FAQ’s

About Big Art Loop

  • Big Art Loop is a public art initiative that brings ambitious, large-scale sculptures into neighborhoods across San Francisco. With sculptures installed on a 34-mile walkable and bikeable trail, Big Art Loop brings world-class art into local communities and daily life.

  • Big Art Loop’s mission is to inspire wonder, strengthen pride in place, and deepen connection to San Francisco by using public art as a catalyst for civic revival. Our goal is to place up to 100 sculptures across the 34-mile Loop, the largest urban sculpture trail in the world.

  • Our vision is to create a  citywide sculpture trail that is vibrant and continually evolving, alive with ambitious works of public art that rotate over time, keeping the experience fresh and inviting. Big Art Loop is an experience that gives residents and visitors alike new reasons to step outside, explore the city, and deepen their connection to San Francisco.

  • San Francisco is a city built by visionaries, artists, inventors, and change-makers who reimagine what is possible. Today, the city is at an inflection point. Big Art Loop is part of the movement to revitalize San Francisco, showing that beauty, imagination, and creativity are not just hallmarks of the city's past, but of its future. 

    Monumental public art sparks connection, inspires pride, and awakens a sense of belonging in every neighborhood. The installations also drive foot traffic and revenue to local businesses, draw visitors into new areas, and position San Francisco as a world-class cultural destination.

  • Big Art Loop focuses specifically on large-scale sculptures 10+ feet in height or width. All installations are existing artworks, rather than new commissions, which allows Big Art Loop to activate spaces quickly and at scale. Every sculpture on the Loop is free and accessible to the public, 24/7.

  • Not yet. We are proving the model in San Francisco, and hope it can serve as a blueprint for cities around the world.

Visiting the Loop

  • Big Art Loop sculptures are located along a 34-mile citywide walkable and bikeable loop, from Sunset Dunes Park to the Embarcadero to the Bayview District and beyond. As of July 2026, 20+ sculptures are on the ground, and new sites and sculptures are being added throughout the year. Explore current and upcoming locations on Big Art Loop’s google map.

  • Start by bookmarking the Big Art Loop map, which shows the location of current and future sites. All sculptures are installed in accessible public spaces that you can walk to, bike to, or reach via public transportation. At each site, scan the QR code to learn more about the artist and the work.

  • Yes. All of the sculptures on the Loop are free to experience 24/7.

  • Big Art Loop launched in 2024 and plans to place up to 100 large-scale sculptures across the 34-mile Loop over three years. Our longer-term vision is to become an enduring part of San Francisco's cultural landscape, continuing to evolve with new artists and installations that give residents and visitors new reasons to explore the city for years to come.

  • Sign up for our newsletter at bigartloop.org/newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest installations, events, and behind-the-scenes moments.

The Sculptures

  • Sculptures must already exist and measure at least 10+ feet in height or width. 

  • Big art captures attention. Each sculpture is 10+ feet in height or width, creating moments that stop people in their tracks, spark conversation, and inspire photos that get shared across social media. That visibility draws more visitors to the Loop, increases foot traffic in neighborhoods, and drives economic and civic vitality.


  • By installing only existing work, Big Art Loop is able to spotlight sculptures that would otherwise be unavailable for the public to experience. Before joining Big Art Loop, many of the sculptures were in storage and away from the public eye. With this model, we’re also able to activate spaces quickly and at scale, ensuring the artwork remains free and accessible 24/7.

  • We use a collaborative, site-driven process, rooted in both technical and community considerations. We begin by identifying locations with city and land partners, ensuring each site meets engineering, safety, and permitting requirements. We then match approved sites with existing large-scale artworks from our open call submissions. All installations advance through established city approval processes and community engagement. Every artwork we place must be impactful, appropriate for its surroundings, and responsive to the community around it.

  • All installations are temporary. Sculptures are placed for a minimum of one year, with some staying longer depending on community response, landowner preferences, site needs, and maintenance requirements. This keeps the Loop fresh and gives more artists and artworks the opportunity for public display.

  • Yes, a sculpture can be extended, provided it has gone through the proper city approval processes.

  • Big Art Loop actively maintains each installation through routine inspections, cleaning, and repairs as needed. The team works with the artists, fabricators, and local partners to ensure the work remains safe and in excellent condition throughout its display, with this maintenance cost built into each installation budget. At the end of an installation’s run, pieces are responsibly deinstalled, relocated, or returned in alignment with artist agreements.

  • The artwork is returned to the artist. In some cases, a piece may sell while on the Loop, in which case it goes to its new owner.

  • No. While some sculptures like R-Evolution and Heartfullness have appeared at Burning Man, less than half of current installations originated there. Big Art Loop sources work from a wide range of artists, and every piece is presented in a fresh setting, reaching entirely new audiences.

  • Public art can be powerful without being partisan. Big Art Loop encourages visitors to engage with the work by examining, questioning and experiencing it from their own individual perspective.

  • The artwork on the Loop is meant to be experienced by everyone, whether you're 9 months old or 99 years old. We trust families to navigate art together and experience each piece in their own way. Many parents have shared that it opens up thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations.

Site Selection & Approvals

  • No single person or agency decides where art goes on the Loop. We work with city agencies and community partners to identify public spaces that can safely host large-scale sculpture, considering factors like engineering, visibility, foot traffic, and community use. Once a site is identified, we match it with an artwork based on scale, feasibility, and cost. Each placement then moves through engineering review, community engagement, civic review boards (Port Commission or SF Arts Commission), and municipal permitting before installation.

  • Big Art Loop works directly with city agencies, neighborhood groups, and cultural organizations throughout the selection and placement process. Community feedback is gathered through established public review processes at the SF Arts Commission, Port Commission, and Recreation & Park. Since the installation of R-Evolution in late 2024, Big Art Loop has strengthened its community engagement practices, building more time into the process to ensure robust advance engagement for every installation.

  • Community members can advocate for installations through their supervisors, land-owning agencies, or directly through our partners. 

  • Not currently. Site selection is driven by engineering, permitting, and community considerations.

  • Big Art Loop sculptures are placed in public spaces so that everyone can experience them, free and open 24/7. If you'd like to advocate for an installation in your community, reach out to your supervisors, land-owning agencies, or directly through our partners.

  • Approval records are maintained by the agencies overseeing each site: the SF Arts Commission, the Port of San Francisco, and SF Recreation & Park. For all installations, Big Art Loop follows the Guidelines for Temporary Public Art established by SFAC. The initiative is featured on the SFAC website as an example of these guidelines in practice (listed under "Samples and Examples"). Big Art Loop continues to strengthen its community engagement practices, building more time into the process to ensure advance engagement for every installation. We welcome feedback on how to further improve at team@bigartloop.org.

Artists

  • We encourage all types of artists to apply to Big Art Loop in our open call. We require artists to have completed sculpture(s) that are over 10 feet in height or length, suitable for outdoor display. 

  • Art is sourced through both inbound and outbound inquiries. Artists can submit their existing large-scale works for consideration through an open call managed by Big Art Loop’s partner, Building 180.

  • Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Due to the high volume of submissions, we are unable to respond to each application individually. We review all applications and work, and reach out directly when there’s a strong thematic and feasibility fit for a specific opportunity. All submissions are retained for future consideration as new projects arise.

  • Yes. Big Art Loop compensates every artist whose work is placed on the Loop. We work directly with each artist to structure fair and transparent agreements that reflect the scope, scale, and duration of the installation. Compensation may cover artist fees, shipping, engineering, installation, and ongoing maintenance.

  • Of Big Art Loop’s completed and upcoming installations as of April 2026, 44% are Bay Area-based artists and 33% identify as BIPOC, LatinX or LGBTQ+ artists, and 66% are emerging artists. We're actively working to expand the pool of large-scale artworks through outreach to diverse artists, while acknowledging that creating large-scale sculpture has historically required significant resources.

Funding & Support

  • Big Art Loop is privately funded and does not use taxpayer dollars. The program launched with seed funding from the Sijbrandij Foundation, which helped incubate the program and get the first sculptures on the ground. Big Art Loop is now building its own funding base and actively inviting new philanthropic partners to help realize the full vision of a 34-mile trail that is free for everyone. To learn more about supporting the Loop, visit bigartloop.org/donate. 

  • Big Art Loop is in the process of establishing its nonprofit status and is not yet a registered nonprofit.

  • If you found meaning in a piece of art or enjoyed your Loop experience, tell your friends, share a photo on social media (find our Instagram account here and Facebook account here), and sign up for Big Art Loop’s newsletter.

  • Visit bigartloop.org/donate to make a donation. You can sponsor a specific sculpture or dedicate funds to wherever they're needed most. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, contact us at team@bigartloop.org. Thank you for your generous support.

  • Yes you can! Visit bigartloop.org/donate to see the next sculptures coming to the Loop. If you would like to dedicate your donation to an existing sculpture, please contact us at team@bigartloop.org. Thank you for your generous support.

  • Donations are not currently tax deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, contact us at team@bigartloop.org. Thank you for your generous support.

Team & Partners

  • Big Art Loop is led by CEO Aliza Marks.

  • Building 180 is the creative production partner leading curation, artist relations, and operations for Big Art Loop. Founded by Shannon Riley and Meredith Winner, Building 180 has a proven track record of supporting San Francisco artists while also producing hundreds of art installations around the world, including many in San Francisco. They bring a deep commitment to artists, community-centered action, and rigorous adherence to all city approval processes.

  • We can be reached by email at team@bigartloop.org.