Paint The Void

Repost from @shananariley • “Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” Deep pause and moment of reflection and celebration in the publication of our book, “Painting the Void: How Art Transformed the San Francisco Bay Area During A Global Pandemic.” I can’t believe we’ve pulled this off, publishing a book was not something Meredith or I ever envisioned doing, but we felt it was necessary as a reflection of the incredible and hard work that was poured into this project over the last few years. Its’ story and photographs are meant to be shared. There was a moment in time, when San Francisco shut down and the world felt bleak, maybe it still does, but art and imagination survived. The streets turned into canvases, color and hope filled the air. Every turn was an open air gallery. Different messages, different perspective, from our neighbors, were whispered in conversations while standing 6-feet-apart. The people who we met, the artists we’ve remained close with, the volunteers, supporters and donors who showed up = our new community. You have changed me and the way I see the world. There is so much potential at every finger tip, sometimes we just need a little nudge. I’m grateful to be a small part of this art, a catalyst that got some permission for others to paint. Im grateful for my weird partner in crime (@winnersnaps ) who sees this world through the rose-colored-glasses that I do and who bends over backwards to make things possible with me even when we know we’re crazy and in for a long trip (3 years of making this book)! It’s hard to say I miss our time sheltering-in-home. I lost my grandparents to COVID, the world has forever changed, it rocked us hard in so many ways. But it did offer a moment of pause, in the way we live and see and breathe each day, and I am grateful for that, a silver lining, and I’m grateful we took the time to pause and make this book to show the world all the energy and love these artists shared with their neighbors and for their neighborhood. Art is essential. Public discourse is essential. Sharing is essential. Community is essential.

So proud to champion this project, @paint_the_city_sf_ with our good friends @civic_joy_fund 🎨 It doesn’t take much to be creative, and bring color, fun, and something new to our everyday existence (or does it 🤣). We feel so lucky to work with so many artists and entrepreneurs ready to make a difference and sprinkle their love all around our favorite city 🌁

One of the best parts of the job? Bringing people together to make something that becomes part of the neighborhood. 🎨 Where should the next community mural pop up? Featured mural: @designnurd mural at 1000 Market St for @homerise_sf sponsored by @shineonsf for @paintthevoidproject A special thanks to our amazing team who helped make this happen @vampire_frog @maxehrman @anthonyisjim @camilabianchi

The environments we move through every day have a real impact on how we feel. Too many cities are built from the same gray surfaces and repetitive structures that can leave people feeling disconnected, fatigued, and mentally checked out. Public art changes that. It interrupts the visual monotony of everyday urban life with color, imagination, surprise, and human expression. As Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us to pay closer attention to wellbeing in all its forms, it’s worth considering the role our shared environments play in shaping our daily experience. Art in public spaces gives people moments to pause, reflect, feel inspired, and reconnect with their surroundings. Everyone deserves access to that. 🖌️Artist: @josue.rojas.art 2020 🤝Partners: @painthevoidproject

Public art hits different when it reflects the community it lives in. India Basin Waterfront Park is a reminder of what that can look like when a space is shaped with the people who actually use it. More of this please 🙏 🖌️Art & Artist: Hypecourt by @ninapicasso 📍Location: India Basin Waterfront Park 🤝Partners: @sfrecpark @paintthevoidproject @aprisf @trustforpublicland 📷Video credit: @iromo_

Happy birthday blessings and shout outs to the very talented mc and all around beautiful person @imshotta humbled to collab with the epic photographer who snapped the reference photo @54ghosts of the mural located at @Patreon in San Francisco. #patreon #building180 #imshotta #54ghosts #streetart thank you @building180 and @paintthevoidproject gracias @pablitosomething for the support homie.

What if the future of cities looks more like this? @sunsetdunespark is a powerful example of what can happen when public space is reimagined: a former highway transformed into a place for art, recreation, connection, and coastal ecology. Spaces like this improve quality of life, strengthen communities, and remind us that cities can evolve for the better. They also show how rethinking car-centered infrastructure can help repair our relationship with the environment, making room for green space, habitat, and healthier ways of moving through the city. In the wake of Earth Day, it feels worth remembering that places like this don’t happen by accident, they exist because communities imagine them, support them, and help protect them. As Sunset Dunes celebrates its first birthday, and faces renewed challenges, it’s worth speaking up for the future of places like this. Video Credit: @trinitystrategicsolutions Featured Artists: @josue.rojas.arts @byalicelee @camer1sf @orliegrams @yzzostudios @matleyhurd @peterhazelart @emilyfromm @joeyrosestudio @chromaforms Partners: @sunsetdunespark @sfgov @sfrecpark @sfgovtv @varsity_paintingwalnutcreek

Who is public art really for?  Our Founder and CEO Shannon Riley will be tackling this question Saturday, in conversation with panelists from the SF art community at the San Francisco Art Fair panel ‘Whose Art, Which Public?’ Moderated by Ted Barrow, she’ll join Mildred Howard, Angela Carrier, and Sarah Hotchkiss, in discussing how public art is being rethought in real time, how those debates are unfolding in San Francisco, and what it actually takes for art to move beyond traditional contexts and into everyday life. We’d love to see you there this Saturday. 📅Saturday, April 18 🕛12-1 PM 📍 Art Fair Theater, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture  Moderated by: @tedbarrow Panelists:  @mildredhoward Mixed Media Assemblage Artist @shananariley Founder & CEO Building 180 Angela Carrier Senior Program Manager, @sf_arts_commission @sahotchkiss Senior Editor, KQED #sanfranciscoartfair #publicart #building180 #artinpublicspace #sfevents

Night of Ideas: Arts + Impact on Prison Systems This panel brings together organizations using writing, visual art, film, and performance to build awareness around systems-impacted communities and push toward carceral reform and abolition. Together, they’ll explore how art becomes a tool for narrative change, public engagement, and collective action. Featuring: @empowermentave - @christinelashaw @rahsaan_new_york_thomas Joshua Strange Flyaway Productions - @jokreiter @sqskunkworks - Kyle Winchell, Joshua Strange Moderated by Laura Ellis 📍 @sfpubliclibrary (Main Branch) 100 Larkin St, San Francisco | Latino/Hispanic Room 🗓 Saturday, April 11 ⏰ 7:30–8:45 PM

San Francisco raised us on creative independence. The warehouse studios. The DIY installations. The artists who built their own paths and reshaped public space along the way. That spirit still defines this city. Bold. Unconventional. Deeply committed to creative expression. We’re proud to support the artists carrying that legacy forward, helping bring ambitious public art into the streets, plazas, and neighborhoods that make San Francisco what it is. San Francisco shows up for creativity. We’re here to show up for the creators. Credits: @capt_james5 @where_is_frances @yustinaa @joeldeanstockdill @taylordeanharrison @claudiabuenoart @matleyhurd @orluarts @biancabonk.ai @josue.rojas.art @chrisgranilloart @iromo_ @michaelchristianart @peterhazelart @marcocochrane @element_26_studio @zulu.heru

Women-run. Artist-driven.  This is what it looks like when women bring their vision to life. These are just some of the women artists we’ve worked with in this past year; part of our bigger collaborative effort in bringing art into the public realm. And let’s not forget the women who are guiding each project, working closely with artists, cities, and communities to carry ideas all the way through to installation. 🥂Cheers to the ladies shaping how art shows up in our communities. Happy Women’s History month! Credits: Slide 1: @blaisedanio Slide 2: Cjay Roughgarden @element_26_studio Photo credit: @elmotk Slide 3: Corrine Smith @crittysmitty Slide 4: @betsabeeromero Photo Credit: @iromo_ Slide 5: @byalicelee Slide 6: Katy Boynton @heartfull_katy Slide 7: @orluarts Slide 8: @orliegrams @jack_ralphio Slide 9: @danaalbany Photo Credits: @cundogari Slide 10: @okellyording #womenshistorymonth

We believe art belongs in the streets and we’re so excited to see San Francisco named in USA Today @10best as No. 8 Best City for Street Art 💪 Since 2018, Building 180 & @paintthevoidproject have: 🔸Created 350+ murals 🔸Paid 320+ local artists 🔸Supported 255+ small businesses 🔸Uplifted countless spirits Here’s to the artists and communities who make this city their canvas. Slide 1: Artist: @nigelsussman Location: @discover_polk Slide 2: Artist: @ninapicasso Location: India Basin Waterfront Park