Art in the Parks Archive

Gagosian, in partnership with Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Parks Conservancy through the Art in the Parks program, presents a yearlong outdoor installation by Giuseppe Penone in San Francisco’s historic upper Fort Mason.

Future IDs at Alcatraz was a yearlong exhibition on Alcatraz Island featuring ID-inspired artworks created by and with individuals with conviction histories as they conceive and develop a vision for a future self. Led by artist Gregory Sale, this project was presented by in partnership with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy as a part of the Art in the Parks program.

Immigrant Yarn Project featured knitted and crocheted yarn contributions made by over 600 contributors from across the country representing generations of immigrants from every corner of the world — and including contributions from homeless communities, seniors, students, LGBTQ, Native Americans, and even a Former Secretary of State

A life-sized, 82-foot blue whale art installation sculpture was exhibited at the west end of Crissy Field. Made from recycled plastic collected in California, the sculpture sought to address the serious issue of plastic pollution threatening our oceans.

In partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy through Art in the Parks, the San Quentin Arts in Corrections Program of the William James Association presented Connection Lost: Families Unraveled by Prison, their fourth exhibit on Alcatraz Island.

September - November 2017 | Free

The San Francisco Portal is presented in partnership by Shared_Studios, Luminalt, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service as an Art in the Parks endeavor. The Portal is powered by solar, courtesy of Luminalt, a San Francisco-based solar company.

Portals

P.A.T.H., a Marin based non-profit arts organization founded and directed by Bay Area artist Leslie Lakes, has gathered a collection of original works of art by incarcerated artists from across the U.S.

Presented by the FOR-SITE Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the Presidio Trust, Home Land Security  featured 18 contemporary artists and collectives from 12 countries around the world, providing a global perspective on the themes of home, safety, and defense.

Within These Walls is an integrated, multi-media contemporary dance project featuring 14 performers and original recorded music, poetry, and video projection that ran for two weeks of September 2017 on Angel Island State Park in the Immigration Station.

Presented by the FOR-SITE Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei brought his works to Alcatraz Island until spring of 2015.

In 2010, at the roots of the eucalyptus trees in the Presidio, British artist Andy Goldsworthy created the scuplture Wood Line.

Alcatraz, best known for the historic federal penitentiary and occupation by the Indians of All Tribes, also has a long tradition of welcoming artists to provoke thought about freedom and incarceration.

Charles Unser has been a participant of Art Explorers for twelve years, often exploring historical themes with a particular interest in American gangs of the 20thCentury. He created ten portraits of famous Alcatraz prisoners with colored pencils on wooden panels, offering a unique artistic and visual window into the lives of some of the most feared individuals to have been imprisoned on the Island.

As Lands End underwent dramatic renovation between 2006 and 2009, ground cover was removed and habitats and trails were being restored. The National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy created new trails to join the historic paths already in place at the park site. The resulting debris was required to be left along the trails for the animals to use. To prevent the debris from becoming a hindrance to visitors, and to enhance the head of the new trail, artist Dee Hibbert-Jones, with the assistance of UC Santa Cruz students, created a 172 foot brush sculpture.

Przyblyski’s interactive piece, in collaboration with fellow artist Mitche Manitou, investigates Lands End through a guided audio tour, installation, and companion booklet. The sixteen tracks take the listener through sites in San Francisco’s most western shore.

Jeannene Przybliski produced a self-guided audio tour with accompanying booklet for the Presidio. The piece was created specifically for Lover’s Lane, the oldest known foot trail within the park.

May 22 2013-May 26, 2014 | Crissy Field | sculpture

Eight large sculptures were displayed across Crissy Field from May 2013 to May 2014, with the Golden Gate Bridge serving as a source of inspiration and a narrative backdrop.

Featured in cities and prison museums across North America, Europe, and Australia, Prisoners of Age found a temporary home at Alcatraz in the New Industries Building from June 2015 - June 2016. A product of over 18 years of work, Prisoners of Age seeks to connect faces and stories of aging inmates with numbers and statistics.

Community Works West is an organization dedicated to empowering individuals, families and youth affected by incarceration. Through artistic expression Community Works West has been leading restorative justice programs and exhibits for communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The first exhibition shown within a national park, Presidio Habitats brought together a group of eleven international artists, designers, and architects. The show was located with the Fort Scott District of the park.

In honor of the Golden Gate Bridge reaching its 75th anniversary, the FOR-SITE Foundation partnered with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Parks Service to create International Orange.

We Players has collaborated with the Art in the Parks Program for years, bringing performances to several National Parks sites.