2019-12-19 03:02:19
San Francisco is well-known as a welcoming place for artists. For artist Ana Teresa Fernandez, a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, it’s become a second home. Her work explores politics, activism and intersectionality through performance, video, paintings and installations, and she’s been featured both locally and around the world. Ana Teresa also frequently partners with nonprofits and art organizations to help improve communities. Read on for her recommendations for experiencing San Francisco. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OBSERVING PUBLIC ART: Being an artist in San Francisco, I’m constantly finding hidden gems of public art, small and large. The Mission is a nest for many murals and hand-painted signs, especially folkloric ones, with made-up words like “Washateria” (laundromat). The Women’s Building has a façade depicting colorful revolutionary women. I really enjoy the unexpected public expressions in every neighborhood. There was a graffiti piece located under a freeway in the Bayshore that featured the word “dream” repeated over and over. I learned much later that it was an homage to the street artist Dream, who fought to keep peace among gangs and used art as a way of teaching youngsters. This inspired me to create a 70’x 15’ “DREAM” sculpture, to echo louder an invitation to the city to dream. GO-TO SPOT FOR INSPIRATION: Recently, I have been working on a collaboration with the non-profit Creativity Explored, a space where artists with developmental disabilities create and share their work with the community. Working with these artists has been such an inspiration. Not only do they show up every day with joy and kindness, they work with an unfiltered and raw approach to simply create. There is a courage and fearlessness to just be themselves that is so contagious, and it’s something I have tried to harness in my own studio and working relationships. FAVORITE VIEW IN SAN FRANCISCO: I am incredibly lucky that my favorite view is from my apartment on the Great Highway, staring out at the Pacific Ocean. I love watching the constant change of the waves, swell, light, colors and weather. It is a great reminder of how magical and ever-changing nature is, and how urgent it is that we protect it. I also get to experience the colorful and surreal sunsets every evening that Karl (the fog, such a constant visitor that he has a name in San Francisco) will allow. FAVORITE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY: Surfing. This has truly changed my relationship with San Francisco. It has become my psychological rinse and shower. Just being in the ocean provides a different perspective on the city and a way to clear my head. I try to surf every day, even if it’s freezing and the waves are wild. I tell people that art helped me find meaning in my life, but surfing has kept me from drowning in the art world. FAVORITE PLACE TO SEE A LIVE PERFORMANCE: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA). I have been following LINES Ballet at YBCA for almost 15 years. LINES is a hybrid of dancing that has pushed my own understanding of the body’s ability to incorporate movements inspired by animals, currents in nature and art forms from all over the world. Alonzo King, the choreographer, collaborates with other artists and groups to create the performances. I first saw the Shaolin Monks perform in 2004 and I’ve been every season since!
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