Client: City of South San Francisco

In April 2022, the City of South San Francisco began the development of a Public Art Master Plan to guide the expenditure of expected percent for art in-lieu contributions into the City’s Cultural Arts Fund. The scope included an inventory of the existing public art and art programs, an analysis of current and forecasted needs, the creation of a potential arts district and implementation strategies for implementing the plan. The City and the CAC selected Art Builds Community (ABC) with Gail M. Goldman Associates as its consultants to develop the Plan.

ABC worked to develop this plan with the City Department of Parks and Recreation staff and the CAC’s Strategic Vision Committee, completed several site visits to South San Francisco, interviewed City staff and key stakeholders, hosted community-specific discussions, and facilitated arts-based community engagement during community events to seek input.

Social practice artist Quynh-Mai Nguyen facilitated two arts-based activities that invited community members imagine the magical powers of the City through coloring and writing. Community members were also invited to co-create a temporary community tapestry where each piece of yarn added to the tapestry represented a type of public art that participants wished to see invested in the City through the plan.

South San Francisco’s Public Art Master Plan was adopted by City Council in September 2023.