Executive Summary

The Pacifica II Project

From 1939 to 1940, there was a grand fair built upon newly constructed Treasure Island. This world’s fair was formally known as the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE), but many people affectionately referred to it as “The Pageant of the Pacific.”

Within this fair was a common theme – that of Pacific unity. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to then Mayor of San Francisco, Angelo Rossi:

“Unity of the Pacific nations is America’s concern and responsibility. San Francisco stands at the doorway to the sea that roars upon the shores of all these nations, and so to the Golden Gate International Exposition, I gladly entrust a solemn duty. May this, America’s world’s fair on the Pacific in 1939, truly serve all nations.”

President Roosevelt could not have been more right. For in this world’s fair, more Pacific countries would be represented in the pavilions and exhibits they constructed that at any former American world’s fair. From Australia to Japan; from Alaska to the Philippines; from Peru to Chile and Argentina; this was a celebration of the coming together of all the Peoples of the Pacific Rim.

At a time in the world when global economic trade was still an infant compared to modern times, the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island marked the dawn of this new age of “economic interdependence with the Pacific.”1 One of the main attractions of the fair was the Court of Pacifica. Keeping order within the court was sculptor Ralph Stackpole’s statue “Pacifica,” an 80-foot tall homage to the core theme of the fair – Pacific Unity.

The statue “Pacifica” encapsulated every aspect of the fair. As Anne Schnoebelen wrote of “Pacifica” in her booklet, Treasures, “Her robe was decorated with images of music and fertility; her face was a composite of Pacific racial features.” She was built as a symbol to welcome the Peoples of the Pacific Rim through the Golden Gate of San Francisco into America.

Unfortunately, just a couple of short years after the fair closed, “Pacifica” was demolished, as was much of the fair’s art to make way for new Navy base and proposed airport that was to be built on Treasure Island.

“Pacifica” was arguably the most significant piece of art contributed to Golden Gate International Exposition. Her symbolism to San Francisco, the Golden Gate, and to the entire West Coast to the People of the Pacific draws a parallel to that of the Statue of Liberty for those coming to America from across the Atlantic. This is why the statue “Pacifica” needs to be reconstructed on Treasure Island.

The Pacifica II Project is a Non-Profit Corporation that has been formed for the primary purpose of rebuilding the statue “Pacifica.” This priceless piece of lost art needs to be restored. “Pacifica II” will become a local monument with worldwide recognition as her very existence shall be a physical testament to our long celebrated diversity that we share in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Pacifica II Project will:

a. Raise money for the construction of “Pacifica II,” a full scale replica of the 80-foot original statue “Pacifica.”

b. All funds will be raised by volunteers and officers of The Pacifica II Project.

c. No funds shall be required or requested from any local, state, or federal agencies for the construction or maintenance of the statue.

This foundation will not only raise the money for the construction of the statue, but stay intact as an entity after construction has been completed to ensure the proper maintenance of the statue into the future, with no cost to the City of San Francisco.

This statue is a valuable piece of our history. It is an important piece of lost art that should be restored. As a swimmer and diver in Billy Rose’s Aquacade on Treasure Island in 1939, Founder of The Pacifica II Project, Salvatore DeGuarda, remembers first-hand just what a marvelous statue she was. His last ambition, after nearly 50 years in the construction industry, is to restore this critical piece of lost art, one of historic and future importance.

Our committee represents a cross-section of our community. This includes well-respected members of the art community and key members of the Art Department at City College, the home of Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity fresco. We even have one of Ralph Stackpole’s great grandsons on board.