Our project will engage youth from preschool through age 25 in Bayview Hunters Point to create art and gather stories for the 2026 Semiquincentennial Crane Illumination Project at the Hunters Point Shipyard. Led by artist Shipyard William Rhodes and supported by Shipyard teaching artists, we will conduct art classes in community spaces and at the Shipyard itself, focusing on drawing, painting, quilt-making, and storytelling. Youth will connect with seniors who have personal ties to the Shipyard, sharing stories that deepen the meaning of the artwork and strengthen intergenerational bonds. Field trips to the Shipyard will encourage participants to see themselves as part of its ongoing story. This project highlights Black and historically marginalized voices, strengthens community identity and pride, and ensures youth voices shape a major community celebration.
STAR supports artists through curated exhibitions, a dedicated website and social media presence, and periodic Open Studios events that create opportunities for sales and exposure. The organization also offers professional development in presentation, pricing, sales, and marketing to strengthen artists’ careers.
STAR’s Artist-in-Residence program provides 18 months of free studio space to three artists from Bayview Hunters Point. Launched in 1996, the program has significantly increased local artist participation, with more than half of residents securing permanent studios afterward.
Teaching artists lead classes at nearby schools and senior centers, enriching lives through creative engagement. On-site classes, tours, and events at the Shipyard connect children, adults, and seniors with the artistic process and the site itself. Uncovering and sharing the Shipyard’s layered history—also the history of this traditionally African American neighborhood—remains a central focus.
STAR maintains a free website, www.shipyardartists.com, where all Shipyard artists have individual, editable pages. Online and in-person art sales through exhibitions and auctions further support artists’ visibility and income.
In 2018, construction began on a new artist building secured by STAR as a community benefit. It was halted due to falsified soil testing, delaying development. STAR continues to advocate for its completion and for upgrades to existing facilities.
Our newest project, CRANE, expands this work by using public art, storytelling, and community events to highlight the Shipyard’s historical significance and deepen awareness of its relationship to Bayview Hunters Point. CRANE also invites the local community to participate in shaping the Shipyard’s future through dialogue, memory, and shared vision. CRANE will culminate in the fall of 2026 with a major light and sound installation around the landmark gantry crane.
STAR also collaborates with the U.S. Navy to provide informational meetings on environmental cleanup, while hosting independent events that raise public understanding and promote long-term safety.

