My Role

Our hopes were for a monumental, placemaking artwork to greet visitors to the Southeast Community Center and Promissory Notes far surpasses our expectations. Today visitors, dignitaries and community members all take group pictures in front of the sculptures - it is of, by and for the place. This, however, is not by coincidence - it is by design. 

Before commissioning or selecting the 40 artworks by 30 artists which lend the Southeast Community Center a truly distinctive character, we drafted an arts masterplan informed by hundreds of individuals. These conversations served as our curatorial northstar. For Promissory Notes I built executive and project-team alignment, participated in artist selection, worked with the artist to establish site and project context, and provided creative review and approval throughout the development of the artwork.

The Artwork

Promissory Notes by Mildred Howard takes its inspiration from West African currency that was traditionally worn as jewelry to signify the wearers’ success and embody their power. The currency forms are dramatically enlarged and oriented vertically, suggesting the outline of a ship’s hull. This sculpture calls to mind the historical significance of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, the perpetual movement of immigrants, and their hard-fought wealth-both economic and intangible. Howard’s sculpture not only memorializes the unsung contributions of the African American community, but is also a tribute to the travels, trials, and perseverance of all who call Bayview–Hunters Point their home.

Press

• The New Southeast Community Center Is Filled With Art and Promise

• Mayor London Breed Announces Opening of New Southeast Community Center

Project Team

• Capital Project Management: Shelby Campbell, SFPUC

• Artwork Project Manager: Jackie von Treskow, SF Arts Commission

• Artwork Client Representative: Blair Randall, SFPUC