1874 Virgil Williams, First Faculty Member

Virgil Williams, the first director and first teacher at the School, like many of the 19th century artists who came to Northern California, were attracted by the light, the mountains, seascapes and the fortunes that were made during the gold and silver rushes and with the building of the transcontinental railroad—money that would finance a San Francisco culture and underwrite the beginnings of the San Francisco Art Institute then known as the San Francisco Art Association and the California School of Design.

With permission, SFAA is re-posting the emails Jeff Gunderson Librarian/Archivist Anne Bremer Memorial Library has been sending out since March 2020. Please enjoy this magnificent archive.

SFAI Student Filmmakers Go to Court 1969

With the completion of the 1969 building there was space for a robust Film Department headed by Robert Nelson.  This poster illustrates the lively nature of the department by  announcing “Continuous Projections of Films by Students” with a photograph by Dennis Hearne of a July 1968 film shoot by student filmmakers, Michael Wiese and Steven Arnold  near Sebastopol.  Wiese described how "we were shooting a naked couple dancing through a field when...we found ourselves surrounded by 8 deputized men with rifles pointed at us....They said a Girl Scout troop often walks through this field.  We were arrested and thrown into jail.  The police confiscated our camera equipment...fortunately they don't open the film cans...marked..."Film: Do Not Open," or they would have found some of the country's best marijuana."  Once they got to court the judge warned Weise, "I never want to hear that you are making films again!" Standing before him with my fingers crossed, "Oh, no sir.  Promise.  I'll never make a film again."  The charges are dropped."  [from Michael Wiese's autobiography, Onward and Upward, p. 61]

With permission, SFAA is re-posting the emails Jeff Gunderson Librarian/Archivist Anne Bremer Memorial Library has been sending out since March 2020. Please enjoy this magnificent archive.

Sun Ra at SFAI 1968 & 1969

Sun Ra performed in the SFAI courtyard in December 1968 and then did an encore concert at the School  with his “Arkestra”in April 1969, evidence of the students interest in experimental music, avantgarde jazz, and the cosmos of the future . And, of course, students made this terrific flyer to publicize the event.

With permission, SFAA is re-posting the emails Jeff Gunderson Librarian/Archivist Anne Bremer Memorial Library has been sending out since March 2020. Please enjoy this magnificent archive.