Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors Commissions Artists to Develop Significant Artwork for New Transbay Transit Center

Five Diverse, Talented Artists Selected to Create Both Large and Small-Scale Artwork for New San Francisco Landmark

• Press Release
• Source: Transbay Joint Powers Authority
• On 6:23 pm EDT, Friday September 11, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA)’s Board of Directors unanimously approved five artists to create significant public artwork for the new Transbay Transit Center. The five artists selected by the Board to develop the conceptual proposals of installations for the new Transit Center include Ned Kahn, Julie Chang, Timothy Hawkinson, Jenny Holzer and James Carpenter.

“This is an exciting opportunity for one-of-a-kind public artwork to be commissioned in conjunction with the design and construction of this iconic new Transit Center,” said TJPA Board Chairman Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. “We are thrilled to have these talented artists create pieces that are as timeless, original and unique as San Francisco and the Transit Center.”

The TJPA engaged the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) to manage and oversee the planning and development of a public art program for the new Transbay Transit Center. The first stage of the Transbay Arts Master Plan encompasses the large scale artworks and the integrated designs developed through artist participation in the design process. The second stage focuses on smaller-scale works that respond to the defined characteristics of a particular location, such as pedestrian entrances, passenger lounges, waiting lobbies and bus platforms.

“The TJPA is thrilled to bring such diverse artistic talent to this project,” said Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, TJPA Executive Director. “The Transbay Transit Center will be a jewel to the City and the region and the inclusion of great public art from revered artists will enhance the experience of everyone who passes through its doors.”

Artists selected include:

• Ned Kahn: Ned Kahn lived in San Francisco for more 20 years, many of which were spent designing educational exhibits at the Exploratorium. Now residing in Sebastopol, Mr. Kahn’s work is a seamless synthesis of nature, art and technology. He investigates the essence of and the interactions between natural, human, and artificial systems. Mr. Kahn was awarded the 2003 MacArthur Fellowship and Cooper-Hewitt's 2004 National Design Award for Environmental Design. To view previous projects by Ned Kahn, please visit http://nedkahn.com.
• Julie Chang: Julie Chang is a San Francisco-based artist who coincidentally lives within blocks of the new Transbay Transit Center. She received her MFA at Stanford University in 2007. Using a visual vocabulary that includes European wallpaper patterns, Chinese textiles and contemporary graphic design, she creates laser-cut acrylic chandeliers, graphic two-dimensional works, and painted floor murals. She received a MFA Studio Award from the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito in 2007. To view previous projects by Julie Chang, please visit: www.juliewchang.com.
• Timothy Hawkinson: Timothy Hawkinson was born and raised in San Francisco and San Mateo County. He received his BFA at San Jose State University in 1984 and his MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1989. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Mr. Hawkinson is well-known for creating complex sculptural systems that are often mechanized. Characterized by wit, humor and a passion for invention, his artworks reflect his endless curiosity in his own body, music, spirituality, and the passage of time. To view previous projects by Timothy Hawkinson, please visit www.pacewildenstein.com.
• Jenny Holzer: Jenny Holzer is a New York-based artist who is well known for her electronic LED signs and projections that incorporate statements or what she calls Truisms such as “protect me from what I want” and “abuse of power comes as no surprise.” She has received many awards and has had major exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston in 1997, the Dia Art Foundation, New York in 1989, and the Guggenheim Museum, New York in 1989. To view previous projects by Jenny Holzer, please visit www.jennyholzer.com.
• James Carpenter: James Carpenter is a New York-based artist who has taught at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is well-known for creating works that use natural and artificial light to transform architectural spaces. Working with glass and steel, he emphasizes and often magnifies the movement of light through space while occasionally using water to animate the environment through sound. Among his many awards are the American Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award in 2008 and the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2004. To view previous projects by James Carpenter, please visit www.jcdainc.com.

“We are very excited and are privileged to be working in collaboration with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority on making public art an important visual component of the new Transbay Transit Center. The artwork will be of the highest quality and originality and will reflect the prestige and civic importance of the new Transbay Transit Center,” said Jill Manton, Director of Programs for the San Francisco Arts Commission. “We are looking forward to working with each artist on bringing their unique vision to this extraordinary and iconic project. We believe that the diverse range of works to be commissioned for this new San Francisco landmark will be appreciated and accessible to everyone who lives or works in San Francisco or visits the City as well to the daily commuters and travelers who will use the Transit Center on a daily basis. It will help the Transbay Transit Center become a destination in and of itself.”

The Transbay Transit Center Project, which will replace the current Transbay Terminal with a new, multi-modal transportation center and centralize the region’s transportation network by accommodating nine transportation systems under one roof, will make public transit a convenient option in the Bay Area, much as it is in other world-class cities. The three components of the project – replacing the outdated Transbay Terminal with a modern transit hub, extending the Caltrain rail line 1.3 miles into the heart of the Financial District and redeveloping the area surrounding the Transbay Transit Center with 2,600 new homes (35% affordable), parks and a retail main street – will help to return San Francisco to a culture of mass transit, allowing people to travel and commute without the need for a car, thereby decreasing congestion and pollution.

For more information about the project, please visit www.transbaycenter.org

For information on the temporary terminal, visit www.temporaryterminal.org

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