Lifetime Achievement Award

SAN FRANCISCO FINE ART FAIR, in conjunction with
The San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Art Dealers Association
are proud to present
a Lifetime Achievement Award to
RUTH BRAUNSTEIN
Owner, Braunstein/Quay Gallery

Thursday, May 20, 2010
5:30-7pm
Festival Pavilion
By invitation only - for info call 631-283-5505.


Ruth Braunstein
Honoring one of San Francisco’s pioneers in the art world- the legendary gallerist Ruth Braunstein, owner of Braunstein/Quay Gallery. Join us in this much earned recognition of her long standing commitment to the SF arts community and the celebration of her 50th year in the business.

Throughout her half-century career, Ruth Braunstein has provided a continuous showcase for some of the most exciting and enduring art of the Bay Area. Her roster of artists is illustrious. Ruth’s enthusiasm and devotion to Bay Area artists are legendary. Her gallery has been a beacon throughout the past 50 years for quality in art, personal respect and professional dignity. Rising to meet innumerable challenges through it all, Ruth, her colleagues and her artists have all managed to steer a course of real significance for art in our time.

Ruth Braunstein is the ideal recipient of this Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a true pioneer, a freestyle entrepreneur who embraces the volatile, irreverent and irrepressible energy of the San Francisco art world…past and present.

Since 1961, when she first opened the Quay Gallery in Tiburon, Ruth’s activities on behalf of unknown, untried artists have been exemplary. As Mary Keesling said, “Ruth has always been willing to take risks, and has always been true to herself. And that is what art dealing is all about, or ought to be.” During the course of her career, she has established the credibility so crucial to a dealer’s reputation among both artists and collectors, and this is reflected in the sales that support artists.

In addition to her own gallery, Ruth has been a tireless advocate for the arts in the Bay Area. In 1967, she was a founding member of SECA, the Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art at SFMOMA. In 1976, she was a charter member and president of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. Over the years, the many art shows juried and the lectures delivered are a true testament to the depth and reach of her involvement in the art world.

It is no surprise that even today, Ruth continues her role as a tireless advocate by championing a pressing cause …securing sustainable funding for the maintenance of San Francisco’s public art through ArtCare. ArtCare is a new program which serves as the vehicle for directing funds to public artworks most in need of maintenance, repair and restoration. By supporting ArtCare, we can as a community ensure that San Francisco’s public art is maintained to the highest standards while paying tribute to Ruth’s legacy.

ArtCare
ArtCare is a partnership between the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Art Dealers Association which is committed to the conservation and maintenance of artworks that are among the city’s invaluable cultural assets.

The Arts Commission was established by voters under the 1932 San Francisco Charter and charged with the preservation and care of all artwork in the City’s Civic Art Collection. Then in 1969, San Francisco’s Art Enrichment Ordinance was enacted to provide a guaranteed funding mechanism for the commissioning and acquisition of artwork for new public facilities and civic spaces. The result of these forward-thinking policies is a world-renowned Civic Art Collection consisting of over 3,000 artworks valued in excess of $90 million, which helps distinguish San Francisco as an important cultural destination.

Unfortunately, due to the legal intricacies of the funding sources used to commission new artwork, none may be used to maintain the existing collection. Given the City’s budget crisis, supplemental funds to care for artwork are not forthcoming. As the Civic Art Collection approaches it’s 80th anniversary, it is the ideal time to establish the ArtCAre fund and celebrate this remarkably diverse collection spanning many art movements and representing artists of local, national and international renown. And to remind all San Franciscans that the Civic Art Collection belongs to them. This celebration of our collection must begin with tending to and caring for these great artworks in need of conservation.

ArtCare offers us a creative solution. Spearheaded by Ruth Braunstein, the San Francisco Art Dealers Association approached the Arts Commission and this mutually beneficial partnership was established. The mission of ArtCare is to foster a public sense of ownership of these objects by matching civic-minded art enthusiasts and collectors with artworks that speak to them. These pieces may be located in their own neighborhoods or places of business, or collectors may wish to help restore the work of an artist with whom they have a personal interest.

In these difficult times it has become apparent to all that the City cannot do this task alone, and that our formidable Civic Art Collection has aged and requires a more aggressive schedule of care. By reaching out to the private sector, the Arts Commission will ensure that San Francisco’s assets maintain their value and integrity, and remain priceless treasures for all citizens and visitors to enjoy.

In honor of Ruth Braunstein and all that she has contributed to the Bay Area and national art scene, we are seeking your support for the ArtCare program that Ruth has championed and ask you to make a tax-deductable contribution to support San Francisco’s public art.

Visit www.sfartscommission.org.