ScrapEden SF

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 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.

“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."

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 (non-amplified) 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 Ninos 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 colorful recycled mosaic series, 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.”

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. These temporary art projects are designed to engage neighbors in conversations about environmental responsibility and provide a lab for the development of a community arts organizer toolkit.

Installations are planned for late May/early June 2007. Projects will remain in place for approximately four months.

ScrapEden SF is a continuation  of the Black Rock Arts Foundation’s Civic Participation Program, pairing working artists with communities to inspire positive 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.

Contact:

Rachel Weidinger, ScrapEden Project Director
scrapeden_sf@blackrockarts.org