>> building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7news. >> your watching getting answers live on abc7. we ask experts your questions to get answers for you in real time. we are talking about one of the most radical painters in american history. the works of alice neil are being featured at a new exhibition. we are talking to the assistant curator of the fine arts museum of san francisco. business and tourism making a comeback in san francisco chinatown. we talk about a unique way for you to experience this vibrant san francisco neighborhood. as of today, san francisco has three brand-new school board members. mayor london breed officially

named the replacements to the three members recalled by voters last month. >> i'm so happy, and i' h proud that we have three amazing women who all have kids in our public school system, who all had a common theme of service, who all care deeply about seeing a change. who all want better for our children and who also care about supporting our educators. >> those three women are all moms. today. thank you for your time on this busy day. >> happy to be here. >> how do you feel about being appointed by the mayor to this role? were you surprised? >> i'm pleasantly surprised.

i thought i did have a chance, but didn't know until yesterday. >> there you were today at the press conference. you were one of the recall organizers. you occupy one of the seats on the board. what made you so angry, or may be disappointed that you felt you had to try to influence things from the inside? >> as many parents in san francisco experienced firsthand during the pandemic, we had our students sitting at home every day for 18 months doing zoom school. it was a disaster for one my sons the other one is ok. i would guess the majority of students or with my son, who did not do ok. really wanted the board to focus on the students, and they were not. that got us motivated to do

something about it. >> you are the pts a president at galileo high. you have the two kids there. and the other board members are also parents. why do you think that was so important to the mayor? >> we were paren paren really got engaged. we are the ones who really cared about our students and everybody else's children and students. i think that really mattered to the mayor. she said from day one children must come first. she knows for every parent, that is exactly how we feel. and i'm so happy she chose a great team. i'm so excited to be working with these new fellow commissioners. >> you have training to do, then it is time to get to work. what do you think should be your biggest priorities? what are the priorities for the

board? you are facing big issues, the budget deficit, where to make cuts, searching for the superintendent, learning loss from the past two years. >> you just answered your own question. >> but i'm sure you have a vision. >> the details, we do not have. we will be onboarding in a couple of days after the weekend. i don't have any details about the budget or superintendent. but those are the top priorities. right after that is learning loss and mental health. the mayor talked about what a wonderful time she had in high school, not in class. being in high school, being at galileo, that has to come back for our students, especially high school students. >> some of the issues have been racialized in this district. how funding is distributed, how a student is admitted to certain

schools. the battles are often prevented -- presented as what benefits one group hurts the other. how do you view it? >> i think all students deserve what is best for them. and what is best for one person is not necessarily the same for the other. so we really need to do the work to see what is best for each student, or each group of students, and provide that to them. it is not that everybody wants the same thing. i have twin boys who are very different. they don't want the same thing. they should not get offered the same thing. i'm looking forward to diving into the details and learning about the different communities within sfusd and really offer the services that fit and encourage each student. >> i know you've got to consider all schools. one of the hottest issues is with regard to lowell high school and whether emissions

should be based on merit, however you want to define merit, or have it be lottery based. the previous board in its composition tried to do that. where do you think that should be? >> i have said this during the recall. still the same, lowell is an academically challenging environment for those students who want it. my two cents are not -- sons a not there, so i'm not talking about my personal interest. for those students who want that kind of academic challenge, they should have that. for those students who want other types of challenges and interest, they should have those. they should exist for academically inclined students. the risk of our student -- the restaurant school district needs to offer different kind of programs for other students. >> do you think there should be

a component in the process and it doesn't have to be a random lottery? >> yes. the advair -- the merit-based admissions need to go back, which i think the court has already said. >> are there different ways to define merit or consider merit? >> i don't think merit is the problem. i don't know, but i there are some issues at lowell. i think that is a separate issue. that issue needs to be addressed independently of merit. >> what about -- and i realize it may be not on the front burner, but a later conversation. many parents brought up if you will try and bring back algebra to eighth grade, which became not something the district did anymore after 2014. >> my sons were in eighth grade after that decision.

they did not take algebra. they took whatever math was in its place. i think they are fine. i don't have an opinion one way or another until i go into the matter in more detail. >> after a contentious recall, do you fear there might be opposition to you or the board before you get down to work? >> the reason for the recall is everybody wanted the board to focus on education of our kids and not play politics. i hope the people against the recall don't want politics instead of education. i think they just want what is good for the students. let's start new with at least half new people on the board who are there for education. all those against the recall. we want to do what is best for all of the kids.

let's start over, put aside our differences, and focus on the kids. >> while many people applaud your appointment, other messages already say vote you out. i don't mean you personally, but the three of you who are announcing sort of as a package. and progressives who question whether their viewpoints will be represented by the new board. i guess your term is next january. what do you hope to do between now and then to convince everybody in the together approach that you will be able to work on behalf of everybody. >> i don't have twitter. i'm glad i don't see what is happening. >> i'm going to follow you right there. >> i don't think there is anything to follow. >> i mean -- i know what you mean.

there can be a lot of contentious things sat, which may not help the work going forward. i hope you achieve what you want to achieve, giving you have to face the voters in november. it is a term to finish out those three. what do you hope to do? >> we do have a few months to work with. i think the three new board members are professional women who got things done who are competent. we will see what we can do before you judge us. >> one of th members, thank you for taking your time to talk with us. coming up next, talking about a new exhibit as san francisco's museum

>> she painted people of all walks of life, from victims of the great depression, political leaders, members of the lgbtq community, and andy warhol. her works of art are underway at san francisco's de young museum. the opening for alice neil people come first is happening tomorrow. here to talk to us about the exhibit and celebration is lauren palmore. the assistant curator of american art at the fine arts museum of san francisco. a wonderful place. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for inviting me to speak. >> we have to know alice a little bit better.

tell us about her work, what was she most known for. >> she could probably be summed up by the phase -- phrase radical humanist. she was decades ahead of her time in her sympathy for neighbors in spanish harlem, lgbtq couples, creatives of all walks of life. she saw everyone's innate humanity. that set her apart at a time where outside expressionism was the most popular form of american art. she stuck to the human figure was most important, first and foremost. >> i guess what she means by people come first, do you think that is the sentiment captured in all of her artwork? >> yeah, the title of the exhibition comes from a phrase she said to her friend, mike gold. she said people come first.

it is really what she believed. even in her cityscapes, landscapes, and still lights, which are probably less well-known. you get the sense of people and humanity, it infuses her work. >> look at the eyes, they really strike me in all of her portraits of people. there's some crazy intensity to it. >> people also remark on her hands. i will invite all of our visitors to look closely at hands and think about how character is shown in hands. both in her works, and maybe see a similar pattern in your own life. she really saw how people say a lot about themselves in ways they are not aware. the way they use their clothing, sit in a chair, it is a fun way of approaching it and looking

closely at how people reveal themselves. >> people come first originated in new york. tell me about why they decided to hold their own presentation. >> it was about time for the west coast to have an amazing retrospect. it is the largest exhibition on the west coast. we are grateful to our partners at the museum of art who allowed us to work with them making this happen. the special version about our version is we added an interlude in the exhibition that celebrates her time in san francisco. many people will be surprised to learn she spent significant time here in the 1960's. short visit in 1967, and two months in 1969. she painted in her son's apartment near bonavista park. and in the middle of the exhibition, we have a film that

shows her in the process of painting a portrait in that apartment in san francisco. you have the magic of watching her pain. next to the film, you see the final result. the portrait of her future daughter-in-law. i invite our san francisco visitors to enjoy this special edition to the presentation. >> she was a feminist, wasn't she? >> she would have had a hard time calling herself a feminist. she believed in the causes feminism uplifted and supported, and her reputation was valorize by the feminist movement, but she did not have the easiest relationship with feminism. she didn't want to up just -- uplift just women, she wanted to uplift all people.

she wasn't really a feminist. i read this wonderful quote that said she is an alice neilist. she wanted all people to benefit from having a rightful place in society and having their dignity and being respected and cared for. >> it is women's history month, i thought i would ask. she is a peopleist. the dave young is hosting an opening celebration for the exhibit tomorrow. what can people expect, and can they still attend? >> yes, everyone is invited to join us tomorrow. admission is free by sponsors. and we will have music, conversation on site between myself and the curators. we will have portrait workshops. it will be a whole day of celebrating and coming back together. the best thing about this exhibition in this post-covid

moment where we are approaching back to life, is the feeling of being in a gallery surrounded by pictures of people and surrounded by the feeling of life. it is invigorating and restorative to the soul. join us tomorrow and feel it for yourself. >> you have me sold, i'm coming out. i hope you will be there when i show up. thank you very much. that is fantastic. best of luck, congratulations oc the exhibition. >> see you tomorrow. >> coming up next, exploring chinatown. we talk with a san francisco tour company celebrating its 35 year history. we'll be right back with walk in new york city, ♪ ♪ there's always something new to discover. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ come be a part of it. plan your next vacation at iloveny.com

>> business and tourism are starting to pick up in chinatown after the pandemic caused so much financial strain. but there is a business making

returning to chinatown easy and fun. walk wiz chinatown tours is celebrating 35 years in business with unique cultural and historical tours several times a week. joining us to talk about one of the tours is an amazing tour leader. >> good to see you. >> before we talk about the tours, we have known each other for 30 years now. when i interned for her -- share the story. >> you were just a child -- [laughter] look at where you went after you were with knbr. you went to a lot of great things. ending up now at kgo, terrific. i'm proud of you. >> you helped me with that. you were a mentor. it was a great place to work. to be able to report on your community is fabulous. but you are still giving back.

i'm delighted to find out your leading walk wiz chinatown tours. tell me about what you do, how long you have been doing it. >> as you said, we have been around for 35 years. we were started by the very talented shirley fong. she put our company in place. and for 35 years or so, started in 1987. she wanted to give back. i know you give back, but each generation gives something back to those from where we came from. i see that you have some of the images. >> i know you have several. >> here we go down the vegetable route at a grocery store. it is a beautiful mural on wentworth place. now we are grand avenue. most of your visitors are very

familiar with this explosion of red. everything is red, especially this time of year. even my sweater. it is a good luck, very auspicious, we like to decorate chinatown in red. year of the tiger is are different from our georgian calendar we use. so it is an exciting place. we are eager to come back full force and welcome everyone to come. >> you got a taste of the kind of inside knowledge, history, culture you would get on one of these. but i know you are very excited, because you just resumed the culinary tour. it has an amazing name. >> it is -- are you ready for this? it is called i can't believe i

ate everything in chinatown from this tour. >> you go to the amazing food places. what else? >> little steam, can see a dumpling. it is a wonderful experience. many of your viewers have eaten chinese food. because of the food component, everyone wants to come to chinatown. they want something more authentic. these are all have partnered with us for over 35 years. >> i wish we had time to say every single one. there are great places in chinatown. why is it especially important right now? the business has had such a tough time. great shops that were vibrant. no business had restaurants closed down. is it a way to draw people back?

is it a way to do that? >> we continue doing what we have done for all these years. even during the pandemic. business will come back. i'm so confident about that. i was in chinatown on tour over the past weekend. there were more people than i have ever seen on grand avenue and on stockton street in the two years of the pandemic. so it is coming back. it will take work, but people are working to make that happen. >> in the last few years, we were struggling with and continue struggling with som hat -- some hate, bias, misunderstanding directed at asian americans. i wonder if you think cultural tours player thing in making things better. do you get visitors who come and learn something and go i have a new understanding? >> we take them through every part of chinatown that we can manage in the two hours that we

take our folks out. of course, there is history. and there's all the visuals. you have been on stockton street. you know it is a grocery shopping street. everyone is looking for the freshest vegetables and food. i can tell you, their eyes open when they see it all. they have heard about the great things. >> we will have to keep talking about these things on facebook live, because we have to do the bills and a facebook live.

>> thank you so much for joining us on this interactive show

getting answers. we will be here every weekday at 3:00 on air and livestream asking your questions. world news tonight is next. tonight, breaking developments as we come on the air. russian forces moving in. say the russians have kidnapped the mayor of a key city, and tonight reports the russians are bringing biosuits into ukraine. the images coming in tonight, the mayor of mariupol describing the city as armageddon, where the maternity and children's hospital was already hit. shelling every 30 minutes. the capital of kyiv, images showing that massive russian convoy closing in the u.n. report. the russians hitting two airfields in western ukraine, trying to disrupt supply