Finding Aid for the San Francisco Arts Commission Neighborhood Arts Program Records
(1970-2003)
SFH 453
Finding aid prepared by Katherine Ets-Hokin.
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
2016. Updated to include file names 2022.
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Title: San Francisco Arts Commission Neighborhood Arts Program Records
Date (inclusive): 1970-2003
Date (bulk): 1970-1990
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 453
Creator:
San Francisco (Calif.). Art Commission
Physical Description:
Three cartons and one mss box.
(3.25 Cubic Feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: The San Francisco Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) shifted the focus of the arts community to neighborhood community centers
that reflected the cultural identities of the communities who lived there. Materials include correspondence, files on community
centers, flyers, booklets, events planning, materials relating to NAP, clippings, directories, photographs and photographic
slides.
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English with some Chinese.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], San Francisco Arts Commission Neighborhood Arts Program Records (SFH 453), San Francisco History
Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
Donated by Anne Trickey in 2016 for the San Francisco Art Commission.
Related Materials
Researches are encouraged to view SFP 30, San Francisco Arts Festival Photographs and Records, 1948-1985 (bulk 1967-1985)
and to search the SFPL catalog.
Processing Information
The collection is partially processed and available for research. Since the collection is expected to grow through future
donations, series and order are not fixed.
Administrative History
The San Francisco Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) was established and funded by the Arts Commission in July 1967 with substantial
support from Commission president Harold Zellerbach. The NAP shifted the focus of the arts community to neighborhood community
centers that reflected the cultural identities of the communities who lived there. It was the first community program of its
kind and its influence quickly inspired many cities throughout the country to follow the same model.
The program employed hundreds of local artists working in a variety of artistic disciplines, offering workshops, performances
and other arts services in cultural centers and community settings. Popular performers like the Pickle Family Circus, the
San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Intersection for the Arts were cultivated in the Neighborhood Arts Program which also attracted
talented artists like Bill Irwin, Marga Gomez, Roberto Vargas, Danny Glover and Peter Coyote.
In 1973 the city announced plans to spend five million dollars in federal revenue-sharing to develop a Performing Arts Center,
today's Davies Symphony Hall. Community members were outraged that their funding was being allocated for an arts center designed
for only a wealthy few. The activist group Community Coalition For the Arts won a commitment from the city to spend two and
a half million dollars in revenue-sharing over five years to purchase and develop community cultural centers.
In 1974 NAP and the San Francisco Arts Commission acquired federal funding through the Comprehensive Education and Training
Act (CETA) and were able to hire 123 CETA artist positions.
By 1977 SF Arts Commission had acquired four buildings and converted them to neighborhood arts centers: Bayview Opera House,
Mission Cultural Center, Western Addition Cultural Center, and the South of Market Cultural Center (now SOMArts). They also
leased facilities in Chinatown, North Beach and Bernal Heights.
When Davies Symphony Hall opened in 1980 tensions flared. Artists and community members were angry that neighborhood art programs
were being defunded while so much money was being spent on the new symphony building. On November 25, 1980 a fire destroyed
the commission's headquarters at 165 Grove Street damaging prints, drawings and paintings and destroying many offices and
records. The building was eventually razed and the commission was relocated to new offices.
The effects of proposition 13 lowering property taxes undercut funding for schools and the arts, and in 1981 the federal government
stopped funding the CETA arts program and the NAP lost seventy-five percent of its staff.
Sometime between September and November of 1991 the Neighborhood Arts Program changed its name to Community Arts and Education
to reflect its broader focus and it continues to support the arts in San Francisco.
Scope and Content
The collection contains files relating to the Neighborhood Arts Program and the Chinese Cultural Center. Materials include
correspondence, files on community centers, flyers, booklets, events planning, materials relating to NAP, clippings, directories,
photographs and photographic slides.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged in 3 series: Series 1: Neighborhood Arts Program Records, Series 2: Cultural Centers, Series 3: Photos.
Series 2 includes subseries. Subseries 2.1: Chinatown Cultural Center, Subseries 2.2: Mission Cultural Center, Subseries 2.3:
South of Market Cultural Center.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Neighborhood Arts Program -- (San Francisco, Calif.)
Community centers.
San Francisco Arts Commission
Series 1
Neighborhood Arts Program Subject Files
1970-2003
Scope and Content
This series consists of general files relating to the Neighborhood Arts Program. Materials include correspondence, media documentation,
community centers, flyers, booklets clippings, directories and events. Subjects include: Bayview Opera House, California Consortium
for Expansion of the Arts, Center for Africa and African American Arts and Culture, Chinatown Community Arts Project, Ethnic
Dance Festival, Forums, Blues Festival, Making Waves, and Murals.
carton 1
Bayview Opera House annual budget report
1990-1991
carton 1
Bayview Opera House correspondence
1992-1993
carton 1
Bayview Opera House documentation
1991-1992
carton 1
Bayview Opera House documents
1986
carton 1
Bayview Opera House: programming
1993
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: advocacy efforts
1985-1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: correspondence outgoing
1985-1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: mailing lists
1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: membership and structure
1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: minutes, committees
1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: professional management and assistance program proposal
1986
carton 1
California Consortium for Expansion Arts: project leader contract
1986
carton 1
Center for African American Art and Culture
circa 1995
carton 1
Center for African American Art and Culture: correspondence
1991
carton 1
Center for African American Art and Culture: facility
1992
carton 1
Center for African American Art and Culture: lease and building report
1991
carton 1
Chinatown Community Arts Project: job standard form
1998
carton 1
Culture Center needs assessment
1991
carton 1
Cultural Center property
1993
carton 1
Culture Center master file
1983-1984
carton 1
Documents and correspondence
1970
carton 1
Ethnic Dance Festival and show materials
1978
carton 1
Fourth Blues Festival
1976
carton 1
Graphic Services samples of work
1980
carton 1
Lower Fillmore Development Project
1996
carton 1
Making Waves: San Francisco Music Day
1993
carton 1
Media / documentation
1972-2007
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program
1970s
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program annual report
1971-1972
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program Chinatown
1990-1998
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program: cultural centers, facilities, programs
1977-1981
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program: documentation
1970-1991
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program media news clippings
1984
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program media
1993
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program media and correspondence
1976
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program media documentation
1975
carton 2
Neighborhood Arts Program status report
1993
carton 2
Neighborhood Biennial Report
1972-1974
carton 2
Picture story "A is for Africa: Fairytales and Fun"
1971
carton 2
Press Clippings
1979-1980
carton 2
Publications, guidebooks
1993
carton 2
Resource directories
1975
carton 2
San Francisco Arts Commission facilities
2005
carton 2
San Francisco Arts directory
1979
carton 2
San Francisco Arts task force
2006
carton 2
San Francisco Fair and International Expo
1987
carton 2
San Francisco Unified School District: Arts Education Master Plan
2006
carton 2
Support services for the arts
1981
carton 2
The Seed of Creative Community: a Report on the SF Arts Commission Neighborhood Arts Program (Draft)
1974-1976
carton 2
Support services media
1982
carton 2
Turk / Fillmore planning
1999
Series 2
Cultural Centers
Subseries 2.1
Chinatown Cultural Center
1980-1993
Scope and Content
This Subseries contains materials from to the Chinese Cultural Center. Subjects include art classes, dance classes, festivals,
fairs, exhibitions, and calligraphy. Ephemera includes flyers, event application forms, newspaper clippings, brochures and
some correspondence. Languages include English and Chinese.
carton 3
Art exhibit by four artists
1990
carton 3
Art exhibition by three artists
1990
carton 3
Asia Society of Art, 7th Annual International Arts Exhibit
1990
carton 3
Asia Society of Arts of America, 9th Annual Exhibit
1993
carton 3
Asia American Dance Collective (AADC)
1988
carton 3
Asian American Women, Artists Association Exhibit
1991
carton 3
Asian Women Artists Exhibit
1986
carton 3
Asian Games XI photo exhibition
1992
carton 3
Ballroom Dance class
1988
carton 3
Bay Area Seniors Arts Exhibition
1991-1992
carton 3
Beijing Song and Dance Troup
1988
carton 3
Birds and Flowers Exhibition
1985-1988
carton 3
Children's Art Contest
1984-1989
carton 3
Chinese American Art Exhibit
1986-1993
carton 3
Chinese Brush Paintings Exhibit
1990
carton 3
Chinese Calligraphy Exhibit
1990-1991
carton 3
Chinese Instrumental Classes
1983
carton 3
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy by Seniors
1990
carton 3
Chinese Paintings Exhibit by Three Artists
1990
carton 3
Chinese Pipa Music Concert
1983
carton 3
Chinese Ribbon Dance Class
1986
carton 3
Chinese Spring Festival
1980-1988
carton 3
Chinese Zither Music Contest
1985
carton 3
Clarion Annual Music Concert
1983
carton 3
Community Concert Series
1988
carton 3
Crystal Huie Exhibit
1986-1989
carton 3
Don Hong OAI Photo Exhibit
1983
carton 3
Exhibition of Chinese Painting
1988
carton 3
Exhibition of Photographs
1991
carton 3
Festival of Classical Chinese Music and Dance
1987
carton 3
Free Standing Art Ceramics and Sculpture Exhibit
1986
carton 3
Gathering of Artists Exhibit
1990
carton 3
Gu Zheng Music Concert
1986
carton 3
Hai Tao Music Concert
1989
carton 3
He Dong Summer Violin Class
1985
carton 3
Henry Lim Photo Exhibit
1984
carton 3
International Arts Exhibition
1989
carton 3
Jon Jang Jazz Concert
1992-1993
carton 3
Kearny Street Workshop
1989-1993
carton 3
Living Music for Golden Mountains
1981
carton 3
Marion Cheng Informance / Workshop
1990
carton 3
Michael Ling and Students
1985-1990
carton 3
Modern Chinese Paintings
1986
carton 3
Mongolian and Taiwanese Artists Joint Exhibition
1992
carton 3
Myrid Ages, photo exhibit
1983
carton 3
Nancy Hom Group Exhibition
1991
carton 3
News Photo Exhibit by Chinese press
1991
carton 3
Oakland Army Base Humanity Week
1990-1992
carton 3
Oil Painting Exhibition by Three Young Artists
1989
carton 3
Oil Painting Exhibition by 28 Young Artists
1993
carton 3
Painting and Calligraphy Exhibit
1989
carton 3
San Francisco Arts Festival
1984-1992
carton 3
San Francisco Urban Fair
1985
carton 3
Self Help for the Elderly Seniors Art Exhibit
1991-1992
carton 3
Sentimental Painting Exhibit
1984
carton 3
Shi Zimin Photo Exhibit
1985
carton 3
Sing Tao News Photo Exhibition
1988
carton 3
Six Women Artists Exhibition
1989
carton 3
Social Dancing Class
1986
carton 3
Spring Chinese Painting
1991
carton 3
Spring Quarter Dance Class
1986
carton 3
Stephen Wong Drawing Exhibit
1983
carton 3
Summer Chinese Dance Classes
1985
carton 3
Summer Youth Program
1988
carton 3
Third Annual Chinese America Art Exhibition
1988
carton 3
Three Artists from China Exhibit
1988
carton 3
Three Artists Oil Painting Exhibition
1992
carton 3
Three Generations Family Artists Exhibit
1988
carton 3
Traditional Chinese Painting
1989
carton 3
Twenty Five Years of NAP Celebration
1993
carton 3
White and Green Arts Exhibition
1992
carton 3
Young Peoples' Arts Festival
1987
carton 3
Youth Art Festival
1989-1993
carton 3
Youth Music Exchange Concert
1990
carton 3
YWCA Children's Art Exhibit
1990-1993
Sub-series 2.2
Mission Cultural Center
carton 1
Mission Cultural Center: correspondence
1992-1993
carton 1
Mission Cultural Center: documents
1981-1984
carton 1
Mission Cultural Center: events, calendars, promotion
1978-1982
Sub-series 2.3
South of Market Cultural Center
carton 2
South of Market Cultural Center
1992
carton 2
South of Market Cultural Center correspondence
1990-1993
carton 2
South of Market Cultural Center facility
1993
box 4
Series 3
Photos
Scope and Content
This series consists of photos, negatives and slides of Neighborhood Arts Program performances and events. Subjects include:
Bernal Heights Fiesta on the Hill, CAE Projects, Ethnic Dance Festival, Precita Eyes Mural Arts Festival, Ministry to Nursing
Homes Photos, Senior Citizen Craft Programs, Sunset Neighborhood Coalition, and Visual Art Show Depicting Flowers.
