Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Ray Mueller, District 3
Subject: Appointment to the Arts Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the appointment of Manisha Davesar to the San Mateo County Arts Commission, representing District 3, for an initial partial term ending December 31, 2026.
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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:
Manisha Davesar is being recommended to represent District 3 on the Arts Commission for an initial partial term ending December 31, 2026, coinciding with District 3 Supervisor's term in office. The seat was formerly held by Josephine Tsay Deciron who resigned in July 2025.
Manisha Davesar [Ma-Knee-Sha] [The-Vay-Sir] is a local Punjabi-American artist and sociologist. As an artist, she explores concepts of social justice, history, and cultural emotional expressions of grief and trauma; she is also interested in preserving heritage through traditional techniques. As a sociologist, Manisha works in the non-profit sector looking at different social determinants of health, the gaps underrepresented communities, and all the intersections of life that contribute to our well-being. She has combined her love of art, history, and sociology through her award-winning research that looked at how popular media socialized kids and adults during wartime and social movements throughout US history. Manisha understands that art isn't just something pretty to look at and fun but is a mirror into the way we feel and can help give insight into our perceptions of the world around us and how inequitable our systems/institut...
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