With two more weekends to go in the largest art event in the United States, people involved in San Francisco’s Open Studios are asking whether politics can ever be separated from art in this contentious city.
The answer: not completely, but the backdrop is looking a lot brighter.
Earlier this year, a measure put on the ballot by Supervisor Chris Daly threatened to blow up a decadelong plan to build a new housing development at the Hunters Point Shipyard — a plan that also included a new community arts center and replacement studios for the 300 artists who lease space at the former naval outpost.
Voters overwhelmingly rejected Daly’s ploy, and the architectural plans for the new arts center and studios are moving ahead at a rather brisk pace.
And as far as the politics are concerned, well: “Nobody is ranting on our Yahoo group anymore,’’ said Zannah Noe, the artist who organizes the spring showcase there.
Painter and photographer David Trachtenberg is one of the artists who has been meeting with city officials and executives from developer Lennar Corp. He said they are about to present a $2 billion project budget to members of the citizens advisory committee — the first big step in the site’s makeover process.
“The big message is that after 15 years of talks, this thing is now moving along pretty fast,’’ Trachtenberg said. “We’re much more upbeat and positive. They want to attract even more artists than we have out here now.’’
Among the ideas being explored in the future transformation of the artists’ colony is to consider using cargo-container technology to erect new studios — part of a movement called “cargotecture.”
That would seem to fit in well with the site’s seafaring past, but there certainly will be many plans lined up on the canvas. Right now, it’s all about the art.
This weekend’s showcase includes hundreds of displays all over The City, such as Francisco Studios in the Excelsior, which features the colorful creations of noted photographer Audrey Heller and painters David Hughes, Katherine Hisako Kodama, Jennifer Wildermuth and Shilo Randall.
Next weekend, there will be more of the same, with the Hunters Point Shipyard site being a central magnet and featuring the exquisite paintings of Carol Jessen, Dimitri Kourouniotis, Ivy Jacobsen and Karen Slater.
For a full schedule, visit www.artspan.org.