The chief executive of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco resigned Sunday, less than three weeks after pro-Palestinian artists forced the closure of an exhibit of their own work and demanded that YBCA remove Zionists from its board and support a boycott of Israel.
Sara Fenske Bahat, who is Jewish, wrote in her resignation letter to the YBCA board of directors that she has felt unsafe since the artists staged their protest during a Feb. 15 festival at the downtown arts center.
“The vitriolic and antisemitic backlash directed at me personally since that night nearly three weeks ago has made being here intolerable,” she wrote in the letter, which she posted Thursday on her LinkedIn account. “I no longer feel safe in our own space, including due to the actions of some of our own employees.”
She noted that some YBCA employees had signed a letter demanding that the organization commit to the academic and cultural boycott of Israel, which would mean banning Israeli artists.
“This is not only illegal, and in violation of our lease agreement (let alone our mission), it is immoral for an organization that believes the arts are a pathway to bettering and connecting individuals and society,” she wrote.
Fenske Bahat told J. on Thursday that she was not prepared to speak publicly about the matter.
She had served as CEO of YBCA since November 2022 and as interim CEO before that for almost a year. She wrote in her letter that she was already planning to leave the organization but that the recent turmoil had accelerated her departure. She acknowledged that the protesters will likely celebrate her resignation.
“I strongly believe this is a huge loss for us all,” she wrote. “Our mission is to support ‘creative expression that fosters meaningful connection for all.’ Underline all.”
On Feb. 15, during an event titled “Love Letter to SOMA,” eight local artists participating in the “Bay Area Now 9” exhibit altered their pieces using spray paint, fake blood and banners, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Other activists distributed leaflets accusing YBCA of censoring two artists who wanted to express solidarity with the Palestinians in their works but were prevented from doing so.
A video of the protest posted on Instagram by Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, an anti-Zionist group, showed two people writing messages including “Free Palestine” in red spray paint on sculptures installed in a pool of water.
JVPBA also shared the artists’ demands, which include removing “all Zionist board members and funders,” boycotting Israel, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and including Palestinian artists in future exhibitions and programs.
In a Feb. 21 response to the protest, YBCA’s board wrote that it “will not agree to demands that insist YBCA discriminate on the basis of religion, ethnic background, or national origin.”
The board also said the artists had signed agreements not to alter their works after a certain date. It pledged to remove and store the altered pieces and then reopen the exhibit, though YBCA’s galleries remain closed.
Then on Feb. 26, the artists who staged the protest called for a boycott of the center, which receives public funding. “YBCA is a public space, and it must be accountable to the community and its artists who give it relevance,” the artists wrote in an open letter.
Earlier this week, Hillary Ronen, a Jewish member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, announced a special hearing into YBCA’s handling of the situation.
“Instead of making room for the perspectives of these artists, YBCA, which promoted the exhibit as showcasing diverse voices, responded alarmingly by shutting down the exhibit, attempting to remove the artists’ artwork without their consent, and closing down YBCA’s galleries and programs to the public for the past three weeks,” she said at the March 5 Board of Supervisors meeting. “It’s also concerning to me that all of the censored artists are people of color.”
In another statement posted online Wednesday, YBCA’s board condemned the protesters for distributing “offensive literature” and “forcing YBCA to take a political position” on the war.
“That is not art,” the board said. “That isn’t protest. That is simply wrong and unacceptable. As [the demands] were presented as a package, and subsequently reiterated on social media, we will not address a reasonable aspect of someone’s act while ignoring the hateful aspects.”
The American Jewish Committee sent a statement to J. saying that it was “deeply troubled” by the personal attacks against Fenske Bahat.
“YBCA’s vision statement calls for it to be a catalyst of exploration and innovation to empower artists,” AJC said. “That apparently only applies to artists who are openly hostile toward Israel and who call for the removal of pro-Zionist funders and board members. This extreme intolerance exemplifies inexcusable antisemitism.”
In her resignation letter, Fenske Bahat said she was “horrified by the suffering of Palestinians” and disagreed with the Israeli government “on many fronts.”
“At the same time, I know many in the YBCA community strongly believe Israel has a right to exist,” she wrote. “Our community benefits when some places remain sanctuaries. If we want as a society to move forward, we need spaces where everyone can enter into dialogue and build trust. We have offered that dialogue and should continue to do so, and get better at it.”
Founded in 1993, YBCA has hosted many Jewish and Israeli artists in the past. In 2017, it presented paintings by Mexican Jewish artist Yishai Jusidman. Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company has performed in its theater several times.