As businesses shuttered during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, plywood and other drab coverings were a common sight on most San Francisco streets. They were a constant, harsh reminder of the overwhelming health and financial challenges that still remain. When artists received permission to paint murals and create other forms of art on these protective coverings and at other select places, their efforts brought welcome visual relief along with feelings of hopefulness for many.
In keeping with this renewed emphasis on the arts, Mayor London Breed late last year launched the San Francisco Creative Corps pilot program to support artists and promote public health through art.
During these past several months, San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink as well as others captured images of the resulting artwork, and particularly street art, in the Castro and other neighborhoods throughout the city. The Bay Times also featured the honey bears of artist fnnch, who has raised thousands of dollars for San Francisco nonprofits.
In response to critics, fnnch recently wrote: “Duchamp said that the artist is only responsible for 50% of the work, and the audience brings the other 50%. I have tried throughout the pandemic to provide a spot of light in a dark time. But it is still art. Obviously not everyone will like it. I think this is okay and totally normal. Elie Wiesel says that the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The worst thing that could happen to an artist is for someone to walk by their work and feel nothing. If someone is going to walk by and feel love, then someone is going to walk by and feel hate.”
As of this writing, San Francisco is moving into the yellow tier, which is the least restrictive tier in the state. The city’s artscape is now changing, too. Here then is a look back at just some of the murals and other art—many works already removed or painted over—that will likely forever be associated with this unprecedented time.
Photos by Rink
Published on May 6, 2021
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