In partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission, Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRAF) proudly supported the installation of the Market Street Blooms, two of Karen Cusolito’s 20-foot flower sculptures, at U.N. Plaza and across the street at 1123 Market Street. These sculptures made their San Francisco debut as part of SFAC’s Art In Storefronts Program (AIS).
Market Street Blooms by Karen Cusolito
U.N. Plaza and 1123 Market Street
San Francisco, California
April 26, 2011 – May 10, 2012
Reclaimed steel
Dandelion: 20’H x 20’W x 20’D
Valiant Flower: 20’H x 12’W x 18’D
About the Project
Previously exhibited at the Burning Man event as part of her sculptural series Infinitarium in 2010, Cusolito’s ‘Blooms’ create a ‘scale-reversal’ environment in which visitors are obliged to take notice of the detail and beauty of a usually small wonder of nature. The Blooms sprout up triumphantly amidst the bustle of this urban landscape, making a stand for public art that belongs to all!
“The Black Rock Arts Foundation has flourished amidst the Bay Area’s highly concentrated population of artists, activists, volunteers and other doers and has the aspiration of contributing a lasting, positive impact on the Bay Area’s cultural history. As part of this longer-term vision, we see the Mid-Market area as an ideal location for public art.”
TOMAS MCCABE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BRAF.
About the Site
In addition to debuting Cusolito’s installations, Art in Storefronts, in its second year, returned to Central Market with six storefront installations and five murals. The ARTery Project temporarily places original art installations by San Francisco artists in vacant and under-used storefront windows and exterior walls in an effort to revitalize a once-vibrant commercial corridor.
About the Artist
Karen Cusolito studied at Rhode Island School of Design and Massachusetts College of Art and has produced several public art installations in and around the Boston area. She is passionate about the human form as a means of expression. Her work includes painting and mixed-media sculpture, as well as photography and literary “vignettes.”
In 2005, Cusolito collaborated with Dan Das Mann, creating Passage, which BRAF supported to be installed near Pier 14 in San Francisco in the summer of 2007.
Cusolito currently manages the massive artists’ studio and workspace, American Steel Studios, in Oakland, California.