Fisher family art collection finds a new home, but not in the Presidio



Sam Francis,
Middle Blue III, 1959;
oil on canvas; 72” x 96”
Photo: courtesy The Doris
and Donald Fisher Collection
Many months after the dozens of community meetings, protests and rallies held at the Presidio were over, the incomparable modern art collection of Donald and Doris Fisher has settled in at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

But it was a bumpy journey.

Newcomers to the Marina may not rem-ember the heated disagreements between those in support of and those against the Fisher family’s offer to house its internationally renowned collection in the Presidio. The sticking point was the family’s insistence that the artworks have a permanent home in a new building dubbed CAMP (Contemporary Art Museum of the Presidio), which was to be built on the Main Post grounds with funds donated by the Fishers. Those in support appreciated the generosity of a gift worth millions; those against were also grateful for the offer, but felt that a modern art building was not a good fit for the historic military buildings of the Presidio’s Main Post. The location was the deal breaker and the nays won.

Instead, the Fishers’ compendium of art will be housed at SFMOMA, where selected major works from the 1,100-piece Fisher collection are now on display through September 19, 2010. Sadly, Donald Fisher passed away before the opening of the exhibit.

SFMOMA director Neal Benezra stated that the agreement with the Fisher family stipulates that the collection is a 100-year renewable loan, not an outright gift. A major expansion to the museum is planned for completion in 2016, and the Fisher Collection will be on display in a new wing built as part of the expansion.

“Select works from SFMOMA’s [permanent] collection will also be presented in the new wing, and works from the Fisher Collection will be interwoven throughout the museum. The Fischer Collection will also become an integral part of SFMOMA exhibitions, educational and public programs, and ongoing scholarship,” said Benezra.

“The artists who will be presented in the June 25 to September 19 exhibit include Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, Roy Lichtenstein, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, and Andy Warhol,” Benezra said.

Museum trustee Bob Fisher, son of Doris and Don, expressed the feelings of his family. “San Francisco is where my parents raised their family and opened the first Gap store in 1969, which grew into a business beyond their dreams. They wanted to find a place to share the art collection that they lovingly built together over four decades and were thrilled with this unique partnership opportunity with SFMOMA. The entire family is dedicated to the cultural vitality of this city, and we are committed to supporting this important community institution and helping give art lovers around the world a new reason to visit San Francisco,” he said.

Members of the Presidio Trust, which governs operations of the park, and other supporters of the Fisher proposal were clearly disappointed at the outcome of the CAMP controversy.

“A cultural institution of such international significance would have been a great public resource in the Presidio,” said Clay Harrell, Presidio Trust spokesman. “However, it has been a wonderful development that this unique collection will be able to remain in the Bay Area, and SFMOMA should prove to be an excellent showplace,” Harrell said.