Erik Otto has been working as a professional artist for almost ten years and recently completed the Artist-in-Residence program at Recology in San Francisco. Otto envisions change as a catalyst for Central Market’s history and future. His storefront installation depicts change through metaphors symbolized by clouds, houses, and a circle of neon light, representing the openness of the community and city to embrace a new future for the neighborhood.
A recent MFA graduate from the San Francisco Art Institute, Alexis Arnold’s installation highlights the bicycle culture of Market Street. Old bike rims encased in glinting crystals along with a series of gold-painted U-locks (the bicycle detritus often left behind as a marker) will fill a Market Street window. The artist has exhibited her work at Root Division, The Crucible, and Swell Gallery, among others.
Artist team Vicky Knoop and Beatrice Thomas’s mural draws attention to under-recognized businesses and the iconic sites of Central Market. Rendered in graphic bold colors and in the style of a vintage tourist postcard with multiple images, the mural will depict four businesses or sites that have a historic connection to the neighborhood. In conjunction with the mural, the artists will also produce four postcards to be distributed throughout San Francisco, highlighting their selected sites.
For his mural, Harris creates an urban/abstract landscape, which will include a composite historical and contemporary view of Market Street looking towards the Ferry Building. Above the city skyline, a series of paintbrushes will drip bright colors onto the scene while the bottom of the mural will be bordered by brightly colored painted tiles representing Market Street’s culturally diverse environment.
An application workshop will be held on Wednesday, February 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the luggage store, an Art in Storefronts community partner, located at 1007 Market Street. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m.
This episode of Deep Roots looks at Art in Storefronts, our innovative pilot program that transformed the streetscape in four San Francisco neighborhoods. This summer, visit Art in Storefronts in Chinatown. The launch party is Friday, June 11 from 5-7 in Wentworth Alley.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Mayor Gavin Newsom today launched the Art and Storefronts pilot program, a new economic development initiative in Central Market and the Tenderloin. The program engages San Francisco-based artists to reinvigorate neighborhoods that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn.
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Flickr