San Francisco Art Commission Plans $3 Million Removal of Controversial Monuments

The San Francisco Art Commission has unveiled a plan to remove and replace controversial monuments and memorials in the city's Civic Art collection. The initiative, called "Shaping Legacy," will involve an "Equity Audit" and review of over 100 monuments and memorials that are deemed to perpetuate "power, privilege, White supremacy, patriarchy, and colonialism."

The San Francisco Art Commission has announced a $3 million plan to address controversial monuments and memorials in the city's Civic Art collection. The "Shaping Legacy" project will begin with an "Equity Audit" and review of over 100 monuments and memorials that are seen as perpetuating "power, privilege, White supremacy, patriarchy, and colonialism."

This initiative is part of a larger plan called "The Monuments Project," which will invest $250 million by 2025 to reimagine the public landscape. The project will be funded by a $3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.

San Francisco Art Commission Plans $3 Million Removal of Controversial Monuments

Senior project manager Angela Carrier stated that the initiative aims to "acknowledge and reckon" with the past and address monuments and memorials that "no longer represent the values that we say the city stands for and continues to ignore the stories of communities of color and reinforce inequities in race, gender and culture."

The commission will engage communities that have historically been excluded from discussions about public art and will prioritize race in addressing historical and present inequities. The initiative will also seek to develop strategies for a more equitable future.

San Francisco Art Commission Plans $3 Million Removal of Controversial Monuments

The review of controversial statues began in 2018 after the commission agreed to reconsider the "Early Days" sculpture, which featured a Native American kneeling in front of a Spanish cowboy. The statue was later removed.

In 2020, following the George Floyd riots, Democratic Mayor London Breed formed the San Francisco Monuments and Memorials Advisory Committee on statues. The committee recommended an equity audit in 2023.

San Francisco Art Commission Plans $3 Million Removal of Controversial Monuments

Former arts commissioner Dorka Keehn highlighted the significance of the audit, stating that it will determine which monuments are considered offensive and what should replace them. She also raised the broader question of how long any monument should remain in existence.

The San Francisco Art Commission's "Shaping Legacy" project represents a significant effort to address the legacy of colonialism and racial inequality in the city's public spaces. The initiative is expected to spark ongoing discussions and debates about the role of public art in shaping our understanding of history and shaping a more inclusive and equitable society.

San Francisco Art Commission Plans $3 Million Removal of Controversial Monuments