Using creativity as a weapon
The dramatic foothills, headlands, and bluffs to the north and south of San Francisco are filled with the ruins of military forts and fortifications. Beginning with the Spanish-American War, in 1898, there’s been a long succession of increasingly powerful batteries and all that’s left are bunkers and tunnels. In 1908, the army made a special effort to improve the coastal forts around the Golden Gate, and built Fort Barry, which became home base for the undertaking. It stands at the back of the Marin Headlands and can be reached by taking the road that winds up the bluffs facing the Golden Gate Bridge or else through a tunnel off the road to Sausalito.
Fort Barry was deactivated in 1950 and became part of the National Park Service in 1972. Ten years later, it was repurposed as the Headlands Center for the Arts (HCA), and major American artists including David Ireland and Ann Hamilton transformed the abandoned army barracks into studios and residences. Ireland is known for his site-specific installations using materials like paint cans, phone books, and the skull of a water buffalo. He and his crew stripped the military structure down to expose its historical layers, such as the stamped-tin ceilings, pillars, and sandblasted walls. Hamilton, multimedia artist, was responsible for reshaping the former mess hall into the campus’s main gathering place, where resident artists can share meals, ideas, and conversation.
Info
Address 944 Simmonds Road, Sausalito, CA., 94965, www.nps.gov, +1 415.331.2787 | Public Transport Bus: 76X (Bunker Rd & Field Rd stop) | Hours Daily 9:30am–4:30pm| Tip Rodeo Beach nearby offers good picnic sites and is ideal for kite flying or just watching the roaring Pacific.
The Headlands Center is open to the public, who can marvel at the transformation of the original buildings as well as attend artist exhibitions. Every year, 45 artists and writers from all over the world are awarded four- to ten-week residencies. The center also frequently offers guest lectures and open houses, giving visitors the opportunity to tour the residents’ workspaces.
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