Interview: Courtney Fink

SFist Interviews would like to contribute to the general theme of love that seems to be so prevalent today. We love art. We love non-profits. We love those ubiquitous guys in the city with white socks, short pants, hooded sweatshirts, and sunglasses. We love that there is now a name for these sorts: the Unaposer. Most of all we love that ALL of these lovable things are embodied in today’s interview subject, Courtney Fink.

Courtney is the executive director of Southern Exposure. If you somehow haven’t clued in that SFist really likes what Southern Exposure is about, take a second and click on all the links in this sentence to check out past postings on them. Courtney first got involved at Southern Exposure six years ago organizing programs. Before long she was pretty much running the gig. Southern Exposure is unique because of its focus on education and the fact that it is an accessible space for artists to be. Everyone who works at the gallery (including Courtney) are artists in their own right. Ok-- enough gushing on our part. Check out Courtney’s take on San Francisco. As always, SFist has special love for any Los Angelino who has defected to our fair city.

Name
Courtney Fink

Introduce yourself in one sentence
I am an Arts Administrator, Writer, Curator, Artist, sometimes Publisher and Cultural Reveler.

Age and Occupation
32 years old: Executive Director of Southern Exposure.

Southern Exposure is a 30 year old non-profit arts organization that supports emerging artists, arts educators, and youth artists through exhibitions, education programs, and events.

Home Town
Los Angeles. Yes, that is right.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
I have lived here for almost 10 years. First Western Addition (or the lesser known label for that neighborhood The NOPH: North of the Panhandle.) Now I live in Noe Valley- a block from Phoenix Books and Martha Bros. Coffee. Noe is only a few blocks from the Mission (where I work), but much quieter. I love that.

Favorite website
I have a continuing fascination with finding new websites to love. That is why they call it the web- you should not fixate on one, yet link to lots. The web suits the way my mind works.

Favorite or local business
I know that craigslist is the obvious answer, but it is really genius. It is an example of a wonderful social experiment gone right. I also love google. It leads you around. It is like the parking lot of the web. I am also a fan of stretcher.org. The only place to find good arts writing/criticism in SF. Since I love books/music/art- I would say I love great book stores such as Dog Eared Books, Phoenix Books, Green Apple, and Modern Times. I love Aquarius Records too…I love their email newsletter, their website, and their opinions. And of course, how can you not love Rainbow Grocery?

What I’m currently Reading
I read way too many things at once. I am a magazine junkie. I have a 5 foot pile of them next to my bed which would crush me in the event of an earthquake. I really love Cabinet magazine. I am also reading Middlesex (long but brilliant), the catalog to an exhibition called Work Ethic, short stories by Laurie Moore (when I can’t focus on something long), a graphic novel called Epileptic that a friend gave me as a gift, and some comic books about squats in the East Village from the 80’s (also a gift).

Best Deal in San Francisco
Scenic views from many vantages. I never grow tired of them.

Favorite mode of transportation
I love walking because I love looking. Walking is the perfect pace for seeing people on the street and looking around at all of the strange details and things that surround us. Unfortunately, I am usually rushing around and it is not practical for to me walk so I drive most of the time. I seem to have good parking karma.

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Since I don’t want to pick a favorite, here is a partial list of the bands I have seen play live in the past few months. I try to see live music whenever I can. Enorchestra, Ovarian Trolley, Dirty Power, Sagan, Matmos, Conspiracy of Beards, Pixies, Fear (I swear), Virgil Shaw, Sonny Smith, Tarentel, Extraordinary Forest and Radius, Matt Volla, Josh Churchill, Free Jazz Ensemble, and live accordian music at my local bookstore that was totally genius.

SF has the BEST:
Micro-climates. Produce. Colors. Nature close to urban spaces.

You’ve never lived in SF until:
If you have never been to The Magazine.

You can tell someone is a local here IF:
I can’t take credit for this thought (geniously thought up by the ever witty Max Fink)—but if they look like the Unaposer. You know: hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, hipster sunglasses that are most likely large and 70’s looking, pants too short, white socks, riding a bike and of course slightly resembling the Unabomber in style. Funny.

SF would be soooo much better if only:
There was less provincialism.

Best Burrito:
I prefer tacos- so tonayense taco trucks, la taqueria, el faralito,
taco window, and cancun.

Best Restaurant:
I love going out for breakfast and especially love Miss Millie’s and Jay’s Pots of Soul.

I want all the EssEffists out there to know:
Support the Arts. Our lives depend on it. Oh yah—get political, our lives also depend on it.

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
What are the top ten things you saw, did, thought this year?