants, a majority of the stakeholders also
shared the importance of a Management team that has a collaborative nature with a knack for
sparking partnerships and reaching out to the greater community.
Programming
Almost all stakeholders expressed a desire for expanded programming to both attract patrons
into the studios and also provide growth opportunities for the artist.1
While there was a strong interest in increased programming, there were only a few areas of
consensus on which programs would be most helpful. Eighty-five percent of survey participants
would like to see exhibitions of the tenant artists on a more regular basis and 70% of survey
participants expressed interest in curated exhibitions of non-tenant artists.
There was also a strong interest in offering temporary artist residencies, which many viewed as
a way to increase the diversity of artists working in the space without forcing tu rnover for the
current tenants. In addition, a majority of artists wanted professional development, such as
workshops on the business of being an artist, peer-learning, and/or mentorship.
In echoing all of the above, the Arts Commission also encouraged the Management to consider
how programming at the Airport could be of service to other artists in the greater Santa Monica
community who cannot afford to or simply choose not to rent their own studio space.
Coordination of Arts at the Airport
The stakeholders were also asked about connectivity between the overall arts uses at the Airport.
Less than half of the tenants felt it was currently a cohesive arts campus, but there was a desire
to increase connectivity between the arts tenants, with only 7% of respondents opposing this
concept. Survey participants encouraged capitalizing on the “strength in numbers” and “making
it a real arts hub.”
1 The survey asked respondents to share feedback on current programming as well as prioritize desired new
programming. However, 40% of respondents added written comments indicating that there is little or no
programming happening on a regular basis at SMAS outside of the gallery exhibitions, so the discussion around
programming needs was combined for the subsequent stages of the process in interviews and focus groups.
11
The importance of increased coordination was
underscored by Airport tenants who described the
challenges of the Airport location, particularly
around parking and traffic, making coordination
not just preferable, but essential.
However, there was general consensus that this
coordination would need to come from
Management as opposed to artists self-organizing.
As one artist shared, “I’m interested in what the
other artists are doing, but not enough to take time
away from my work to invest in efforts at
coordination.”
Stakeholders had a range of ideas for what
increased connectivity might look like, including:
Shared calendar for coordination and
avoiding conflicting events that overload parking
Joint marketing including banners/signage
Regular gatherings to foster a sense of community (the artists noted that they are all in
their studios during the Annual Art Walk, so they cannot connect then)
Joint exhibits and workshops
Joint management of all artist studios (both in the main hangar and others) by the same
management team/inclusion of all Airport artists in activities
Partnerships with Santa Monica College and other local arts programs (such as studio
visits for students, artist lectures at the College, internships, mentorships, etc.)
44%
33%
23%
IS IT CURRENTLY A
COHESIVE ARTS CAMPUS?
Yes Somewhat No
12
Recommendations
For Future Management
Business Model
The preliminary research for this process included reviewing best practices for artist studio
spaces. Some of these resources are included in the Appendix. Most artist studio spaces are self-
sustaining based on earned income from studio rental fees, commissions on artworks sales,
educational programming, memberships, and event rentals. Some spaces also receive grant
funding and/or donations.
Most of the artist studio spaces in the research are organized as nonprofit organizations as
opposed to a for-profit entity. However, recognizing that there are effective examples of both
nonprofit and for-profit models, the recommendation is that a nonprofit structure be preferred,
but not required. While a nonprofit model could
alleviate the perception of profit-motive, there are
other ways to address these concerns through
transparency, implementation of an advisory board,
and public programming. Further, many organizations
are able to create self-sustainability without seeking
grants or donations, and thus do not need to organize
as a nonprofit.
Regardless of the Management’s legal structure, it is
recommended that the Management articulate a
compelling vision statement defining what success
looks like for this organization both for the artist tenant
community and the greater public. This is not only essential for the long-term sustainability of
the organization beyond the current generation of artists, but also critical to guide and foster
more group decision-making. Having a clear statement of the organization’s intended impact
would also be helpful in growing the organization’s reach and building productive relationships
with the artist tenants, other Airport arts tenants, Cultural Affairs and the Airport Administration.
Process for Artist Selection
In addition to the qualities identified by the stakeholders as being important, several suggestions
for implementing an effective process for selecting new artist tenants emerged from both the
stakeholders and research:
Selection Panel: Most artist studio spaces use an independent selection committee to
choose tenants. This selection committee would be guided by the findings described
above regarding which qualities are most important (i.e. diversity, active pursuit of
“This is a central way that
Santa Monica can nurture a
vibrant arts community,
which is so important to the
strength of the city.” –
Survey respondent
13
career). See the Appendix for links to sample selection processes from other artist studio
spaces.
Increasing Diversity: This is a long-term process requiring intentionality and consistency
to build meaningful relationships and trust. A good starting point would be to invest in an
outreach campaign (perhaps in partnership with Cultural Affairs) to start reaching a
broader network of artists than are currently renting at SMAS. This requires a hands -on
“pounding the pavement” approach of seeking out curators, artist organizers, and other
artist gathering spaces/cohorts.
Periodic Check-Ins: Another best practice is to have an annual or biannual review with
each tenant. While these reviews do not necessarily need to be tied to the renewal of
their lease, these check-ins could still have substantial value in providing artists with an
opportunity for reflection, dialogue, and regular feedback, as well as ensuring their
continued engagement. This might include an opportunity for self-review and also some
type of portfolio review with a panel. The panel could be made up of peer tenants (on a
rotating basis) as well as outside experts such as curators, patrons, and other arts
advocates to offer artists a range of perspectives on how they can advance in their artistic
career.
Implementing a transparent and
independent artist selection process
that empowers artist participation could
be an important step toward addressing
some of the concerns identified by the
tenants.
As a side note, it was considered during
the process whether to add any specific
requirements for the tenants, as are
often found in cooperative studio
models, such as requiring artists to
spend a minimum number of hours
onsite, volunteer time, etc. These requirements are not recommended for the Airport art studios
due to the nature of the location (not being a prime tourist draw lessens the need for artists to
be onsite during regular hours) as well as the pricing for rent being tied to a market rent (as
opposed to volunteer time).
Tenant Relationships
Given the current strengths and challenges of the SMAS hangar, these are recommendations for
the Management to foster a healthy environment and build strong relationships with the tenants:
14
Incremental change: A key goal should be to avoid displacing any of the current tenants
or make them feel unwelcome during the transition. The artists have been in a state of
uncertainty since the lease expired in 2014 and particularly since being notified of the
Council policy changes in 2017. The recommendations herein should be implemented
incrementally and with care.
Transparency & fairness: To respond to the tenants’ desire for a more open and
democratic environment, it is recommended to provide a regular “check-in” opportunity
such as a quarterly tenant “town hall” where artists can share ideas and raise concerns
outside of planning for exhibitions or events. Opportunities for regular dialogue could
start to shift any perceived power imbalances and increase the artists’ sense of belonging
in the space.
Instigate collaboration: Another recommendation is to encourage and be supportive of
artists collaborating and self-organizing, such as for exhibitions, group critique
opportunities, casual gatherings, and impromptu programming.
Programming Opportunities
There is a lot of opportunity to initiate and reinvigorate programming that will not only nurture
the artist tenants, but also benefit non -tenant artists and invite in the greater Santa Monica
community. These opportunities gained the most traction during the process:
Tenant exhibitions on walls: An immediate step that
would respond to tenant concerns and also improve
the experience of public visitors would be to stop
renting out the exterior studio walls to outside
artists and allow each tenant artist to display work
on the walls outside their own studio. This would
allow visitors to experience the tenant work
whether or not their studios are open and also offer
a more logical flow to the space.
Lectures/open studios/public programming: Stakeholders emphasized the importance
of inviting in outside voices from both the arts and other sectors to inspire audiences and
also enrich the artist tenants. The Management is encouraged to consider ways the
gallery space can be used as “flex space” and programmed more regularly to offer
lectures, workshops, multidisciplinary performances, and more. There was also a desire
to see more frequent open studios. Consistently excellent programming could elevate the
reputation of the space locally, then nationally and even internationally.
“Seeing the artist’s
process is inspiring and
fascinating as a patron.”
– Tenant interview
15
Residencies: While a full residency program would take time to develop, there are many
ways to begin achieving similar goals in the short-term such as by offering workspace for
special projects or partnering with local
art schools to offer post-graduate
residencies. The Arts Commission also
suggested communicating with local
residency programs such as the 18th
Street Art Center to learn from their
experiences and ensure coordination.
View the tenants as an asset: Many
stakeholders had ideas for ways to
feature the tenants in programming as
lecturers, facilitators, and educators.
Several artists regularly teach
workshops and expressed interest in
the Management collectively
scheduling and promoting these
programs.
Stronger marketing efforts: A broader
audience could be engaged through more effective use of email marketing and social
media. The website should also be updated more frequently and be more user-friendly
as a tool for patrons to discover artists and attend public programming.
Non-tenant artist engagement: Over time, there is an opportunity for the space to
become relevant to all Santa Monica artists—as well as regional artists—and offer
programming compelling enough that other artists might buy into it through participation
and potentially membership or other financial investment.
Overall arts at the Airport coordination: The Management of the artist studios could take
a lead role in connecting the dots with other tenants by ensuring the studios are a “good
neighbor,” acting as a liaison for all arts activity at the Airport, and representing this voice
in greater Airport conversations. This might include leading the coordination of the
Annual Airport Art Walk in future years.
In exploring the above opportunities, the Management should be sure to balance increasing
programming with the artists’ need for quiet, easily accessible workspace. Continuous
communication, sharing calendars, and constant feedback loops will be essential.
Yes
96%
Somewhat
4%
IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE
ARTIST STUDIOS AT THE
AIRPORT?
Yes Somewhat No
16
For Cultural Affairs
Accountability Measures
It is recommended that Cultural Affairs be the entity that provides oversight for the
Management’s arts programming at the Airport. Specific
recommendations to increase accountability and
transparency include:
Set annual goals: Meet annually with the
Management team to set shared goals, objectives,
and deliverables for the coming year.
Regular updates: Request and review periodic reports from the Management team
including progress toward the goals set in the annual meeting and financial reporting.
Grievance procedures: Implement a process to ensure fair treatment of all artists with
clear mechanisms for artists to raise concerns about Management as well as float ideas.
Artist Communication
Many artists expressed excitement about the opportunity provided by this process to create
closer ties with the City and specifically
Cultural Affairs. As a short-term step,
Cultural Affairs could ensure that all
Airport artists are provided the
opportunity to opt-in to any mailing lists
for artist opportunities such as calls for
proposals, funding, exhibition, and
public art. Over the long term, Cultural
Affairs is encouraged to continue to
celebrate this concentration of artists
and actively seek more ways to plug
them into city resources and find outlets
for their work throughout the city.
For the Airport Administration
Property Management
As the Airport Administration will be directly leasing to the artist tenants going forward, a few
recommendations emerged from the process related to managing these leases and relationships:
Lease terms: It is recommended that the Airport Administration offer a range of lease
terms to accommodate both the artists desiring more long-term stability and those who
“Thank you to the City
for supporting artists!”
– Survey respondent
17
value the flexibility of short-term options. Perhaps offer incentives for longer leases while
continuing to make a month-to-month term available.
Sharing studios: Several artists noted the importance of being able to share studio space
to both keep it affordable and also ensure active use of the space when artists are
traveling or otherwise absent for long periods of time.
Artist selection: Currently artists applying for studio space in the SMAS hangar are
selected by SMAS management, while artists applying for studio space in the other
hangars are selected by Airport Administration staff. Going forward, it is recommended
to unify this selection process with the future Management handling artist selection for
all 50 studios and the Airport managing the leasing process.
Building upkeep: The Airport Administration is encouraged to consider the balance
between adequate maintenance of the hangars for continued safety and suitability for
artist studio space while not making major improvements that would cause the market
rate for rent to increase beyond what would be affordable for most artists.
Disruptive tenants: It is recommended that the Airport Administration work with the
Management to develop a plan for documenting and addressing complaints about
tenants. Due to the communal and open nature of the studios both in the main hangar
and some of the others, a disruptive tenant can seri ously impact the ability of other
tenants to enjoy their space. There should be a clear and transparent policy for handling
these concerns.
Long-Range Opportunities for Arts at the Airport
This process provided an opportunity for some early
visioning about what might be possible for arts activities at
the Airport over the long-term. Arts uses are already a key
component of the Airport activities and complementary to
many of the future ideas for parks, recreation, and green
space. It is recommended that the Airport Administration
incorporate the following concepts when embarking on a
full planning process for the future of the Airport :
Build on what is already here: There are significant
arts assets already present at the Airport when
considering the 50 artist studios across seven different hangars combined with the arts
activities at the Ruskin Theatre, Santa Monica College, Barker Hangar, and Museum of
Flying.
“The space is currently
underutilized and could
become a well-known
hub for the art-making
in Santa Monica. Build
on what is already here.”
– Survey respondent
18
A hub for making art: The Airport campus is perfectly primed to become Santa Monica’s
home for art-making with a solid concentration of artists already congregated in the area.
The Airport could become a true hub of resources that would benefit all artists in the area
with classrooms, shared facilities (such as a darkroom, printmaking, ceramics,
glassblowing) gathering spaces for artists, collaboration space, multi-disciplinary
residencies, and incubator space.
This hub would also serve the public by providing an
opportunity for visitors to experience and learn about
art-making including hands-on opportunities to make
and do. This focus would complement and distinguish
the Airport from other arts assets in Santa Monica,
such as Bergamot, which operates as a hub for arts
patrons to experience and consume the arts, whereas
the Airport could be the place where art is made in
Santa Monica.
Continue to prioritize individual artist studios: Artist studio space should continue to be
the backbone of the arts activities at the Airport. Proliferating affordable studio space
both addresses the need for workspace among Santa Monica and West LA artists while
also being an ideal practical use of space at the Airport as it: 1) generates modest revenue;
2) does not exacerbate parking and traffic concerns; and 3) is suitable for warehouse and
modular style buildings. Offering additional studio space provides a way for more artists
to be a part of the Santa Monica community.
“A place where important
ideas are debated,
created, and amplified.”–
Survey respondent
19
Conclusion
This process was prompted largely due to the immediate need to provide for a smooth transition
to a new model of operations for the Airport and SMAS. However, as it has developed, the
process has become an important opportunity to document the important, valuable arts
activities that are currently happening at the Airport and to envision the steps for solidifying and
connecting the arts tenants in the short-term that could plant the seeds for the Airport flourishing
into a world-class center for making art. This is the time for Santa Monica to take action to ensure
that artists will continue to be a part of the City, contributing to its vitality and unique spirit for
generations to come.
Thank you to Cultural Affairs and the Airport Administration for inviting a truly inclusive and
thoughtful planning process for this important civic asset, to all of the participants in the process
for lending their wisdom and candor, and specifically to the artists at the Airport for their warmth,
ingenuity, and boundless enthusiasm for the future.
Summar Law & Consulting
Casey Summar
Carpinteria, CA
casey@caseysummar.com
615-429-2141
“Whereas, art is the home to artists;
And to no one have you been nicer than to artists;
the channelers, the interpreters, the translators of our culture.
The poet, the painter, the dancer, the performance artist,
the open mic’r, the DJ and the folk singer on 3rd.
You give refuge to those who give us a mirror of who we are.
…
Santa Monica, you are the city of expression.”
– Luis Alfaro, Santa Monica ArtsDay Proclamation
20
Appendix
Resources
Cultural Equity
Americans for the Arts is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and
arts education. AFTA’s statement on cultural equity could provide helpful context for the
equitable considerations in artist selection and programming. This link also includes links for
further research and learning:
https://www.americansforthearts.org/about-americans-for-the-arts/statement-on-cultural-
equity
Grantmakers in the Arts is the national association of public and private arts and cultural funders
in the United States. GIA offers a range of articles, blog posts, and videos to support arts funders
and decisionmakers in addressing historic and structural inequities: https://www.giarts.org/arts-
funding/racial-equity
Artist Selection
Artscape is Canada’s leading not-for-profit urban development organization that makes space
for creativity and transforms communities. Their “D.I.Y. Creative Placemaking” site has a host of
useful resources including the Creative Placemaking Toolbox: http://artscapediy.org/Creative-
Placemaking-Toolbox.aspx and specifically this guide on tenant selection that includes advice on
forming an artist selection committee, eligibility, assessment, and more:
http://artscapediy.org/Creative-Placemaking-Toolbox/How-Do-I-Select-Tenants/A-Guide-to-
Tenant-Selection.aspx
Artspace is America’s leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts. Their public Artist
Selection Process has helpful insights on artist selection committees, determining who is an
artist, and the review and scoring process:
http://www.artspace.org/sites/default/files/public/downloads/artist_selection_process_2014.
08.20.pdf
Benchmarking & Best Practices
The Torpedo Factory is one of the largest collections of artist studios in the U.S. It recently went
through some organizational changes prompting a series of reports that contain benchmarking
data for artist studio centers that might be of interest to the future management team:
- This report contains benchmarking on pages 10-12 as well as financial analysis on pages
13-14: http://torpedofactory.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/Torpedo20Factory20Art20Center20CPG20Report20Revised2
0120312016.pdf
21
- This report contains benchmarking on pages 74-86:
http://dockets.alexandriava.gov/fy10/051110rm/diws.pdf
Artists Thrive is a national initiative offering standards, evaluation tools, and other resources
for ensuring that artists thrive in every community. Specifically, it includes best practices for
building open, culturally relevant and competent programs based on shared power, providing
services and programs to artists, implementing transparency in decision -making, building
organizational capacity and more: www.artiststhrive.org.
Examples of Arts Hubs Shared by Planning Process Participants
Several participants in the planning process shared examples of vibrant arts centers and studio
spaces they had visited. They are included here as inspiration for the future management team
and not necessarily as best practices.
- 68Projects: http://68projects.com/
- Angels Gate Cultural Center: http://angelsgateart.org/
- City Wide Open Studios (a program of Artspace New Haven):
https://artspacenewhaven.org/cwos-home/
- Granville Island: https://granvilleisland.com/arts-and-culture
- Hawthorne Arts Complex: http://hawthorneartscomplex.com/
- Los Angeles Brewery: http://labrewery.com/brewery/
- Minnesota Street Project: http://minnesotastreetproject.com/
- Silvermine Arts Center: https://www.silvermineart.org/
- Westport Art Center: https://westportartscenter.org/
- Youngstown Cultural Arts Center: http://youngstownarts.org/
22
Arts Commission Presentation of Key Takeaways
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Yossi Govrin
MAXIMA Art Initiative
3026 Airport Ave
Santa Monica CA 90405
(310) 666 2056
yossi@santamonicaartstudios.com
Gigi Decavalles
City Director of Finance
Gigi.Decavalles@SMGOV.NET
November 13, 2018
Protest Points
1. The infringement of the right to free enterprise with the City of
Santa Monica's take over of the private business of the Santa Monica
Art Studios as well as its artists
2. Yossi Govrin's automatic disqualification if he did not cooperate
with the evaluation process
3. The misrepresentation of Casey Summar as a neutral third party
facilitator during the evaluation and gaining SMAS business
intellectual property
4. Non-transparent process of the selection timeline and information
of entire selection process from Selection Committee to Santa
Monica City Council ultimate voting. There was poor notification of
the Planet Bids verdict and preparation time for the Appeal process.
5. Unfair Scoring of MAXIMA's proposal with questionable panel
selection participation and professionalism.
7. Questionable affiliation of Ms Williamson from 18th Street Arts
Complex as a previous Main Board of Directors of the city of Santa
Monica Cultural Affairs.
2
Dear Ms Decavalles,
Thank you for the time for attending to this protest for the
Airport Arts Studio Programming 190.
This is the first opportunity that has been officially given to
me to protest by city rules and regulations, so please bear
with me as I feel that I am about to lose everything that I built
and love in my life and I found this verdict to be unjustifiable.
I would like to make a personal appeal to you to counter the
panel committee's verdict on planet bids, as it is unfair and
unjustifiable. I have devoted my life to the arts and have
built a thriving art center that demonstrates excellence and
progress that has been sustained for over 33 years and 14
years in the building that is under question for a new City of
Santa Monica management.
To be honest, I find this entire process to be disrespectful to
me and the 33 years of work that I have provided for the arts
in the city of Santa Monica (City). Yes, the physical building
is the property of the city and I understand the federal
ordinance that decrees the necessity of master tenant
leases, however the business that stands in the building was
entirely my idea and was proposed as such in 2002 when I
found the abandoned hangar and proposed to the city that I
could transform it to an arts center.
I did follow through and build it after the City followed
protocol and made the opportunity available to all public
entities wishing to compete with me for my idea. I was
awarded the winning proposal and have created and built
the business and the physical interior of the building to stand
as it is now, a dynamic international art center that is
financially independent from grants or city funding.
3
During this "transition," no public official came and had a
discussion with me of how my business of Santa Monica Art
Studios should undergo the transition of the new laws.
There could have been a respectful discussion with different
options reviewed.
Instead, I was informed of the take over of my business
because it is housed in a building that is not my property.
Instead of working with me to come to an agreement and to
honor the work that I have done for the past 14 years in this
physical space and the 19 years before this that allowed me
to have the infrastructure of artists and contacts to hit the
ground running in the new space at the hangar. I was told
that if I would not cooperate that I would be automatically
disqualified from any possible consideration to be the future
management of the cultural part of the studios by Suja
Rosenthal and Stelios Makrides from the Airport
Management and Shannon Daut of the Cultural Affairs via in
person meetings. In essence, this constrained and
mandated cooperation from me for fear of losing my
business altogether. This is not free enterprise.
Suja Rosenthal was senior advisor to the City Manager. In a
meeting with Ms Rosenthal, Mr. Makrides and Deena
Mecham, Ms Rosenthal verified that the City will be taking
over all of the leasing and that they will place a request for
qualification to see who will be most qualified to run the
Santa Monica Art Studios. I explained to Ms Rosenthal that
it sounded like the city is taking over my business, that these
were my programs and artists and that I worked very hard
for them. Ms Rosenthal replied, "It is like shutting down a
restaurant and opening another one." I replied, "This is one
of the best cultural and educational centers in California. I
worked very hard to establish this and it is my private
business." Ms Rosenthal replied, "Oh, there are so many
like you. We have all the right to take it over and open
4
another restaurant." Ms Rosenthal repeated this very same
analogy and statement in the meeting with the artists on
March 13, 2018 with many who can attest to this analogy.
The disqualification warning was repeated any time that I
tried to voice my concerns or opinions over the potential loss
of my business. In essence I had no neutral third party to
help me communicate my rights to any officials. When I
voiced my concerns to Casey Summar, the neutral third
party, I was welcomed with sympathy but there was no
procedure for me to file official communication. My
disposition is naturally to cooperate and to engage in fair
discussion, yet I was continually denied this opportunity or
offered measures to dispute my case. I am not used to being
treated unfairly by a governmental body.
In the terms of free enterprise, my business and its concept
and intellectual property and structure are my right. The
definition of free enterprise is freedom of private business to
organize and operate for profit in a competitive system
without interference by government beyond regulation
necessary to protect public interest and keep the national
economy in balance. I feel strongly that I have not been
treated fairly in this manner and that my rights to free
enterprise have been infringed upon.
The arts business that I conceived and created and that has
been financially viable and self sustainable has value, value
as a business and personal value that is priceless. Not only
have I built a business, but I have sourced and found artists
and built an artists community. The process of coming and
taking my business and replacing it with a management that
will continue my business and its programs without
compensating me for it or even having the decency to have
me in the planning process of deciding its future is simply
morally unethical.
5
As a small business owner, I was surprised that the City of
Santa Monica would not desire to work with a private
business to find solutions, instead the City has moved
forward to take over my business in the manner that they
see fit and offer it up for others to manage. Not only is the
City taking over my business, but it also assuming right to
the artists that I have cultivated through the years. If the City
moved forward and did this with other businesses and their
customers, I doubt that businesses would stand for this kind
of treatment.
Also, Santa Monica Art Studios was put on a month-to-
month lease with no clear determination of its future. This
created a lot of unrest amongst the artists as well as with
future events and curators who needed assured
commitments in order to continue with contracts. The City
interfered with my business, notifying artists in meetings that
they would be grandfathered in to their leases for 1-3 year
contracts. A few artists started to assume authority over the
management as they believed that the business had lost
control to the city and created disturbances for other artists
who either retracted from interaction or stopped coming to
the studios to work during this transition period placed upon
us. It created strife and some loss to my reputation as a
business owner.
For the past year, I have been informed by Stelios Makrides
that I was not to evict any artists, not to change any artist's
rent, and to comply with the transition process. In this
manner, again, the City has interfered with a private
business operation.
The ensuing turn of events included the hiring of Casey
Summar, a lawyer and Arts Advocate by the Santa Monica
Cultural Affairs. She declared herself as a neutral third party
in this process and was to come in and be a liaison for the
6
transition of the studios. I have nothing personally against
Ms Summar; she has acted in a professional manner for the
task that she was hired for. However her interaction with my
business and my artists is a misrepresentation of a neutral
third party who has come to "facilitate a transition."
The summary that she provided for the proposal qualification
by interviewing my artists at the Hangar is an infringement of
my business property as this information was used as the
basis for the programming proposal qualifications and acted
as a guideline for others competing against me. In this
manner, many of my artists felt betrayed by giving out
information trying to help me in the process and in the end
feeling as if they had given away information that weakened
my position as it exposed much of the operations of my
business and its programs that was available for others to
dissect and have a platform as a means that they could do it
better.
For example, On page 5 Paragraph 6 of the Santa Monica
Airport Artist Studio Planning Process, it states: "This report
includes a summary of findings from the entire process
including the current strengths and challenges of the SMAS
studios, takeaways from the stakeholder input that will shape
the RFP regarding selection of artists for studio space,
desired qualities for management of the studios,
programming and coordination of arts uses at the Airport."
In addition, in an email from Suja Rosenthal to the artists, on
August 16, 2018, paragraph 3, it states: "Thank you, for your
continued engagement with the planning process to help
shape the future of the arts program at the Airport. Your
work with planning facilitator Casey Summar has been
invaluable to drafting the recommendations report and
guiding the scope of work for the RFP. The consensus of
7
your input is very visible in both. I hope you will agree.
Shannon and I cannot thank you enough for the time that
you have committed to this process."
https://mailchi.mp/smgov.net/santa-monica-airport-runway-shortening-project-
update-544513?e=57f38a4722
This misrepresented neutral third party findings was like
taking all of the years that have led up to me and my
business, its intellectual property, meeting challenges and
facing them, changing and adapting my business to end up
as a proposal packet of pages with my life's work for others
to analyze and say how they can do it better. I came to the
United States in 1978 as an immigrant, an artist who shaped
his life and built an artists community from literally the
ground up. I hope that logical reasoning can appeal to this
statement in lieu of my many accomplishments and the art
center that I have created and the unjustifiable treatment that
I have undergone in this process.
During this process, the proposal process also does not
allow me to seek counsel or actively engage with other city
officials. I have been left stunted to seek to understand from
the City the course of this process and to educate others on
my point of view as a business in good standing in Santa
Monica. Throughout the years I have actively engaged the
City Council and Cultural Affairs to attend and participate in
the events at SMAS and sought opportunities to coordinate
with the City. This period of time has thwarted my
communication and rights as a business owner.
As with every business, the management style differs as well
as having situations where people may not see eye to eye
with partners or employees and there is always room for
growth and progress. I do not deny that my business is in a
constant state of evaluation and re-evaluation and that I
have run it based on my personal style as I am entitled to as
8
a private business entity. I have always consulted and
worked with my artists and curators for their best interests
and have strived to be a community leader and mentor of the
greatest and sincerest kind when it comes to acting with
humanitarian aims and artistic inspiration and growth. There
are always people who think that they can do better or know
better, but do not have access to the bigger perspective of
the criteria of making the whole system operate as best as
possible in realistic terms versus striving towards personal
goals. This can be partners, artists, or even city officials.
My current partners Sherry and Leo Frumkin have not been
actively engaged with the current business of SMAS and in
the past 5-6 years have been acting as the secretary and
treasurer offsite who have in essence been collecting the
rents and preparing itemizations for taxes. The interest of
my partners in the business differs than mine. I am
committed to upholding all that I have built through the years
and I am committed to continuing to keep SMAS alive.
Despite the lack of communication offered to me by the City,
my love for my business and the artist community
encouraged me to enter into the Airport Art Studios
Programming 190 as I am extremely adaptable and up for
the challenge of doing whatever is necessary to progress
and redefine my business to continue its vision and mission.
I am open to growing my mission and vision with the newly
found interest and support of the Cultural Affairs and the City
of Santa Monica and have stepped up to the challenge by
creating a new management in the six weeks time of
declaration of the opening of the proposal to its due date and
its requirements.
Even now, the scope of the steps of determination of the
new management in terms of the Panel Selection and have
recently come to light after having to consistently seek
9
information on the process. It is only my understanding now
that the discussion will pass to the Arts Commissioners and
then the City Council and I have just received the dates for
this today by the Cultural Affairs after I have been sending
emails asking for further and further clarification. For being
the head of a running business of SMAS, my awareness of
the timeline of events for deciding the new management has
not been forthcoming or transparent from official sources.
As an artist, a business owner and a visionary I know that I
need a team of people to achieve the grander vision beyond
the current successful operation of SMAS. MAXIMA Art
Initiative is this vision and mission. For whatever
competencies that I may lack according to the panel or jury, I
have made sure that adequate support in the terms that
other people's strengths diversify my own.
The newly founded entity of MAXIMA Art Initiative from the
Santa Monica Art Studios may not be as streamlined as the
other entities proposals as I had to re-establish myself in this
process and seek a non-profit status with a Board of
Directors versus the private business structure of SMAS as
suggested in the proposal, however in relevance of concept,
operation and vision, MAXIMA's proposal strength holds true
with all of my work as founder and President of SMAS as
well as the new Board of Directors, Advisors and Key
Personnel.
The Panel Selection Process
1) The interview with the panel consisted of two people, and
one panelist on TV, and a forth person, Eric, who was called
but who never appeared or spoke via the phone line. The
forth panel committee member, Eric, whose full name and
title were not presented to us, was not present at the
interview process as no response came from multiple
10
attempts of reaching him by phone. In this regard we can
not be assured of fair treatment from the selection panel and
its scoring. We were told that there would be five panel
committee representatives, evident by the five scoring
panelists, however we were only privy to be questioned by
three representatives.
2) We question the selection of this panel and the presence
of the cultural affairs, as she provided her own input to the
meeting.
3) We question the affiliation of the cultural affairs and Jen
Williamson from the 18th street Art Complex. It is public
knowledge that Ms Williamson has served on the main
Board of Directors of the Cultural Affairs for two eight year
terms. The Cultural Affairs was a representative in the
Selection Panel and was present during these panel
discussions.
4) The planet bid announcement came only online, no
communication was sent to the finalists via the cultural
affairs via email as a direct courtesy for timeliness for the
protest document for the three finalists. MAXIMA's team of
professionals were looking at the platform daily for the
announcement.
The terms of the seven day limit to protest the verdict of the
panel was skewed as the announcement of the award was
not posted until 11/9 and multiple viewers were logging in
each day to see the announcement of the panel since the
presentation date who can testify to this. The news was
clarified on 11/9 for the listing of numbered proposal entities
by the cultural affairs and apologies given for the lack of
clarity offered by planet bids.
11
Shannon Daut attested to this in an email on November 9th,
" Sorry for the lack of clarity on Planet Bids--once we send
the final panel scores and rankings to procurement they take
charge of posting it. It's an off-Friday for us at the City, but I'll
check on Monday to see if we can include more information
regarding the scoring details."
There is even discrepancy on the release of information. Ms
Daut said that the release of information was given on 11/7,
but the site lists it as 11/6 and we did not see it appear until
11/9.
The planet bids site is unclear in terms of a platform for
communication. The listing of the three proposals did not
indicate who was awarded the position, nor the score
breakdown of each proposal to determine what the clear
verdict was nor, skewing our preparation time for this appeal.
Please let me elaborate on this by starting with the scoring
system by the panel that was issued to Maxima on 11/12 at
4:08pm
Grounds for Protest: As the founder, President and Co-
director of Santa Monica Art Studios with over 33 years of
experience in the arts and a business owner in good
standing in the city of Santa Monica with a business that is
financially independent, we protest the overall scoring of
65/100.
A 65% rating for a person with a new management team
with a diversity of strengths, who established the very
business that is the aim of 55 entities entering the proposal
who seek to take over this business appears unjustifiable.
Of the three panel members, the panel asked a set of
standardized general questions that indicated that they
12
lacked purpose to clarify specific proposal points that we
were marked down upon.
The questions were inadequate to understanding the
management’s scope of running a large-scale art center and
the points awarded did not reflect attempts at clarification to
understand the presented MAXIMA proposal. There were
no questions directed towards the organization's mission,
strategic planning and implementation.
13
1) Qualifications/ Technical Competence
Panelist 1 10/30
Panelist 2 15/30
Panelist 3 25/30
Panelist 4 22/30
Panelist 5 25/30
Overall Score: 97/150, 64.6% Below Average
We disagree with this score and the judgment of the panel
committee.
Factual History
Yossi Govrin's Qualifications and Technical
Competence
• Yossi Govrin designed and created the business of
SMAS.
• Yossi Govrin resourced the finances to develop the
construction and growth of the business of SMAS
• Yossi Govrin was awarded by the Santa Monica Arts
Foundation and presented the 2014 Creative
Community Innovator Award for Arts Leadership by
Pam O'Connor, Mayor of Santa Monica
• Yossi Govrin and the Santa Monica Art Studios was
awarded the California Legislature Assembly
Resolution in 2014 by Richard Bloom recognizing Yossi
Govrin as:
In 1985, An internationally recognized multiple-media artist
Yossi Govrin conceived and designed his first art center, the
Santa Monica Fine Art Studios, which arose out of a
14
personal need to obtain a work space with a sense of
community that is inspiring, supportive and dynamic as well
as an exhibition space devoted to cutting edge-contemporary
art, with an invitational curatorial program and a place to
exhibit local and international artists and to be a catalyst
and educational tool for the art community at large.
• Recognizing SMAS as:
Santa Monica Art Studios has served as an anchor for the area
and contributed to Santa Monica's reputation as a cultural
mecca and its contribution to the artistic and cultural enrichment
of the local area are indeed acknowledgement and praise
therefore this Resolution commends Santa Monica Art Studios
in its vital role it has played in improving the quality of life in the
local community
• Yossi Govrin has a Master of Fine Art from the Bezalel
High Academy of Art and Design and a Bachelor's in
International Relationship and Sociology
• Yossi Govrin is a successful national and international
artist collected by museums, the entertainment industry
and private collections, as well as exhibiting in national
and international museum and serves as an excellent
resource for the artists at SMAS.
• Technical skills of being an artist and being able to
mentor hundreds of artists in the course of the history of
15
Santa Monica Fine Art Studios and Santa Monica Art
Studios.
• Yossi Govrin has overseen over 600 events at SMAS
evidence of technical competence. These events
included 187 cutting edge national and international
exhibitions with many European countries as well as
Australia, Cuba, China, Korea and Japan. It included
fundraisers for organizations who are providing for
people within the community and abroad such as Fresh
Start, Habitat for Humanity and Art Tribe
• Yossi Govrin has the ability to engage with high caliber
artists such as Baldessari, Frank Ghery and Ed Ruscha
MAXIMA Board of Directors Qualifications
• Krista Augius, Board Chair, Artist and Healing Arts
Advisor, Doctor of Physiotherapy
• Keith Flamank- Curator and Advisor of Outreach,
President of Kiwis in LA
• Kristina Jakstys, Financial Analyst and Financial
Advisor, Bachelors in Economics and Accounting
• Berenika Boberska, Artistic Director Advisor degree in
Architecture
• Peter Culley, Cultural and Programming Advisor,
degree in Architecture
MAXIMA Key Personnel
• Deb Foster, Assistant Director and Event Manager
• Emily Ashenfelter, MAXIMA's Fundraising
Manager
MAXIMA Advisory Board
A pool of curators, artists, scientists, Art Sales Associates,
designers, professors and teachers
16
Supporting Evidence
• Before Bergamot Station, or the 18th Street Art
Complex, Govrin established the Santa Monica Art
Studios in 1985 with one mission in mind, to provide for
artists so that they progress and achieve
independence, to provide for community to flourish and
to assist artists and curators to enhance this city's
landscape.
• Santa Monica Fine Art Studios established in 1985 that
grew to Santa Monica Art Studios 2004.
• 18th Street Art Complex established in 1988
• Bergamot Station established 1994
2) Strength of Plan
Panelist 1 15/30
Panelist 2 15/30
Panelist 3 27/30
Panelist 4 20/30
Panelist 5 15/30
Overall Score 92/150, 61.3% an almost failing score
We disagree with this score and the judgment of the panel
committee.
MAXIMA's Proposal Plan is listed from page 24- 53 of the
proposal packet clearly listing quality plans for physical
spaces, artist's needs, programming, partners and
developing relationships, marketing, outreach, profit and
productivity. Within this is an in depth explanation of the
programs being offered and outreach that has happened in
17
the history of the Santa Monica Art Studios (SMAS) and
MAXIMA's vision for the future.
In this past month alone, SMAS organized and hosted three
large-scale exhibitions and 3000 people attending.
This year alone, 35 schools from the Los Angeles area
attended SMAS with fundraisers and exhibitions.
The panel committee did not pose questions that reflected
concern or need of clarification on our proposal plan for the
magnitude of this poor score.
3) Experience with Artists
Panelist 1 15/20
Panelist 2 10/20
Panelist 3 15/20
Panelist 4 19/20
Panelist 5 15/20
Overall Score 74/100, 74% for a management group who
has worked solely with artists with a background of extensive
experience and accolades. 74% is a mediocre grade.
Govrin has worked with 35 artists at a time within the Santa
Monica Art Studios with a common objective as well as the
numerous artists coming in and out of SMAS with events,
fundraisers and exhibition programs.
From MAXIMA's Proposal, evidence of strength of working
with artists for 40 years:
Page 6-7
In the lifetime of SMFAS and SMAS, Govrin developed and cultivated his vision
of an arts center to support and promote multi-disciplinary artists with the
inclusion of the Santa Monica community and Los Angeles, in raising
18
awareness, providing opportunity, and establishing a space for a reputable and
professional arts center to thrive. Govrin's capabilities are strongly evident as he
has skillfully negotiated the complexity of this project and numerous leadership
roles and relationships. His passion for the arts also serves his primary focus to
support and empower other artists. As a mentor, he has been instrumental in
developing the careers of tenant and community artists through the rich and
frequent programs at SMAS.
Govrin created the multi-functioning SMAS to serve as a learning tool for
dynamic experience of studio art practice where artists are provided an
environment to create work, meet deadlines, communicate with their peers,
participate in marketing and social media, complete installations, and promote
their work to galleries. His own active art career participating in local and
international shows, creating public art and historical monuments, and curating
compelling art shows has served as a concrete example to other artists who are
pursuing art as a professional career.
Govrin has been an asset to artists by individually and collectively assisting
them with all aspects of their work and conceptual processes. He has promoted
artist professional development in a meaningful capacity in the assistance of art
formation, preparation, and execution for galleries and higher universities.
Having taught classes in art and having a depth of experience of individualizing
advice for each artist's personality and capacity, Govrin's unique mentoring style
is open minded, supportive and encouraging in the development of the artist's
own artistic style. Being familiar with artistic trends as well as comprehensive
with his knowledge of the history of art he is able to help and guide the
individual to explore, develop, progress and mature as well as to expand their
personal repertoire or to take a new direction.
With over 40 years of experience with creating art, promoting art and mentoring
artists, his contribution is priceless and his experience is provided to artists as
inspiration and motivation. His history of an open-door policy, accessibility, easy
communication style and appreciation of the individual artist and their struggles
has made him supportively approachable.
From all of his life experience, he conceived and designed SMAS from a truly
artist's point of view because he personally identifies with the artist, their
struggles, processes and the needs to function and to feed their creativity. As
an immigrant, Govrin also personally connects with the importance of inclusivity
of all races and cultures to deepen the cultural experience of today's world.
Artists currently have access to Govrin at all times with phone consultations and
an open-door welcome policy. With the expansion of the program to include 18
additional airport artists, the implementation of a more structured program that
includes a panel of advisors allows for equal opportunity and time efficiency to
attend to their artistic needs.
19
From MAXIMA's Proposal, evidence of strength of working
with artists with strong artist opportunities and programming
Please reference pages 34- 41 available in the proposal
For example some reference found on pages 34- 35
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS
1) ARTIST STUDIOS
Spaces for artists to freely create their individual art in a safe, clean, harmonious
and inspiring environment that also has personnel, facilities, utilities and
resources that support their artistic needs. Artists spaces are designed for artists
to be able to work in solitude or solidarity. This is supported within the culture of
the initiative to grow creatively and exhibit professionally. The artists are placed
at the heart of the community.
2) ARTIST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Central to the heart of the studios are the artists and their creative expression,
artistic sensitivities and explorations and professional development. Govrin
developed a day to day working relationship with the artists, not only on process
and concept, but also following their artistic styles and preparing them for future
developments. The process was individualized for artist's needs as well as their
motivation to seek assistance. The nature of the artist community at SMAS also
allowed Yossi to support artists in times of health-related issues or financial
struggle. As 18 airport artists have been added to the management operation,
more structure and support will be accessed for this program.
MAXIM artistic guidance and support are offered to tenant artists in the form of;
1) technical and experiential advice or instruction with painting, sculpting,
photography, installation and performance 2) assistance with the planning
process of developing a body of work and preparing for an exhibition 3)
assistance in the selection of a body of artist’s work for in house art exhibitions 4)
peer review critiques during solo show artist gallery exhibitions, 5) assignment of
peer artists with new artists to promote friendly integration into the existing artist
community, 6) bi-annual portfolio reviews; one individual review with director
Govrin and a second review with Govrin and the combined art advisory
committee 7) invitation to participate in bi-annual field studies in local Los
Angeles galleries and/or museums to collectively explore curated shows with
artist group discussion and review of art, 8) enrollment in the Business of Art
Lecture Program for professional development promotion and networking 9)
invitation to engage with the volunteer program to get hands on experience in the
efforts necessary to prepare and execute successful art events and cultural
interchange
3) AIRPORT ARTIST PROGRAM
20
MAXIMA will engage with all artists within the Santa Monica Airport to organize
joint events and to ensure artists at the airport have voices and a sense of
belonging to the community. This will be accomplished through 1) invitation to
participate in all events at the studios, 2) participation in Artist Gallery and
Hangar Gallery North and South exhibitions, 3) participation in group dialogue
and critique events, 4) inclusion in Artist Field Studies, 5) opportunities to meet
with curators at SMAS exhibitions, 6) inclusion in the airport artist joint
newsletter, joint calendar, and town hall meetings, 7) opportunities to buddy up
with current SMAS tenant artist matching to deepen partnership amongst artists.
4) References
Panelist 1 5/10
Panelist 2 7/10
Panelist 3 8/10
Panelist 4 10/10
Panelist 5 5/10
Overall Score 35/50= 70% An Average scoring, almost
below average
The reference request was to provide references with people
whom the management has done business with. The top
three references provided were Berenika Boberska, Bruria
Finkel and Keith Flamank with additional references
provided. No references were contacted for verification or
discussion by the panel, indicating lack of follow through by
the panel. No questions on references were asked during
the panel meeting with MAXIMA.
5) Cost of Service
Panelist 1 5/10
Panelist 2 4/10
21
Panelist 3 8/10
Panelist 4 5/10
Panelist 5 5/10
Overall Score 38/50, 76% an average score.
The only financial question asked during our panel
committee meeting was if we could meet the budget issued
by the city of Santa Monica. We communicated that yes, in
our proposal we met the budget and were looking to
maximize additional resources for growth with grant and
local funding with efforts with our Fundraising manager.
Again, no discussion or clarification of the finances was
sought to deserve a 76% score.
In summary, the scoring for MAXIMA's proposal was at best
scored average to almost failing.
In light of the Yossi Govrin's history and accomplishments
with the Santa Monica Art Studios, the success of the artists
in the Santa Monica Art Studios, the center given local and
state recognition and the exhibitions reaching from the local
community to global exchange an average to almost failing
score seems like an invalid scoring method. The MAXIMA
team appeals all of these protest points and hopes to hear
from your office in consideration of a retrial with a new panel
to be managed by the Arts Commissioners.
Please see the attached link for the original MAXIMA Art
Initiative Proposal document for your review.
Sincerely,
Yossi Govrin and MAXIMA Art Initiative
22
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hbged6op9b01oy1/Govrin%20M
AXIMA%20Proposal%20Only%20Optimised.pdf?dl=0
18th Street Art Center (18SAC)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 28.0 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 29.2 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 19.2 20
Three Valid and Recent References 9.2 10
Cost of Services 9.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 95.0 100
Panelist Comments:
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel noted
18SAC’s outstanding national reputation and decades of clear, demonstrable, and
relevant experience executing similar programming.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: The panel noted that the largest distinguishing
factor is that 18SAC proposes building a significant and enduring asset for the city that
will outlast the individuals involved today. Its programming plan is specific, realistic, and
yet innovative.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: 18SAC
has a long history of excellence working with artists of all career stages and disciplines in
a similar setting grounded in a sophisticated, nuanced approach to equity and inclusion.
Three Valid and Recent References: 18SAC supplied high-level references from partners
engaging with 18SAC in similar work.
Cost of Services: The panel noted that a final key distinguisher for the 18SAC proposal is
the carefully crafted budget that supplement the City budget with substantial existing
funding sources. Further, 18SAC proposes to invest more of the funds directly into
programming than the other proposals (as opposed to staff or overhead).
ArtShare L.A. (ArtShare)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 23.8 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 21.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 16.0 20
Three Valid and Recent References 7.8 10
Cost of Services 7.2 10
TOTAL POINTS 76.2 100
Panelist Comments:
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel noted
the strengths of ArtShare’s were its clear expertise in managing a similar site, talented
team, and strong board support.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: ArtShare’s programming plan is clear and
competitive, but not particularly innovative. Further, the panel expressed some concern
about the reliance of the programming on volunteers.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: ArtShare
has strong experience working with emerging artists and managing tenant relationships,
but its experience with other types of artists was not clearly demonstrated.
Three Valid and Recent References: ArtShare submitted strong references from partners
engaging with ArtShare in similar work.
Cost of Services: The panel applauded ArtShare’s entrepreneurial approach and
proposed model for self-sufficiency without requesting additional funds from the City or
decreasing services to the artists. A weakness of ArtShare’s proposal was its shorter track
record of financial sustainability.
MAXIMA Art Initiative (MAXIMA)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 19.4 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 18.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 14.8 20
Three Valid and Recent References 7.0 10
Cost of Services 5.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 65.0 100
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel found
the lead individual on MAXIMA’s team to have valuable institutional knowledge and
competence in managing the art studios. However, it was concerned that the MAXIMA
proposal hinged too much on one iconic individual as opposed to a professional staff with
well-rounded capacity to raise funds and deliver the proposed activities.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: The MAXIMA proposal contained many
innovative ideas, but there was no clear pathway for funding and executing them in the
near future. Further, the panel questioned the long-term sustainability of the plan given its
strong reliance on an individual founder to execute almost all aspects of the programming.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: The panel
applauded MAXIMA’s history of working closely with artists as a founder of SMAS.
Three Valid and Recent References: MAXIMA submitted strong references from partners
engaging with MAXIMA in similar work.
Cost of Services: MAXIMA’s budget presents significant concerns. Overall, the panel
found it imbalanced and unclear. A significant concern is that the MAXIMA proposal
invested most of the funds in salaries with much less funding for programming in
comparison to the other proposals. Further, the panel noted that proposed executive
salary far exceeds that of the other proposals, while compensation for other staff appears
insufficient. MAXIMA does not leverage any existing resources and offers only speculative
strategies for generating additional income needed to fully execute the program.
All Evaluation Panel Scores
CRITERIA
18th STREET
ARTS
CENTER
ARTSHARE
L.A.
MAXIMA
ART
INITIATIVE
MAXIMUM
POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct
Experience
28.0 23.8 19.4 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 29.2 21.4 18.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working
with Artists and/or in Similar Setting 19.2 16.0 14.8 20
Three Valid and Recent
References 9.2 7.8 7.0 10
Cost of Services 9.4 7.2 5.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 95.0 76.2 65.0 100
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Laila Taslimi <untitledno.1school@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, December 7, 2018 11:43 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:for Dec 18 Mtg: Airport Arts Studio Management
VIA EMAIL
December 7, 2018
To the Santa Monica City Council: Mayor Ted Winterer, Mayor Pro Tempore Gleam Davis, Council
Member Sue Himmelrich, Council Member Greg Morena, Council Member Kevin McKeown,
Council Member Terry O’Day, and Council Member Tony Vazquez
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing in support of the recommendation to select 18thStreet Arts Center to provide
professional services to artists and public programming at the Santa Monica Airport. My
acquaintance with their organization began years ago, and then in 2017 I was thrilled to learn of
their Culture Asset Mapping 90404 project. This was, to me, evidence that 18thStreet Arts
Center genuinely considers their role as a catalyst for community‐building and as an advocate for
social justice.
As a longtime educator in 90404 I was honored to be asked to join their Advisory Council to focus
on the further role they can play with youth in the Pico community. I have seen first‐hand this
organization’s dedication to the positive changes we can envision for our City, such as to make
space for our young to participate as creators of their life paths.
Art and artists can uniquely engage and inspire people of all ages. 18thStreet Arts Center concerns
itself with the ethics of this enterprise – to manage a community arts center, not unto itself but
for community. This is why it is a natural choice and a good choice to have them at the helm at
the airport
Sincerely yours,
Laila Taslimi
Santa Monica, CA
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Laila Taslimi
www.untitledno1.org
Untitled No. 1 School
501(c)(3) Public Charity - Use this Amazon Smile link when you shop
Untitled No. 1 has as its mission to serve our community by offering families and children a joyous and
engaging preschool experience, replete with opportunities to learn from nature and from one another. Because
children learn best in diverse settings, Untitled No. 1 admits families evenly spread across income levels and
provides scholarships to achieve this balance.
Regard each person as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value.
Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.
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Vernice Hankins
From:Julia Carnahan <jecarnahan@mac.com>
Sent:Monday, December 10, 2018 8:18 AM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting
Dear members of the Santa Monica City Council,
As a resident of Santa Monica and a longstanding member of the arts community, I am writing to express my support for
the 18th Street Arts Center and its management of artist services and public programs at the Santa Monica Airport.
18th Street Arts Center has a proven and respected history of supporting artists and their work and creating community
in Santa Monica, across the region, and internationally. With the addition of the Santa Monica Airport, it can increase its
impact and provide more significant artistic support and more programs for our community.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to support their proposal.
Sincerely,
Julia Carnahan, Associate Director, UCLA Boethius Initiative
2239 27th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
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Vernice Hankins
From:Jain, Susan <spjain@arts.ucla.edu>
Sent:Monday, December 10, 2018 5:11 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Re: Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting
Dear Council Members,
I am writing to express my support for the proposal to allow the 18th Street Arts Center to manage art space on the
Santa Monica Airport site.
As a Santa Monica Resident and an arts professional employed by the UCLA School of the Arts, I have long known the
history and reputation of the 18th St. Center. 18th St. knows our community, the arts of Los Angeles, and has a
reputation for professionalism and serving diverse communities.
I can think of no better candidate to supervise the arts‐space on the airport site. It would be a win‐win opportunity for
our city and for the non‐profit to take this on.
By giving 18h St. the opportunity to manage the site you will send a positive message to our community. 18th Street will
do wonderful work at the site that will actively attract diverse members. I can think of no better candidate for this job.
Sincerely,
Susan Pertel Jain, Ph.D.
Executive Director,
UCLA Confucius Institute
>
>
>
>
>
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Vernice Hankins
From:Stephen Berens <slberb78@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, December 11, 2018 12:07 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting.
Dear Mayor Ted Winterer, Mayor Pro Tempore Gleam Davis, Tony Vasquez, Kevin McKeown, Sue
Himmelrich, Terry O’Day, and Greg Morena
I am writing in support of 18th Street Arts Center. It has as decades of experience delivering award-winning
community arts engagement experiences to Santa Monica residents, and collaborates with many neighborhood
groups and residents. Its programs are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts
Council, the James Irvine Foundation, California Community Foundation, and more.
As one of the Publishers of X-TRA, Los Angeles’ longest running and most recognized art journal, I can speak
to the importance of 18th Street to the community. We have written about a number of their programs and
collaborated with them a numerous public events, which were always well attended and free to the public.
They serve the artistic community of Santa Monica in particular and the larger Los Angeles area in general in
ways that other organizations do not have the capacity to achieve.
In addition 18th Street made a real investment in Santa Monica artists, residents, and the Pico Neighborhood 30
years ago, when it purchased its campus. It is here to stay and work alongside the City to bring more arts to this
community.
I support them without reservation.
Sincerely,
Stephen Berens
Artist & Co-Publisher of X-TRA
Stephen Berens
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http://www.stephenberens.com
X-TRA
http://x-traonline.org/
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YVETTE GELLIS
December 12, 2019
Dear Mayor Ted Winterer, Mayor Pro Tempore Gleam Davis, Tony Vasquez,
Kevin McKeown, Sue Himmelrich, Terry O’Day, and Greg Morena,
For the last 10 years, I have watched the development of 18th Street Arts Center
and contribution it has made to the lives and careers of many artists locally,
nationally, and internationally.
I have experienced first hand the passion and commitment of Jan Williamson,
our Executive Director. She is a true visionary who lives, breathes, and
orchestrates all that is 18th Street. Her single-minded pursuit to maintain the
integrity of the 18th Street’s mission is inspiring and impressive, to say the least.
Besides her smart and intelligent approach to leading, she maintains a calm
demeanor that exudes professionalism. You could not find a more extraordinary
and qualified leader to helm the future of the Airport Arts Studios.
Under the Artistic Direction of Anuradha Vikram, 18th Street has transitioned into
one of the leading institutions in the Los Angeles Arts Community and has gained
significant clout on the international art scene as a hub of some of the best art in
LA. Centered in Santa Monica, it increases and positions the city as a leading
institution in art production. As a curator she has attracted other major curators
and artists, and in doing so has managed to leverage 18th Street participation at
other institutions like LACMA, the Getty, and many other important arts
organizations. She is ambitious and smart. You can be well assured that with her
intelligent approach the Airport studios will also emerge as one of the most
impressive sought after art centers in the international arts scene.
STUDIO
The 18th Street Arts Center
1659 B 18 STREET, SANTA MONICA, CA 90404 818-631-8237
www.yvettegellis.com - yvettegellis@gmail.com
Pepperdine University – Yvette.gellis@pepperdine.edu
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18th Street management will transform the Airport Arts Studios into a leading arts
organization adding new energy with its proven spirit of collaboration. It will no
doubt further Santa Monica as one of our nation’s model arts and culture leaders
- setting a new standard.
Please feel free to contact me, as I’d be happy to answer any questions you may
have.
Kind regards,
Yvette Gellis
818-631-8237
yvettegellis@gmail.com
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December 13, 2018
Santa Monica City Council
Dear City Council Members,
I am writing to express my deep support of 18th Street Arts Center in their bid to provide
professional services to artists and public programs at the Santa Monica Airport. I worked with
18th Street for over 3 years from 2015-2018 as a Program Coordinator and Community
Partners Specialist and had the opportunity to learn of their amazing history and their current
work to support diverse artists, along with the work to expand their programming in the
surrounding neighborhood where they are situated.
They are extremely qualified for the following reasons and would greatly benefit the Santa
Monica artist community, bringing new life to the Airport studio, and creating more dialogue
between the studios and broader Santa Monica community. 18th Street Arts Center is an
organization with an experienced staff, a generous board, and the infrastructure to provide
measurable arts programs benefiting the public and artists at the airport. They have been doing
this work for 30 years in their current campus.
18th Street has decades of experience delivering award-winning community arts engagement
experiences to Santa Monica residents, and collaborates with many neighborhood groups and
residents. Its programs are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts
Council, the James Irvine Foundation, California Community Foundation, and more. 18th Street
made a real investment in Santa Monica artists, residents, and the Pico Neighborhood 30 years
ago, when it purchased its campus. It is here to stay and work alongside the City to bring more
arts to this community. Their project Culture Mapping 90404 is a testament to this commitment.
If you have any questions about this letter please do not hesitate to contact me at
betty.marin@gmail.com or 424-215-1522. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Betty Marín
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Vernice Hankins
From:Sean Findley <sean@postmango.com>
Sent:Thursday, December 13, 2018 6:29 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:18th St arts center - Airport Arts Studio Management meeting
Hello. My name is Sean Findley and I’ve been attending functions at the 18th St arts Center for over 20 years
now. I’ve also taken part of their projects including a feature length documentary film made by one of their
residents. I can’t say enough about what great things they do there and how important I feel it is that they
continue doing so for the community. 90404 has changed quite a bit over the years and 18th St continues to be a
beacon of great art and culture while so much culture has shifted away due to the economic expansion of the
area. I was there recently for a function for middle school kids and the looks on their faces while showing their
art in the gallery said it all.
Best,
Sean
--
310.614.1738
www.postmango.com
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Vernice Hankins
From:Jeff Beall <jeffbeall@me.com>
Sent:Sunday, December 16, 2018 2:42 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting
Attn: Members of the Santa Monica City Council
Re. 18th Street Arts Center’s Proposal for Serving Artists and Public Arts Programming at Santa Monica Airport
As an artist who has enjoyed and benefited from 18th Street’s gallery exhibitions and public programming for many years, and
as one who last year became a local artist in residence there myself, I am writing to express my whole-hearted support for 18th
Street Art Center to be awarded the Santa Monica Airport arts services contract.
18th Street Art Center’s commitment to Santa Monica’s artists and the local cultural community for over 30 years amply
demonstrates the experience and professionalism required for the contract under consideration.
In addition to serving the greater Santa Monica area, 18th Street Art Center has been of critical importance and value in
attracting attention to Santa Monica’s vibrant and diverse cultural community from well beyond our neighborhood. The
cultural production that takes place at 18th Street (Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Theater, Literature, and more) is recognized
nationally and internationally.
This is true not only because 18th Street Arts Center offers a critically acclaimed artists’ residency program that regularly hosts
artists from other states and other countries — this ongoing artistic cross-pollination leads to the creation of works of art that
cross boundaries and that warrant and receive national and international arts press, thereby shining a bright light on Santa
Monica's important arts scene.
When reviewing the broad range of experience and deep local knowledge that 18th Street Arts Center will bring to the task at
hand, 18th Street’s substantial contribution to supporting and expanding Santa Monica’s vibrant and diverse arts scene should
be taken into consideration.
And finally, as someone with 15 years of experience in the nonprofit arts world (serving as Chairman of Project X Foundation
for Art & Criticism), I believe it is also important to highlight the largely unseen, yet critical work required of nonprofit
organizations to maintain high levels of transparency and accountability to government, foundation, and private donors.
18th Street Arts Center’s proposal brings with it a proven record of operating with the high ethical standards and legal
accountability required to be successful for over 30 years.
For all these reasons, I support the selection of !8th Street Arts Center for the SM Airport arts services contract under
consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeff Beall
Santa Monica resident since 2000
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Vernice Hankins
From:Renee Petropoulos <rrprr@earthlink.net>
Sent:Monday, December 17, 2018 7:18 AM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Support off 18th St. Staff and Board - re- Santa Monica Airport
Greetings City Council of Santa Monica,
I would like to write on behalf of the 18th St. Arts Center. Their work in the community and beyond has been
substantial and influential. 18th St has supported artists for 30 years. It does so unequivocally and with care. Projects
are supported by grants and other partnerships on a continuous basis. Their, the staff and board, and artists’, expertise
and community involvement are vetted and deep. As a resident of the Santa Monica Airport with a studio in the 2900
Building, I am happy to put my faith in the management of the 18th St. Team. I value my private studio time and the
ability to get work accomplished without interruption. I value the history of 18th St. to support artists in the ways that
they need. I also value their community outreach and their commitment to social engagement, a field in which I teach
at the Otis College of Art and Design.
I cannot image a better match for the Airport Project that to align with the skills and expertise of the 18th St. team and
their continued investment in Santa Monica.
Thank you.
Renée Petropoulos
Artist
Professor, Otis College of Art and Design
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Vernice Hankins
From:Michael Holte <mholte@calarts.edu>
Sent:Monday, December 17, 2018 11:58 AM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing to provide my support for the proposed plan for 18th Street Art Center to administer the arts
programming at Santa Monica Airport, including Arena 1. I provide this recommendation as a critic and curator
for whom the 18th Street Arts Center serves as a vital source of art programming for the greater Los Angeles art
community, including exhibitions, artist residencies, and lectures. I am also a member of the faculty of the
Program in Art at CalArts, and 18th Street Arts Center has provided real professional development to many of my
former students as well as many other artists at all career stages and across disciplines. Local scholars like myself
recognize the value to their students' careers and to their scholarship that 18th Street's program provides.
18th Street Arts Center is an organization with an experienced staff, a generous board, and the infrastructure to
provide measurable arts programs benefiting the public and artists at the airport. The 18th Street Arts Center is
undoubtedly the most significant art organization of its kind serving the city of Santa Monica, especially with
the departure of the Santa Monica Museum of Art (which relocated and became the Institute of Contemporary
Art Los Angeles, downtown). 18th Street has decades of experience delivering award-winning community arts
engagement experiences to Santa Monica residents, and collaborates with many neighborhood groups and
residents. Its programs are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the
James Irvine Foundation, California Community Foundation, and more.
18th Street made a significant and visionary investment in Santa Monica artists, residents, and the Pico
Neighborhood 30 years ago, when it purchased its campus. It is here to stay and work alongside the City to
bring more arts to this community. I am in strong support of extending that experience and vision in art
programming and community art engagement to the Santa Monica Airport and Arena 1.
Sincerely,
Michael Ned Holte
Art critic and curator
Faculty, Program in Art, California Institute of the Arts
mholte@calarts.edu
310-733-8158 mobile
--
Michael Ned Holte
Faculty, Program in Art
California Institute of the Arts
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Vernice Hankins
From:Dan Greaney <dan@bailiwik.com>
Sent:Tuesday, December 18, 2018 11:37 AM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Airport Arts Studios Management, Dec. 18, 2018 Council meeting.
Dear City Council Members,
I am a Santa Monica resident (since 1996) who both values our fair city's humane character and also has
concerns for its ability to maintain its personality and values as it grows. I am also a writer/producer for The
Simpsons and a member of the board of the 18th St Art Center.
I am writing to share my view that the 18th Street Art Center has managed to accomplish the remarkable feat of
combining the traditional "Santa Monica values "of creativity, warmth, humanity and sincerity with the
professionalism required to deal successfully with growth and change. As a writer/producer, I know how hard
it can be to combine professionalism with artistic sincerity, but 18th Street has done this, and, as a result, stands
in a unique position to help Santa Monica maintain and expand its historic commitment to the arts and artists at
this challenging stage of the city's growth. Awarding the airport contract to 18th Street would put this valuable
resource into experienced hands that can be trusted to use it to achieve the greatest possible benefit to both our
community and the artists -- and, by expanding the reach and visibility of our leading home-grown arts
institution increase the visibility of Santa Monica and the impact of its humane values nationally and beyond.
Warm regards,
Dan Greaney
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Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, December 18, 2018 1:34 PM
To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Tony Vazquez; Sue
Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer
Cc:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: I welcome the 18th Street Arts Center at the Santa Monica Airport Art Studios to
help build a new creative partnership focused on the community
Council‐
Please see the below email regarding the Airport Art Studios.
Thanks,
Stephanie
From: Gregg Chadwick [mailto:greggchadwick@icloud.com]
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018 5:33 PM
To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Cc: Shannon Daut <Shannon.Daut@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: I welcome the 18th Street Arts Center at the Santa Monica Airport Art Studios to help build a new creative
partnership focused on the community
Dear Santa Monica City Councilmembers ,
It is time for change at the Santa Monica Airport art studios. As an artist who has been a tenant at the Santa
Monica Art Studios for 14 years and a homeowner in Santa Monica, I would like to weigh in with my support
for the 18th Street Arts Center which as noted in today’s Santa Monica Lookout "best meets the RFP selection
criteria and public objectives of both supporting local artists and enriching the lives of the general public
through the arts.”
The Lookout also notes that The 18th Street Arts Center presented a "programming plan (that) is specific,
realistic, and yet innovative” and "includes a carefully crafted budget that supplements the City’s budget with
substantial existing and new funding sources."
The 14 year history of our space has been rewarding but over the past five years or so has devolved due to
conflicts within the original management team and a focus on personal profit for the original management team
as opposed to support and opportunities for the tenant artists.
I join many of my fellow long term artist tenants in support of a new management plan and am excited to
welcome the 18th Street Arts Center to help build a new creative partnership focused on the community.
Thank You for your community service,
Gregg Chadwick
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www.greggchadwick.com
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To: City Council
From: Michael Baroff, Arts Commissioner
Re: Airport Arts Center Management Selection
I encourage Council to accept the Staff Report to enter into a management agreement for the Airport Art
Studios with 18th Street Arts Center. The Report accurately reflects the understood role of the Arts Commission
in the process and what was, in my opinion, the misguided motion (to which I abstained) to intervene in support
of MAXIMA. It is my understanding that Council has been advised by the City Attorney to disregard this motion.
I believe that all the "Attachments" to the Staff Report reinforce the appropriateness of the Staff
recommendation.
Here is my perspective on the issue:
Per my understanding regarding the appropriate City Procurement procedures, that was made clear to
us upfront, the Arts Commission played little role in the formal RFP, Proposal Submission, Review, and
Decision process. We contributed to public input through the "Santa Monica Airport Artist Studios
Planning Process Findings & Recommendations" that formed the basis of the RFP.
At our November 19 meeting, subsequent to the announcement of the selected proposer, the Arts
Commission listened to public comments from people representing 18th Street Arts Center, the selected
proposer, and MAXIMA.
Before the Commission had the opportunity to discuss and deliberate about what we heard, a motion
was made to support the selection of MAXIMA. Our subsequent limited discussion that led to the
narrowly approved motion was made based, in part, in my opinion, on some Commissioners feelings of
loyalty to past relationships and inaccurate attributions made regarding the selected proposer. It is also
my opinion that the process has been "politicized" by certain Arts Commissioners that goes beyond the
appropriate role of the Commission to focus on arts "policy" and making "recommendations" to Council.
It is also my opinion, that an aspect contributing to this overall dynamic is that we do not have a
renewed Creative Capital Plan that reflects our current sense of the values and approaches that would
provide a more strategic policy approach to arts management within the City from which a consensus
can be developed.
I encourage Council to accept and approve the recommendation made through the formal proposal and review
process that will lead to an initial two-year engagement (with options to extend over five years) with 18th St.
Arts Center and will begin a transition, through our monitoring and evaluation, to a thoughtfully developed
overall strategic focus that will lead to the implementation of an enhanced arts management approach within
the city.
Thank you.
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Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, December 18, 2018 1:36 PM
To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Tony Vazquez; Ted
Winterer; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena
Cc:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: Airport Art Studios, Programming Proposals
Council‐
Please see the below email regarding the Airport Art Studios.
Thanks,
Stephanie
From: Laurie Yehia
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2018 1:55 PM
To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Cc: Shannon Daut <Shannon.Daut@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: Airport Art Studios, Programming Proposals
Dear Council Members:
I am writing to urge you to approve staff’s recommendation, based upon the review and determination of an independent
expert evaluation panel, that 18th Street Arts Center best meets the Airport Art Studios Programming RFP selection criteria
and public objectives of supporting local artists and enriching the general public.
As a Commissioner, I did not agree with the Arts Commission recommendation made at its November 19 meeting to select the
MAXIMA Art Initiative proposal to manage the Airport Arts Program, contrary to staff’s recommendation. I believe that the
recommendation was based on dissatisfaction with the process, not on the proposals’ merits.
Commissioners were sent staff’s recommendation by email on November 16, but had not seen the competing proposals prior
to considering the matter on November 19. There had been significant lobbying on behalf of MAXIMA. On the day of the
meeting, Commissioners were given a letter of support from Assemblymember Richard Bloom, which could not have been
based on proposal contents, as to my knowledge, the proposals had not been made available to him or the public.
The Commission’s recommendation to select MAXIMA’s proposal (which I did not support) appeared to be based on
relationships and legacy, rather than on proposal content. Disregarding the process meant ignoring the RFP based upon
findings from stakeholder participation (including tenant artists) as well as the independent evaluation panel’s conclusion.
Staff had kept the Commission generally informed but worked with an independent consultant to develop a planning and
selection process, which was intended to be thorough, creative and responsive to stakeholders. This process was designed to
select a proposal that best responded to RFP selection criteria‐‐in other words, on its merits.
Some members of the Arts Commission believed that they could have made the process more responsive to the community,
and reduced controversy, had they been directly involved with the Planning Process and development of the RFP. The Arts
Commission has recently performed this function effectively to diffuse controversy at Bergamot Station.
During Public Comment at the November meeting, numerous artists spoke emotionally about how Yossi Govrin of MAXIMA
had helped them, how he had contributed to development of the studios and how the City of Santa Monica should not take
away his business. Some artists claimed (without basis) that they would lose their studios if MAXIMA Art Initiative were not
selected. This misrepresentation may have confused some of the Commissioners, who were not familiar with the actual
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proposal content. The artists who spoke in support of MAXIMA’s proposal did not express an understanding of the changed
business model at the Airport Studios or of the potential for a more comprehensive Art Program that could address
suggestions for improvement voiced by artists through the Planning Process.[1]
[1]
After the Commission’s meeting, I was contacted by another tenant artist, who wanted us to know that she and others felt
bullied into signing a petition in support of MAXIMA, and were afraid to voice their dissatisfaction with Yossi Govrin’s
management.
The MAXIMA proposal would use programming funds primarily for executive compensation, unlike the other two proposals.
MAXIMA Arts Initiative is the only proposal by a business without any nonprofit experience. According to staff’s report, the
MAXIMA proposal was significantly weaker in the strength of its programming plan as well as its qualifications, direct
experience and budget.
I was shocked when a majority of Commissioners voted to disregard the independent panel’s expert conclusion, which had
been based on the strength of proposed programming and demonstrated ability to perform. The impetus seemed to be
relationships rather than the quality of arts programming. While relationships and legacy may be important considerations,
they should not eclipse evaluation of the proposals on their merits.
The Council will need to weigh all competing considerations. I urge you, however, to give substantial weight to the quality of
proposals and approve the staff’s recommendation pursuant the process that they followed diligently. Perhaps there can be
another way to recognize the legacy relationship with MAXIMA Art Initiative.
I also urge the Council to request that staff re‐assess the Arts Commission’s participation going forward and find a way to
include the Commission in an advisory role throughout the process for significant decisions about arts programming in the
city.
Staff’s recommendation to select the 18th Street Arts Center Proposal based upon the panel’s conclusion is sound, and has the
best potential to build an inclusive, supportive and high quality artists’ community at the Airport. Disregarding the Planning
Process would, in my opinion, not be a responsible use of taxpayer funds nor the action of a visionary, custodial and governing
body.
Thank you for your consideration of this letter.
Sincerely,
Laurie Yehia
Member, Santa Monica Arts Commission
(310) 963‐4178
[1] 78% of the tenants interviewed offered suggestions for improving the management of the studios. The primary suggestion
was to operate in a less “top‐down” fashion and provide more transparency in dealing with artists to avoid perception of
favoritism. The second key area of concern was rental fees for walls outside the studio spaces, which were seen as indicating
management was too profit‐driven. Third, tenants suggested management use a more objective artist selection process as they
perceived that the current process might favor particular demographics. Two‐thirds of tenants interviewed mentioned
affordability as a chief concern and felt the amount they pay is too high. Currently, the majority of the artist subtenants are
paying at or more than market rate. Two‐thirds of the artists shared concerns about the perception that SMAS is viewed as
being “just for hobbyists.” Many artists described feeling that they were missing out on opportunities because SMAS is passed
over by the art‐world gatekeepers that frequent other artist studios. “If this reputation could be changed, it would be a huge
boon to the artists and attract more serious collectors and curators,” said one artist. Santa Monica Airport Art Studios Planning
Process, Findings & Recommendations, May 2018, page 8.
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18th Street Art Center (18SAC)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 28.0 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 29.2 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 19.2 20
Three Valid and Recent References 9.2 10
Cost of Services 9.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 95.0 100
Panelist Comments:
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel noted
18SAC’s outstanding national reputation and decades of clear, demonstrable, and
relevant experience executing similar programming.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: The panel noted that the largest distinguishing
factor is that 18SAC proposes building a significant and enduring asset for the city that
will outlast the individuals involved today. Its programming plan is specific, realistic, and
yet innovative.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: 18SAC
has a long history of excellence working with artists of all career stages and disciplines in
a similar setting grounded in a sophisticated, nuanced approach to equity and inclusion.
Three Valid and Recent References: 18SAC supplied high-level references from partners
engaging with 18SAC in similar work.
Cost of Services: The panel noted that a final key distinguisher for the 18SAC proposal is
the carefully crafted budget that supplement the City budget with substantial existing
funding sources. Further, 18SAC proposes to invest more of the funds directly into
programming than the other proposals (as opposed to staff or overhead).
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ArtShare L.A. (ArtShare)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 23.8 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 21.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 16.0 20
Three Valid and Recent References 7.8 10
Cost of Services 7.2 10
TOTAL POINTS 76.2 100
Panelist Comments:
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel noted
the strengths of ArtShare’s were its clear expertise in managing a similar site, talented
team, and strong board support.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: ArtShare’s programming plan is clear and
competitive, but not particularly innovative. Further, the panel expressed some concern
about the reliance of the programming on volunteers.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: ArtShare
has strong experience working with emerging artists and managing tenant relationships,
but its experience with other types of artists was not clearly demonstrated.
Three Valid and Recent References: ArtShare submitted strong references from partners
engaging with ArtShare in similar work.
Cost of Services: The panel applauded ArtShare’s entrepreneurial approach and
proposed model for self-sufficiency without requesting additional funds from the City or
decreasing services to the artists. A weakness of ArtShare’s proposal was its shorter track
record of financial sustainability.
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MAXIMA Art Initiative (MAXIMA)
CRITERIA PANEL SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct Experience 19.4 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 18.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working with
Artists and/or in Similar Setting 14.8 20
Three Valid and Recent References 7.0 10
Cost of Services 5.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 65.0 100
Evidence of Desired Qualifications, Competence, and Direct Experience: The panel found
the lead individual on MAXIMA’s team to have valuable institutional knowledge and
competence in managing the art studios. However, it was concerned that the MAXIMA
proposal hinged too much on one iconic individual as opposed to a professional staff with
well-rounded capacity to raise funds and deliver the proposed activities.
Strength of Proposed Programming Plan: The MAXIMA proposal contained many
innovative ideas, but there was no clear pathway for funding and executing them in the
near future. Further, the panel questioned the long-term sustainability of the plan given its
strong reliance on an individual founder to execute almost all aspects of the programming.
Evidence of Experience Working with Artists and/or Working in Similar Setting: The panel
applauded MAXIMA’s history of working closely with artists as a founder of SMAS.
Three Valid and Recent References: MAXIMA submitted strong references from partners
engaging with MAXIMA in similar work.
Cost of Services: MAXIMA’s budget presents significant concerns. Overall, the panel
found it imbalanced and unclear. A significant concern is that the MAXIMA proposal
invested most of the funds in salaries with much less funding for programming in
comparison to the other proposals. Further, the panel noted that proposed executive
salary far exceeds that of the other proposals, while compensation for other staff appears
insufficient. MAXIMA does not leverage any existing resources and offers only speculative
strategies for generating additional income needed to fully execute the program.
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All Evaluation Panel Scores
CRITERIA
18th STREET
ARTS
CENTER
ARTSHARE
L.A.
MAXIMA
ART
INITIATIVE
MAXIMUM
POINTS
Evidence of Desired Qualifications,
Competence, and Direct
Experience
28.0 23.8 19.4 30
Strength of Proposed Programming
Plan 29.2 21.4 18.4 30
Evidence of Experience Working
with Artists and/or in Similar Setting 19.2 16.0 14.8 20
Three Valid and Recent
References 9.2 7.8 7.0 10
Cost of Services 9.4 7.2 5.4 10
TOTAL POINTS 95.0 76.2 65.0 100
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SANTA MONICA AIRPORT ART STUDIOS
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
HISTORY
2014
Santa Monica voters passed Measure LC, requiring voter approval of
future uses of the Airport land other than parks, open space, recreation,
education and/or cultural uses
2016
Council adopted policy to prohibit subleasing at the Airport
2017
Agreement with FAA to close Santa Monica Airport after December
31, 2028. Consent Decree requires all non-aviation tenants be charged
market rate.
BRINGING AIRPORT ARTS STUDIO HANGAR INTO COMPLIANCE
• Change in business and management structure was required, as the
building will no longer be operated with a master lease
• Designed a planning process to inform how the City can enhance its
support for artists and the arts
INCLUSIVE PLANNING PROCESS
• Designed to capture input from key stakeholders, artist tenants,
current management and other artists at the Airport
• Online Community Survey
• Individual consultations with over 30 artists
• Two presentations to the Arts Commission of findings and
recommendations. Commissioners discussed the report and provided
input and feedback that was incorporated before it was finalized.
• Two focus groups
Findings and Recommendations
ARTIST SELECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
• Desire for greater diversity of tenants
• Transparent process for selecting new artists
• Prioritize artists who are actively pursuing their careers
DESIRED MANAGEMENT QUALITIES
• Inclusive and welcoming attitude
• Excellent communications skills
• Attentive to individual artist needs
• Collaborative nature with knack for sparking new partnerships
and reaching out to greater community
PROGRAMMING RECOMMENDATIONS
• Expanded programming, such as more exhibitions of tenant
artists and curated exhibitions of non-tenant artists.
• Temporary artist residencies
• Professional development opportunities
• Looks for ways the program can serve other Santa Monica
artists
COORDINATION OF ARTS AT THE AIRPORT
• Increased coordination of arts uses at the campus
• Capitalize on “strength in numbers” and make it a “real arts hub”
• Joint management of all studios
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
• RFP issued August 13, 2018
• 367 vendors notified
• 40 downloaded the bid
• Three bidders submitted proposals: 18th Street Arts Center
ArtShare L.A.
MAXIMA Art Initiative
PROPOSAL REVIEW
• Evaluation Committee of five local, regional and national arts experts
assembled
• Proposals reviewed, discussed and scored by Evaluation Committee
• Interviews with all three proposers on October 26, 2018
• Unanimous selection of 18th Street Arts Center as the most qualified
bidder
EVALUATION COMMITTEE COMMENTS
• 18th Street Arts Center (18SAC) has an outstanding national
reputation and decades of clear, demonstrable, and relevant
experience executing similar programming.
• Will build a significant and enduring asset for the City that will outlast
the individuals involved today.
• Programming plan is specific, realistic, and yet innovative.
• 18SAC has a long history of excellence working with artists of all career
stages and disciplines in a similar setting grounded in a sophisticated,
nuanced approach to equity and inclusion.
• Their proposal includes a carefully crafted budget that supplements the
City’s budget with substantial existing and new funding sources. Further,
18SAC proposes to invest more of the funds directly into programming
than the other proposals.
NOVEMBER 19, 2018 ARTS COMMISSION ACTION
• RFP did not authorize or contemplate Arts Commission review of the
management team procurement process.
• Commissioners discussed the arts ecosystem in Santa Monica and
concerns were raised about awarding the contract to an existing Santa
Monica arts organization at the loss of adding another organization.
• Arts Commission adopted a motion recommending that MAXIMA
Art Initiative be granted the contract for the next 24 months and to
encourage City Council to consider increasing the contract amount.
• Motion passed 6 to 1 with 3 abstentions
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
• Award bid #190 to 18th Street Arts Center
• Alternatively, City Council may reject all proposals and direct staff to
undertake a new RFP process.
Thank you!