Dancer's Group Footwork saw the rent for the Mission District space it had occupied for 18 years rise 500 percent. Art Explosion, a rehearsal space serving 70 bands, received an eviction notice in April. The Downtown Rehearsal's facility, which served more than 500 bands closed in September. But some artists are beginning to organize against this trend. A longtime resident of San Francisco's Mission District, Swenson has observed much of the neighborhood's transformation.
Artists frequently move into lower-income neighborhoods, and begin transforming the community.
But artists can also part of the solution, through consciousness raising, throwing light on the matter, understanding that these issues are complicated and not simple dichotomies. Artists respond to situations from fresh perspectives. This is what has been happening over the summer, we are rising up, giving voice to the complex and multiple problems facing the city, our passion and creative energy focused on this crisis. As artists we have powerful ways to communicate in many varied mediums from many perspectives. We can raise a stink while painting the picture in all its complexity.