Presidio Habitats Exhibition Extended
Presidio of San Francisco (May 3, 2011) — The Presidio Trust and the FOR-SITE Foundation have announced that Presidio Habitats, a unique, site-based art exhibition celebrating Presidio nature and wildlife, has been extended through the summer 2011. The exhibit has attracted more than eight thousand visitors to the Exhibition Pavilion since it opened last May. Thousands more have experienced the art along Presidio trails. Originally scheduled to close May 15, Presidio Habitats will now run through September 30.
“I’m personally thrilled at the public response we’ve received for the Presidio Habitats exhibition and the opportunity to share this project with new audiences through the summer months,” says Cheryl Haines, the executive director of the FOR-SITE Foundation, which organized the exhibit in partnership with the Presidio Trust. “We are very grateful to our vocal supporters — they have shown that the Bay Area can foster the creation and experience of dynamic contemporary art about place.”
The first site-based art exhibition in a U.S. National Park, Presidio Habitats began in mid-2009, when more than two dozen artists, designers and architects were asked to design habitat sculptures for selected “animal clients” of the Presidio. From 25 proposals, eleven were selected to be created and installed along Presidio trails and walkways.
“This has been a wildly successful exhibit,” says Michael Boland, chief planning, projects and programs officer for the Trust. “We’re extremely excited about the opportunity to reach even more people over the next four months. The exhibit draws visitors to the Presidio’s trails and allows them to explore the park’s diverse landscapes.”
An audio tour, available by cell phone, an indoor Exhibition Pavilion, and an array of special events accompany the exhibit and invite the public to interact with the art and the park. Created from three repurposed shipping containers arranged around a covered central atrium, the Exhibition Pavilion is the starting point for Presidio Habitats. The pavilion exhibits all 25 proposals submitted for the exhibition, scale models, and other artist material as well as video about the Presidio’s plants and wildlife. An exhibition guide and map will lead visitors on a self-guided journey of all installation sites. Located at the corner of Ralston and Storey avenues, directly across from the historic Log Cabin, the pavilion is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
The Log Cabin Series — a series of talks, multimedia presentations and performances inspired by the Presidio, its wildlife, and the art of Presidio Habitats — will continue over the summer, as will the other public programs, guided hikes, and family-oriented events that have accompanied the exhibit since its opening.
Founded in 2003, the FOR-SITE Foundation is a San Francisco based non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, understanding, and exhibition of new art about place. FOR-SITE fulfills its mission through artist residencies and graduate-level education projects at its residency site in the Sierra foothills and more recently through site-based projects in the Presidio of San Francisco. For more information, visit www.for-site.org.
The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site that is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio is known for its spectacular views, historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The Presidio also includes nearly 6 million square feet of buildings; 469 historic structures contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.