Gray Area Foundation for the Arts applies digital art and technology to create positive social impact. We are a new type of arts nonprofit, combining the best of the creative world and the tech world. Founded in San Francisco in 2009, we have produced festivals, hackathons, exhibitions, residencies, projects, and other initiatives that have quickly become internationally recognized. This presentation reviews our work over the past four years with an eye toward the future. Learn more and join us at gaffta.org.

2. UPCOMING
INITIATIVES

3. The Art & Technology
Theater
10,000 sq/ft
Events
Classes
Incubator
Workshops
Performances
Community Spaces

4. A public digital display
to provide the general
public an enjoyable and
engaging way to discover
urban information.

5. OVERVIEW
GRAY AREA

6. OUR MISSION
we apply
digital art + technology
to create
positive social impact

7. WHAT WE DO
we advance the
creative use of technology
to experiment
and explore new solutions
to social challenges

8. WHO WE ARE
coders
artists
designers
innovators
makers
community builders

9. ART TECH
SOCIETY
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY
TECH FOR GOODCONSCIOUS ART
OUR FOCUS

10. OUR WORK

11. We test and scale projects
with high impact potential.
!
We teach digital tools
to support artists
and technologists.
!
We host inspiring events
that promote meaningful
new work.
!
INITIATIVES
!
!
!
EDUCATION
!
!
!
PROGRAMS
!
!
!

12. testing creative projects to scale solutions
!
10 hackathons // 100+ prototypes // 1,000+
GRAY AREA
INITIATIVES

13. EXPERIMENTAL
initiatives
RAPID
prototyping
IMPACTFUL
outcomes

14. EXPERIMENTAL
!
Innovation happens
by taking risks.
!
That’s why our
initiatives
are the first of
their kind.

15. OUR INITIATIVES
Urban
Prototyping
Creative
Currency
Summer of
Smart
Art Hack City Centered
Great Urban
Hack
exploring new
applications of tech
in the public sphere
uniting community
development with
technology
reimagining
democracy in
the digital age
uncovering new
possibilities in
digital art + culture
using local data +
storytelling to
understand issues
helping community
groups leverage
locative media

16. RAPID
!
We need creative
solutions, faster.
!
That’s why we
prototype to
find them.

17. Pulse of the City
Art Here
SMART Muni
I Just Wanna
Hold Your Hand
turning
heartbeats into
data + music
connecting
artists with
unused spaces
managing SF
transportation
in real time
using digital art
to promote public
interaction
SAN FRANCISCO
Highlights
Darkness Map
Your SQFT
Bridge
reviving dark
alleys with 3D
projection art
collecting light
data from
city streets
bringing popups
to underserved
neighborhoods
helping residents
find and reserve
local services
OUR PROJECTS
Creative
Currency
SUMMER
OF SMART

18. IMPACTFUL
!
We support teams
as they grow
!
so that projects
can create
lasting change.

19. PROTOTYPE
!
!
!
PILOT
!
!
!
PRODUCT
We bring together leaders
in art + technology to
spark new projects.
!
We select teams to
test their ideas
in the real world.
!
We work with our
network of partners to
maximize their impact.
OUR RESEARCH MODEL

20. teaching code to create art
!
3 years // 50 classes // 500 students
GRAY AREA
CREATIVE CODE

21. RESPONSIVE
curriculum
EXCEPTIONAL
quality
ACCESSIBLE
pricing

22. RESPONSIVE
!
Digital tools
change
every day.
!
That’s why
our classes
do too.

23. Generative art
Interactive media
Data visualization
Digital cartography
Projection mapping
Augmented reality
Audio synthesis
Game engines
Spatial sound
Soft circuitry
!
+ many more
WHAT WE TEACH

24. !
Arduino
Processing
Max/MSP/Jitter
openFrameworks
HTML5 / Javascript
Quartz Composer
TouchDesigner
WebGL
GLSL
D3
!
+ whatever’s next
OUR TOOLS

25. EXCEPTIONAL
!
Learning can
be inspiring.
!
That’s why we
choose the most
reputable faculty.

26. Michal Migurski Grace Kim Sha Hwang
Mary Franck Michael Chang Spencer Salazar
Partner & Director of
Technology
Stamen Design
Senior Interaction
Designer
Yahoo
Design Technologist
Trulia
Interactive Art
Engineer
Obscura Digital
Ph.D Student
Stanford University
Creative
Technologist
Google
OUR FACULTY
+ many more

27. ACCESSIBLE
!
Technology
skills should be
open to all.
!
That’s why
we keep our class
costs low.

28. College-level
tech education
for
!
$30!
per classroom hour

29. building community to advance creative technology
!
20 exhibitions // 100+ events // 30,000+ attendees
GRAY AREA
PROGRAMS

30. INVENTIVE
programming
INSPIRING
events
DIVERSE
community

31. INVENTIVE
!
Bringing people
together is powerful.
!
That’s why we
offer so many new
ways to engage.

32. performances
hackathons
exhibitions
workshops
speakers
meetups
festivals
demos
panels
WHAT WE HOST

33. INSPIRING
!
Inspiration gives life
to great experiences.
!
That's why we
celebrate visionary
projects and people.

34. Leo Villareal
Dorkbot SF Meetup
w/ other artists
Art Hack Weekend
Hackathon + Expo
w/ Creators Project
Aaron Koblin +
Robert Hodgin
Digital Art Exhibition
Douglas Rushkoff
Public Speech
Senseable Cities
Data Art + Design
Exhibition w/ MIT
Atom TM
Live Performance
OUR EVENTS
+ many more

35. DIVERSE
!
Disciplines and
communities are
often isolated.
!
That’s why we bridge
the GRAY AREA
between them.

36. creative coders
sound artists
data artists
designers
urbanists
makers
students
city agencies
service organizations
underserved communities
WHO WE SERVE

37. PRESS + MEDIA

38. OUR COVERAGE

39. OUR AUDIENCE
[2012]
24,000 7,900
1,209,535 1,021,187
HITS UNIQUES
FOLLOWERS LIKES

40. BUDGET + BACKING

41. OUR BUDGET
$54,500
awarded to projects + artists
$726,600
funding for programs + research

42. OUR BOARD
Julie Bottrell
Stamen
Ben Cerveny
VURB, Bloom
Janetti Chon
Golightly House
Chris Delbuck
Gray Area
Di-ann Eisnor
Waze
Alona Esposito
Gray Area
John Gage
Sun (formerly)
Peter Hirshberg
Re:Imagine
Aaron Koblin
Google
Josette Melchor
Gray Area
Eric Rodenbeck
Stamen
Chloe Sladden
Twitter

43. !
NONPROFIT
!
SF Planning + Urban Research
Intersection for the Arts
Code for America
Hacks/Hackers
Shareable
Eyebeam
The Hub
SPUR
!
PUBLIC
!
SF Mayor’s Office of Civic
Innovation
SF Mayor’s Office of Economic +
Workforce Development
SF Planning Department
Swissnex
!
ACADEMIC
!
Imperial College London
UC Berkeley
Stanford
SFSU
CCA
MIT
!
!
!
CORPORATE
!
American Express
Creators Project
5M Project
IDEO
Rebar
!
OUR PARTNERS

44. !
Nat’l Endowment for the Arts
Adobe Foundation
American Express
5M Placeworks
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
SF Arts Commission
SF Grants for the Arts
Wordpress.org
!
!
!
$100,000
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$32,000
$30,000
$20,000
$20,000
!
!
OUR SUPPORTERS

45. grayarea.org
JOIN US