The Standard Staff

NFTs—scam or possible solution to climate change?&nbsp;

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NFTs—scam or possible solution to climate change?&nbsp;

That’s one question the brains behind <a href="https://hunt-gather-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1_ecZt7RuTgup0ZoNQWHlTT98aTM5F-_2JJ_XWK0zDmk-0&amp;key=YAMMID-1643303693266&amp;link=https://versenftcryptoart.com/">Verse: The Art of the Future</a> hope you might consider at the San Francisco Mint this weekend.&nbsp;

That’s one question the brains behind <a href="https://hunt-gather-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1_ecZt7RuTgup0ZoNQWHlTT98aTM5F-_2JJ_XWK0zDmk-0&amp;key=YAMMID-1643303693266&amp;link=https://versenftcryptoart.com/">Verse: The Art of the Future</a> hope you might consider at the San Francisco Mint this weekend.&nbsp;

The immersive, in-person augmented reality experience debuts Thursday at the former coinage caster, also known as The Granite Lady, and features 3D digital artworks by local and internationally-renowned creators of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.&nbsp;

The immersive, in-person augmented reality experience debuts Thursday at the former coinage caster, also known as The Granite Lady, and features 3D digital artworks by local and internationally-renowned creators of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens.&nbsp;

In recent years, these virtual “<a href="https://www.theverge.com/22310188/nft-explainer-what-is-blockchain-crypto-art-faq">one-of-a-kind trading cards</a>” that can take the form of GIFs, digital drawings, photos, videos, music and even tweets—and have sold for millions of dollars—have sparked controversy. They’ve been accused of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/12/non-fungible-tokens-revolutionising-art-world-theft">disrupting the fine art market</a>, being the <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/nft-crypto-scams-how-to-not-get-scammed-1286614/">next frontier for scams</a> and for <a href="https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/nfts-new-frontier-money-laundering">being a vehicle for money laundering</a>. Some critics say the digital tokens are nothing more than overly-hyped (and easily copied) digital files with no real-world value.

In recent years, these virtual “<a href="https://www.theverge.com/22310188/nft-explainer-what-is-blockchain-crypto-art-faq">one-of-a-kind trading cards</a>” that can take the form of GIFs, digital drawings, photos, videos, music and even tweets—and have sold for millions of dollars—have sparked controversy. They’ve been accused of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/12/non-fungible-tokens-revolutionising-art-world-theft">disrupting the fine art market</a>, being the <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/nft-crypto-scams-how-to-not-get-scammed-1286614/">next frontier for scams</a> and for <a href="https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/nfts-new-frontier-money-laundering">being a vehicle for money laundering</a>. Some critics say the digital tokens are nothing more than overly-hyped (and easily copied) digital files with no real-world value.

“Increasingly, it looks as if the NFT emperor is wearing no clothes,” privacy advocate Albert Fox Cahn, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2021/10/21/the-nft-emperor-is-wearing-no-clothes/?sh=279feb294bb9">told Forbes</a> in a 2021 interview.

“Increasingly, it looks as if the NFT emperor is wearing no clothes,” privacy advocate Albert Fox Cahn, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2021/10/21/the-nft-emperor-is-wearing-no-clothes/?sh=279feb294bb9">told Forbes</a> in a 2021 interview.

Ray Kallmeyer, CEO or Enklu, one of the presenters of “Verse” warns that you may very well have an “emperor has no clothes”-type of moment when you first enter the Mint because the space will appear completely empty. “You&#8217;re going to see a bunch of people staring around at the walls.”

Ray Kallmeyer, CEO or Enklu, one of the presenters of “Verse” warns that you may very well have an “emperor has no clothes”-type of moment when you first enter the Mint because the space will appear completely empty. “You're going to see a bunch of people staring around at the walls.”

Ray Kallmeyer, CEO or Enklu, one of the presenters of “Verse” warns that you may very well have an “emperor has no clothes”-type of moment when you first enter the Mint because the space will appear completely empty. “You&#8217;re going to see a bunch of people staring around at the walls.”

That’s because they’ll be staring at holograms only they can see—with the aid of special augmented reality goggles.

That’s because they’ll be staring at holograms only they can see—with the aid of special augmented reality goggles.

Kallmeyer explains that Microsoft HoloLens 2 headsets and attendees’ smartphones will reveal the holographic NFT artworks hidden in the air, and unlike a normal museum, you’re actively encouraged to touch the art and “dip your head inside it.

Kallmeyer explains that Microsoft HoloLens 2 headsets and attendees’ smartphones will reveal the holographic NFT artworks hidden in the air, and unlike a normal museum, you’re actively encouraged to touch the art and “dip your head inside it.

Among the artworks you may want to wrap your head around are previews of NFT saplings created by the new online platform <a href="https://www.avatree.xyz/">Avatree</a>, launching in July. The digital trees named after the platform are being developed to fight climate change by sequestering carbon, explains Avatree’s Chetan Nandakumar. While NFTs<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22328203/nft-cryptoart-ethereum-blockchain-climate-change"> have been heavily criticized for their environmental tol</a>l, this particular NFT is designed to be “a badge of one’s climate action over time” that can be posted on a website, social media or even brought into the “metaverse,” Nandakumar says. Tickets start at $15 for juniors and $35 for adults.

Among the artworks you may want to wrap your head around are previews of NFT saplings created by the new online platform <a href="https://www.avatree.xyz/">Avatree</a>, launching in July. The digital trees named after the platform are being developed to fight climate change by sequestering carbon, explains Avatree’s Chetan Nandakumar. While NFTs<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22328203/nft-cryptoart-ethereum-blockchain-climate-change"> have been heavily criticized for their environmental tol</a>l, this particular NFT is designed to be “a badge of one’s climate action over time” that can be posted on a website, social media or even brought into the “metaverse,” Nandakumar says. Tickets start at $15 for juniors and $35 for adults.

—Christina Campodonico

<a href="Verse: Art of the Future">Verse: Art of the Future</a>

<h4 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-verse-art-of-the-future"><a href="Verse: Art of the Future">Verse: Art of the Future</a></h4>

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<h4 class="has-text-align-center" id="h-verse-art-of-the-future"><a href="Verse: Art of the Future">Verse: Art of the Future</a></h4>

SF Mint, 88 5th St. Thursday, Feb. 3 &#8211; Friday, Feb. 18 @ 12:30 p.m.

SF Mint, 88 5th St. Thursday, Feb. 3 - Friday, Feb. 18 @ 12:30 p.m.

SF Mint, 88 5th St. Thursday, Feb. 3 &#8211; Friday, Feb. 18 @ 12:30 p.m.

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Three-Half-Cakes-WT-p.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32281"/><figcaption>Stay frosty. | Wayne Thiebaud, &#8216;Three Half Cakes,&#8217; 1966</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Three-Half-Cakes-WT-p.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32281"/><figcaption>Stay frosty. | Wayne Thiebaud, 'Three Half Cakes,' 1966</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Three-Half-Cakes-WT-p.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32281"/><figcaption>Stay frosty. | Wayne Thiebaud, &#8216;Three Half Cakes,&#8217; 1966</figcaption></figure>

<a href="https://www.berggruen.com/exhibitions/thiebaud">Wayne Thiebaud Memorial Exhibition</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.berggruen.com/exhibitions/thiebaud">Wayne Thiebaud Memorial Exhibition</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://www.berggruen.com/exhibitions/thiebaud">Wayne Thiebaud Memorial Exhibition</a></h4>

Berggruen Gallery, 10 Hawthorne St. Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 3-5 @ 11 a.m.

Berggruen Gallery, 10 Hawthorne St. Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 3-5 @ 11 a.m.

On Christmas Day 2021, the Bay Area lost a local art legend. Wayne Thiebaud, who passed away at age 101, was best known for his still-lifes of confection shop windows and evocative citiscapes. A selection of Thiebaud’s paintings will be on view at Berggruen Gallery in a memorial exhibition opening Thursday.

On Christmas Day 2021, the Bay Area lost a local art legend. Wayne Thiebaud, who passed away at age 101, was best known for his still-lifes of confection shop windows and evocative citiscapes. A selection of Thiebaud’s paintings will be on view at Berggruen Gallery in a memorial exhibition opening Thursday.

Along with his peers, like James Weeks and Richard Diebenkorn, Thiebaud made significant contributions to pop art through his involvement in the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Though no one would mistake any of Thiebaud’s paintings for a photograph, he managed to capture the spiritual essence of his subjects in a way no camera ever could—conveying the vertiginous incline of San Francisco’s steepest streets by compressing an entire city block into two dimensions or conjuring the creamy texture of frosting by lathering his canvases with generous globs of oil paint.

Along with his peers, like James Weeks and Richard Diebenkorn, Thiebaud made significant contributions to pop art through his involvement in the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Though no one would mistake any of Thiebaud’s paintings for a photograph, he managed to capture the spiritual essence of his subjects in a way no camera ever could—conveying the vertiginous incline of San Francisco’s steepest streets by compressing an entire city block into two dimensions or conjuring the creamy texture of frosting by lathering his canvases with generous globs of oil paint.

He taught at UC Davis for most of his life, as an assistant professor from 1960 to 1991, and lectured pro bono as Professor Emeritus from 1991 until his death. (MB)

He taught at UC Davis for most of his life, as an assistant professor from 1960 to 1991, and lectured pro bono as Professor Emeritus from 1991 until his death. (MB)

<a href="https://sfindie.com/">SF Indie Fest</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://sfindie.com/">SF Indie Fest</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://sfindie.com/">SF Indie Fest</a></h4>

Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. Thursday, Feb 3. @ 7 p.m.

Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. Thursday, Feb 3. @ 7 p.m.

The 24th Annual San Francisco Independent Film Festival kicks off Thursday and runs through Feb. 13. This year&#8217;s festival takes place at the Roxie Theater and will show 68 different films (42 shorts and 26 features) from 10 countries. “The Sleeping Negro,” a <a href="https://abc7news.com/film-festival-sf-fest-social-justice-films-best-anti-racism/11508072/">an atmospheric and surreal meditation on being Black in America</a>, headlines opening night. The S.F. Indie Fest&#8217;s online and on-demand services are also available at <a href="https://sfindie.com/">sfindie.com</a> for those who are unable to attend a planned screening or who are being Covid cautious. (MM)

The 24th Annual San Francisco Independent Film Festival kicks off Thursday and runs through Feb. 13. This year's festival takes place at the Roxie Theater and will show 68 different films (42 shorts and 26 features) from 10 countries. “The Sleeping Negro,” a <a href="https://abc7news.com/film-festival-sf-fest-social-justice-films-best-anti-racism/11508072/">an atmospheric and surreal meditation on being Black in America</a>, headlines opening night. The S.F. Indie Fest's online and on-demand services are also available at <a href="https://sfindie.com/">sfindie.com</a> for those who are unable to attend a planned screening or who are being Covid cautious. (MM)

The 24th Annual San Francisco Independent Film Festival kicks off Thursday and runs through Feb. 13. This year&#8217;s festival takes place at the Roxie Theater and will show 68 different films (42 shorts and 26 features) from 10 countries. “The Sleeping Negro,” a <a href="https://abc7news.com/film-festival-sf-fest-social-justice-films-best-anti-racism/11508072/">an atmospheric and surreal meditation on being Black in America</a>, headlines opening night. The S.F. Indie Fest&#8217;s online and on-demand services are also available at <a href="https://sfindie.com/">sfindie.com</a> for those who are unable to attend a planned screening or who are being Covid cautious. (MM)

<a href="https://m.facebook.com/firstthursdayartwalk/">First Thursday Art Walk</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://m.facebook.com/firstthursdayartwalk/">First Thursday Art Walk</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://m.facebook.com/firstthursdayartwalk/">First Thursday Art Walk</a></h4>

Lower Polk &amp; Tenderloin Thursday, Feb 3 @ 6 p.m.

Lower Polk &amp; Tenderloin Thursday, Feb 3 @ 6 p.m.

The Lower Polk and Tenderloin Art Walk is a community-led monthly event held by over 30 gallery owners and artists&#8217; studios in San Francisco&#8217;s Lower Polk and Tenderloin districts, as well as the Lower Polk Community Benefit District. Each participating gallery or studio features a diverse collection of art in a variety of genres and styles. Check out the map for additional details. Be sure to check out John Vochatzer’s recently opened Moth Belly Gallery, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/calamity-fair-gallery-moth-belly/">which we covered back in November</a>. The street artist better known as Calamity Fair, hopes to give a voice and aesthetic identity to the Tenderloin, the neighborhood he has called home for 18 years. (MM)

The Lower Polk and Tenderloin Art Walk is a community-led monthly event held by over 30 gallery owners and artists' studios in San Francisco's Lower Polk and Tenderloin districts, as well as the Lower Polk Community Benefit District. Each participating gallery or studio features a diverse collection of art in a variety of genres and styles. Check out the map for additional details. Be sure to check out John Vochatzer’s recently opened Moth Belly Gallery, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/calamity-fair-gallery-moth-belly/">which we covered back in November</a>. The street artist better known as Calamity Fair, hopes to give a voice and aesthetic identity to the Tenderloin, the neighborhood he has called home for 18 years. (MM)

The Lower Polk and Tenderloin Art Walk is a community-led monthly event held by over 30 gallery owners and artists&#8217; studios in San Francisco&#8217;s Lower Polk and Tenderloin districts, as well as the Lower Polk Community Benefit District. Each participating gallery or studio features a diverse collection of art in a variety of genres and styles. Check out the map for additional details. Be sure to check out John Vochatzer’s recently opened Moth Belly Gallery, <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/calamity-fair-gallery-moth-belly/">which we covered back in November</a>. The street artist better known as Calamity Fair, hopes to give a voice and aesthetic identity to the Tenderloin, the neighborhood he has called home for 18 years. (MM)

Shhh... Secret Sidewalk is no longer so hush hush. | Courtesy Photo

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SecretSidewalk.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32179"/><figcaption>Shhh&#8230; Secret Sidewalk is no longer so hush hush. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SecretSidewalk.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32179"/><figcaption>Shhh... Secret Sidewalk is no longer so hush hush. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SecretSidewalk.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-32179"/><figcaption>Shhh&#8230; Secret Sidewalk is no longer so hush hush. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>

<a href="https://www.starlinesocialclub.com/event/secret-sidewalk-w-big-trippin">Secret Sidewalk</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.starlinesocialclub.com/event/secret-sidewalk-w-big-trippin">Secret Sidewalk</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://www.starlinesocialclub.com/event/secret-sidewalk-w-big-trippin">Secret Sidewalk</a></h4>

Starline Social Club, Oakland Friday, Feb. 4 @ 9 p.m.

Starline Social Club, Oakland Friday, Feb. 4 @ 9 p.m.

There was a time when local teens in search of their own Stand By Me-esque adventure made the pilgrimage from all over the Bay Area. The Secret Sidewalk—a miles long, flat-topped aqueduct, which used to carry water from Sunol, through Niles Canyon, to Fremont and other East Bay cities—is an ideal place to drink wine coolers, smoke pot and get up to all kinds of youthful shenanigans far from the watchful eyes of parents and other authority figures.

There was a time when local teens in search of their own Stand By Me-esque adventure made the pilgrimage from all over the Bay Area. The Secret Sidewalk—a miles long, flat-topped aqueduct, which used to carry water from Sunol, through Niles Canyon, to Fremont and other East Bay cities—is an ideal place to drink wine coolers, smoke pot and get up to all kinds of youthful shenanigans far from the watchful eyes of parents and other authority figures.

<a href="https://secretsidewalk.bandcamp.com/album/sutro-sound-bath">Sutro Sound Bath by Secret Sidewalk</a>

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Formed in 2009, this local instrumental quartet, which fuses boom-bap beats, On The Corner-era Miles Davis jazz experimentation and all kinds of electronic knob-twiddling, takes its name from the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/secret-sidewalk">mythical Atlas Obscura destination</a>. Their latest release stays on brand, name checking another 100-year-old ruin that once carried thousands of gallons of water. Secret Sidewalk dropped Sutro Sound Bath in August.

Formed in 2009, this local instrumental quartet, which fuses boom-bap beats, On The Corner-era Miles Davis jazz experimentation and all kinds of electronic knob-twiddling, takes its name from the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/secret-sidewalk">mythical Atlas Obscura destination</a>. Their latest release stays on brand, name checking another 100-year-old ruin that once carried thousands of gallons of water. Secret Sidewalk dropped Sutro Sound Bath in August.

The band launches a new quarterly residency at the Starline Social Club in Oakland this Friday, Feb. 4. They’ll be joined by Saxreligious and Daniel Riera. Just as it was with visiting the Secret Sidewalk of old, San Franciscans eager to check out this show will need to pile into a car or hop on BART and head east. (NV)

The band launches a new quarterly residency at the Starline Social Club in Oakland this Friday, Feb. 4. They’ll be joined by Saxreligious and Daniel Riera. Just as it was with visiting the Secret Sidewalk of old, San Franciscans eager to check out this show will need to pile into a car or hop on BART and head east. (NV)

<a href="https://kochgallery.com/exhibitions/american-geography/">‘American Geography’</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://kochgallery.com/exhibitions/american-geography/">‘American Geography’</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://kochgallery.com/exhibitions/american-geography/">‘American Geography’</a></h4>

Robert Koch Gallery, 49 Geary St. Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 11 a.m.

Robert Koch Gallery, 49 Geary St. Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 11 a.m.

From his home in California’s Central Valley outward, Matt Black has photographed across 46 of the United States since 2014. The resulting exhibition, Black’s first at Koch, is as visually gritty as the scenes he captures. These high-contrast, black-and-white prints, reminiscent of the work of Japanese photographer Daidō Moriyama, convey a restlessness on the part of Black and his subjects alike—cowboys, flea market vendors, a murder of crows—as well as their fatigue: in one picture, a lone figure rests his forehead against the telephone pole bisecting the composition on a Texas street corner, unable to take another step. (MB)

From his home in California’s Central Valley outward, Matt Black has photographed across 46 of the United States since 2014. The resulting exhibition, Black’s first at Koch, is as visually gritty as the scenes he captures. These high-contrast, black-and-white prints, reminiscent of the work of Japanese photographer Daidō Moriyama, convey a restlessness on the part of Black and his subjects alike—cowboys, flea market vendors, a murder of crows—as well as their fatigue: in one picture, a lone figure rests his forehead against the telephone pole bisecting the composition on a Texas street corner, unable to take another step. (MB)

<a href="https://www.hashimotocontemporary.com/news/181/">‘Wild Animal’</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.hashimotocontemporary.com/news/181/">‘Wild Animal’</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://www.hashimotocontemporary.com/news/181/">‘Wild Animal’</a></h4>

Hashimoto Contemporary, 804 Sutter St. Saturday, Feb. 5 @&nbsp; 1 p.m.

Hashimoto Contemporary, 804 Sutter St. Saturday, Feb. 5 @&nbsp; 1 p.m.

San Francisco-based artist Casey Gray is a progenitor of process, using a technique of hand-cut masking and spray paint to create impressively detailed paintings with a unique, airbrushed quality. For his latest, and third, solo show at Hashimoto, “Wild Animal,” Gray narrows his focus to portraits of animals, rather than the complex still-lifes of his previous bodies of work. The theme, Gray says, is inspired by his experience as a new father: animals are popularly marketed to children as toys, books, entertainment. But Gray’s new paintings are perhaps the artist’s most mature, stylistically developed works to date. (MB)

San Francisco-based artist Casey Gray is a progenitor of process, using a technique of hand-cut masking and spray paint to create impressively detailed paintings with a unique, airbrushed quality. For his latest, and third, solo show at Hashimoto, “Wild Animal,” Gray narrows his focus to portraits of animals, rather than the complex still-lifes of his previous bodies of work. The theme, Gray says, is inspired by his experience as a new father: animals are popularly marketed to children as toys, books, entertainment. But Gray’s new paintings are perhaps the artist’s most mature, stylistically developed works to date. (MB)

<a href="https://sfpl.org/events/2022/02/05/activity-origami-club">Origami: Bay Area Rapid Folders</a>&nbsp;

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://sfpl.org/events/2022/02/05/activity-origami-club">Origami: Bay Area Rapid Folders</a>&nbsp;</h4>

<h4><a href="https://sfpl.org/events/2022/02/05/activity-origami-club">Origami: Bay Area Rapid Folders</a>&nbsp;</h4>

Bernal Heights Meeting Room, 500 Cortland Ave. Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 2 p.m.

Bernal Heights Meeting Room, 500 Cortland Ave. Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 2 p.m.

Who knew folding a piece of paper into a wavy accordion could be so rewarding? Jeremy Shaffer—the origami wizard behind the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC7GpjYYWUo">the boomerang airplane</a>—has racked up more than 9 million views on YouTube with his tutorial. Shafer is no longer a regular at the Bay Area Rapid Folders meetings, but the group is still running strong, teaching kids (and kids at heart) how to make amazing figures and flying objects out of compressed wood pulp. (PB)

Who knew folding a piece of paper into a wavy accordion could be so rewarding? Jeremy Shaffer—the origami wizard behind the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC7GpjYYWUo">the boomerang airplane</a>—has racked up more than 9 million views on YouTube with his tutorial. Shafer is no longer a regular at the Bay Area Rapid Folders meetings, but the group is still running strong, teaching kids (and kids at heart) how to make amazing figures and flying objects out of compressed wood pulp. (PB)

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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fffFW58AUo&amp;t=1s
</div><figcaption>Roll on. | Video by The San Francisco Standard.</figcaption></figure>

<a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/schedule.html">Learn to Roller Skate</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/schedule.html">Learn to Roller Skate</a></h4>

<h4><a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/schedule.html">Learn to Roller Skate</a></h4>

The Church of Eight Wheels, 554 Fillmore Street Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 11 a.m.

The Church of Eight Wheels, 554 Fillmore Street Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 11 a.m.

David Miles Jr., a.k.a. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/godfather-of-skate-david-miles-san-francisco/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEvery%20time%20something's%20going%20on,'%E2%80%9D">The Godfather of Skate</a>, was thrilled by at least one pandemic silver lining. When Covid wasn’t pushing people indoors and deep into their Netflix queues, it was drawing them out into the fresh air where the virus is far less transmissible. One activity many San Franciscans picked up was roller (and inline) skating. Miles is still giving lessons. Tickets for the hour long session start at $30; it’s an extra $10 if you need to rent some gear. If you feel confident enough to get out on the rink, the Sunday evening open skate is half the price. (PB)

David Miles Jr., a.k.a. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/godfather-of-skate-david-miles-san-francisco/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CEvery%20time%20something's%20going%20on,'%E2%80%9D">The Godfather of Skate</a>, was thrilled by at least one pandemic silver lining. When Covid wasn’t pushing people indoors and deep into their Netflix queues, it was drawing them out into the fresh air where the virus is far less transmissible. One activity many San Franciscans picked up was roller (and inline) skating. Miles is still giving lessons. Tickets for the hour long session start at $30; it’s an extra $10 if you need to rent some gear. If you feel confident enough to get out on the rink, the Sunday evening open skate is half the price. (PB)

<a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/Lunar-New-Year-Year-of-the-Tiger">SF Symphony: Year of the Tiger</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/Lunar-New-Year-Year-of-the-Tiger">SF Symphony: Year of the Tiger</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/Lunar-New-Year-Year-of-the-Tiger">SF Symphony: Year of the Tiger</a></h4>

Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 5 p.m.

Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Saturday, Feb. 5 @ 5 p.m.

The San Francisco Symphony rings in the Year of the Tiger with a festive melange of orchestral works influenced by the musical traditions of East and West. Music buffs may recognize the strains of Eternal Vow from Ang Lee’s 2000 Academy Award-winning movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But there are other celebratory gems in store. Texu Kim’s Spin-Flip is an eight-minute ode to ping pong; The Butterfly Lovers concerto, censored during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, represents a China in transition; and Liu Yuan’s Train Toccata brings the ethos of a rushing locomotive to life.&nbsp; (CC)

The San Francisco Symphony rings in the Year of the Tiger with a festive melange of orchestral works influenced by the musical traditions of East and West. Music buffs may recognize the strains of Eternal Vow from Ang Lee’s 2000 Academy Award-winning movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But there are other celebratory gems in store. Texu Kim’s Spin-Flip is an eight-minute ode to ping pong; The Butterfly Lovers concerto, censored during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, represents a China in transition; and Liu Yuan’s Train Toccata brings the ethos of a rushing locomotive to life.&nbsp; (CC)

<a href="https://about.asianart.org/plan-your-visit/?utm_campaign=Plan%20Your%20Visit&amp;utm_medium=funcheap&amp;utm_source=funcheap">Free Sunday: Asian Art Museum</a>

<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://about.asianart.org/plan-your-visit/?utm_campaign=Plan%20Your%20Visit&amp;utm_medium=funcheap&amp;utm_source=funcheap">Free Sunday: Asian Art Museum</a></h4>

<h4><a href="https://about.asianart.org/plan-your-visit/?utm_campaign=Plan%20Your%20Visit&amp;utm_medium=funcheap&amp;utm_source=funcheap">Free Sunday: Asian Art Museum</a></h4>

Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. Sunday, Feb. 6 @ 10 a.m.

Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. Sunday, Feb. 6 @ 10 a.m.

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/inflation-avocado-toast-coffee-e-bikes-san-francisco-staples/">Food and shelter are expensive enough in San Francisco</a>. Thankfully, it doesn’t always cost an arm and a leg to take in some culture. The first Sunday at the Asian Art Museum, for example,&nbsp; is always free—though special exhibits, like the current showing of “teamLab: Continuity,” are extra. For those in the mood to multitask, the museum is part of a scavenger hunt of sorts—<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZSuCTXPW4E/"> including six red tigers around town</a> commemorating the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/sfs-lunar-new-year-parade-events-continue-on-despite-omicron-surge-concerns/">Year of the Tiger</a>. (PB)

<a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/inflation-avocado-toast-coffee-e-bikes-san-francisco-staples/">Food and shelter are expensive enough in San Francisco</a>. Thankfully, it doesn’t always cost an arm and a leg to take in some culture. The first Sunday at the Asian Art Museum, for example,&nbsp; is always free—though special exhibits, like the current showing of “teamLab: Continuity,” are extra. For those in the mood to multitask, the museum is part of a scavenger hunt of sorts—<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZSuCTXPW4E/"> including six red tigers around town</a> commemorating the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/arts-culture/sfs-lunar-new-year-parade-events-continue-on-despite-omicron-surge-concerns/">Year of the Tiger</a>. (PB)

This weekend: NFT hologram show, learn to roller skate, Secret Sidewalk and more

Chris Roberts

After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco&#8217;s Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

After less than eight months of commuting through San Francisco&#8217;s Tenderloin neighborhood, former U.S. Attorney David Anderson had seen enough.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city&#8217;s de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city's de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In order to reach his office at the Phillip Burton Federal Building &amp; U.S. Courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, Anderson and his colleagues at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration had to drive or walk through the neighborhood’s notorious open-air drug market. Federal law enforcement worked in the city&#8217;s de-facto “containment zone” for vice.

In his first news conference as then-President Donald Trump’s chief local law enforcer, Anderson announced in August 2019 that 17 federal agencies would participate in a crackdown on a neighborhood “smothered by lawlessness.”

In his first news conference as then-President Donald Trump’s chief local law enforcer, Anderson announced in August 2019 that 17 federal agencies would participate in a crackdown on a neighborhood “smothered by lawlessness.”

While homelessness and street crime were part of the area’s woes, what bothered Anderson most was the drugs: 56% of the city’s drug arrests were concentrated in the Tenderloin’s 50 square blocks. Anderson’s “Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin” would notch dozens of arrests over the remaining 18 months of his tenure, including 32 Honduran nationals caught dealing drugs on street corners within sight of the federal courthouse.

While homelessness and street crime were part of the area’s woes, what bothered Anderson most was the drugs: 56% of the city’s drug arrests were concentrated in the Tenderloin’s 50 square blocks. Anderson’s “Federal Initiative for the Tenderloin” would notch dozens of arrests over the remaining 18 months of his tenure, including 32 Honduran nationals caught dealing drugs on street corners within sight of the federal courthouse.

But all of this was very familiar—then and now.

But all of this was very familiar—then and now.

Mayor London Breed last month had her own <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health-safety/breed-declares-state-of-emergency-in-the-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press conference declaring a “state of emergency”</a> in the Tenderloin. All that had been going wrong in the neighborhood—a life expectancy nearly 10 years shorter than the citywide average, the worst concentration of poverty in the city—was actually getting worse. Instead of 56% of the city’s drug arrests, the Tenderloin’s share of such crimes rose to 60% last year, according to SFPD data.

Mayor London Breed last month had her own <a href="https://sfstandard.com/public-health-safety/breed-declares-state-of-emergency-in-the-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press conference declaring a “state of emergency”</a> in the Tenderloin. All that had been going wrong in the neighborhood—a life expectancy nearly 10 years shorter than the citywide average, the worst concentration of poverty in the city—was actually getting worse. Instead of 56% of the city’s drug arrests, the Tenderloin’s share of such crimes rose to 60% last year, according to SFPD data.

The mayor was mad, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBe45y-834" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">her colorful reference</a> to “all the bullshit that has destroyed our city” garnered national headlines. Her get-tough vision—police descending on the neighborhood and offering users a choice of treatment or jail—enjoyed enough support that skeptical SF supervisors went on to approve the state of emergency declaration after a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-drug-overdose-measure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contentious 10-plus hour meeting</a> just before Christmas.

The mayor was mad, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBe45y-834" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">her colorful reference</a> to “all the bullshit that has destroyed our city” garnered national headlines. Her get-tough vision—police descending on the neighborhood and offering users a choice of treatment or jail—enjoyed enough support that skeptical SF supervisors went on to approve the state of emergency declaration after a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-drug-overdose-measure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contentious 10-plus hour meeting</a> just before Christmas.

The board on Tuesday affirmed its support for the emergency declaration, though some supervisors still hope to undo it. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-linkage-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Breed on Tuesday</a> also answered critics who said her plan was too vague by providing more details, including the location of a key new social services center at 1170 Market St.&nbsp;

The board on Tuesday affirmed its support for the emergency declaration, though some supervisors still hope to undo it. <a href="https://sfstandard.com/city-hall/emergency-linkage-tenderloin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Breed on Tuesday</a> also answered critics who said her plan was too vague by providing more details, including the location of a key new social services center at 1170 Market St.&nbsp;

In taking on the Tenderloin, history shows that the mayor has certainly met her match

In taking on the Tenderloin, history shows that the mayor has certainly met her match

The Tenderloin is plagued by problems that have defied attempted solutions for decades, despite the efforts of past mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors. It’s served as the city’s catchment basin&nbsp;for all manner of vice since the days of the Barbary Coast, and it’s also been the city’s hub for low-income housing, substance-abuse treatment and other services—resisted elsewhere in the city—since the 1980s. Without suppressing causes or demand, anything that suppresses drug use and crime in the Tenderloin risks simply moving it to other parts of town. And more comprehensive solutions to addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and sky-high housing costs—all of which are major contributors to the Tenderloin’s problems—are largely outside of the city’s control.

The Tenderloin is plagued by problems that have defied attempted solutions for decades, despite the efforts of past mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors. It’s served as the city’s catchment basin&nbsp;for all manner of vice since the days of the Barbary Coast, and it’s also been the city’s hub for low-income housing, substance-abuse treatment and other services—resisted elsewhere in the city—since the 1980s. Without suppressing causes or demand, anything that suppresses drug use and crime in the Tenderloin risks simply moving it to other parts of town. And more comprehensive solutions to addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and sky-high housing costs—all of which are major contributors to the Tenderloin’s problems—are largely outside of the city’s control.

Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1663" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DocumentingTenderloin_JamesWyatt_SFS_16-1-2500x1663.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22709"/><figcaption>Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/DocumentingTenderloin_JamesWyatt_SFS_16-1-2500x1663.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22709"/><figcaption>Members of San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Team perform wellness check-ups and distribute food to people lying on Jones Street on Dec. 17, 2021. | James Wyatt</figcaption></figure>

“I’m trying to remember when we didn’t have an emergency,” said former Supervisor Jane Kim, who represented the Tenderloin on the board from 2011 to 2019. “It’s always a state of emergency in the Tenderloin—and it’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.”

“I’m trying to remember when we didn’t have an emergency,” said former Supervisor Jane Kim, who represented the Tenderloin on the board from 2011 to 2019. “It’s always a state of emergency in the Tenderloin—and it’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.”

Tenderloin crackdowns have historically focused on law enforcement. Frank Jordan, a former city police chief, tried his version of a cleanup in 1995, a scheme called Matrix. Former Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004 launched what he called a “scrubdown.” Another former police chief, George Gascón—who later morphed into a progressive district attorney—led another crackdown in 2009. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Anderson’s Barack Obama-appointed predecessor, tried to clean up the Tenderloin in 2013 with “Operation Safe Schools,” which&nbsp;targeted dealers peddling too close to schools by using a federal statute to get around more lenient state drug laws.&nbsp;

Tenderloin crackdowns have historically focused on law enforcement. Frank Jordan, a former city police chief, tried his version of a cleanup in 1995, a scheme called Matrix. Former Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004 launched what he called a “scrubdown.” Another former police chief, George Gascón—who later morphed into a progressive district attorney—led another crackdown in 2009. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Anderson’s Barack Obama-appointed predecessor, tried to clean up the Tenderloin in 2013 with “Operation Safe Schools,” which&nbsp;targeted dealers peddling too close to schools by using a federal statute to get around more lenient state drug laws.&nbsp;

And while his tools were techies and realtors, former Mayor Ed Lee’s Twitter tax break and subsequent boosterism of the Mid-Market area <a href="https://sanfran.com/arise-tenderloin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was a Tenderloin intervention effort</a>, too.

And while his tools were techies and realtors, former Mayor Ed Lee’s Twitter tax break and subsequent boosterism of the Mid-Market area <a href="https://sanfran.com/arise-tenderloin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">was a Tenderloin intervention effort</a>, too.

Neither a spokesperson for Anderson’s successor, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds, nor Gascón, who is now the district attorney in Los Angeles, responded to requests for comment. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But so far, the Biden-appointed Hinds <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/eight-defendants-charged-tenderloin-based-drug-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has continued prosecuting street dealers</a> while also launching a much softer-sounding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/united-states-attorney-s-office-through-department-justice-project-safe-neighborhoods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youth Voice Program in the Tenderloin</a>.

Neither a spokesperson for Anderson’s successor, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds, nor Gascón, who is now the district attorney in Los Angeles, responded to requests for comment. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But so far, the Biden-appointed Hinds <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/eight-defendants-charged-tenderloin-based-drug-trafficking-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has continued prosecuting street dealers</a> while also launching a much softer-sounding <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/united-states-attorney-s-office-through-department-justice-project-safe-neighborhoods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youth Voice Program in the Tenderloin</a>.

Randy Shaw, the outspoken executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and a supporter of Breed’s efforts, said in a blog post published Tuesday that Gascón’s <meta charset="utf-8">crackdown was the only one that worked; the only problem was that it didn’t last long enough. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304017404575166332670248118">Other sources</a><a href="http://www.lacp.org/2010-Articles-Main/040810-TenderloinCrackdownSparksBacklashInSanFran.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> tell a slightly different story</a>: Filling the jails with drug users contradicted Newsom’s dictat to incarcerate fewer people, and even many Tenderloin residents and advocates felt locking up drug users was a waste of limited police resources. Gascón himself subsequently appeared to have a conversion: He went on <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/skelton-organized-theft-proposition-47" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to co-sponsor Prop. 47</a>, which downgraded most drug crimes in the state from felonies to misdemeanors.

Randy Shaw, the outspoken executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and a supporter of Breed’s efforts, said in a blog post published Tuesday that Gascón’s <meta charset="utf-8">crackdown was the only one that worked; the only problem was that it didn’t last long enough. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304017404575166332670248118">Other sources</a><a href="http://www.lacp.org/2010-Articles-Main/040810-TenderloinCrackdownSparksBacklashInSanFran.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> tell a slightly different story</a>: Filling the jails with drug users contradicted Newsom’s dictat to incarcerate fewer people, and even many Tenderloin residents and advocates felt locking up drug users was a waste of limited police resources. Gascón himself subsequently appeared to have a conversion: He went on <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-09/skelton-organized-theft-proposition-47" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to co-sponsor Prop. 47</a>, which downgraded most drug crimes in the state from felonies to misdemeanors.

Same old law-and-order response? Or…

Same old law-and-order response? Or…

The initial tenor of Breed’s Tenderloin response was very much in line with the law-and-order approach of her predecessors. It also echoed her riposte to the recent hijinks in Union Square, where a mob cleaned out a Louis Vuitton store amid other flash-mob robberies across the Bay Area. The city responded by closing streets to vehicle traffic and stationing police on every corner, and District Attorney Chesa Boudin duly filed charges.&nbsp;

The initial tenor of Breed’s Tenderloin response was very much in line with the law-and-order approach of her predecessors. It also echoed her riposte to the recent hijinks in Union Square, where a mob cleaned out a Louis Vuitton store amid other flash-mob robberies across the Bay Area. The city responded by closing streets to vehicle traffic and stationing police on every corner, and District Attorney Chesa Boudin duly filed charges.&nbsp;

Mayor Breed speaks at a press conference about safety in the city on October 19, 2021. | Camille Cohen

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1667" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/breed-01-1-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22695"/><figcaption>Mayor Breed at a press conference on Oct. 19, 2021. | Camille Cohen</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/breed-01-1-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22695"/><figcaption>Mayor Breed at a press conference on Oct. 19, 2021. | Camille Cohen</figcaption></figure>

On Dec. 28, the mayor’s office circulated a “Strategic Plan and Operation Guide” for the emergency declaration approved a few days prior. At the top of the mayor’s list was “Targeted/strategic disruption and intervention” of “Drug dealing and violent crime.” Police are also central to her plan to interrupt “Open air drug use,” which was listed as third in the mayor’s top seven “priority problems.”

On Dec. 28, the mayor’s office circulated a “Strategic Plan and Operation Guide” for the emergency declaration approved a few days prior. At the top of the mayor’s list was “Targeted/strategic disruption and intervention” of “Drug dealing and violent crime.” Police are also central to her plan to interrupt “Open air drug use,” which was listed as third in the mayor’s top seven “priority problems.”

Other aspects of the plan are more holistic–and less carceral. Breed has in some ways gone further than her predecessors with the official emergency declaration itself, which grants her office extra power to push past bureaucratic hurdles like zoning laws. That has helped clear the way for the “linkage center” at 1170 Market St. that was announced Tuesday, where police and social workers will bring troubled people in need of services. (It could also facilitate a long-debated safe-injection site that’s tentatively slated for a Geary Street location, as well as a meth “sobering center” that even some supporters of the crackdown prefer would go somewhere else.) According to the mayor, “TL-dedicated beds” in the city’s homeless-shelter and a mental-health treatment complex are also part of the plan, but how many and where remains to be seen.

Other aspects of the plan are more holistic–and less carceral. Breed has in some ways gone further than her predecessors with the official emergency declaration itself, which grants her office extra power to push past bureaucratic hurdles like zoning laws. That has helped clear the way for the “linkage center” at 1170 Market St. that was announced Tuesday, where police and social workers will bring troubled people in need of services. (It could also facilitate a long-debated safe-injection site that’s tentatively slated for a Geary Street location, as well as a meth “sobering center” that even some supporters of the crackdown prefer would go somewhere else.) According to the mayor, “TL-dedicated beds” in the city’s homeless-shelter and a mental-health treatment complex are also part of the plan, but how many and where remains to be seen.

Though law-and-order is popular in the midst of pandemic uncertainty and blowback against the defund the police movement, the most successful efforts to clean up the Tenderloin in the past haven’t always been led by police, as Kim and others note. Take the corner of Turk and Taylor streets, a block up from the Warfield Theater music venue. Instead of deploying cops, transit officials <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Banning-parking-on-Tenderloin-block-drives-5208612.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">removed street parking in 2014</a>. Into the old Original Joe’s location, vacant since a 2007 fire, came the performance venue Piano Fight. With the street reimagined and the sidewalks activated, drug dealing went somewhere else—only for it all to come right back when businesses closed during the pandemic.

Though law-and-order is popular in the midst of pandemic uncertainty and blowback against the defund the police movement, the most successful efforts to clean up the Tenderloin in the past haven’t always been led by police, as Kim and others note. Take the corner of Turk and Taylor streets, a block up from the Warfield Theater music venue. Instead of deploying cops, transit officials <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Banning-parking-on-Tenderloin-block-drives-5208612.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">removed street parking in 2014</a>. Into the old Original Joe’s location, vacant since a 2007 fire, came the performance venue Piano Fight. With the street reimagined and the sidewalks activated, drug dealing went somewhere else—only for it all to come right back when businesses closed during the pandemic.

In a hint that her office is looking to repeat that success, Breed’s plan includes “street/sidewalk engineering” and the Department of Public Works will conduct “targeted and frequent cleanings.” But what lessons the mayor is taking from the past is unclear.&nbsp;

In a hint that her office is looking to repeat that success, Breed’s plan includes “street/sidewalk engineering” and the Department of Public Works will conduct “targeted and frequent cleanings.” But what lessons the mayor is taking from the past is unclear.&nbsp;

Breed did not agree to be interviewed for this article. In an email exchange, Jeff Cretan, the mayor’s spokesperson, declined to address the Tenderloin cleanup initiatives others have tried.

Breed did not agree to be interviewed for this article. In an email exchange, Jeff Cretan, the mayor’s spokesperson, declined to address the Tenderloin cleanup initiatives others have tried.

“I can&#8217;t speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

“I can't speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

“I can&#8217;t speak to efforts before or challenges in the future,” he said. “What I can say is that we are taking what we learned during Covid, which is that no single agency can tackle a complex challenge alone.”

A “cyclical” phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;

A “cyclical” phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, recalled crackdowns led by former District Attorney Arlo Smith in the early 1990s, calling Tenderloin offensives a “cyclical” phenomena closely linked to political fortunes.

Matt Gonzalez, chief attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, recalled crackdowns led by former District Attorney Arlo Smith in the early 1990s, calling Tenderloin offensives a “cyclical” phenomena closely linked to political fortunes.

“It’s driven by public frustration with the condition of the streets,” Gonzalez said. “There’s always this sudden effort or announcement that there’s going to be this law enforcement remedy because that’s always the first tool in the box.”

“It’s driven by public frustration with the condition of the streets,” Gonzalez said. “There’s always this sudden effort or announcement that there’s going to be this law enforcement remedy because that’s always the first tool in the box.”

The cycle often begins when outrage over the status quo boils over, leading to critiques of the mayor or other public officials. The city may be in this stage now: According to several sources who have seen recent polling numbers, Breed’s favorability ratings have fallen from Covid-19 pandemic highs of more than 70% to percentages in the 50s.

The cycle often begins when outrage over the status quo boils over, leading to critiques of the mayor or other public officials. The city may be in this stage now: According to several sources who have seen recent polling numbers, Breed’s favorability ratings have fallen from Covid-19 pandemic highs of more than 70% to percentages in the 50s.

Pressured by outside forces or genuinely sick of the untenable situation quo—or both—the mayor is driven to action. The media then reports the mayor is taking action. And the public, satisfied that the mayor is responsive, moves on—until something else, like the 11-year-old girl wearing a hijab being punched in the head on Sept. 29, steers the conversation back to the same ghastly old Tenderloin.

Pressured by outside forces or genuinely sick of the untenable situation quo—or both—the mayor is driven to action. The media then reports the mayor is taking action. And the public, satisfied that the mayor is responsive, moves on—until something else, like the 11-year-old girl wearing a hijab being punched in the head on Sept. 29, steers the conversation back to the same ghastly old Tenderloin.

That attack was a transgression of the Tenderloin’s street code and a new low, even by the neighborhood’s blinkered standards, said Tracey Mixon, a formerly homeless Tenderloin drug dealer who now organizes for the Coalition on Homelessness. The incident prompted hundreds of residents to sign a Nov. 5 letter to the mayor decrying the neighborhood’s “containment zone” status. That letter in turn prompted Breed to attend a Dec. 10 “listening session” in which Tenderloin residents aired grievances about that attack and other incidents. The mayor’s emergency declaration followed a week later.

That attack was a transgression of the Tenderloin’s street code and a new low, even by the neighborhood’s blinkered standards, said Tracey Mixon, a formerly homeless Tenderloin drug dealer who now organizes for the Coalition on Homelessness. The incident prompted hundreds of residents to sign a Nov. 5 letter to the mayor decrying the neighborhood’s “containment zone” status. That letter in turn prompted Breed to attend a Dec. 10 “listening session” in which Tenderloin residents aired grievances about that attack and other incidents. The mayor’s emergency declaration followed a week later.

Children play at the 4th Annual People’s Holiday Tree Lighting in the Tenderloin on Dec. 15, 2021. | Sophie Bearman

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IA7A3203.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-22700"/><figcaption>Children play at the 4th Annual People’s Holiday Tree Lighting in the Tenderloin on Dec. 15, 2021. | Sophie Bearman</figcaption></figure>

Even those who disagreed with Breed’s technique couldn’t deny the obvious: The Tenderloin is bad and getting worse, and if not this, then what?&nbsp;

Even those who disagreed with Breed’s technique couldn’t deny the obvious: The Tenderloin is bad and getting worse, and if not this, then what?&nbsp;

“Without exaggerating, it is unlivable” right now, said Christy Shirilla, the director of community organizing at the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, which pressured Breed to call for the crackdown.

“Without exaggerating, it is unlivable” right now, said Christy Shirilla, the director of community organizing at the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, which pressured Breed to call for the crackdown.

A neighborhood resident for seven years, Shirilla moved away after she was “attacked, unprovoked, for the third time in three years in the middle of the day,” she said in a recent interview. “At any given time of day, any day of the week, there are 250 drug dealers in the neighborhood.”

A neighborhood resident for seven years, Shirilla moved away after she was “attacked, unprovoked, for the third time in three years in the middle of the day,” she said in a recent interview. “At any given time of day, any day of the week, there are 250 drug dealers in the neighborhood.”

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This weekend: NFT hologram show, learn to roller skate, Secret Sidewalk and more

Analysis: Political history haunts Mayor Breed as she attempts (another) Tenderloin cleanup

The California Legislature is back: What to expect in 2022

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Live blog: SF firefighters and private citizens open their garages for democracy