Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, District 4
Subject: Appointment and Reappointment to the Arts Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Recommendation for an appointment and a reappointment to the San Mateo County Arts Commission, representing District 4, each for a term ending December 31, 2028:
A) Farah Yasmeen Shaikh, reappointment for a first full term; and
B) Anna Westendorf, appointment for an initial term.
body
BACKGROUND:
The Arts Commission was created to promote and encourage the arts, to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors, to prepare and update the County’s strategic and cultural plan, and act as a liaison with arts organizations in order to ensure collaboration and coordination related to culture and art activities in San Mateo County.
DISCUSSION:
Anna Westendorf is being recommended to represent District 4 on the Arts Commission for an initial term ending December 31, 2028, coinciding with District 4 Supervisor Lisa Gauthier’s first term in office. The seat was previously held by Jeanne Heise whose appointive term ended December 31, 2024 coinciding with outgoing District 4 Supervisor Warren Slocum’s term-end.
Farah Yasmeen Shaikh has served on the Arts Commission since April 2023 and is being recommended for reappointment of her first full 4-year term effective January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028, coinciding with Supervisor Gauthier’s first term in office.
Anna Westendorf is a Bay Area native with a background in theatre arts, writing, dance, and arts education. In college, she double-majored in journalism and theatre arts at Northeastern University and her writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, SF Weekly, and others. She currently lives in Redwood City and serves as Chair for the Redwood City Arts Commission and has previously served on the Board of Directors for Brava! for Women in the Arts in San Francisco.
Farah Yasmeen Shaikh is an internationally celebrated Kathak artist, choreographer, educator, and the founder and artistic director of Noorani Dance. A resident of Menlo Park, she is known for her bold and evocative storytelling rooted in the classical dance tradition of Kathak, while exploring themes that bridge cultural and contemporary narratives.
Farah has taught and performed extensively across the United States and abroad, leaving her mark on some of the world’s leading institutions. Her teaching credits include the Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, the World Dance Program at the Alvin Ailey Extension in New York City, and leading arts institutions in Pakistan such as Habib University and the National Academy of Performing Arts.
Offstage, Farah is a powerful advocate for the intersection of art and social impact. She is the host of Hertistry, a podcast that centers the stories and struggles of women through an artistic lens, and she has brought her voice to global platforms including TEDx. Through her choreography, teaching, and public dialogue, she continues to challenge boundaries, uplift marginalized voices, and reaffirm the role of art as a catalyst for cultural understanding and social change.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.