Painting the Void: The Impact of Art in the San Francisco Bay Area Amidst a Global Pandemic

Painting the Void: The Impact of Art in the San Francisco Bay Area Amidst a Global Pandemic is an archive of the murals, the artists, and the community that shined a light on the impact of art during COVID-19 in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the Paint the Void project.

Books remain an indispensable part of the fabric of our culture. Art, like most things, is temporary and as years and generations pass, it is the continued storytelling that helps to mark our history.

Without photographs and writings, how long will the stories of Paint the Void last? This coffee table-style photo book is made to commemorate and archive the story of this ongoing project, other adjacent local initiatives, and the San Francisco Bay Area during the global pandemic. The book will include images from its January 2022 exhibition: The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective hosted at Pier 70 in San Francisco along with an archive of photographs and accompanying statements that emphasize the power of art.

Paint the Void (PtV) began as a collaboration between Building 180, an art production agency, and Art for Civil Discourse, a project fiscally sponsored by the non-profit Intersection for the Arts. In March 2020 as San Francisco went into lockdown, businesses across the city boarded up their windows and many people were faced with unemployment. PtV was established to support artists who were suddenly jobless by raising funds to pay them to fill these blank plywood canvases. PtV facilitates partnerships between artists and businesses and ensures artists have the permissions and materials to do their work. Since its founding, PtV has supported 170 artists and 130 small businesses in creating over 150 murals. It is a win-win-win model in which artists gain economic opportunity; businesses beautify their storefronts; and communities are bestowed with messages to brighten the cityscape during a dark time.

Painting the Void: The Impact of Art in the San Francisco Bay Area Amidst a Global Pandemic is a collectible that will mark the Bay Area’s history as a city that even amidst deeply challenging times continues to value the importance of artists.

DETAILS

Painting the Void: The Impact of Art in the San Francisco Bay Area Amidst a Global Pandemic includes:

• 150+ pages with high-quality imagery from contributing photographers
• Statements from artists, business owners, and the local community
• Project details and essays regarding the project and its impact

Fundraising Goal: $25,000

Additional books will be printed and distributed to sponsors if we surpass our goal.

If our goal is not met, the cost of the book will be returned to you minus the transaction fee and added donations.

If you would like to sponsor Paint the Void and not receive a book, this option is available in check out or you can visit paintthevoid.org/donate.

Estimated Timeline:

• Fundraising ends: October, 2023
• December, 2023 Delivery 

What Does My $136 Go Towards:

• Pre-order of our forthcoming 150-page hardcover, high-quality printed photo book
• Professional design and editing services
• Shipping (US only)
• Sales tax
• An 8% fee to our fiscal sponsor, Intersection for the Arts