(1) Vesuvio – Executive Summary

Posted by epallo

Interpretive Plan for Preserving Cultural Heritage:

Henri Lenoir in front of Vesuvio, 1963.

Shawn O'Shaughnessy's mural on wall of Vesuvio in Jack Kerouac Alley, 2011.

Vesuvio is a living, working bar with a firm grasp of its own identity. Though Vesuvio wants to remain as a place reminiscent of the past, it also wants to be an active participant in its present, and productively carry on into the future. Vesuvio’s identity has always been as a space that welcomes people from all walks of life and where individuality is respected inside the bar even if the rest of society outside disagrees. This manifesto, if you will, has been central to its historical significance as an iconic North Beach bar, and for its continued success as an invaluable San Francisco institution.

We believe that the management and interpretation at Vesuvio should be as dynamic and as engaging as the bar itself. The overarching goals of the management plan therefore are to articulate and maintain the understanding that Vesuvio is a place for all generations and social groups, foster a strong identity in the citizens of North Beach to their cultural heritage, and mobilize the residents to play an active role in the heritage management of the bar. To achieve our overall goals we aim to design projects that strive to:

Maintain the integrity and spirit of the bar and convey these qualities to the public through varieties of interpretation.
Keep a connection between the past and the present to demonstrate the impact that each can have on the other.
Encourage the continuity and modification of human experience, utilizing new technology to articulate the story and identity of Vesuvio.
Emphasize the importance of art in the history and life of Vesuvio and use new media to connect to local and non-local artistic communities.
Garner economic benefits for the bar by attracting a larger pool of customers.