Warriors Community Foundation Unveils Refurbished Basketball Court at Alive & Free
The Warriors Community Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF), Alive & Free – Omega Boys Club and the Good Tidings Foundation, has revealed a refurbished basketball court at Alive & Free, a community court in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. This marks the third time the Warriors Community Foundation has refurbished this specific court, with the first coming in 2008, in honor of former Warriors player Stephen Jackson, and again in 2016, with the added celebration in honor of former Mayor of San Francisco Ed Lee.
Earlier today, Warriors Assistant Coach Kenny Atkinson was in attendance for the court unveil ceremony. The court dedication was followed by a Warriors Basketball Academy clinic for local youth.
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Warriors Community Foundation Unveils Refurbished Basketball Court at Alive & Free
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The renovation work included the removal of all existing asphalt with new baserock and asphalt installed, new acrylic surface with play lines, new breakaway rims, fence repair, new paint, new banner, and an artistic court mural. The court mural was designed by artist Patrick Martinez and painted by the Bay Area Mural Program (BAMP).
“The ICA SF Is committed to helping make the Bay Area a better place through contemporary art and culture, and this project is a tangible example of that commitment,” said ICA SF Director Ali Gass. “Contemporary art and civic partnership can help lift and empower neighborhoods, improve communities, and create opportunities in small and big ways.”
The ICA SF is a free, non-collecting contemporary art museum located on the same block of Minnesota St. as the Dogpatch Community Court. Martinez created the mural overlooking the basketball court to celebrate graduates from Alive & Free’s violence prevention and leadership programs. The mural, which pulls influence from Martinez’s Pee-Chee series, was painted in collaboration between Martinez and the Bay Area Mural Program (BAMP). BAMP is a nonprofit organization of local artists dedicated to facilitating and creating public art.
Martinez’s work has been exhibited domestically and internationally and is in the permanent collections of many institutions including Whitney Museum of American Art, The National Museum of American History, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and many more. Martinez is dedicated to honoring and uplifting Black and Brown youth in California. His paintings reference vintage Pee-Chee folders, transforming the popular school supplies into protests against violence, displacement, and racial injustice.
Alive & Free was established in February 1987 by community leaders Dr. Joseph Marshall and Jack Jacqua to keep young people alive and free, unharmed by violence and free from incarceration. They provide young people with opportunity and support to build positive lives for themselves and to move into contributing roles in society.
“We are excited to share the dedication, brilliance and perseverance of our college graduates beautifully highlighted for the Dogpatch to see and celebrate as they use the court,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director of Alive & Free Omega Boys Club, Dr. Joseph Marshall. Our students are surrounded by our alumni photos in the classroom, but now will be able see generations of our alumni celebrated on their court. We are honored to share in our continued partnership with the Warriors as we work together to uplift our communities. The support of each organization encourages our youth to believe in themselves and to achieve their goals."
The basketball court at Alive & Free was refurbished in partnership with the Warriors, Institute of Contemporary Art with the help of The Good Tidings Foundation as part of the Makin’ Hoops program, created over 25 years ago by the Warriors Community Foundation and the Good Tidings Foundation, which has restored 90 basketball courts in the Bay Area.