How Art Transformed the Bay During a Pandemic

A long time ago, in a pandemic that now feels far away, there was a city full of empty streets, boarded-up entryways, and muffled tones.  But amid all that stress and isolation a few cracks of light shined through in otherwise dark, dire streets of our city.

Artist Nora Bruhn Photography: @lisavortman

Two artful co-conspirators started a movement to fill the void, putting artists to work, and giving the public something to smile at and galvanize around in 2020-21.  Shannon Riley and Meredith Winner of Building 180, with photographer Lisa Vortman began the project Paint the Void.  

Riley and Winner started reaching out to SF Restaurants, retailers, bars and artists to turn all our boarded-up businesses, into art.  They even gave this writer an excuse to reach out to muralists again, to write about art again, and a reason for all of us to wander the streets with a smile under our masks, after months of avoiding the world.

Artist Tracy Piper.  Photography: @lisavortman

Street artists are used to wearing face coverings and spending long hours alone.   In San Francisco, not even a pandemic was enough to stop artists from beautifying our city.  This week, after 3 years, with the help of Market Street Arts and the Mid Market Business Association & Foundation, Paint the Void held a book release party at the Hibernia Bank downtown.

The new book:

“Painting the Void: How Art Transformed the San Francisco Bay Area During A Global Pandemic”

Photo Alex Mak.

Hundreds of Bay Area artists contributed to this big, beautiful, book.  Over 250 pages of photography and quotes that immortalize the street art with the words of artists and community members of that period in our city’s history.

Shannon Riley summed up the sentiment of this wonderful new book, after 3 years of work and paint:

“There was a moment in time, when San Francisco shut down and the world felt bleak, maybe it still does, but art and imagination survived. The streets turned into canvases, color and hope filled the air. Every turn was an open air gallery. Different messages, different perspective, from our neighbors, were whispered in conversations while standing 6-feet-apart.

The people who we met, the artists we’ve remained close with, the volunteers, supporters and donors who showed up = our new community. You have changed me and the way I see the world. There is so much potential at every fingertip, sometimes we just need a little nudge. I’m grateful to be a small part of this art, a catalyst that got some permission for others to paint.”

After I got to chat with contributing artists like Mark Harris and got my book signed by muralists like Amos Goldbaum and Kelly Tunstall at the book party,  I strolled down Linden Street on my way through Hayes Valley and Patricia’s Green.

Larissa Archer, an artist who grew up and still lives in Hayes Valley had told me of a new electric car showroom moving into Linden Street, Their construction jutting out into a walkway that’s known for being saturated with street art.

And I was reminded of the ephemeral nature of street art, as the new construction had already begun sandblasting the artist’s paint off the centuries-old brick facade.   I imagine something similar happened when Blue Bottle opened down the street, or the fancy optical lenses shop next door.

The murals and graf on Linden weren’t sanctioned by anyone we know of, and they’re not affiliated with Paint the Void, they were simply organic pieces of art that sprung up to beautify otherwise blank, redundant walls.

Larissa Archer on Linden Street, before the new construction began scrubbing it away.

Perhaps the same thing will happen to this Sam Flores/Tigerbuter mural when a designer brand buys this building on Linden?

@samagram12 @tigerbuter

The car company doing the construction (Rivian) did reach out to some of the artists whose work they planned to remove on 340 Linden, but they promised nothing in terms of using local artists to repaint the facades when they are done.  It will most likely become a glossy, lifeless, facade for branding.

As Riley put it, “Art is essential. Public discourse is essential. Sharing is essential. Community is essential.”  I’m just happy that hundreds of pieces of our city’s street art have been documented in a book that won’t be washed away when the next tenant moves in…

Painting the Void: Hardcover Photo Book

Step into a vibrant chronicle of resilience and creativity with Painting the Void. This captivating coffee table photo book is a tribute to the murals, artists, and communities that illuminated the San Francisco Bay Area during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the groundbreaking Paint the Void project, this book immortalizes the powerful role of art in transforming adversity into beauty.

254 pages with high-quality imagery from contributing photographers

Statements from artists, business owners, and the local community

Project details and essays regarding the project and its impact

You can get your copy here.