PUBLIC ART PROPOSALS FOR THE
NEW CHINESE RECREATION CENTER

On Display at the Chinese Historical Society

965 Clay Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Proposal Exhibition Dates:

Wednesday, July 21 – Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Three artists were selected by the Chinese Recreation Center Artist Selection Panel to create artwork for the exterior of the new facility. The three finalists: Colette Crutcher, Liqing Liang, and the artist team Margarita Soyfertis and Vadim Goretsky, have each designed a tile mosaic artwork for the west wall facing the Center’s new playground.

Comments can be emailed to Eleanor Beaton at eleanor.beaton@sfgov.org by 5 p.m. on August 4.  Please note that comments by interested members of the public do not constitute a vote. Comments will be summarized and shared with the Artist Selection Panel prior to the final panel meeting.

The final meeting of the Chinese Recreation Center Artist Selection Panel is scheduled for Wednesday August 11, 1- 4 p.m., at the Arts Commission, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 70.  One artist will be selected at this meeting, which is open to the public.

Please take a moment to review the proposals.

COLETTE CRUTCHER

Click here to view the proposal

Concept

The history of kites in China goes back over 2000 years.  Technologically simple, they nevertheless demonstrate and make use of the elemental forces of physics.  Their straightforward construction and fancifully refined artistry make them as appealing to children today as when they were first invented.  They are the ideal toy for a windy city!

Materials

These mosaics, shimmering with the brilliance of stained glass, glass nuggets and mirror, and punctuated with the textural variety of commercial and handmade tile, plus broken crockery, will be mounted on cement board panels.  A dark, bluish gray grout will tie them together visually. A vibrant color palette will integrate the primary colors of the play structures with the building’s earth tones.

NOTE:  My original intention was to create the child shown above with mosaic, and possibly to suggest a kite string by means of a line traced through the wet stucco.  However, so many people who have looked at it have asked me whether I was intending to suggest a real child, and mentioning that in a playground full of kids, a child depicted in mosaic might be unnecessary,  that I have become open to the idea of not including a mosaic child.  I would take suggestions from the community on this point.

Installation

The mosaic panels will be affixed with cement and screws to the wall, prior to the application of the stucco finish  The mosaics will then be masked so that the stucco can be brought up to the edges of the artwork.  In this way, the mosaics will be fully integrated with the wall, and the surfaces will be flush

Maintenance

Maintenance requirements should be no more than an annual power washing, if that.  The placement of the artwork on the upper third of the wall makes them less subject to dirt and vandalism.  Graffiti is easily removed from glazed tile, and any that remains on the grout can be painted over with the grout color.  Short of attacking them with a hammer, they are not harmed by ordinary wear and tear.

LIQING LIANG

Click here to view the proposal.

Dragons and Phoenixes do not exist in this world, but to Chinese people they are as real as all other living creatures. In Chinese culture, dragons and phoenixes possess mythical powers to bless people with peace and good fortune. Here I choose the images of the dragon and the phoenix to represent the pursuits of peace, unity, happiness, and lofty ideals in our life, and also as symbols of the splendid Chinese cultural heritage.

This mural also serves to beautify the urban environment of Chinatown, to enhance the cultural ambience of local communities, and to expand public exposure to art. It is my hope that in this mural everyone can find something to relate to and to contemplate on.

MARGARITA SOYFERTIS AND VADIM GORETSKY

Click here to view the proposal.

Our concept for the new playground, Seven Scenes from the Qi Qiao Ban is inspired by an ancient chinese puzzle. The Qi Qiao Ban , also known as Tangram (literally “seven boards of skill”) consists of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape (given only in outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which may not overlap.

The seven scenes across the two panels introduce the magic of the game. Number seven is the number of pieces in the puzzle, and traditionally symbolizes togetherness and renewal. Each scene is composed of geometric shapes utilising the rules of Qi Qiao Ban. Visual clues and instructions to the game are integrated into the artwork. Children will enjoy discovering how the pieces come together to make characters. They will also learn how to play with the shapes and create their own designs with the seven shapes of Qi Qiao Ban.