Boeddeker Park
295 Eddy Street
The Tenderloin
Redding School Self Portrait by Ruth Asawa and Children of the School
The Asawa piece is a tribute to Father Alfred Boeddeker. Boeddeker was the Franciscan priest who founded St. Anthony’s Dining Room and he is the park’s namesake. The 4- by 16.5-foot bas relief wall mural is a portrait of Boeddeker surrounded by children. Asawa was assisted by 100 schoolchildren from Redding Elementary School. The childrens’ images were initially created out of pastry dough, then coordinated into an overall design by Asawa. The piece was originally installed in 1985 and is made of glass fiber reinforced concrete.
Ruth Asawa was a favorite of this author, and she has appeared many times in this site. Asawa passed away in 2013.
