Vacant to Vibrant pop-up features Creativity Explored artists
Window display at 220 Montgomery, featuring a sculpture by Samedi Djeimguero and a lantern by Kevin Cordoba
From October through January, visit our dynamic and expressive multimedia display in the window at 220 Montgomery Street!
The dazzling work of five Creativity Explored’s neurodivergent artists will brighten up downtown San Francisco and the days of all those who walk by. The installation is part of the inaugural project of Vacant to Vibrant, an initiative to revitalize Downtown San Francisco.
Creativity Explored is featuring work from five artists in a window display and gallery installation at the storefront of 220 Montgomery Street: Samedi Djeimguero, Kevin Cordoba, Gerald Wiggins, Ethel Revita, and Kate Thompson. CE was selected from a pool of over 850 applications to be included in the launch of the program, and is partnering with radio station KALW and local artist Bee Betwee to activate and enliven the once-empty retail space.
The window display features a multi-tiered sculpture from Samedi Djeimguero, dripping with color and sparkling with jewelry accents. This larger than life sculpture is part of CE’s collaboration with Recology’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program and was featured in their show, RELOVE. Balancing out the space is Kevin Cordoba’s floating lantern with colors in joyful communication with the strokes of Djeimguero’s brush. Djeimguero’s work extends beyond the window, with two similarly tiered yet cohesive wall panels framing the window. Further into the exhibition and communal space, visitors can see five life-sized black and white portraits by Gerald Wiggins. Some of these large scale ink portraits are of people and some of anthropomorphic characters whose strange forms break the plain ideals of their stark landscapes.
Creativity Explored’s installation at 220 Montgomery Street
“We are extremely excited at KALW to be in Downtown SF and particularly excited to have partners like CE. When we have events in the space, the artwork on display really pops and always draws admiring looks and comments. Our ability to activate what has been for years, a neglected storefront, has been fun for us and valuable for the community. And we’re excited to work with CE and Bee Between to help make a dynamic Downtown a reality.”
Color dominates the space with Ethel Revita’s patterned animal drawing, pulsing with its own rhythm — whether it captures a viewer’s eye for a quick moment or for a contemplative viewing. Most readily visible to those who sit and relax in the office lounge area is a drawing of merry musicians by Kate Thompson, providing a whimsical reminder of KALW’s musical programming.
Creativity Explored’s window display and pop-up exhibition will enliven the Downtown neighborhood and inspire and energize our co-tenants’ temporary office space. CE is thrilled to be continuing our partnership with KALW, who we collaborated with in 2014 for an interview of CE artists Kevin Roach, Walter Kresnik, and Quintin Rodriguez, as well as CE teaching artist Victor Cartagena.
Listen to KALW’s interview, "Getting to the heart of things at Creativity Explored" ▸
Follow our social media and subscribe to our email list to make sure you hear about our exciting plans to engage with the CE community at 220 Montgomery. In the meantime, walk by our Vacant to Vibrant pop-up and admire the incredible work by five of our talented artists!
About KALW
KALW is a public media group that has been in the Bay Area for 80 years and prides itself on the contributions of their community members in their programming. KALW will host town hall meetings, live interviews and shows, community happy hours, and much more at 220 Montgomery Street.
About Vacant to Vibrant
Vacant to Vibrant is an initiative from SF New Deal and backed by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development to revitalize San Francisco’s Downtown neighborhood.