SFSC Aquatic Park - Mike Basten - Two Minds 5 Elements
Description
Mike Basten is a fourth-generation native of San Francisco and a self-described überoctogenarian, soon to begin his tenth decade of extra-uterine existence. He’s a great-grandfather and retired City and State of California employee whose career included work in prisons, social work, the Cuban Refugee Program, and serving as the founding president of the San Francisco Probation Officers Association. Mike has lived in Golden Gate Heights for more than 50 years, following earlier years in Russian Hill, the Marina, and Chinatown.
He has been attending the Senior Center at the Maritime Museum since 2013 and joined the Art With Elders class two years ago. With the guidance of art instructor Andrew Mills—whom Mike considers a good friend—he has enjoyed seeing his thoughts come to life on the sketch pad and exploring what one staff member has described as his “wacky” style of painting. He’s learned the importance of color, shading, and form in appreciating the world around him. Mike also values the friendships he’s made in class, calling it the best part of his current social life. His words of wisdom? “Insatiable curiosity and the ability to see humor in life are the best medicine.”
