Public Talks

Wednesday, October 1, 7:30pm

Art & Politics: Eric Drooker—Naked City

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

The inimitable Eric Drooker presents his latest graphic novel Naked City in sound and compelling imagery as only he can do it. Political artist and cartoonist Eric Drooker, known for his New Yorker covers and animation for Howl, presents a cartoon concert based on his new graphic novel Naked City. First appearing in our Public Talks series in 2008, and again in 2011, Drooker’s visual and musical presentations are intimate journeys through his iconic graphic arts.

* * * * * *

On the edge of town, three bohemians struggle to answer the question: “Is it possible to survive as an artist in the 21st century?”

A young singer with no family hitchhikes to the city and sings her heart out. Late one night, she encounters a street dancer who inspires her to have faith in her music no matter the cost. Desperate for rent money, she poses for a painter who’s abandoned landscapes for nudes.

“Drooker’s comment on the sacrifices inherent to the pursuit of the arts feels both timeless and of-the-moment, thanks to his spot-on critique of late capitalism. Any creative to ever question their craft or purpose will find themselves reflected here.”
—Publishers Weekly

This is part of a series of solo artists giving a behind the scenes and in depth look at what inspires them in the interrelationship between art and politics.

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Wednesday, October 22, 7:30pm

Social Housing: Challenging YIMBYs and NIMBYs

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

What we’re doing on housing isn’t working. We’ve upzoned, streamlined, deregulated. We’ve chased the promise of supply-side solutions. And still, the crisis deepens. Across San Francisco and the state, we’re told that zoning and deregulation will solve the housing crisis. But real solutions require more than zoning maps — they need public investment, tenant protections, and community-led planning that puts people before profit. Deregulation is politically convenient. It makes headlines without asking the wealthy to pay. It shifts blame from capital to planners. It offers the illusion of action—without the substance of redistribution. But it doesn’t build homes for restaurant workers earning $40,000 a year. It doesn’t produce family-sized units. It doesn’t build trust, or coalitions, or equity. Because deregulation isn’t housing policy. It’s land-use policy. And land-use reform without capital isn’t a solution. It’s a stall... There is a movement waiting to be built—beyond the tired binary of YIMBY and NIMBY. One rooted in care, solidarity, and the belief that everyone deserves a place to live.

with Francesca Manning (SF Community Land Trust—SFCLT), Quintin Meicke (Council of Community Housing Organizations—CCHO), and Maria Zamudia (Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco—HRCSF)

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Wednesday, November 5, 7:30pm

Auto Row to Robo-cars: A Century of Protesting Carmageddon

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

A look back at the rise of the Automobile on the streets of San Francisco from the 1920s onward… civil resistance on Auto Row in the 1960s, Tesla Takedown this year… the protests of Uber and Lyft drivers and before that the role of cabbies in converting to electric vehicles. And now the streets are full of robo-cars… what does EV saturation mean for daily street life in SF? And public transportation?

With Tenderloin Museum, Safe Streets Rebel, and SF Neon

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Wednesday, November 19, 7:30pm

Logistics, Containers, Tariffs

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

The term “supply chain” is part of our everyday vocabulary since the pandemic impacted world trade, and even more so now with tariffs impacting transnational goods and markets. Our presenters take us into the human aspects of logistics, labor issues, regulation skirting, local impact of global shipping, and San Francisco Bay Area history. With Sam Levens of the International Transport Workers Federation we look into the conditions seafarers face and work to organize people working on container ships. Alexis Madrigal brings in themes from his new book, The Pacific Circuit and draws on his radio documentary series Containers, to look at the transformation of the economy and us through global capitalism. Chris Carlsson reminds us of forced labor in the history of San Francisco in the practice of Shanghaiing during the 19th century.

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Wednesday, December 3, 7:30pm

Nuclear Waste in our Midst

Public Talk at 518 Valencia

Percolating just out of sight and mind at the former Naval Shipyards at Hunters Point is one of the nation's most severe toxic hotspots. Radioactive debris from the H-Bomb tests in the 1940s and 1950s was brought back to Hunters Point for testing and cleaning. Ensuing waste ended up in the soil. The countless toxic chemicals used in naval operations also accumulated below the landfill, all ready to be pushed back to the surface by rising sea levels and groundwater. Hear from author Lindsay Dillon Toxic City, the Public Press special reporter Chris Roberts, and longtime shipyard artist Stacey Carter, who has produced a fantastic and unprecedented history of the shipyard.

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