FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact:
Kate Patterson, San Francisco Arts Commission
Tel: (415) 252-4638 Email: kate.patterson@sfgov.org

Jonah Hendrickson Studio
Tel: (510) 684-0647 Email: jonahhendrickson@comcast.net

CLICK HERE FOR HIGH RES IMAGES

CELEBRATE GAY PRIDE YEAR ROUND WITH YOUR VERY OWN COMMEMORATIVE BUST OF HARVEY MILK

Available in three styles, the busts are replicas of the commemorative sculpture of Harvey Milk located in San Francisco’s City Hall.

60% of proceeds support the San Francisco Arts Commission,
MilkFoundation.org, GLBT Historical Society and Lyric.

Photo by Jonah Hendrickson

SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2010 – Director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Luis R. Cancel is pleased to announce that Jonah Hendrickson, one of the original artists who created the commemorative bust of Harvey Milk at San Francisco’s City Hall, has made replicas of the bust, which are available for sale. Following the dedication of the sculpture in City Hall in 2008, both Mr. Hendrickson and the Arts Commission received numerous calls from people interested in purchasing reproductions. According to Mr. Hendrickson, “I realized there was a demand from parties who wanted their own copy for the home. I just thought, if people wanted these, why not make them available?” The busts, which come in three styles in both bronze and plaster, can be purchased online at harveymilksculpture.com and range in price from $350 to $2,500, see below for further details. Sixty-percent of all proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Arts Commission, MilkFoundation.org, GLBT Historical Society and Lyric.

“I thought if these reproductions take off, it would be a great opportunity to channel a percentage of the profits back to the LGBT community,” said Mr. Hendrickson. “My hope is that these donations will continue Harvey Milk’s legacy of furthering equal rights and also support the great civic work of the Arts Commission, which ensures that the arts are an integral part of the City’s identity.”

“The bust of Harvey Milk at City Hall has become a sacred pilgrimage site and wonderful symbol for the LGBT community,” said Mr. Cancel. “The Arts Commission is extremely proud of its role in helping to bring the bust to fruition, and now, we are equally excited to be partnering with Jonah Hendrickson to provide the public with an opportunity to purchase a replica. The proceeds will go a long way towards supporting our programs, which ensure equal access to the arts for all City residents.”

In 2004, the Harvey Milk City Hall Memorial Committee formed and invited the Arts Commission’s Public Art Program to co-manage a sculpture competition to select an artist or artist team to create a bust of Harvey Milk for City Hall. The Daub, Firmin, Hendrickson Sculpture Group (now Daub and Firmin Studios and Jonah Hendrickson Studio) won the competition. Placed in the Supervisor’s Rotunda on the second floor of City Hall, the bust was unveiled at a gala party on May 22, 2008 on what would have been Milk’s 78th birthday. In 2009, the Arts Commission created a podcast that provides listeners with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the bust and includes anecdotes from Milk’s friends and colleagues including: Charlotte Coleman, the first lesbian bar owner in San Francisco; Anne Kronenberg, Milk’s campaign manager; Harry Britt, Milk’s successor to the Board of Supervisors and photographer Daniel Nicoletta. To listen to the Deep Roots podcast, visit www.sfartscommission.org/media.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Classic Commemorative Bronze
•    Bronze with classic brown patina
•    17” h x 16” w
•    Limited edition, 750
PRICE: $2,500.00, plus tax & shipping

Classic Commemorative Bronze
•    Bronze with classic brown patina
•    9.5” h x 8” w
•    Limited edition, 1,500
PRICE: $1,500.00, plus tax & shipping

Museum Quality Piece
•    Plaster with bronze paint
•    9.5” h x 8” w
•    Limited edition, 3,000
PRICE: $350.00, plus tax & shipping

* Available exclusively online at www.harveymilksculpture.com

About the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Public Art Program
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. We believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being. Established by charter in 1932, SFAC programs integrate the arts into all aspects of City life. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artists Licensing, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth and Family Concert Series. The agency’s core values are committed to the principle that all residents have equal access to arts experiences in all disciplines, that programs are provided comprehensively and evenly throughout the City, and that they are innovative and of the highest quality.

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the Arts Commission’s Public Art Program was established by the City Arts Enrichment Ordinance in 1969, as one of the first of its kind in the country. The Public Art Program seeks to promote a diverse and stimulating cultural environment to enrich the lives of the city’s residents, visitors and employees. The Program encourages the creative interaction of artists, designers, city staff, officials and community members during the design of City projects in order to develop public art that is specific to the site and meaningful to the community.

SFAC Public Art website: www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection

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