Annual Meeting Recap! Treasure Island Museum + Exploring the Golden Gate International Exposition

What a fantastic Annual Meeting!

This year, we had the unique opportunity to experience Treasure Island with behind-the-scenes access to the

museum, art storage, and the fascinating history of the Golden Gate International Exposition, which took place on the island in 1939-1940.

Our day began outside the Treasure Island Administration Building, home to both the Treasure Island Museum and the wonderfully aesthetic Gold Bar Distillery. After meeting our guide for the day, Treasure Island Museum Vice President Anne Schnoeblen, we caravaned over to the museum's private storage facility, home to the surviving sculptures from the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition.

The storage facility houses the literal larger-than-life sculptures that once stood throughout the fairgrounds, created by local artists including Jacques Schnier, Adaline Kent, Helen Phillips, and Sargent Johnson, to name just a few. It is also home to the Pacific Basin Fountain, originally installed at the Pacific House during the exposition. Stretching an impressive 950 feet when assembled, the fountain is now carefully stored as 361 individual terracotta pieces. We explored the space while Anne shared stories and highlighted remarkable details about the collection.

After the storage tour, we returned to the Treasure Island Museum, where we were delighted to be joined by Rebecca Schnier, daughter of artist Jacques Schnier, who is also a member of the museum's board of directors. Museum Director John Hogan then led us through the galleries, sharing the history of Treasure Island and the incredible collections the museum stewards today.

Next, we bopped over to the Treasure Island Yacht Club, where our Annual Meeting was held over a spread of delicious snacks generously provided by the BAACG Board. President Candis Griggs kicked things off by celebrating our six (!!) successful events in 2025, thanking Elisa Stewart for her service as Vice President, and welcoming our newest board members: Kat Langdon as Vice President, Alexandra Thrapp Pignati as Member at Large, and Clair Emma Smith as Web and Social Media Coordinator. Kat then shared an exciting preview of events and programming the board hopes to bring to members in the coming year. Treasurer Sarah Johnson reported that BAACG is in the black, and Membership Secretary Kelsey Fox shared that our organization has grown to 71 members.

After the business meeting wrapped up, Anne Schnoeblen returned to give an engaging presentation on the history of the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-1940. Bonus points to anyone who spotted Anne's license plate: GGIE39

We had such a wonderful time spending the day with fellow conservators, colleagues, friends, longtime members, and those attending their very first BAACG event. If you've been thinking about getting more involved, we'd love to have you! Board elections will be held next May, and we'll be looking to fill a number of positions. If you're interested, don't hesitate to reach out.