San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Celebrating a political luminary at new terminal
In conjunction with the opening of Harvey Milk Terminal 1, the SFO Museum has developed an exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of Harvey Milk (193078), the visionary human rights leader who made history in 1977 as the first openly gay individual elected to public office in the state of California. Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope opens to the public on July 23, when the first flights begin flying in and out of the terminal.
The exhibition is presented on a massive temporary construction wall in the main concourse measuring 380 feet long and 30 feet tall. One hundred dyesublimation metal prints depict historical images, documents, correspondence and campaign material chronicling Milk’s life as political activist in San Francisco and his impact on the burgeoning gay rights movement during the 1970s.
Among the highlights are compelling images from Milk’s political campaigns, his handwritten speeches and some of the hatemail sent to the groundbreaking political luminary.
The second part of this exhibition opens when the next phase of the new terminal opens in March of 2020. It will be located presecurity in Harvey Milk Terminal 1, making it available to all airport visitors.
Panels depicting nearly 40 images of historic photographs and material from the larger exhibition will be presented with explanatory text and historical information. The gallery’s location adjacent to a pedestrian thoroughfare provides great exposure to the traveling public while allowing visitors an opportunity to enjoy a quiet space with seating for a more personal and contemplative interaction with the exhibition.
The historical material was gathered through a public call issued by SFO in fall 2018 as well as the from the archives and collections of the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center at the
San Francisco Public Library and the GLBTQ Historical Society. The public call was driven by an effort to reflect Milk’s longstanding objective of inclusivity and to actively contribute to the history of the man and his times.
Many of the submitted images have been held in private hands and never before shared with the public.
The Museum’s exhibition partners at the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center and the GLBT Historical Society are reviewing and considering submitted imagery for donation into their respective permanent collections.
Photographer Dan Nicoletta, a close friend to Harvey Milk who documented this history, was also a critical source for information and images for the airport exhibit.
SFO Museum is honored by the privilege and responsibility to celebrate the life and legacy of Harvey Milk on in the new Harvey Milk Terminal 1. The exhibition presents a meaningful survey of Harvey Milk’s time in San Francisco and provides historical context for a man with whom some SFO travelers may be relatively unfamiliar.
But perhaps just as importantly, the exhibition recalls the life of a man for all of those friends and allies who lived during this time and who were part of such a remarkable history.