Public Art and Architecture from Around the World

Ghost Sign, Or Is It?

Posted by Cindy on October 30, 2012

Oct 302012

SOMA 7th and Brannan Another great mural by the gang at 1AM I spoke with Dan at 1:AM and this is what he had to say about this mural: For “Knowledge is Golden” the inspiration was specific to the area which the mural was done. San Francisco is seeing its second gold rush with information and knowledge being the currency of today. SOMA, being slated to be developed as the new downtown of San Francisco with technology leading the transformation, is why we chose this location for our message. Gold miners have been replaced by tech innovators. Pickaxes and shovels Continue Reading

The Apexer in The Haight

Posted by Cindy on October 29, 2012

Oct 292012

Haight and Masonic * This spot recently held a mural by Lango. This colorful and powerful new mural is by Ricardo Richey, also known as Apex. Ricardo is a street artist who creates colorful abstract patterns through the use of spray paint. Part of the gestalt collective that engages in collaborative murals in San Francisco his work can be found all over town. This video shows the making of the piece.

Lango Updates Jessie Alley

Posted by Cindy on October 28, 2012

Oct 282012

Jessie and 6th SOMA * This piece in Jessie alley off of 6th street is by Lango. It replaced his eagle that you can see here.

Peter Voulkos Hall of Justice

Posted by Cindy on October 27, 2012

Oct 272012

7th and Bryant SOMA Peter Voulkos – (nicknamed)Hall of Justice – 1971 24 X 26 X 11 Feet – Bronze Peter Voulkos (1924–2002), was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his Abstract Expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic crafts and fine art. Born in Bozeman, Montana, he first studied painting and ceramics at Montana State University (then Montana State College), then earned an MFA degree from the California College of the Arts. He began his career producing functional dinnerware in Bozeman, Montana. In 1953, Voulkos was invited to teach a summer session ceramics course Continue Reading

A beautiful fairy on the side of Harrington’s Pub

Posted by Cindy on October 26, 2012

Oct 262012

A beautiful fairy on the side of Harrington's Pub

Harry Harrington’s Pub The Tenderloin 460 Larkin Street * * This mural on Harry Harrington’s pub is a collaboration Max Ehrman who goes by the name EON75, and English artists Faunagraphic and Rocket01. Faunagraphic currently lives and works in Sheffield, South Yorkshire England, She grew up in Yorkshire, surrounded by rolling countryside in a small town called Todmorden; it is clear where her inspiration came from. Her beautiful and delicate paintings feature birds organic shapes, animals, nature and character with an element of fantasy. Rocket01 grew up in the countryside on the edge of Sheffield, where there was no murals or Continue Reading

Artifact from a Coal Mine

Posted by Cindy on October 25, 2012

Oct 252012

SOMA Third and Townsend Mark Stevens -2007 “Artifact From a Coal Mine,” although the individual pieces have working names of: the ghost, gingerbread man, fire, whale tail and circle Weighing well over 10,000 pounds, these pieces were affixed as public art to the outside of a contemporary brick and concrete condominium building at 177 Townsend at Third Street. Three of the pieces are four stories tall. According to a 10.28.07 SF Gate article by Julian Guthrie: “They evoke a lost world and the uncertainty of climate change,” said artist Mark Stevens.” The pieces – shaped as flames, a ghost, a gingerbread Continue Reading

Creazione by Dimitri Hadzi

Posted by Cindy on October 24, 2012

Oct 242012

Dimitri Hadzi’s Creazione, a bronze sculpture with a spirited sense of movement was inspired by the music of Mozart. Dimitri Hadzi (1921-2006) was born in New York City. As a child he was sent to a Greek after-school program, where he received instruction in Greek language, mythology, history, and theater. His artistic ability won him a drawing prize and his strength in math and science gained him admission to Brooklyn Technical High School. Upon graduating he worked as a chemist by day while continuing to study chemistry by night. On July 4, 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and Continue Reading

George Rickey and his Kinetic Sculptures

Posted by Cindy on October 23, 2012

Oct 232012

George Rickey and his Kinetic Sculptures

Sydney Walton Park Two Open Rectangles Eccentric Variation IV Triangle Section by George Rickey 1977 George Rickey has several kinetic sculptures around San Francisco. Rickey (1907-2002) was one of two major 20th-century artists to make movement a central interest in sculpture. Alexander Calder, whose mobiles Mr. Rickey encountered in the 1930’s, was the other. After starting out as a painter, Mr. Rickey began to produce sculptures with moving parts in the early 50’s, but it was not until a decade later that he achieved the kind of simplicity and scale that would make him an important figure in contemporary art. At that Continue Reading

Sirron Norris Paints Calumet

Posted by Cindy on October 22, 2012

Oct 222012

* As you can see, this piece by Sirron Norris is huge. This is what Sirron had to say about the piece before it began. (The scaffolding came down on August 31st). This mural will be funded by Calumet and will be a collaboration with Precita Eyes (www.precitaeyes.org)and the 3.9 art collective (www.threepointninecollective.com). My hope with this project, is to reach out to other artists and arts organizations in my community through collaboration. I also want to inspire my interns and give them one of the biggest challenges in their artistic life. On a personal note: this will be one Continue Reading

A great way to hide unsightly utilities

Posted by Cindy on October 21, 2012

Oct 212012

San Francisco State University Lakeside Flaura by Kevin La This student work is an enclosure for a utility box.The steel constructed sculpture offers a design that fits naturally in the surrounding environment. It is located between Humanities and University Housing buildings. Cities around the world are starting to use utility boxes such as these for public art projects, it would be nice to see more in the city of San Francisco.

A Facelift for Junipero Serra Park

Posted by Cindy on October 20, 2012

Oct 202012

300 Stonecrest Drive Lakeside There are two ceramic tile murals by San Francisco artist Bean Finneran, installed in 2007 at Junipero Serra Playground in San Francisco. The pieces are part of the SFAC Civic art collection and cost $23,000. Employing just two shapes, squares and darts, Bean Finneran varied the color relationships to create two distinct artworks for the new clubhouse. The optical effect of each is strikingly different. On the south wall, facing the playing fields, the 7-foot by 9-foot pattern appears to be vertical stripes, while the north wall’s 7-foot by 8-foot mural becomes a series of oscillating Continue Reading

Sun Spheres on Ocean Avenue

Posted by Cindy on October 19, 2012

Oct 192012

1344 Ocean at Grenada Ingleside/Sunnyside There are three of these mosaic Sun Spheres on Ocean Avenue between Miramar and Grenada. Done by Laura True, they were installed in 2008. The Spheres range in size from 3′ to 5′ in diameter and were commissioned by the SFAC at a cost of $47,500.

Fire, Air, Earth and Water

Posted by Cindy on October 18, 2012

Oct 182012

Helen Willis Park Broadway and Larkin These columns, titled Fire, Air, Earth and Water were done in 2004 by San Francisco resident, Amy Blackstone. Amy has several pieces around the Bay Area. Excerpt from a March 6, 2004 SF Chronicle piece about Amy Blackstone: “I love gardens. To me, especially in an urban setting, a garden is kind of magical and the gateway is kind of a trumpet announcement.” Gates are one of Blackstone’s specialties. These pieces are made with steel, fiberglass and patina. The pipes were donated by Naylor Pipe Company. They were commissioned by the SFAC for Continue Reading

Andrew Furuseth at the Sailors Union of the Pacific Building

Posted by Cindy on October 17, 2012

Oct 172012

Andrew Furuseth at the Sailors Union of the Pacific Building

Sailors Union Building 450 Harrison Andrew Furuseth (1854 – 1938) of Norway was a merchant seaman and an American labor leader. Furuseth was active in the formation of two influential maritime unions: the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific and the International Seamen’s Union, and served as the executive of both for decades. Furuseth was largely responsible for the passage of four reforms that changed the lives of American mariners. Two of them, the Maguire Act of 1895 and the White Act of 1898, ended corporal punishment and abolished imprisonment for deserting a vessel. Furuseth was credited as the key Continue Reading

Harry Lundeberg and San Francisco’s Seafaring History

Posted by Cindy on October 16, 2012

Oct 162012

Harry Lundeberg and San Francisco's Seafaring History

Sailors Union Building 450 Harrison Street Harry Lundeberg was born on March 25, 1901 in Norway, Lundeberg shipped out at the age of fourteen. Many years later, testifying before a Congressional committee in 1955 he described his past with simple precision. “As for my background, I am a sailor. I went to sea for 21 years. I sailed in many different rigs. I have sailed in steamers, passenger ships, sailing ships and any type of rig you can mention. I have sailed under several different nationality flags. I am an American citizen. I am married. I have a family. Continue Reading

Few and Far Paint Clinton Park

Posted by Cindy on October 15, 2012

Oct 152012

As you turn onto Clinton Park from Valencia the first piece you are greeted with is the beauty by Amanda Lynn. Few and Far have covered the walls of Clinton Park to the delight of all that wonder down this very short alley. * * * * * * And a little further down Valencia at Duboce, you will find another by Mags and Amanda Lynn *

Celebrating the UN Charter through Art

Posted by Cindy on October 14, 2012

Oct 142012

Hinckley Walk at Golden Gateway Commons Fountain by Jaques Overhoff Jacques Overhoff has several pieces around San Francisco. Overhoff was born in 1933 in the Netherlands and studied at the Graphics School of Design and the University of Oregon. He moved to San Francisco in the 1950′s.

Henry Moore at 1 Maritime Plaza

Posted by Cindy on October 13, 2012

Oct 132012

1 Maritime Plaza Standing Figure Knife Edged by Henry Moore – 9161 This is an enlarged bone with the addition of a small head. Moore had always been fascinated by bones. “Since my student days I have liked the shape of bones, and have drawn them, studied them in the Natural History Museum, found them on sea-shores and saved them out of the stewpot. There are many structural, and sculptural principles to be learnt from bones, e.g. that in spite of their lightness they have great strength. Some bones, such as the breast bones of birds, have the lightweight fineness Continue Reading

Icosaspirale

Posted by Cindy on October 12, 2012

Oct 122012

1 Maritime Plaza Icosaspirale by Charles Perry – 1967 – 8 feet – Brass This sculpture is constructed of bronze rods brazed together into triangular sections. Those sections were assembled into an Icosahedron shape. Note that each triangle that makes up the Icosahedron is itself a spiral. Hense the name “Icosaspirale Charles O. Perry (1929-2011) was born in Montana. After graduating from Yale, Perry practiced architecture in San Francisco, California with the firm of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, from 1958- 1963. During his architectural career he had developed many sculptural models and was offered a one-man sculpture show in San Francisco. Continue Reading

Peacock Fountain at 1 Maritime Plaza

Posted by Cindy on October 11, 2012

Oct 112012

1 Maritime Plaza Embarcadero This Peacock fountain was designed by architect Robert Woodward. Robert Raymond (Bob) Woodward (1923 – 2010) was an Australian architect who gained widespread recognition for his innovative fountain designs. Woodward was educated at Granville Technical Granville and Sydney Technical College.Upon completion of his military service he enrolled in the architecture course at the University of Sydney. After graduating he worked locally for a year and then travelled to Finland to work for architects Alvar Aaltol and Viljo Revell. Upon his return he went into partnership, forming Woodward, Taranto and Wallace, specialising in commercial and industrial architecture. In 1959, Continue Reading

University of Wisdom in the Financial District

Posted by Cindy on October 10, 2012

Oct 102012

University of Wisdom in the Financial District

310 Battery Street Financial District Embarcadero * This piece sits on the other side of the Old Federal Reserve Building from Dionysus and Hermes, also by Armand Arman. The French-born American artist Arman told an interviewer in 1968. “I have never been — how do you say it? A dilettante.” Arman’s vast artistic output ranges from drawings and prints to monumental public sculpture. His work—strongly influenced by Dada, and in turn a strong influence on Pop Art—is in the collections of such institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London and the Centre Continue Reading

Albert Paley at 199 New Montgomery

Posted by Cindy on October 9, 2012

Oct 092012

199 New Montgomery SOMA This sculpture, titled Volute, is complemented by two wall sconces, they are all by Albert Paley. Albert Paley, an active artist for over 40 years at his studio in Rochester, New York, is the first metal sculptor to receive the coveted Institute Honors awarded by the American Institute of Architects. Paley received both his BFA and MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. He received honorary doctorates from the University of Rochester in 1989, the State University of New York at Brockport in 1996, St. Lawrence University, in Canton, New York in 1997, Continue Reading

Light Cannons at the Ferry Building

Posted by Cindy on October 8, 2012

Oct 082012

Ferry Building Plaza Foot of Market at the Embarcadero These two light towers, called Light Cannons, are approximately 65 ft in height. They are located in front of the Ferry Building and serve as the focal point of the Mid-Embarcadero Improvement Project. The towers are a combination of stainless steel, structural steel and cast-in-place concrete. These two ”light cannons” are capable of projecting a pair of column-like shafts of light into the night air. The designer is ROMA Design Group of San Francisco.

Mark Twain and his Jumping Frogs

Posted by Cindy on October 7, 2012

Oct 072012

Foot of the Transamerica Pyramid 600 Montgomery Financial District * Frog Pond by Richard Clopton Bronze 1996 Redwood Park Transplanted from the Santa Cruz Mountains 60 miles to the south, magnificent redwoods dominate this park designed by Tom Galli. The fountain designed by Anthony Guzzardo is decorated with the jumping frog sculptures, in a fond remembrance of Mark Twain, who for a time lived and wrote on this site. Richard Clopton (1945- ) has his studio in Richmond, California. Training in the life sciences and the technical and aesthetic demands of a career in dentistry combined with an interest in the natural world Continue Reading

Skyward and Confluence on Post Street

Posted by Cindy on October 6, 2012

Oct 062012

Academy of Art College Post and Mason Streets Union Square Skyward by Peter Schifrin 2004- Bronze Confluence by Peter Schifrin 2004-Bronze Peter Schifrin holds a BA from San Jose State University in Sculpture and an MFA in sculpture from Boston university. He is the Sculpture director for the Academyof Art University in San Francisco. These pieces were placed at the Post and Mason campus of the Academy of Art on its 75th Anniversary. The Academy of Art campus was originally the First Congregational Church of San Francisco.

Cast Glass at the Mission Street Garage

Posted by Cindy on October 5, 2012

Oct 052012

4th and Mission 5th and Mission * These sandblasted, fused and cast glass pieces are by Narcissus Quagliata. Narcissus Quagliata is an Italian and U.S. Citizen. He was born in Rome in 1942 where he studied painting with Giorgio De Chirico. At the age of 19 he moved to the U.S. and studied at the SF Art Institute, receiving both a Bachelors and n Masters in Painting and Graphics. He began working in glass soon after graduation. This piece is titled Oracle. There are 40 panels, 8 per floor measuring 3 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 28″. They were Continue Reading

Urban Pollination

Posted by Cindy on October 2, 2012

Oct 022012

Rincon SOMA The Lansing Street Pollinator Garden is a temporary garden and art installation at the 45 Lansing street site in the Rincon Hill Neighborhood of San Francisco. Rebar is collaborating with the Pollinator Partnership and the property owners of the 45 Lansing Street Site to bring you a pollinator garden and educational exhibit. The garden was installed in the spring of 2010 and will be on display for the 1-2 years before development plans move forward on the site. The garden features circular planting beds made from rice straw wattle— tubes of straw wrapped in burlap. This material is entirely biodegradable. Beds are planted with a variety of pollinator Continue Reading

Street SmARTS Mural at 485 Scott Street

Posted by Cindy on October 1, 2012

Oct 012012

485 Scott Street Western Addition/NOPA Marina Perez-Wong (aka Micho P. Wong) is an artist participating in Community Arts and Education’s StreetSmARTS program. As a native San Franciscan, Marina bridges the gap between the fine art world and the public with site-specific works of San Francisco’s Mission District. Marina is the recipient of many awards including the Precita Eyes Community Center Mural Award. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions including the Precita Eyes Benefit at SOMArts and the Children with AIDS Benefit at 111 Minna Gallery. * * Marina designed and painted this colorful mural at 485 Scott Street, Continue Reading

Richard Mayer at Hastings Law School

Posted by Cindy on September 30, 2012

Sep 302012

Civic Center Hastings Law School 200 McAllister at Hyde * I would like to extend a big thank you to Suzanne Parks, the Volunteer Art Curator at Hastings Law School for this information. This sculpture is titled “Gary Diptych #1” and is by San Francisco Bay area artist Richard Mayer. He loaned Hastings the sculpture back in the early 1980’s and then gave it to them in 2008. In his statement, the artist said: With its affirmation and ambiguity, “Gary Diptych #1 is intended as a metaphor for our times. Mayer sat on the board of the SFAC when Arneson Continue Reading

Penguin’s Prayer

Posted by Cindy on September 29, 2012

Sep 292012

1100 Lake Merced Blvd. Sunset District Penguin’s Prayer by Beniamino Bufano Placed by Lake Merced Neighborhood Organization Bufano Society of the Arts Dedicated December 4, 1976 This sculpture by prolific, and San Francisco darling, Benny Bufano was originally made for the Treasure Island Golden Gate Exposition of 1939.

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