Public Art Projects
T-Third Street Light Rail Public Art Projects
Youth Arts Program
Artist/teacher Sheila Ghidini with youth at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House. Students (clockwise): Anthony Ramirez, Marcus Anthony, Laura Moreno, and Amber Huesso.
Student Amber Huesso with Drew Howard, Muni Third Street Light
Rail Project Engineer, discussing the history of transportation in San
Francisco.
The Third Street Light Rail Youth Arts Program sponsored art workshops for neighborhood youth at three community sites: the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, the Bayview Opera House, and the Visitation Valley Community Beacon Center. At these workshops, which extended over a five-month period, students created neighborhood and transit-related images to be fabricated into permanent windscreen designs on many of the Third Street transit platforms.
(Sidebar)
Sheila Ghidini is an artist living and working in San Francisco. Her projects range from a studio practice to public art projects, of which she has completed many in the Bay Area. Recently completed public art projects include Apricot Walk for the City of Campbell and a park project honoring Ohlone Culture on Bay Street in Emeryville. She has recently been commissioned by the City of San Jose to complete a public art project in Starbird Park.
The Arts Commission, working with an oversight Youth Arts Program Advisory Committee consisting of a representative from each of the three neighborhoods, with Muni staff, hired artist Sheila Ghidini to lead the workshops at each facility, where she collaborated with art teachers at each site. Muni staff made presentations to the students about the history of transit in San Francisco, and members of the Artist Teams shared their experiences designing artwork for the transit system. Students learned a variety of artmaking techniques which they used both individually and collaboratively to create their designs. A popular booklet about the Youth Arts Program was printed and distributed free of charge. Mayor Willie Brown signed Diplomas expressing the City’s gratitude for each student. The diplomas were given at a party for the children and their families at which Michael Burns, the Director of Muni, thanked the students as well.
Artwork (detail) by Whitney Gregory at Bayview Opera House.
Artwork (detail) by Alfredo Hurtado at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House.
Artwork (detail) by Marcus Anthony Ramirez at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House.
Artwork (detail) by Markeda Cottonham at Visitacion Valley Community Beacon Center.