SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION

RALPH REMINGTON - CULTURAL DIRECTOR

“My personal mantra is to try to give space and voice to marginalized and disenfranchised people, to provide a platform for them. To me, in this new role with SFAC, if we centre the BIPOC community then we are centring America, and ostensibly the globe as well.”

IN FOCUS:

ATOM EGOYAN - FILMMAKER 

“Our whole viewing habit has changed dramatically; we’ve become very used to streaming, to seeing things privately, and that’s a fundamentally different experience from when we’re in a theatre and you don’t control time. When we go to a theatre, we are giving up time, and that’s the magic of theatre.”

MUSEUM OF AFRICAN DIASPORA

MONETTA WHITE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“In San Francisco, our artists and art institutions are expected to stand up and speak out towards injustice. San Francisco artists are simultaneously activists and contribute to the Bay Area’s extensive and progressive history of equity for all.”

SOMArts

MARIA JENSON - CREATIVE & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“For some art it may not be as obvious, but the aim of an artists or activist is to create art that is a form of political and social currency, actively addressing cultural power structures rather than representing them or simply describing them.”

ROOT DIVISION

MICHELLE MANSOUR - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“I think the convergence of the pandemic and more awareness of social justice has been really incredible in showcasing how artists are so great at being interpreters for really intense content and the ability of sharing that through their own lens.”

GRAY AREA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

BARRY THREW - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“I don’t believe artists working with technology are necessarily taken “less seriously”, but I do think their work often resists categorization, and demands a lot of time, attention, and prior context from the viewer”

IN FOCUS:

PETE DOOLITTLE - SAN FRANCISCO ARTIST 

“The candle's lit, but it’s flickering—the wind's got it a little bit. But I think the flame, as it always does, is gonna hold on. And if it goes out, someone's going to come and light it again, because it's San Francisco. And then it'll be time for the next round.”

ART ON THEMART

CYNTHIA NOBLE - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

"We’re unique in terms of the singularity of scale, and the outdoor location in the heart of the city. It is a city of neighbourhoods, where we can all convene together, an opportunity to be a place of convergence."

HYDE PARK ARTS CENTRE

KATE LORENZ - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

"Our space is quite large so when looking for new work by 
Chicago- based artists, we are looking for artists who can take on very bold projects. Essentially we want to provide a platform to offer a pivotal moment for artists to allow them to do something they’ve never been able to do before."

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
PIA KLEBER - CENTRE FOR COMPARITIVE LITERATURE

"I think that the Canadian government, the provincial and city – all governments – should understand how important art is. It’s vital for people at the moment when we are so isolated. I think they should support artists as much as they can."

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEM

JUDITH JOHN - VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

"I think we are all about connecting people, to history and each other. That is the role of a museum: you can walk through the halls of the ROM and see civilizations that have peaked and crumbled, but the remnants help you understand a kind of continuum."

A BRIEF HISTORY OF VAN GOGH FILMS

BY DANI WILLIAMS

"In order to prepare for this daunting role, Douglas began exploring oil paint. He felt it of the utmost importance to have some experience with painting, so he began painting crows. According to Anne, (Douglas’s wife), he would often return home from shooting still in character and remained so until his role as Van Gogh ended."

WINTER WONDERLAND
OLGA NOBATOVA - 3D VR ARTIST, SCULPTOR

 “As soon as we will have a universal augmented reality app for viewing art, this kind of AR exhibition will be everywhere. And I see how new VR and AR tools are being used for public art, like my animation for this piece was made in virtual reality.”