The Golden State Warriors have announced the artists whose works will be showcased in the Chase Center arts collection, a feature at their upcoming arena. The artists were selected through Sports & The Arts (SATA), and will create artwork for the arena and surrounding area.
Last June, the Warriors announced a “Call for Artists” program, inviting artists from around the Bay Area and beyond to be considered for commissions as part of the Chase Center art collection.
The 33 artists who were eventually selected cover a variety of styles, interpretations, media and techniques. The works of art will showcase the Warriors, entertainment and regional history, and will be a one-of-a-kind, museum-quality art and photography collection. Full details on the individual artworks, along with their locations at Chase Center, will be announced at a later date.
More than half of the artists commissioned for Chase Center have Bay Area connections. Among the local artists who will be featured in and around Chase Center will be:
- Nina Fabunmi: Fabunmi graduated with an MFA in Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and has had her work featured locally in the California State Building, UCSF Women’s Health Center, the Museum of the African Diaspora, Studio Gallery and Gallery 1317 in San Francisco, as well as Gallery Guichard in Chicago. A versatile artist, Fabunmi is known for her emotionally charged art that features portraiture, figures or landscapes with a unique, expressive technique, achieved with the use of a palette knife.
- Chad Hasegawa and Guillaume Ollivier: A pair of artists who work together, Hasegawa and Ollivier’s style juxtaposes bold geometry with soft undulating design to present contrasting yet complementary abstractions. Graduates of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Hasegawa, a San Francisco resident, and Ollivier, an Oakland resident, create art that speaks to the different cultures around the Bay Area. Hasegawa has had his work featured in the DeYoung Museum and the Andrea Schwartz gallery, and Ollivier has had work shown in the Juxtapoz Magazine, GoodMother Gallery and Athen B. Gallery.
- Shomari Smith: A multi-dimensional artist, Smith was born and raised in Oakland and pulls from various inspirations, such as music or other pieces of art, for his work. Smith graduated with a degree in illustration from the California College of Arts.
- Michael Zagaris: A native of California’s Central Valley, Zagaris found a love for photography and in 1971, began shooting the most influential musicians of the era, including Ten Years After, the Grateful Dead, Humble Pie, the Faces, Patti Smith, Santana, Blondie and the Clash. A former team photographer of the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Athletics, Zagaris has photographed 38 NFL Super Bowl games, 13 MLB World Series’ match-ups, and 13 various All-Star games. He’s had work featured in Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. He currently resides in San Francisco and continues to photograph music, sports, fashion and culture.
- Milton Bowens: Bowens is the Lead Artist-in-Residence at Twin Rivers Unified School District and has had 10 solo exhibitions in the Oakland and Sacramento areas over the past two years. Bowens has donated his artwork to raise money for arts and charitable organizations in the Oakland and Sacramento communities over the past several years. He conducts youth art residencies in two local elementary schools and volunteers in schools and for non-profits to inspire young minds and educate them about the importance of art to culture and society.
- Precita Eyes: Precita Eyes Muralists Association and Center, established in 1977, founded by Susan and Luis Cervantes in San Francisco’s Mission District, is a multipurpose community-based arts organization that has played an integral role in the city’s cultural heritage and arts education.
The full list of artists is available here.
“I am beyond ecstatic to be one of the artists selected for the Chase Center Art Collection or Art Collection at Chase Center,” said Milton Bowens. “Most fine artists can only dream of having their work seen at the highest level and with the brightest spot light. As a young boy growing up in Oakland, CA, and falling in love with my local team, I am blessed to be satisfying two lifelong goals. One being included in the Collection and, two, paying homage to the team that made me fall in love with basketball. This project is proof that good things will come true if you never stop chasing your dreams.”
Areas of opportunity for artwork inside Chase Center include wall spaces throughout the arena’s concourses, in addition to opportunities along the exterior of the building, including the outdoor videoboard, and throughout the surrounding district.
In addition to the 33 Sports & The Arts commissions, Chase Center will work with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) to commission additional artists to provide two major pieces of artwork. SFMOMA will also loan one current piece of art to Chase Center on a rotating basis. International artist Olafur Eliasson will create a signature piece of artwork for the district. And naming rights partner Chase will provide artwork from their JPMorgan Chase Art Collection, which features more than 30,000 artworks located in 250 offices worldwide, to be included in the JP Morgan Club inside the arena. The Warriors plan to continue to work with local community organizations to highlight their work, through a collaboration with archive experts Heritage Werks, to showcase the history of the Warriors and entertainment in the Bay Area.
Currently under construction in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, Chase Center is slated to open prior to the 2019-20 NBA season.
RELATED STORIES: Golden State Warriors to Pitch Chase Center Hotel, Condos; Google Cloud Inks Chase Center Partnership; Local Fare to Highlight Chase Center Concessions; Warriors Host Chase Center Topping Out Ceremony; Warriors Seeing Strong Chase Center Season Ticket Sales; Chase Center Launches Call for Artists; Personnel News: Chase Center, Ontario; Vote Could Permit Chase Center Signage Plans; Chase Center Taking Shape; Chase Center Key to Warriors Financial Future; Warriors to Employ PSLs at Chase Center; Preview: Chase Center