FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: 
Kate Patterson, San Francisco Arts Commission 
Tel: (415) 252-4638 Email: kate.patterson@sfgov.org

STREETSMARTS CELEBRATES URBAN ART & CULTURE WITH COMMUNITY EXTRAVAGANZA

The San Francisco Arts Commission and the Department of Public Works plan an array of lively activities to commemorate the completion of the StreetSmARTS program’s pilot-year

Everyone is invited to join the fun on Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to   
2 a.m. at the African American Art and Culture Complex

SAN FRANCISCO – May 24, 2010 Director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission Luis R. Cancel in conjunction with the Department of Public Works and the African American Art and Culture Complex (AAACC) is celebrating the completion of this year’s StreetSmARTS pilot-year murals. The celebration will be held on Saturday June, 19, 2010 from 6:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. at the African American Art and Culture Complex and will feature food and festive activities such as live muraling, a DJ, B-Boy competition and a film screening. At midnight, there will be an unveiling of the StreetSmARTS gallery with artwork submitted by StreetSmARTS artists as well as artworks from the Arts Commission’s cultural centers. 

According to Luis R. Cancel, “StreetSmARTS is an innovative approach to dealing with vandalism, while providing urban artists with an opportunity to show their talent by creating something positive for our neighborhoods. We look forward to celebrating these dynamic artists and this unique program with the community during this exciting event.”

The StreetSmARTS program celebrates the vibrancy of urban art by connecting established muralists with San Francisco private property owners. Earlier this year, the Arts Commission vetted a competitive list of artists from which participating private property owners were able to select an artist to design a mural for their building. Each artist and property owner collaborated to create visual concepts reflecting the fabric of the neighborhood. Ten murals were created during the program’s pilot year.

“The Department of Public Works is a proud partner in this effort that supports private property owners as they battle against unwanted vandalism on their property. Engaging artists and providing opportunities, such as these, not only supports owners and artists, but prevents graffiti from appearing in our communities. Everyone benefits,” said Mohammed Nuru, Deputy Director for Operations at DPW.

The StreetsmARTS celebration will not only commemorate the first year of the program but will also set in motion a summer panel series on the “Elements of Hip-Hop” hosted by the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Cultural Centers.To view the StreetSmARTS artist biographies and view their artwork, please visit www.sfartscommission.org/streetsmarts 

About the San Francisco Arts Commission and Community Arts and Education 

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. We believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being. Established by charter in 1932, SFAC programs integrate the arts into all aspects of City life. 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’s Youth and Community Concert Series. 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.

The Community Arts and Education program celebrates the importance of arts and culture in our daily lives by supporting cultural arts activities and arts education in San Francisco's diverse communities. Our program started in 1967 when a group of artists and arts activists brought a radical notion to the San Francisco Arts Commission: fund artists and arts organizations to work in neighborhood and community settings. The program was called the Neighborhood Arts Program and the total budget for the first fiscal year was $25,000, which was provided by the Arts Commission President at the time, Harold Zellerbach. Today, the Community Arts and Education program continues to nurture art for and by the people, where they live and work, in our neighborhoods and online.

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