Termeh Yeghiazarian was a visual artist, art teacher, and community activist who lived in North Beach for 30 years. Joining Telegraph Hill Dwellers in 1996 and serving on its board for six years, Termeh created the Art and Culture Committee, initiated First Fridays, established Salons, and conducted extensive research into and documented the cultural history of North Beach.

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A believer in community engagement, Termeh co-founded Golden Thread Productions, the first American theatre company devoted to plays from or about the Middle East. In the early 2000's, Termeh joined Burning Man, building the backbone of the organization’s voluntarism culture in intent, respect, and support. She trained all the Volunteer Coordinators organization-wide, providing deep coaching and hosting roundtables to tackle challenges and define best practices as a group. She expanded Burning Man’s volunteer management handbook and supervised video documentation of the Volunteer Coordinators. She named the video series, “Living Organism, Voluntarism and its Evolution” (LOVE). 

 

Born in Tehran, Iran, to an artistic family, Termeh imigrated to the US in 1978 and, after several moves, finally found a sense of home in San Francisco where she lived, beginning in 1991, for the rest of her life. She obtained a BA in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art and a Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. 

 

Termeh’s art engaged with the politics of cultural representation, displacement, and socio-economic equity. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Highlights include the Anonymous Artist series at Canessa Gallery and the Homefulness series created in and with diverse communities and displayed in multiple cities.

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Termeh was a tireless advocate and a passionate teacher. She taught at Academy of Art University, City College, and San Francisco Senior Center, where she inspired countless students to achieve more and become not only better artists but better humans. 

 

Termeh touched numerous lives and will be deeply missed. Her impact will continue to be felt for years to come.

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In lieu of flowers, folks may donate to the Bay Area Cancer Connection:

https://www.bayareacancer.org/