Celebrate the art and artists that transformed the city into a canvas – giving us light in the dark. When San Francisco shut down for COVID shelter-in-place in early 2020, artists created beautiful works throughout the city on boarded up storefronts. The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective, will showcase these artists and a selection of their murals – together for the first time in historic Building 12 at Pier 70.

Join us to experience this moving collection, enjoy food and drinks while listening to a playlist curated by Fault Radio. Let’s gather and celebrate the ways artists and makers invariably find creative solutions during the most challenging times. This exhibit, The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective, will be taking place the last two weekends in January.

Learn about Pier 70.

As an exciting addition, the art pop-up Love Letters to SF (presented by Shine On SF) will also be on display. This traveling installation shares over 3,000 responses to the question “What makes San Francisco Shine?” on giant shimmering block letters. A recurring theme seen throughout the installation is people’s appreciation for the creativity of our City - the people, the artists, the murals. This inspired Shine On SF to partner with Paint the Void and TogetherSF to bring more murals to San Francisco neighborhoods in 2022.

Entry & Registration Details

• You MUST register for entry to the event. Admission is free.

• Space is limited, please reserve your ticket ahead for a specific time slot.

• For COVID safety, everyone must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask.

• To speed up the process at registration please have your tickets ready to scan. Your QR code can be found on your ticket(s) sent in your confirmation email.

Our Partners

About Paint the Void

Paint the Void supports artists for the public good. We highlight art as essential, particularly during a time of crisis. Paint the Void uplifts artists and their voices by funding public art and creativity in everyday urban spaces – spaces that impact and enhance people’s daily lives. As COVID shelter-in-place restrictions shuttered San Francisco and our beloved local businesses, artists acted. By painting on boarded up storefronts, these artists brought messages of hope and humanity back to our neighborhoods. The Paint the Void Retrospective celebrates how art brings people together and how in a time of national reckoning on race and equity, art challenged us to question, listen and rise. This exhibition is an enormous effort of collaboration – from artists to city officials, to local merchants. It is a collective of creativity and shared experience on display from over 150 boards across the city. This exhibition is produced by Paint the Void's founding agency, Building 180, and curated by Heather Jain.

About Fault Radio

Fault Radio is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to creating a center for modern electronic music and DJ culture in the Bay Area. Originally conceived as a pop-up live video streaming platform, Fault Radio has grown and evolved with the needs of the community – to include the production of podcasts, articles, documentaries, music television, record fairs and educational programs that support the growth of artists and local institutions. The listenership and viewer base includes an international audience with a reach that extends to cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, New York City and London. However, their focus remains on the Bay Area – rooted in the belief that the future is local. Fault Radio’s unique archive of DJ sets, live performances, photos and interviews represent the brilliance of the Bay Area’s underground and serves to elevate the culture and preserve it for future generations.

About La Cocina

The mission of La Cocina is to cultivate low-income food entrepreneurs as they formalize and grow their businesses. We support businesses by providing an affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical assistance, and access to market opportunities. We focus primarily on providing resources to women from communities of color and immigrant communities. Our vision is that entrepreneurs gain financial security by doing what they love to do, creating an innovative, vibrant, and inclusive economic landscape.

About Love Letter to SF/Shine On

Love Letters to SF is a traveling art installation that celebrates civic pride and the spirit of San Francisco. If you want to bring a mural to your community, click here to apply.