Yours, Tenderly: New Exhibition Explores Rich History of South Asian Presence in the Tenderloin Through Dance

SAN FRANCISCO, August 29, 2024 — The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) and the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL), in partnership with the Tenderloin Museum, are thrilled to announce a new video project by artist-in-residence, dancer, and researcher Preethi Ramaprasad, titled Yours, Tenderly, which celebrates the vibrant South Asian immigrant community of the Tenderloin and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. 

“The Arts Commission is proud to collaborate with artists like Preethi Ramaprasad, in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, through our Artist-in-Residence program,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “This initiative allows artists to work closely with city government to illuminate untold and often overlooked stories of our communities. By fostering these creative partnerships, we aim to bring fresh, thought-provoking perspectives to the forefront and deepen our understanding of the diverse narratives that shape our city.”

In 2023, Ramaprasad was one of four artists-in-residence selected to participate in the San Francisco Arts Commission's Artist-in-Residence program at the San Francisco Public Library. Launched in 2015, this program aims to foster partnerships with City departments, enabling artists to contribute to civic dialogue.  

“Preethi Ramaprasad’s Yours, Tenderly is a love letter to the vibrant South Asian community that helped shape an often maligned and marginalized neighborhood,” says City Librarian Michael Lambert. “Sharing the radical history of the Tenderloin through dance, film and storytelling highlights this dynamic neighborhood, shifting the dominant narrative to one of beauty and resilience.” 

During her ten-week residency at SFPL, Ramaprasad conducted extensive research looking at the historical and current presence of South Asian people and arts in San Francisco. Previously, she has researched and presented work paying homage to South Asians in the Mission District, specifically their radical stories of solidarity and anti-colonial existence. Through her current research, Ramaprasad learned that South Asians shared a similarly rich history in the Tenderloin, although their presence in the neighborhood today has diminished.   

"Yours, Tenderly uses Bharatanatyam and other forms of art to reveal South Asian American histories in oft overlooked, but significant sites.” says Ramaprasad “It pays homage to San Francisco as well as to the immigrants and families who shaped this place before us." 

Conceived as a dance film, Yours, Tenderly traces the history of South Asians in the Tenderloin through the artistic form of Bharatanatyam dance. In the film, Ramaprasad visits sites significant to the South Asian community, found through her research at the SFPL, and performs in front of them. Through performance, the film commemorates South Asian immigration and early cultural centers in the area, South Asian performances in the area, and generally, a celebration of the Tenderloin’s contribution to the national economy and culture. 

Ahead of the opening reception of Yours, Tenderly, there will be a walking tour led by Anirvan Chatterjee and Barnali Ghosh of the South Asian Radical History Walking Tour. The tour will visit notable places connecting to the area’s radical South Asian history and homes. Some sites include Indian/Pakistani restaurants, South Asian owned SROs, and other South Asian cultural markers, of which there are only few remaining. The tour is free and open to the public with a reservation.   

Exhibition Details
Yours, Tenderly  
September 26 – November 2, 2024 
Tenderloin Museum 398 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA, 94102 
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Opening Reception Details 
Thursday, September 26, 7 – 9 p.m. (Remarks at 7:30 p.m.) 
Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA, 94102 
No reservation required. Free and open to the public 

Public Programs
Yours, Tenderly Walking Tour 
Thursday, September 26, 6 - 7 p.m.  
Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94102 
Space is limited. RSVP required. Email sfac.galleries@sfgov.org to reserve your spot 

Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee of the South Asian Radical History Walking Tours lead attendees on a tour of some of the Tenderloin’s most notable South Asian historical sites and homes.  

For more information about this exhibition, visit sfartscommission.org/experience-art/exhibitions/yours-tenderly

###

About the Artist 
Preethi Ramaprasad (she/her) is a multifaceted transnational dancer, musician, and researcher. Her research focuses on representation and the performance of myth among transnational Bharatanatyam practitioners. She has toured and taught Bharatanatyam, a form of South Indian dance, in India, Europe, and the United States. She co-curates the “Varnam Salon,” “When Eyes Speak Choreography Festival,” and “Performing Voices of Bhakti” which all aim to create safe spaces to share South Asian expressive arts in the diaspora. To learn more, visit preethiramaprasad.com.

About the Artist-In-Residence Program
Launched in 2015, the San Francisco Arts Commission's Artist in Residence (AIR) program builds partnerships with City Departments in order to provide unique residency opportunities that result in strengthening the value of artists participating in and responding to the advancement of civic dialogue. AIR opportunities are only open to artists residing in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org/artistinresidence.

About the San Francisco Arts Commission
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.