Don Fisher has lots of money. He gives a fair amount away to charities of his choice. We appreciate his many contributions to education and the arts. We acknowledge his service on the Presidio Trust Board of Directors from 1996 to 2004.
I don’t know Don Fisher personally, but I know many who do. Some have good things to say about his philanthropy. Others, not so much. What comes out consistently is that he’s got a personal and political agenda and since he has money, he works that money into the political landscape to get what he wants. No secrets there.
He probably doesn’t care one way or the other what I personally think about his Presidio museum proposal. But he should. In a democracy, and in the national parks which we all own equally, all of our voices matter, money or not.
It is troubling that he is willing to propose a project that radically alters the vision for the Main Post in the Presidio Trust Management Plan (PTMP), a plan that contains numerous agreements reached after years of discussion with the public, a plan that was completed in 2002 while he was an active member of the Trust Board of Directors. I guess Mr. Fisher believes that one wealthy individual can radically and irrevocably alter the community and agency plans for the Presidio Main Post, a key, defining area of an historic national park, if he has his own plans that better suit his own agenda.
An argument is made by project proponents that this is a marvelous collection of modern art and an incredible gift to the people of San Francisco. No doubt. But “the gift” comes in a great big box, the size of a typical Walmart. Obviously, this “gift box” doesn’t have to be on the Presidio’s Main Post, destroy artifacts and mangle a National Historic Landmark District in order for all of us to enjoy the Fisher collection’s many virtues.
Here’s what Mr. Fisher has to say about showing his art at the Presidio. He doesn’t seem too concerned about the impacts his “gift” and “gift box” will have on the National Historic Landmark District.
If you want to show your own art… otherwise what do you do with it? You got to sell it, or give it away and people leave it in the basement. And… I don’t want to have our art in the basement. (Chuckle) And so this is ah… this is a way ah… this is a way of… avoiding that.
–Don Fisher
Clearly, the museum should be built in a place without permanently damaging irretrievable resources where traffic and public transportation will give it easy access. But, it appears that things didn’t work out with SFMOMA when he went there first with his proposal. It seems the SFMOMA folks didn’t want to display his very large collection all at one time and give Mr. Fisher the kind of control he wanted over displaying the collection. The “gift” had strings attached. No surprise there.
When Don Fisher’s project with SFMOMA didn’t work out he went to the Presidio Trust and offered to assist with other projects he knew the Trust wanted, such as “greening” the Main Post ($10 million) and rehabilitating one of the Montgomery Street Barracks ($15 million.) Despite having to proceed with a disruptive and distracting set of processes to review the new Fisher proposal, all that money was an offer the Trust couldn’t refuse, even if it meant jeopardizing the Presidio’s National Historic Landmark District designation and burning the community goodwill carefully nurtured by Craig Middleton since becoming the Trust’s Executive Director.
The following comments related to the Contemporary Art Museum at the Presidio, are from Don Fisher, himself. See the video. Decide for yourself if he’s at all concerned about the Presidio or if it’s all about Don Fisher and his art collection. What does Mr. Fisher have to say about the name of his museum and how that ties into the Presidio?
History? No. Archeology? No. Scenic beauty, surely! No. (Drumroll, please.) He ties his museum to the Presidio as a campground!
In fact, the name of the museum is CAMP, Contemporary Art Museum at the Presidio, and that really ties into the Presidio itself, as a campground. (smiling)
–Don Fisher
On Mr. Fisher’s choice of art. He’s knows best, of course, but if you don’t like it, tough.
If we like it and nobody else likes it, well, that’s fine. But we’ve done a pretty good job I think, of ah, of collecting what, ah, is of interest to other people as well.
–Don Fisher
But that goes directly to the point at hand: a wealthy guy saying he knows what’s in our best interest. Destroy the vision. Destroy the landmark status. Destroy the artifacts. Take my gift (with strings, of course.) Because, I know what’s best for you.
The following observations were made on Don Fisher’s philanthropy in an article in SF Weekly on June 21, 2006, unrelated to the current museum proposal (emphasis is mine. –ed.):
I’d be loath to tell a billionaire to stop donating to a charitable cause he sincerely believes will improve the lives of the least fortunate. But we haven’t really thought out what happens when we give up our democratic powers to a growing army of ideological philanthropists.
That said, there are ways to resist this trajectory. Every time a candidate, ballot measure, or lobbying front group is the beneficiary of large donations from ideologically motivated tycoons, voters get the option of accepting this trend as unavoidable and maybe even beneficial. (Or they can resist the urge to support these well-funded candidates and measures, and reject the view that the Donald Fishers of the world should determine everyone’s best interest.)
Fisher’s own example and advice might be useful for those who believe citizen control of the public realm is worth fighting for.
“I don’t think we can sit back and wait for someone else to take the lead, just so we don’t have to expend energy or money,” Fisher writes. “We’ve got to utilize the recourse it takes to advance our causes and hold up our part of the deal.”
Citizen control of the public realm is worth fighting for. Hey, Mr. Fisher, wealthy guy! We’re not sitting back and we never have. We recognize the self-interested basis for your actions and reject that you know or should determine what’s best for the rest of us in our national park. We utilize the recourse it takes to advance our cause. And yes, we continue to hold up our part of the deal.
–Doug Kern
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Tags: Conflict, New Construction by Doug
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