Public Conversations

In these high visibility, large scale projects, artists humanize complex civic issues and educate the public -- inviting us to reconsider our ingrained beliefs and behaviors which have collective consequences.

In Spring 2020, SPUR commissioned Art+Action to develop a creative approach to unveil their Regional Strategy research—a 50-year horizon project with the goal of igniting bold, imaginative ideas that shape the future of a better Bay Area for all. This vision needed to resonate with the multitude of audiences of which SPUR—and the Bay Area—is comprised, inviting them to consider the combination of mindset shifts, policies and hope that audacious change requires. Together, with creative collaborator Emotive Brand, we developed an artist-centric digital storytelling series - The Bay Area 2070 - that calls upon the creativity of diverse Bay Area artists who have ties to the myriad communities of the region—to express these narratives of interconnectedness and equity.

With the equitable distribution of Federal funds and political power at stake, Art+Action designed and produced Come To Your Census to mobilize engagement in the 2020 Census, especially among hard to count communities. Against a backdrop of a noisy and misinformation-fueled election year, we created an arts-driven coalition, a multilingual public media campaign, and local programming all aimed at increasing participation by humanizing a vital but bureaucratic process. In a time of great political distrust and fear, the project’s messaging, content and community relationships were guided by, and built on, a foundation of equity, parity and agency -- mirroring the ethos of the Census itself.

Commissioned by San Francisco’s Office of Community Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) and supported by The Ford Foundation

Rooted in the street credibility of Lava Mae, conceived and produced in collaboration with artists John Craig Freeman and SOUND MADE PUBLIC, COMING HOME is an augmented reality and audio public art experience connecting San Franciscans across the housing divide. Viewers immerse themselves in life-size virtual scenes where they meet houseless neighbors and hear their stories – and then are invited to record how and why their perceptions have changed through the experience. After launching at PROXY in Hayes Valley, Coming Home was geo-located at various landmark locations across San Francisco, including Fort Mason and Minnesota Street Project, and continues to be available as an Apple and Android app.

Commissioned by Lava Mae and Zero1