Historical sites | Religious Spaces | Art in Chinatown
Art in Chinatown
Art in the Storefronts
Art in storefronts, brought to you by the San Francisco Arts Commission, temporarily places original art installations by San Francisco artists in vacant storefront windows, engaging local artists in the revitalization of neighborhoods hard-hit by the economic downturn.
Art in Storefronts also provides artists with a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity in transforming vacant storefronts into free exhibition spaces, while garnering public recognition for their work.
Artwork displayed included the following artists and their installation/murals:
Niana Liu – Three Entrée Restaurant (showcased at 630 Kearny St.)
Cynthia Tom – Chinatown’s Childhood Memory Shop (showcased at 950 Grant St.)
Hui-Ying Tsai – A Humble Abode (showcased at 950 Grant St.)
Robert Minervini – If Those Walls Could Talk (showcased at Wentworth Alley)
Leland Wong – One Hundred Chinatown Children (showcased at 740 Washington St.)
Yumei Hou & Jiang Xueman – Blessings, Good Fortune, Long Life (showcased at 28 & 30 Wentworth Alley)
For more details regarding the 2010 Chinatown Art in Storefronts or other SFAC sponsored public art, please visit the website.
http://www.sfartscommission.org/CAE/category/art-in-storefronts/
Chinese Culture Center Art Gallery
The Chinese Culture Center houses the only art gallery in Chinatown. Founded in 1965 and opened to the public in 1973, the Chinese Culture Center seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Chinese-American culture and art. The Center’s gallery seeks to challenge perceptions, broaden perspectives, and stimulate new understanding of Chinese culture.
The gallery's main attraction is the annual Xian Rui Artist Excellence Exhibition Series which serves as a launching pad for Chinese artists in America who exhibit extraordinary talent and skill in their work but who are under recognized and under appreciated.
The gallery is FREE and opened to the public on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Come drop by for a visit to discover amazing Contemporary Chinese art!
Central Subway Station temporary and permanent art
In conjunction with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s new Central Subway stretching from Chinatown to South of Market, the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Public Art Program is managing a diverse and exciting public art program that includes permanent artworks and related arts programming in adjacent neighborhoods. Scheduled to be completed in 2018, the Central Subway will include three subway stations, located in the Chinatown,
Union Square/Market Street, and Moscone neighborhoods.
Traditional Chinese Paper Cutting artist, Yumei Hou was selected as one of the artists to create an original work to be placed permanently at the Chinatown Station. The station will serve as an exciting identity for the station and located in a prominent area.
In partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Chinese Culture Center will mount an exhibit of temporary, community-based outdoor art projects in Chinatown to be on display until the construction of the new subway line is completed and a new, permanent public art exhibit can be installed.
So look out and stay tuned for all the exciting public artwork coming your way!

