Hallidie Plaza - Market Street Joint Venture / Skidmore , Owings & Merrill (1973) - one of three major plazas (w/Embarcadero/Justin Herman and United Nations) a sunken courtyard - “a space to negotiate between the relatively spare, technologically oriented BART tunnel and bustle and visual richness of the city” / “open air courtyard for day time entertainment activities” / part of the Market Street Beautification Project originating with a 24.5 million dollar bond passed in 1968. SOM designed both Powell & Montgomery Stations (noted for their bubble surfaces) BART service began in 1973, MUNI in 1980. In the 1970s there were free noon-time concerts sponsored by the Market Street Development Project and Local 6 drawing thousands
Other Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings in SF: St Aidan’s Church (Diamond Heights) 255 California Street (Industrial Indemnity Bldg), Alcoa Building (1 Maritime Plaza) California First Bank Building (370 California), Crown Zellerbach (1 Bush) B of A Building, Hartford Insurance Building (636 California), One Metropolitan Plaza (425 Market) Shaklee Terraces (444 Market)
Nigel Sussman (1983?- ) - Hallidie Plaza SF Mural (2023)
artist also a freelance illustrator, does architectural drawing, Berkeley based
Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) - Yesterday and Today (1983-1984)
Realized with help from her children, grandchildren, used baker's clay - 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 ½ cups water and an oil-based plastic sealant called Varathanet. cast into glass-fiber reinforced concrete / shows her husband, Albert Lanier / “she just really wanted everyone to be involved – yeah, anyone can be part of the project - they don't have to have some special training or skill, but you'll learn a lot on the way, from her.” “Ramada Renaissance Hotel. In keeping with the Renaissance tradition, the hotel commissioned sculpture, paintings and other objects of art to create an ambiance of elegance and quiet luxury for its guests.” 7 panels = 7 hills of SF Miwok / Junipero Serra / 14 feet high, 60 feet long, each panel 1500 lbs,
Read more about Ruth Asawa on our blog.
Market Street Beautification (1968-1971) Lawrence Halprin (1916-2009), Mario Ciampi (1907-2006) and John Carl Warnecke (1919-2010)
Redevelopment in conjunction with BART construction beginning in the summer of 1967. Paid for by a $25 million bond issue. – sought uniformity, City government began limiting the size and configuration of business signs and severely downplaying neon, especially in the downtown area, in the name of “beautification”. Sidewalk width (widened to 35 feet) herringbone pattern, paving materials, proportion of curb to sidewalk width (15-18 inch curbs) / oriented to pedestrians, tree-lined sidewalks, incorporation of the subway, boarding islands, F streetcar (also involved kiosks, news racks, bicycle racks, benches – now gone) Ciampi and Halpern fought behind closed doors, Warnecke mostly absent but did prevail with the notion of a unified design // Lawrence Livingston Jr. (1981): “sterile, formal concept apparently was supposed to be vitalized by a series of plazas” / City required theaters to remove their awnings / initially planted tulip trees, they died and were replaced with sycamore (1974).
Market Street Beautification (1968-1971) Lawrence Halprin (1916-2009), Mario Ciampi (1907-2006) and John Carl Warnecke (1919-2010)
Redevelopment in conjunction with BART construction beginning in the summer of 1967. Paid for by a $25 million bond issue. – sought uniformity, City government began limiting the size and configuration of business signs and severely downplaying neon, especially in the downtown area, in the name of “beautification”. Sidewalk width (widened to 35 feet) herringbone pattern, paving materials, proportion of curb to sidewalk width (15-18 inch curbs) / oriented to pedestrians, tree-lined sidewalks, incorporation of the subway, boarding islands, F streetcar (also involved kiosks, news racks, bicycle racks, benches – now gone) Ciampi and Halpern fought behind closed doors, Warnecke mostly absent but did prevail with the notion of a unified design // Lawrence Livingston Jr. (1981): “sterile, formal concept apparently was supposed to be vitalized by a series of plazas” / City required theaters to remove their awnings / initially planted tulip trees, they died and were replaced with sycamore (1974).
Read more about Warnecke elsewhere on the blog.
Willis Polk (1867-1924) / Arthur Putnam (1873-1930) / Leo Lentelli (1879-1961) - Path of Gold Light Standards - 1908-1925 (1-2470 Market Street) Original Standards replaced with replicas – part of the CITY BEAUTIFUL movement Willis Polk designed the base and pole (Hallidie Building, Beach Chalet, Kezar Stadium). Arthur Putnam was commissioned to create the Winning of the West bases with three bands of historical subjects: ox‐drawn covered wagons with weary pioneer and dog, seated pumas (mountain lions) looking down at a scared jackrabbit and overlooked by an Indian head, and alternating prospectors and mountain Indians. (also the Sphinx in GGP). Leo Lentelli with Walter D'Arcy Ryan designed the tops - both participated in the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 "The permit for the project was linked to graft payments to Mayor Schmitz, political boss Abe Ruef, and seventeen of the eighteen members of the Board of Supervisors."
San Francisco Arts Commission / San Francisco Metropolitan Transit Authority bus shelters – Arts Commission outdoor gallery. 18 bus shelters, commissioned artists on an annual basis since 1992
Katy Boynton - Heartfullness (2012) (Market & Turk) - Bay Area artist, large scale works in metal / her first sculpture, created for Burning Man / installed 12/2024 "a steel sculpture of a mended heart, embodying the strength of the human spirit." originally presented at Burning Man, night illuminated by a red glow “During the day the rusted metallic surface catches the sunlight, a testament to the resilience of a heart that has weathered life's challenges. At night the heart glows with a warm inner light, symbolizing the unyielding fire within us all. The cracks and imperfections transform into pathways for this radiant light to project outward. Just as the heart becomes a beacon of light, so too do we, when we embrace adversity and allow our own inner light to truly shine.”
Iwamoto (Lisa) Scott (Craig) - Penumbra (2022) 960 Market Street - https://www.iwamotoscott.com/projects/penumbra 'a partial shadow between regions of full shadow and full illumination' designers of the building Serif A series of sculptural Y-shaped columns march along the long sides of the courtyard space, supporting a lattice of radial steel plate beams from which Penumbra's precisely crafted aluminum modules are suspended. variously-angled tapering aluminum modules frame the sky, surrounding urban fabric and space, and the changing light of day.
Clare Rojas (1976-) - promise 2014 aka Sharing Flowers (982 Market Street) - works in a variety of media, including painting, installations, video, street art, and children's books. Her gallery describes her: A magic realist artist with a talent for abstraction whose visual language is rooted in Peruvian folklore and Californian ecofeminism. Married Mission School Barry McGee. Mural only supposed to be up for a year / flowers a star like precious object / work inspired by American folk art and quilting / Artist is SF resident, graduate of the Chicago Art Institute.
Untitled (2013) Os Gemeos and Mark Bodé (1963-) – pronounced Ose Zhe' mee ose // Identical twin artists Otavio Pandolfo and Gustavo Pandolfo (1974-) Sao Paolo / includes one of the twin’s characters and Cheech Wizard by Vaughn Bodé / Hirschhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution (Bodé - cartoonist, muralist, tattoo artist, lives in Daly City – Santana Family mural near 24th St BART
Oshun Mural (2002) – Debra Disman (1956-) - Turk and Taylor Streets - a drop-in center for women and their families, is a program of the H.A.F.C.I. Haight Ashbury Free Clinics. Site of Compton’s Cafeteria. The spirit goddess Oshun reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. According to the Yoruba elders, she is the "unseen mother present at every gathering" ..."nurture healing and build strength among women and their families..." Oshun’s color is yellow, and her metals are gold and copper. Other symbols depicted in the mural include peacocks and mirrors, reflective of vanity and physical beauty. Oshun represents life’s joys, and all that makes it worth living – Los Angeles based artist does installation art, performance art, bookworks – worked as a decorative painter in SF
Hueman (Allison Tornero) (1985- ) 'Our Home of Sampaguitas and Dahlias' (51 6th Street) - artist based in Oakland "commemorates the history of Filipinos in SOMA" / created the work “Spray Ballet” on 5 buildings in Hickory Alley (now covered with graffiti) / designed a Golden State Warriors shirt and painted a mural on a Norwegian cruise liner, portrait of Kobe Bryant for Nike
Lanterns 500 block Stevenson Street near 6th Street (2021) The lanterns are a collaboration of the Plinth Agency, The Bayanihan Community Center, SoMa Pilipinas, the 6th Street Safety Group, Friends of Stevenson Alley They are not our traditional five-point parol or Filipino Christmas lanterns, which are inspired by the Star of Bethlehem and the story of Nativity, and nor the famous San Fernando Lanterns, nor that of the red round lanterns you find in Chinatown and Chinese restaurants which are associated with the full moon and Lunar Festival When lit, these brass lanterns will cast shadows of the graphical textures in the lanterns. In spring & summer of 2019, several community stakeholder meetings convened to develop a strategic plan for the 500 block of Stevenson Street. Zendesk, the Mid-Market CBD, SFMTA, & OEWD committed investment in new streetscaping and lighting elements, alongside a series of events, with SF Parks Alliance set to manage the project. Fabricated by HYBOCOZO Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk. Based in Los Angeles / created Aurum in Mint Plaza / geometric sculptures, often with pattern and texture that draw on inspirations from mathematics, science, and natural phenomena (not like their work)
Faith, Hope and Charity (2019) – Sylvester Guard Jr. Art Commission approved 8/2019. installed at the Seneca Hotel, which is located on 34 6th St. at Stevenson St. The painted mural will measure approximately 10 ft. by 24 ft. The project is funded by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The painted mural will not become part of the Civic Art Collection. / The artist formerly homeless / involved with the Tenderloin Museum and Community Arts Program Hospitality House. Created a mural next to the playground at Turk and Hyde.
Os Gemeos (Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo) - Giant (1001 Market Street) - dates from 2013. Painted over their 2001 work "Pavil" (Wick) - their first US exhibit "dedicated to Jade, Nekst & Tie." – a hat with a JADE throwup, the spray can in a shape of balaclava wearing character with a NEKST belt buckle, and TIE button on the bag to name a few. "Their first significant artistic influence outside their immediate environment, and their limited access to American hip hop, stemmed from a chance encounter with Barry McGee (also known as Twist), who was in Brazil for several months on a study abroad program through the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Technique and experience were shared, and McGee provided photographs of American graffiti." [wiki] NYT: The American artist Barry McGee was that door-opener for Osgemeos. It was 1993 and the twins were 19 years old when he first phoned their house. McGee, who got his start as a graffiti artist in 1980s San Francisco, was in their hometown, São Paulo, thanks to a grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. McGee was introduced to well-known contemporary Brazilian artists, but he still felt like he was missing out on what was happening in the streets. Until one day, while riding his bike around the Vila Mariana neighborhood where he was staying, he saw a massive mural of B-boys break dancing painted by Osgemeos. “I hadn’t seen any work in my life that looked like theirs,” he said. “It was very elaborate and it was already distinctive at that point.” Graffiti made by the duo on the street where they grew up in Cambuci, São Paulo, pays homage to Portal, a collective of artists who strongly influenced the duo’s work. Brazil is known for a type of graffiti called pixação, a cryptic lettering style rooted in protest against corruption and inequality. The streets of São Paulo were covered in it then, so Gustavo and Otávio’s detailed and colorful character work stood out next to the stark letters and symbols. It was tagged as “GEMEOS” and there was a phone number sprayed in the corner. McGee wanted to know who the artists were, so he called them. The twins’ mother, answered the phone. She invited him to the family’s home to meet her sons and sit down for a traditional Brazilian meal of feijoada. It wasn’t until they started to talk at the dinner table that the brothers realized who McGee was. “We were like, ‘Oh my god, this is Twist,’” Gustavo said, referring to one of McGee’s most well-known monikers. The twins had been admiring his graffiti in skateboarding magazines for years and were floored that the artist wanted to get to know them.
The Luggage Store Annex of the The 509 Cultural Center (1007 Market Street) - related to 509 Ellis / Swim Gallery – sign by Margaret Kilgallen (1967-2001) is a non profit artist run multidisciplinary arts organization, founded in 1987.
Community Arts Program Hospitality House - since 1969 (1009 Market Street) https://www.hospitalityhouse.org/community-arts-program.html "is the only free-of-charge fine arts studio and gallery space for artists and neighborhood residents whose socioeconomic struggles would otherwise prevent them from accessing the powerful artistic and cultural landscape of this community. Each year, more than 3,500 artists benefit from the free materials and space to create, house, exhibit and sell their artwork."
Untitled? (2023?) - MONK6. The type of "graff" is called a "rappel". bombingsci Instagram: “"I write MONK6. I am based out of Portland, OR and San Francisco, and I’ve been writing for a little over three years now. I love all kinds of graffiti but I’ve always been especially drawn to clean, legible straight letters/pieces.There is nothing I love more than letters, and I am always trying to add funk and creativity to improve my letters. I love learning new styles and lately I have been adding characters to some of my pieces as well. I enjoy painting everything from rappel spots and heaven spots to chill cutty spots that nobody will ever see.” Facebook comment: “The fines for abseiling illegally off most city structures is ABSURD, in every country! If a man wants to die doing something he loves, let him!” Other MONK6 Tags at 1242 Market St, 1 Grant Avenue (old bank), Hotel des Arts on Bush St., 720 California
International Art Museum of America - (1023 Market Street)
founded in 2011 by H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (1951-2022) an artist who claims to be a reincarnation of the Buddha Vajradhara,] and originally only contained works by him. Building designed by Weiya Noble.
Sanaz Mazinani (1978-) - Infinite Reflections (2022) (1028 Market Street) Persian-Canadian artist -- Uses Dichroic Glass (applies multiple micro-layers of metal oxides to the glass surface. Materials like titanium, silicon or magnesium create an interference effect, causing the glass to reflect and transmit different wavelengths of light)- this glass changes colors depending on the angle of the light. She is trying to evoke "dynamism and richness of Market Street: the beauty of living in a city." interposed lines and angles, casts reflections, will change its appearance through the day and night (also the artist of Rolling Reflection at 49 South Van Ness) - hearkening to Market Streets theater marquees
The Ladder (Sun or Moon) (2020) - Iván Navarro (1066 Market Street) - Chilean artist (1957- ) living in NYC – uses electric light as his primary medium, making politically charged sculptures and installations that address the violence inflicted by the Chilean state. an Inuit myth about the origin of the sun and the moon 12-story tower fronting Market Street, consists of a ten-storied neon and steel ‘ladder,’ resembling a functional fire escape, with each diagonal section corresponding to the height of one story of the building. Looking upwards, a ladder of bright white light disappears skyward, and transports viewers from the traditional urban street life setting to an unexpected experience; a sensation of mystery and transcendence, which distinct to Navarro’s artwork, is also reminiscent of the marquee that adorned the Granada Theater in the 1920’s (later the Paramount Theater), the site upon which 50 Jones now sits.
Richard Louis Perri [Luckey] (1944- ) - 1091 Merrills Drug Center (6th Street / IOOF) - from 2015, neighborhood artist has a studio in the building, moved in 2021 – came to SF in 1967 with flowers in his hair / oil painter / paints pictures of undiscovered places in San Francisco. He loves this city, made it his home. It is his inspiration.
Alicia McCarthy (1969- ) - Untitled (2018) (1100 Market Street) Born in Oakland, still lives there, Mission School artist, commissioned by the Luggage Store Gallery. Woven pattern. Early work was largely associated with collective practices, graffiti art, and San Francisco’s active queer punk scene. abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic” “naive aesthetic” using flawed gestures) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Often uses found or inexpensive objects. Grafitti using the names “Fancy” and “Probe” almost kicked out for spraying graffiti at the AI - Taught a class at the California College of Art, Art Institute – Low Budget High Art - Also creates skateboard decks.
Rigo 23 - Ricardo Gouveia (1966- ) - Truth Mural (2002) - 1101 Market Street Portuguese from Madeira artist, lived in SF, now in LA. part of Clarion Alley Collective, evokes advertising art – Work dedicated to Robert King Wilkerson is the only member of the Angola 3 to be exonerated and released after 32 years mostly solitary confinement, one of the co-founders of the Angola Black Panthers. highlights world politics and political prisoners. Created Victory Salute is a monument of that moment which was specifically built on the San Jose State University – for Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
Inner City Home (6th near Clementina) One Tree (101 on ramp 10th and Bryant)
UN Plaza Fountain (1975) – Lawrence Halprin - the fountain became the “principal feature” of the plaza, designed to serve “as a focal point at the Civic Center axis and establish...a visual hub from the street to City Hall” - dedicated June 26, 1975, UN’s 32nd anniversary
It is made from the same Sierra white granite that City Hall and the other civic buildings in the area are constructed from, arranged into seven clusters to represent the seven continents, and the water is supposed to display “...both jet action and tidal action, imitating the back and forth and up and down motion of the sea” "Halprin has developed an affection for Sierra Nevada views of water coursing through huge granite rocks, and he tried to bring that effect to his fountain by placing gigantic stacks of granite slabs around its outer edge up to twenty feet tall and smaller chunks of granite in the center, over which shot several spouts of water that eventually collected in pools." - James Haas “designed to be a “smart” fountain. Its water jets are controlled by an electronic console regulating an interlocking system of pipes, pumps, meters, and vales. Each of the nine spurting slabs has a wind monitoring device to control the water flow, presenting wind-blown spray from dampening passersby / computer control art commissioner: "This is a flamboyant example of a designer's ego" "The fountain is a gross intrusion of a personal idea into a public space" "resembles the ape grotto at the SF Zoo" Ruth Asawa and Antonio Sotomayor voted against Quentin Kopp: "an architectural travesty and environmental insult" was going to propose a ballot initiative to block it - "Should a fountain, constructed of granite slabs and estimated by the Department of Public Works bureau of engineering to cost $1,150,000 be built in United Nations Plaza on Market at the juncture of Leavenworth and Fulton streets?" Ruth Asawa: "We voted in good faith on March 4 and then they imported some people to vote, some people who are there only when it is political and the fountain was approved." Ray Talliafero: "unimaginative, uncreative and wholly lacking in esthetic excellence." Antonio Sotomayor: "the design would be much more fitting for the pit of the bears at the zoo" pro: Ed Callanan: "The tidal wave of water motion over the blocks will be pleasing to people."
Willis Polk (1867-1924) / Arthur Putnam (1873-1930) / Leo Lentelli (1879-1961) - Path of Gold Light Standards - 1908-1925 (1-2470 Market Street) Original Standards replaced with replicas – part of the CITY BEAUTIFUL movement Willis Polk designed the base and pole (Hallidie Building, Beach Chalet, Kezar Stadium). Arthur Putnam was commissioned to create the Winning of the West bases with three bands of historical subjects: ox‐drawn covered wagons with weary pioneer and dog, seated pumas (mountain lions) looking down at a scared jackrabbit and overlooked by an Indian head, and alternating prospectors and mountain Indians. (also the Sphinx in GGP). Leo Lentelli with Walter D'Arcy Ryan designed the tops - both participated in the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 "The permit for the project was linked to graft payments to Mayor Schmitz, political boss Abe Ruef, and seventeen of the eighteen members of the Board of Supervisors."
San Francisco Arts Commission / San Francisco Metropolitan Transit Authority bus shelters – Arts Commission outdoor gallery. 18 bus shelters, commissioned artists on an annual basis since 1992
Katy Boynton - Heartfullness (2012) (Market & Turk) - Bay Area artist, large scale works in metal / her first sculpture, created for Burning Man / installed 12/2024 "a steel sculpture of a mended heart, embodying the strength of the human spirit." originally presented at Burning Man, night illuminated by a red glow “During the day the rusted metallic surface catches the sunlight, a testament to the resilience of a heart that has weathered life's challenges. At night the heart glows with a warm inner light, symbolizing the unyielding fire within us all. The cracks and imperfections transform into pathways for this radiant light to project outward. Just as the heart becomes a beacon of light, so too do we, when we embrace adversity and allow our own inner light to truly shine.”
Iwamoto (Lisa) Scott (Craig) - Penumbra (2022) 960 Market Street - https://www.iwamotoscott.com/projects/penumbra 'a partial shadow between regions of full shadow and full illumination' designers of the building Serif A series of sculptural Y-shaped columns march along the long sides of the courtyard space, supporting a lattice of radial steel plate beams from which Penumbra's precisely crafted aluminum modules are suspended. variously-angled tapering aluminum modules frame the sky, surrounding urban fabric and space, and the changing light of day.
Clare Rojas (1976-) - promise 2014 aka Sharing Flowers (982 Market Street) - works in a variety of media, including painting, installations, video, street art, and children's books. Her gallery describes her: A magic realist artist with a talent for abstraction whose visual language is rooted in Peruvian folklore and Californian ecofeminism. Married Mission School Barry McGee. Mural only supposed to be up for a year / flowers a star like precious object / work inspired by American folk art and quilting / Artist is SF resident, graduate of the Chicago Art Institute.
Untitled (2013) Os Gemeos and Mark Bodé (1963-) – pronounced Ose Zhe' mee ose // Identical twin artists Otavio Pandolfo and Gustavo Pandolfo (1974-) Sao Paolo / includes one of the twin’s characters and Cheech Wizard by Vaughn Bodé / Hirschhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution (Bodé - cartoonist, muralist, tattoo artist, lives in Daly City – Santana Family mural near 24th St BART
Oshun Mural (2002) – Debra Disman (1956-) - Turk and Taylor Streets - a drop-in center for women and their families, is a program of the H.A.F.C.I. Haight Ashbury Free Clinics. Site of Compton’s Cafeteria. The spirit goddess Oshun reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. According to the Yoruba elders, she is the "unseen mother present at every gathering" ..."nurture healing and build strength among women and their families..." Oshun’s color is yellow, and her metals are gold and copper. Other symbols depicted in the mural include peacocks and mirrors, reflective of vanity and physical beauty. Oshun represents life’s joys, and all that makes it worth living – Los Angeles based artist does installation art, performance art, bookworks – worked as a decorative painter in SF
Hueman (Allison Tornero) (1985- ) 'Our Home of Sampaguitas and Dahlias' (51 6th Street) - artist based in Oakland "commemorates the history of Filipinos in SOMA" / created the work “Spray Ballet” on 5 buildings in Hickory Alley (now covered with graffiti) / designed a Golden State Warriors shirt and painted a mural on a Norwegian cruise liner, portrait of Kobe Bryant for Nike
Lanterns 500 block Stevenson Street near 6th Street (2021) The lanterns are a collaboration of the Plinth Agency, The Bayanihan Community Center, SoMa Pilipinas, the 6th Street Safety Group, Friends of Stevenson Alley They are not our traditional five-point parol or Filipino Christmas lanterns, which are inspired by the Star of Bethlehem and the story of Nativity, and nor the famous San Fernando Lanterns, nor that of the red round lanterns you find in Chinatown and Chinese restaurants which are associated with the full moon and Lunar Festival When lit, these brass lanterns will cast shadows of the graphical textures in the lanterns. In spring & summer of 2019, several community stakeholder meetings convened to develop a strategic plan for the 500 block of Stevenson Street. Zendesk, the Mid-Market CBD, SFMTA, & OEWD committed investment in new streetscaping and lighting elements, alongside a series of events, with SF Parks Alliance set to manage the project. Fabricated by HYBOCOZO Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk. Based in Los Angeles / created Aurum in Mint Plaza / geometric sculptures, often with pattern and texture that draw on inspirations from mathematics, science, and natural phenomena (not like their work)
Faith, Hope and Charity (2019) – Sylvester Guard Jr. Art Commission approved 8/2019. installed at the Seneca Hotel, which is located on 34 6th St. at Stevenson St. The painted mural will measure approximately 10 ft. by 24 ft. The project is funded by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The painted mural will not become part of the Civic Art Collection. / The artist formerly homeless / involved with the Tenderloin Museum and Community Arts Program Hospitality House. Created a mural next to the playground at Turk and Hyde.
Os Gemeos (Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo) - Giant (1001 Market Street) - dates from 2013. Painted over their 2001 work "Pavil" (Wick) - their first US exhibit "dedicated to Jade, Nekst & Tie." – a hat with a JADE throwup, the spray can in a shape of balaclava wearing character with a NEKST belt buckle, and TIE button on the bag to name a few. "Their first significant artistic influence outside their immediate environment, and their limited access to American hip hop, stemmed from a chance encounter with Barry McGee (also known as Twist), who was in Brazil for several months on a study abroad program through the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Technique and experience were shared, and McGee provided photographs of American graffiti." [wiki] NYT: The American artist Barry McGee was that door-opener for Osgemeos. It was 1993 and the twins were 19 years old when he first phoned their house. McGee, who got his start as a graffiti artist in 1980s San Francisco, was in their hometown, São Paulo, thanks to a grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. McGee was introduced to well-known contemporary Brazilian artists, but he still felt like he was missing out on what was happening in the streets. Until one day, while riding his bike around the Vila Mariana neighborhood where he was staying, he saw a massive mural of B-boys break dancing painted by Osgemeos. “I hadn’t seen any work in my life that looked like theirs,” he said. “It was very elaborate and it was already distinctive at that point.” Graffiti made by the duo on the street where they grew up in Cambuci, São Paulo, pays homage to Portal, a collective of artists who strongly influenced the duo’s work. Brazil is known for a type of graffiti called pixação, a cryptic lettering style rooted in protest against corruption and inequality. The streets of São Paulo were covered in it then, so Gustavo and Otávio’s detailed and colorful character work stood out next to the stark letters and symbols. It was tagged as “GEMEOS” and there was a phone number sprayed in the corner. McGee wanted to know who the artists were, so he called them. The twins’ mother, answered the phone. She invited him to the family’s home to meet her sons and sit down for a traditional Brazilian meal of feijoada. It wasn’t until they started to talk at the dinner table that the brothers realized who McGee was. “We were like, ‘Oh my god, this is Twist,’” Gustavo said, referring to one of McGee’s most well-known monikers. The twins had been admiring his graffiti in skateboarding magazines for years and were floored that the artist wanted to get to know them.
The Luggage Store Annex of the The 509 Cultural Center (1007 Market Street) - related to 509 Ellis / Swim Gallery – sign by Margaret Kilgallen (1967-2001) is a non profit artist run multidisciplinary arts organization, founded in 1987.
Community Arts Program Hospitality House - since 1969 (1009 Market Street) https://www.hospitalityhouse.org/community-arts-program.html "is the only free-of-charge fine arts studio and gallery space for artists and neighborhood residents whose socioeconomic struggles would otherwise prevent them from accessing the powerful artistic and cultural landscape of this community. Each year, more than 3,500 artists benefit from the free materials and space to create, house, exhibit and sell their artwork."
Untitled? (2023?) - MONK6. The type of "graff" is called a "rappel". bombingsci Instagram: “"I write MONK6. I am based out of Portland, OR and San Francisco, and I’ve been writing for a little over three years now. I love all kinds of graffiti but I’ve always been especially drawn to clean, legible straight letters/pieces.There is nothing I love more than letters, and I am always trying to add funk and creativity to improve my letters. I love learning new styles and lately I have been adding characters to some of my pieces as well. I enjoy painting everything from rappel spots and heaven spots to chill cutty spots that nobody will ever see.” Facebook comment: “The fines for abseiling illegally off most city structures is ABSURD, in every country! If a man wants to die doing something he loves, let him!” Other MONK6 Tags at 1242 Market St, 1 Grant Avenue (old bank), Hotel des Arts on Bush St., 720 California
International Art Museum of America - (1023 Market Street)
founded in 2011 by H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III (1951-2022) an artist who claims to be a reincarnation of the Buddha Vajradhara,] and originally only contained works by him. Building designed by Weiya Noble.
Sanaz Mazinani (1978-) - Infinite Reflections (2022) (1028 Market Street) Persian-Canadian artist -- Uses Dichroic Glass (applies multiple micro-layers of metal oxides to the glass surface. Materials like titanium, silicon or magnesium create an interference effect, causing the glass to reflect and transmit different wavelengths of light)- this glass changes colors depending on the angle of the light. She is trying to evoke "dynamism and richness of Market Street: the beauty of living in a city." interposed lines and angles, casts reflections, will change its appearance through the day and night (also the artist of Rolling Reflection at 49 South Van Ness) - hearkening to Market Streets theater marquees
The Ladder (Sun or Moon) (2020) - Iván Navarro (1066 Market Street) - Chilean artist (1957- ) living in NYC – uses electric light as his primary medium, making politically charged sculptures and installations that address the violence inflicted by the Chilean state. an Inuit myth about the origin of the sun and the moon 12-story tower fronting Market Street, consists of a ten-storied neon and steel ‘ladder,’ resembling a functional fire escape, with each diagonal section corresponding to the height of one story of the building. Looking upwards, a ladder of bright white light disappears skyward, and transports viewers from the traditional urban street life setting to an unexpected experience; a sensation of mystery and transcendence, which distinct to Navarro’s artwork, is also reminiscent of the marquee that adorned the Granada Theater in the 1920’s (later the Paramount Theater), the site upon which 50 Jones now sits.
Richard Louis Perri [Luckey] (1944- ) - 1091 Merrills Drug Center (6th Street / IOOF) - from 2015, neighborhood artist has a studio in the building, moved in 2021 – came to SF in 1967 with flowers in his hair / oil painter / paints pictures of undiscovered places in San Francisco. He loves this city, made it his home. It is his inspiration.
Alicia McCarthy (1969- ) - Untitled (2018) (1100 Market Street) Born in Oakland, still lives there, Mission School artist, commissioned by the Luggage Store Gallery. Woven pattern. Early work was largely associated with collective practices, graffiti art, and San Francisco’s active queer punk scene. abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic” “naive aesthetic” using flawed gestures) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Often uses found or inexpensive objects. Grafitti using the names “Fancy” and “Probe” almost kicked out for spraying graffiti at the AI - Taught a class at the California College of Art, Art Institute – Low Budget High Art - Also creates skateboard decks.
Rigo 23 - Ricardo Gouveia (1966- ) - Truth Mural (2002) - 1101 Market Street Portuguese from Madeira artist, lived in SF, now in LA. part of Clarion Alley Collective, evokes advertising art – Work dedicated to Robert King Wilkerson is the only member of the Angola 3 to be exonerated and released after 32 years mostly solitary confinement, one of the co-founders of the Angola Black Panthers. highlights world politics and political prisoners. Created Victory Salute is a monument of that moment which was specifically built on the San Jose State University – for Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
Inner City Home (6th near Clementina) One Tree (101 on ramp 10th and Bryant)
UN Plaza Fountain (1975) – Lawrence Halprin - the fountain became the “principal feature” of the plaza, designed to serve “as a focal point at the Civic Center axis and establish...a visual hub from the street to City Hall” - dedicated June 26, 1975, UN’s 32nd anniversary
It is made from the same Sierra white granite that City Hall and the other civic buildings in the area are constructed from, arranged into seven clusters to represent the seven continents, and the water is supposed to display “...both jet action and tidal action, imitating the back and forth and up and down motion of the sea” "Halprin has developed an affection for Sierra Nevada views of water coursing through huge granite rocks, and he tried to bring that effect to his fountain by placing gigantic stacks of granite slabs around its outer edge up to twenty feet tall and smaller chunks of granite in the center, over which shot several spouts of water that eventually collected in pools." - James Haas “designed to be a “smart” fountain. Its water jets are controlled by an electronic console regulating an interlocking system of pipes, pumps, meters, and vales. Each of the nine spurting slabs has a wind monitoring device to control the water flow, presenting wind-blown spray from dampening passersby / computer control art commissioner: "This is a flamboyant example of a designer's ego" "The fountain is a gross intrusion of a personal idea into a public space" "resembles the ape grotto at the SF Zoo" Ruth Asawa and Antonio Sotomayor voted against Quentin Kopp: "an architectural travesty and environmental insult" was going to propose a ballot initiative to block it - "Should a fountain, constructed of granite slabs and estimated by the Department of Public Works bureau of engineering to cost $1,150,000 be built in United Nations Plaza on Market at the juncture of Leavenworth and Fulton streets?" Ruth Asawa: "We voted in good faith on March 4 and then they imported some people to vote, some people who are there only when it is political and the fountain was approved." Ray Talliafero: "unimaginative, uncreative and wholly lacking in esthetic excellence." Antonio Sotomayor: "the design would be much more fitting for the pit of the bears at the zoo" pro: Ed Callanan: "The tidal wave of water motion over the blocks will be pleasing to people."
Read more about the UN Plaza on our blog.
UN Plaza (Halprin, CiampI and Warnecke) In June 1967, construction of the BART Civic Center Station was commenced within the confines of Market Street, a city street. A portion of the construction activity was in the street area adjacent to the Orpheum property. The construction was substantially completed in February 1971 and fully completed in April 1971. Construction of the one acre United Nations Plaza began in January 1975 as part of the Market Street Beautification Project in conjunction with the Bay Area Rapid Transit station 1995, the Plaza received a facelift, adding more “memorial” content to what was in essence simply a plaza and fountain, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Charter. In three short months in 1995, the words of the UN Charter were carved on the black obelisk (Figure 6), a quote from Roosevelt (chosen by Halprin, who was working on the Roosevelt Memorial at the time) was carved into the fountain, granite inlays were placed into the brick mall with chiseled words from the UN in the stone, the names of all the member countries and the year they joined the UN were carved on granite lamp posts, and the UN emblem in the center of the plaza were all added
Lawrence Argent (1957-2017) - C'era Una Volta (Once Upon A Time) (installed 2017) [on private property] born in England, raised in Australia, NYTimes obit While conceiving his art projects, Argent asks himself big questions. For example: "How much data can we remove from a real object and still have something recognizable?" To paraphrase another of his inquiries: "How can I turn commonly held notions of beauty into something new and contemporary?" Argent asked himself that as he re-envisioned the classical form of the Venus de Milo, the armless Grecian wonder. His twisting sculpture – rising up to almost Statue of Liberty dimensions from a base that's four feet in diameter. Stands 92 feet tall, slightly shorter than the Statue of Liberty’s 111.5 feet measured from heel to crown, and 35 feet wide at the shoulders. Late Trinity landlord Angelo Sangiacomo asked him once if he could make the statue smaller. But only once. “I told him look, shrink it down and it just won’t work,” says Argent. “He said, ‘Okay, I trust you.’” Venus’s swirling profile is meant to suggest a figure bursting from the ground, like a liberated geyser. “I wanted it to look as if it’s emerging from the rock—pretending for a second that there’s not a six-story garage underneath us,” he says. Angelo Sangiacomo, who purchased the 4.5-acre site in 1977, began construction of Trinity Place in 2007, and welcomed the first residents in 2010. Sangiacomo, who passed away in December 2015 at the age of 91, called Trinity Place his lifetime dream and created the piazza and its art collection – C’era Una Volta (“Once Upon a Time”) — as a lasting gift to his beloved San Francisco. Argent also designed the courtyard floor's undulating, tile-mosaic pattern, as well as several other marble, sculptural elements, all meant to work cohesively as part of a "gestalt"," he says. which led him to ask, "How do we make a plaza appear that it's been there forever, and the buildings are actually built around the plaza?" “My task is to create something that fits the surrounding or the area. If it were to be removed, you would miss it.” At its feet are scattered 17 smaller marble sculptures to accentuate “Venus’s” classical elements. The works commemorate the property's former landlord, Angelo Sangiacomo, who contributed millions of dollars to the site and who died in 2015. [one of SF's largest landlords – known as the “father of rent control”] Custom-designed seven-foot glass bollards with illuminated hollow centers serve as dramatic showcases for sculptures within the glass. The decorative bollards, which weigh 8,000 pounds each, are located along the mosaic path connecting Market Street to Mission Street. A 20-seat Carrara marble table encourages people to gather for lunch or to meet friends in the lively piazza. To give the table “movement” and create the sense of gathering at a friend’s home, Argent added a “ripple” along the marble tabletop, creating the impression of a large tablecloth naturally creased in the center. Includes other elements that pay tribute to classical Mediterranean art and Sangiacomo’s love of things Italian. The mosaic floor, massive marble table, and carved figures emerging from boulders like half-excavated relics (one rock bears the likeness of Sangiacomo and his wife Yvonne, signature glasses and all) reflect the late landlord’s personal style of brash, volume-up-to-11 good taste. The gates between Phases 1 and 2 of Trinity Place, facing Mission street, form an enchantingly intricate bronze pattern inspired by the ancient street map of Genoa, Italy. The design honors the Genovese region, the ancestral home of the Sangiacomo family. Frankie Avalon sang "Venus" at the dedication
Richard Deutsch (1953-) - Victoria (installed in 2021) Artist lives in Davenport, CA. inspired by the ancient Greek sculpture, The Winged Victory of Samothrace. Also called the Nike of Samothrace. this 2nd-century BC marble sculpture pays tribute to the Greek goddess Nike (Victory). punctuate Trinity’s Eighth Street entry by following this ancient tradition of “welcoming” with an angelic winged figure. Victoria is made of a high-grade 316L stainless steel and white Carrara marble. The marble elements of the sculpture were fabricated in Pietrasanta, Italy and the block was quarried in one 50,000 lb piece. Crafted at the Santa Cruz Metal Works.
Charles Gadeken (1964) "Entwined" - 2024 "industrial artist working in the Bay Area for over 25 years" lecturer at Stanford. Burning Man affiliation. originally installed at Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park. "To control the shrub colors and radiation of light, look for the QR code at the various shrubs. Once scanned, the control panel for that shrub will pop up on your phone, allowing you to add your creative elements to the piece!"
Adamo Tadolina (1788–1863) - Simón Bolivar (1859/1984) The original is located in the Plaza Bolivar in Lima, Peru, the first copy is in the Plaza Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela. A gift of Venezuela - President Jaime Lusinchi and then Mayor Dianne Feinstein were present at dedication / 1983 bicentennial of Bolivar well-established Italian sculptor active in commemorative sculpture in both England and Italy in the 19th century.
Joshua Hubert – Spectra (2005) LED public art installation ... spans 1.6 acres across the rooftops of the San Francisco Public Library and the Asian Art Museum, where 1,271 individually programmable LEDs will pulse and shimmer in an audio-reactive display of color and light. Arranged in a dynamic waveform that mimics both light and sound spectrums
Jeremy Novy (1979- ) – Koi (2024) - stencil artist largest koi mural to date in Fulton Plaza / “taking ancient artforms and blending them with modern technology. Koi have long been an ancient symbol of courage and luck, and you can find them featured prominently throughout history in fine art, so he set out to combine this ancient symbol with the more modern medium of concrete.”
Frank Happersberger (1859–1932) - James Lick / Pioneers Monument (1894) Born in Dutch Flat, Placer County, studied art for 8 years in Munich, also created the Garfield statue in GGP - Gift of James Lick (died 1876): real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death. Artist also created James Garfield memorial in Golden Gate Park. Two allegories – early days, plenty; two tableaus - In '49, commerce 47 feet tall Made of Rocklin Granite four bas reliefs, portrait medallions, names, flags and dates from CA history Eureka and The Bear – Eureka 12’6” weighs 8,000 lbs, right hand: spear, left hand: sheild + California grizzly bear Bronze wreath products of the state: fruits, nuts and grain, garlands of acorns and laurels Two dates: 1848, Discovery of Gold; 1850: admission to the Union Portraits: John Fremont, Sir Francis Drake, Father Junipero Serra, James Lick, John Sutter Names: Vallejo, Larkin, Marshall, Castro, Stockton, Sloat, Portola and Cabrillo Allegorical Figures: Plenty/Agriculture: heads of wheat crown Plenty, she holds a cornucopia of fruits Commerce: Goddess of the Sea – California's ports and shipping industry Early Days: mission padre, vaquero and Native American In ‘49: 3 miners examine a gold nugget, tools at their feet
Fred Parhad (1947-) - Ashurbanipal (1988) born in Baghdad, Assyrian. Studied at UC Berkeley, moved to NYC. Gift from the Assyrian people - restauranteur Narsai David (KCBS) led the raising of $95,000 for the sculpture Ashurbanipal: last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (668 BC–c. 627 BC). He introduced the first known systematically organized library, 30,000 clay tablets - inscribed with Assyrian cuneiform, whose text translates as: "Peace unto heaven and earth / Peace unto countries and cities / Peace unto the dwellers in all lands" "It's kind of generally known that the staff is not exactly excited about this status," said Karen Scannell, acting city librarian. "Most of them feel that it is not appropriate and doesn't really blend in with the general style of the Civic Center."
Double L Excentric Gyratory (1982) - George Rickey (1907-2002) gifted to SF in 1997 by George Djerrasi, best known for developing the oral contraceptive pill. Stainless Steel. The Landmarks Board, citing potential harm to the overall integrity of the nationally landmarked plaza and what the board considers an abuse of process, has balked at the rushed schedule ... withholding it "certificate of appropriateness" - Mayor Brown pushed it through the objections because he wanted it up in time for the US Conference of Mayors
“Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman” (2024) by Lava Thomas / multi-media artist, from LA Supervisor Mark Farrell introduced legislation in 2017 calling on the city to increase female representation in the public arena to 30%. That would include boosting the number of women in elected office, on corporate boards, on street signs and, yes, depicted in statues. Farrell's legislation, passed by the supervisors, also called for a statue of Maya Angelou to be installed outside the Main Library. - - Catherine Stefani took over the project once Farrell left elected office “in October 2019, city officials rejected Thomas’ design, saying the artist’s book-shaped sculpture etched with an image of Angelou’s face wasn’t what they had in mind: a traditional, figurative statue of the poet.” “San Francisco Arts Commission selected her proposal for a monument of the author outside the city’s Main Library, then rescinded the offer when San Francisco supervisor Catherine Stefani objected, wanting a traditional statue rather than Thomas’s design. “I was invited to apply,” Thomas recalls, “then found myself in an untenable position.” No one at the arts commission would speak to Thomas, and at the public committee meeting that followed the decision, she was not allowed to finish the three-minute statement she had prepared. The Bay Area arts community rallied,
UN Plaza (Halprin, CiampI and Warnecke) In June 1967, construction of the BART Civic Center Station was commenced within the confines of Market Street, a city street. A portion of the construction activity was in the street area adjacent to the Orpheum property. The construction was substantially completed in February 1971 and fully completed in April 1971. Construction of the one acre United Nations Plaza began in January 1975 as part of the Market Street Beautification Project in conjunction with the Bay Area Rapid Transit station 1995, the Plaza received a facelift, adding more “memorial” content to what was in essence simply a plaza and fountain, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Charter. In three short months in 1995, the words of the UN Charter were carved on the black obelisk (Figure 6), a quote from Roosevelt (chosen by Halprin, who was working on the Roosevelt Memorial at the time) was carved into the fountain, granite inlays were placed into the brick mall with chiseled words from the UN in the stone, the names of all the member countries and the year they joined the UN were carved on granite lamp posts, and the UN emblem in the center of the plaza were all added
Lawrence Argent (1957-2017) - C'era Una Volta (Once Upon A Time) (installed 2017) [on private property] born in England, raised in Australia, NYTimes obit While conceiving his art projects, Argent asks himself big questions. For example: "How much data can we remove from a real object and still have something recognizable?" To paraphrase another of his inquiries: "How can I turn commonly held notions of beauty into something new and contemporary?" Argent asked himself that as he re-envisioned the classical form of the Venus de Milo, the armless Grecian wonder. His twisting sculpture – rising up to almost Statue of Liberty dimensions from a base that's four feet in diameter. Stands 92 feet tall, slightly shorter than the Statue of Liberty’s 111.5 feet measured from heel to crown, and 35 feet wide at the shoulders. Late Trinity landlord Angelo Sangiacomo asked him once if he could make the statue smaller. But only once. “I told him look, shrink it down and it just won’t work,” says Argent. “He said, ‘Okay, I trust you.’” Venus’s swirling profile is meant to suggest a figure bursting from the ground, like a liberated geyser. “I wanted it to look as if it’s emerging from the rock—pretending for a second that there’s not a six-story garage underneath us,” he says. Angelo Sangiacomo, who purchased the 4.5-acre site in 1977, began construction of Trinity Place in 2007, and welcomed the first residents in 2010. Sangiacomo, who passed away in December 2015 at the age of 91, called Trinity Place his lifetime dream and created the piazza and its art collection – C’era Una Volta (“Once Upon a Time”) — as a lasting gift to his beloved San Francisco. Argent also designed the courtyard floor's undulating, tile-mosaic pattern, as well as several other marble, sculptural elements, all meant to work cohesively as part of a "gestalt"," he says. which led him to ask, "How do we make a plaza appear that it's been there forever, and the buildings are actually built around the plaza?" “My task is to create something that fits the surrounding or the area. If it were to be removed, you would miss it.” At its feet are scattered 17 smaller marble sculptures to accentuate “Venus’s” classical elements. The works commemorate the property's former landlord, Angelo Sangiacomo, who contributed millions of dollars to the site and who died in 2015. [one of SF's largest landlords – known as the “father of rent control”] Custom-designed seven-foot glass bollards with illuminated hollow centers serve as dramatic showcases for sculptures within the glass. The decorative bollards, which weigh 8,000 pounds each, are located along the mosaic path connecting Market Street to Mission Street. A 20-seat Carrara marble table encourages people to gather for lunch or to meet friends in the lively piazza. To give the table “movement” and create the sense of gathering at a friend’s home, Argent added a “ripple” along the marble tabletop, creating the impression of a large tablecloth naturally creased in the center. Includes other elements that pay tribute to classical Mediterranean art and Sangiacomo’s love of things Italian. The mosaic floor, massive marble table, and carved figures emerging from boulders like half-excavated relics (one rock bears the likeness of Sangiacomo and his wife Yvonne, signature glasses and all) reflect the late landlord’s personal style of brash, volume-up-to-11 good taste. The gates between Phases 1 and 2 of Trinity Place, facing Mission street, form an enchantingly intricate bronze pattern inspired by the ancient street map of Genoa, Italy. The design honors the Genovese region, the ancestral home of the Sangiacomo family. Frankie Avalon sang "Venus" at the dedication
Richard Deutsch (1953-) - Victoria (installed in 2021) Artist lives in Davenport, CA. inspired by the ancient Greek sculpture, The Winged Victory of Samothrace. Also called the Nike of Samothrace. this 2nd-century BC marble sculpture pays tribute to the Greek goddess Nike (Victory). punctuate Trinity’s Eighth Street entry by following this ancient tradition of “welcoming” with an angelic winged figure. Victoria is made of a high-grade 316L stainless steel and white Carrara marble. The marble elements of the sculpture were fabricated in Pietrasanta, Italy and the block was quarried in one 50,000 lb piece. Crafted at the Santa Cruz Metal Works.
Charles Gadeken (1964) "Entwined" - 2024 "industrial artist working in the Bay Area for over 25 years" lecturer at Stanford. Burning Man affiliation. originally installed at Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park. "To control the shrub colors and radiation of light, look for the QR code at the various shrubs. Once scanned, the control panel for that shrub will pop up on your phone, allowing you to add your creative elements to the piece!"
Adamo Tadolina (1788–1863) - Simón Bolivar (1859/1984) The original is located in the Plaza Bolivar in Lima, Peru, the first copy is in the Plaza Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela. A gift of Venezuela - President Jaime Lusinchi and then Mayor Dianne Feinstein were present at dedication / 1983 bicentennial of Bolivar well-established Italian sculptor active in commemorative sculpture in both England and Italy in the 19th century.
Joshua Hubert – Spectra (2005) LED public art installation ... spans 1.6 acres across the rooftops of the San Francisco Public Library and the Asian Art Museum, where 1,271 individually programmable LEDs will pulse and shimmer in an audio-reactive display of color and light. Arranged in a dynamic waveform that mimics both light and sound spectrums
Jeremy Novy (1979- ) – Koi (2024) - stencil artist largest koi mural to date in Fulton Plaza / “taking ancient artforms and blending them with modern technology. Koi have long been an ancient symbol of courage and luck, and you can find them featured prominently throughout history in fine art, so he set out to combine this ancient symbol with the more modern medium of concrete.”
Frank Happersberger (1859–1932) - James Lick / Pioneers Monument (1894) Born in Dutch Flat, Placer County, studied art for 8 years in Munich, also created the Garfield statue in GGP - Gift of James Lick (died 1876): real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death. Artist also created James Garfield memorial in Golden Gate Park. Two allegories – early days, plenty; two tableaus - In '49, commerce 47 feet tall Made of Rocklin Granite four bas reliefs, portrait medallions, names, flags and dates from CA history Eureka and The Bear – Eureka 12’6” weighs 8,000 lbs, right hand: spear, left hand: sheild + California grizzly bear Bronze wreath products of the state: fruits, nuts and grain, garlands of acorns and laurels Two dates: 1848, Discovery of Gold; 1850: admission to the Union Portraits: John Fremont, Sir Francis Drake, Father Junipero Serra, James Lick, John Sutter Names: Vallejo, Larkin, Marshall, Castro, Stockton, Sloat, Portola and Cabrillo Allegorical Figures: Plenty/Agriculture: heads of wheat crown Plenty, she holds a cornucopia of fruits Commerce: Goddess of the Sea – California's ports and shipping industry Early Days: mission padre, vaquero and Native American In ‘49: 3 miners examine a gold nugget, tools at their feet
Fred Parhad (1947-) - Ashurbanipal (1988) born in Baghdad, Assyrian. Studied at UC Berkeley, moved to NYC. Gift from the Assyrian people - restauranteur Narsai David (KCBS) led the raising of $95,000 for the sculpture Ashurbanipal: last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (668 BC–c. 627 BC). He introduced the first known systematically organized library, 30,000 clay tablets - inscribed with Assyrian cuneiform, whose text translates as: "Peace unto heaven and earth / Peace unto countries and cities / Peace unto the dwellers in all lands" "It's kind of generally known that the staff is not exactly excited about this status," said Karen Scannell, acting city librarian. "Most of them feel that it is not appropriate and doesn't really blend in with the general style of the Civic Center."
Double L Excentric Gyratory (1982) - George Rickey (1907-2002) gifted to SF in 1997 by George Djerrasi, best known for developing the oral contraceptive pill. Stainless Steel. The Landmarks Board, citing potential harm to the overall integrity of the nationally landmarked plaza and what the board considers an abuse of process, has balked at the rushed schedule ... withholding it "certificate of appropriateness" - Mayor Brown pushed it through the objections because he wanted it up in time for the US Conference of Mayors
“Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman” (2024) by Lava Thomas / multi-media artist, from LA Supervisor Mark Farrell introduced legislation in 2017 calling on the city to increase female representation in the public arena to 30%. That would include boosting the number of women in elected office, on corporate boards, on street signs and, yes, depicted in statues. Farrell's legislation, passed by the supervisors, also called for a statue of Maya Angelou to be installed outside the Main Library. - - Catherine Stefani took over the project once Farrell left elected office “in October 2019, city officials rejected Thomas’ design, saying the artist’s book-shaped sculpture etched with an image of Angelou’s face wasn’t what they had in mind: a traditional, figurative statue of the poet.” “San Francisco Arts Commission selected her proposal for a monument of the author outside the city’s Main Library, then rescinded the offer when San Francisco supervisor Catherine Stefani objected, wanting a traditional statue rather than Thomas’s design. “I was invited to apply,” Thomas recalls, “then found myself in an untenable position.” No one at the arts commission would speak to Thomas, and at the public committee meeting that followed the decision, she was not allowed to finish the three-minute statement she had prepared. The Bay Area arts community rallied,
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