How Will the Candidates for Mayor Support the Arts in San Francisco?

On Wednesday, four San Francisco mayoral candidates appeared at an Arts Town Hall Mayoral Forum to present their proposals for supporting the city’s arts ecosystem.

Produced by Arts for a Better Bay Area, the forum’s panel included Mayor London Breed, Levi’s heir and nonprofit leader Daniel Lurie, President of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. (Mark Farrell was noticeably absent from the forum, citing previous commitments.)

In the auditorium of the SFJAZZ Center, candidates took the stage one at a time, each with 15 minutes to answer the same four questions about arts priorities, funding, guaranteed income and two propositions on the November ballot.

Here’s where the candidates stand on each of the four arts-related issues.

What are some of the ways you would work to help energize that total arts and culture ecosystem? What are your priorities for a thriving arts ecosystem?

Mayor London Breed, the first to take to the stage, cited her previous experience as the former executive director of the African American Art & Culture Complex and highlighted the work she’s done so far as mayor.

“I created the first ever universal basic income program for artists because of the need and to uplift our artist community,” she said, “My goal is not just to recognize and build upon the work that I’ve already done, but take it to the next level.” That includes ensuring that artists are able to actually access city-built artist housing, she said.

Aaron Peskin warmed up the crowd a bit before answering. (“Let me start by saying the obvious. I’m not from here. I come from the East … Bay,” he said, earning a few chuckles.) Getting ahead of the question related to propositions, Peskin said he wants to ensure artists can afford to live in San Francisco by passing the “sensible alternative” to Proposition D — Proposition E.

“This city,” he warned, “is being pushed in the wrong direction by some very conservative forces. And it is manifesting in many ways, including but not limited to a proposition that one particular billionaire put on the ballot that would actually eliminate the Arts Commission, Proposition D, and I’m not having it.”

Daniel Lurie touted his experience with the Civic Joy Fund and its Paint the City program. But what seemed to resonate more with voters in the audience was his call for more public safety.

“We know our performing arts are struggling down on Market Street because of public safety issues and people not wanting to come downtown,” Lurie said. “Our symphony, our opera, the big ones are struggling financially, and that’s going to hurt our small business arts organizations.”

Ahsha Safaí’s vision includes supporting middle and high school art programming.

“The way to energize that is to do more cultural celebrations, to have an artist laureate for the city,” Safaí said. “Doing everything we can to infuse that into our youth programming.”

As mayor, how will you ensure that direct funding for organizations that provide stability and access continues to grow as the hotel tax recovers? How would you address the issue of equity in the arts?

Breed spoke again to her previous track record as mayor.

“I have made it a point to at least maintain our arts funding at the same levels, even in the midst of a global pandemic,” said Breed. “We’ve also opened up opportunities for the Office of Economic and Workforce Development because the arts bring in $1.5 billion to our city’s economy,” she said.

Lurie laid out a plan for adding more police and mental health workers to “get people off the streets” and make the city more attractive to tourists, thus increasing the hotel tax, which funds the arts.

“We have a perfect example with Dreamforce, that’s going to fill our bars, our restaurants,” Lurie said. “We’ve made public safety a priority this week … we need to make public safety a priority 365 days a year.” Lurie then sidelined slightly to talk about World Cup matches and NBA All-Star Games, as well as 2025’s Super Bowl LX, which will be held in Santa Clara.

Peskin also highlighted public safety, calling it a priority.

“So is the arts,” he added. “I am willing to stand up and say that we need to find new sources of revenue in order to sustain what I think is one of the basic services of San Francisco, and that is the arts.”

Safaí emphasized preserving the hotel tax.

“You want to see what a city’s priorities are, you look at the budget, you see where the funding is allocated,” Safaí said. “And as mayor, that would be a top, top priority for me with the power that’s invested in that office. And protecting the hotel tax, and ensuring that it’s not reallocated in any other way.”

Given the demand, would you support another UBI (universal basic income) program for individual artists? Would you support below-market-rate studios and work spaces for artists? What other steps would you, as mayor, take to ensure these culture bearers can not only survive, but thrive?

Breed touted her administration’s guaranteed income program for artists. “Providing a stable source of income can help allow for financial stability for our artists in order to do what they do best: be creatives, not administrators,” she said.

When pushed for a yes or no answer on supporting another guaranteed income program, Breed responded, “I’m always open to the possibility.”

Lurie called for more live-work space, and said affordability is key.

“We need to make sure that we’re getting artists a living wage through the grants that we give out as a city,” said Lurie. “We need to invite our creative class back to San Francisco. They need to be able to afford to live here and work here, so more live-work spaces will be a focus of mine.”

The moderators pushed Lurie for a yes or no answer on supporting guaranteed income, causing a moment of tension as Lurie claimed that the guaranteed income program “got politicized.”

“I know we tried it,” Lurie said. “We don’t know how it turned out. It seems to be another issue of lack of accountability and oversight. So I’m happy to talk to experts on that.”

“Is that a no?” asked moderator Rodney Earl Jackson Jr. of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company.

“No, it was not a ‘no,’” responded Lurie. “It was, ‘happy to talk to the experts about it.’”

Peskin said he was the only major candidate in the race to support expanding rent control. He did not clarify exactly where he stands on guaranteed income.

Safaí spoke about his experience with other forms of guaranteed income as Supervisor.

“During COVID, there was a lot of conversation in our city about guaranteed income,” Safaí said. “I took the initiative with my staff and others to do a food security program, to do guaranteed income. You call it something a little different,” he said, differentiating between guaranteed income and universal basic income.

“We got prepaid cards that can help people when they’re purchasing food,” Safaí said. “So if we need to expand, and can expand, programs like that for artists? Absolutely.”

On the November ballot there are two ballot initiatives, D and E, focused on city commissions reforms. What are your positions on the measures? (An overview of Propositions D and E can be found here.)

“Well, to be very clear,” Breed said, “I’m not supporting either measure.” Speaking about Proposition D, which would reduce the number of commissions and does not ensure that the Arts Commission would still exist, the mayor said, “See, you don’t just throw it out and say okay, we can bring it back if we want to. You work with people. You just don’t do it behind closed doors.”

“It is important that people in the city understand the impact of these various boards and commissions,” Breed added. “And I’ll be honest, yeah, some of them need to go.” But ultimately, she said, “this is not the right way, and I do not support either one.”

Lurie, during his turn, made it clear he’s a proponent of Proposition D.

“I think we have a broken system,” Lurie said. “I do support Prop. D, and it is something that I’m happy to work with the Arts Commission — sorry, the art and creative community on.”

He ended with a light jab at the mayor. “You have my commitment that arts funding will be much stronger in my watch than the current mayor’s watch,” Lurie said.

Peskin said he’s not a fan of Proposition D.

“Could we reform our commission system of government and make it better and achieve efficiencies? Absolutely,” said Peskin. “But this is not the way to go about it. Proposition D is really about cutting out participation in government, both from experts like artists, who get appointed to the Arts Commission, as well as by members of the public.”

Peskin went on to call Proposition D “really abhorrent,” adding that the proposition goes “against democracy.”

“Democracy is messy,” Peskin said. “[The] arts is messy, but it’s the best, most beautiful thing that we have. So vote no on Proposition D and vote yes on Proposition E, which is reform done right.”

Like Breed, Safaí said he supports neither proposition.

“We have to have an arts commission in this city no matter what,” Supervisor Safaí said. “So regardless of what the outcome is on D or E, I am not taking a position on either one because I’m not going to step into that trap,” he said. “I’m just being honest. D and E, I think, are designed to be part of the political traps in this city.”

BONUS QUESTION: Anything else you’d like to add?

Mayor Breed concluded by addressing the current state of the Dream Keeper Initiative, launched in 2020 to redirect funds to San Francisco’s Black communities. The program is currently being investigated following reports of potential misspending of public money.

Calling the initiative important to the arts community, Breed said that “this program is valuable and it has helped make a difference in home ownership, nonprofit organizations, [and] new businesses for African Americans.”

Addressing the crowd directly, Mayor Breed asked for time and patience. “We have to at least investigate this, make sure that we do a full and transparent investigation, and make that available to the public.”

In his closing statements, Lurie seemed to feel the need to play defense.

“I’m just telling you, they’re going to say a lot of things about me over the next six weeks,” Lurie said. “They’re coming after me. And it’s because I’m exposing this broken, corrupt city hall bureaucracy.” Lurie pledged to be the “truest version” of a public servant who would serve the people, taxpayers, artists and creators.

“I pledged this to a priest, I pledged to a rabbi: I am not seeking any other office after this,” Lurie said. “I’m gonna be able to make the tough decisions because I’m not looking to go to Sacramento. I’m not looking to get to D.C. I’m looking to turn around the city that we all love.”

Safaí used his remaining time to paint himself as a candidate with the right experience for the job who will “get away from divisive politics.”

“You need to be ready for this job, day one,” Safaí said. “There are people that are literally trying to buy Room 200. They’re trying to write a check to make up for their lack of experience and ensure that they can come into this job.”

With less than a minute of time remaining, Peskin thanked everyone for coming out and reiterated his desire to reassert San Francisco as a “refuge of otherness.”

“And don’t forget to vote for my kindergarten pal,” he said, referencing Kamala Harris.

Arts for a Better Bay Area noted that in the coming days, the candidates’ full responses will be posted on their website, along with other questions for candidates not asked at the forum.