Dear Readers,

When I first moved to Los Angeles it became clear that there were three conditions that came with becoming an Angeleno: 1) Go to the desert; 2) Go to the beach; 3) Go to San Francisco. So far, I've done all these with much zeal every year.

My first visit to San Francisco was in 1986, when I came to Los Angeles as an art grad. A group of students drove up one weekend. We quickly got to know the city and made sure to check out the clubs and galleries. Frankly, I was unimpressed with the art back then. It looked too pristine, precious and conventional.

After my unremarkable introduction to San Francisco's art scene, I didn't bother to keep up with it. I'm not sure if it was the quality of the work or my lack of exposure to it that led to my indifference. The nightlife DID make an impression on me, however, making it easy to continue my annual trips to the Bay Area.

There's always something happening there. The '50s saw Jack Kerouac and the Beats. Then there was the '60s Summer of Love, Gay Liberation and in the late '70s, the punk scene. San Francisco has earned a reputation for being provincial, but it also has a place in the vanguard. Of course, not being a San Franciscan, I feel like I can't really pontificate about the city. But as a regular visitor, I love it. And over the last 10 years, I've loved visiting even more because there's great art to see.

The art scene has made a comeback, feeding off the Bay Area's current mojo. In 1995, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art moved downtown into a gorgeous new building, which has brought a new vibrancy to the Bay Area arts. I love going to that museum, and I find their collection and exhibitions exceptional.

The last several times I've been to San Francisco there were so many galleries, it was hard to get to see them all in a few afternoons. And that's not counting the museums. The art was as challenging and fresh as anything I'd been seeing in New York or Los Angeles. A good portion of the artists show at galleries in other major metro centers, but a lot of these artists live in San Francisco, went to school there and thrive in the city.

I was so impressed that I decided we should devote an issue to this burgeoning art scene, as every year we pick a new city to focus on. Anuradha Vikram, our regular contributor from the Bay Area, is in touch with the arts as a writer and curator. The poet klipschutz lets us in on a secret: The Beats are still alive. Skot Armstrong delivers a rare interview with V. Vale from RE/Search publications. Barbara Morris profiles three prominent artists who live and breathe the cleaner air up there. And our Guest Lecture is Bay Area master painter Wayne Thiebaud, whom we are honored to have in our magazine.

This year San Francisco is having their first art fair in a decade. I'm sticking with my program, taking my annual trip to The City to check it out. And who knows, I may stop at the beach on my way home to LA.

—Tulsa Kinney