Chinatown’s new art center “Edge on the Square” presents its first exhibition

(SAN FRANCISCO) Edge on the Square, a brand new contemporary art center established by the Chinatown Media & Arts Collaboration (CMAC) in the heart of San Francisco Chinatown, launched its first exhibition for public view on January 13 in time to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

State Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who is the Budget Committee Chair in the Assembly, was able to secure $26.5 million in state fund to purchase the Chinatown business building at 800 Grant Avenue to work with CMAC, founded by six San Francisco non-profit Asian organizations, to transform it into the first contemporary art center, Edge on the Square, in San Francisco Chinatown.

Ting announced the state fund for the Edge on the Square in July 2021. A community mural at the Edge on the Square main building, which is located at the corner of Grant Avenue and Clay Street, was unveiled in October 2021.

After having the renovation for over a year, Edge on the Square was opened on January 13 to the public for temporary use until the major renovation project to begin in 2025.

City officials and community leaders attended the opening ceremony for the Edge on the Square's first exhibition, Learning to Land: A Story of crossing Paths and Intergenerational Histories. The exhibition examines the relationship, networks and stories that emerge by way of daily experiences and interactions within San Francisco Chinatown, according to the Edge on the Square.

The artists who participated in the first exhibition at the Edge on the Square are Benjamen Chinn, Gao Ling, Lenore Chinn, Sasinun Kladpetch and Sherwin Rio, who created the artworks in the form of a conceptual shop, site-specific installation, sounds and video projection, sculpture and photography. The exhibition is held from January 13 to May 31.

But six days after its very first exhibition for public view, Edge on the Square's community mural was damaged by graffiti. "Less than a week into its public opening, the new cultural arts hub Edge on the Square had their beloved art mural defaced. Created by local artists, the exuberant mural was vandalized early Thursday morning (January 19), leaving a hurtful mark on the space and psyche of its neighborhood," CMAC announced it in a statement.

"While graffiti destruction is already out of hand, attacks on public art that promote wellness and community health cut even deeper. Edge’s mural is meant to beautify the community, providing a hopeful respite from hard realities and cultural tensions. As such, Edge will turn this unfortunate event into an opportunity for unification, restoration and resilience," CMAC said.

According to CMAC, the Edge on the Square would have its team members, artists, community leaders and friends of the neighborhood unite their efforts to clean and restore the mural in the following days to celebrate the Chinese New Year.