Marcela Pardo Ariza Explores Intergenerational Kinship in San Francisco Queer Communities

SAN FRANCISCO, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 – For its 2020 Art on Market Street Poster Series, the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) invited artists to explore and call attention to the diverse people, places and events of San Francisco’s queer culture. Marcela Pardo Ariza, the third artist in this year’s series, presents their project “Kin-Streets,” a series of staged photographs with members of the Bay Area queer community alongside images of the past.

For this series, Ariza mined the archives of San Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society for images of individuals from past Gay Pride celebrations. The images Marcela found were printed life-size and juxtaposed with Bay Area queer people, establishing a trans-historical relationship (ie., transcending historical boundaries) between the queer community of the past and the queer community of today.

“In this series I wanted to focus on highlighting gestures of care, intergenerational connection and tender touch,” said Ariza. “I wanted the work to honor those who have literally and metaphorically walked the city streets before us to make space for those of us who now call these streets a queer home.”

“Marcela Pardo Ariza’s series celebrates and honors the history of San Francisco’s queer community and how it lives on today,” said Acting Director of Cultural Affairs Denise Bradley-Tyson. “Our city has a legacy of being a supportive home for LGBTQ people who can be and express themselves. Ariza’s work is a celebratory and powerful chronicling of the importance of connection, history, strength and community.”

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 Street Artist Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.

For images of all 18 "Kin-Streets" posters, please click here.