3. Residencies Making History Present: An Example of a Potential PX Resident I would be honored and delighted to do a Residency at the PX. I can imagine a series of public events inspired by various elements of the Presidio’s rich military history, including themes of food and convenience at the Commissary site and flight at Crissy Field. The events could include interactive installations, public conversations, hands-on workshops, and other forms of exchange. By exploring the relationship between craft and war through a rich set of activities and objects, this collaborative form of history in the making has been a pivotal focus of my work. I investigate themes of conflict and creative democracy by creating various forms of public gathering such as battle reenactments, peddlers’ markets, quilting bees, military musters, parades, and craft fair. In the Presidio, a park that is so steeped in history and enlivened by public transformation, the possibilities for this work are endless. —Allison Smith Allison Smith has exhibited her work and led participatory public projects at major museums around the world, including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center/Museum of Modern Art, Palais de Tokyo, Public Art Fund, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Berkeley Art Museum, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Tang Museum. Her work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Saatchi Gallery London, and other public and private collections worldwide.
Artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers, historians, philosophers, poets, scientists, and other innovative thinkers and makers— from all stages in their careers—will be invited to develop and host activities that stir public imagination, incite conversation, and spark co-creation throughout the year. The diversity of disciplines will be unprecedented in residency programs at any single cultural institution, and will distinguish the PX as an institution with constant cultural relevance in the Bay Area—and dynamic appeal to visitors from far and wide. Over periods of two to 10 weeks, Residents will create—in collaboration with PX staff—new projects that engender public participation. Residents will be encouraged to collaborate with each other, park staff, and community members; engage new audiences; mentor students from Bay Area universities; and informally interact with the public during meals. Partner organizations such as Headlands Center for the Arts, Bill Lane Center for the American West, and California Academy of Sciences will help identify and select Residents and offer additional opportunities for them to give programs at other public spaces and institutions.
4. Daily Offerings
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• The Library This will feature a rotating collection aligned with PX themes and curated by PX Residents, librarians, archivists, historians, and staff of partners such as California Historical Society and Heyday Books. Play Date Similar to the Toronto Public Library’s Human Library project, the PX will provide an online platform for daily meet-ups with featured thought leaders and experts—or any community member who proposes an activity in the park. Visitors can have a meal and take a walk with a leading Bay Area thought leader, get out and tour Presidio batteries with an Army veteran, or meet a new friend who shares a love of art. Café An informal grab-and-go café will offer a menu of delicious, healthful, sustainably sourced, and affordable food items that change with the seasons. Accessible from Crissy Field and the Bridgeway and opening right onto the Living Room, the café will feature exhibits about the farms that provide its food, food policy issues, and communal exchange opportunities such as a recipe swap.
Within the PX there are many spaces for visitors to come in from the weather, enjoy food and beverages, relax, and gather with friends and loved ones.
Restaurant With one of San Francisco’s premier views of the Golden Gate, the restaurant will offer fantastic food prepared by rotating expert chefs, and locally sourced alcoholic beverages. The kitchen will have capacity for major catered events.
Living Room A flexible, comfortable, and aesthetically stunning space, the Living Room is the lively heart of the PX, perfect for reflection, conversation, and play. In addition to moveable furniture and rotating exhibits, the Living Room will provide three key resources for visitors:
DIY Bike Shop In response to the 1.2 million bikes counted annually on the Presidio’s Bay Trail, the PX will partner with bike organizations to offer a space with free tools to check out, stands, and instructions for bike repair. This space will also host workshops on “do-it-yourself” bike safety and repair.
• National Parks Information Center At one of America’s iconic locales, visitors will be able to gather maps, apps, and tips on exploring some of the country’s other natural and historic treasures—across the entire national park system.
Participatory art event at San Francisco City Hall led by Allison Smith
visitors to create their own experiences at the PX, both indoors and outdoors. Visitors can check out anything from binoculars to a croquet set, watercolors to picnic blankets for on-site use.
• The Tool Shed Curated through a communal design brainstorm led by the Walker Art Center and local partners, the Tool Shed will provide a set of objects for
PX workSHOP This exceptional retail space offers books, products, and multimedia items—as well as the programmatic opportunity to engage in the creation of art. The PX workSHOP will include a working artist’s studio, a pop-up shop, and inventive retail programs and collections that encourage the exchange of ideas through art and commerce (see Appendix for details).