For the fourth year, the virtual polling booth at Neighborland will be open for the public to choose their five favorite artists to win a place in the annual Muni Art contest. The public will have through Monday, August 31 at 6 pm to decide which artists will accompany their daily Muni bus commute.
“As the former Executive Director of the African-American Art & Culture Complex, I have long supported and advocated for public art throughout San Francisco,” said Mayor London Breed. “The annual Muni Art contest supports our local artists and showcases their talents across our City.”
To support local artists, only Bay Area artists are eligible to submit applications for the Muni Art contest and this year over 40 local artists vied for the five slots available. Selected by a committee representing local galleries, artists and arts institutions these 10 semifinalists now advance to a public vote. For the first time in the history of the contest, high school student Nick Cook is a competitor.
“Muni Art breaks down all barriers and provides inspirational art to people in every neighborhood,” said San Francisco Beautiful’s executive director, Darcy Brown. “This unique contest highlights local artists and lets the public decide the art they want to see on the buses that they use in their daily lives.”
“We’ve heard great feedback on our Muni Art program and remain committed to offering an even more pleasant ride,” said Ed Reiskin, SFMTA director of transportation. “By pairing artwork with our new buses, we’re enhancing the overall customer experience with aesthetics both inside and outside the vehicle.”
San Francisco Beautiful is proud to announce the Muni Art 2019 semifinalists:
Johnny Botts - San Francisco
Nick Cook - Marin
Carol Gray - Contra Costa
Robbin Henderson - Alameda
Arthur Koch - San Francisco
Sylvie McClelland - San Francisco
Bhavna Misra - Alameda
Jeffrey Thompson - San Francisco
Crystal Vielula - San Francisco
Christine Weibel - San Francisco
The five artists with the most votes will each have 20 Muni buses displaying their art this fall. In addition to having their art displayed on buses, each artist will be awarded $1,250.
Created in 2015 in partnership between San Francisco Beautiful and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which donates vehicle advertising space to create the rolling art galleries, the Muni Art Project is funded by the generous support of members of San Francisco Beautiful and local sponsors.
For more details on the artists or becoming a sponsor of the Muni Art Project, please visit www.sfbeautiful.org/muniart.