The artist exodus

The San Francisco Chronicle published an article about artists fleeing San Francisco due to its high cost of living, as part of its Grass is Greener series. It chronicles several artists moving to other cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles to escape the high rents in San Francisco.

Art is extremely important. Sure, some art, maybe even most art, is just eye-candy, to simply stimulate the visual senses, not that there's anything wrong with that. But the most profound art unlocks hidden insights into our own character, expresses the perspectives of the artist, provides commentary on society, or locks in historical context for future generations.

Unfortunately, having a roof over one's head is more important than art, and the art scene is being pushed out by this simple truth. When the housing supply is restricted to the whims of city planners and no growth neighbors, land costs go up and things less important than this basic necessity start to get pushed out.

Murals in Balmy Alley in the Mission District of San Francisco.
Image courtesy of Nicolas Vollmer.

Anya Sapozhnikov is correct when she infers that New York City has a better art scene than San Francisco, but not many cities can hold a candle to New York City in this regard. San Francisco does have a rich history in art, from the inspiring murals in the Mission District to the DeYoung Art Museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron. From the jazz scene in the Filmore District to the Michelin Starred restaurants scattered through the Bay Area.

Yes, the Bay Area is known as the tech capital of the world, but there's no need to wage war between techies and artists. The two can easily coexist, and even thrive together. Art can inspire tech and tech can help art. All we need to do is to let people build so enough housing exists for all.