I took a trip down to the SF Recycling & Disposal center – aka The Dump – to visit San Francisco artist, Jane Kim at her studio. The Dump offers a fantastic Aritst in Residence program that Jane was selected for this year and she was kind enough to give me the grand tour.
The swarm of seagulls let me know I was in the right place.
Jane Kim in her studio at The Dump
Upon walking into the Artist in Residence (AIR) studio space, I’m struck by how much space there is. Jane shares the studio with Bill Basquin, another AIR artist, but there’s plenty of room for both of them.
An upstairs area is well-organized with assorted tools, and a back area that’s separated from the work space by a partition is chock full of every kind of wood-working tool imaginable.
Jane's treasure trove of salvaged materials
Donning hard hats, steel toe boots, and orange safety vests, the AIR artists get free reign of the public disposal area – the section of the dump where people pay to unload items that the city doesn’t pick up; things like building materials and household items. Jane clarified for me that it’s a completely different area than where garbage bags full of rotting food and dangerous waste are disposed of. I spot the gorgeous pieces of wood, sheet rock, and linoleum that Jane has culled from her scavenging excursions and begin to realize just how inspiring this type of residency would be for any artist.
Jane's neatly laid out works in progress
In addition to having access to a bevy of salvaged materials and an amazing studio in which to create new work, AIR aritsts receive a show at the end of their residency and unlimited access to the dump’s materials…for life!
Curious to see what Jane has been working on for her upcoming show, which opens at the dump on May 15th and 16th? Be sure to check back…
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