Artist behind San Francisco's Vaillancourt Fountain sends cease-and-desist letter to halt its destruction

“The San Francisco Arts Commission could honour their commitment as stewards of art held in public trust, or they could vote to deaccession the Vaillancourt Fountain—an action tantamount to a demolition permit,” says Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and chief executive of the Cultural Landscape Foundation. “But they can’t do both and expect their legitimacy not to be permanently harmed.”