SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The San Francisco Arts Commission, in collaboration with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, announced the unveiling of Gene Friend Recreation Center’s public art program following today’s community ribbon-cutting celebration attended by Mayor Daniel Lurie, city leaders, artists, and SoMa community members.

The recreation center’s public art program contains 13 permanent works of art, including 12 purchased two-dimensional artworks on display along the building’s interior corridors and one commissioned, large-scale, and architecturally integrated artwork located in the gymnasium that honors well-known local leaders, veterans, elders, immigrants, and youth.

“Public art helps make our civic spaces more welcoming, beautiful, and meaningful, particularly when those works reflect the people, history, and culture of the communities they serve,” said Matthew Goudeau, Executive Director of Arts and Culture. “Through our collaboration with Rec and Park, SoMa community members, and local artists, these 13 works of art celebrate the neighborhood’s vibrant history and the people who have shaped it, while creating a lasting backdrop for new memories to be made at Gene Friend Recreation Center.”

Gene Friend Rec Center’s public art program was made possible through the Arts Commission’s 2%-for-Art Program, which allocates two percent of gross construction costs of civic building and new park projects towards the commissioning and integration of public art as part of San Francisco’s commitment to and investment in creating vibrant, beautiful, and inclusive public spaces.

The new site-specific commissioned work is titled Barrio Fiesta, by artist Cece Caprio.

Fabricated from dye-sublimated aluminum, the artwork is comprised of 16 sets of aluminum panel sections, 14 of which are approximately 12 feet high and 5 feet wide, and the remaining two approximately 12 feet high and 1.5 feet wide. The artwork in total is approximately 875 square feet and is architecturally integrated into the center’s gymnasium wall.

The artwork was fabricated by Magna Chrome, engineered by ADBC Architecture, and installed by Uovo.

Barrio Fiesta refers to a traditional Filipino cultural festival that cultivates community and celebrates the heritage and traditions of the Philippines through dance, music, colorful parades, and a feast of Filipino cuisine. The artwork captures the spirit of barrio fiesta by weaving portraits of well-known local leaders together with images of everyday heroes—veterans, elders, immigrants, youth—to highlight the distinct character of San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) district. The vibrant background colors are inspired by precolonial textiles from the Philippines, further connecting the piece to SoMa’s cultural roots.





From left to right, the artwork features illustrations and portraits depicting: Philippine sopo textile; Mano (an honoring gesture used in Filipino culture); TNT Traysikel, Senior member of West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center; Filipino Veterans; Tandang Sora (Melchora Aquino); Alleluia Panis (founder of Kulintang Arts (KULARTS); longtime SoMa neighbor Marvin; Kulintang (a Southeast Asian percussion instrument); youth from United Playaz; Basketball, Rudy Corpuz (The founder of United Playaz); the iconic A-frame roof of the original Gene Friend Recreation Center; an homage to the late, great Bay Area street artist Mike Francisco, known as Dream or Dream King; Tim Figueras (former Gene Friend facility director); a tribute to the legacy of San Francisco Filipina DJ’s; and traditional Philippine textile and tattooing symbols representing life, renewal, ancestry, and spiritual connections.

This is Cece Carpio's first permanent public art commission for San Francisco's Civic Art Collection.

"Through Barrio Fiesta, I have been able to honor those who have contributed to the history of this center and the folx in this neighborhood who have kept SoMa’s culture alive," said mural artist Cece Carpio. "I’m excited to see our community’s faces represented on such a large scale in a center that means so much to so many people. I can’t wait for future generations to come here and not only learn about our history but become inspired by it to create their own legacies."

Cece Carpio is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and community organizer whose practice is rooted in social justice and cultural empowerment. Working across muralism and public space activations, she develops a vibrant visual language that explores identity, resilience and collective liberation. As an Indigenous immigrant artist, Carpio is committed to amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Indigenous and immigrant diasporas. Through public art, workshops and collaborative community projects, she fosters spaces for dialogue, healing and celebration. Her work operates as both storytelling and resistance—challenging dominant narratives while envisioning more inclusive and equitable futures grounded in ancestral knowledge and collective strength. Carpio is also a 2026 Rainin Arts Fellow.

In addition to commissioning a new site-specific work, the Arts Commission purchased 12 existing artworks that were then framed and mounted along prominent interior corridors throughout the center.

The two-dimensional artwork program includes works by 12 Bay Area-based artists: Mel Vera Cruz, Cherisse Alcantara, Rina Ayuyang, ChiChai Mateo, Kimberley Arteche, Johanna Poethig, Favianna Rodriguez, Jerome Reyes, Cristine Blanco, Leo Bersamina, Charlene Tan, and Kija Lucas.

Gene Friend Recreation Center is located at 77 Harriet Street, right in the heart of San Francisco's South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood in District 6.

"This is a huge day for SoMa. For a neighborhood that doesn't have a lot of backyards, the Gene Friend Rec Center is our backyard, and today we're giving it back to the community bigger and better than ever," said Supervisor Matt Dorsey. "This project is a real investment in SoMa's future, in our youth nonprofits like United Playaz and West Bay, who rely on this space every day, in our school kids who need a safe space to play and grow, and in our seniors and neighbors who call this center home. I'm proud of everyone who fought to make this happen, and I can't wait to see this space full of neighbors and families for decades to come."

The transformative Gene Friend Recreation Center project began planning in 2014 with the goal of replacing the old facility with a bright, modern hub with 50% more space to serve the needs of children, families, and seniors in the vibrant SoMa neighborhood.

At the heart of this $62 million project is a commitment to neighborhood connection and well-being. The 25,000 square foot center will now be able to accommodate a diverse array of activities and classes aimed at all ages.

“When the recreation center first opened more than three decades ago, SoMa was a very different neighborhood. As the community has grown, so have its needs, and this renovation reflects that evolution. From a larger footprint and expanded programming to two indoor basketball courts and a fully modernized facility, the new Gene Friend Recreation Center is designed to serve today’s residents while creating a welcoming, state-of-the-art space for the future,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Sarah Madland. “We’re incredibly proud to make this investment in SoMa and ensure Gene Friend remains a community hub where neighbors come together, kids grow up, families make memories, and everyone has a place to feel connected.”