budget, pension, and into something really fun, international, and that is why i am here today. i want to thank our port director and port commissioners for joining us as well. i could sit here and talk about resources efficiency, environmental adaptability is, all of the things that we started out with, but what i really want to talk about is how exciting this race is going to be. i want to welcome the teams here on behalf of san francisco. we appreciate your competition, your entry into this race. mr. birth, mr. murray, thank you for your leadership on this. we are excited about this to no end. after monday's ride on that a slower sailboat, being passed by id ac -- by the ac 45's, it was really exhilarating.

i have been tried to think about how to explain this sport to a novice. as i was thinking about the ac 45's, and as they were crossing the us, and as i saw the teams on that boat, doing everything they had to do to keep the sales in place, to keep balance, i can only think of two other analogous sports. at least on the 45's, and i expect it will be as dramatic as on the 72's, you need the ability of a professional basketball player to be able to function. you have to have the precise this of a 40 niner super bowl team in order to do well. then you also have to have the

execution of a world series giants seemed to be able to win the competition. with all of that, i know all of these skills will be necessary for each of these teams to be able to compete well. and to be on a fast-moving boat, with the waves and wind going in all different directions, and to beat the other boats, you will need all the agility, precision, and execution that you know how to do. it is really a lot of these sports abilities combined to make the vote successful. i want to thank the authority, event organizing committee for bringing this to san francisco. we know we're ready. the funding will be there. i know kerry is working hard. we have already raised $2 million, and that is before the

nonprofit status has been granted. we have promised to raise over $32 million by the time 2013 comes. as we approached this, as the international regatta starts, i want to congratulate the teams for being here and to perhaps signal to you a friendly but competitive phrase that we use in the bay area. when you start this competition, let's get it on. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] >> didn't marvin gaye also have that phrase, mayor? [laughter] we are as excited as you are about this international, global event. what makes it even more exciting, this is the only new global sporting event that will

come to america in the next 10 years, and it is coming right here to san francisco. this is coming in many ways, our world cup on the water. the olympics on the water. again, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. thank you for our teams represented from all over the world. and as the mayor says, let's get it on. let us hear it for the america's cup 34. we will ask the teams to stick around. they will do a group photo and then there will be someone on one interview opportunities. thank you for being here. cheers.

>> welcome to art in store fronts. i am director of postal affairs for the san francisco art commission. it is my pleasure to welcome you and the artists, the community partners, the vendors, and folks in san francisco for this launch. [applause] i want to start by thanking -- we had a long list because this has been a great production, so you have to bear with me. we want to start by thanking the john's brothers piano company --

the johns brothers piano company. we want to thank the d.c. piano company from berkeley for providing the piano for tonight's launch. [applause] last year, we got a fabulous grant to help make a really significant investment throughout the year, and we launched what is called the artery project. it is a pun for all the different ways that market street works for us. it is a major summer program for the city, and at the same time, we have been using the arts to reinvigorate and reconnect people with this fabulous commercial and civic thoroughfare, so the artery project launched this year. today's are in store fronts is

part of that initiative -- art in storefronts is part of that initiative. i hope you all picked up one of these fabulous programs that were printed up today because it gives you a map. it also gives you coupons and identifies all of the artists participating in the artery project and the art in store front program, and i want to thank "the examiner" for printing this up and distributing it to the entire city today. [applause] we have some great partners in the artery project. we are standing here in front of the new home of the home for the arts -- the home of the arts gallery. plaza -- [applause]

they have been fabulous partners with us throughout the whole artery project. tonight, there's a recession and an opening, and we encourage you to visit and sit down with them -- there's a recession and an opening. down at the plaza, you can see two magnificent sculptures. [applause] while you dance with the space cowboy dj collective. [applause] so there is an incentive to work our way down market street today. some of the local merchants are staying open late for this lot and programming in there were, or they are offering coupons, which you will find in your program today. this year, rickshaw is a san francisco company creating art

in storefronts bags. [applause] one of our artists whose work is directly across over there. these bags are available for sale for $100, but we have 10 to raffle off today. sari, one of these today. [laughter] -- sorry, one of these today. [laughter] we are sliding back on our promises today. i know you can go online and in some additional bags -- win some additional bags. you have to take a photograph of an art in storefront side, uploaded to twitter or flickr or

facebook and enter to get one of these custom bags. somebody had a clipboard around here. where is the clipboard? ok, there is the clipboard over there. it is going to be circulating around, and mayor ed lee is going to pick the first winner of this bag. before i introduce our distinguished elected official, we have a number of bank used -- thank-yous we want to share with you. revitalizing the neighborhood requires the efforts of a whole big village. so we have got david adderfield, byron yee, mark casagrande, and

i would like to ask you all to join me in thanking them for their support of art in storefronts. [applause] today, we have to thank as well the artists who were selected to be part of this program. i want to read their names and ask you all to collectively acknowledge them. [reading names] [applause]

let's give them all a big round of applause. [applause] you know, these are the artists that competed for this honor and distinction out of a pool of about 150 applicants. it really gives you a sense of how many artists are active in san francisco, how many artists want to be part of bringing their art to the public. so it is a great distinction and honor for them to have been selected. thank you so much for everything that you did and your contribution to make art in storefronts a success. if i come back to the microphone, i want to be able to introduce -- we have two

distinguished speakers. do you have an order of preference? [laughter] i'm going to introduce first our president of the board of supervisors and a great supporter of the arts, david chiu. [applause] supervisor chiu: good evening, everyone. who is excited that it is friday? [applause] are there any artists here tonight? all right. is there anyone representing [inaudible] this is an amazing announcement. a number of years ago, -- did i hear hunters point is here? the host city is here. i want to thank you for representing everything that is great about san francisco. and number of years ago, mayor lee's predecessor and i had a

conversation about what we need to do about two issues facing san francisco. one of them was the fact that we have way too many vacant storefronts all over the city, and the other was the fact that we have incredible artists who had not been able to find spaces to showcase their art. like peanut butter meeting chocolate, we are bringing our store fronts, our incredible art together, and i'm happy to be part of the celebration of what is wonderful about san francisco. i am also very excited about the fact that we're doing this here in the street corner. mayor lee and i stood on that street corner helping to announce new legislation that we hope is going to help revitalize these neighborhoods. the neighborhood that we are in now, the central market area, the tenderloin, has been blighted for decades. we have had way too much crime, way too much unemployment, way too many vacant storefronts. for this program to help turn

this neighborhood around, again, showcase the best, the brightest, the most colorful designs, the most creative of who we are as san franciscans -- i am just happy to be part of this, so give yourselves a hand, and thank goodness it is friday. [applause] >> thank you, president chiu. the san francisco arts commission has 15 commissioners appointed by the mayor every month -- appointed by the mayor. every week, they volunteer their time to help shape the cultural policy of the city of san francisco. tonight, we have the president of the san francisco arts commission, p.j. johnson. we also have jerry young, one of our commissioners. [applause]

do we have any other commissioners? i'm not seeing you. they all work very hard on the citizens of san francisco, thank you, commissioners, for being here and for everything that you do. now, the final thank you before introducing the grandmaster. we have been fiber non-profit arts community -- we have a vibrant non-profit arts community that is part of this project, the central market community benefit district. those beautiful sculptures are brought to you by black rock arts foundation and burning man. [applause] we have got to thank a lot of our civic partners in government. supervisor kim's office.

the mayor's office on disability. the mayor's office of neighborhood services, the mayor's office of economic and workforce development, which is really a key partner for us in this. let's give them a warm round of applause. [applause] the department of public works. the public utilities commission. last but not least, i want to thank the staff of the arts commission and the leadership that brought this even to gather -- this event together. let's give them a warm round of applause. [applause] now, it is my pleasure to introduce to you a person who is really one of the founders of the idea that market street could be revitalized by reintroducing the arts in the

non-profit arts community to this area. he has been a champion before he was mayor, of the idea of creating an arts district along market street. it really is my pleasure to introduce to you the great mayor of san francisco, edwin lee. [applause] mayor lee: everybody, thank you very much for coming out to the artery of arteries in san francisco. i want to also acknowledge the wonderful work that the arts foundation is doing. they were the first agency that we were able to fund back when i was city administrator, when we were thinking, how could we start changing the street? we had that old theater that was and did already, but it still look like a porn theater.

we were all reminded of how vibrant arts was. we started looking at the site, and they were looking at it, and we finally were able to give a little grant called the community challenge grant, and we emphasize the word challenge. the gray arts foundation took up that challenge, and now they are expanding, and now we have fantastic murals open tonight, and they were the first, but they led the effort after the arts commission and grants of the arts went to work along with the mayor's office. i know north dakota is there, and she is working very hard because none of this happen without the partnership of so many people coming together, and all of you have come together tonight not just to help out. you are going to have fun tonight with the three different receptions going on and the parties that are going to go on here, and there will be many more for all of us to be here

safely and be here extending all the population to come down here and have great fun, enjoy the cultural arts, as well as the people in the tenderloin, the mid-market, south of market , everyplace else. people want to come gather here. we are doing all the other things necessary to build partnerships. that is what the arts commission has been able to do. i want to thank luis and his wonderful commission for leadership on this effort because that partnership has brought out some $10,000 from blick art materials to contribute to the united nations plaza open air arts festival. thank you. where are you? [applause] in addition, san francisco beautiful with its $3,000 contribution. thank you. then, of course, the black rock arts foundation. thank you very much, bernie

mahon, and all of you for coming together, helping us out. that is going to give a lot more incentive for other agencies to come and start contributing as well. -- thank you very much, bernie mahon -- burning man. i want to thank the artists that have come together here to recognize them and for their contribution. if you give with art, it will be sustained with art. you are going to find a lot more people discovering all the beauty of this neighborhood, and is led by all of you here tonight. thank you for being here. [applause] we got off the grid trucks. two trucks here tonight. we have sculptures. we have john brothers piano company. thank you for this, coming out here. is david around here? come on, show up.

i also want to give a shout up to our san francisco police department. [applause] as we transition, people will -- will be safer and safer as they know that our officers are around here. their presence allows the natural transition for everything to occur. it is still struggling for a lot of people to see the transition, but it is real. it is coming. we are making all the right decisions, but we know you are here because you have faith and hope. thank you very much. [applause] >> let's see who is extremely lucky. and the winner of the prestigious specially designed bag -- well, they have a name.

i would rather read the name, right? nell lomac. do you have to be here to win? >> yes. >> they better come out. all right, you have to be here. you have to come right up front. here is a real winner. a number, no name. 7852368. up in center. one more time. [laughter]

785 -- all right. 2368. come on out here. [applause] this is -- [inaudible] >> verified winner. >> congratulations. [applause] now we are going to go around the corner and unveil the mural. do not forget the after party at the gray area luggage store and hospitality house. all right.