The second annual SF Arts Commission Art in Storefronts event made its return yesterday evening with a huge street party in the Mid Market district of the City. Hundreds walked the streets and took in the live music, interactive arts installations, food trucks—and of course, the art in the storefronts. The project is a city-funded initiative to revitalize the Mid Market area by infusing empty spaces with installations from selected artists; the principle being that a vibrant and creative culture environment is vital to the well-being of a neighborhood.
The event merged with the unique textures and elements inherent to Mid Market: porn shops, neon signs, old businesses, grand buildings, active street corners and the artery of trains, taxis and buses. Additionally, it seemed that the act of art extended the gritty beauty of Mid Market, sometimes requiring a double-take from the viewer. “Is that a real pawn shop, or an arts installation?”
Live Mural Painting
Market Street Blooms from Black Rock Art Foundation
Interactive Percussion Sculpture
Crystal Bike Blanket, by Alexis Arnold.
Change Comes from Within, by Erik Otto.
Art in Storefronts: Central Market will continue to be on display through August 13th. For more information go to http://www.sfartscommission.org/
