Editor’s note: This article originally posted on the San Francisco Examiner. Click here for more culture reporting at sfexaminer.com

More than 20 artists will set up shop at Presidio Tunnel Tops at the end of October as part of an all-ages art market designed to platform members of the Bay Area’s arts and culture scenes by giving them a space to showcase their works to audiences.

Arts.Co.Lab, a San Francisco organization that supports local artists who are Black, Indigenous, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ, disabled and from other underrepresented backgrounds through professional development, coaching and organized events, will host the Community Arts Market at the park from Oct. 25-26. Running 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event will feature the agency’s cohort of 20 artists who are participating in the Transformative Arts Market. The program provides artists and creatives with vending opportunities and training sessions to develop their business models and offerings.

Arturo Mendez, founder and executive director of Arts.Co.Lab, said “curating this experience in such a stunning natural setting feels deeply symbolic.” Presidio Tunnel Tops provides gorgeous views of local landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and natural geographic features like San Francisco Bay, he said, enabling visitors and vendors to forge deeper connections with the physical environment.

Tunnel Tops’ open-air setting “reminds us that creativity flourishes when artists have space to breathe, connect and be seen,” Mendez said. “The Presidio’s landscape provides the perfect backdrop for this.”

Aya Tacdol, the Presidio Trust’s community partnerships manager, said the two-day event “is a win for everyone.”

“Artists get to share their work, visitors get to enjoy art and free performances and we reach our goals of welcoming all to the Presidio,” Tacdol said. The market is also further proof “there’s always something new to see, do and experience at Presidio Tunnel Tops,” she said.

The artisans and makers set to sell their wares vary in experiences, but Mendez said all of their works embody themes of resilience and imagination. There will also be wellness practitioners who use art as a form of therapy to help navigate stressful times, as well as live music, spoken-word performances and poetry readings. Mendez said the lineup “creates an exchange that’s as much about learning and listening as it is about selling or performing.”

“By supporting these artists through infrastructure, we ensure that their creative labor translates into economic opportunity and cultural vitality,” Mendez said. A 2023 report from the National Endowment for the Arts found that arts and cultural production added $288.9 billion to the state economy. Mendez encouraged state leaders and other funders to “look at arts as a reliable source of income” and find ways to help assist the industry.

In addition to the Presidio Trust, San Francisco Arts Commission, the Mellon Foundation and San Francisco Songbird Festival are supporting the Community Arts Market. The latter brings talent presenters and performers together for music, dance and visual arts events.

Coma Te, the Arts Commission’s director of communications, said the body “is thrilled to fund projects like the Community Arts Market that provide an opportunity and space for creativity to thrive in San Francisco.”

He said providing assistance to local artists and creatives “is at the heart of SFAC’s mission to support a vibrant and thriving art and cultural landscape,” adding that the Arts Commission “is excited to see so many artists come together to celebrate and share their work,” as well as support The City’s local creative economy.

Mendez said the event’s accessibility reflects Arts.Co.Lab’s commitment to the Bay Area’s artistic entrepreneurs by establishing “the foundation for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable creative economy.”

“Through this infrastructure — both physical and social — we are investing in long-term capacity for artists to engage, showcase and sustain their work,” he said.