A heart sculpture now connects The Chan National Queer Arts Center with another part of San Francisco’s community life: public health. VASU: Vibrance Within, created by Amaura Arts, has been placed at the center through the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation’s Community Hearts program.
The work is on loan through the program. Its arrival brings the Foundation’s Hearts in San Francisco initiative into a space used for queer arts, rehearsals, performances and community gatherings.
Art, Community and Care
The Foundation’s account of the unveiling describes a gathering that included Foundation CEO Kim Meredith, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center CEO Dr. Susan Ehrlich, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg.
The event also recognized the hospital’s relationship with the LGBTQIA+ community, including its role during the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the care it continues to provide.
For readers exploring the building, the sculpture adds another chapter to The Chan’s story as a gathering place for art and community.
Community Heart Unveiling
Photographs from the unveiling at The Chan, June 29, 2026. Photography: Scott Wall.
Featured in SFGMC’s July 17, 2026 newsletter. Read the Foundation’s report and photo gallery, published June 30, 2026. Featured photograph: SFGMC newsletter.
