San Francisco Art Institute
Encyclopedia
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is a school of higher education in contemporary art
with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California
. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch
neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC
and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
. SFAI was founded in 1871, and is one of the oldest art schools in the United States.
, Master of Arts
, Bachelor of Fine Arts
, and Master of Fine Arts
degrees and Post-Baccalaureate
certificates. Like many institutions of higher-education, it also awards honorary PhDs. SFAI's current Dean of Academic Affairs is Jeannene Przyblyski. Hou Hanru
is Director of Exhibitions and Public Program and Chair of Exhibition and Museum Studies.
, Sculpture
, Film
, Photography
, Design+Technology, Printmaking
, and New Genres.
and inherited the mansion of Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill. Its museum functions continued under the title of the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art.
The fire following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
destroyed both the mansion and the school. A year later, the school was rebuilt on the site of the old mansion and renamed the San Francisco Institute of Art. In 1916 the SFAA merged with the San Francisco Society of Artists and assumed directorship of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
, then located in the Palace of Fine Arts
, a relic of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The school was also renamed the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA). In 1926 the school moved to its present location at 800 Chestnut Street in San Francisco. In 1961 the school took its modern name, the San Francisco Art Institute.
In 1969, a new addition to the building by Paffard Keatinge-Clay
added 22500 sq ft (2,090.3 m²) studio space, a large theater/lecture hall, outdoor amphitheater, galleries, and cafe.
On or about February 4, 2009, a group of SFAI Trustees authorized a declaration of "financial exigency" for the school. Under SFAI's contract with faculty, financial exigency is "the critical and urgent need for the Institute to reorder its expenditures in such a way as to retain solvency." Pursuant to the claim of financial exigency, on or about February 17, 2009, President Bratton issued layoff notices to nearly 25% of SFAI's tenured faculty. The affected faculty had taught at SFAI from 11 to over 31 years. Many of the teachers were of varying artistic calibre, having been hired at a peak time of financial buoyancy. Students and alumni quickly organized to protest the layoffs, and questioned certain decisions and acts made in connection with the layoffs. Student and alumni activists launched an online wiki, and in May 2009 launched a website to keep the SFAI community and other concerned members of the public updated on recent developments. An accountant hired by the faculty union concluded that financial exigency did not exist, and students, alumni and faculty continue to challenge the layoffs.
in 1945, the Photography Department was the first program of its kind dedicated to exploring photography as a fine art medium. Adams attracted fine photographers for the original faculty, including Dorothea Lange
, Imogen Cunningham
, and Minor White
, and Morley Baer
, who became Head of the Department after White's departure in 1953.
and new wave
music scene.
Among the many artist musicians who studied at SFAI are Jerry Garcia
, guitarist in Grateful Dead
; Mike Henderson painter and blues musician; Dave Getz, drummer for Big Brother and the Holding Company
and Country Joe and the Fish
; Prairie Prince
and Michael Cotten of the Tubes; Debora Iyall
and Frank Zinkavage of Romeo Void
; Freddy (aka Fritz) of the Mutants
; Penelope Houston
of the Avengers, Courtney Love
, actress and rock musician; Nathan Burazer, and Jonathan Holland
of Tussle; Cliff Hengst and Scott Hewicker of Troll; Devendra Banhart
; Robert Earl Davis, band leader of The Earl Brothers.
from 2002 to 2007. Students were housed primarily in semi-furnished townhouse apartments built in the 1960s with space for approximately 45 students. During the 2006/2007 academic year, some apartments in the Baker Beach neighborhood were used with space for an additional 20 students. In August 2007, SFAI transitioned to a more traditional student housing model and converted a 1907 hotel at 140 Mason Street in Union Square to an unnamed residence hall. The Union Square property housed up to 125 students. In Summer 2010, SFAI moved its housing program to two locations in Nob Hill: Sutter Hall at 717 Sutter Street, and Abby Hall at 630 Geary Street.
Prior to 2002, students typically found housing on their own with some guidance from the institution, though at one time SFAI owned a small number of apartment units near its Russian Hill campus.
(on the 800 Chestnut Street campus) house exhibitions, workshops, and other alternative and experimental avenues for presenting work by international contemporary artists. Students also have the opportunity to show their own work in a number of spots on SFAI's two campuses, including the Diego Rivera Gallery
.
(1978), Wally Hendrick (1985), Mildred Howard (1991), Clare Rojas (2004), and Scott Williams (artist)
(2005).
While no announcement has been made about the status of the bequeathed gift, the prize has not been awarded since the San Francisco Art Institute Artists' Committee was disbanded in 2005.
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch
Dogpatch, San Francisco, California
-Location:Dogpatch is located on the eastern side of the city, adjacent to the waterfront of San Francisco Bay, and to the east of, and below, Potrero Hill. Its boundaries are Mariposa Street to the north, I-280 to the west, Cesar Chavez to the south, and the waterfront to the east...
neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design is a non-profit consortium of 41 leading art and design colleges in the United States and Canada. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requirements complementing studio work, and all are...
. SFAI was founded in 1871, and is one of the oldest art schools in the United States.
Academic programs
SFAI offers Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
, and Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degrees and Post-Baccalaureate
Postbaccalaureate program
Some colleges and universities offer programs for which a first undergraduate degree is a pre-requisite, but which are usually not considered traditional graduate education...
certificates. Like many institutions of higher-education, it also awards honorary PhDs. SFAI's current Dean of Academic Affairs is Jeannene Przyblyski. Hou Hanru
Hou Hanru
Hou Hanru is a Chinese art curator and critic who lives in United States since 2006.He received degrees from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and moved from China in 1990. He lived 16 years in France before moving to America in 1990...
is Director of Exhibitions and Public Program and Chair of Exhibition and Museum Studies.
School of Studio Practice
The School of Studio Practice consists of the traditional departments of PaintingPainting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, Sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, Design+Technology, Printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
, and New Genres.
School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Founded in 2006, SFAI's School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers BA and MA degrees in History and Theory of Contemporary Art, Urban Studies, and Exhibition and Museum Studies (MA only). It also houses four research and teaching centers: Public Practice, Media Culture, Art+Science, and Word, Text, and Image.History
The San Francisco Art Association (SFAA) was founded in 1871 and it opened the San Francisco School of Design in February 1874 under the direction of landscape painter Virgil Macey Williams. In 1893 the name was changed to California School of Design and the association affiliated with the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
and inherited the mansion of Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill. Its museum functions continued under the title of the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art.
The fire following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
destroyed both the mansion and the school. A year later, the school was rebuilt on the site of the old mansion and renamed the San Francisco Institute of Art. In 1916 the SFAA merged with the San Francisco Society of Artists and assumed directorship of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
, then located in the Palace of Fine Arts
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in order to exhibit works of art presented there. One of only a few surviving structures from the Exposition, it is the only one still...
, a relic of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The school was also renamed the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA). In 1926 the school moved to its present location at 800 Chestnut Street in San Francisco. In 1961 the school took its modern name, the San Francisco Art Institute.
In 1969, a new addition to the building by Paffard Keatinge-Clay
Paffard Keatinge-Clay
Paffard Keatinge-Clay is an English-born architect in the modernist tradition who spent most of his professional life in the United States of America, before moving to southern Spain, where he has increasingly focussed on sculpture....
added 22500 sq ft (2,090.3 m²) studio space, a large theater/lecture hall, outdoor amphitheater, galleries, and cafe.
On or about February 4, 2009, a group of SFAI Trustees authorized a declaration of "financial exigency" for the school. Under SFAI's contract with faculty, financial exigency is "the critical and urgent need for the Institute to reorder its expenditures in such a way as to retain solvency." Pursuant to the claim of financial exigency, on or about February 17, 2009, President Bratton issued layoff notices to nearly 25% of SFAI's tenured faculty. The affected faculty had taught at SFAI from 11 to over 31 years. Many of the teachers were of varying artistic calibre, having been hired at a peak time of financial buoyancy. Students and alumni quickly organized to protest the layoffs, and questioned certain decisions and acts made in connection with the layoffs. Student and alumni activists launched an online wiki, and in May 2009 launched a website to keep the SFAI community and other concerned members of the public updated on recent developments. An accountant hired by the faculty union concluded that financial exigency did not exist, and students, alumni and faculty continue to challenge the layoffs.
Photography
Founded by Ansel AdamsAnsel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
in 1945, the Photography Department was the first program of its kind dedicated to exploring photography as a fine art medium. Adams attracted fine photographers for the original faculty, including Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration...
, Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
, and Minor White
Minor White
Minor Martin White was an American photographer born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.White earned a degree in botany with a minor in English from the University of Minnesota in 1933. His first creative efforts were in poetry, as he took five years thereafter to complete a sequence of 100 sonnets while...
, and Morley Baer
Morley Baer
Morley Baer , an American photographer and teacher, was born in Toledo, Ohio. His parents, Clarence Theodore Baer and Blanche Evelyn Schwetzer Baer brought up Morley with a tradition of old world customs and mid-West values. Baer learned basic commercial photography in Chicago but subsequently...
, who became Head of the Department after White's departure in 1953.
Music
In 1966, the SFAI organized an exhibition of rock and roll posters. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, SFAI was one of the centers of the San Francisco punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
music scene.
Among the many artist musicians who studied at SFAI are Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, guitarist in Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
; Mike Henderson painter and blues musician; Dave Getz, drummer for Big Brother and the Holding Company
Big Brother and the Holding Company
Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jefferson Airplane. They are best known as the band that featured Janis Joplin as their...
and Country Joe and the Fish
Country Joe and the Fish
Country Joe and the Fish was a rock band most widely known for musical protests against the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1971, and also regarded as a seminal influence to psychedelic rock.-History:...
; Prairie Prince
Prairie Prince
Prairie Prince is a rock drummer. He was a member of The Tubes and a founding member of Journey...
and Michael Cotten of the Tubes; Debora Iyall
Debora Iyall
Debora Kay Iyall , professional name “Debora Iyall” , a Cowlitz Native American, is an artist and was lead singer for the new wave band Romeo Void. Debora got her surname from her family adopting their ancestor Iyallwahawa's "first" name written at the time as Ayiel.She was born in 1954 in Soap...
and Frank Zinkavage of Romeo Void
Romeo Void
Romeo Void was an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. The band primarily consisted of saxophonist Benjamin Bossi, vocalist Debora Iyall, guitarist Peter Woods, and bassist Frank Zincavage. The band went through four drummers, starting with Jay Derrah and ending with...
; Freddy (aka Fritz) of the Mutants
The Mutants (San Francisco)
The Mutants are an important band in the history of San Francisco punk rock and new wave music. They are known for their theatrical performances which often include elaborate props, projections, and comical antics...
; Penelope Houston
Penelope Houston
Penelope Houston is an American singer-songwriter best known as the singer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band The Avengers. She was raised in Seattle. In the mid-1970s she attended Fairhaven College in Bellingham, Washington...
of the Avengers, Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
, actress and rock musician; Nathan Burazer, and Jonathan Holland
Jonathan Holland
Jonathan Holland is a professional footballer currently playing for Maltese Premier League side Ħamrun Spartans, where he play as a midfielder.-Floriana:...
of Tussle; Cliff Hengst and Scott Hewicker of Troll; Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
; Robert Earl Davis, band leader of The Earl Brothers.
Housing
SFAI maintained a small student housing program in the MacArthur neighborhood of the Presidio of San FranciscoPresidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
from 2002 to 2007. Students were housed primarily in semi-furnished townhouse apartments built in the 1960s with space for approximately 45 students. During the 2006/2007 academic year, some apartments in the Baker Beach neighborhood were used with space for an additional 20 students. In August 2007, SFAI transitioned to a more traditional student housing model and converted a 1907 hotel at 140 Mason Street in Union Square to an unnamed residence hall. The Union Square property housed up to 125 students. In Summer 2010, SFAI moved its housing program to two locations in Nob Hill: Sutter Hall at 717 Sutter Street, and Abby Hall at 630 Geary Street.
Prior to 2002, students typically found housing on their own with some guidance from the institution, though at one time SFAI owned a small number of apartment units near its Russian Hill campus.
Exhibitions and Public Programs
Students are given direct access to exhibitions, lectures, symposia, films, and other unique interdisciplinary events. An integral part of campus life, such events connect students to the larger community of artists, art, and contemporary ideas. The Walter and McBean GalleriesWalter and McBean Galleries
The Walter and McBean Galleries present a program of exhibitions curated by Hou Hanru highlighting innovative work by emerging artists and experimental work by more established artists from throughout the United States and abroad...
(on the 800 Chestnut Street campus) house exhibitions, workshops, and other alternative and experimental avenues for presenting work by international contemporary artists. Students also have the opportunity to show their own work in a number of spots on SFAI's two campuses, including the Diego Rivera Gallery
Diego Rivera Gallery
The Diego Rivera Gallery is a student-directed exhibition space for work by San Francisco Art Institute students. The gallery provides an opportunity for BFA, MFA and Post-Baccalaureate students to present their work in a gallery setting, to use the space for large-scale installations, or to...
.
Adeline Kent Award
Former board member (1947–1957), Adeline Kent was a sculptor and alumni of the school. Upon her death in 1957, she bequeathed $10,000 for the establishment of an annual award for a promising California Artist. Each year since 1957 the prize was awarded by the San Francisco Art Institute Artists' Committee. Winners included Ron NagleRon Nagle
Ron Nagle is an American ceramic sculptor, musician and songwriter.-History:Ron Nagle grew up in San Francisco’s Mission District...
(1978), Wally Hendrick (1985), Mildred Howard (1991), Clare Rojas (2004), and Scott Williams (artist)
Scott Williams (artist)
Scott Williams is an American artist best known for his work with stencils.Williams was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Santa Barbara. He began painting with watercolor in high school, and studied art and anthropology at Santa Barbara City College, Cabrillo College, and Sonoma...
(2005).
While no announcement has been made about the status of the bequeathed gift, the prize has not been awarded since the San Francisco Art Institute Artists' Committee was disbanded in 2005.
Notable current faculty
- Linda ConnorLinda ConnorLinda Connor is an American photographer who photographs spiritual and exotic locations including India, Mexico, Thailand, Ireland, Peru, Nepal, Egypt, Hawaii and the American Southwest....
, large-format photographer - Trisha DonnellyTrisha DonnellyTrisha Donnelly is a conceptual artist living and working in New York. She works with various media including photography, drawing, audio, video, sculpture and performance....
- Sharon GraceSharon GraceSharon Grace is an American artist, currently serving as an Associate Professor of New Genres in the San Francisco Art Institute, who is known for helping to initiate the use of many forms of electronic media based in audiovisual technology....
- Renee GreenRenee GreenRenée Green is an artist, writer, and filmmaker. Her pluralistic practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, architecture, photography, prints, video, film, websites, and sound, which normally converge in highly layered and complex installations...
- Hou HanruHou HanruHou Hanru is a Chinese art curator and critic who lives in United States since 2006.He received degrees from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and moved from China in 1990. He lived 16 years in France before moving to America in 1990...
- Lynn Hershman LeesonLynn Hershman LeesonLynn Hershman Leeson is an award-winning American artist and filmmaker. She was Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis, and an A.D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University...
- George KucharGeorge KucharGeorge Kuchar was an American underground film director, known for his "low-fi" aesthetic.-Early life and career:...
(1942–2011), filmmaker - Jane McGonigalJane McGonigalJane McGonigal, Ph.D. is a game designer, games researcher, and author, specializing in pervasive gaming and alternate reality games ....
, game theorist - Henry Wessel, Jr.Henry Wessel, Jr.Henry Wessel, Jr. is an American photographer noted for his descriptive, yet poetic photographs of the human environment.- Photography career :...
, one of the New Topography photographers - Griff WilliamsGriff WilliamsGriff Williams . He is the son of John Patrick Williams a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Montana during the years 1979–1997....
Notable former faculty
- Okwui EnwezorOkwui EnwezorOkwui Enwezor is an Igbo Nigerian-born American curator, art critic, writer, poet, educator, and specializing in art history. He lives in New York.- Biography :...
- Kathy AckerKathy AckerKathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer. She was strongly influenced by the Black Mountain School, William S...
- Ansel AdamsAnsel AdamsAnsel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
, landscape photographer, founded the photography department in 1945 - Roy AscottRoy AscottRoy Ascott is a British artist and theorist, who works with cybernetics and telematics. He is President of the Planetary Collegium.- Biography :...
, Dean 1975-1978 - Blixa BargeldBlixa BargeldBlixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
, musician (2008) - Imogen CunninghamImogen CunninghamImogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
, portrait photographer - Angela DavisAngela DavisAngela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis was most politically active during the late 1960s through the 1970s and was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party...
(1976) - Howard FriedHoward FriedHoward Fried is an American conceptual artist who became known in the 1970s for his pioneering work in video art, performance art, and installation art.He lives and works in Vallejo, California.-Biography:...
, installation, performance, video artist, founded the New Genres department - Doug HallDoug Hall (artist)Doug Hall is an American photographer and media artist, who has received national and international recognition for his work in a range of practices including performance, installation, video, and photography. He lives in San Francisco, where in addition to his studio work he has been an...
- Wally HedrickWally HedrickWally Bill Hedrick was a seminal American artist in the 1950s California counterculture, gallerist, and educator who came to prominence in the early 1960s...
- Dorothea LangeDorothea LangeDorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration...
, photographer - Leo LentelliLeo LentelliLeo Lentelli was an Italian sculptor who immigrated to the United States. During his 52 years in the United States he created works throughout the country, notably in New York and San Francisco. He also taught sculpture....
, sculptor - Lydia LunchLydia LunchLydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
- Arthur Frank MathewsArthur Frank MathewsArthur F. Mathews was an American Tonalist painter who was one of the founders of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Trained as an architect and artist, he and his wife Lucia Kleinhans Mathews had a significant effect on the evolution of Californian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, muralist, painter - Frederick MeyerFrederick MeyerFrederick Heinrich Wilhelm Meyer , was an art educator prominent in the Arts and Crafts movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Early years:...
, founder of the California College of the ArtsCalifornia College of the ArtsCalifornia College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
(1907) - Bruce NaumanBruce NaumanBruce Nauman is a contemporary American artist. His practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance. Nauman lives in Galisteo, New Mexico....
, Process & Conceptual Art - Charlemagne PalestineCharlemagne PalestineCharlemagne Palestine is an American minimalist composer, performer, and visual artist...
- Sidney PetersonSidney PetersonSidney Peterson was an American author, artist, and avant-garde filmmaker. He attended UC Berkeley, worked as a newspaper reporter in Monterey, and spent time as a practicing painter and sculptor in France in the 1920s and 1930s...
, film director, initiated first film courses at SFAI (1947) - Richard ShawRichard ShawRichard Shaw may refer to:*Richard E. Shaw , English footballer player currently playing in the USA*Richard Shaw , MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis *Richard G...
, ceramic sculptor - Ralph StackpoleRalph StackpoleRalph Ward Stackpole was an American sculptor, painter, muralist, etcher and art educator, San Francisco's leading artist during the 1920s and 1930s. Stackpole was involved in the art and causes of social realism, especially during the Great Depression, when he was part of the Federal Art Project...
, sculptor, painter - Clyfford StillClyfford StillClyfford Still was an American painter, and one of the leading figures of Abstract Expressionism.-Biography:...
, painter (1946) - Minor WhiteMinor WhiteMinor Martin White was an American photographer born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.White earned a degree in botany with a minor in English from the University of Minnesota in 1933. His first creative efforts were in poetry, as he took five years thereafter to complete a sequence of 100 sonnets while...
, photographer - Mark RothkoMark RothkoMark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
, painter (1947) - Pirkle JonesPirkle JonesPirkle Jones was a documentary photographer born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His first experience with photography was when he purchased a Kodak Brownie at the age of seventeen. In the 30's his photographs were featured in pictorialist salons and publications...
, photographer