SF State will soon be getting a taste of various artistic flavors from around the world with the opening of the new International Center for the Arts, allowing art enthusiasts to experience art, music and documentary films from countries around the globe.

The center, which will be based in the College of Creative Arts, was established with a $3 million contribution from SF State alumni George and Judy Marcus. The center will include a documentary film institute, an exhibit celebrating international art and a biennial visual art exhibition.

Drawing upon an international pool of talent, the center will be a venue for artistic creation, a laboratory for established and emerging artists, a training resource, a conduit to the professional arena and a point of intersection inspiring innovation for students and the general public.

Each year the ICA will present the George and Judy Marcus Prizes, three juried awards each worth up to $50,000, to artists whose work demonstrates excellence, emerging talent or lifetime achievement.
Because of the Marcus’ generous donation, some art projects have gone further than ever expected.

Art History professor Judith Bettelheim did not think her four-year Cuban art project, a book of eclectic AfroCuban art entitled “AfroCuba: Works on Paper, 1968-2003,” would be the opening exhibition of a new art center.

“This publication would not be sitting here if it wasn’t for George and Judy Marcus,” said Bettelheim. “We have a blue-collar, multicultural student base and we need something to serve that base in the arts.”

“I’m pretty psyched about the new center,” said former SF State art major Cristal Lopez. “I’ve been to Cuba before and the culture and art is absolutely breath-taking.”

Beyond the beauty of international art, the center may be an opportunity to help give SF State more of a solid presence in the university community, said Bettelheim.

“It will allow more enrichment overall and give State more notoriety, as well as interest more students and professors into coming to the school,” said George Marcus, founder and chairman of Marcus & Millichap, a real estate investment brokerage firm. “Plus it’s fun, and the center will really enrich everyone’s experience at State.”

The center’s inaugural event, “To Cuba, With Love,” will run from Feb. 26 to March 30 at the Fine Arts Gallery, inside the Fine Arts building. A special opening ceremony, featuring the West Coast AfroCuban All-Stars and honoring legendary Cuban musician and mambo innovator Israel “Cachao” Lopez, will be held March 4 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The SF State campus will have its own opening ceremony for the AfroCuban exhibit on March 5. The all-day event will feature music, dancing, film, Cuban food and a special music and video installation. Cachao will also perform that evening at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco.

The campus opening is open to the general public, and the Marcuses are expected to attend the ceremony as well.

As an avid supporter of SF State and an art lover, George had ample reason to support the school’s art programs.

“SF State was a very important part of contributing to my business,” he said. “I want SF State to become a distinguished school of the arts, and it’s a way of giving back.”

Marcus, the 1989 SF State Alumnus of the Year, has long been committed to serving the art community and his alma mater. He served on the Committee to Rebuild the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, as well as the board of the SF State Modern Greek Studies Foundation.

He previously donated more than $40,000 to the University for the Center for Modern Greek Studies, the Cinema Department and student scholarships. Marcus is also a member of the University of California Board of Regents and served on the California State University Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1989.

Marcus was born in Greece and moved to San Francisco at age 4. In 1965, at the age of 23, he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from SF State. The weekend of his graduation, Marcus married Judy, had a one-day honeymoon, and began working at Bank of America. Six years later, he founded The Marcus & Millichap Co., the parent company of a diversified group of real estate service, investment and development firms.

Judy Marcus earned her bachelor’s degree in education from SF State in 1964. She is actively involved with several charities throughout the Bay Area.