1 David Yakobson
From: Council Mailbox
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Fw: Letter of recommendation for Bob Ramirez to be selected for the SM Arts Commission - 16A
Attachments: Bob Ramirez recommendation for SM Arts Commission - from Mary-Elizabeth Michaels.pdf
From: Mary-Elizabeth Michaels <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 7:33 PM
To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]>
Cc: Sofia Klatzker <[email protected]>; ME Michaels <[email protected]> Subject: Letter of recommendation for Bob Ramirez to be selected for the SM Arts Commission Dear Mayor Brock, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, Councilmember Davis, Councilmember de la Torre, Councilmember Parra, Councilmember Torosis and Councilmember Zwick, I am writing to recommend that Bob Ramirez be selected to serve as a Santa Monica Arts Commissioner.
As Chair of the Santa Monica Arts Commission, I am dedicated to helping the commission and its members develop into an effective working group that can engage in the many different aspects of Santa Monica arts and culture and be a helpful resource to you on the City Council. I believe the most effective commission is one that is full of different and diverse commissioners who each bring varied experiences and backgrounds, and I believe that Bob Ramirez would be an excellent fit for the commission.
I have met Bob Ramirez on a few occasions, the first of which was through the city’s tour in conjunction with the Reframe community engagement process regarding the Macdonald-Wright murals located in City Hall. During that tour we visited Kuruvungna Springs where Bob shared about the history of the Springs and the continued work that he and others are doing to preserve that important space. I have since connected with Bob at other Santa Monica cultural outreach gatherings.
As you’ve undoubtedly read in his application, Bob both lives and works in Santa Monica and brings a unique background as a member of the Tongva community, and impressively as the president of the Gabrielino~Tongva Springs Foundation. Professionally, Bob owns his own design and build company and is well known for having designed numerous homes and gardens in the Santa Monica area. I believe Bob’s experience would also make him an excellent resource to/member of the SM Public Arts Committee, on which a selection of SM Arts Commission members serve.
Bob is an active member of the Santa Monica community and is committed to continuing to engage in conversations about Santa Monica’s evolving culture, both arts related, as well as its relationship with the Tongva community. In addition to being a very good fit for the commission, by selecting Bob Ramirez as a Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
2 commissioner, the City Council would be making a concrete first step in the goal outlined in Recommendation 7 of The Reframe: City Hall Mural Phase I Report, to improve representation on Santa Monica committees.
For all the reasons stated, I encourage you to vote for Bob Ramirez to fill the open position on the Santa Monica Arts Commission. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at mary[email protected] with any questions or to discuss further.
Sincerely,
Mary-Elizabeth Michaels
Chair, Santa Monica Arts Commission
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
December 18, 2023
Dear Mayor Brock, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, Councilmember Davis, Councilmember de la Torre, Councilmember Parra, Councilmember Torosis and Councilmember Zwick, I am writing to recommend that Bob Ramirez be selected to serve as a Santa Monica Arts Commissioner.
As Chair of the Santa Monica Arts Commission, I am dedicated to helping the commission and its members develop into an effective working group that can engage in the many different aspects of Santa Monica arts and culture and be a helpful resource to you on the City Council. I believe the most effective commission is one that is full of different and diverse commissioners who each bring varied experiences and backgrounds, and I believe that Bob Ramirez would be an excellent fit for the commission.
I have met Bob Ramirez on a few occasions, the first of which was through the city’s tour in conjunction with the Reframe community engagement process regarding the MacdonaldWright murals located in City Hall. During that tour we visited Kuruvungna Springs where Bob shared about the history of the Springs and the continued work that he and others are doing to preserve that important space. I have since connected with Bob at other Santa Monica cultural outreach gatherings.
As you’ve undoubtedly read in his application, Bob both lives and works in Santa Monica and brings a unique background as a member of the Tongva community, and impressively as the president of the Gabrielino~Tongva Springs Foundation. Professionally, Bob owns his own design and build company and is well known for having designed numerous homes and gardens in the Santa Monica area. I believe Bob’s experience would also make him an excellent resource to/member of the SM Public Arts Committee, on which a selection of SM Arts Commission members serve.
Bob is an active member of the Santa Monica community and is committed to continuing to engage in conversations about Santa Monica’s evolving culture, both arts related, as well as its relationship with the Tongva community. In addition to being a very good fit for the commission, by selecting Bob Ramirez as a commissioner, the City Council would be making a concrete first step in the goal outlined in Recommendation 7 of The Reframe: City Hall Mural Phase I Report, to improve representation on Santa Monica committees.
For all the reasons stated, I encourage you to vote for Bob Ramirez to fill the open position on the Santa Monica Arts Commission. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] with any questions or to discuss further.
Sincerely,
Mary Elizabeth Michaels
Mary-Elizabeth Michaels
Chair, Santa Monica Arts Commission
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
1 David Yakobson
From: Xavier Mota
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 8:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: Bob Ramirez
From: Frank Stiefel <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 1:13 PM
To: councilmtgitems <[email protected]>; Council Mailbox <[email protected]> Subject: Bob Ramirez
EXTERNAL
January 3, 2024,
To those it might concern,
What follows is a letter recommending Bob Ramirez as a Santa Monica Arts Commissioner.
Since I’m not familiar with the specific requirements of the office, I’ll list the skills and temperament that I think would benefit any organization.
We met when we assigned Bob the job of designing and building our home. The house has been published numerous times but beyond the quality of the project we got to fully enjoy the process.
He listens: While his homes certainly have a strong point of view, he wants the project to work for his clients as well as the community. If you care to survey a list of clients, you might find unanimity in our raves about a process that in other circumstances often ends in bad feelings and lawsuits.
His crew has been with him for over thirty years. Imagine the management skills that it takes to hold onto all your key personnel for that period.
Any conversation with Bob at some point moves toward history. In his case it’s not dispassionate reading, it’s an active commitment to preserving and honoring the past. What is now Kuruvungna Springs was once a forgotten patch of weeds, nonnative plants and a spring that dumped thousands of gallons of water onto our streets. Today, after Bob activated the Boy Scouts, his subcontractors, and friends, that water feeds fruit trees, vegetables and plants that are native to Santa Monica. Most importantly we now have a living, breathing, example of how the Tongva once lived.
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
2 Similarly, Bob has lent his talent to the San Gabriel Mission where he is rebuilding structures and designing gardens.
Again, I don’t know what the Arts Commission does, but it seems to me that “Art” as it pertains to government and community is a different animal than the product of one person, alone, looking for his/her truth. As such it requires a sense of taste, balance, and the ability to hear and deal with conflicting opinions. If those are the skills the Art Commission is looking for, I can’t think of a better candidate than Bob Ramirez.
Frank Stiefel
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: Xavier Mota
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 8:57 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: An appointment to the Arts Commission
From: Naomi Okuyama <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 8:23 AM
To: Xavier Mota <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: An appointment to the Arts Commission
From: Ruthann Lehrer <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 11:32:45 AM
To: Sofia Klatzker <[email protected]>; Naomi Okuyama <[email protected]>; David White <[email protected]>
Subject: Fw: An appointment to the Arts Commission
EXTERNAL
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Ruthann Lehrer <[email protected]>
To: Phil Brock <[email protected]>; Christine Parra <[email protected]>; Oscar de La Torre <[email protected]>; Lana Negrete <[email protected]>; Gleam Davis <[email protected]>; Caroline Torosis <[email protected]>; Jesse Zwick <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 8, 2024 at 12:23:32 PM PST
Subject: An appointment to the Arts Commission
January 8, 2024
Honorable Mayor Brock and Councilmembers,
I am writing to strongly recommend the appointment of Bob Ramirez to the Arts Commission, for which he has recently applied.
Bob is President of the Kuruvungna Springs Foundation, belonging to the Gabrielino/Tongva group, which he is leading to impressive achievements in reclaiming and restoring their cultural heritage. The controversy over the City Hall history mural led to my reaching out to him and has resulted in my great respect and admiration for him and his work. He will be a valuable asset to the Arts Commission and to the City of Santa Monica, and I am very grateful that he has volunteered for this appointment.
His profession is the design and construction of homes and landscapes. Currently he is leading a restoration project at Mission San Gabriel to create a Gabrielino/Tongva landscape that is rooted in memory and history.
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
4 His passion for his cultural heritage has led to many accomplishments at the Kuruvungna Springs, which has reached new heights of cultural revitalization and education under his tenure. He has brought together many youth groups, volunteers, and diverse nonprofit organizations to participate in this work, resulting in an evocative historic site with connections to the many groups and people who have contributed to its restoration. With a deep understanding of the history of his people and his knowledge of horticulture as well as architecture, his energetic leadership has inspired many individuals and groups to explore the full story of the Gabrielino/Tongva from before First Contact to today. Specific contributions include purification of the waters of the Sacred Springs, harnessing the springs waters to irrigate the site, removing invasive plants and replacing them with native species, planting traditional food plants, reconfiguring the surrounding chain link fence to create a sheltered environment, constructing a replica house with authentic materials, presenting ceremonial rituals of the Gabrielino/Tongva at appropriate occasions. His stewardship of the site is rooted in his intelligence, creativity, passion and inclusivity.
Bob Ramirez served as one of the resource educators for the Acknowlege + Reframe project led by the Meztli Group and he made important contributions to educating the Working Circle. So it is especially meaningful that his application for appointment to the Arts Commission fulfills one of the Meztli Group’s recommendations that will soon be presented to City Council:
Recommendation 7: Improve Representation on Santa Monica Committees.
As someone involved with the arts of architecture and landscape, as leader of the Kuruvungna Springs Foundation, and as a community inspiration, Bob Ramirez will be a worthy and significant addition to the Santa Monica Arts Commission. As the Metzli Report recommendations move into the implementation phase, his experience and expertise will be particularly helpful.
The attached video provides information about the Mission San Gabriel project. https://vimeo.com/883637905
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Ruthann Lehrer
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
5 David Yakobson
From: Ruthann Lehrer <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2024 10:44 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra
Cc: Sofia Klatzker
Subject: Item 16A Appointment to Arts Commission
EXTERNAL
March 15, 2024
Re: New Appointment to Arts Commission, Agenda Item 16A City Council Meeting March 19, 2024
Honorable Mayor Brock and Councilmembers,
I am writing to strongly recommend the appointment of Bob Ramirez to the Arts Commission, for which he has recently applied.
Bob is President of the Kuruvungna Springs Foundation, belonging to the Gabrielino/Tongva group, which he is leading to impressive achievements in reclaiming and restoring their cultural heritage. The controversy over the City Hall history mural led to my reaching out to him and has resulted in my great respect and admiration for him and his work. He will be a valuable asset to the Arts Commission and to the City of Santa Monica, and I am very grateful that he has volunteered for this appointment.
His profession is the design and construction of homes and landscapes. Currently he is leading a restoration project at Mission San Gabriel to create a Gabrielino/Tongva landscape that is rooted in memory and history.
His passion for his cultural heritage has led to many accomplishments at the Kuruvungna Springs, which has reached new heights of cultural revitalization and education under his tenure. He has brought together many youth groups, volunteers, and diverse nonprofit organizations to participate in this work, resulting in an evocative historic site with connections to the many groups and people who have contributed to its restoration. With a deep understanding of the history of his people and his knowledge of horticulture as well as architecture, his energetic leadership has inspired many individuals and groups to explore the full story of the Gabrielino/Tongva from before First Contact to today. Specific contributions include purification of the waters of the Sacred Springs, harnessing the springs waters to irrigate the site, removing invasive plants and replacing them with native species, planting traditional food plants, reconfiguring the surrounding chain link fence to create a sheltered environment, constructing a replica house with authentic materials, presenting ceremonial rituals of the Gabrielino/Tongva at appropriate occasions. His stewardship of the site is rooted in his intelligence, creativity, passion and inclusivity.
Bob Ramirez served as one of the resource educators for the Acknowlege + Reframe project led by the Meztli Group and he made important contributions to educating the Working Circle. So it is especially meaningful that his application for appointment to the Arts Commission fulfills one of the Meztli Group’s recommendations which was approved by City Council:
Recommendation 7: Improve Representation on Santa Monica Committees.
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
6 As someone involved with the arts of architecture and landscape, as leader of the Kuruvungna Springs Foundation, and as a community inspiration, Bob Ramirez will be a worthy and significant addition to the Santa Monica Arts Commission. With the Metzli Report recommendations moving into the implementation phase, his experience and expertise will be particularly helpful.
The attached video provides information about the Mission San Gabriel project. https://vimeo.com/883637905
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Ruthann Lehrer
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
7 David Yakobson
From: Joel Garcia <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 11:33 AM
To: Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Xavier Mota
Subject: Support Letter for Bob Ramirez (Arts Commission) Attachments: Bob Ramirez Support Letter 2024.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers,
I submit this letter in support of Bob Ramirez's application for arts commissioner. As president of the Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation, Bob has helped revitalize Kuruvungna which in turn has created space for the reawakening of cultural art forms. For example, Kuruvungna hosted the first Tongva Basketry Workshop; for the first time in 150 years, the Tongva community has revived the art of harvesting plant material and weaving baskets.
Bob has also helped expand and deepen partnerships with important partners such as UCLA, Descanso Gardens and the Theodore Payne Foundation among others. These partnerships continue to increase the cultural importance and visibility of not only Kuruvungna but also the arts and cultural practices connected to the site and Santa Monica.
In April, students and professors from UCLA performed a survey of artifacts uncovered during construction operations on the grounds of Uni High. Over several months, the team created a database of over 1,200 items, which will help us understand the history of Kuruvungna.
With Bob's leadership, the collaboration with the UCLA Botanical Garden resulted in new plant identification tags; that include the common name, the scientific name, the family, and the Tongva name when possible. Over a hundred native species were identified, including 24 non-native heritage trees from around the world.
As part of the Meztli projects team working on the City Hall Mural Reframe project I have seen the lack of representation of First Peoples in bodies such as the Arts Commission and this is an area where their inclusion can do many things to spark both healing opportunities, build bridges between the City of Santa Monica and the First Peoples community and secondly uplift the arts and culture of Indigenous folks on par with all other communities.
The City of Santa Monica is in a unique position to do something many cities have not done yet. The inclusion of First Peoples in decision-making bodies like the Arts Commission is an important step towards healing past, present and ongoing harms.
Sincerely,
Joel Garcia
Director
323.637.4375
[email protected]
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
December 14, 2023
Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Arts Commission
Dear Councilmembers,
I submit this letter in support of Bob Ramirez's application for arts commissioner. As president of the Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation, Bob has helped revitalize Kuruvungna which in turn has created space for the reawakening of cultural art forms. For example, Kuruvungna hosted the first Tongva Basketry Workshop; for the first time in 150 years, the Tongva community has revived the art of harvesting plant material and weaving baskets.
Bob has also helped expand and deepen partnerships with important partners such as UCLA, Descanso Gardens and the Theodore Payne Foundation among others. These partnerships continue to increase the cultural importance and visibility of not only Kuruvungna but also the arts and cultural practices connected to the site and Santa Monica.
In April, students and professors from UCLA performed a survey of artifacts uncovered during construction operations on the grounds of Uni High. Over several months, the team created a database of over 1,200 items, which will help us understand the history of Kuruvungna.
With Bob's leadership, the collaboration with the UCLA Botanical Garden resulted in new plant identification tags; that include the common name, the scientific name, the family, and the Tongva name when possible. Over a hundred native species were identified, including 24 non-native heritage trees from around the world.
As part of the Meztli projects team working on the City Hall Mural Reframe project I have seen the lack of representation of First Peoples in bodies such as the Arts Commission and this is an area where their inclusion can do many things to spark both healing opportunities, build bridges between the City of Santa Monica and the First Peoples community and secondly uplift the arts and culture of Indigenous folks on par with all other communities.
The City of Santa Monica is in a unique position to do something many cities have not done yet. The inclusion of First Peoples in decision-making bodies like the Arts Commission is an important step towards healing past, present and ongoing harms.
Sincerely,
Joel Garcia
Director
323.637.4375
[email protected]
Meztli Projects: 6615 Easton Street, Los Angeles, CA 90022 | 323-637-4375 | meztliprojects.org meztli projects
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.A.
March 19, 2024