Committee recommends landmarking Diego Rivera fresco in City Club to full Board

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted Feb. 14 to send an ordinance recommending landmark designation of Diego Rivera’s fresco Allegory of California (located in the City Club at 155 Sansom Street) to the full Board of Supervisors.

Sponsor Supervisor Erin Peskin described the fresco as Rivera’s first work painted in the United States and said the Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommended designation following hearings that included public support and opposition from the property owner’s counsel. ‘‘This is culturally and historically significant for its association with a Mexican artist, Diego Rivera,’’ Planning Department staff Pilara LaValle said in a presentation that cited the fresco’s 1931 creation and its ties to the muralism movement and New Deal-era programs.

Peskin also addressed an ownership argument the sponsor said was raised by the property owner’s legal counsel, saying Deputy City Attorney Victoria Wong had advised the city it may designate the interior even if the owner objects. During the public comment period, historians, preservation groups and Latino arts advocates, including callers representing the Latino Historical Society and San Francisco Heritage, urged designation and stressed the fresco’s public‑access history and cultural significance.

A motion to forward the ordinance passed unanimously; the item will proceed to the full Board for final consideration.