Talks

March 26 The Franciscan Bioregion is the unique ecological area of Planet Earth and the area of our keen interest, north of the San Francisco airport, from San Bruno Mountain to the Golden Gate. In the heart of the city is a series of hilltops, e.g., Mt. Davidson, Tank Hill, Corona Heights, as well as Glen Canyon, that are still rich with natural areas, wildlife habitats, and indigenous biodiversity. This “Twin Peaks Bioregion” is severely threatened by noxious weeds and

March 19 Favianna Rodriguez has been making art to make change for years. She will present remarkable posters, illustrations, stickers and more, and talk about art and politics, in the concluding event of our solo artist shows this season. podcast: http://diva.sfsu.edu/users/Chris.Carlsson/ssf_talks?podcast=44

March 12 Peoples from the Arab World have been migrating to San Francisco for over a hundred years. The earliest were mostly from the Levant: Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine; and also Yemen. Most recent immigrants coming from North Africa’s Magrib region (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) and Iraq since the first Gulf War. Why did they come here? How have they affected SF life? What are their ongoing connections to “homelands” across the world? San Francisco, being a liberal progressive

February 20 Eric Drooker’s art has provided iconic imagery for countless political initiatives, as well as showing up on covers of the New Yorker, and in a number of gorgeous graphic novels. His slide show and talk is one of the best of its type. Don’t miss it!

February 13 Community based public art spaces are stuck between business-like survival and serving their communities. Hear veterans of San Francisco’s Space Wars discuss how they’ve navigated the repressive dynamics of real estate, money, and power to hold open spaces for diverse communities to meet, talk, make art, and shape life. Jonathan Youtt (Cellspace), Robin Balliger (Komotion), Michael Med-o Whitson (848 and CounterPULSE). podcast: http://diva.sfsu.edu/users/Chris.Carlsson/ssf_talks?podcast=31

January 30 The Golden Gate National Recreation Area sustains more federally threatened and endangered species than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks combined. The San Francisco Bay Area is considered the 6th most important biological diversity hotspot in the United States by the Nature Conservancy. UNESCO has even granted the GGNRA “Biosphere Reserve” status, the same status granted to the Central Amazon rainforests. Come and learn about the amazing biodiversity in your own backyard! Brent Plater and Peter

January 16 Schoultz’s distinctive murals full of strange animals, twisting buildings and floating birdhouses caught the angst of modern life. Lately he’s gone to a surrealistic sea and we’ll get a full look at his work and hear what he says about it tonight. podcast: http://diva.sfsu.edu/users/Chris.Carlsson/ssf_talks?podcast=21

January 9, 2008 What does ‘class’ or ‘community’ mean? How does the newbie Midwesterner serving burgers at a Castro street diner relate to the landlord and shop owner ‘Gay Community’ spokesmen? How do the schisms between different classes of women, whether lesbian or bi or undefined, show up in daily life and local politics (or not)? How does fear of gender bending impact trans and intersexed people when it comes to paying the rent? Solidad de Costa, Keith Hennessy, and