Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE)
In 2013, HVNA’s ACE Committee and the Hayes Valley Art Coalition, joined forces. We are two organizations with the same mission: to promote quality art and culture in Hayes Valley.
PUBLIC ART
Patricia’s Green Rotating Public Art: The Hayes Valley Art Coalition has been responsible for initiating and continuing the public art that has been in Patricia’s Green, Hayes Valley’s central green space, since its creation in 2006. HVNA, via the ACE Committee, has been a significant financial donor to these art projects. In 2014 there will be a rotation of the art in Patricia’s Green. We will be saying farewell to Kate Raudenbush’s Future Past and installing a new artwork to be determined.
Patricia Walkup Memorial: Patricia Walkup was one of the founders of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association. She was also one of the organizers of the ballot measures to tear down the Central Freeway and build Octavia Boulevard. Patricia died in 2006. Since then, HVNA has been committed to creating some kind of memorial to be located in the green space named for her. It may be tied into the larger Freeway Revolt that began in San Francisco in the 1960s. In 2014, the ACE committee will lead the process to establish this memorial.
Hayes Valley Mural Project: The ACE committee has been successful in sponsoring large-scaled public murals in Hayes Valley. Two iconic pieces were installed by the British street artist Eine. In 2011, Brighter Faster was installed on the side of a large building facing Patricia’s Green and the Proxy Project. This piece was almost entirely covered by new construction in 2013. The following year, the same artist installed Great Adventure on a private residence on Oak Street facing Octavia Boulevard. The Hayes Valley Art Coalition also sponsored public murals most notably a mural wall on the side of the building at Laguna and Hayes. In 2014, the ACE Committee will endeavor to sponsor more significant and iconic art works in Hayes Valley.
Fundraising: The costs of installing these sometimes monumental artworks, including engineering equipment, permitting, and insurance are expensive. The ACE committee will conduct fund raising events to build up resources to be used on installing large artworks.
Collaborators: There are many people and organizations that help the ACE Committee and the Hayes Valley Art Coalition in establishing new art in the neighborhood.
CULTURAL EVENTS: Hayes Valley is home to many world-class art and cultural institutions including SF Ballet, Opera, and Symphony; the newly opened SF Jazz; the SF Conservatory of Music; and when the nearby Civic Center is included, the Asian Art Museum, the San Francisco Main Library, and San Francisco City Hall. All of these organizations have events performances and exhibitions that are at the doorsteps of those of us living in Hayes Valley. Also important are the locally established organizations located in our neighborhood including the African American Art and Culture Complex, the San Francisco Zen Center, and the music venue The Rickshaw Stop.
Art Support: Helping to promote new art ventures in Hayes Valley has been a goal of both the ACE Committee and the Hayes Valley Art Coalition. One way we can do this is by getting word out for occasional or pop-up events and exhibitions. As a committee of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association we also have clout when dealing with city agencies or other bureaucracies. We support smaller venues with letter writing campaigns and public testimony for projects in Hayes Valley.