has been damaged over time, so we need to treat it. >> roof and was given a lifetime award for her contributions to and influence over the bay area artist community. >> the lifetime achievement award -- it is embarrassing to me but i have to learn to accept it. this is the way it is. also, everybody here is good things happening about them after they are dead. i have the opportunity to see this happen while i am still lives. i look at this award as an opportunity for me to find a place for my craft and keep the art program going. >> the director of the program address the crowd and ask for each member to consider donating funds to help save some of san francisco's most important

neighborhood landmarks. >> as one of san francisco's living treasures, we respect you and, frankly, we are in off -- awe of your 50 years of tireless effort as an early art on from for north. >> i would like to be perhaps the first donation to our care and present you with a check to get the ball rolling. >> because i know that the arts commission is very sincere about this, i'm going to make a personal commitment of $10,000. [applause] >> what is significant about the program is the way it is set out allows us to treat the artworks that have the most need, the ones that our conservative have pointed out as the most vulnerable as opposed to ones that might be the most popular were the most miserable -- the most visible. >> it is an opportunity for the public to get involved with these art works located in their backyard and ultimately belong

to them. >> i want to do something for the community, just giving back what the community has done for me. it is corny to say, but it is true. it really is what it is. that i would be able to see more pieces cleanup. >>" will check back in the future and see the fruits of conservation and revitalization efforts. if you would find out more or donate to the art carethe artsfartcommission.org. >> welcome to "culture wire." today we're headed to smpling

f. camera works, a premiere venue for artists working in photographer, video, and digital media. the latest exhibition lists clearness as a set of political alliances and possibilities that it is behind the sphere of dominant gay and lesbian culture. the curator fills us in on the process of creating this thoughtful exhibition. and what she would like you to take away from it. >> i co-cureated with danny, a chicago-based writer and curator. the conceptual framework is what it means to be clear and radical for our generation. clearness as a set of political alliances and possibilities, not necessarily related to institutions of gender and swam formativity. danny and i wanted the show to

feel funky and to have a really tangible quality to it. so part of that was incorporated handmade objects and installations and beautifully printed photographs and videos. there is also a lot of opportunities to participate and to take postcards or to get the photo taken or sit within a tent made out of afghan blankets to watch videos. the exhibition is organized in three distinct galleries. in gallery one, which is the gallery designated to clear activism, there is an installation by the oakland-based collaboration and it's called "unleashed power." it's all focused on one protest that happened in chicago in 1991 with the activist

organization act up, which was protesting the inadequate health care for people living in aids, and specifically it focuses on an act of police violence that occurred at that protest. the thing that is really interesting for me about that piece is that it brings us back 20 years to what clear activism looked like at the height of the aids crisis. gallery two features work that is related to intentionally communities that exist both within cities, also in rural spaces, and transient communities as well. the return features a no madic clear tribe, the people who join this tribe are often in various states of transition themselves, whether it's leaving behind previous gender assignments or corporate jobs or a life within cities. a lot of the work featured in

the exhibition and a lot of the installations are handmade objects. there is a lot of do-it-yourself aesthetic and that handmade do-it-yourself feeling is something that mimics the idea and the reality of the alternative world making that we're trying to represent here as far as the self-sufficient community goes. gallery three features work that relates to the ideas of self-determinenism, alternative world making and utopia. visits can still participate in this -- visitors can still participate in this project. during the opening, we invite visitors to come in and try on these costumes, pose in front of the backdrop. he was really inspired by comic

books that he read as growing up and thinks of this space as a post-apocalyptic monster portrait gallery where people can remain genderless once they put on the costumes. we think it's important that this be happening in san francisco, which is considered an ekpe center of the queer actual cure. the majority of the queer cultural events happen in june which has been designated as the pride month. which to me translates as the period of time in which people can be in clear arts and culture. in september, it's hashingening back to that and proving that this is something that is scon significantly happening all the time. what danny and i hope visitors take away from this exhibition

is to observe the diversity within the designation of queer in terms of race, in terms of gender presentation and intergenerational perspective of what it means to be queer as well as what it means to exist and be active and work in solidarity with people whose identities may or may not look like yours. >> welcome to culture wire. we're going to take a look at one of the biggest and most significant public art projects today.

♪ on june 26, mayor newsom and other officials gathered at the hospital to cut the ribbon and welcome the public into a beautiful new state-of-the-art facility. >> 3, 2, 1. [applause] >> in has been 10 years since voters approved the measure for the new building. >> when they cast the vote, we have an exciting opportunities to rethink how art is done in a hospital setting. >> replacement program generated approximately $3.9 million in art enrichment funds for a

comprehensive art program that contributes to the quality of life at the hospital by enhancing the environment and supporting the hospital's needs and therapeutic goals. artists were commissioned to create 100 original works of art. as was for the gardens and courtyard areas. >> be artwork does more than just hang on the wall. it will enhance the therapeutics of the hospital and will include sensory stimulation, orientation, social interaction. >> it was set into like boxes to create color filled areas in the hospital. inspired by nature, the

signature painting of native san francisco birds, clouds, and the surface of the ocean waves were translated into a variety of media including glass mosaic and tapestry. the playful clock encourages memory stimulation among the patients. they used the theme of the four elements as they relate to vocation. it is a direct homage to the historical murals in the original laguna honda building. it features to large tile walls. by observing residents, the gardens created a public artwork

in the form of the handrail. in one of the outdoor courtyards, the circular grouping of -- with a smooth finish. this features ten unique button sculptures with different pastel colors that function not only as a place to sit, but also as a touchstone to something recognizable, familiar, and comforting. another key component included an art project that responded directly to the hospital's rich history. using archival images and artifacts, had designed 16 intricately woven tapestries that are inviting of significant

events that shaped the hospital and the community over time. a >> it attracts a lot of visitors, and they are all and all - -in aw -- in awe over the variety of mediums used. >> i think we have given the city of san francisco and the residents an incredible art collection. it really encourage people to come and visit the new facility, also to see the arts. >> for more information, visit sfartscommisis

>> welcome to culture wire. did you know the city of san francisco has an art collection consisting of 3500 objects? the collection ranges from painting and public buildings to murals, and from bronze busts in city halls, to cite specific structures. at this time, many of the large works are in desperate need of repair, and a long-term innovative solution is needed to make sure these public treasures will be cared for. >> the story of the arts commission program begins with

ruth fromstein. 2010 marks her 50th year as an art dealer. at the helm of the county, she had represented some of the most notable of bay area artists, and continues to look for new talent. >> the artists that i represent, what do i choose them, if asked to do with a background of what the gallery is about. i love the idea of finding new guys and watching them grow. it is the old fashioned way of having a nunnery, which is having a stable. what you have is loyalty to them, artists are loyal to you. the philosophy behind that, my philosophy, has not changed since i started 49 years ago. i take care of you and you take care of me. it has been that way ever since.

>> ruth represents the estate of the world renowned sculptor peter focused. in 1971, he created and the love the untitled public work cited at seventh and bryant. like many other public works of art, this is in need of repair. ruth began conversations with the director of cultural affairs, a andart care was born. >> we look at all of the local pieces and decided which one needed the most repair, to bring it back to where it was before. that is what i am after. if you drive by right now, you cannot see it coming down seventh street. you can only see it as you come up to it. >> one's culture outside of the

hall of justice was one of the first pieces commissioned after the 1969 ordinance. it is significant that we are planning to treat it as part of the art care program. the program intends to take care of the bronze sculpture located in very park, a monument to the korean community of san francisco. it has been in the park for over 20 years, has become a bit of a magnet for vandalism. we are also looking at several sculptures from henry more, one in front of the symphony building. we are also looking at yen and yang, a much loved peace -- piece. but the team has been damaged over time, so we need to treat -- patina has been damaged over

time, so we need to treat it. >> roof and was given a lifetime award for her contributions to and influence over the bay area artist community. >> the lifetime achievement award -- it is embarrassing to me but i have to learn to accept it. this is the way it is. also, everybody here is good things happening about them after they are dead. i have the opportunity to see this happen while i am still lives. i look at this award as an opportunity for me to find a place for my craft and keep the art program going. >> the director of the program address the crowd and ask for each member to consider donating funds to help save some of san francisco's most important

neighborhood landmarks. >> as one of san francisco's living treasures, we respect you and, frankly, we are in off -- awe of your 50 years of tireless effort as an early art on from for north. >> i would like to be perhaps the first donation to our care and present you with a check to get the ball rolling. >> because i know that the arts commission is very sincere about this, i'm going to make a personal commitment of $10,000. [applause] >> what is significant about the program is the way it is set out allows us to treat the artworks that have the most need, the ones that our conservative have pointed out as the most vulnerable as opposed to ones that might be the most popular were the most miserable -- the most visible. >> it is an opportunity for the public to get involved with these art works located in their backyard and ultimately belong

to them. >> i want to do something for the community, just giving back what the community has done for me. it is corny to say, but it is true. it really is what it is. that i would be able to see more pieces cleanup. >>" will check back in the future and see the fruits of conservation and revitalization efforts. if you would find out more or donate to the art carethe donate to the art carethe artsfartcommission.org. what made america great is an independent, vigorous press. if a jerk burns a flag, america is not threatened. political speech is the heart of the first amendment. they're expressing their religious beliefs. now is the time to make justice a reality for all of god's children.

captioning provided by the first amendment center, funded by the freedom forum. welcome to speaking freely, a weekly conversation about free expression, the arts, and america. i'm ken paulson. since the founding of jefferson airplane in 1965, our guest has produced an extraordinary body of music, sometimes popular, sometimes provocative, sometimes both. we're delighted to welcome rock and roll hall of fame member paul kantner. [applause] not long ago, paul, the washington post called you "the political conscience and space cadet of the jefferson airplane." do you plead guilty as charged? oh, and more. were you really the political force behind a very political band? no, no, we're a very apolitical band, if you really analyze it. and--we have the luxury of coming from san francisco, which is very nutritious for off-the-beam, off-the-normal-beam kind of people and nurtures them, really, in its own way.

and we, in contrast to, say, berkeley, for example, in the '60s or the s.d.s. or the weathermen, chose and got away with creating our own alternate quantum, if you will, universe: this type of place where we-- rather than going up against city hall and fighting city hall, like i'm sure all of you are probably engaged in doing, we had--and i must admit it's a luxury-- the ability to get away with not fighting city hall but in a sense creating our own city hall without all the bureaucracy, and just going out and-- and establishing an ability to do what we wanted to do. and for some reason, we got away with it. i have no idea--i always say that if i had been born anywhere else in the country than san francisco, i'd have probably been executed by now. or--and in so doing, it caused a lot of people who do the fight that-- the normal a.c.l.u., and the people do get involved in

got a little resentful of us and called us sort of irresponsible hedonists and that whole sort of thing. but that there was a real-- what would be the word? commitment to establishing our own place with our own laws and our own rules. and we somehow--i don't why to this day--got away with it. you talk about the band as being apolitical, but-- not apolitical, but we didn't deal in the normal political spectrums and submit ourselves to congress and deal with city hall and ask. i went to catholic school, and long ago i learned it was much easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, as we say in catholic school. and nobody ever hammered us down. jorma, our lead guitar player, always thought that we were part of a cia lsd experiment. so that whenever we would go out across the country, they would go in ahead of us and tell the local police department, "don't arrest them; they're okay. "we got an eye on them. it's part of a program." 'cause we just got away

with the most ridiculous kind of stuff. of course, even if you had that clearance from the cia, that didn't prevent certain police chiefs in certain towns from pulling the plug on the show, turning off lights. and when the police and-- or the church people or whoever would make a protest to us in contrast to the normal a.c.l.u. kind of approach, it would heighten our sales. and we would go out and debate with church leaders or politicians or policemen about this, that, or the other thing. and it would be like good publicity, really. even going to jail-- the few minor times that we were put in jail-- it got written up in all the papers. and so there was no conscious effort to create some problem for anybody, other than the usual of just being. we were just doing what seemed to be the thing to do at the time. so you literally were not trying to start a revolution with volunteers. the revolution had been going on. black panthers and all that had been working, you know, since the early '60s, and the weathermen and the s.d.s. had been reflecting since the early '60s. and the free speech movement in berkeley

had an effect on everybody. country joe and the fish were doing the same thing from berkeley, and-- that was just a fulmination of events that we were happy to be part of, you know. (paulsen) your music, from the beginning in the airplane-- it was different from other people. and i have to believe you never aspired to be bobby vee. it was always-- i was a child of the weavers. i was--not raised on the weavers, but when i came into music, i was musically raised by the weavers. they were the first person who struck me as a force. they eventually became the form from which i wanted to be-- the kind of band i wanted to be in. and when we started our band, this was the template that, unconsciously, anyway, i said, "well"--marty asked me the first night he met me-- he said, "you want to start a band?" i said, "yeah, we could do that. but there has to be a woman in it." 'cause i had always been swept away by the work of ronnie gilbert, the woman singer in the weavers. and we just went uphill from there. the weavers had a great combination of both hedonism on the lee hays side

all the way through the social responsibility and the powerful singing and into the total aesthetic, almost amish approach of pete seeger to life. so i was talking to ronnie about it once before, and i said, "it looks to me that your band, like our band, "all combined together to make "one sort of complete human being, you know, with all their faults and all their vices and virtues." they combined to make one whole unit that was very impressive to me. so i built what was our band on a--unconscious, actually-- but a format of what the weavers had done, both in social responsibility, in terms of doing benefits, in terms of helping people that you were in a position to help. 'cause it's so easy as a rock and roll band to go out and raise a large amount of money for a serious cause, which most people cannot do. and all we have to do is just, like, go out and play. and so not to do it almost becomes a sin,

in the catholic sense-- a sin of omission. and it's so easy to do, and the weavers made it look easy despite all the mccarthy and the h.u.a.c. hearings-- made it so easy to do to help so many people so quickly. that's one thing that i tried to do with our band as well. you talk about you lived a charmed life and you've gotten away with a lot of things. and yet if you look at the newspaper reports, magazine reports from the '60's and '70s, there's no band that has been banned so often as-- all right. that's what a band is supposed to do. that's--that's why they call it a "band." thanks for clearing that up. there were radio stations who wouldn't play your stuff. spiro agnew attacked you. any number of politicians ran on platforms in opposition to jefferson airplane. justly so. absolutely. and then any number of people were saying that you were satan's children. the song goes, "everything that they say we are, we are." and we were very proud of that.

that's right. when did you get the first sense that jefferson airplane was gonna make waves, that there would be some-- and there'd be some backlash to what you're doing? oh, for me, it was the second grade in military school. you knew that. i just carried on the devil's advocate. when i learned of the devil's advocate in the eighth grade or so, i thought i'd found my position in life. and just carried on. it was a natural-- we didn't have radio stations that played our kind of music when we started--or nightclubs. we had to build our own nightclub, our scene concocted their own radio stations, not searching for any commercial viability. we didn't expect to make any money. we weren't there to make money. it was almost an irrelevant point of contact with society. we were there to--god knows what we were there for; just to do what was to be done. for a band that never embraced commercial success, how did you come up with kind of classic singles like somebody to love and white rabbit? those were huge records. no attempt to create a hit record out of that?

no, when they first put the record out with those songs on them, they didn't even take those songs off to put out as a single. i mean, they sort of automatically put out a single when you put out a record. and they chose some other much less obnoxious song to put out on the radio, and it went fooo! and then some radio stations starting pulling those songs off. and they just bloomed on their own. i know you're always amused by criticism, but you had to be particularly entertained by the attempt to censor, to ban white rabbit. what was that all about? the obvious, isn't it? drugs. and you intended it to be, as spiro agnew said-- the war on drugs has been going on ever since, and as with most american governmental wars, it's a pathetic failure. i mean, we have the war on hunger, the war on homelessness, the war on drugs. what do we have left? the war on fat. the war on smoking. the war on--what? saddam hussein? all of these wars america has lost since i was born.