Garland Fielder's Memoir of Art School in 1990s San Francisco

In a personal essay for Glasstire, artist Garland Fielder recounts his formative years at an unnamed art school in San Francisco during the 1990s. Fielder describes the city's vibrant nightlife and its influence on his artistic development, his struggles with painting, and his encounters with fellow students and professors. He reflects on a drawing class where a live model turned out to be L, a former classmate from Texas, whose tragic death in a white-water rafting accident in Colorado years later deeply affected him. Fielder also recalls a photography course taught by an elderly professor who had studied under Ansel Adams, and his nighttime walks capturing images of parked cars, storefronts, and a ferris wheel. He shares memories of his best friend J, with whom he explored the city and engaged in drunken escapades, including a raccoon chase. The essay details a memorable art opening where he drank gin from Evian bottles, got into a fight with a fellow Texan artist, and was consoled by a professor who called it the best performance art he had seen. Fielder reflects on the eventual suicide of the institution's president and the school's closure due to COVID-19. He concludes that making art is a privilege and that true learning comes from within, stating, "We are the pedagogy." The essay is accompanied by a black-and-white photograph of Fielder from his art school days in the 1990s.