COHEN ALLEY PROJECT "We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars..." Oscar Wilde ARE YOU A TENDERLOIN RESIDENT INTERESTED IN GARDENING AND/OR COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN COHEN ALLEY; PLEASE CALL US EVERY 15TH OF THE MONTH 12-5PM MICHAEL SWAINE'S SEWING FOR THE PEOPLE bring something to have sewn or mended by Michael. FREE FREE FREE \ COHEN ALLEY is located at the 500 block of Ellis Street between Leavenworth and Hyde in San Francisco's densely populated Tenderloin district HISTORY OF COHEN ALLEY PROJECT (this page is under construction) We began this project 12 years ago (little did we know) and have much to say, and are in the process of editing--but what we can tell you now is that the 509 Cultural Center/luggage store leased Cohen Alley from the City of San Francisco to develop a "neighborhood commons" and establish Cohen Alley as a new venue for public art and programs . THE GATE The 509/luggage store commissioned artist KEVIN LEEPER to design and build a sculptured gate. This was a lengthy process as we met with many neighborhood organizations and tenants groups for input. Finally, when we were ready to install the gate, a Supreme Court decision was passed that stated you could not gate off a City Street (Bel Aire, CA). After years of bureaucratic red tape and technical glitches and needing to fundraise more and more, the gate was finally installed in January 2002. The gate contains several detailed sculptural elements referencing feng shui symbology; and microscopic organisms. The gate encloses the alley, approximately 3425 square feet, which was formerly used as a dumping grounds for EVERYTHING. We encourage you to take a walk down Ellis Street/Leavenworth to see it! Cohen Alley is now the home of the 509/luggage store's annual "Performance in the Gutter" (est in 1990), the Annual Interactive Sculpture Garden, and is a staging area for the Annual IN THE STREET Festival. Celebrate the installation of the gate and tree planting on Friday, October 18, 2002 at 5pm in the Alley!!! Thanks to our funders for Cohen Alley project and programs over the years... National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts council, San Francisco Foundation, Grants for the Arts, SF Art Commission, the Franciscan Charities, the Potrero Nuevo Fund, the Columbia Foundation, The Goldman Fund who believed in this project in the beginning... Again... Many thanks to Mayor Willie Brown, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Sue Bierman, Leland Yee; Attorney James Hughes (Sullwood & Hughes), all the kids in the TL, Mohammed Nuru, formerly of SLUG, Catherine Cusnick, Kathy and Leroy Looper, The Bay Area Womens and Childrens Resource Center; Tess Manalo-Ventresca, Marina Drummer, Miriam Stombler, City Attorney's Office Thanks to Jeff Brown for his passion, energy and time in helping us to get the gate installed, Wayne, Merlo Construction, Jack Davis, all the residents and staff at Community Housing Parternship's Senator Hotel, Mike Davis, Jeff Miller, Zeke Weiner, Bill and Christine Lavin, (this section is not complete...) Thanks to Carlos Villa and Worlds in Collision class (Fall/Spring 01, Fall 02) I accidentally deleted all the photos of the gate and alley and will be updating this page soon if i can figure out to scan these photos!!! --------- Dedicated to William Stroud, Karl Yeargans, Sgt. Kenny Sugrue, Margaret Kilgallen and Robert Heilbuth for their love and inspiration MORE SOON VOLUNTEERS NEEDED