Arts & Entertainment - Don Fisher 1928–2009 Flags flew at half-mast in San Francisco to mark the passing of Don Fisher, co-founder of The Gap corporation and well-known benefactor of fine art and local causes. Fisher died on Sept. 27 of cancer at the age of 81. His life was not without controversy. An unrepentant Republican, he was a zealous contributor to political campaigns and an ardent supporter of charter schools. Not everyone is enamored of Claus Oldenburg’s Cupid’s Span sculpture on the Embarcadero, the enormous, red and gold bow and arrow rising near the waterfront. But most are charmed by the outdoor sculptures around town that Fisher financed. Fisher and his wife, Doris, fought hard to get a museum built in the Presidio to house their world-class art collection – some 1,100 pieces by Lichtenstein, de Kooning, Serra, Warhol, and others – but their effort failed. Perhaps his greatest legacy, during the last days of his life, Fisher reached an agreement with SFMOMA to house the breathtaking collection in a planned addition to the museum. The photo above was taken by Jane Richey for a Northside San Francisco interview conducted by John Gollin in February 2008.

Don Fisher 1928–2009

Flags flew at half-mast in San Francisco to mark the passing of Don Fisher, co-founder of The Gap corporation and well-known benefactor of fine art and local causes. Fisher died on Sept. 27 of cancer at the age of 81.

His life was not without controversy. An unrepentant Republican, he was a zealous contributor to political campaigns and an ardent supporter of charter schools. Not everyone is enamored of Claus Oldenburg’s Cupid’s Span sculpture on the Embarcadero, the enormous, red and gold bow and arrow rising near the waterfront. But most are charmed by the outdoor sculptures around town that Fisher financed.

Fisher and his wife, Doris, fought hard to get a museum built in the Presidio to house their world-class art collection – some 1,100 pieces by Lichtenstein, de Kooning, Serra, Warhol, and others – but their effort failed. Perhaps his greatest legacy, during the last days of his life, Fisher reached an agreement with SFMOMA to house the breathtaking collection in a planned addition to the museum.

The photo above was taken by Jane Richey for a Northside San Francisco interview conducted by John Gollin in February 2008.

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