Art in Storefronts Chinatown Launch Celebration

WHAT: Chinatown will come alive for the Art in Storefronts launch celebration, featuring an art walk, live music by Diskarte Namin and light refreshments provided by local restaurants Z&Y, Four Seas, and Charles Phan of the Slanted Door (who grew up in Chinatown), as well as tea tasting provided by Vital Tealeaf. The community celebration will kick off with Supervisor David Chiu unveiling the four storefront windows and two murals designed by San Francisco artists.

*Special media tours and interviews with participating artists will be scheduled throughout the afternoon upon request.

WHO: Art in Storefronts is a pilot program in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and community partners: Kearny Street Workshop, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, and Chinatown Community Development Center.

WHEN: Friday, June 11, 2010 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Formal remarks will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by an unveiling of the window installations and art walk with the artists.

COST: FREE

ABOUT ART IN STOREFRONTS
Art in Storefronts temporarily places original art installations and murals by San Francisco-based artists into a total of four vacant storefront windows and two walls located in Chinatown. This inventive citywide project engages local artists and reinvigorates neighborhoods that have been hard-hit by the economic downturn. It also provides artists, who have also been affected by the downturn economy, with a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity in transforming vacant storefronts into free exhibition spaces and to garner public recognition for their work.