The CenMa Arts and Tech Revival Train

Our film is all about tracking the progress of the revitalization efforts on central Market Street - both it's ups and downs. This truly is getting daunting.  Lots of ups this week... and a sideways or two. 

In Real Estate tech news  - a number of companies signed on to be part of the, as Mayor Lee describes it, Innovation Capitol of the World.
Yammer and Zoosk followed Zendesk, CallSocket  and Twitter into new homes on the CenMa Arts and Tech Revival Train. 

In the "things move slowly" category the Bay Guardian, Examiner is reporting that due to the dissolution of Redevelopment , we get to wonder "how did they do that" for a just a little longer...

Sixth Street landmark ready to hang around a bit longer

Mike Koozmin /SF Examiner 

Defenestration, the bizarre South of Market building turned artwork with furniture affixed to its exterior, has a new lease on life.

Plans had been made to tear down the structure and construct a low-income apartment complex in its place, but the statewide elimination of redevelopment agencies has left the site’s housing developers without a funding source to raze the structure.

As a result, Defenestration — a 1908 building that once served as the Hugo Hotel — could stay up for years longer.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/04/sixth-street-landmark-ready-hang-around-bit-longer#.T5PyTr7eOZY.facebook#ixzz1t6zHIi7K 

The local CBD's along with the Central Market Partnership published this beautiful Arts and Culture guide to the street. Click here to see the whole guide 

Don't Miss the 27th Annual Art Auction Benefiting Hospitality House's Community Arts Program
Thursday, May 31, 2012   6:00 - 9:00 PM   941Geary Gallery

Work by Defayette White 

...and in other AWESOME Art news the San Francisco Arts Commission and Gray Area Foundation For The Arts received  NEA GRANTS
Gray Area Foundation For The Arts Receives $100,000 NEA Arts in Media Grant to Support National Data Canvas Project

Grant part of National Endowment for the Arts announcement of 78 Arts in Media grants and $3.55 million in funding nationwide

San Francisco— National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced today that Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (GAFFTA) is one of 78 not-for-profit national, regional, state, and local organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Arts in Media grant. GAFFTA is recommended for a $100,000 grant to support the development and implementation of a series of data-driven art works intended for the public. The 78 Arts in Media grant awards total $3.55 million, and support the development, production, and national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts and media projects that can be considered works of art.

The National Data Canvas project will distribute data-driven digital art in urban environments across the United States and will include a mobile application for public use. Utilizing Data.gov, the project will allow the general public an enjoyable and engaging way to discover new information through artistic data visualization and interactivity.

Chairman Landesman said, “While Americans across the country are experiencing art live and in person every day, NEA research has shown that more than half of American adults also consume the arts via electronic media. I am thrilled to announce these Arts in Media grants and look forward to the organizations’ efforts to reach ever wider audiences and create innovative new works of art.”  Read more here 

SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION AWARDED $83,000 IN GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS Grants to support award-winning creative writing program for youth and  Central Market revitalization initiative SAN FRANCISCO - Today the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced its fiscal year 2012 grantees. Among the winners are two San Francisco Arts Commission programs. Under the Arts Education category, WritersCorps will receive a $63,000 grant to support its ongoing creative writing programs for at-risk youth in underserved public schools. The ARTery Project, an initiative aimed at revitalizing the Central Market corridor into a vibrant and sustainable neighborhood with the arts at its core, will receive $20,000 to support innovative site-specific installations and performances.  "The fact that both WritersCorps and The ARTery Project have now received multiple grants from the NEA in recent years is a testament to the strength and the impact of these programs," said Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny. "This support will enable us to continue to enrich the educational experience of young people through creative writing and to build a better neighborhood in Central Market through the arts." Read more here

...and of course don't forget about CREATIVE CURRENCY coming up on the weekend. We will be filming it on Sunday. 

Creative Currency Creating Solutions

We will be attending and filming at this event on Sunday, April 29th. A collaboration between Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA) , Hub Bay Area , The Office of the Mayor and American Express, the event will bring together some of the most creative minds in the country to address some of the challenges to the revitalization of central Market Street and the surrounding neighborhoods. 


Focusing on San Francisco’s Mid-Market District, Creative Currency will answer pressing questions, such as: How can financial data empower low-income residents? How can local currencies support local businesses and community organizations? How can sharing platforms be tailored to fit the needs of under-served communities? How can tools like crowdfunding and microcredit be put to work for social service organizations and individuals alike?




Lots more details here 

Welcoming GAFFTA!

We are very excited and honored to announce that Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (GAFFTA) has joined together with us to develop and build the mobile application component for our film. We will be able to utilize their brilliant team of developers in designing a unique, fun and participatory adventure for mobile phone and tablet users. The GAFFTA collaboration  will allow us to create a unique sensory experience for visitors walking through the 5 Blocks by immersing them in the wide-ranging diversity of the neighborhood and it's captivating stories.

Who is GAFFTA you ask? Here is a quick bio from their site "GAFFTA is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to furthering the use and advancement of creative technology for social good. In this capacity, we maintain relationships with the world’s top academic researchers, innovative corporations, visionary artists, and civic leaders. By continually engaging and connecting this diverse community with challenges and opportunities, we extract forward-thinking technological solutions with proven capacity to create positive change."


You can also link to them here for more information or click on their logo on our partner sidebar. 


AND... IN KEEPING WITH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT:  


Call For Content -  The 5 Blocks area is full of historical significance and every day there are new stories about central Market Street.  Would you like to have your story told? Do you have existing content and would like to have it housed in a significant archive for posterity?  Do you want to be part of a once-in-a-generation convergence of thoughts and ideas?  Would you like to see your story together with hundreds (and eventually thousands) of others as the neighborhood creates a new paradigm?  Send us an email and let us know! We'll get back to you quickly to discuss how we can make it happen and how your stories can become a part of this project.