LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples. As a department dedicated to promoting a diverse and equitable Arts and Culture environment in San Francisco, we are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community.

RACIAL EQUITY STATEMENT

The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit qualifications for artist-designed fence panels. As part of the 11th and Natoma Park development, San Francisco Recreation and Parks (RPD) plans to install an 11-foot high, powder-coated aluminum perimeter fence and entry gate along the 11th Street frontage of the park, which provides an opportunity for the integration of a permanent public artwork. Artists will be responsible specifically for the design of up to 1300 square feet of panels, which will be fabricated and installed by a separate contractor paid for and managed through the RPD park project.

PROJECT GOALS

• Promote neighborhood connection, a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and play. This may include celebrating the diverse identities, values and living legacies of SOMA Pilipinas and the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural Districts.
• Provide an artwork opportunity for artists with a meaningful connection to the neighborhood.
• Engage the community through artist-led programming to help inform the development of the artwork design.

PROJECT BUDGET

Artist Contract (Design Only): $25,000 Inclusive of all artist’s fees, as well as associated expenses for design and consultation during fabrication and installation.

*An estimated architectural credit of up to $61 per square foot will be applied to the fence artwork fabrication budget in areas where the artwork replaces the existing fence panels, with installation to be covered by the Capital Improvement Project Budget.

Project Description

San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood is expected to see significant population growth in the coming decades with the implementation of the Market & Octavia Plan. This plan envisions a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood by responding to the City’s goals for housing, transportation, and public realm improvements.

Currently, the southwest end of District 6 is especially limited in parks and open space for its residents. To provide more open space in the neighborhood, San Francisco Recreation and Park (RPD) has acquired a half-acre property on 11th Street, between Natoma Street and Minna Street, to develop a new park. The 11th and Natoma Park Project goals include promoting neighborhood connection and creating a space to serve a diverse and multigenerational community through a variety of park programs; connecting people to nature within the dense, urban environment; and designing a sustainable park that is climate appropriate, ecologically valuable, maintainable, and long-lasting. The project site is located in the southwest corner of SOMA’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District and one block from the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District.

For more information on the 11th and Natoma Par Project, please visit San Francisco Recreation and Parks project page: https://sfrecpark.org/1635/11th-Natoma-Park-Project

Selection Process

Artist Qualification Panel: The eligible applications will be presented to an Artist Qualification Panel consisting of one (1) SFAC staff member, one (1) representative of the client agency (RPD), and one (1) arts professional who will review and score the applications to identify a short list of 15-30 qualified artists to be considered for the project opportunity. As part of the application process, artists will be asked to describe their connection to the neighborhood, as well as how they may engage the community in the development of the artwork design. The review panel will be instructed to take these responses into consideration as part of the application scoring criteria.

Artist Review Panel: The shortlist of qualified artists will be presented to the 11th and Natoma Park Project Artist Review Panel consisting of one (1) representative of the client agency, two (2) arts professionals, one (1) Arts Commissioner, and one (1) community representative. The panel will identify three (3) finalists who will be invited to develop conceptual site-specific proposals after attending an orientation session with the project team and key stakeholders. These finalists will be paid an honorarium of $3,000 for the development of a conceptual proposal; there is no additional reimbursement for travel expenses.

The 11th and Natoma Park Project Artist Review Panel will reconvene to consider the finalists’ proposals in an interview format and will select one artist for recommendation to the Arts Commission.

Arts Commission Approval: The Artist Review Panel’s recommendations are first submitted to the Visual Arts Committee (VAC), a subcommittee of the Arts Commission and then to the full Arts Commission for approval. All Artist Review Panel recommendations are subject to the Visual Arts Committee and Full Arts Commission.

All Arts Commission meetings and Public Art Review Panel meetings are open to the public and are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our calendar.

Please see commission portal link for full project information and application instructions. Click here for the application form.