Whose Art, Which Public?
Date & Time:
Saturday, April 18, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location:
San Francisco Art Fair Theater
Over the past decade, the place and purpose of public art have been urgently reconsidered, as artists, critics, and communities have demanded new frames—questioning long-standing legacies while proposing new ones. This conversation will examine how these debates have coalesced in San Francisco, exploring both the historical foundations and the evolving future of public art. Ted Barrow, PhD, will moderate a discussion with Mildred Howard, artist; Shannon Riley, Founder & CEO, Building 180; Angela Carrier, Senior Program Manager, SFAC; and Sarah Hotchkiss, Senior Editor, KQED.
Ted Barrow, PhD, Moderator
Mildred Howard, artist
Mildred Howard (b. 1945) is a celebrated Bay Area artist whose five-decade practice explores memory, identity, and the stories that shape our communities. Born in San Francisco and raised in Berkeley, she draws on everyday materials to create powerful collages, sculptures, and monumental public artworks that are both poetic and politically resonant. Deeply connected to a vibrant community of artists—including Romare Bearden, Hung Liu, Betye Saar, Raymond Saunders, and her mentor, David Ireland—Howard’s work continues to inspire new generations through its clarity, courage, and emotional depth.
Shannon Riley, Founder & CEO, Building 180
Shannon Riley is an award-winning creative leader working at the intersection of art, civic space, and social impact. She is the Founder and CEO of Building 180, a women-run art agency that supports artists while producing large-scale public artworks, and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Paint the Void, a Bay Area nonprofit that has commissioned more than 330 murals since 2020.
Big Art Loop is her latest endeavor: a 34-mile sculptural art trail throughout San Francisco that aims to install up to 100 large-scale works over three years. Conceived and initially funded by the Sijbrandij Foundation, this initiative represents a long-term investment in public art and civic revitalization. Building 180 curates and produces the project, which has already committed over $2 million.
Shannon also collaborates with San Quentin SkunkWorks, supporting Chiaroscuro: Light Within the Shadows, a project bringing murals and sculptures into prison spaces through collaborations between artists and incarcerated creators. Her leadership has been recognized by SXSW, Codaworx, and Boston College, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the City of San Francisco.
Angela Carrier, Senior Program Manager, SFAC
Angela Carrier is a mother and cultural producer whose work centers diasporic narratives through the arts. Angela has held leadership roles at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, California Historical Society and Brava! For Women in the Arts. Currently a Senior Program Manager at the San Francisco Arts Commission, she stewards equity-focused public art initiatives, facilitates community dialogue around civic memory, and supports artists reimagining how legacy is represented in public space.
Sarah Hotchkiss, Senior Editor, KQED
Sarah Hotchkiss is a San Francisco artist and arts writer. In 2019, she received the Dorothea & Leo Rabkin Foundation grant for visual art journalism and in 2020 she received a Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California award for excellence in arts and culture reporting.