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ScrapEden SF Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2007
San Francisco

Press Contacts:
Leslie Pritchett/ leslie@blackrockarts.org
Rachel Weidinger/ rachelann@blackrockarts.org                        Colleen Flynn/ cflynn@sfnpc.org
Black Rock Arts Foundation                                                              Neighborhood Parks Council
415.626.1248                                                                                       415.621.3260

ScrapEden Public Art Installations Team Artists with Community Park Groups

to Craft Pro-Environment Message

The Black Rock Arts Foundation, a non-profit arts organization that promotes civic participation through public
art programs, has launched ScrapEden SF – a project paring three San Francisco park groups with artists to create
temporary public sculptures from reclaimed and recycled materials. Working under a Zero Waste grant from the
San Francisco Department of the Environment and in conjunction with the Neighborhood Parks Council, three
public art projects intended to inspire people to recycle, reclaim and reuse will be unveiled in SF neighborhood
parks in June 2007.

Mayor Gavin Newsom said of the initiative, “Temporary public art can play an important role in helping San
Francisco residents engage with their public parks and with one another. ScrapEden SF is a terrific pilot project
of the Black Rock Arts Foundation that brings together artists and public park groups to creatively spread the
message of how important it is for people to recycle, reuse and compost. I’m all for it.”

“We are thrilled to be working with community groups who are committed to their neighborhood parks and
artists who see public art as a way to encourage people to reconsider their role in protecting the environment,
“ said foundation Executive Director Leslie Pritchett. “Watching the artists’ concepts evolve in response to direct
involvement with community has been very exciting.”

Neighborhood Parks Council director Isabel Wade is enthusiastic about the partnership. “We’re so excited about
this opportunity to support temporary interactive art installations in our City’s parks. We are aware from national
studies that art installations help draw positive park use and build community connections”. Three site-specific
proposals developed for ScrapEden SF are now under permit review with appropriate San Francisco city agencies:

Panhandle Bandshell, Panhandle Park
The Panhandle Bandshell will be a full-scale, traditional bandshell constructed predominantly from reclaimed
materials—including car hoods, circuit boards and plastic bottles. The project will engage community
members through its design and installation and by providing a performance stage for acoustic (nonamplified)
performances throughout the summer. For more information about this collaboration of The
Finch Mob, REBAR Group, CMG Landscape Architecture and the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood
Association (NOPNA), please visit: www.panhandlebandshell.com.

Casa de la Imaginacion, Parque Ninos Unidos
Artist Wendy Testu, in collaboration with students from the Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School and the
Mission Parents Group, will create a small open play space, organic in nature, constructed from, among
other things, leftover building supplies, tree branch trimmings, rubber bicycle tires, and plastic milk cartons.
Casa de la Imaginacion, chosen for Parque Niños Unidos at 23rd Street & Treat in San Francisco, will be
accessible to local residents during its exhibition, and in Testu’s words, “will encourage local residents of all
ages to take notice of their park and consider their own consumption of materials.”

Sol Flor, Juri Commons
A series of recycled mosaics, Sol Flor, designed by artist Jennifer Alexander for Juri Commons at 25th Street
& Guerrero in San Francisco will be created in collaboration with the Juri Commoners, a group of area
residents and park enthusiasts. The colorful found-object mosaics inspired by flowers and the sun will be
installed at ground level throughout the park—folks will be able to walk, sit and picnic on the mosaics.
Alexander believes strongly, “in living consciously and working towards a healthier future where people
consider the waste that we collectively create.” For more information visit http://www.jennalex.com/solflor/ .

All three collaborative ScrapEden SF projects will serve as tools to talk about the importance of recycling, reuse,
and composting with an ultimate goal of changing residents behaviors around trash in San Francisco. In addition,
these pilot efforts will provide a lab for the development of a community arts organizer’s toolkit. Installations are
expected to open in early June 2007, and will remain in place for approximately three months.

ScrapEden SF is a continuation of the Black Rock Arts Foundation’s Civic Participation Program, pairing working
artists with communities to inspire positive social change. Past projects of foundation include the installation of
public art in Civic Center Plaza, the Hayes Green, Pier 14 on the Embarcadero, and Indian Basin Shoreline Park at
Hunter’s Point. For more information, please visit www.blackrockarts.org.

The Neighborhood Parks Council advocates for a superior, equitable and sustainable park and recreation system
through community-driven stewardship, education, planning and research. Since 1996, the Neighborhood Parks
Council has grown to include 120+ park groups and 4,000 park volunteers, establishing itself as San Francisco’s
premier park advocacy group.

Panhandle Bandshell, Artist's Rendering
(high-res image available upon request)

# # #

For more information about ScrapEden SF contact:

Black Rock Arts Foundation

1900 Third St, First Floor

San Francisco, CA 94158

http://blackrockarts.org/projects/scrapeden-sf

scrapeden_sf@blackrockarts.org

415.626.1248

Calendar Listing Information:

ScrapEden SF

June 1- September 15, 2007

Three collaborative public art projects in San Francisco parks will inspire conversation about the importance of recycling, reuse, and composting. Let’s change what we do with our trash in San Francisco! ScrapEden SF is a project of the Black Rock Arts Foundation, the San Francisco Department of the Environment and the Neighborhood Parks Council. First, visit the Panhandle Bandshell between Oak and Fell at the Clayton Street crossing, a full-scale, traditional bandshell constructed from reclaimed materials—including car hoods, circuit boards and plastic bottles.For a schedule of acoustic (non-amplified) performances throughout the summer visit www.panhandleandshell.com . Panhandle Bandshell is a collaboration of The Finch Mob, REBAR Group, CMG Landscape Architecture and the North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA). Next, visit Casa de la Imaginacion at Parque Ninos Unidos in the Mission at Treat Street and 23rd Street. Artist Wendy Testu, in collaboration with students from Flynn Elementary School and the Mission Parents Group, will create a small open play house, constructed from tree branch trimmings, rubber bicycle tires, and plastic milk cartons. Finally, visit Sol Flor in Juri Commons at 25th Street & Guerrero.This series of colorful found-object mosaics, designed by artist Jennifer Alexander will be created in collaboration with the Juri Commoners. Fro more information and announcements about events at each art installation contact: