Richmond Roundup

World Record Holder Visits Richmond District

World famous calligrapher Zhun-Ping Lu was in the Richmond District Sept. 24 to honor seniors at the Institute on Aging's On Lok SeniorHealth program.

Lu is one of the world's greatest calligraphers and holds the record in the Guiness Book of World Records for his reverse calligraphy skills. He was entered into the record books for an 81-meter-long reverse Chinese character Long (dragon) he drew at the Dragon Year Spring Festival Entertainment Show held in Hong Kong in 2000. The record book has been updated since then as he topped his first record-breaking effort by producing a 625-meter-long reverse character Ma (horse) at the 2002 spring festival.

Reverse calligraphy entails creating a character in reverse order from the last brush stroke to the first.

Lu was born in China in 1933. He has travelled around the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Canada and the United States demonstrating his artistic skills.

The Institute on Aging is located at 2700 Geary Boulevard. It sponsors many senior programs, including the SeniorHealth program. For more information, call (415) 447-1989, ext. 550.

New Art Association Forms in Presidio Heights

Innovative local artists have joined together in the Richmond District to build a community dedicated to bringing art awareness to the Richmond and especially to increase public awareness of the San Francisco Art Span Open Studios' annual event.

Ginger Cornell, local photographer and painter, and Georgianna Krieger, a sculptor, teamed up to create a voice for Richmond District artists. The newly formed Park Presidio Art Association (PPAA) is a grass roots organization of Richmond District artists. The association is undertaking major steps towards advancing art awareness in the community and ensuring the 2002 Open Studios are a huge success for artists and the community alike.

It became obvious to artist and activist Cornell during the 2001 Open Studios that friends and neighbors in the Richmond were not aware of the rich art and exceptional talent in their midst.

"I had a sign outside of my studio advertising Open Studio and folks entered my studio inquiring about a studio apartment for rent," Cornell said. "They were surprised and delighted to find that they had stumbled into my art studio. Even though my Open Studio event was a lot of fun and a big success, I knew I had to do something to bring artistic talent in the Richmond together to raise public awareness about Art Span's Open Studios."

Cornell's grass roots effort has had phenomenal results. With a strong membership, a distribution of 20-plus artists and monthly meetings since November 2001, the Park Presidio Art Association is gearing up to make this year's Open Studios a landmark event in the Richmond District. In the true spirit of bringing neighborhood businesses together to support the effort, PPAA artists are partnering with the local art consignment and live music hotspot the Bazaar Cafe, located at 5927 California St., and FASTFRAME #341, located at 1020 Clement St.

Throughout October PPAA artists will show selected pieces of their artwork at the Bazaar Cafe. Additionally, on Monday, Oct. 7, a free meet-the-artists Open Studios Preview Party, co-sponsored by FASTFRAME #341, will be held at the cafe. The PPAA show and preview party will be widely publicized in the neighborhood and in the Open Studios guide.

The artist's group will also have a booth at the Clement Street Kids Festival, held on Clement Street Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, where they will be distributing information to the neighborhood. Both of the events will provide opportunities for art lovers, collectors and neighbors to meet local artists and learn more about the Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, 2002 Open Studios weekend in the Richmond District.

For more information, call the PPAA's Cornell at 221-1005 or FASTFRAME #341 at 387-7844.

Richmond Artists "Open Studios" in October

San Francisco Open Studios 2002 exhibits the artwork of more than 800 artists throughout the City. This year's showcase, entitled "Let Your Hunt for Art Begin," gives art lovers and collectors the opportunity to buy and directly discuss the artwork with the creators.

The paintings, sculptures, ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry and photography of local residents in the Richmond and Sunset districts will be featured on Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20.

Among the many Richmond District artists whose work will be on display are Jose Anselmo, Kat Borneman, Rachel Murray Meyer, James Jarrett and Rhea Shin.

Sunset District artists opening up their studios include Judi Gorski, Giorgianna Krieger, Doug MacLean, Cynthia Tom, Sandra Cohen, Paul Madonna and Andrea Scher.

Open Studios will also be going on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 (Bayview, Potrero Hill, South of Market, Tenderloin and Excelsior) and Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 (Mission, Castro, Bernal Heights, Noe Valley and Glen Park).

For more information and a guide to various artists that will be displaying their artistic creations during Open Studios, call (415) 705-0686 or visit the website at www.sfopenstudios.com. Copies of guides can be obtained at the de Young Art Center, 2501 Irving St.; Tower Records; The Art Store, 1414 Van Ness Ave.; and Artspan/SomArts, 934 Brannan St.

Presidio Participates in Electric Car Sharing Program

Residents and tenants at the Presidio can now use clean, efficient cars thanks to the Bay Area car-sharing program, City CarShare. The Presidio Trust will receive four Ford Think City electric cars for specific use at the national park site.

City CarShare currently has 2,000 Bay Area members sharing 10 electric vehicles and 70 Volkswagens. Six new electric vehicles, in addition to the four located at the Presidio, will be deployed throughout San Francisco. There is no mileage charge for the electric vehicles, which can go about 45 miles per hour.

City CarShare is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting mobility among Bay Area residents while reducing hassles and negative effects of parking, traffic and pollution. Members can reserve cars for hours, days or weeks at a time, paying fees of $3.50 per hour and 37 cents per mile which includes gas, maintenance and insurance.

Rebate Programs Offered to Owners and Tenants

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is sponsoring two rebate programs available to San Francisco property owners and tenants.

The Toilet Rebate Program gives residents $50 back after the purchase of an ultra low-flow toilet, which replaces water-inefficient toilets with a 1.6-gallons-per-flush system.

The Washing Machine Rebate Program gives residents $75 when they exchange their old washing machines for a horizontal axis-washer, which can save the average family 5,400 gallons of water per year.

To qualify for the programs, property owners and tenants must have a retail account with the SFPUC. Application and pre-approval is required by the SFPUC Water Conservation Program. For more information or to apply, call 923-2676 or visit www.sfwater.org.

Food Programs Help Feed the Hungry

The San Francisco Commodity Supplemental Food Program provides free packs of food each month to eligible pregnant/postpartum women, children under age six and seniors age 60 and older who live in San Francisco and meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's income guidelines.

Children under age five and women currently on the WIC program are not eligible. Seniors living in low-income, senior citizen buildings should ask their building managers if they are at a contracted distribution site.

For more information, call the Nutrition Services Department of the Economic Opportunity Council of San Francisco at 970-0165.

California Academy of Sciences Has Free Days

Residents of San Francisco will be admitted free of charge to the California Academy of Sciences on specific weekends throughout the fall as part of the academy's Neighborhood Free Days Program. Each San Francisco zip code is assigned one three-day weekend during which residents can visit the academy for free. Each visiting adult must show proof of residence via a driver's license or utility bill.

Zip codes 94122, 94116, 94127 and 94132 can gain free admission on Nov. 1, 2, and 3. Zip codes 94121, 94118, 94115 and 94129 can gain free admission on Nov. 8, 9 and 10. For more information, call 760-7146.

Clement Merchants Host Kids Festival

The Clement Street Merchants Association hosts the second annual Clement Street Kids Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be located on Clement Street between Fouth and Sixth avenues.

Activities will include a climbing wall, arts and crafts, inflatable bounce arenas, rides, music, food and entertainment from local community acts.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m., the winners of the "Harvest Poster Contest" will be announced. Posters created by schoolchildren throughout the Richmond District will be displayed in the windows of participating businesses on Clement Street two weeks prior to the festival. Winners will receive either an honorable mention and $100 will be given to their schools' art departments. For more information, call Steve at 456-6455.

Asian Cabbies Unite to Serve Community

The San Francisco Asian Taxicab Association (AFATA) celebrated the opening of its offices at 36 Spofford Alley with a buffet party emceed by Andrew Lee, a candidate for the Board of Supervisors in District 4.

The AFATA was created to provide Asian taxicab drivers and owners with a resource to promote the development of a taxicab industry in the Asian community.

The SFATA will educate and inform members about regulatory, service and taxi industry issues.

Clean Team Needs Help

The SF Department of Public Works' Community Clean Team will be working in the Richmond District throughout October and it needs more volunteers to help its growing group of merchants, residents and students.

On Saturday, Oct. 5, volunteers will meet at the Richmond Branch Library, located at Ninth Avenue and Clement Street, to clean sidewalks, paint out graffiti and care for neighborhood greenery. Officials from city agencies will also be on hand to do educational outreach and urge merchants on Clement Street and Geary Boulevard to do their part by keeping sidewalks clean.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, volunteers will meet at George Washington High School, at 600 32nd Ave., to create a litter-free zone around the school.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, volunteers meet at Park Presidio Boulevard and Lake Street to participate in community beautification activities.

Volunteers will be provided with cleaning and gardening supplies and a complimentary lunch. For more information or to volunteer, call 554-5447 or visit www.sfcleancity.com.

Child Care Available

The United Way of the Bay Area has awarded Wu Yee Children's Services with a grant to fund its new child care subsidy program, called the Respite Child Care Program. The program will provide a short-term childcare subsidy to San Franciscans who have been affected by the economic downturn following the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

To qualify for the Respite Child Care Program, applicants must be low-income and former employees of the airline, hotel, restaurant or tourism industry. They must also be willing to use a licensed family day care provider. For more information, call Homer at 391-8993, ext. 21.

 

 

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