SF Just Got a Powerful New Mural at the Asian Art Museum
Thanks to the New York Times for letting us know about this brand new mural at the Asian Art Museum that, in true Funcheap style, is visible from the street through the windows of the museum’s gallery that has yet to open to the public.
The inaugural work in the Wilbur Gallery introduces artist Chanel Miller, author of “Know My Name: A Memoir,” who represents healing as a process with three distinct yet interchangeable parts: reflecting on the past, being mindful in the present, and envisioning the future.
In this tripartite wall mural, playful line-drawn figures illustrate the phrases “I was,” “I am,” and “I will be,” encouraging us to think of life as an endless state of becoming. Visible from the street outside the museum — day and night — I was, I am, I will be is one of several public artworks commissioned by the museum to engage the surrounding community.
Where Can I View This Mural?
The work is visible to the public from Hyde Street (between McAllister and Fulton) and located in the museum’s Wilbur Gallery which is within a brand new pavilion that will be opening soon.
Miller is a Palo Alto–born Chinese-American artist and writer based in San Francisco and New York. She first came into the public eye, anonymously, as “Emily Doe,” the victim of a 2015 Stanford University sexual assault whose powerful impact statement presented in court went viral on buzzfeed.
Miller relinquished her anonymity and reclaimed her identity in September 2019, when she published the critically acclaimed memoir, “Know My Name.” I was, I am, I will be is Miller’s first commissioned artwork for a museum.
“The idea was to make the artwork visible from the street as a source of warmth or this beacon in the dark…but now with Covid, I think the city really needs it — I need it.” – Abby Chen, Head of Contemporary Art, Asian Art Museum
What’s New at the Asian Art Museum When it Reopens?
As part of the museum’s $38 million reimagining and expansion by the architect Kulapat Yantrasast the Asian Art Museum has built more than 15,000 square feet of new space to house groundbreaking exhibitions and art installations — including the U.S. museum debut of an immersive, multisensory dreamscape created by Tokyo-based international art collective teamLab.
The Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Pavilion
With 8,500 square feet of continuous gallery space — the most in San Francisco — this new pavilion endows the museum with unparalleled freedom and flexibility to create exhibitions that raise the bar for interpretation, technology, and design. The inaugural immersive digital experience from teamLab, the world-famous international art collective, takes advantage of the pavilion’s unique features.
The East West Bank Art Terrace
The city’s largest rooftop art terrace, this new 7,500-square-foot outdoor venue will be a destination for contemporary sculpture, including work by Ai Weiwei, and commissioned installations. Visitors can also experience special live performances while enjoying refreshments or participating in an evening event.
