Warm Water Cove Graffiti Paint Out
Free BBQ lunch for those who help clean graffiti at this bayside park
| Saturday, August 4 | ||
| 9:00 am | to | 12:00 pm |
Join Green Connect and the Community Clean Team to reclaim Warm Water Cove, one of the only waterfront parks in the eastern neighborhoods. This jewel of a park has become a favorite target of graffiti vandals Green Connect will spend Saturday morning, from 9am - 12noon painting out graffiti, weeding, and removing litter from the park. Come dressed for painting. BBQ Lunch provided after the event.
(6 votes, average: 1 out of 5)
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As a 25+ year Dogpatch resident, I’ve enjoyed the incredible art on the metal walls of Sheedy Drayage and surrounding areas. It’s a shame most people can’t see the beauty in spray paint art and prefer to paint walls a Stalinesque grey instead. Warm Water Cove used to be a very dangerous gangs and guns area before the artists ( and mobile homeless)took
over. I needn’t remind older residents of the bodies found there, gunshots at night and the horrible gang rape about 15 years ago. You have to wonder why the city does not allow a quasi-legal place to paint to exist. It certainly takes pressure off the homes and business that will suffer as the graffiti moves back into plain view on the streets of the area. I walk my dogs there daily and nightly and have always admire the skill of the painters as the walls progress from the beginners (right after its painted over) to the masters that hold spaces with talent and respect. It’s a shame that Dogpatch is losing what made it special in the first place and is now being whitewashed by misguided new residents or City projects designed to make new residents feel more comfortable in their new “lofts” and condos. Soon the whole area will resemble Mission Bay and it’s soul-less uniformity. It’s a shame. I may be in the minority in this regard, but I just wanted to say something.
July 26th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Warm Water Cove is a jewel as it is. It’s sad that these folks can’t seem to see that. If you gave them a diamond ring, I suppose they’d have to paint that grey too.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
This is sad and pathetic. The term “whitewashing” is used as a pejorative for a reason — because it conceals truth with blandness and lies. These so-called “community” people only approve of art if it’s polite. Hopefully they’ll wipe one slate clean, only to have it re-written upon in following weeks.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
BOOO!
This is sad and pathetic.
Obviously, you just moved into the city. From where though?
Somewhere lame, but I hate to think there could be somewhere that lame that could make a human as blatently pathetic as yourself.
This has been a favorite place for me to go to countless times.
And for the color.
You suck.
July 27th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
find something more productive to do! graf doesnt hurt anybody
July 27th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I am sad knowing that with the expansion of development and continued first home (loft condo) (affordable housing for residents of the suburbs now having the desire to experience urban living) buyers are flocking the city, addressing their need to change the city to their liking and comfort,
if you move here, please do not make demands for the environment which has existed for decades to change for your conservative needs and comforts.
BOOOOOOOO to the GREY
(or WHITEOUT)
July 27th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
as a dogpatch resident warm watercove has been one of our hidden jewels of the area…. word is out … change is a coming… more diverse use of the space will be good.. but don’t think by painting over the visual stimuli your gonna make is safer or cleaner…. respect your surroundings…. starting with it’s the artists & mobile homeless who should get your respect because they are the ones that keep an eye on the place… and the artists use their own $ & time to make that otherwise dead end boring wall enjoyable to look @ and be around… so my hats off to all the folks who’ve made it up on that wall…. and no I wont be joining in on your “wash out” because you’ll be the vandals…. painting over a really fun wall & good art w/ something bland /boring & inappropriate
July 27th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
whoever thought it would be a good idea to paint over ART with GREY is a fucking moron. how bout i come to your house and paint over all your thomas kincades with something i think would really look nice? to back up what brion said, san francisco is home to some of the best young artists around these days, and a grip of them have their roots in graffiti. this culture should be respected and embraced by the city’s politicians and developers, not swept under the rug to accomodate whatever crazy boring people are trying to move into our beautiful, colorful city. they’re coming to our home, they oughta play by our rules. at any rate, don’t people usually move to a place because they like the way it is already?
the whitewashing is really too bad, i had hoped to move to that neighborhood because of the beautiful graffiti art being created there everyday & to escape all the yuppies who are taking over the neighborhood i currently reside in (what i thought was called western addition until some white people came to my work a few months ago with a flyer saying it’s called NOPA now - fuck you, where is the nice african american lady that used to come bring me my stack of “western edition” newspapers?) i guess developers & landlords all over the city are too good for this little brown girl’s money..
July 28th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Lame…leave it alone. Remove the litter, but leave the graffiti.
July 28th, 2007 at 8:19 am
leave the graffiti–this is one of my favorite places to take friends from out of town. this is a huge mistake and a reason why all the artists leave this town.
July 28th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Unfortunately many people view Graffiti through tainted lenses. It
has been fed to them as gang related, destructive, and corrosive…and while it CAN be…it can also be beautiful, amazing, and inspiring. People need to forget what they’ve been told and remove the stigma…look past the negative…what you’ll find is some of the most amazing artwork inside or outside of a gallery setting.
July 28th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Happy to hear many agree on this one. However, many others do not. They feel entitled to do what they feel is “right”, and I am sure a few posts via the internet will not stop a white-washing of these walls and grounds. What can we do as a communiy to step up this week and make efforts towards educating our supervisors, community leaders, and more importantly SF Connect Green Team.
Please take the time to e-mail Marie Goldstone here http://www.sfconnect.org/projects/viewProject.php?_mode=emailPC&_action=load&ixEntity=5515&ixOccurrence=365&sReturnTo=%2Fprojects%2FviewProject.php%3F_mode%3DoccurrenceView%26_action%3Dload%26ixActivity%3D172%26_clearFlag%3Dspecialevent%26_clearFlag%3Dcourse%26ixAffiliateRegion%3D%26sZipcode%3D%26bAvailable%3D%26dtBegin%3D%26dtEnd%3D
and also consider contacting District 10 Supervisor Sophia Maxwell at Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org
I would also like to suggest those in opposition of the white-washing to have a presence the morning of August 4th in front of our walls, offering and invitation for Green Connect to meet these So Called Vandals and Gang Bangers.
Please spread the word.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:17 am
If they make that place a desolate void of gray and white, I and many other artists will be there to bomb it back into beauty that day and every day after. Art can not be suppressed.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:19 am
as the bee man says, if you go through with this, my friends and i will be back all day every day to bring the dogpatch back to life. fuck you!
July 28th, 2007 at 10:36 am
HOORAY FOR THE OPPOSITION!
i live in denver and i find this potential whitewashing disgusting. warm water cove park is on my list of one the places i’d like to visit when i come to san francisco. don’t make it lame!
i look forward to following this story as it progresses…
July 28th, 2007 at 10:47 am
yay bob!!! pat yourself on the back for this one my man. sounds like you are gonna tackle this horrible problem of art and free expression!!! go get em’ tiger. i just hope noone decides to have a problem with your ansel adams photo’s hanging in you prefab condo. good for you bob. pick those battles. are you okay with the new architecture downtown? tah tah for now bob. CULTURE KILLS!!!
July 28th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Yay! Kill SF culture- ! take all the edges off and make it a soft yuppster paradise@! Someday we’ll eradicate fog too-
July 28th, 2007 at 11:47 am
“White wash,” how appropriate a term for a seemingly well-intentioned, yet clearly unwelcome project. The art in this area is a cultural treasure and an asset to this city. The area is not dangerous because of the graffiti.
Improvements to this area might include picking up garbage, implementing “green” business practices, or helping to educate the area populace about the importance of recycling and facillitating reducing consumption of so many unnecessary things and thus producing so much excess garbage. Graffiti is not garbage here, it’s art in this case and we all know it.
It is rude and presumptuous of these groups to assume that they know what is best for this area and the people it serves. I have never painted there, but I’ve been there, and I love to see photographs of the new work that goes up there. “White washing” the art will not stop artists from reclaiming it once the groups leave and go back to their tidy homes. This area has been in disuse and disrepair for years and has been appropriated by people who use it in a positive way. This area COULD be a sanctioned public art space, which would also help in making it a safer and cleaner area.
When a group intrudes into an area utilized by an active community with different ideas about how that area should be used, it is wise to work WITH that community to affect positive change, rather than steamroll over them and assume the role of right action. The intruding group will be met with resistance and retaliation.
I strongly urge these groups to do reconsider their actions. I will be there and will do what I legally can to prevent this from taking place. I will also be taking photos of anyone who participates in this travesty and will be publishing them in all forums available to me.
ert o’hara
Web Editor / Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine
July 28th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
bet they won’t give out any of the BBQ to the homeless…you know the ones who really could do with it. Now that really would be community spirited.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:41 am
I can not support any kind of art suppression–why cover up something beutiful and cause problems. Why make an art issue into a political one when it could stop here in freedom, understanding, and cooperation.
July 29th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
wow..this is really NOT a good idea. There are so many other places that need attention….this little park/artspace is just fine the way it is. I visit here often and the ever-evolving grafitti art is one of the things that attracts me…the others being the sense of freedom from the gentrification/prettification that is erasing the character of so many classic SF locations. We are not like other cities! Have you not noticed the fight against franchise/chain stores in so many neighborhoods? This is a similar situation. Let every place have its unique character, in the same way that individual humans strive to express their personal uniqueness. Marie, try to change the way you see those walls….do you honestly think that uniform grey is better? Use your energy to support art & freedom…..find your own uniqueness!!
July 29th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
The graffiti is an asset of this park. Plus, trying to suppress this art form is truly naive.
Pulling the weeds, picking up some trash and planting some trees is not such a bad idea.
and as long as we’re being idealists here, why not feed the hungry with the BBQ?
July 29th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
I’ve got to agree with Mr. Barneclo. The kind of graffiti that is in this park is beautification. Go ahead and clean it up, but leave the art as it is.
July 30th, 2007 at 12:09 am
If everyone in the ‘community’ is as adamant about preserving the art as they claim, then organize a bike-ride/party/protest the night before the white-washing. Have the demonstration extend into the next day and iterrupt the coinciding white-wash ‘ceremony.’ Create a scene and show whomever it concerns that the art is actually valued. Otherwise stop complaining about your sorry state of affairs.
July 30th, 2007 at 4:17 am
This sort of prohibition based model, as applied to graffiti, is the sort of approach most advocated by the leaders of our society today. We all need to reach deep inside ourselves to make sense of our shared and intertwined reality. Look hard: past mainstream news, past whatever sort of lies we’ve been fed for so long that it’s difficult to discern the truth anymore. Leave that graffiti alone, pick up the trash. Finally, just think about this: if you paint it this weekend, and it’s cover ed the next, what is this process about? An idea that you have in your head that you hold as superior to other’s ideas? You ego? Cultural wars? Peace.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Volunteer to help…then make the paint ‘POOF’…disappear.
Kinda hard to paint without the cans…..Bhwa ha ha ha.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I am a long time resident of San Francisco writing to strongly complain about your
so called “community” project to destroy one of the most vibrant public art exhibits
in the City.Varied and diverse citizens of the REAL community of SF enjoy Tire Beach,
where a sense of freedom still holds on despite the ravaging of gentrification. Why does
your organization feel that it has the right to take away the last public space for expression?
White washing does not make me or fellow artisans feel comforted especially when giant
over priced condos and soul dead yuppy stores are blanding our city and pushing out the creativity that used to flourish here in San Francisco. Graffiti is an art and some of the best
examples of this art form can be found at Tire Beach–we should be proud of this park and
its amazing public art! Do not carry out your action until you have weighed in on the public’s
opinion–you are not representing San Francisco.
Sincerely,
L. Lashua
July 30th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
It looks like this is the new contact email for Green Connect. Please contact them!
http://www.sfconnect.org/projects/viewProject.php?_mode=emailPC&_action=load&ixEntity=5525&ixOccurrence=365&sReturnTo=%2Fprojects%2FviewProject.php%3F_mode%3DoccurrenceView%26_action%3Dload%26ixActivity%3D172%26_clearFlag%3Dspecialevent%26_clearFlag%3Dcourse%26ixAffiliateRegion%3D%26sZipcode%3D%26bAvailable%3D%26dtBegin%3D%26dtEnd%3D
July 30th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Sure, weed the place, pick up the broken glass, and paint over the tags on the tables and asphalt, BUT leave the ‘pieces’ up!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti_terminology
The tags will grow back faster than the weeds, so why not paint them over.
Destroying the pieces is akin to cutting down all the trees in attempt to weed the place…
July 30th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
BOOOOOO!!!!
Effe the buff!!
You guys must be from San Jose.
July 30th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Why don;t you do-gooders put on some hip-waders and pull some abandoned tires out of the muck at low tide?
By the way, the police will probably be staking the place out after the paint-out. Some of the local kids and homeless say they do a pretty good job of looking like homeless folks. I saw some kids get busted there last week by undercovers. Also they’ve cut a ‘road’ in from the south side so they dont have to walk up and bust people, they drive their v8s up on artists. One last thing, if you go on Flickr.com and search bt the tag ‘tire beach’ or warm water cove there are many fine photos of the beautiful pieces that have been up there. It’s looking a little ragged right now.
July 30th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I would like all the artist’s who are protesting this action, to let me know and we can get together a documentary and interviews to archive this and share a common ground for the homage and respects of the works were all going to miss…
Goldenmean735@yahoo.com
All serious inquiries only…
Ciao..
July 30th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Pls see my comments and fotos here: http://whatimseeing.com/2007/07/warm-water-cove-aka-concrete-beach.html
July 30th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
The walls at Warm Water Cove are considered one of the showcase galleries of SF’s proud graffiti ARTISTS. There has long been an understanding between the locals and the artists that it’s okay - and even appreciated - for the artists to do their thing their. It’s one place where their talents can be respected and aren’t damaging anyone’s property. Their pieces add flair and a taste of local culture to this little dog-walking park, and replacing them with gray or white walls would be a travesty to many. And, as Mr. O’Hanlon said above, you have to think of the implications of making a move like this, as any educated person knows. In this case, it would probably mean these kids would have no where else to paint but back onto less desirable (for you) walls around the neighborhood.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:54 am
look guys… seriously what you’re talking about doing here is wrong on so many levels… you’re not going to be “reclaiming” a “waterfront park” in that neighborhood by giving the graffiti artists a blank canvas to paint on again… the art that is on the walls there is not meaningless talentles vandalism… it is THE most amazing display of talent i’ve seen from spray-artists… Do you have ANY idea how many people have stopped by there on their way through san francisco JUST BECAUSE I SHOWED THEM PICS AND THEY WANTED TO SEE IT WITH THEIR OWN EYES???
So if you want to look at like that, the art there is bringing tourism to the city.
I don’t know what else to tell you. You are making a huge error in judgement with this idea. even if the walls were clean i cannot imagine this park becoming some kind of “fun family hangout” or whatever it is you are envisioning.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:42 pm
That park is filthy, and not because of graffiti. The garbage and sewage that sits in the water around warm water cove makes it filthy. You’ll notice, if you look at the graffiti closely, that there is a large piece which says “optimist” or “Optimism” (I can’t remember) at Warm Water Cove. Covering this with grey paint seems a little silly, no? Lets take out the trash and plant bio-remediating plants all over the park to treat the sewage there, and leave the graffiti–it’s a part of San Francisco culture.
How appropriate is it that, now that third street is becoming developed, that ya’ll want to ‘whitewash’ warm water cove. The place has been filthy for YEARS.
Please, put your energy into the cleaning up the park and the sewage in the area, not removing a critical piece of San Francisco culture.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Tire Beach has been a refuge for my friends and I for the last 12 years or so and probably longer for others. I have shared countless birthdays, bonfires, picnics, film shoots ect. on this punk rock graffiti heaven. It is the public art and the coming together of the homeless, the punk rockers, the taggers…that makes this place special to so many. Take your kids to Golden Gate park or the Embarcadero. Leave Tire Beach to those who appreciate public art. Tire Beach is harming no one. Leave it alone.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
How very sad. Please don’t! Why would you look to live in the vibrant city of san francisco and then neutralize one of the very things that makes this such a special place to be. Go live in the nice suburbs if you’re looking for pretty white Mini-Mall walls.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:16 pm
The graf will be back. It doesn’t take long. But if you really want to take care of making the earth GREEN again - why not look into the pollution in that area that has given it the name “WARM WATER COVE” and the local name “TOXIC BEACH”. I have never seen so much chemical filth in one “park” before. It would be wonderful to see that go away so I can enjoy the park - with the birds dogs, humans and the graf.
July 31st, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Clean the ground not the walls… character makes life fun and interesting… white walls is boring and institutional
July 31st, 2007 at 5:21 pm
destroying the art won’t make an environment better…
color is always better than: ?
the alternative: grey wall.
preservation of the creative parts of our culture are crucial for us, our well being, and psyche’s so we can have a better quality, joy of life… This is one form of art that is most vulnerable and often slips through the cracks… City planners for the most part don’t appreciate spray can artist’s contributions, and hate it for a variety of reasons… …
working with the neighborhood, press, this, and the city is the only way to
save the art. I hope that it is not to late.
the Bush works in strange and not too wonderful/horrible ways.
Perhaps if the planners addressed the environmental clean up issues of warm water cove, it might be able to thrive in more wonderful ways
that this century has yet to see.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:24 pm
I don’t understand this city’s ignorant views on graff. The vibrant color schemes that these ARTISTS use make the dull grey urban sprawls come to life. Clean the place up, yeah… Pull the tires, shopping carts and bicycles out of the bay. Pick up the broken glass, kill the weeds, maybe plant some flowers? I’ve had some damn special times in front of some fantastic art. I’m not down for putting a stop to that…
July 31st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
You better post an armed 50 down there 24/7 because we will never stop. Never. This is my life. If not here, THERE….and you don’t want that. Beleive that. Real talk. Never.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Toxic Beach, Tire Beach and (what did they call it?) Warm Water Cove (hah!) Is by far one of the most amazing spots in the city when it comes to local art. Grey walls are no more fun than grey food. If you’re going to paint over those walls, you’re going to have to paint them every day to keep them clean. Those walls have a history. You can watch and peel back the layers. and under each white-wash, you’ll find another tag. over and over and over. This is San Francisco, hunny. You can’t stop the artists.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:26 am
The glass is always half full, go ahead and black-wash the graffitti, and thank you for the BLANK CANVAS you are providing, I bet the clean up crew will be wearing those colorful rubber gardening clogs and talking about martha steward got framed type of drivel. GO BACK TO WHOLE FOODS! do gooders who are interested in property values.. what about toxic waters and air quality? why not just paint over the radiation that is breezing in from the south east hunter’s point. ugggggh..
August 1st, 2007 at 7:27 am
a word to the squeaky clean team: do not underestimate the energy of street art and the sense of reclaiming that it can lend to an area. street art/graffiti, such as the kind found at this beach spot, has a special kind of power because it announces the presence of community. it is overstepping boundaries indeed to come in and attempt to eradicate that.
this may not be the type of artwork that will impress the real estate investors or any wealthy wine-sipping collectors, but this is a viable form of expression that people are very passionate about and that is uniquely ours. leave us to it, and please redirect your cleansing efforts to an area that will welcome and appreciate them. thank you.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:25 am
I was kind of appalled to receive the e-mail requesting volunteers to help with this “clean up action”. I’ve spent many an afternoon at the park, live nearby, seen shows there, put on several shows myself, etc. and have a deep personal attachment to the site. By all means pick up the trash and do a little gardening or whatever, but the graffitti art is one of THE main appeals at this place, and painting over it will solve nothing and just make the place uglier.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:29 am
There are communities of people who have been using and enjoying, the park exactly as it is for many years (I have been spending quiet alone time as well as attending events for the past 12years!). We do not want it “cleaned up”! What is wrong with people? Leave the park as it is! Beautiful street art & all!
August 1st, 2007 at 9:49 am
I really hope the people who are doing this read these messages. It seems that NOBODY wants to paint over the graffitti.
I hope some of the people speaking up will BE THERE as well to voice their opinion gently.
Save yourself some money, and forget about buying the paint.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:00 am
I really hope the people who are doing this read these messages. It seems that NOBODY wants to paint over the graffitti.
I hope some of the people speaking up will BE THERE as well to voice their opinion gently.
Save yourself some money, and forget about buying the paint.
However, the roster for the sponsers:
Port of San Francisco, Department of Public Works, Green Connect, Neighborhood Parks Council, Mayor’s Office, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, San Francisco Police Department, District Attorney Kamala Harris, Graffiti Advisory Board, Juvenile Probation, Department of Corrections,
PreTrial Diversion Project, PG&E, Sheedy Drayage Co., Mirant Corp., DHL, Airgas, HMR USA, Walgreens and Norcal Waste Systems….
Doubtless you’ll need hundreds to convince these organizations to change their minds. I hope miracles still happen.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:03 am
haha I’m sure PG&E, Sheedy Drayage Co., Mirant Corp. want this painted over for VERY SPECIFIC REASONS (ie, the dirtiest power plant in the city - recently shutdown - is right next door. But hey, pollution’s not the problem right? The real problem is graffiti!)
August 1st, 2007 at 10:15 am
The Dogpatch is my neighborhood and painting over the Graff at WWC would be like wiping out the murals on Balmy St. in the Mission. I agree that you should clean up the park’s pollution and landscape its terrain but the city should really dedicate this park specifically to its street artists.
August 1st, 2007 at 11:01 am
this is absurd. If you want to make warmwater cove safer than deal with the rampant drug abuse first. The homeless drug abusers are teh ones who make the place unsafe. The taggers just show up, tag and get out. I have attended and put on shows there for years and the only people I had a problem with were crackheads and junkies. But then where else can teh city push the homeless to now?
August 1st, 2007 at 11:39 am
Clean up the trash and leave the art on the walls.
August 1st, 2007 at 11:49 am
After giving this a lot of thought over the past few days and seeing (on sfist.com) that some people saw my intent to physically show up in opposition of this “clean-up” and photograph the people participating in the activity as a “threat” or intimidation … I just want it to be very clear that the only thing I’m threatening to do is to be there, take pictures and write a blog post about it. “I will be there and will do what I legally can to prevent this from taking place.” And yes, if hundreds of people just happen to show up to show their support for the artwork and happen to be in the way of the paint party, I will stand with them. Many people don’t want the “white wash” to happen. Of course government offices are going to put their name behind it, because government unilaterally condemns graffiti and street regardless of circumstances. That doesn’t mean that the people who utilize and appreciate this area don’t feel otherwise.
Someone said that this is a simple park cleaning project that shouldn’t involve have any opposition, but I think this is a sad and mis-guided attempt to quash graffiti as an artform and reclaim an area which is already in use by a marginalized community. I hope the people who participate will come forward, as I have, and discuss their reasoning and logic behind painting over the artwork (which will seemingly return shortly thereafter) of a well-known graffiti spot as the focus of their “clean up” efforts.
I strongly support any environmental or personal safety issues being resolved for this area. And, as I mentioned before, I think that recognition of the area as a public art forum would serve those purposes much better. [posted both on sf.funcheap.com and sfist.com]
August 1st, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I live here too and also think graffiti is great. The city is once again spending time and energy on things that don’t matter - clean up the pollution and the garbage instead!
BUT - how come nobody helps stop the pollution or helps to pick up the garbage in the first place?
The folks that complain about yuppies & property values and colorful clogs - are you doing anything to help or are you just riding around in your skinny jeans on your 12inch handlebar’d fixie and acting like “an individual”.
Nothing different is happening than is happening in every other city. Property values are through the roof all over… it’s not just yuppies who benefit, lots of hard working folks who have lived here for years have too. I’m no yuppie but do remember than by definition, “yuppies” helped design the iPod, your little green quasi-military cap and yes - your slip-on designed in 1984 Vans. Whole Foods is also a co-op and employs a lot of GREAT people (who cares who shops there!). It’s all big companies folks. GET OVER IT. Just like any other city, if you don’t like it, move.
You think people move into San Francisco from the suburbs in Bay Area? Hell no - the taxes suck, the prices of houses suck and the roads are littered with potholes because they waste all of our tax money. A lot of you “free thinking individuals” (who all dress the same way) come off as closed-minded jerks. You’re 100 times more bigoted and judgmental about how people look and what they do for a living than the “yuppies” you claim to despise. Take a look in the mirror.
EVERYONE has the right to express themselves and be who they want to be. LET THE GRAFFITTI STAY but get rid of the slime on the ground and all the garbage. Do something to help someone now and then. Say hello to people on the street. You don’t have to agree with people to respect their right to have their own views without bashing them and threatening them.
August 1st, 2007 at 5:16 pm
And for those who have had good things to say and truly respect the color fo the city and the art. Thanks!
August 1st, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Weeding and removing litter sounds like a great idea. Maybe if Green Connect and the Community Clean Team would actually
take the time to meet the “graffiti vandals” they could work together with the many talented artist who have spent their time expressing themselves through an art form that hass deep roots in our city to create a
community park that truly represents the community.
August 1st, 2007 at 6:16 pm
what about going down there to protest it from happening? anyone interested in going there to STOP them with me? i’d be more than willing to peacefully place myself against awhile in order to prevent it. takers? contact me. shaun@newdisorder.com
August 1st, 2007 at 6:19 pm
I think my feelings have pretty much been summed up by the comments already left for this event.
Though I would like to add, Ive been going to shows at WWC since I was 16, and seeing as the day of the ‘cleansing event’ is on my 21st birthday, this park holds a large part of my youth. And this is quite frankly, the worst birthday present ever.
Sure the whitewashing will just make a blank canvas for artists, and, yeah, graffiti artists know their work is temporary going into it…but this is still a disgrace to the history of the area. For example, with the Uzi Suicide piece, well, they aren’t even a band anymore.. and it will be sad to see it gone.
And as others have said, the problem with the area is lying in the toxic waters, and the needles lying in the dead grass. The paint is the only thing that brings life to the area.
August 1st, 2007 at 6:33 pm
I’m thinking about going down there Saturday and chaining myself to the fence. The park and the art there is a city treasure.
Here’s a photo set I took there a few years ago, including large panorama shots of the entire fence line.
http://flickr.com/photos/dav/sets/102764/
August 1st, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I heart toxic beach
August 1st, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I can’t believe that in our city of tolerance and freedom that whitewashing the beautiful murals along toxic beach is seen by some misguided people as a sign of progress. I’d just like to second the comments here of Mark O’Hanlon and John Graham:
“It’s a shame that Dogpatch is losing what made it special in the first place and is now being whitewashed by misguided new residents or City projects designed to make new residents feel more comfortable in their new “lofts” and condos. Soon the whole area will resemble Mission Bay and it’s soul-less uniformity. It’s a shame.”
and
“This is sad and pathetic. The term “whitewashing” is used as a pejorative for a reason — because it conceals truth with blandness and lies.”
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:40 am
Hello,
I am interested in hearing stories about WWC. Please call me today, Thursday, Aug. 2, at 415-314-0626. Thanks,
Alexandria Rocha
Reporter
SF Examiner
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
Wow. It’s so heartening to read all these responses. I just got off the phone with Ms. Rocha, who was minutes away from finishing her article. Hopefully your opinions will be reflected in her final edit. (If they aren’t, we’ll know that the whitewashing in this town is not limited to the walls!
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I am just an observer and fan of the art form, but I’ve met a few youths and men and women who write graffiti over the years.
I think there is a basic misunderstanding about the nature of graffiti. While it’s true that every graffiti writer I’ve met has some degree of underlying mental turmoil, that could be said of everyone in the “Arts”.
Graffiti, which has been around since the cavepersons (I heart SF) is not going to stop regardless of the buff, the surveillance cameras going in at WWC, the absurd *Felony penalties (FOR SIMPLY CHANGING THE SURFACE COLOR OF A WALL WITH LESS THAN A MILLIMETER OF PIGMENT - Child abusers get less)
or whatever abatement gambit the City thinks up.
A lot of kids take it quite seriously, I bet Adek will still be bombing somewhere when they finally make graffiti a capital offense and dangle life at Pelican Bay in front of him/her.
To me graffiti is 2 things:
1.The science of letters.
2.Normal human behavior.
Thank you and sorry those were kinda random thoughts, and F#@$5 the Buff.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Leave that history alone! There are plenty of other projects that could be conducted in that area and zip code… trust me, those white surfaces are going to be covered again immidiately by the local artists who threw up there in the first place… you are literally “white washing” that space, instead of celebrating the inherent urban history. Pick trash up of the ground, build a playground… What a disappointing, lame event.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:44 pm
looks like all has been said, just chipping in to say I found warm water cove one of the most inspring places in SF only because of the graphitti. I can only imagine that hte actions were motivated by money and not good will.
August 4th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
This was the response I received from my email to SFConnect:
We received your message opposing the cleanup of Warm Water Cove graffiti. We respectfully disagree with the idea that this graffiti is public art; it is vandalism.
The legal definition of graffiti vandalism is any person who defaces, damages or destroys property that is not his or her own with paint or any liquid (California Penal Code 594). The graffiti at Warm Water Cove was done without permission from the property owners, whether it is the Port of San Francisco, which owns the park or the owners of the surrounding buildings, whose walls and fences have been defaced. It is therefore considered to be graffiti and the City is required by statute to have it removed.
The Department of Public Works and the Port of San Francisco are working closely with Warm Water Cove businesses and property owners, as well as with members of the community, who want to remove the graffiti and make the park clean, safe and hospitable for community use.
If artists wish to play a role in the beautification of Warm Water Cove Park, they have to respect the public space and ask for permission to put artwork in the park or on private walls. If people continue to graffiti the park and private property walls, the graffiti will be removed and they will risk being arrested and prosecuted.
The second phase of the planning process for Warm Water Cove Park will include community input. We encourage you to be come involved in this planning process, if you wish to have a voice in the beautification and stewardship of the park.
Fred V. Abadi Director of Public Works
Monique Moyer
Executive Director
Port of San Francisco
sent by: Merle Goldstone (Merle.Goldstone@sfdpw.org)
August 4th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I’ve been living in SF 15 years and doing stuff periodically at WWC/TireBeach almost that long. I’ve seen several flash-in-the-pan efforts to “clean up” the park.
clean up the toxics, the trash, do some planting, I support. Vandalizing art -especially the popular art that expresses the character of a neighborhood - is not positive, life-affirming change. Its just more oppression.
August 4th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
It’s done. They painted it an ugly green. Met 4 old hippies out there in their nice cars this afternoon and they were lamenting the green paint.
August 4th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Thanks for that info, Chad. Here’s my letter to Merle Goldstone:
Hello,
I’ve been following with great interest the events leading up to this
morning’s cleanup and repainting of the park at Warm Water Cove. As a
member of the community of people who frequent that park, I’ve taken
great pleasure from the constantly replenishing artwork on the walls,
even though I’ve sometimes had to step over used needles and human
feces to do so.
I was happy at first to hear that the city of San Francisco had
finally taken an interest in maintaining this park, after years of
neglect. However, I was disappointed to learn that the artwork that I
enjoyed so much was one of the things to be removed. I was also sorely
upset that certain officials chose to treat this cleanup as a “war”
against these artists.
I understand that it is the job of city officials to enforce the law,
and that these artists were undoubtedly violating the law by painting
on property that is not theirs, which technically makes them vandals.
However, I feel that this interpretation of the situation ignores two
important points.
The first is that the graffiti artists who come to paint in this park
illegally (and the musicians who likewise perform there without proper
permits) have actually reduced the amount of serious,
life-threatening, violent crime in this park. By being there at all
hours of the day, they provide a set of watchful, concerned eyes with
a keen interest in maintaining the park as a place that’s safe for
them and their friends, and therefore also safe for everyone else.
The second is that the cultural attraction of the artwork on the walls
has for many years been the single positive feature that this park has
had to attract visitors, since in all other respects it has been
nothing more than an ill-maintained patch of dead grass and weeds
surrounded by fetid sludge and rotting tires.
In short, I feel that the artists and musicians who have made Warm
Water Cove their home for many years deserve more credit than they’ve
gotten, because their efforts, although technically illegal, have made
the park safer and more enjoyable during a time when the City did
nothing. These people deserve to continue their role as guardians and
cultural participants in the life of this park. All we need is to find
a way to allow them to do so legally.
My hope is that the future plan for Warm Water Cove can include a
clearly defined graffiti “free wall” where artists can legally come to
paint, thereby continuing both the cultural attraction of the art and
the safety-enhancing presence of their watchful eyes. A bandshell or
other stage area for the musicians might also be a good idea.
I would very much like to be a part of the process of developing the
plan for the future of this park. Please keep me informed of how I
might stay involved.
Sincerely,
Cassidy Curtis
August 5th, 2007 at 12:58 am
great letter Cassidy - I’m glad someone articulated that position so thoughtfully to the DPW. Ironically, while this whitewashing was going on, I was in Portland where I came across the recent issue of Archaeology with the article on your graffitti archaeology efforts, which of course included a photo from the WWC Park. A respected academic journal acknowledges this artform - the City and the letter of the law, however, sadly can’t seem to grasp it.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Hm, let me get this straight. “GREEN Connect”, and the “Community CLEAN Team” decided that the best and highest use they could put their considerable energy towards at Warm Water Cove would be repainting a fence? This is their demonstration of environmental ethics?
How about pulling some of the old tires and trash out of the mud? Picking up some of the industrial waste and needles with magnets? Sweeping, raking, or just picking up garbage, as we “vandals” who actually USE the park and enjoy the art do every time we go there?
I wonder how many of these “volunteers” had ever set foot in the park before “whitewashing day”?
What a bunch of misguided hypocrites. Get a hobby. Preferably one in your own neighborhood.
August 6th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
check out the aftermath from saturday mourning a href=”http://whatimseeing.com/2007/08/wam-water-cove-revisited.html”>here.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:27 am
check out the aftermath from saturday mourning here.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:28 am
dammit. i hate HTML. check it here: http://whatimseeing.com/2007/08/wam-water-cove-revisited.html
August 7th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
[…] Mark O’Hanlon, a “25+ year Dogpatch resident,” reminds us that before there was the graffiti art, Warm Water Cove used to be a very dangerous gangs and guns area before the artists ( and mobile homeless)took over. Doesn’t a public park belong to all of the community? Unfortunately the city only wants to acknowledge certain constituents as being part of the “community” and the graffiti writers who painted at the cove as well as the homeless who slept in the bushes (or the “weeds” that had to be pulled) are not recognized as members of said “community.” […]
August 13th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
beauty vs. soul crushing emptiness…why does the latter win every time?
September 11th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
[…] Warm Water Cove Graffiti Paint Out » funcheapSF.com {beta}check out the aftermath from saturday mourning a href=”http://whatimseeing.com/2007/08/wam-water 2/28/07 - Welcome to the funcheap.com beta! We’ve finally made the jump from yahoo groups onto our […]
September 13th, 2007 at 10:44 pm