Public Art Proposal Display
Art Proposals for the Mission Branch Library Public Art Project
The San Francisco Arts Commission is conducting a review process to choose an artwork for the renovated Mission Branch Library, located at 300 Bartlett St. The art enrichment opportunity will be located at the infilled window niche on the second floor in front of the main stairway. The renovated Mission Branch Library is designed to return the main entrance to 24th Street, return the main stairway to its original location, create a community program room, dedicated teen area, additional restrooms, and a large children’s library. The goal of the artwork is to be a community asset and reflect the identity of the Mission neighborhood, be appropriate to the Mission Branch Library as a project site and library environment, and serve as a way-finder, helping users locate the main staircase of the Library. Three artists were chosen as finalists by a Selection Panel to create site-specific proposals, they are: Juana Alicia Araiza, Javier Rocabado, and Josué Rojas.
Para ver una versión en español de esta información, haga clic aquí.
My vision for the window in the Main Reading Room of the Mission Library is that of a monumental nopal or prickly pear cactus, full of both flowers and fruit. As a glowing window at the center of the library’s world of words, the nopal tells a story, combining both legend and literature. The powerful cactus tree has many meanings for people all over the world, but particularly for those of Mexican heritage. The nopal is a central element in our origin story. According to legend, the gods had predicted the founding of Tenochtitlán (Mexico City) at the site where the itinerant Nahua (Aztec) peoples spotted an eagle holding a serpent in its beak atop a nopal cactus. At the base of the design are the symbols for the goddess Mallinalxochitl (from Nahuatl malinalli "grass" and xochitl "flower"), who was responsible for the apparition of the founding moment. The snake in the image is a feathered serpent, or Quetzalcoatl, the deity representing wisdom and knowledge for the Mexican people.
The Mission District of San Francisco was my home for 25 years. During that time, I was part of the Latinx cultural art scene. One of my contributions on a yearly basis, was to create altares for the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mission Cultural Center, SOMArts and other exhibitions.
For my proposed artwork design “Azulejo y Cerca: Sacred Universe: From the Mission to the Cosmos” a installation in glass for the new Mission Library’s Reading Room –– I’ve chosen to centralize a modern day glyph, an icon familiar to Mission Neighborhood residents of all ages, cultures and walks of life –– The Mission Street Tile. Present on the ground of Mission Street (between 15th through 17th as well as 23rd through 25th streets) it guides visitors along some of Mission streets’ culturally liveliest corners. The red and blue tiles adorn the 16th and 24th street BART stations and are present nowhere else in San Francisco. The icon, present for generations, has taken popularity with artists and has inspired young people and established artists as well! It adorns murals, tshirts, posters, artworks and even tattoos!
Opportunity For Public Comment
Please take a few minutes to review these artwork proposals to provide public comment. Public comments will be considered as part of the Final Review Panel meeting where the Panel members will recommend one proposal for implementation. The proposals are available online at www.sfartscommission.org/calendar, in the Public Art Proposal Display section or comments may be emailed to sfacpublicartcomment@sfgov.org by Thursday, August 5th, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.
Por favor revisar estas propuestas de arte para ofrecer comentarios públicos. Los comentarios públicos serán considerados como parte de la reunión del jurado de revisión final (Final Review Panel) donde los miembros del jurado recomendarán una propuesta para implementación. Las propuestas están disponibles en línea en www.sfartscommission.org/calendar, en la sección Public Art Proposal Display o los comentarios se pueden enviar por correo electrónico a sfacpublicartcomment@sfgov.org antes del jueves 5 de agosto de 2021 a las 5:00 p.m.
The Final Review Panel meeting will take place virtually on Monday, August 9, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and will be open to the public to attend. An agenda for the meeting will be posted 72 hours in advance on SFAC’s website under the Public Meeting section: www.sfartscommission.org along with instructions on how to join the meeting virtually. Please note that public comments do not constitute a vote.