Public Art Honoring Transit and Community
December 2024 Update: The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is excited to announce the artists selected for two glasswork art opportunities at the Potrero Yard.
Selected Artists
- Twin Walls Mural Company — Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong, both native San Franciscans, founded Twin Walls in 2013. This will be their first permanent public art commission with SFAC, marking an exciting new chapter for these accomplished muralists. Twin Walls has created over 30 murals across the Bay Area.
- Josué Rojas — Rojas is native to the Mission District with more than two decades of experience as an artist and arts educator, with a focus on empowering communities and youth in the Mission. This will be Rojas’ first permanent public art commission with SFAC.
"Muni in Motion”, the conceptual artwork design by Twin Walls that will be integrated into the architectural glass of the Potrero Yard bus ramp on 17th Street.
“Muni in Motion” by Twin Walls Mural Company celebrates the “routes that raised us.” The piece reads from right to left, beginning with an indigenous Yelamu Ramaytush Ohlone landscape and ending with native birds soaring through a clear sky, a symbol of hope for our future and respect for our past. The design features green, red, and orange colors, representing earth, iconic landmarks, and the city’s roots.
The piece also pays tribute to Dr. Maya Angelou, the first Black woman Muni conductor. The heart of this conceptual design is the people and the connections between passengers, operators, and pedestrians.
Transfer to Tomorrow” the conceptual artwork design by Josué Rojas that will be integrated into the architectural glass of the stairwell on Mariposa at York Street.
“Transfer to Tomorrow” by Josué Rojas is inspired by the workers, neighborhood residents, and transit users who bring the bus yard to life. The piece is an expression of joy, intended to tap into nostalgia and inspire young people to know more about the cultural and natural roots of San Francisco and of the Bay Area.
Featured in the artwork are a Red-tailed Hawk that is frequently seen flying above the yard; colors and shapes representing Salvadorian tapestries; and Hetch Hetchy, the primary source of the city’s—and yard’s—water and power. Transfer to Tomorrow is inspired by the past, present and future of San Francisco’s Muni and innovative transportation.
Next Steps:
Design-only contracts with Twin Walls and Josué Rojas were approved by the Arts Commission on November 4, 2024. The artists will develop and refine their artwork contingent on the project construction schedule.
We look forward to seeing these inspiring artworks come to life as permanent tributes to San Francisco’s transit story and its vibrant communities!
As a City-owned facility, and in compliance with the San Francisco’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, two percent of the Potrero Yard bus facility construction costs have been allocated by SFMTA and PNC for the integration of public art into the facility. The Potrero Yard Modernization project public art program is being administered by the San Francisco Arts Commission, the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy.
The Arts Commission developed a Public Art Project Plan and Project Goals after a robust community engagement process that included a community survey, participation in several public meetings, and multiple presentations to the Potrero Yard Neighborhood Working Group. Goals for the public art include:
- Celebrate the people, values, history and diverse culture of the Potrero Hill and Mission neighborhoods.
- Highlight SFMTA’s goal to promote environmental stewardship and provide reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for all.
Public Art Opportunities
The SF Arts Commission has identified three large scale public art opportunities for the new bus yard:
North elevation drawing with two public art opportunities highlighted, facing 17th Street and Franklin Square (Arcadis IBI Group)
- Architecturally integrated glass artwork on the bus ramp at mid-block on 17th Street measuring approximately 11,000 ft. and facing Franklin Square.
- Large-scale tile artwork on a vertical building façade measuring approximately 3,000 ft. near the SFTMA employee entrance at the corner of 17th and Bryant streets and also facing Franklin Square.
- Architecturally integrated glass artwork on a multi-story stairwell measuring approximately 3,800 ft. located on Mariposa Street at the terminus of York Street, in between the bus entrance and exit locations.
South elevation drawing with one public art opportunity highlighted, facing Mariposa Street (Arcadis IBI Group)
These are opportunities for established local artists who work in two dimensional mediums—murals, painting, prints, photography, etc.—to create a meaningful and monumental permanent public artwork for the Potrero Hill and Mission neighborhoods and communities.
Artist Recruitment Approach and Selection Process
The SF Arts Commission’s Public Art Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued on October 21, 2023 and closed on January 22, 2024. Artists or artist teams in the United States were eligible to respond to the RFQ. Recruitment focused on artists with a meaningful connection to San Francisco’s Mission and Potrero Hill neighborhoods and/or the adjacent American Indian and Calle 24 Latino Cultural Districts.
The Artist Review process is administered in accordance with Arts Commission policies and guidelines. Artist Qualification and Review Panels, comprised of project and community stakeholders, will review artist RFQ submissions and make recommendations for a shortlist of applicants deemed most qualified for the project opportunities. Finalists will be invited to develop site specific conceptual proposals in 2024.
Timing
- In mid-2024, the Arts Commission will review and approve the Artist Review Panel’s recommendations for the artists and proposals selected for each artwork opportunity.
- By Fall 2024, the three Commission-approved artists will be under contract with artwork design and construction documents developed between Fall 2024 and Fall 2025, and artwork fabricated thereafter through late 2026.
- The installation of the artwork will be contingent on the project construction schedule and progress, with completion anticipated by Spring 2027.