Posted on 08/26/2022 4:42:51 PM PDT by Persevero
When you’re an adult and look back on the places that you spent time in as a kid, chances are, they feel remarkably smaller than you remember. But 12 years later, that’s not the case with the San Francisco Art Institute, the gray monolith that now sits alone and empty in Russian Hill.
The school, once famous for its maximalist Halloween parties and illustrious faculty, which included the likes of Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Mark Rothko, recently made headlines after it graduated its final class — marking the end of a 151-year saga as one of the oldest art institutions on the West Coast. In a somber July 15 press release, it announced that it couldn’t survive amid ongoing financial troubles, low enrollment and a failed USF acquisition that left the school gasping for air.
Like many former students and alumni, I have strong, mixed emotions about its closure and even stronger feelings about the complicated legacy it left behind. In many ways, it feels like I’m grieving the loss of a troubled relative or partner, one that I have had to push away but still share lifelong memories with.
Most of these memories are “firsts” that I got to experience in SFAI’s pre-college program: A monthlong summer program where teenagers got to live in a dorm in downtown San Francisco and simulate college life. When my parents dropped me off on the corner of Sutter and Taylor, I was just 15 years old.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I am so sorry the school held a gun to her head and forced her to bury herself in student loans.
There oughta be a law.
Just kidding.
I’m an S.F. native, and though I’ve seen the place, I’ve never been in the SFAI. My father was once there on business, selling some equipment to the school. He described it as a hippie, weirdo place where the long-haired “art students” smoked dope in the courtyard on their breaks (this was long before cannabis was legal or as popular as it is now).
Do they now poop in the halls there?
and yet, BigLeft let it die and dint try to help... no loss
(If Eric could’ve only looked 50 years into the future.)
Turn it into dorms for the homeless.
Everything I loved about San Francisco died decades ago.
I do remember them having to make clear that they weren’t affiliated with the Art Institutes that have been springing up around the country and sucking up so much in tuition money without giving students any prospects for all their tuition money.
Art is dead. May as well kill off the art schools.
I’m trying real hard to give a rat’s ass, but alas I can’t work up the slightest concern about its demise. Actually I’m not trying all that hard.
The art institutes are some of the worst scams ever….
Knew a girl who graduated from one, 40 or 50k in debt in the 90s compared to my 20k comp sci degree. Couldn’t find a job, worked at target for years moved back home. Finally went back to culinary school and was able to start a real career.
Translation - “Hi - I’m a total dingbat classist snob who wanted to go to the Emo kids school because I’m a speshul snowflake and this made me speshul but they were too hard on me and I didn’t research the school, it’s credits or it’s costs before jumping in because… well … because I was going to be an arteest! They didn’t recognize my greatness! But I overcame and I’m glad this school is gone because I’m a grate journalist!”
Through a mutual friend, my wife and I stayed (on vacation) for several days at the home of the dean of students at the SF Art Institute. A painting of his that was in Woody Allen’s apartment in “Play It Again, Sam” hung over the bed in our room. Of course, we had to see the movie again - having paid no attention to the painting when we first saw it.
I spent a lot of time in SF on business in the 90s. Twenty years later, I was astounded at the decline.
Yes. Just attend Cal State or UC and major it art and the in state tuition is $5-15k. Much cheaper. And adding on a Computer Science minor makes the degree more valuable 😀
I had family there & visited all the time in the 60s; as a teenager when bored we go up and hang out in Chinatown, north beach or the wharf area. Went to collage at USF.
Most recently was up there around ten years ago. Don’t care if I ever go back.
college. geez
Jerry Garcia attended. Diego Rivera taught there.
My youngest daughter graduated from Expression Art School in the Bay Area just over 10 years ago. She had considered the SF Acadamey of Art where a couple of her friends had attended. One went on to also become very successful.
Her school was an accelerated 4 year degree (32 month Bachelors of Science long hours each day to prepare them for real life pace).
She learned to code there, was already a good artist and surprise, has a great business mind.
Just got back from SF yesterday where she had flown into for meetings. She set me up in a room and we spent 2 nice evenings together but were both absolutely sickened at the decay of that once lovely city.
The best part is she started off as a typical young art student (lib) but thru the last few years has completely flipped. Told me she was voting for Trump he runs!
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