San Francisco has people who are serious about art, and they are determined to develop Treasure Island as a major cultural destination. They plan to release a blueprint to the public and obtain their opinion on the subject. The objective is to have a Cultural Tourism hub similar to what exists in Governors Island, New York which has become a favorite destination for contemporary artists and even children.
Details of the master plan
New York Times reports that Treasure Island would be investing upwards of $50 million on artwork and it will be spread out over a 20-year period.
The city based agency involved in the design of the hub plans to commission three large-scale sculptures. The agency will invite proposals via their website and will encourage individual artists, artist teams and studios to join.
This has been announced by Tom DeCaigny who is the director of cultural affairs of San Francisco. He has also indicated that there would be a handsome grant available for artwork. The intention is to attract visitors immediately they arrive at the ferry building as a part of cultural tourism.
The master plan also envisages additional commissions for sculptures, performance, video art and plays, and offers an existing chapel that can be converted and used as a theater.
History of Treasure Island
It is an artificial island built on a natural reef in 1939 to host the Golden Gate International Exposition. The occasion was to celebrate the completion of the Bay Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland and the Golden Gate Bridge nearby. During World War II, the island was used as a naval base.
Treasure Island has around 2000 residents, and there are plans on the anvil to construct apartments, hotels and retail stores to cater to at least ten times more people.
There will be plenty of artwork all over the parks and public spaces on the island. Incidentally, the island covers an area far greater than Governors Island in New York and as indicated by Tom DeCaigny, is expected to be the largest development of open space in San Francisco ever since the Golden Gate Park was built in 1871.
Tourism draws people to become part and parcel of the local culture and if marketed properly, can turn out to be a major revenue earner. Hence the decision to go in for a cultural tourism hub in an island is bound to pay rich dividends.
Artwork will certainly attract art lovers, but it would also provide an opportunity to escape from the rigors of a city life into a calm atmosphere to soothe the nerves. Since the plans have proposals for construction of houses, it can be presumed that hotels, restaurants and other similar outlets will spring up to cater to the tourists and add to the charms of the island.
