COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Environmental Services Agency

DATE:

April 10, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

May 2, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director, Environmental Services Agency

SUBJECT:

Offer of Artwork to the San Mateo Medical Center

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution accepting an offer of artwork for display at the San Mateo Medical Center.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Realize the potential of our diverse population.

Goal 2: Civic engagement – including voting, public service, charitable giving, volunteerism and participation in public discussions of important issues – is uniformly high among the diverse population.

This offer of artwork to the San Mateo Medical Center contributes to this goal in that the artist is making a charitable contribution of photographs that add to the aesthetic of a busy public site.

BACKGROUND:

In February 2006, Ms. Dionne Miller, Vice President, Ancillary and Support Services at the San Mateo Medical Center contacted the Director of the Environmental Services Agency. Ms. Miller said that Mr. Doug Van Kirk, a photographer, had donated six of his photographs to the Medical Center for their use. The framed pieces are each about 16-inches by 20-inches; five of them are landscapes and the sixth is of a field of flowers. The Medical Center had accepted the artwork and hung the photographs on the wall leading to the Executive Board Room in the Administrative Wing. Ms. Miller indicated that staff had received a great deal of positive feedback about the photographs. She said however that an employee brought to her attention Administrative Memorandum D-6, written in February 1, 1984, that required Board approval for the acceptance of artwork by the County.

DISCUSSION:

Ms. Miller was directed to the Director of the Environmental Services Agency because the County’s Arts Commission is part of that agency. The Administrative Memorandum describes a process for the acceptance of artwork that involves defunct departments and management. The memo also indicates that a recommendation should be obtained from the San Mateo County Arts Council, also defunct. However, there is a County Arts Commission. It was deemed appropriate to take this matter to the Arts Commission for their consideration.

At the Arts Commission regular March meeting, which was held at the San Mateo Medical Center Executive Board Room, the Commission viewed the photographs. and voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors accept the six photographs offered by Mr. Doug Van Kirk and approve the placement of them in the Administrative Wing of the San Mateo Medical Center. They also suggested that the Administrative Memo be updated as soon as possible.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact to the County’s Net Costs and the photographs are valued at $100 each, or $600 total.