UNDERCOVER

The humanitarian homeless crisis in San Francisco continues to swell, and yet remains a staggering unresolved issue. Annice Jacoby launched UNDERCOVER with City of Poets, Hospitality House, Praxis, Alley Cat Books, a team of artist activists, schools and community groups. During San Francisco's preparations for Super Bowl 50 in 2016, another round of city-wide sweeps was carried out on the unsheltered population because the "problem was an eyesore for tourists." UNDERCOVER was a call to action. UNDERCOVER wanted to make people in distress visible, using beauty to cover them with warmth and care. For months artists and community groups sewed all-weather blankets with many pockets. UNDERCOVER blankets' waterproof outer shells were silk screened at Hospitality House, under supervision of master printer Txutuo Perez, with his drawing imagining a person sleeping in a safe bed of roses. The Market Street Community Arts Workshop, Praxis and Alley Cat Books served as headquarters for sewing circles and blanket distribution. The pockets were stuffed with poetry, hats, supplies, fresh socks and sandwiches. The UNDERCOVER blankets were distributed to people sleeping on sidewalks, under highways, in doorways of shuttered shops. These blankets offered comfort, protection, and connection. The UNDERCOVER campaign was a deeply engaged creative and media success, yet did not move the needle on change to address the needs of the most vulnerable people.