Press

By the end of this year, there will be over 40 pieces of public art in the cultural district

SOMA Pilipinas is on a mission to bring the streets of downtown San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District alive with vibrant color—and soon they’ll unveil the most precious work in their growing collection of public art.

Johanna Poethig repaints a mural that depicts Filipino American history on the corner of Lapu Lapu and Bonifacio streets in San Francisco.

In this episode of Voices for Change, we celebrate the start of the summer Olympics. We honor the memory of Victoria Draves, the first Asian American to win a medal, and show you how her San Francisco roots are being remembered.

As San Francisco continues to rebound from the pandemic, SOMA Pilipinas is utilizing the mural and 40 other pieces of public art to draw visitors back to the area—and showcase the vibrancy of the Filipino community.

Filipinos around the world hold one Christmas symbol above the rest: the parol, a traditional ornamental lantern that adorns streets, homes, malls and buildings in the Philippines.

October is Philippine Indigenous People’s Month. KRON4 was joined by a special performance group that knows about the celebration of the culture.

Earlier this month, musical artist Toro y Moi handed over the keys to his car in front of Westfield Mall in San Francisco. But it wasn’t just any car: It was the jeepney that graces the cover of his 2022 album Mahal, and which became a recognizable symbol of his music.

Evelyn Shauf has lived at 42 Sycamore St. in the Mission for 38 years and is facing eviction.

After a two year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions, the parol festival returned to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

On its 20th year, the Parol Lantern Festival held a milestone celebration last Dec. 10 at the Yerba Buena Gardens, while rain did not deter Kapwa Garden’s second annual Halo Halo Holidays.

More recently, there has been a push for greater recognition of the contributions made by Filipino Americans throughout history.

More Filipino representation is coming to San Francisco - from local Fil-Am artists who are creating murals to a giant arch way signifying the official Filipino cultural district in the city.