Local links: de Young dirty laundry, Sir Paul in GGP?, hats, Beard honors & more


Photo by stefanie.johnstone

Happy Thursday – here are some local links to get you to the weekend finish line!

  • Nothing like having a national newspaper air your very local museum’s dirty laundry… The New York Times’ Turmoil at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco article about the Fine Arts Museums (the de Young and Legion of Honor) details the low staff morale (including firings), the lack of Director since John Buchanan passed away, and the very mixed reviews of Board President Diane “Dede” Wilsey. Some think has held too much influence over the institution, while others think she is responsible for bringing it back to life. The Chronicle caught up with their own article this morning about the pending appointment of a new Director, rumored to be Colin Bailey, the deputy director and chief curator of the Frick Collection in New York. There should be an announcement next week.
  • Paul’s Hat Works took NPR on a tour and shared some secrets with them in a piece called The Making of a Hat. The owners also did some spring cleaning recently and now have for sale dozens of vintage hat boxes for between $5 and $60.
  • Congratulations to Pastry Chef Melissa Chou of Aziza. She was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award – “the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America” – which will be given out at a ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York on May 6.
  • Here’s your local history for the week… The SFPL Archives published Part 2 of their profile on Adolph Sutro, this time looking at some letters, architectural drawings and great old photographs of Sutro’s land holdings throughout the city. CurbedSF had a story earlier this month on a man who lived in a cottage on the cliffs of Lands End. His name was Charles Harris and he operated the waiting room and concession stand at the train stop near Sutro Baths. “The Harris’ moved to Lands End after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire destroyed their home downtown, and built up a little cottage around the framework of their cable car home.”
  • Local artist Jay Mercado, known for his donut paintings, will be hosting a show of his pillow sketches at his studio at 10th and California Street this Saturday.
  • Could Sir Paul McCartney be the headliner for the Outside Lands Music Festival this summer in Golden Gate Park? Last.fm is listing him as such but there’s been no confirmation from the show promoters. Something tells me nearby neighbors would much rather hear strains of Paul singing “Hey Jude” than the musings of Metallica…