Felicia Gabaldon Unveils Iconic Visions, a New Public Art Installation for Ancestral Futurism at Presidio Tunnel Tops

Media are invited to come cover the art installation on
Tuesday, July 25, 1 p.m. – 2.p.m.

San Francisco, CA (July 17, 2023) – Fine Art painter Felicia Gabaldon has been selected to be the second of three artists to install artwork at Presidio Tunnel Tops as part of the Ancestral Futurism Public Art Mentorship. The project engages emerging BIPOC artists to develop temporary installations at the Presidio that reflect their cultural and artistic identities and offer visitors new ways to experience and enjoy the park. Felicia is working with mentor, artist, and environmental justice activist and Presidio Activator Favianna Rodriquez who created the first installation for the opening of the new site in July of 2022, called Ancestral Futurism: Looking Back to Repair the Future.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to promote inclusivity, cultural exchange, and the vital role that art plays in shaping our relationship with the land,” Favianna said. “Together, we can create a powerful platform for Native American artists like Felicia to share their perspectives, challenge existing narratives, and inspire us all to be better stewards of the Earth.”

Felicia Gabaldon is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and currently resides in Oakland where she’s resident artist at Faultline Artspace. She’s a Fine Art painter using nostalgic illustrations to manifest the natural beauty of the American Southwest while also re-examining it. Influenced by desert landscapes drawing from her identity as an American Indian of the Choctaw Tribe with Spanish Heritage, her paintings represent a distant reverence of self-discovery, culture, and history. Her art can be seen in galleries in San Francisco or as far away as the ARTSCAPE SAGA urban art project in Gothenburg, Sweden.

“Moving to the Bay Area was very inspiring in terms of the art landscape in a big city,” Felicia said. “I started to gather inspiration from this space as well as New Mexico. Finding my voice allowed me to express myself culturally and Indigenously. I hope that when people see my art, they also feel welcome to express themselves.”

Building on the long tradition of art in the park, Ancestral Futurism is part of the Partnership for the Presidio’s efforts to create a more welcoming and inclusive park through public art that speaks to diverse communities. Since the inaugural installation in July 2022, Favianna’ s colorful ground murals have become platforms for imagination and play, prompting discussion and learning about biodiversity, climate change, colonialism, and the repressive history of the Presidio.

In Iconic Visions, a project of Ancestral Futurism, Felicia will create large-scale ground murals of images of Presidio creatures like coyotes, quails, and monarch butterflies to be installed at the Outpost Plaza, located between the Field Station (601 Mason St) and the Outpost playground at the Presidio Tunnel Tops. The public is invited to enjoy the art and participate in a day of joyful activities that are part of the Presidio Sunday Afternoons series.

Event: Harmony Unleashed: Music and Art for Mother Earth
Who: Partnership for the Presidio, co-curated with Favianna Rodriguez
Dates: Sunday, August 13
Time: 1 P.M. – 5 P.M.
Place: Presidio Tunnel Tops, 210 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, 94129
Price: Free
Hosted by: Partnership for the Presidio
Part of the Presidio Sunday Afternoons series, Favianna Rodriguez and Felicia Gabaldon unveil a new public art installation at Presidio Tunnel Tops: Iconic Visions, a project of Ancestral Futurism. Come meet Felicia and celebrate her colorful ground murals with music from Rene y Familia and Audiopharmacy, DJ Sizzle Fantastic, and more!

“This event celebrates the vital role that art plays in shaping our relationship with the land,” Favianna shared. “Art and culture are our most powerful tools to inspire the social change these times demand. Our current relationship to the earth is based on destructive myths that have shaped our cultural imaginations since colonization. We need artists to help us imagine a future where together we thrive with nature.”

Join BIPOC creatives for this day of collective joy and fun to celebrate the land and reclaim our relationship to nature.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harmony-unleashed-music-and-art-for-mother-earth-tickets-677108107577?aff=oddtdtcreator

About Felicia Gabaldon

Felicia Gabaldon is an American Indian artist of the Choctaw Tribe, originally from Santa Fe, NM, now residing in Oakland, CA. She is influenced by the desert landscape, from basic stereotypes and the formulaic constructs of typical representations of the region to utopian visions and romanticized beliefs. In her paintings, Felicia explores themes of self-discovery, culture, and history, paying distant reverence to these aspects of human existence. Felicia’s work combines elements of myth and mysticism, inviting viewers to delve into a deeper understanding of the natural world. Through cultural, iconic, and folkloric content, Felicia’s work showcases the wonders of nature brought to life through symbols and tradition. One of Felicia’s aspirations is to highlight the profound influence of space and human experience on the formation of individual and communal belief systems. With her art showcased in galleries and on outdoor walls throughout the United States, Felicia Gabaldon continues to captivate audiences with her evocative and thought-provoking creations.

About Partnership for the Presidio

Two federal agencies manage the Presidio: the Presidio Trust and the National Park Service with support from the nonprofit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Together, the Partnership sustains the Presidio’s natural beauty, preserves its history, maintains its funding and creates inspiring national park experiences for all.

ADVISORY: Media are Invited to Cover the Art Installation
July 25 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

What: Interviews with Favianna Rodriguez (English and Spanish) and Felicia Gabaldon (English); The team installing giant ground murals; views of the Golden Gate Bridge; children playing in the Outpost nature playground
Date: Tuesday, July 25, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Crissy Field Station Plaza, 603 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94129
Parking: Sports Basement, 610 Old Mason St., San Francisco, 94129
Day-of Media Contact: Peter Hockaday, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; phockaday@ParksConservancy.org; Cell: (408) 332-6114
Please RSVP in advance to Peter Hockaday.

Click here for Images.

Follow the project process on:
@feliciagabaldonart; @favianna1; @presidiosf; @goldengatenps; @parksconservancy