Saturday Travel Feature
Developing Environments, SF

Link 1  tells the story of the building at 540 Alabama Street "In the early seventies, a small group of artists and urban dreamers converged on a vacant three story wearehouse with the objective of transforming it into a community in which they could both live and work. After twenty-five years and all the major building improvements long completed, the artists today concentrate on their individual creative pursuits. The Developing Environments community encompasses a broad range of backgrounds and creative endeavors.  Painters, musicians, sculptors, print makers, graphic designers, computer artists, dancers, photographers, circus and theater performers occupy its thirty-six studios." 

The story lore passed down by the  residents is somewhat different.   When San Francisco was filled with hippies and flower children some of them found their way to the Mission warehouse area to find housing. One of the warehouses they found was at 540 Alabama Street. The upper two floors of the three storey building with large windows filled with makeshift tents.  Slowly temporary walls replaced fabric tent walls.  The walls were at odd angles, making odd shaped rooms as they were needed.  The center of each warehouse floor was left open for a communal space.  Here in 1972 the Royce Family established the artist coop Development Environments.  The haphazard living spaces were made into live/work units for artists.  Some of the apartments had water, some had kitchens.  The 20 foot ceilings allowed for lofts for sleeping areas to be built.  Bathrooms were communal and down the hall. The floors were the original cement of the warehouse.  A large freight elevator was available for the artists to move their heavy sculptures and large pieces of art work. (See photo below.) There are many stories which are said to take place in Developing Environments: a hanging on the top floor, the Treee Frog kidnappings, Project 2, and Dirty Pierre's Party Palace.

Today only artists can apply to live in the building. The artist is interviewed and submits a portfolio.  Monthly rents continue to be way below San Francisco housing prices, but residents are responsible for the upkeep of the building so must  volunteer for cleaning, painting, and maintenance workbees.   The Royce Family still owns the building under the name of Mariposa Trust and in 2010 Developing Environments will celebrate its 40 anniversary.

There are 36 live/work units in the building. Some of the artists who live there are: Amy Faville Wilson, a painter with work in the permanent collection at The Legion of Honor (See Link 2 and postcard photographed below.) and her husband Jody Hart, a writer; Brett Reichman, a painter with work in the collection at MOMA (See Link 3.); Karen Quest, a cowgirl performer (See Link 4); Shawn Harris, a photographer (See Link 5.); Moshe Cohen a clown with Clowns Without Borders (See Link 6.); and Bess Bair, who tap danced across the Golden Gate Bridge in 1976.

Link 1: http://www.lightdark.com/deweb/index.html
Link 2:http://artistregistry.artadia.org/registry/view_artist.php?aid=175
Link 3:http://www.artnet.com/artist/14086/brett-reichman.html
Link 4: http://www.kellypro.com/ImaginativeActs/KarenQuestCowgirlTricks.htm
Link 5:http://www.shawnrayharris.com/
Link 6:http://www.yoowho.org/
Photos: Taken in 2009 in SF at Developing Environments at 540 Alabama St. by SW. (Copy of advertising post card for Open Studios.)
Note: Artist Amy Wilson Faville is the daughter of Suzanne Wilson.