Shaping Legacy is a multi-year equity-focused commitment to critically examine the monuments and memorials in San Francisco’s Civic Art collection.
SFAC will engage communities that have historically been excluded from discussions, produce an Equity Audit report, create opportunities for artist-led activations in public space and support temporary installations that reimagine future monuments and memorials in our city.
Like many communities across the country, San Francisco is reckoning with the legacy of white supremacy, patriarchy, and colonialism reflected in public spaces, specifically in monuments and memorials that are part of San Francisco’s Civic Art Collection.
Many of the monuments and memorials in the collection do not reflect the diversity of San Francisco, ignore stories of communities of color, and reinforce inequities in race, gender, and culture.
This project is an opportunity for our agency to holistically assess the Civic Art Collection, build awareness around the collection and processes, rectify current power imbalances, and engage community in a sustained, relevant way.
Sign up for Shaping Legacy updates to stay informed of project updates and opportunities to participate in Shaping Legacy. We’ll be posting upcoming events and public meetings for Fall 2024 very soon.
For questions, email: monumentsandmemorials@sfgov.org or leave a voicemail by calling: 415-252-2214.
Shaping Legacy is funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. The Monuments Project is a commitment to transform the nation’s commemorative landscape by supporting public projects that help represent the complexity of American stories.
