Life of Washington (murals): Difference between revisions

Line 9:

|date_of_action=December 2018-June 2019

|location=San Francisco, CA

|description_of_content=“Life of Washington” is a mural ~~in fresco~~ comprising thirteen panels on the life of George Washington, and depict George Washington in both real and imagined scenarios in his life. It was painted by Russian-American painter and Stanford professor of art Victor Arnautoff in 1936 at the newly built George Washington High School in San Francisco, with assistance from artists George Harris and Gorden Langdon.

|description_of_content=“Life of Washington” is a mural comprising thirteen panels in fresco on the life of George Washington, and depict George Washington in both real and imagined scenarios in his life. It was painted by Russian-American painter and Stanford professor of art Victor Arnautoff in 1936 at the newly built George Washington High School in San Francisco, with assistance from artists George Harris and Gorden Langdon.

Funded by the WPA’s Federal Art Project, the murals were Arnautoff’s largest New Deal commission and one of the largest ensembles of New Deal artworks at a single site. Arnautoff was a well-known muralist, having painted other WPA funded projects including murals at Coit Tower where he was Technical Director of the project.

Line 16:

Arnautoff's political views as well as his work were influenced by Diego Rivera, for whom he worked as an assistant while living in Mexico. He joined the Communist Party, the American Artists' Congress and the San Francisco Artists and Writers Union. His politics were reflected in his work, which was part of a mural arts movement intended to inspire change through criticism of the political system. His style is considered more subtle than Rivera's and that of other social realists of the period.

|description_of_incident=Two of the thirteen panels in the mural series have come under fire since the 1960’s for their controversial depictions of African-Americans and Native Americans. For decades, Native Americans and activists have called for the mural’s removal, most recently in December 2018 after Washington High School was denied landmark status specifically because of the mural’s offensiveness to Native Americans. The George Washington High School Alumni Association launched a campaign to save the mural. The alumni proposed adding interpretive panels to give historical context to the murals and to also document how they have been experienced by Native American, African American, and other students of color, keeping the 83-year-old mural intact.

|description_of_incident=Two of the thirteen panels in the mural series have come under fire since the 1960’s for their controversial depictions of African-Americans and Native Americans. For decades, Native Americans and activists have called for the mural’s removal, most recently in December 2018 after Washington High School was denied landmark status specifically because of the mural’s offensiveness to Native Americans.

The high school is part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. The Board was divided about the school’s application for landmark status because designating it as such would make it impossible to modify or remove the murals afterwards. The SFUSD created a 13-member “Reflection and Action Group” to consider the provide a recommendation to the Board. They held four public meetings, and in February 2019 they issued their final recommendation to remove the entire mural series from the school.

The George Washington High School Alumni Association launched a campaign to save the mural. The alumni proposed adding interpretive panels to give historical context to the murals and to also document how they have been experienced by Native American, African American, and other students of color, keeping the 83-year-old mural intact.

The story was extensively covered in both local and national media. Those who would censor the work cited its depiction of slavery and the murder of a Native American as traumatizing to some students of color. Others, including NCAC and the leaders of four of San Francisco’s top visual arts institutions, argued that it is an artistic and historical treasure that does not celebrate the life of George Washington uncritically, and instead depicts him as complicit in slavery and the violent pursuit of America’s “Manifest Destiny.”

In the debate over the 13 murals, one side, which includes art historians and alumni, sees a valuable history lesson; the other, which includes many African-Americans and Native Americans, sees a hostile environment.

|description_of_result=On June 25, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously to remove the murals.

|image=Arnautoff, Life of Washington.jpg

|source=Photo: Amanda Law, via https://www.donnagraves.org/blog/2018/2/27/citywide-historic-context-for-new-deal-san-francisco

}}

GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL: ARNAUTOFF MURAL – SAN FRANCISCO CA

https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/george-washington-high-school-arnautoff-mural-san-francisco-ca/

CITYWIDE HISTORIC CONTEXT FOR NEW DEAL SAN FRANCISCO

https://www.donnagraves.org/blog/2018/2/27/citywide-historic-context-for-new-deal-san-francisco

~~The~~ high school is part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. The Board was divided about the school’s application for landmark status because designating it as such would make it impossible to modify or remove the murals ~~afterwards.~~

NCAC Letter: May 6, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SCHOOL MAY DESTROY HISTORICAL MURALS

https://ncac.org/news/san-francisco-high-school-may-destroy-historical-murals

~~In 2018, the SFUSD created a 13-member “Reflection~~ and ~~Action Group” to consider~~ the ~~provide a recommendation~~ to ~~the Board~~. ~~They held four public meetings~~, ~~and in February 2019 they issued their final recommendation to remove the entire mural series from the school~~.

Professor Dewey Crumpler Defends GWHS Murals

GWHS Alumni Assn SF CA

Art Professor Dewey Crumpler defends Victor Arnautoff's (WPA/PWA 1936) Murals and discusses how the Arnautoff murals relate to his [Crumpler's] 1974 murals, and vice versa, at George Washington High School (San Francisco, California). We must face, not erase, America’s dark history. Censorship is never acceptable. - GWHS Alumni Association

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZEMpyvdAXQ&feature=youtu.be

On June 25, 2019, the San Francisco Board of ~~Education voted unanimously~~ to ~~remove~~ the ~~murals~~.

June 26, 2019

~~|image=Arnautoff~~, ~~Life~~ of Washington.~~jpg~~

San Francisco school board votes to destroy controversial Washington High mural

~~|source=Photo~~: ~~Amanda Law~~, ~~via~~ https://www.~~donnagraves~~.~~org~~/~~blog~~/~~2018~~/2/27/~~citywide~~-historic-~~context~~-~~for~~-~~new~~-~~deal~~-san-francisco

Jill Tucker

}}

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-school-board-votes-to-destroy-14050025.php

SF school board votes to destroy circa 1936 mural

“No one has the right to tell us as native people—or our young people who walk those halls everyday—how they feel”

https://sf.curbed.com/2019/6/24/18716046/george-washington-high-murals-sfusd-vote-victor-arnautoff

SFUSD Approves Covering Controversial George Washington High School Mural

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/06/26/george-washington-high-school-mural-cover-up-sfusd/

June 25, 2019

Bay Area art leaders on censorship of George Washington High mural

The controversial mural will see its fate decided during a Tuesday evening school board meeting

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/bay-area-art-leaders-on-censorship-of-george-washington-high-mural

School board votes to paint over historic high school mural

Alumni have threatened to sue over removal of frescoes depicting slavery, death of Native Americans

https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/school-board-votes-to-paint-over-offensive-sections-of-historic-high-school-mural/

June 24, 2019

Open Forum: The San Francisco School Board is flunking history

By Lope Yap Jr.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Open-Forum-The-San-Francisco-School-Board-is-14039382.php

June 20, 2019

High school mural debate a reminder that destroying art destroys our culture

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/high-school-mural-debate-a-reminder-that-destroying-art-destroys-our-culture

June 19, 2019

Activists want a racist San Francisco high school mural removed

https://tworowtimes.com/opinion/activists-want-a-racist-san-francisco-high-school-mural-removed/

June 17, 2019

Fate of controversial SF high school mural down to three options

https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Fate-of-controversial-SF-high-school-mural-down-14008090.php?psid=auUdw

June 15, 2019

National Coalition Against Censorship Urges Retaining Washington Murals

https://sfrichmondreview.com/2019/06/15/national-coalition-against-censorship-urges-retaining-washington-murals/

June 10 2019

Activists want a high school mural removed. Should its impact today overshadow the artist's intentions?

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/george-washington-mural-conversation/index.html

MAY 13, 2019

David and Art - "High School Mural"

By BRODIE BASHAW

https://www.kwbu.org/post/david-and-art-high-school-mural#stream/0

May 7, 2019 9:00 p.m

Feds could weigh in on fight over preservation of historic mural

SFUSD working group favors removal of controversial Washington High School fresco

https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/feds-could-weigh-in-on-fight-over-preservation-of-historic-mural/

May 3, 2019

High School May Remove George Washington Mural that 'Traumatizes Students and Community Members'

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/may/high-school-may-remove-george-washington-mural-that-traumatizes-students-and-community-members

Apr 15, 2019

STUDENT OPINION

Should School Murals That Depict an Ugly History Be Removed?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/learning/should-school-murals-that-depict-an-ugly-history-be-removed.html

April 11, 2019

These High School Murals Depict an Ugly History. Should They Go?

By Carol Pogash

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/arts/design/george-washington-murals-ugly-history-debated.html

April 9, 2019

Historic WPA murals at George Washington High School are facing destruction due to controversial depictions of Native Americans and African-Americans

https://richmondsfblog.com/2019/04/09/historic-wpa-murals-at-george-washington-high-school-are-facing-destruction-due-to-controversial-depictions-of-native-americans-and-african-americans/

April 8, 2019

Critics say mural depicting slavery, Native Americans at a San Francisco high school is offensive

http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/critics-say-mural-depicting-slavery-native-americans-at-a-san-francisco-high-school-is-offensive

Offensive or important? Debate flares anew over SF school mural depicting slavery

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Offensive-or-important-Debate-flares-anew-over-13748800.php

April 2, 2019

Washington High Alumni Push to Keep Dubious Mural

A mural showing colonizers stepping over a dead Native American has long been controversial, but an alumni group is fighting to save it.

http://www.sfweekly.com/news/washington-high-alumni-push-to-keep-dubious-mural/

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |date_of_action=December 2018-June 2019
 |location=San Francisco, CA
-|description_of_content=“Life of Washington” is a mural in fresco comprising thirteen panels on the life of George Washington, and depict George Washington in both real and imagined scenarios in his life. It was painted by Russian-American painter and Stanford professor of art Victor Arnautoff in 1936 at the newly built George Washington High School in San Francisco, with assistance from artists George Harris and Gorden Langdon.
+|description_of_content=“Life of Washington” is a mural comprising thirteen panels in fresco on the life of George Washington, and depict George Washington in both real and imagined scenarios in his life. It was painted by Russian-American painter and Stanford professor of art Victor Arnautoff in 1936 at the newly built George Washington High School in San Francisco, with assistance from artists George Harris and Gorden Langdon.
 Funded by the WPA’s Federal Art Project, the murals were Arnautoff’s largest New Deal commission and one of the largest ensembles of New Deal artworks at a single site. Arnautoff was a well-known muralist, having painted other WPA funded projects including murals at Coit Tower where he was Technical Director of the project.
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 Arnautoff's political views as well as his work were influenced by Diego Rivera, for whom he worked as an assistant while living in Mexico. He joined the Communist Party, the American Artists' Congress and the San Francisco Artists and Writers Union. His politics were reflected in his work, which was part of a mural arts movement intended to inspire change through criticism of the political system. His style is considered more subtle than Rivera's and that of other social realists of the period.
-|description_of_incident=Two of the thirteen panels in the mural series have come under fire since the 1960’s for their controversial depictions of African-Americans and Native Americans. For decades, Native Americans and activists have called for the mural’s removal, most recently in December 2018 after Washington High School was denied landmark status specifically because of the mural’s offensiveness to Native Americans. The George Washington High School Alumni Association launched a campaign to save the mural. The alumni proposed adding interpretive panels to give historical context to the murals and to also document how they have been experienced by Native American, African American, and other students of color, keeping the 83-year-old mural intact.
+|description_of_incident=Two of the thirteen panels in the mural series have come under fire since the 1960’s for their controversial depictions of African-Americans and Native Americans. For decades, Native Americans and activists have called for the mural’s removal, most recently in December 2018 after Washington High School was denied landmark status specifically because of the mural’s offensiveness to Native Americans.
+The high school is part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. The Board was divided about the school’s application for landmark status because designating it as such would make it impossible to modify or remove the murals afterwards. The SFUSD created a 13-member “Reflection and Action Group” to consider the provide a recommendation to the Board. They held four public meetings, and in February 2019 they issued their final recommendation to remove the entire mural series from the school.
+The George Washington High School Alumni Association launched a campaign to save the mural. The alumni proposed adding interpretive panels to give historical context to the murals and to also document how they have been experienced by Native American, African American, and other students of color, keeping the 83-year-old mural intact.
 The story was extensively covered in both local and national media. Those who would censor the work cited its depiction of slavery and the murder of a Native American as traumatizing to some students of color. Others, including NCAC and the leaders of four of San Francisco’s top visual arts institutions, argued that it is an artistic and historical treasure that does not celebrate the life of George Washington uncritically, and instead depicts him as complicit in slavery and the violent pursuit of America’s “Manifest Destiny.”
 In the debate over the 13 murals, one side, which includes art historians and alumni, sees a valuable history lesson; the other, which includes many African-Americans and Native Americans, sees a hostile environment.
+|description_of_result=On June 25, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously to remove the murals.
+|image=Arnautoff, Life of Washington.jpg
+|source=Photo: Amanda Law, via https://www.donnagraves.org/blog/2018/2/27/citywide-historic-context-for-new-deal-san-francisco
+}}
+GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL: ARNAUTOFF MURAL – SAN FRANCISCO CA
+https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/george-washington-high-school-arnautoff-mural-san-francisco-ca/
+CITYWIDE HISTORIC CONTEXT FOR NEW DEAL SAN FRANCISCO
+https://www.donnagraves.org/blog/2018/2/27/citywide-historic-context-for-new-deal-san-francisco
-The high school is part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and is under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education. The Board was divided about the school’s application for landmark status because designating it as such would make it impossible to modify or remove the murals afterwards.
+NCAC Letter: May 6, 2019
+SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SCHOOL MAY DESTROY HISTORICAL MURALS
+https://ncac.org/news/san-francisco-high-school-may-destroy-historical-murals
-In 2018, the SFUSD created a 13-member “Reflection and Action Group” to consider the provide a recommendation to the Board. They held four public meetings, and in February 2019 they issued their final recommendation to remove the entire mural series from the school.
+Professor Dewey Crumpler Defends GWHS Murals
+GWHS Alumni Assn SF CA
+Art Professor Dewey Crumpler defends Victor Arnautoff's (WPA/PWA 1936) Murals and discusses how the Arnautoff murals relate to his [Crumpler's] 1974 murals, and vice versa, at George Washington High School (San Francisco, California).  We must face, not erase, America’s dark history.  Censorship is never acceptable. - GWHS Alumni Association
+https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZEMpyvdAXQ&feature=youtu.be
-On June 25, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously to remove the murals.
+June 26, 2019
-|image=Arnautoff, Life of Washington.jpg
+San Francisco school board votes to destroy controversial Washington High mural
-|source=Photo: Amanda Law, via https://www.donnagraves.org/blog/2018/2/27/citywide-historic-context-for-new-deal-san-francisco
+Jill Tucker
-}}
+https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-school-board-votes-to-destroy-14050025.php
+SF school board votes to destroy circa 1936 mural
+“No one has the right to tell us as native people—or our young people who walk those halls everyday—how they feel”
+https://sf.curbed.com/2019/6/24/18716046/george-washington-high-murals-sfusd-vote-victor-arnautoff
+SFUSD Approves Covering Controversial George Washington High School Mural
+https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/06/26/george-washington-high-school-mural-cover-up-sfusd/
+June 25, 2019
+Bay Area art leaders on censorship of George Washington High mural
+The controversial mural will see its fate decided during a Tuesday evening school board meeting
+https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/bay-area-art-leaders-on-censorship-of-george-washington-high-mural
+School board votes to paint over historic high school mural
+Alumni have threatened to sue over removal of frescoes depicting slavery, death of Native Americans
+https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/school-board-votes-to-paint-over-offensive-sections-of-historic-high-school-mural/
+June 24, 2019
+Open Forum: The San Francisco School Board is flunking history
+By Lope Yap Jr.
+https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Open-Forum-The-San-Francisco-School-Board-is-14039382.php
+June 20, 2019
+High school mural debate a reminder that destroying art destroys our culture
+https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/high-school-mural-debate-a-reminder-that-destroying-art-destroys-our-culture
+June 19, 2019
+Activists want a racist San Francisco high school mural removed
+https://tworowtimes.com/opinion/activists-want-a-racist-san-francisco-high-school-mural-removed/
+June 17, 2019
+Fate of controversial SF high school mural down to three options
+https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Fate-of-controversial-SF-high-school-mural-down-14008090.php?psid=auUdw
+June 15, 2019
+National Coalition Against Censorship Urges Retaining Washington Murals
+https://sfrichmondreview.com/2019/06/15/national-coalition-against-censorship-urges-retaining-washington-murals/
+June 10 2019
+Activists want a high school mural removed. Should its impact today overshadow the artist's intentions?
+https://www.cnn.com/style/article/george-washington-mural-conversation/index.html
+MAY 13, 2019
+David and Art - "High School Mural"
+By BRODIE BASHAW
+https://www.kwbu.org/post/david-and-art-high-school-mural#stream/0
+May 7, 2019 9:00 p.m
+Feds could weigh in on fight over preservation of historic mural
+SFUSD working group favors removal of controversial Washington High School fresco
+https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/feds-could-weigh-in-on-fight-over-preservation-of-historic-mural/
+May 3, 2019
+High School May Remove George Washington Mural that 'Traumatizes Students and Community Members'
+http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/may/high-school-may-remove-george-washington-mural-that-traumatizes-students-and-community-members
+Apr 15, 2019
+STUDENT OPINION
+Should School Murals That Depict an Ugly History Be Removed?
+https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/learning/should-school-murals-that-depict-an-ugly-history-be-removed.html
+April 11, 2019
+These High School Murals Depict an Ugly History. Should They Go?
+By Carol Pogash
+https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/arts/design/george-washington-murals-ugly-history-debated.html
+April 9, 2019
+Historic WPA murals at George Washington High School are facing destruction due to controversial depictions of Native Americans and African-Americans
+https://richmondsfblog.com/2019/04/09/historic-wpa-murals-at-george-washington-high-school-are-facing-destruction-due-to-controversial-depictions-of-native-americans-and-african-americans/
+April 8, 2019
+Critics say mural depicting slavery, Native Americans at a San Francisco high school is offensive
+http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/critics-say-mural-depicting-slavery-native-americans-at-a-san-francisco-high-school-is-offensive
+Offensive or important? Debate flares anew over SF school mural depicting slavery
+https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Offensive-or-important-Debate-flares-anew-over-13748800.php
+April 2, 2019
+Washington High Alumni Push to Keep Dubious Mural
+A mural showing colonizers stepping over a dead Native American has long been controversial, but an alumni group is fighting to save it.
+http://www.sfweekly.com/news/washington-high-alumni-push-to-keep-dubious-mural/