Market Street Arts Unveils New Public Artwork on Market Street
Now on display through June 2025, Heartfullness serves as a celebration of resilience, connection, and the transformative power of art.
Market Street Arts unveiled Heartfullness, a monumental new sculpture created by artist Katy Boynton. Funded through the Mid-Market Foundation, the Sijbrandij Foundation, and additional support from Building 180 and the San Francisco Arts Commission, the sculpture stands at the intersection of Market and Turk Streets, and is the only large-scale public artwork on the City's main corridor within the Mid-Market core. Now on display through June 2025, Heartfullness serves as a celebration of resilience, connection, and the transformative power of art.
Crafted from steel, Heartfullness is a mended heart sculpture that embodies the strength of the human spirit. Towering over 15-feet wide and 13-feet high, the rusted metallic surface captures sunlight during the day, symbolizing the resilience of a heart that has weathered life's challenges. At night, the heart glows with a warm inner light, transforming imperfections into radiant pathways of connection and hope. Inside the sculpture, a pair of woven rope seats offers an intimate sanctuary for reflection, while the surrounding deck invites visitors to gather and connect.
"This landmark piece of public art on Market Street marks a pivotal moment in our transformation of Mid-Market," says Abra Allan, Director of Creative Engagement at the Mid-Market Foundation. "Through Market Street Arts, we've built a foundation of sustained investment and community engagement that celebrates the unique character and rich history of our neighborhood. 'Heartfulness' represents more than just an artistic installation—it embodies our community's aspirations and resilience, serving as a beacon of hope for Market Street's bright future."
“I moved to San Francisco to follow my artistic dreams,” said Boynton. “I wanted to learn how to weld and build a heart sculpture that came to me in a dream. Having Heartfullness placed in San Francisco is the ultimate dream come true”
This latest addition to the Mid-Market streetscape builds on the momentum Market Street Arts has created since its inception in August 2023. Through investment from the Office of Mayor London Breed and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Market Street Arts has facilitated the opening of new creative businesses and activated seven vacant storefronts, and provided paid opportunities for over 100 local artists through various programs and performances, including UNSTAGED, a free, interactive, live performance experience that launched in fall 2024. Market Street Arts has also brought over 500 hours of live music to the neighborhood while also investing more than $500,000 in initiatives aimed at further revitalizing the Mid-Market district.
The artwork is now on display in Mid-Market. Visitors are encouraged to share photos of the new artwork on Instagram, and tag @marketstreetarts. For more details, visit marketstreetarts.org/heartfullness.
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