The San Francisco Board of Education will consider a recommendation to cover or destroy a fresco mural by the artist Victor Arnautoff at George Washington High School in San Francisco during a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 25. (The board agenda can be found here.)

The story has been extensively covered in both local and national media. Those who would censor the work have cited its depiction of slavery and the murder of a Native American as traumatizing to some students of color. Others, including me, have argued that it is an artistic and historical treasure. Furthermore, the artist does not celebrate the life of George Washington uncritically, but depicts him as complicit in slavery and the violent pursuit of America’s so-called “Manifest Destiny.”

The Chronicle asked the leaders of four of San Francisco’s top visual arts institutions to comment on the controversy ahead of today’s meeting. Here are their responses:

Stephen Beal, President, California College of the Arts:

Art has an uncanny power both to provoke emotion and spark critical dialog — as we’re seeing in the debate around the future of the Arnautoff murals. I would ask, will the students of George Washington High School — today and in the future — be better served by the unique opportunity the murals provide to confront the shameful history they depict, or by avoiding those conversations?

The injustices the murals invoke are difficult to look at, discuss, and reckon with. Perhaps this is exactly where their greatest value lies within the context of a high school, where students are learning to exercise their powers of critical assessment and discourse.

I hope a solution can be found that preserves these artworks and contextualizes them within their environment, creating a space that respects each student’s history while also providing opportunities for students to confront the complex and problematic histories they represent.

Neal Benezra, Director, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art:

I am deeply sensitive to the pain that this situation is causing the student body and Washington High School community.

A decision to paint over the mural is irreversible. The option to cover the artwork with panels to allow future educational research keeps open that opportunity.

Thomas P. Campbell, Director, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco:

While I respect the concerns of the protestors and understand the problematic issues at play, I do not believe that San Francisco will be well-served by the destruction of the mural series. The piece was originally intended to provoke thoughtful discussion around these exact issues, and while intent does not outweigh impact, the piece could have incredible value as a teaching tool for future generations. I would be happy to volunteer our staff to assist in next steps following Tuesday’s meeting.

Gordon Knox, President, San Francisco Art Institute:

The destruction of art never advances dialogue and should never be misconstrued as a method of revoking facts of human history.

I hear the deep hurt of students and others who are faced with painful imagery and respect those lived experiences. From my perspective, artists often provide the consciousness of society and can help us see our world in powerful and even disturbing ways. There is bitter irony that paintings that intentionally record the brutal and still-denied history of America’s wealth may now be destroyed for depicting that genocidal process. Our anger should be directed not at a courageous artist, or at this irreplaceable work of art, but at the systems of oppression and subjugation on which this country was founded and which we must fight each day to dismantle.