Led by the artist duo Bik Van der Pol, the Public Knowledge project Take Part anchors expansive conversations about San Francisco’s past, present, and future to a physical object: a thousand-square-foot scale model of the city in 1938 built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Beginning January 25, the model will be exhibited publicly for the first time since 1942, displayed piece-by-piece throughout the San Francisco Public Library’s twenty-nine branches (including SFMOMA’s own Public Knowledge Library). Each branch will display its respective neighborhood.

With more than a hundred free programs and events offered in libraries across the city, Take Part invites you to gather around the model and bring your perspective to discussions about San Francisco in all of its complexities. Activities for a range of ages include: site-specific storytelling, town hall discussions, history nights, virtual tours, neighborhood walks, bike rides, map-making, and more.