Valiant Flower

Picture 057, a photo by arts.commission on Flickr.

A crowd gathers around Karen Cusolito's Valiant Flower on Market Street. It is part of Market Street Blooms. The Black Rock Arts Foundation collaborated with the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Kind of looks like a tour group. What do you think?

Ecstasy again

Ecstasy again, a photo by K Jurgens on Flickr.

Click on the photo to see the comments about how much San Francisco loves Ecstasy and this multi-dimentional photo of her!

Market Street Blooms

The Black Rock Arts Foundation has been working on many new partnerships and projects and we want you to help us celebrate them! After all, it's our community that makes it all possible.

The Black Rock Arts Foundation is honored to be part of the effort to revitalize the Central Market area in San Francisco in collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission, and we love sharing and supporting Karen Cusolito's sculptures.

Central Market will come alive for the Art in Storefronts launch celebration! The festivities include receptions at three neighborhood galleries, the debut of two temporary public art sculptures by Karen Cusolito, live music lining Central Market, and Off the Grid food trucks. The community celebration will kick off with the unveiling of six storefront installations and five murals designed by San Francisco artists.

Join the Black Rock Arts Foundation and the San Francisco Arts Commission for this FREE Market Street Blooms Opening Reception.

Music, speeches and mural unveiling:

May 13, 5:00 pm
998 Market St. San Francisco

Procession down Market St. with Gamelan X begins at 5:45

Continues festivities 6pm - 8pm U.N. Plaza

Gamelan X , a Balinese fusion ensemble, will lead a procession up Market Street where the public may catch performances by the John Brothers Piano Company* playing original music accompanied by several other visual and performing artists; the Jaz Sawyer Trio; and The Space Cowboys with the Unimog. The public may also play on "Bulbous," a temporary wall of drums created by Office Division.

ART IN STOREFRONTS ARTISTS:
Alexis Arnold
Vanesa Gingold
Madeline Trait
Erik Otto
Indigenous Arts Coalition
Cat U-Thasoonthorn
Robert Harris
Paz de la Calzada
Vicky Knoop and Beatrice Thomas
Rafael Landea
Amber Hasselbring

Read More About the Art in Storefront’s Artists

photo: Mark Hammon

Market Street Blooms

We stopped by to see Karen Cusolito and her crew installing the first part of the Market Street Blooms installation, the Valiant Flower a couple of days ago. This installation is part of BRAF's collaboration with the San Francisco Arts Commission as part of their Art in Storefronts program in an effort to revitalize a once-vibrant commercial corridor in San Francisco.

We were pleased to note our first blog post sighting, New Flower Art on Market Street last night with some fabulous shots of the flower.

In addition, here is a news station video Market Street Blooms Video very fun.

Join us for the celebration Market Street Blooms as part of the opening reception of this years kickoff of Art in Storefronts:

Friday, May 13, 2011

Music, speeches and mural unveiling begin at 5:00 pm
at The Gray Area Foundation for the Arts
998 Market Street
San Francisco, CA

Procession down Market St. with Gamelan X begins at 5:45

Continued festivities (with the Unimog!)
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
U.N. Plaza
San Francisco, CA

More information to come!

photos: Tomas McCabe and Affinity

Just Like a Woman

Just Like a Woman
Originally uploaded by Thomas Hawk

Great News!

Ecstasy's visit to Patricia's Green in San Francisco has been extended until December 31, 2010!

Thank you to the community members and local businesses of Hayes Valley, and to the Hayes Valley Arts Coalition for rallying support and advocating for an extension of Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito's sculpture Ecstasy. By popular demand, Ecstasy will remain installed until December 31, 2010, instead of deinstalling this month, as previously planned.

Some little media sightings to tell you about:
the lovers, dreamers, & me
SF Weekly
The Outer Sunset

And a special thanks to Thomas Hawk, local renowned photographer for the fabulous shot of Ecstasy!

Another beautiful shot of Ecstasy!

Scout: Ecstasy in mid-day. #autostiched sculptue by Dan Das Mann & Karen Cusolito’s. Hayes Valley. # sfist
Originally uploaded by jason whalen

Ecstasy Rocks the Virtual World!

STATUE ECSTASY
Originally uploaded by breakbeatbilly

Ecstasy is everywhere, blogs in Montreal, a photo shoot, a photo blog, local blogs, a tourist blog and even YELP! Check her out!

I Live Here: SF
Yelp
The Outer Sunset
Matt & Nat
Caliber
Next Stop

Speaking at the Palo Alto Public Arts Commission!

Tomas McCabe, Executive Director of the Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRAF), Crimson Rose, Vice President of BRAF & Burning Man founding Director, and artists who have worked with BRAF to install their artwork in San Francisco and other cities, Michael Christian; Karen Cusolito; and Peter Hudson spoke on "Temporary Art: Inspiring Community and Civic Participation" at the City of Palo Alto Public Arts Commission recently.

Tomas and Crimson gave an overview of how BRAF works with different cities to create temporary public art that engages the community and the artists talked about their work and their projects with BRAF.

The Art Commission also gave an overview for artists interested in submitting project proposals to the City of Palo Alto under their new Temporary Art Project Guidelines.

Thanks to the Palo Alto Arts Commission for inviting us, we had a great time!

Sculpture Jump!

Sculpture Jump!
Originally uploaded by yokokikuchi

This is one of the most charming photos I have ever seen! Thanks so much girls for jumping with Ecstasy, and thank you yokokikuchi for the great photo!

Ecstasy Parties!!

Ecstasy loved the party and all of us loved her
Artists Dan Das Mann & Karen Cusolito
BRAF Executive Director Tomas McCabe photos: George Post

IGBA MMOH African Drummers photo: affinity
And even the dogs came out to enjoy the party photo: George Post

LadyBee, Chris Bently and Helvetica Hahne enjoying the festivities photo: George Post
Gaucho Gypsy Jazz The Lester's came out to enjoy the sunshine, the community and the art photo: affinity

Crimson Rose posing with Ecstasy photo: George Post

We have been telling you for a few weeks about Ecstasy by Dan Dass Man and Karen Cusolito coming to Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. What a day it was with music and introductions of the artists and the neighborhood out enjoying Ecstasy and the beautiful afternoon. Thanks to all of you for coming out and celebrating with us.

Photos: George Post, craftphoto.com

Hayes Valley Welcomes Ecstasy!

In February, during the installation of Ecstasy, we stopped by to say Hi, sans camera, to Karen Cusolito and her crew who were doing the installation. Feeling foolish, on my job and my joy with no way to take photos who do I run into but a woman on a bike with a gorgeous camera, who of course goes to Burning Man and knows Dan and Karen's work. So I introduced myself and Kristin said she would be happy to get a few shots of the installation, and try to include one of Karen and her crew. So here are the photos, just in time for a final reminder of the "Opening Reception" this Friday:

March 19, 2010
Patricia’s Green
at Octavia and Hayes Streets
San Francisco, CA
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

We will have music, IGBA MMOH African Drummers and Gaucho Gypsy Jazz, and celebrate together!

The neighborhood continues to welcome Ecstasy. Besides all the great photos on flickr, they're blogging about Ecstasy out there! How fun is that? Clearly the neighborhood loves her, and it looks to me like she is loving them back. So if you want to read how San Francisco and especially Hayes Valley is falling in love with Ecstasy, read these!

Happy Rusty Friday

Today’s Walk 6 March 2010

photos: Kristin’s flickr set
Kristin Tieche Selvavision
http://selvavision.com/
Content for Sustainable Living
Vélo Vogue
http://velovogue.blogspot.com/
Where the bike lane meets the runway

This Used to be a Freeway!

Hayes Valley
Originally uploaded by tofuart

Prior posts about Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito

Ecstasy at Night

Female Staue in Patricias Green park 016
Originally uploaded by PreZen

Another fabulous photo from a local photographer. Thanks PreZen!


Prior posts about Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito

Rings

Rings
Originally uploaded by Rubin 110

And even more and different photos from the local community. Don't forget to join us on March 19th.

My feet, her toes

My feet, her toes
Originally uploaded by aziari

I know I said I was not going to post any more flickr photos of Ecstasy, but I just could not resist the magnitude and yet intimacy of this photo.

Thanks aziari.

Oh my aching back

Oh my aching back
Originally uploaded by mattymatt

Ok, just one more since it is an installation photo, and we love installation photos, but then no more Ecstasy photos until the Opening Reception on March 19th.

Art in Patricia's Green

Art in Patricia's Green
Originally uploaded by aziari

We continue to see photos on flickr of "Ecstasy". Obviously the neighborhood is loving it. Don't forget to come out for the opening on March 19th
Octavia and Hayes
4 - 7 pm

New Date for "Ecstasy" Opening Reception

March 19, 2010
Patricia’s Green
at Octavia and Hayes Streets
San Francisco, CA
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, we have changed the date due to possible rain.

photo: Michael Strickland

Ecstasy at Patricia's Green

Octavia Green - 018 - 2010-02-19 - 13-46-20
Originally uploaded by camarografo

I love that we are getting such great shots of Ecstasy from flicker. That means that the public is out there enjoying this work.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy
Originally uploaded by Jamison Wieser