Call for Artists:
Design For Mural at 1048 Folsom Street
MURAL OPPORTUNITY
• SOMA Pilipinas and SOMA West CBD are seeking artists and designers to create a 2D flatwork public art piece on the walls of the building located on 1048 Folsom. The mural will be adjacent to the incoming SOMA Pilipinas District Gateway, and serve as a cultural marker for the district.
• Two walls are available for murals including an exterior wall facing Folsom Street (estimated W49ft xH39ft) with consideration of windows and additional exterior wall facing Russ Street (estimated W80ft xH39ft) with consideration of windows and adjacent trees.
• Murals may be applied by paint on both walls depending on artist intention and installation budget.
• Two to three selected artists will be selected by a panel of representatives from SOMA Pilipinas, SOMA West CBD, and Mission Hiring Hall to develop one design proposal for the mentioned walls in accordance with the project’s budget. Each selected artist will receive a $700 honorarium to develop one concept.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
SOMA Pilipinas - Filipino Cultural Heritage District
The cultural heritage district spanning 1.5 square miles honors 120+ history of Filipinos in San Francisco, and celebrates the community’s living legacy of making home, celebrating culture, building community and fighting for economic and racial justice in the rapidly gentrifying South of Market neighborhood.
SOMA West Community Benefit District
SOMA West Community Benefit District is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization formed in 2020 dedicated to improving the quality of life in SOMA West by creating a cleaner, safer and more vibrant neighborhood for all.
SITE BACKGROUND
This mural site is in proximity to many community organizations (such as Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, Filipino Education Center Galing Bata, West Bay, and United Playaz) and Victoria Manalo Draves Park, a two-acre public open space named after the late SoMa resident and the first Filipino American diver to win gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
The mural alongside the SOMA Pilipinas Gateway Project will serve as the welcoming cultural marker / entrance to SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District. Inclusion of this mural in the SOMA Pilipinas gateway project will have a big impact in increasing the visibility, cultural connection and community pride of multi-generational Filipino residents, from young kids to seniors, and the broader Filipino community, while also increasing visitors to the cultural district.
The identified wall will be on the side of the building that currently houses the non-profit organization, Mission Hiring Hall, that serves moderate and low income job seekers in San Francisco by providing vocational training in construction trades, construction project administration, security services, and hospitality job readiness training.
TIMELINE
(Dates Subject to Change)
Monday, June 20, 2023 Deadline for Call for Artists
June 21, 2023 Artist Notification of Selected Top 2-3 Artists
July 10, 2023 Concept Proposals Due
July 14, 2023 Presentation of Designs and Concept Selection
July 21, 2023 Revised Design Due
July 24, 2023 Design Review
July 31, 2023 Final Design Due
August 2, 2023 Approve Final Design
Aug / Sept Mural Logistics and Coordination
Sept / Oct Installation
PROJECT CRITERIA
The mural design of this wallspace will highlight preserving our cultural heritage within the Filipinx-American diaspora. Particularly, SOMA Pilipinas would be interested in designs reflecting any of the following:
Motifs and symbols inspired by the District Gateway, Pagmamana by Franceska Gamez
Connections to Victoria Manalo Draves Park as one of the few public open spaces in SOMA
Lifting up Pinays/Pinxys (Women / Non-Binary persons of Filipino/x descent) in SOMA / San Francisco history
Exterior wall space facing Folsom Street, estimated W49ft xH39ft with consideration of windows.
Exterior wall space directly facing Russ Street, estimated W80ft xH39ft with consideration of windows and adjacent trees .
APPLICATION
For interested artists, Request for Qualifications (RFQ) applications, please submit qualifications by June 20, 2023. To apply, please submit the follow packet by email to: christine@somapilipinas.org
Packet must include:
Cover letter expressing artist interest in the project, any experience related to the Filipino community and SOMA Pilipinas, experience working with community and other stakeholders in developing and creating artwork and murals in particular, and other qualifications.
Artist Bio and Resume
Photos of previous mural designs and/ or completed artworks.
Other samples that best represent the artist’s work.
For questions or more information, please contact christine@somapilipinas.org.
Each individual artist or individual group can only submit once. Only fully completed applications received by 5pm PST on June 20, 2023 will be accepted for review.