Castro District
“The Seed” is part of a complete redo of the intersection of Castro and Market. It was created by Los Angeles-based Aphidoidea, a multi-disciplinary design, architecture and art collective.
“The Seed” was inspired by the Castro District’s culture and human rights movement in a form of a seed. This art piece is an homage to those seeds– “wishes” that have found their place in the world.
Aphidoidea is composed of four main members, Paulina Bouyer-Magan, Jesus(Eddie) Magaña, Andrew Hernandez, and Jacqueline Muñoz. The four are formally trained architects, and, since 2008, has been engaged in a variety of public installations and public art projects.
The project was spearheaded by the Castro Community Benefit District in 2016 and funded through a grant from the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “The Seed” was part of a $150,000 upgrade project to improve Jane Warner Plaza.
*
Photo Courtesy of Castro CBD
Jane Warner Plaza was the first of three temporary public squares created by San Francisco’s “Pavement to Parks” project, the 17th Street plaza was a joint effort of the Department of Planning and Public Works and the Castro/Upper Market CBD. The CBD oversees and pays for maintenance and improvements of the space, provides the plaza’s tables and chairs, and volunteers water the plants and help out as needed.