Huge new arts space coming to the Dogpatch
by Iñaki Fdez. de Retana
A new arts space is being gestated in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district. With permits issued and construction set to begin any time, the ‘Minnesota Street Project’ will open its doors next Spring.
The 35,000 square feet complex at Minnesota and 24th streets will house 10 art galleries, classrooms, an open space for rotating exhibitions shared by the galleries, and ground floor retail space.
The art classes will be carried out by the San Francisco Arts Education Project (SFArtsEd), a nonprofit organization that so far has focused on bringing art into classrooms, summer camps, as well as afterschool and weekend programs.
The warehouse space being renovated at 1275 Minnesota Street used to be a furniture repair shop. It is being redesigned by Jensen Architects, a local architecture firm responsible for the California College of the Art’s Graduate Center, SFMOMA’s Rooftop Garden, and the Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion adjacent to the toll plaza.
The Minnesota Street Project is the brainchild of Deborah and Andy Rappaport. Deborah, an art collector who serves on the boards of the Berkeley Art Museum and Headlands Center for the Arts, and Andy, supporter of the Noise Pop indie rock festival, consulted with friend Catharine Clark help to bring the project to fruition. A member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association, Clark is the owner of a prominent San Francisco gallery at Utah and 16th streets as well as another in Manhattan’s Chelsea district.
Clark is spearheading efforts to make the Dogpatch, Potrero Hill and the Mission neighborhoods an arts district that she calls DoReMi.
The area surrounding the new space already boasts a rich variety of art spaces including: Galeria de la Raza, Southern Exposure, San Francisco Center for the Book, Eleanor Harwood, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, Workshop Residence, and the Museum of Craft and Design. According to Clark’s vision, the Minnesota Street Project will be the “crown jewel”.
“Minnesota Street Project is committed to retaining and strengthening the vibrant contemporary visual arts community in San Francisco,” reads the project’s mission statement. “In the long-term, Minnesota Street Project seeks to define an art district that serves as an international destination for seeking and appreciating contemporary visual art.”
Minnesota Street Project will host exhibitions at various locations around the city until the space opens in March 2016. ‘Concrete Is Not Always Hard’ is the first one, a solo show by artist Ajit Chauhan, on display at 2291 Third Street until July 11.