>> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts.

experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show.

of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just

five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square. for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation.

[applause] >> in addition to its own programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually

reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪ under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing

the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed. >> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we experienced that work of art. ♪ 2:00 p.m. >> (clapping.) you know, we're surrounding the in this area by a horse shoe drive is the charring allocate and george schultz horse shoe

drive we have this lady that's the director of protocol for the statistical choorlt i want to recognize you thank you so much (clapping.) and i haven't seen him but steven made this project possible is mr. beckal here a big had an for steven he made this thing go. we have mayor edwin lee we're lucky to have him. we have members of the board of supervisors. i've seen one at least do we have any members. thank you all so much. oh, i see scott wiener it's good

to have you here and city attorney herrera. the city administer naomi kelly (clapping) and the department of public works mohammed (clapping.) and the south san francisco arts commission director tom. thank you tom for being here (clapping.) and we're going to ask someone to speak in a minute our senior veteran former secretary of state george b schooulz will you make many racks this morning for us? >> this is a great occasion.

and mike has identified people as he wanted to honor and he give recognition to but let's face it this project got off the dpround when you put a marine general in charge let's hear it for mike (clapping.) that is a memoriam but it's as much about the future as about the pa past. yes memorial has the ring looking back and paying honor to our veterans and we need to do that and we need to give honor to anybody who has served but recognizing people who have been

in combat and wounded we want to pay attention to the mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters to those who have fallen and let them know as a pledge we're with them. one of the causes or the events that i'm particularly interested in mr. and mrs. an organization that raises money for the sole purpose of helping the children of police officers and marines who have fall in the line of duty but they deserve special remembrance and we need to take care of the the children and recognize veterans tangiblely. in my case i was able to complete my education on the gi

bill. the first house i bought he 83 at that mortgage i was helped to we need to impress ourselves in tangible ways like that. i've said this is as much about the future as the past. because it's a statement that those who serve we honor as special people. and we recognize that sometimes, people say it's a great sacrifice that's not it all. it's an opportunity and privilege to serve and at the same time sometimes, people get hurt balanced and we need to recognize that and support them wholeheartedly.

sometimes, i think as we support particularly w0u7b9d conveniences who are fighting and come back we have to remember ourselves not just it's a great chapter but recognize those are people who have developed special leadership capacities they've gone through the affair and know how to handle stress their potential leaders. we need to recognize that and reach out to them in that sense. it's about the future has much as the past it's saying to future generations that this memorial stands for the fact we honor our conveniences we honor those who served in combat and those who have been injured and fallen not to forget them and their children.

it's a profoundly megs - message. so i want to ask you will have you to stand up and join me in a good strong salute to our veterans >> thank you (clapping.) i've noticed we had another individual join us here in the audience and if i could ask former former mayor willie brown junior. >> (clapping) >> our next speaker in that morning is our current mayor.

mayor edwin lee as i said i feel so proud to have you as our mayor so mayor will you come up and sigh is a few words (clapping.) thank you general and let me convicting add my thanks to you. good morning, everyone this is a great occasion. i'm glad that former former mayor willie brown joined us i can formerly congratulate him on it's 20th birthday yesterday (clapping) and let me asked if i may to i think the wonderful comments that secretary shuflz is given i want to recognize we're joined by president chiu a norm yee.

i am also grateful to the veterans not only of the city but across the country and that i do think people a lot to what san francisco is doing on everything from technology to health care to housing. but i also want to signal that we're a city that remembers our veterans as well so as long as i'm mayor, i want to make sure we introduce and welcome the coast guard here as well we're working together to make sure that our returning veterans are also taken care of that as we begin the groundbreaking for the memorial in the 80 years because the memorial committee that has

been garnishes with their time and energy we want to thank them 82 years ago today, we should have had this designed appropriate but several others who have mentioned to me while it took us 82 years we have the benefit of modern indulge and perhaps technology to accompany us with the design so the committee is anxious to get done and i hopewell i will make sure that public our kraushths get done by this october to have triple celebration because that's is an honor during the fleet week we pissed that last year and we're anxious to have a

glorious fleet week this year and have a great edition to have this done. let's make sure we have it done our city family but also to let you know in addition to honoring our past veterans we're making efforts to honor the returning veterans that's important as well. i'll confidentially to you a very good toward we've reduced the housing needs of many of our veterans by thirty percent. that's not enough we need to take care of are one hundred percent of our returning veterans to make sure they have housing and services as they come back. if we can reduce by thirty percent those needs in the last couple of years uncertain certainly with the hope of

looird pelosi and feinstein i'm going to contempt x condominium we can get them jobs in the that economy and get them skill sets that in san francisco we're a welcoming city to our veterans we'll work very hard to get that done. i want you to know i'll be excited to be here with you and the war committee to make sure we've done everything to get this project done in honor of our veterans. congratulations and happy birthday to former mayor willie brown and our war memorial committee. i commit to work hard with you and the rest of the city joining in this effort.

thank you and congratulations >> thank you, mayor thank you mayor ed lee. nova is going to recite a poem. it's titled the young dead soldiers. this particular poem will be inskrind in stone in the san francisco veterans memorial when it's completed. arching balanced wrote this poem in the middle of the last century when he was a larger than four is larger than congress. as a young man he severed in embattle in world war i and witnessed suffering and death. air force world war ii when the congress held a service for all the staff members who died in the war he contributed this poem

tonl not only to commemorate the dead by those who survive bear a special responsibilities to make the deaths of those soldiers meaningful so as the poem is being resided live up to that responsibility of making the deaths of our american soldiers and mooerpz and coast guards make it meaningful. noah. >> young dead soldiers do not speak. nevertheless, they are heard in

still houses. who has not heard them. they have a silence this speaks to them at night and the clock counts. they say we were young, we have died remind us. they say we have done what we could but until it is finished it is not done. they say our deaths are not ours they are yourselves they will mean what you make them. they say whether our lives and our deaths were for nothing we

can't say. it is you who must say this. we leave i our deaths give them their meaning. we were young they say we have died remind us. (clapping.) >> thank you noah. we'll new dot actual groundbreaking before we do i'd like to thrill about the soil in the outlook gone it contains so i would say from american from battlefields where americans have shed blood from around the world so we're going to merely

turn the soil over we are going to take the soil from the octagon into the construction process and it will be included in the actual veterans memorial when it's completed. i want to have the folks who are going to join me for the groundbreaking come in front of the color graduate and facing this way secreting shurlts, mayor ed lee, former mayor willie brown. city administer naomi kelly and wishes to speak who co-chaired the san francisco veteran memorial committee. there's a shovel for each of us and we're going to do this experiencing in a military manner and i'll give the command shovels up and on the count of 3 put our shovel in the ground.

and then everybody can clap >> shovels up. all 3. 13 - 1, 2, 3, (clapping)

we're going to leave the shovels in there. all right. thank you all so many. we're going to ask you to go back to our seats, please. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> hey folks we have a special take away for our citizen veteran square feet shurlz he gets a special shovel it's a little small one and i'm going to ask someone who's worked with us on the committee if you jenny lopez will this over and present it to secretary schuflz.

>> (clapping). >> our closing speaker is no one other than the former mayor willie brown junior please say a few remarks, please (clapping.) thank you, sir. general thank you for your kind words and secretary of state and mayor ed lee and the assembled dignitaries to my right on on behalf of the steering committee of this memorial we're just

delighted that so many of you participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. san francisco is notorious notorious for taking a long time to do anything. i'm certain that the person in 1932 that made this commitment actually assumed he or she was going to be here to shovel the sand and break the ground but that was 1932 we're not in 2014 and some successors people are here for that purpose and we're delighted, however, i walked in you veterans i ran into a veteran buddha of mine and george a man who gave to his country in had dramatic way as a member of the