The San Francisco Art Commission has announced a $3 million initiative to review and potentially remove controversial monuments and memorials from the city's public art collection. The plan, titled "Shaping Legacy," aims to address concerns about inequity and underrepresentation in San Francisco's civic art.
The San Francisco Art Commission has unveiled plans to allocate $3 million towards an ambitious project aimed at reevaluating and potentially replacing monuments and memorials deemed controversial. The initiative, known as "Shaping Legacy," aligns with the commission's broader commitment to fostering equity within the city's public art collection.
The project's genesis stems from the widespread protests surrounding Black Lives Matter in 2020, which sparked conversations about the historical and cultural significance of public monuments. The commission has since acknowledged the need to address representations of power, privilege, and inequality within its collection.
San Francisco Art Commission Explores Monument Removal and Replacement with $3 Million Grant
Angela Carrier, the commission's senior project manager, outlined the project's scope during a recent meeting. She emphasized the need to engage marginalized communities that have historically been excluded from discussions about public art. The commission intends to conduct an "Equity Audit" to assess the collection's monuments and memorials.
The "Shaping Legacy" project is funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, which committed $3 million to support the initiative. It forms part of a larger endeavor called "The Monuments Project," which aims to invest $250 million by 2025 to reimagine San Francisco's public landscape.
San Francisco Art Commission Explores Monument Removal and Replacement with $3 Million Grant
Carrier highlighted the project's collaborative nature, emphasizing the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives. She stated, "The work of reckoning, repair, and healing is not easy work." The commission intends to engage with communities that have been historically underrepresented in public art discussions.
The initiative's roots can be traced back to 2018, when the commission reopened debates surrounding the "Early Days" sculpture, which featured a Native American figure kneeling before a Spanish cowboy. The statue was eventually removed. In 2020, Mayor London Breed established the San Francisco Monuments and Memorials Advisory Committee to review statues and monuments. The committee recommended an equity audit in 2023.
San Francisco Art Commission Explores Monument Removal and Replacement with $3 Million Grant
Dorka Keehn, a former arts commissioner, noted the project's scope and potential implications. She stated, "What the audit will do is decide which monuments are considered offensive today, and if so, what should replace them." Keehn also raised questions about the longevity of monuments and the need for ongoing reevaluation.
The San Francisco Art Commission's "Shaping Legacy" project underscores the city's commitment to addressing historical and cultural narratives within its public art collection. The initiative aims to foster equity and representation, while reflecting the evolving values of the community. The project's outcome will undoubtedly shape the future of San Francisco's civic art landscape.
San Francisco Art Commission Explores Monument Removal and Replacement with $3 Million Grant
