Remember when that couple accidentally bought a dirt alley in the Sunset District thinking they were getting a duplex? Yeah, that story just got way more interesting. Three tech engineers, Patrick Hultquist, Theo Bleier, and Riley Walz, stepped in to rescue the couple from their $25,000 mistake by purchasing the barren plot for $26,000. But instead of just leaving it as is, they’re transforming it into something the whole city can appreciate: a massive collaborative public art project.

The group launched their “Paint a Street” contest this week, and they’re looking for 1,280 artists and community members to submit designs. If you’re interested in getting involved, you’ve got until Tuesday, April 7 at noon to throw your hat in the ring. All 1,280 submissions will be selected as “winners”, meaning your work could literally become part of the alley’s permanent installation.

So who are these people anyway? Walz is the tech “prankster” behind some seriously creative (and chaotic) apps, including the infamous Find My Parking Cops app that tracked SFMTA officers around the city. It got shut down within a day, but it definitely made a statement. The three friends apparently met during board-game night and have been collaborating on community projects ever since, including last year’s viral Pursuit scavenger hunt that had people exploring SF in wild ways.

This isn’t even their first attempt at buying an alley for public art. Two years ago, they tried to snag one in Noe Valley through a city foreclosure auction, but it was slightly out of budget at $33,000. So when the Sunset District opportunity came around, they jumped on it.

The final artwork will be a 1,280-panel quilt that’ll likely use some kind of pavement decal system, though the organizers are still figuring out the exact medium. Their goal is to turn this forgotten alley into a destination spot, similar to how Clarion Alley has become a landmark in the Mission. “It’s not so different than a home movie or something like that, except it involves a large part of the city”, Hultquist explained.

What makes this project especially cool is that it’s genuinely helping out the couple who got stuck with a bad real estate deal while simultaneously creating something beautiful and collaborative for the neighborhood. It’s the kind of wholesome chaos that makes you remember why you love living in SF, even when the housing market is absolutely ridiculous.

If you want to participate, head over to paintastreet.com and submit your design before the April 7 deadline. Who knows? Your art could be walking on by thousands of people every single day.