Telegraph Hill – Coit Tower

 Posted by on June 1, 2012
Jun 012012
 
Telegraph Hill - Coit Tower

Telegraph Hill Coit Tower WPA Murals The little seated boy looks at a book whose page shows the date of Coit Tower (1933) and the date of the WPA projects at Coit Tower (1934). * Animal Force by Ray Boynton These are the first frescoes that one sees when entering Coit Tower.  Boynton chose to portray animal power in Agriculture.  As often occurred he included fellow artist Gordon Langdon leaning on a horse. Ray Boynton was an Iowan, after studying art in Chicago he came to California to become the first California Fresco artist.  His first project appeared in a Los Continue Reading

Telegraph Hill – Coit Tower Murals

 Posted by on May 31, 2012
May 312012
 
Telegraph Hill - Coit Tower Murals

Telegraph Hill Coit Tower WPA Murals   * This law library has some interesting book titles when one looks closely.  There are the usual Civil, Penal and Moral Codes, but also the Law of Fresco Painting,  Counterfeiting, and Laws on Seduction.  A fun one is Martial Law by Brady, he was the VFW caretaker who watched over the project and lived in the Tower’s apartment.   The man on the left with the pipe is thought to be, patron of the arts, William Gerstle. The Stock Exchange. Notice the downward movements of the market. Federal Reserve Bank. It is thought that the Continue Reading

Telegraph Hill -Coit Tower Murals

 Posted by on May 30, 2012
May 302012
 
Telegraph Hill -Coit Tower Murals

Telegraph Hill Coit Tower WPA Murals * * This is the beginning of a series on the WPA murals of Coit Tower. When the Great Depression hit, like everyone, artists were not finding work. George Biddle, a prominent lawyer turned successful artist, a member of a socially prominent family from Philadelphia, and most importantly, a Groton and Harvard classmate of Franklin Roosevelt, went to the President with an idea. He suggested that America hire American artists to paint murals depicting the social ideals of the new administration as well as the American way of life, on the walls of public Continue Reading

Telegraph Hill – Coit Tower

 Posted by on May 29, 2012
May 292012
 
Telegraph Hill - Coit Tower

Telegraph Hill Coit Tower To understand Coit Tower you must first understand Lillie Hitchcock Coit.  A nice tale is told here from the Virtual San Francisco History Museum written by: By Frederick J. Bowlen, Battalion Chief, San Francisco Fire Department. One of the most unusual personalities ever connected with our Fire Department was a woman. She was Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who was destined not only to become a legend but to attain that eminence long before her life ended. She came to this city in 1851 from West Point, where her father had been an army doctor. Seven years later, when only 15 Continue Reading

Lands End – USS San Francisco Memorial

 Posted by on May 28, 2012
May 282012
 
Lands End - USS San Francisco Memorial

Lands End 48th Avenue Parking Lot In 1942 the cruiser USS San Francisco attacked a vastly superior Japanese force off the coast of Guadalcanal. It was the most brutal close-quarters naval engagement of World War II. The San Francisco took some 45 direct hits and sustained heavy damage while sinking one Japanese ship and seriously damaging two others (including a battleship). One hundred and six sailors, including Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, were killed and 131 more wounded. Despite it all, the San Francisco safely made it back to port. This savage battle is commemorated by an unusual memorial in Land’s Continue Reading

The Fillmore Center – Hard Bop

 Posted by on May 27, 2012
May 272012
 
The Fillmore Center - Hard Bop

The Fillmore Center Western Addition * Hard Bop by John Atkin Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or “bop”) music. Hard bop incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. In 1942, during World War II, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which relocated all interned people of Japanese origin to internment camps throughout western United States. The vacant homes in the Fillmore attracted African Americans migrating northward to work in the shipyards, as well as musicians, and artists. Soon, many nightclubs (the likes Continue Reading

Fort Mason – Wind Arrows

 Posted by on May 26, 2012
May 262012
 
Fort Mason - Wind Arrows

* * Sailboat wind indicators mounted at on 3-foot intervals on a flagpole at the east end of Fort Mason illustrate how the laminar flow of wind changes with the height.  This variation is often more complex and dramatic than expected.  Along the San Francisco shoreline, for example, the difference of only 20 feet in altitude may mean a 90 degree difference in the wind direction. This is part of the Outdoor Exploratorium.  It was created in partnership with GGNR (Golden Gate Recreation Area) and the Fort Mason Center.  The interactive exhibits are designed to help visitors notice the subtle Continue Reading

Performing Arts Parking Garage – Dancing in the Curve of the World

 Posted by on May 25, 2012
May 252012
 
Performing Arts Parking Garage - Dancing in the Curve of the World

Civic Center Performing Arts Garage Gough and Grove Streets   * Dancing in the Curve of the World by Josef Norris Josef Norris is responsible for the murals at Kid Power Park. This piece, done in 2003 was paid for by the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Cultural Equity Fund and the Neighborhood Beautification Fund.

Western Addition – Blues Revolution Part II

 Posted by on May 24, 2012
May 242012
 
Western Addition - Blues Revolution Part II

The Western Addition Post and Steiner Hamilton Pool and Rec Center * * * The Blues Revolution Part II by Santie Huckaby This is Part II of the Blues Revolution.  You can see Part I here.  Santie Huckaby was born in Ohio, and has spent 40 years in San Francisco working as a professional musician, sign painter and muralist. Included in his resume is the Rosa Parks mural, (at the Rosa Parks Elementary School in San Francisco) which was awarded best mural of 1997. He is currently an artist in residence at Hunter’s Point Shipyard, artist in residence at the Continue Reading

Christopher Columbus

 Posted by on May 23, 2012
May 232012
 
Christopher Columbus

Coit Tower Telegraph Hill * * Columbus by Vittorio Di Colbertaldo – 1957 This statue of Christopher Columbus sits in the center of the parking lot for Coit Tower. The figure of Columbus, the famous Italian explorer, gazes out over San Francisco Bay standing on a concrete pedestal in the center of a circular flower bed, bordered by a marble ring. Dedicated on October 12, 1957, the newspapers of the time recorded that “Singers, sailors from American and Italian navies, and spectators stood in reverent silence as 12-foot statue of Christopher Columbus is unveiled today on Telegraph Hill. The sculpture Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 22, 2012
May 222012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEAT Exhibition Notice the QR code on the front Biked by Eddy Joaquim “Biked is a hybrid seat/bike rack with QR codes leading to bicycling maps of the area.” Eddie Joaquim is a product of the many countries he has lived in. An photographer with an architectural background he is a very unique individual. QR Code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and large storage Continue Reading

Western Addition – The Blues Evolution

 Posted by on May 21, 2012
May 212012
 
Western Addition - The Blues Evolution

The Western Addition Post and Steiner Hamilton Pool and Rec Center * * * * The Blues Evolution by Santie Huckaby Part I Sponsored by the Blues R&B Foundation. The Blues and R&B Foundation has this to say about the mural. We’ve received a lot of wonderful comments and support from the community concerning our mural. What has particularly stood out to us is the way it affects the youth that pass by all of the time, they look and ask questions. We’re on first name basis with many students that pass by. The mural represents unity and strength of accomplishments Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 20, 2012
May 202012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEAT Exhibition * * Cirrus by Jeremy Alden “Through use of materials and form Cirrus investigates and celebrates dualities: of earth and sky, power and beauty, time and change.”  J Alden Design is dedicated to provocative product, ceramic and furniture design with work ranging from mass-produced products to commissioned pieces for private and public collections.  

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 19, 2012
May 192012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * * Listen to Jimmy 1953 by Seam Studio “The year is 1953…the place Fort Mason: U.S. Army Port-of Embarkation (1909-1962). Take A SEAT on the footlockers of WWI/WWII/Korean-War soldiers…SIT on transport boxes for goods+ammo…imagine yourself here listening to 1940s/1950s music assigning vocal memory of the once bustling military activity deploying hundreds of Jimmy’s loaded with supplies. SEAM studios is headed by Topher Delaney, world renowned Landscape Designer.  It is Seam Studios that is responsible for coordinating, and putting on this amazing event.

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 18, 2012
May 182012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * * Life in a Small Place by Paul Zengyu Discoe “Life in a Small Place is a concrete box with trees growing out of its top.  These trees will grow and change as the chair ages and blends with its legs.” Founded in 1988, Joinery Structures is a design-build studio and mill specializing in custom projects that integrate sustainable wood practices, innovative design, and precision craftsmanship. Founder and principal, Paul Discoe, is a renowned Japanese master builder and Zen Buddhist teacher. Paul studied architecture as a Buddhist temple builder in Kyoto, Japan for five years Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 17, 2012
May 172012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Seat 8 by Joel Cammarata “Serpentine bike rack conforms to the existing loading dock providing seating and tables for public interaction.” According to Joel Cammarata’s Etsy site:  I am an architecturally trained designer, woodworker, father, and husband using small amount of spare time and garage space to create pieces of furniture, accessories and other objects in the hopes of making extra money to pay for preschool for another month.

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 16, 2012
May 162012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Sent Forth by ARUP + Jefferson Mack Metal “A stranded time ship plays centuries of soundscapes revealing histories of the area”. Sent Forth is conceived as a time-travelling airship which has been collecting audio recordings of San Francisco across the centuries. Recently, the airship has become stuck at Fort Mason Center. As it attempts to revive itself, visitors will hear fragments of collected soundscapes revealing histories of the area, both composed by the malfunctioning ship and influenced by the surrounding environment. The piece includes a unique ‘Solid-Drive’ sound system which relies on the shape and Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 15, 2012
May 152012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Band of Brothers by Malcolm Davis “A trio of salvaged eucalyptus trunks stand together facing the bay  As sentinels, they reference the function of this site since the Spanish military in the 1700s”.  Malcom Davis (Architecture) is a Bay Area native with an intimate understanding of its regional building styles and climates. Educated at UC Berkeley, his strong appreciation of the craft of building goes hand in hand with thoughtful stewardship of resources. He takes pride in creative problem solving through simple, elegant solutions. Employing a timeless vocabulary and a restrained palette.

The Tenderloin – We Rock Hardest

 Posted by on May 14, 2012
May 142012
 
The Tenderloin - We Rock Hardest

Polk and Eddy Civic Center/Tenderloin Englishman Ben Eine has many murals around San Francisco. Here is a video of the installation: The piece was done to launch his gallery exhibit at White Walls Gallery.  They did a marvelous interview with him that you can read here.      

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 13, 2012
May 132012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEAT Exhibition Asana by Christine and James Desser “This Asana, “seat” in Sanskrit, like a big river rock, offers a comfortable pause for meditation, contemplation or to simply notice what is: the sea, the sky, the air, the sounds, whatever is arising in this very moment.”

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 12, 2012
May 122012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEAT Exhibition * The James Caird by Lawrence LaBianca and Robert Buckenmeyer “Bravery and courage saved the open boat journey of Ernest Shackleton and five companions” The voyage of the James Caird was an open boat journey from Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands to South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean, a distance of 800 nautical miles. Undertaken by Sir Ernest Shackleton and five companions, its objective was to obtain rescue for the main body of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–17, trapped on Elephant Island after the loss of its ship Endurance. History has come Continue Reading

Chinatown’s Gateway Arch

 Posted by on May 11, 2012
May 112012
 
Chinatown's Gateway Arch

* * * Arguably one of the most photographed sites in San Francisco is the Gateway Arch (Dragon Gate) on Grant Avenue at Bush Street marking the entry to Chinatown, dedicated on October 18th 1970. This gate is the only authentic Chinatown Gate in North America. Unlike similar structures which usually stand on wooden pillars, this iconic symbol conforms to Chinese gateway standards using stone from base to top and green-tiled roofs in addition to wood as basic building materials. The gate is based on the ceremonial gates that can be found in Chinese villages, called paifang. The gate is Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 10, 2012
May 102012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition   * Case Study #22: Arboreal Thrones by Kristen Franz A pair of chairs combines site specific lumber and repurposed old chairs, highlighting the juxtaposition of natural and manmade elements. Kristen has a degree from UC Berkeley, B.A. in Environmental Design  

North Beach – Ben Franklin

 Posted by on May 9, 2012
May 092012
 
North Beach - Ben Franklin

North Beach Washington Square * Time Capsule 1979-2979 AD Dedicated to The Citzens of San Francisco Cal Seltzer * *  Benjamin Franklin – Artist – unknown This statue of Benjamin Franklin is the earliest – still existing – monument placed in San Francisco. It was originally located at Kearny and Market, but was moved to its present location in 1904. The statue is cast iron and sits atop a granite pedestal. The statue was donated to the city by Henry Cogswell, a dentist whose investments in stocks and real estate during the gold rush made him one of the city’s Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 8, 2012
May 082012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Last Flight by Bicycle Fabrications “Takes it shape and dimensions from the Saqqara bird, an ancient Egyptian artifact that demonstrates an advanced understanding of aerodynamics” The Saqqara Bird is a bird-shaped artifact made of sycamore wood, discovered during the 1898 excavation of the Pa-di-Imen tomb in Saqqara, Egypt. It has been dated to approximately 200 BCE, and is now housed in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo. The Saqqara Bird has a wingspan of 7.1 inches and weighs 1.380 ounces. Its function is not understood because of a lack of period documentation. This installation Continue Reading

San Francisco – Hugh Leeman

 Posted by on May 7, 2012
May 072012
 
San Francisco - Hugh Leeman

All Over Town Hugh Leeman is an amazing individual.  This is taken directly from an article in The Bold Italic. “His tiny studio is a mess of paints, a collection of floor-to-ceiling portraits, and a charcoal-covered MacBook. With no kitchen or bed in sight, I get the sense he’s focused solely on his mission: photographing, painting, and wheat-pasting the faces of the Tenderloin up around the city. They’ve become his friends, his subjects, and his business partners. Hugh is quite a character himself. At 18, he grabbed his backpack and traveled the world, hopping trains to see as much as Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 6, 2012
May 062012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition SToP by Cary Bernstein   * * “SToP celebrates the decommissioning of Fort Mason – Swords to Ploughshares.” Cary Bernstein graduated from Dartmouth College in 1984 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Russian Literature. She received an M.Arch. from the Yale School of Architecture in 1988. The office of Cary Bernstein Architect is committed to progressive design resulting from thoughtful planning, focused attention to detail and the highest construction standards. Each project is developed in response to the unique combination of client, site and budget without the imposition of a preconceived style or solution. In addition Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 5, 2012
May 052012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibit JW4 by J. Weiss Design “In WWI & WWII, concrete ship building was pioneered in Oakland. Our dry docked SEAT uses a new high-performing concrete that allows for greater, thinner spans.” Jennifer Weiss has over 18 years of architecture-related experience, including working for the architecture firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, KMD Architects, and Levy Design Partners, as well as for the General Contractor Ryan Associates as a construction Project Manager. She earned a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts in both Architecture and Art History from Columbia University. Ms. Weiss also Continue Reading

The Tenderloin – Boeddecker Park

 Posted by on May 4, 2012
May 042012
 
The Tenderloin - Boeddecker Park

The Tenderloin Boeddecker Park Eddy and Jones Untitled by Anthony J. Smith This abstract sculpture is a sphere held up by a pair of large hands. Set in niches around the surface of the sphere are fourteen life masks of people who live in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. The artist’s face and the face of Father Boedekker are also included in the sculpture. The bronze sculpture stands on a low, circular concrete base. This photo was taken through a fence. Boeddeker park is in one of the most crime ridden areas of San Francisco. The park is not Continue Reading

Fort Mason – SEATS

 Posted by on May 3, 2012
May 032012
 
Fort Mason - SEATS

Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * * * * * Flotsam by David Allen “A transient, contemporary ruin that stimulates the contemplation of forlorn beauty, time, weather, decay and distant shores.” Again, an explanation for those not up on marine vocabulary, flotsam is the wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on or washed up by the sea. Just in case you were wondering Jetsam is unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore. David runs Artefact in Sonoma, California. At Artefact you’ll find rare antique architectural pieces, decorative objects crafted from Continue Reading

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