Historically, the central stretch of San Francisco’s main artery Market Street was home to a thriving theater arts district. Most of the old time theaters have since closed, but a handful like The Orpheum and The Warfield are a vibrant reminder of Mid-Market’s former glory. In the late 1960s, the neighborhood was transformed with the introduction of Bay Area Rapid Transit, which brought a world-class underground transit system to San Francisco’s main street. But the businesses—already pained by the exodus of city dwellers to the outlaying Bay Area suburbs—suffered through the long construction process. The challenges continue today, with a 40 percent vacancy rate and most locals identifying Mid-Market by its persistent social and economic struggles. There is growing optimism to reestablish the area as an art and cultural district. In 2010, San Francisco was awarded a $250,000 grant from the National Endowment for Arts’ Mayors Institute of City Design.

Response

San Francisco Arts Commission-led ARTery Project is a proposal to jumpstart revitalization of Market between United Nations Plaza and Sixth Street through short term expanded arts programming and long term investment in the arts organizations that make Mid-Market their home. Public Architecture contributed to Lights on Market Street, the signature initiative of The ARTery Project. The 6-month installation marked Mid-Market’s gateways with three large-scale temporary lighting installations. The site-specific lighting displays were interactive, encouraging passersby to engage public space in new ways. Public Architecture led artist selection, concept development, property identification, and artwork fabrication and installation.

 

Public Architecture also supports long term investment in the district and is facilitating pro bono design services for Mid-Market arts organizations through The 1%’s network of architecture and design firms. De Meza + Architecture + Interiors is working with the San Francisco Study Center to renovate their new facility, while Jensen Architects is partnered with San Francisco Camerawork to bring tenant improvements to their new space.

 

From government agencies to community organizations, the stakeholders working to change Mid-Market understand the value given by culture. Hoping that this effort and intelligence gained through it can serve as a model to others, Public Architecture produced the Lights On Market Street publication to serve as a case study for city agencies and their partners as they consider or embark on comparable arts and culture initiatives. The publication can be found in the Resources section of our website. Additionally, a four-part video series shares the contributions of project partners and the participating artists; the series can be found on our Vimeo channel.