George Washington High School: Arnautoff Mural – San Francisco CA

9 comments on “George Washington High School: Arnautoff Mural – San Francisco CA”

1. Garrett Grant April 2, 2019

   Are you aware that the Board of Education in SF has decided to whitewash the panels because of some of the depictions. I truly hope that some of your staff will contact members of the Board to protest this decision and provide them with the true intent of the artist as well as the artistic merit and preservation significance of these works of art. They can be contacted at sfusd.edu/en/about-sfusd/board-of-education/overview-and-members.html
   Thank you

   Reply
2. Nicole Mercier April 4, 2019

   I am appalled at this decision. It is ridiculous to think that you can obliterate or change history, ugly as it may be, by whitewashing over it. This is shameful and not representative of who native San Franciscans are. I no longer live in my birth city but I hold it and my alma mater dear to me. What do you suppose you are going to put on these walls to replace it? Flowers and bunnies? Art by its nature is often controversial. These murals might be offensive to some because of their subject matter, but instead of defacing them as you propose you should be embracing them as a LEARNING TOOL! This is the perfect opportunity to take your high schoolers on a historic field trip through their OWN building and learn about what happened in the past. I cannot believe that only two short years ago these murals were destined to be named historic landmarks and now this! You should ALL be ashamed of yourselves. Please save and preserve these murals for my grandchildren!!!
   https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sfusd-schools-murals-destined-for-landmark-status/

   Nicole Mercier, Class of 1969

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3. Michael Jaroff , GWHS,1961 April 4, 2019

   The proposed destruction of these murals is a wrong headed attempt to revise history. Instead, every effort should be made to provide narrative to explain the context in which these murals were created. Victor Arnautoff, the artist, sought, through the murals, to oppose injustice. Destroying these murals would be a calculated injustice in and of itself.

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4. Max Anderson April 8, 2019

   It’s amazing the arrogance and inhumane attitude of people to believe it is appropriate to subject black children to the glorification of their oppression.
   To have black children to have to endure the subjugation of their ancestors plastered on the wall as they are in school is criminal.
   Especially when Washington has nothing to do with California history.

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5. Richard D Browning April 11, 2019

   I am appalled by this erasing of art and history. It is indeed on par with book burning. I want to get into the high school and view the murals before they are destroyed. Is it possible for outside persons to enter the school to view the murals?

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6. Dorothy Currin Gajniak April 16, 2019

   Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum is one of our country’s largest museums focusing/exhibiting on African-American History.

   I am truly saddened to learn that my alma mater, George Washington High School may have to whitewash it’s historical murals.

   Read some of Yelp reviews on the Charles H. Wright museum.

   Here are af few:
   “A great exhibit on slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.”
   “This place brings history to life.”
   “The Museum is beautiful and it hurt my heart to see the injustices of slavery”
   “Very emotional but great way to teach the kids history.”

   There are many more comments to see on the Yelp review.

   I do hope that San Francisco’s Board of Education will decide to save the murals.

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7. Charles June 19, 2019

   There are many who are missing the entire point here of why these murals even exist at all.
   This is not celebrating any of this, nor does this have anything to do with white supremists trying to preserve their distorted worldviews.
   Rather, this is the extreme opposite. The idea is to reveal to the public, via this art, the real history of America, with all of its dark and disturbing histories, that people can learn from.
   Got that?
   What’s next, book burning? Shutting down libraries because they might have unpleasant books on the self? Going after any artwork anywhere because someone decided to deem it “offensive”?
   Ever read any of the works by George Orwell?
   I just find it bizarre beyond words that the people who’s ancestors have suffered these horrific events would want to censor this content, for what . . . so that no one can refer to the truth of what happened and why?
   It’s to everyone’s benefit not to censor, but see and learn as much of real history as possible, lest that history be repeated.
   What we have now is mob mentality hysteria, not driven by any form of reasoned thought, but rather by blind myopic emotion, fueled by some who are desperate to be perpetually immersed in their own self serving agendas. Some purported social justice warriors are fanatically determined to pursue these misguided agendas regardless if their actions actually hurt the very causes they claim to represent.
   I’m just suggesting to wake up a bit, and think this through for yourself, rather than just blindly jump on the momentary bandwagon because it’s the fashionable thing to do.
   This is where political correctness hysteria transcends any form of actual reasoned thought . . . and descends into chaos.
   Maybe this is what you want . . . in which case, be careful what you wish for.
   The outcome may be very different than what you were expecting.

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8. Lisa Diedrich July 5, 2019

   Please save this work of art! I am appalled at the thought that it’s going to be whitewashed and destroyed. What is happening in San Francisco? Learn from this art!

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9. CM July 15, 2019

   I am wondering if the mural is owned by the Fed.? Since the high school was built using WPA funds, are there federal protections for the art work?

   Reply

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