It was in the Fall of 1977 that I first walked up this hill to teach large format photography in the Librarian's office. One of the many reasons why this is important to me is that it means that I can remember a time when some almost mythical people walked this earth and touched the lives of so many of our students. Some of these people are still with us, and others are not.

People like:

• Dennis Leon
• Viola Frey
• Raymond Saunders
• Eleanor Dickinson
• Charly Gill
• Neil Hoffman
• Jodi Redmond
• Marilyn da Silva
• Michael McClure
• Flo Allen
• Pat Walsh
• Richard Gayton
• Betsy Davids
• David Heintz
• Harry Critchfield
• Lydia Matthews
• Ken Davids
• Nance O’Banion
• Malaquias Montoya
• Johnathan Eubanks
• Vilem Kriz
• Gertrude Schaufel
• Liz Pointer

And of course there are so many others..... I can still hear their voices. I have dear and special memories of all of these people. And I’m sure that hearing some of these names prompted memories and meaningful experiences for many of you.

And, if there’s one thing that artists know for sure, it’s that experiences have a very real existence. The essence of what we do as artists and teachers is embodied in the experiences we’ve all had with students at some times, and in some places here on the Oakland Campus.

So, although it's an overused cliche, this is why it’s powerfully true that: "You will live as long as you are remembered." This means that our beloved Oakland Campus will continue to exist as long as there are some of us who remember these life changing experiences that we've shared here.

So, I invite all of us to make a ritual of remembering when we experienced something special here on the Oakland Campus. For me it will be deeply moving talks with students by the large Library window overlooking the old gardens. Or walking past the huge trees at sunset after a long day of classes and meetings.

I remember Neil Hoffman with his plaid shirts, providing leadership that totally revived the beauty of these historic buildings. And I remember Susan Ciriclio and Larry Sultan inspiring our students with voices I can still hear. It may sound overblown, but the truth is that, in so many ways, these Oakland Campus experiences have made my life as it is.

But isn't it also true that the spirit of a place is what makes certain experiences possible? Isn't it true that the same words spoken in a different place can have different meanings? So it may be that some of these experiences that we had, these insights and intimacies, could not have happened anywhere else but here!

This means that the real challenge we have before us is to make sure that the true spirit of our school finds an authentic way to thrive on our new campus. Just as we were inspired by the natural beauty of this place, we will have to find meaningful sources of inspiration in our new home in San Francisco. I know that this process has already begun for all of us.

And this is the challenge that we will take with us into the future of CCA.

Thank you.

And now I want to welcome Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, who graduated from CCA in Printmaking in 2015, They are an artist, activist, educator, storyteller and curator, based between Oakland, CA and Richmond, VA.

Remarks delivered September 24, 2022