Monday, July 18, 2022

ART IS OFFICIALLY DEAD IN SAN FRANCISCO

By Bob Walsh


San Francisco Art Institute 

 


The San Francisco Art Institute, which has been around longer than Joe Biden, though not by much (151 years), will be going tits up in the very near future.  The school had hoped to blend with the University of San Francisco but that deal fell thru as USF decided to expand its own art school instead.  

There is some reason to believe that the real estate was the issue.  The ground on which the SFAI sits is in a complex trust that would give the dirt to U C Berkeley in the event the property is no longer used as an "art campus."  

The school at one time had as many as 700 students.  It is now down to 300.  It's Fort Mason campus still has 50 years to run on a 55 year lease.  It is now up for a sub-let.  

SFAI is going to attempt to hang in there.  It was originally a Jesuit college and may be able to continue under that banner.  Or not.

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