SF residents waited in an hourlong line for anti-doom loop merch

If you live in San Francisco, you may soon start noticing a strange message emblazoned across T-shirts, jackets and bags around town: “SF is DEAD.” 

The graphic is meant to be celebratory, or at least ironically negative. The new “anti-doom loop” merchandise was created at a screenprinting event last week at Madrone Art Bar. 

A crowd filled the Divisadero dive, famous for its Motown on Monday parties, on a Saturday afternoon — typically the slowest time of the week at Madrone — while a line ran out the door and began to fold around the building. Michael Krouse, owner of Madrone Art Bar, told SFGATE that by his estimation, people spent about an hour waiting in line to print their shirts.

The “SF is DEAD” print was one of Madrone’s selections from an “anti-doom loop” design contest that the bar held in November. The screenprinting event featured all three winning designs. Jasmine Moore, who works at Madrone and helped orchestrate the event, told SFGATE that she hoped artists could demonstrate how San Francisco isn’t in a doom loop after all. 

Artists responded with designs that celebrated San Francisco’s vibrant music and arts scenes and stressed the city’s capacity for rebirth.

One winning design, by artist Sherry Yuan, depicts a silhouette of San Francisco, complete with a rainbow and the city’s Ferris wheel. In the background, a phoenix rises, recalling the city’s flag.

In another, by San Francisco-based Kaley Antonsen, Madrone Art Bar is shown sprouting limbs and dancing. The anthropomorphized building tips its hat as it performs a jig.

In the third, three jazz musicians play their instruments underneath blocky letters declaring the death of San Francisco. From the way the trumpet player throws his head back, you get the impression that it’s more of a party than a dirge.

Steffan Sanguinetti, the 30-year-old graphic designer and artist who designed the “SF is DEAD” print, told SFGATE that that was his intention.

“This is my way of taking [the city’s negative image], putting a sarcastic touch on it and putting it in your face,” he said. “Like, yeah, San Francisco’s dead. But here’s the life that is still breathing in it.”

The screenprinting event offered proof of concept. Here was a place filled with art, music and conversation — all in a city whose reputation is increasingly tied to vacant storefronts. 

Sanguinetti doesn’t think so. “San Francisco is still alive as long as the people that love San Francisco are alive and keeping that thought and feeling alive,” he said. 

Later he followed up with an email to emphasize his point:  “What I meant to say was, ‘Hell No!’”