[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE

                                 ______


                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 1996

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the San 
Francisco Art Institute as it celebrates its 125th year of contributing 
to the enrichment of the artistic and cultural community of the San 
Francisco Bay Area and the United States. The San Francisco Art 
Institute has excelled in training, guiding and nurturing budding 
artistic talent, and these talented students and artists have shared 
their many gifts with the Nation and the world.
  Founded in 1871 by a group of artists, writers and civic leaders, the 
San Francisco Art Institute has become an integral part of the heritage 
that has made San Francisco a thriving creative arts community. First 
named the San Francisco Art Association, it was then and continues to 
be a pioneering institution with a distinct cultural vision for the 
West.
  After World War II, the Art Institute became the west coast center of 
abstract expressionism, involving an impressive group of artists, 
including Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt. In 1946, 
renowned photographer Ansel Adams created the Nation's first fine art 
photography department at the Institute, which later enticed such 
notable instructors as Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham and Edward 
Weston. In the 1950s, the Institute was a center for the Nation's 
leading figurative artists, including Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer 
Bischoff, David Park and James Weeks. In the 1960s, the Art Institute 
established the country's first fine art film program. And in 1995, 
keeping up with ever changing technology and new tools for creative 
expression, the Art Institute launched the New Imaging Center, an 
important new computer resource center for the visual arts.
  The Art Institute offers innovative academic programs in painting, 
photography, printmaking, filmmaking and sculpture. One of the keys to 
its exceptional success as an educational institution is the 
Institute's emphasis on personal exploration, growth and total 
immersion in one's work. The roster of stellar creative talent 
associated with the Art Institute throughout its last century is 
stunning in its breadth. The sculptor of Mount Rushmore, Gutzon 
Borglum, was a student. Diego Rivera created a mural at the school. 
Enrique Chagoya, Annie Liebowitz and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia 
are just a few more of the notable artists who have left their mark on 
the Art Institute and our Nation.
   Mr. Speaker, on March 16, 1996, the San Francisco Art Institute will 
host a gala celebration of its 125 years. A city-wide arts celebration 
will occur this month and next, as other San Francisco museums, 
galleries and art spaces pay tribute to the Institute on this landmark 
anniversary. On behalf of the United States Congress, I salute Art 
Institute President Ella King Torrey and all of the great contemporary 
artists and teachers who have contributed throughout the years to 
creating and building this legacy for our Nation. Let us all join with 
the San Francisco Art Institute and continue to celebrate and support 
the arts and their prominent place in our society for years to come.

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