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.
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
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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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
* * * 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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
Mission and 23rd The Mission District * 23 in Binary Code 23 in Roman Numerals * * Mission 23 by Rigo23 – 2003 Mission 23 is a multi-part mosaic tile art piece embedded in the north-east and south-west sidewalks of Mission Street at 23rd Street. On each one of the white squares is a sentence painted in green that provides a fact about the number 23. Each of the large rectangles is a graphic symbol of the number 23, in white against a green background, to mimic a standard street sign, all of 1-inch mosaic tile. The number 23 holds Continue Reading
Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Fender Bender Bench by JC Miller “Inspired by the materials, colors, and equipment typical of human activity in a marine environment.” For those not familiar with the term, that orange item is used to keep boats from hitting docks and other boats when moored and is called a “fender”. J.C. Miller is a Landscape Architect. He opened Miller Studio after a dozen years of professional practice. His project experience includes public parks, historic landscapes, educational environments, civic spaces, and residential gardens.
Chinatown Grant and Sacramento This mural is by Twick of ICP Crew who had a mural in SOMA that has since been painted over and another one around a Banksy in Chinatown. According to his Facebook page: “Twick” is a SF Hip Hop urban legend with many ranks like a general. He is one of the most respected figures shaping the Bay Area graffiti movement from the 80’s to present day. At the age of twelve Francisco (his real name) was inspired by the Chicano writing that decorated the walls of the Mission and his neighborhood. During this time he was introduced Continue Reading
Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * * The Eel: Eliciting Ethereal Light by VeeV Design The eel explores relationships between physical environment and human sensation. Traversing the spectrum from corporeal to ethereal, the eel responds to external stimuli by emitting both heat and light with ranges of color intensity. The eel is clearly solid matter. Yet – at times – it appears intangible and diffuse. According to their vast, and fascinating website: Raveevarn began her design education in Bangkok, Thailand, at Chulalongkorn University. She continued her graduate studies in both Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Continue Reading
Fort Mason SEATS Exhibit * Moor by Russell Baldon “Simple chairs-fastened but movable-the same situation as the ships that once used the bollards”. I must admit, this one so struck my fancy. The use of that gorgeous and immense bollard and the wonderful play on words were just perfect for this type of exhibit. Born and raised in California, Baldon was a partner in his family’s wooden toy business before moving to San Francisco in 1984. After receiving his undergraduate and graduate degrees, he has studied and worked with some of the country’s leading studio furniture makers, including Garry Knox Continue Reading
Lincoln Park/Sea Cliff 32nd and California * * Aileen Barr This project was made possible by the Friends of Lincoln Park, San Francisco Parks Trust and the San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreation. Aileen Barr has a large body of tile work around San Francisco. She studied Ceramic Design at the National College of Art and Design In Dublin, Ireland, graduating in 1985. She worked in New York for a number of years and it was here that she discovered her fascination with handmade tile. Working in tile and architectural ceramics allows for the creation of larger works of Continue Reading
Fort Mason SEATS Exhibition * Floating by Valerie Gnadt “A tactile experience. Sit. Close your eyes. Feel the texture of fabric and air. Listen to the foghorns and seagulls. Imagine floating in the Bay surrounded by Fort Mason’s History. A truck tire covered with hand-woven fabrics from out door materials, tarps and a marine cording.”