San Francisco’s cultural community has experienced a tremendous loss with the passing of The San Francisco Chronicle’s Assistant Managing Editor for Arts & Entertainment David Wiegand.

Not only was David a fantastic editor and writer, but he was also a staunch champion and supporter of the arts. One could see him out virtually every night of the week taking advantage of San Francisco’s rich cultural scene.

Under David’s tenacious leadership, coverage of the arts not only survived but thrived at The Chronicle, at time when most papers were drastically cutting back on arts coverage. Whether it was his columns or his recommendations on KQED’s The Do List with Cy Musiker, many of us looked to David to help us navigate and experience the arts in San Francisco. We will miss his voice and his unparalleled knowledge of our local arts ecology. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends and colleagues