Closed by federal government shutdown, San Francisco art exhibit reopens for Fleet Week

By John Ramos

The shutdown of the federal government is having an impact on Fleet Week in San Francisco, as many of the familiar sights are missing this year. But it’s also affecting other lesser-known attractions, including an artistic exhibit honoring Black history at Fort Point.

It’s called “Black Gold, Stories Untold,” an exhibit in the hallways and dark rooms of the old fort, that is part history lesson, part art installation. The inspiration for the event was a desire to tell the story of the Black Army regiment known as the Buffalo Soldiers.  But it also speaks about other, unknown figures in the largely untold narrative of Black History during the Gold Rush era.

“Individuals that we’re celebrating today because they successfully navigated issues of race, issues of power, and made an impact on California. But their history is not known,” said Clara Kamunde, docent coordinator for an art non-profit called FOR-SITE, which sponsored the exhibition.  

But she said many of the display’s messages are left up to individual interpretation.  For example, the story of California trailblazer James Beckwourth is symbolized with a group of indigenous tents, symbolic of the help the Black frontiersman got from various native tribes as he plotted a safe route for travelers across the Sierra Nevada mountains.  But the artist intentionally selected a fragile structure made of cloth to do it.

“Yes, we celebrate these individuals,” said Kamunde, “but when you have monuments that are intended to last forever, the question we have to ask is, why?  And what is the intention behind that?”

Another piece, entitled “Untold Histories, Hidden Truths,” shows three large statues completely wrapped in red fabric, symbolizing the honored Confederate sympathizers, including Francis Scott Key, torn down in 2020 by protestors.  

“Asking us to question why some stories are told–with hidden truths. Because most people would say, ‘Well, he should be celebrated, he wrote the national anthem.’ But there are other stories that are unknown,” said Kamunde. “I feel like it’s a cautionary tale against singular perspectives. History is not static. Culture is not static. And sometimes, when the idea is to have one perspective, one view, one idea. That just isn’t possible.”

There are other images in the exhibit to ponder, like a beaded curtain showing two Black Civil War soldiers that people walk through, as if they’re not really there. And an art display from a student group that had its National Endowment for the Arts funding grant cancelled.  But ultimately, the exhibit had the same fate.  

It began in June, but the federal shutdown ended the show about a month early. They were able to reopen just during Fleet Week weekend thanks to donations from the Park Conservancy and private contributors. It was scheduled to stay open through Monday with free admission to the public.

“I’m just super disappointed on my end because we were scheduled to serve so many students, so many youths and community members,” said FOR-SITE’s Visitor Engagement Coordinator, Crystal Barillas. “I am grateful for the time that we did have and the opportunity that we did have to welcome groups.  And they now know that the fort exists, the park exists and the park partners at the Conservancy at the Presidio Trust have so many opportunities to welcome students and community groups.”

Our understanding of history is determined by those who wrote it.  But, for some, the struggle continues to give a fuller picture of what that actually looks like.