SF hosts immersive art experience downtown to honor Montgomery Block

A new immersive art experience will come to downtown San Francisco for one day this week, and everyone in the city is invited to participate.

Why it matters: The outdoor immersive arts project, titled CREATE! , is part of a larger effort to revitalize the downtown area and will showcase an array of local artists, performers and chefs to honor the history of the famous artist enclave Montgomery Block.

• The event is organized by Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP) and admission is free.

Context: Montgomery Block once stood where the Transamerica Pyramid is located today and housed many creatives — including Frida Kahlo, Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dorothea Lange and Diego Rivera — throughout its 100-year lifespan.

• "We felt like post-COVID is a time to lean into that idea of creativity as a tool for resilience," DSFP spokesperson Melissa Buckminster told Axios.

Driving the news: CREATE! will take place Thursday 4-8pm at Landing at Leidesdorff.

• Specific exhibits will reflect a period of time — for instance, painting in Studio Frida for the past, abstract art capturing the Bay's landscape for the present and an AI-generated music playlist for the future.
• Attendees will be invited to not only view art but also participate in its process through activities like screen-printing, personalized poetry and songwriting.

What they're saying: CREATE! is part of a citywide push to "reshape and reimagine" how downtown is used, Buckminster noted.