What is Art in Storefronts

Art in Storefronts temporarily places original art installations by San Francisco artists in vacant and under-used storefront windows to engage local artists in reinvigorating neighborhoods and commercial corridors that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn. It also provides artists, who have also been affected by the economy, with a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity in transforming vacant storefronts into free exhibition spaces and to garner public recognition for their work.

The first round of Art in Storefronts spanned October 2009 through January 2010 with installations on Central Market Street, Taylor Street in the Tenderloin, Third Street in Bayview and Lower 24th Street in the Mission. Read the Mayor's press release on the first round of Art in Storefronts.

Project Timeline

• Project Period: June 11 – September 18, 2010
• Information Session for Applicants: March 24, 2010; 6 p.m. at the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, 750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor Community Room
• Application Deadline: April 16, 2010 (5 p.m. in office)
• Chinatown Launch: June 11, 2010; 5 - 7 p.m.
  
  Wentworth Alley (between Kearny and Grant, Jackson and Washington)
• Artist and Community Panel DiscussionJuly 17, 2010; 2 - 4 p.m.
  
  Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
  
  750 Kearny Street, Third Floor

Project Team

The Office of Economic and Workforce Developmentis dedicated to enhancing San Francisco's economic vitality. OEWD’s programs are responsible for strengthening San Francisco’s many diverse neighborhoods and commercial corridors, creating a business climate where companies can grow and prosper, and ensuring a continually high quality of life for all San Franciscans.

The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. The agency’s core values are committed to the principle that all residents have equal access to arts experiences in all disciplines, that programs are provided comprehensively and evenly throughout the City, and that they are innovative and of the highest quality. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artists Licensing, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth and Community Concert Series.

Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) is the nation’s oldest Asian American multidisciplinary arts organization. The mission of Kearny Street Workshop is to produce, present and promote art that empowers Asian Pacific American artists and communities. KSW envisions a more just society that fully incorporates Asian Pacific American voices informed by our cultural values, historical roots, and contemporary issues.

The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco is a major community-based, non-profit organization established in 1965 to foster the understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Chinese American art, history, and culture in the United States. The mission of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco is to preserve, promote, and influence the course of Chinese and Chinese American culture.

The mission of the Chinatown Community Development Center is to build community and enhance the quality of life for San Francisco residents. Based in the Chinatown neighborhood, Chinatown CDC also serves other San Francisco neighborhoods, including North Beach and the Tenderloin and serves as neighborhood advocates, organizers, planners, and as developers and managers of affordable housing.

Thank you to SOMArts Cultural Center's Technical Services program for assistance with Art in Storefronts fabrication and display.