For the second time in
two weeks, Ryan Kost's article "The art of moving a mural"
appeared--this time in the Bay Area of the SF Chronicle Yesterday,
Sunday, January 10.
It's always good for a
CCSF's treasure, Rivera's mural of Pan-American Unity, to get press--and I like
to read about the lingering hope that CCSF's Performing Arts Education Center
will become a reality and provide a permanent home for the mural. So I was
happy to see this article repeated.
Knowing Will Maynez,
who's both charismatic and a team player, I'm sure he mentioned Julia Bergman
in the interview leading up to this article, but it's written up as if Will
were alone in this venture.
The caption under his
photo says "Historian William Maynez spearheaded City College's efforts to
restore and maintain the mural." His contributions have been major,
but I think the reporter should also have mentioned Julia Bergman, who's been
his partner in this, and the Diego Rivera Mural Steering Committee.
I also hope he mentioned
the student docent program, which I think deserves much more press and much
more support. Even The Guardsman, the student newspaper at CCSF,
neglects the docents when it does write-ups on the mural.
Of course, a lot of
things about this article are misleading. The caption under a picture of the
Cultural Heritage Imaginng directors Carla Schroer and Marlin Lum photographing
"the mural, which is being moved across tshe street at City College of San
Francisco." I wish that were fact!
Will is quoted as
saying, "What I'm trying to do is move it across the street." The
reporter writes that Will said this "as though- the building he wants to
move it to--a new performing arts center...hadn't been put on hold..."
According to the article structural engineers and conservators have all come to
examine the mural "at Maynez's request" and "they've assured him
a move is possible."
Finally there's a we:
"But we don't want any more intervention than is necessary."
Then it's back to a
single champion: "He's become its 'self-appointed, self-anointed'
historian." Surely he said, "along with Julia Bergman."
"He has been
piecing together the mural's history and the stories within ever since. He's
managed to track down a few of the subjects in the piece,..."
"This is my watch.
I'm trying to do as best I can by the mural."
I wish he would put the
student docents on his watch! I hope someone IS doing that!
http://www.sfchronicle.com/art/article/Push-to-move-a-Rivera-mural-but-first-a-6728370.php
