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Reporting from San Francisco—
The frescoes encapsulate Depression-era California: Scenes depicting idyllic farm and factory life roll out beside those of grueling economic hardship. Urban shoppers browse for toys. A small boy witnesses a mugging.
No one disputes their historical value. But the works — along with their iconic Art Deco home, San Francisco's fluted Coit Tower — are in trouble.
Mineral blooms on the concrete pillar's interior walls, a byproduct of this city's legendary fog, have marred the earth- and jewel-toned images. Their surfaces bear chips and scratches from the indiscreet hands of countless visitors. The ceiling plaster is peeling. The lighting is dim.
Photos: San Francisco's Coit Tower murals
"San Francisco cannot continue to position itself as a great city of arts and culture when it behaves this way," former state librarian and California historian Kevin Starr said after admiring the frescoes during a recent tour with friends. "Imagine if we treated Rockefeller Center like this."
Starr's voice is the latest in a rising chorus of concern over conditions at Coit Tower.
Faced with complaints from neighborhood groups, docents and even one of the artists' descendants, the city has stepped up efforts to restore the tower and its murals.
The San Francisco Arts Commission has retained a preservationist to assess the damage and hopes to raise enough money to restore the works while improving lighting and other aspects of the visitor experience
Recreation and parks officials have promised to channel 1% annually from the Coit Tower earnings into a fund for mural upkeep, in addition to pledging up to $250,000 for a one-time restoration. The department also is seeking a new concessionaire to sell elevator tickets and upgrade the snacks and souvenirs — and will require applicants to submit a plan to protect the treasured artwork.
The new contractor, however, will be permitted to host monthly private cocktail parties on the tower's top floor. Proceeds will flow largely to the park department' strained budget, for an array of uses.
The commercial twist has incensed neighborhood groups, which now are gathering signatures for a ballot measure to limit such activity and guarantee that funds raised from Coit Tower be prioritized for its upkeep.
"It doesn't comport with what I think the community is asking for — a thoughtful approach to how we're going to keep Coit Tower in good shape," said Telegraph Hill Dwellers President Jon Golinger. "It shouldn't be, 'Let's squeeze everything we can get out of Coit Tower.' "
The structure was built in 1933, thanks to a vague bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit "to add to the beauty of the city I have always loved."
Under the pilot Public Works of Art Project, Coit Tower would become a model for the Works Progress Administration, which put thousands of artists to work during the Great Depression.
Many of the 26 artists chosen for San Francisco's project had studied with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera or were influenced by him. They worked in a similar style of rounded, boldly colored figures, depicting wealthy and poor alike in scenes seasoned with humor and political commentary.
In addition to showcasing contemporary California life, the muralists included some leftist imagery that caused controversy, along with newspaper headlines commenting on the rise of European fascism.
While the frescoes were going up, San Francisco was dealing with a work stoppage by longshoremen and a 1934 citywide general strike in solidarity with their cause — an echo, some say, of the current Occupy movement.
Photos: San Francisco's Coit Tower murals
"I think it's significant that the neglect of the tower is occurring in similar times to when the tower was built," said Ruth Gottstein, 89, a daughter of muralist Bernard Zakheim. She was depicted as a 12-year-old in his Coit Tower work and remembers "furious activity in quite a limited space" as the artists worked in unison.
No one disputes their historical value. But the works — along with their iconic Art Deco home, San Francisco's fluted Coit Tower — are in trouble.
Mineral blooms on the concrete pillar's interior walls, a byproduct of this city's legendary fog, have marred the earth- and jewel-toned images. Their surfaces bear chips and scratches from the indiscreet hands of countless visitors. The ceiling plaster is peeling. The lighting is dim.
Photos: San Francisco's Coit Tower murals
"San Francisco cannot continue to position itself as a great city of arts and culture when it behaves this way," former state librarian and California historian Kevin Starr said after admiring the frescoes during a recent tour with friends. "Imagine if we treated Rockefeller Center like this."
Starr's voice is the latest in a rising chorus of concern over conditions at Coit Tower.
Faced with complaints from neighborhood groups, docents and even one of the artists' descendants, the city has stepped up efforts to restore the tower and its murals.
The San Francisco Arts Commission has retained a preservationist to assess the damage and hopes to raise enough money to restore the works while improving lighting and other aspects of the visitor experience
Recreation and parks officials have promised to channel 1% annually from the Coit Tower earnings into a fund for mural upkeep, in addition to pledging up to $250,000 for a one-time restoration. The department also is seeking a new concessionaire to sell elevator tickets and upgrade the snacks and souvenirs — and will require applicants to submit a plan to protect the treasured artwork.
The new contractor, however, will be permitted to host monthly private cocktail parties on the tower's top floor. Proceeds will flow largely to the park department' strained budget, for an array of uses.
The commercial twist has incensed neighborhood groups, which now are gathering signatures for a ballot measure to limit such activity and guarantee that funds raised from Coit Tower be prioritized for its upkeep.
"It doesn't comport with what I think the community is asking for — a thoughtful approach to how we're going to keep Coit Tower in good shape," said Telegraph Hill Dwellers President Jon Golinger. "It shouldn't be, 'Let's squeeze everything we can get out of Coit Tower.' "
The structure was built in 1933, thanks to a vague bequest from Lillie Hitchcock Coit "to add to the beauty of the city I have always loved."
Under the pilot Public Works of Art Project, Coit Tower would become a model for the Works Progress Administration, which put thousands of artists to work during the Great Depression.
Many of the 26 artists chosen for San Francisco's project had studied with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera or were influenced by him. They worked in a similar style of rounded, boldly colored figures, depicting wealthy and poor alike in scenes seasoned with humor and political commentary.
In addition to showcasing contemporary California life, the muralists included some leftist imagery that caused controversy, along with newspaper headlines commenting on the rise of European fascism.
While the frescoes were going up, San Francisco was dealing with a work stoppage by longshoremen and a 1934 citywide general strike in solidarity with their cause — an echo, some say, of the current Occupy movement.
Photos: San Francisco's Coit Tower murals
"I think it's significant that the neglect of the tower is occurring in similar times to when the tower was built," said Ruth Gottstein, 89, a daughter of muralist Bernard Zakheim. She was depicted as a 12-year-old in his Coit Tower work and remembers "furious activity in quite a limited space" as the artists worked in unison.
