HELP FUND THIS NATIONAL PHENOMENON

Your support helped create this extraordinary place for art, music, and joy. Can you help us make it even better?

Recent stories in the New York Times and CNN have highlighted The Golden Mile as one of true the bright spots in San Francisco. The SF Rec & Park Department (SFRPD) has described it as a jewel in the park system. Massive murals, large-scale art, live music, bright yellow Adirondack chairs, pianos for open play - even a coffee kiosk and a weekend beer garden - now fill this formerly dangerous road.

Much much is more planned for the 1.5 stretch of the park - including four large-scale interactive sculptures by international artists Gillie and Marc, but we need help. And the newly installed - yet already beloved piece called No Dancing (there's a lot of dancing!). And much more is planned, including a full refresh of the Yellow Dot, more pianos, more trees (on the promenade, more Adirondack chairs, and more music. More everything, because people love it.  And San Francisco deserves it.

The Golden Mile is an extraordinary partnership with SFRPD and the city's Office of Employment and Workforce Development (OEWD). 

For more information or to make a non-cash gift, major gift, or grant please contact: Ben Davis - Ben@illuminate.org or David Hatfield - David@illuminate.org

Main Illuminate.org website

#TheGoldenMile #jfkpromenade

The Golden Mile Project, located in the heart of San Francisco’s majestic Golden Gate Park, is a place of whimsy, fun and lingering delight. Previously one of San Francisco’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians and bikers, the 1.5 mile stretch has now been transformed into an urban oasis bursting with art, music and joy.  

With San Francisco-based arts nonprofit Illuminate leading the way in partnership with SF Rec Park, the road enjoyed a complete transformation over three months beginning in the fall of 2022. More than a dozen massive murals are painted directly upon the former roadway, large-scale sculpture installations adorn the mile as creative totems to community solidarity, two pianos sit ready for open play, live music permeates the air, a beautifully restored vintage caravan pours locally roasted coffee, circus performers emerge and vanish again as organically as the naturally occurring elements, a storyboard walk educates minds young and old on the history of the park, children’s games can be found in plain sight. Even a full-fledged beer & wine garden is open on weekends for the adults–all of this in a safe and joyful environment.

This extraordinary transformation, funded through private philanthropy, served to reveal the promise of this former road, turned urban oasis. It is credited with motivating San Francisco voters to overwhelmingly pass Proposition J in November 2022, which permanently closed a section of the road (JFK Drive) to vehicles.

Illuminate’s many partners on the project include the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Office of Employment and Workforce Development (OEWD), Paint the Void (murals), Independent Distribution Collective (music), San Francisco Public Library (StoryWalk), Non Plus Ultra (beer garden), Automattic (website), Kid Safe SF, Walk SF and SF Bike.

With gratitude,

Team Illuminate ~ Ben Davis, David Hatfield and Executive Producer Patricia Suflita Wilson