New Mid-Market Arts District Launches With $500K Investment From SF Billionaires

SF business leaders and wealthy donors are funding a new Mid-Market arts district, which launches alongside a free festival Saturday, as a growing number of Bay Area artists call for a boycott of events funded by billionaires.A coalition of downtown business and civic leaders is putting $500,000 toward a new Market Street Arts Theater District, with plans to fund performance spaces, live music pop-ups, and other arts programming, as the Chronicle reports. Backers include the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation, the Proper Hotel Group, and crypto-billionaire Chris Larsen, with a free festival Saturday marking the launch.The Market Street Arts Theater District will initially focus on the 900 block of Market Street between Fifth and Sixth streets. Plans reportedly include activating vacant spaces, adding lighting and public art, and funding pop-up performances and other arts programming over the next year.According to the SF Examiner, Saturday s inaugural Market Street Arts