Dec 162011
Ocean View Public Library
345 Randolph, San Francisco
The front of the Ocean View library is adorned with two marvelous sculptures on either side of the door. It was done out of cast Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete with integral color.
The left panel shows a young tree, with landmarks of the old Oceanview District, some still standing and some now gone, in the background.The artists are husband and wife team Mark Roller and Colette Crutcher. According to Colette’s website it was made under the auspices of the San Francisco Arts Commission for the new branch library in the Oceanview District, at Randolph and Ramsell St., near the southern boundary of the city. Neighbors from the area had petitioned the City for a new library in this sadly neglected community. They wanted aspects of the history of their neighborhood to be included in the artwork. Colette and Mark have been in this website before and will be featured in the future as well. Not only are they friends of mine, but they are a vital part of the public art scene in San Francisco.
The panel on the right features a mature tree and a representation of the present/future of the District. Both trees bear fruit adorned with letters and symbols representing the languages and traditions of world culture
The round circles are letters from various alphabets around the world, the one on top is Thai, the one on the bottom is cyrilic.
Ocean View Branch Library was the 15th branch established in the San Francisco Public Library system. The first Ocean View Branch Library opened in 1903 on Broad Street near the corner of Capitol Avenue. The new Ocean View Branch Library, at 345 Randolph Street, was opened on June 7, 2000. It was the first branch building to be built in San Francisco since 1969. The San Francisco Bureau of Architecture designed the two-story building. The cost of the building was $2.5 million. Private funds were raised for the equipment and furniture within the branch.
Beautiful! I love the colors!
These sculptures are very elegant. It’s wonderful when local people are used to upgrade a community with their artistic endeavors!
I would not of thought of concrete when I first saw your pics. It’s good that private sources came forward to help equip the new building.