Stacey Carter, a multimedia artist with over 20 years of experience, is set to showcase her new exhibit, ‘Decommissioned,’ at the Shipyard Gallery in Building 101 of the Hunters Point Shipyard.
The exhibit will open its doors to the public on Saturday and will remain accessible on select Saturdays throughout the summer.
Carter’s work is a culmination of two decades spent collecting documents, photographs, and artifacts related to the Hunters Point Shipyard.
Her journey began after relocating to San Francisco following her graduation from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Pennsylvania.
In 1998, she secured a studio at the Hunters Point Shipyard and soon found herself drawn to the dilapidated World War II-era structures around her workplace.
Initially, she began painting these buildings but later embarked on a quest to uncover their history.
For much of her early research, she felt that her interest in the shipyard’s past was a solitary endeavor, believing that few others cared about it.
However, everything changed in 2021 when journalists Chris Roberts and Rebecca Bowe sought her help while investigating human radiation experiments conducted at the Hunters Point Shipyard.
For Carter, this collaboration was a dream come true.
“Before, it was like, I’m starving and I don’t know how to make money,” she reflected.
Now, she found herself engrossed in a historical narrative that was gaining attention.
The quest for information led her to the National Archives in San Bruno, where she discovered a wealth of documents pertaining to the shipyard.
She credits archivist Aaron Seltzer for guiding her through the research process, helping her navigate the complex history of the site.
Roberts noted Carter’s impressive depth of knowledge, stating, “Stacey has an intimidating depth and breadth of knowledge about the shipyard.”
Carter’s meticulous research often uncovered hidden gems regarding the shipyard’s past, which proved invaluable to the journalists.
In her exploration of the shipyard’s community history, Carter found rich collaboration with fellow artist William Rhodes.
Together, they created quilts with senior residents from Bayview, drawing inspiration from interviews with Black residents of Bayview Hunters Point.
These narratives, she argued, often go unrecognized or forgotten in the broader historical context of San Francisco.
Their interviews illuminated personal stories, with one account particularly striking her—an interview with a descendant of a shipyard rigger who described the site as a dump.
Carter validated this testimony through her extensive archival research, confirming the shipyard’s troubled legacy.
“I looked at this annual report for the Radiological Defense Lab,” she recalled, emphasizing that the Hunters Point Shipyard served as “literally the West Coast radioactive waste disposal facility.”
According to Carter, numerous institutions across the Bay Area disposed of their toxic waste at the shipyard, adding another layer to its historical narrative.
Carter expressed a deep sense of responsibility in working with the Black community of Bayview-Hunters Point, emphasizing the importance of every individual’s story.
Her exhibit goes beyond artwork; it tells the history of the neighborhood, tracing its beginnings to the arrival of the Hunter family from New York in 1848.
Phillip and Robert Hunter worked as real estate developers, tasked with cultivating the area despite its initial unpopularity during the Gold Rush era.
While their real estate endeavors failed, the Hunters remained, contributing to the legacy of Hunters Point.
A significant portion of the exhibit focuses on the World War II era, when the Hunters Point Navy Shipyard employed around 18,000 individuals.
Among the artifacts displayed are letters written by Black shipyard workers to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which documented employment discrimination — a direct violation of Executive Order 8802 that prohibited such practices in defense industries.
Most of the artifacts on display were sourced through eBay, including hard hats worn by workers, awards presented to foremen, and tools used in ship maintenance.
Carter also mentioned that sometimes, free piles of artifacts pop up in the Shipyard, providing unexpected treasures for her exhibit.
Visitors can explore this rich tapestry of history over seven Saturdays during the summer, starting June 14.
Additionally, a talk by journalist Chris Roberts is scheduled for July 12 at 2 p.m., providing further insights into the shipyard’s complex story.
image source from：https://missionlocal.org/2025/06/after-20-years-of-work-stacey-carter-found-an-audience-for-her-research-on-sfs-hunters-point-shipyard/
