SAN FRANCISCO – Message in a Bottle 4 exhibition (MIAB4):

The San Francisco chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has partnered with Fung Collaboratives to bring awareness to one of the biggest environmental crises of our time – plastics in the ocean. Curator, Lance Fung, selected 26 female artists with 13 male artists totaling 40 participants from the Bay Area and beyond to create site-specific artworks for the fourth edition of this important exhibition series – Message in a Bottle 4. All art media will be included such as: installation, video, painting, sculpture, photography, media, and performance. All used plastic material for the artwork has been reclaimed.

This year’s exhibition theme is “debunking the recycling myth”:

The U.S. plastic recycling rate dropped 4.4% in 2018. With plastic being a non-biodegradable material, discarded plastic in the environment will always exist in some form. The creation and discarding of plastic has impacted both our oceans and wildlife alike. From being eaten by animals, washing up on beaches, and creating islands of trash in the oceans, plastics have left an infamous mark on our planet and the daily lives for all that live. The mission of this exhibition is to bring awareness to the issue of plastics destroying the environment but also to impart ways that each of us can lessen and hopefully one day eliminate this horror in our oceans through personal action, advocacy, and policy change from the producers of unnecessary plastic.

This important free exhibition utilizes the unique features of the prestigious Palace of Fine Arts building in San Francisco for the artists to conceive and realize their artworks containing invaluable messages. Artworks fill the 120,000 square feet Exhibition Center, which is one of the last standing structures built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

Surfrider will also provide many family-friendly activities with their volunteers and community partners, and sponsors as well as much didactic information and many specialists to speak with.

Visiting Hours for Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street, SF, 94123:

Artist reception: Friday, November 1st: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Public viewing: Saturday, November 2nd: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Community Day: Sunday, November 3rd: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Participating Artists:

Rajeev Bhayro, Frank Boban, Marcia Boyajian, Kira Boyer, Chris Cahoon, Reenie Charriere, Teresa Cunniff, Steve Dellicarpini, Ngan Doan, Kate Dodd, Fernando Escartiz, Alicia Escott, Megan Espinosa, Tess Felix, April Ford, Olivia Freitas, Tara de la Garza, Sarah Gendler, Aaron Hazelwood, Molly Hankwitz, Craig Hobbs, Phaan Howng, Judith Selby Lang, Richard Lang, Layman Lee, Sandy Lee, Chip Lord of Ant Farm, Umika Mathur, Peter Moen, Johanna Murazzo, Jiho Park, Maricel Reid, John Roloff, Claudia Sanborn, Jos Sances, Akemi Sato, Tiffany Seav, Kayla Stafinbil, Patrick Viruel, Wen Wen

About Surfrider Foundation:

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans. With over 84 chapters across the nation, and over half a million members

strong, Surfrider has won over 500 battles for the ocean from environmental harm. The San Francisco chapter in particular has been responsible for the protection of the iconic San Francisco county coast line with its near nine thousand members. Their most recent success was a plastic straw ban in July and they have had incredible success with the HOTYB program, which allowed them to install over 40 cigarette-butt disposal cans that prevent over 9,000 cigarette butts from being littered per month and is rapidly growing…

A Message from the curator:

Curator Lance Fung states, “I am humbled to be working with such an important organization such as Surfrider to develop a curatorial premise and exhibition that is needed and has the ability to educate and change people’s awareness and behavior. By changing some simple routine behaviors, each person can (in their way) bring about a positive change for the environment and our collective future.”