Speaking Stones , Seyed Alavi, Richmond District Recreation Center

Meandering along the path, through the garden and lobby of the Richmond District Recreation Center, one encounters lines of poetry carved into rocks, seat walls, walkways and floors. In the center of the lobby is a bronze medallion containing the single word “HOPE”. From the central disk, a series of concentric circles radiate out to the garden. The seat walls outside curve along the same radius. On either side of the street entrances to the courtyard are two colored octagons about 10 ft in diameter. In the center of each octagon is a 3-ft circle of blue pavers laid in concentric rings. Artist Seyed Alavi did not create a distinct object that would be recognizable as a “work of art”. Rather, he influenced the design of portions of the garden and lobby, specifying details of path design and plant materials, and selecting poetry, drawing on sources as distant as Iran and China. Alavi was selected for the commission after an open competition among Bay Area artists for the project. Although much of the design work had been completed before he was hired, Alavi chose to contribute to the design of the garden. The first step was to learn about the community. He observed that the people who live in the neighborhood are of primarily Asian and Russian decent, and that the center would be used most by seniors, teenagers and children. With so much diversity, what does it mean to be a community? Alavi proposes that a community is centered around a common hope, and everything radiates from there. Thus the idea of concentric circles was born. In thinking about the garden, Alavi studied books on Asian gardens. The octagon shape was inspired by the ancient Chinese art of placement known as “Feng Shui”. The Feng Shui octagon, or Ba-Gua, is used to read the chi (energy) patterns that influence a place. Placing the octagon by the entrance to the courtyard refers to the octagons hung above entrances to harmonize peoples’ energies as they enter a space. The placement of rocks and the use of blue pavers to signify water were meant to invest a similar level of meaning and metaphor into the garden and community center. The Chinese word for landscape, Shan Shui, means mountain and water. Chinese gardens traditionally include rocks, and references to water. Near the kitchen window can be found a bed of fragrant herbs and a pear tree, which is a symbol of longevity in Asian cultures. In the West, the pear is associated with hope. Alavi has long been interested in creating events and environments that would inspire a moment of introspection, reflection and contemplation. His art never takes the same shape twice. For the Recreation Center, he chose to use the layout of the pathway and seating, the symbolic lines and forms, the special plantings and poetry, to achieve his goal. Poem cast into the seat wall at 19th Avenue: Fleeting Blossoms Yesterday they were crimson on the branch, So fresh That they stained my fingers at a touch. This morning I searched for them in vain. For they had already vanished And lay At the bottom of the pool. By Hsu Fu (11th Century, Chinese) “Hsu Fu was a native of Shansi Province, noted for his filial piety. He did not marry until he was forty, for fear that his wife would fail in her duty to his mother. Then, when his mother died, he married. He was deaf, and people communicated with him by writing on the ground.” From “The Charcoal Burner and Other Poems”, Translated by Henry H. Hart. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman © 1974 Poetry carved into boulders in the garden: Hours are leaves of life And I am their gardener… Each hour falls down slow. By Susan Morrison (Age 11) A leaf crashes gently to the ground A cricket lands lightly on it And tunes itself for a song. By Jennifer Hodgman (Age 10) From “Miracles: Poems by Children of the English World”, Collected by Richard Lewis, Simon and Schuster, Rockefeller Center, 630 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. New York © 1966 Poem carved into the sidewalk by the entrance at 18th Avenue: You and I Happy is the moment, When we sit together, With two forms, Two faces, Yet one soul. You and I The flowers will bloom forever The birds will sing their eternal song, The moment we enter the garden You and I. By Jalal-Ud-Din Rumi (1207-1273 Persian) From “Art and Wonder, An Illustrated Anthology of Visionary Poetry” Selected by Kate Farrel, Translated by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A Bulfinch Press Book/Little, Brown and Company. Poem carved into the sidewalk at the entrance on 19th Avenue: All hopes – all distances and nearness Enclosed in one big circle. By Zinaida Gippius (1869-1945 Russian) “Born in 1869 into a distinguished family, she (Zinaida Gippius) was publishing in her teens and accepted by the early practitioners of the “Symbolist” mode. In 1889 she married Dmitri Merezhkovski, a novelist and intellectual…. From then on, until his death in 1942, the couple used their apartments in St. Petersburg, Warsaw, and Paris, as a base for various literary, religious, and political activities.” From “The Burden of Sufferance; Women Poets of Russia”, edited by Pamela Perkins and Albert Cook, Garland Publishing, Inc. New York and London, ©1993 The artist gratefully acknowledges Dahanukar Branden Architects, and Keller Mitchell and Co. Landscape Architects, who allowed him to contribute to their designs. This artwork was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission for the San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks. It is now part of the collection of the City and County of San Francisco.

Yin and Yang, Robert Arneson, West Side of the Embarcadero

The sculpture is located in the center of a low circular planter, about 16 feet in circumference and consists of two separate stylized heads, one vertical and the other horizontal. The vertical head measures 58 inches tall by 41 inches wide by 30 inches deep. The horizontal head is 39 inches by 58 inches by 48 inches. The two heads are about 5 feet away from each other. There is a definite psychological connection between the two. The two heads are very stylized and are not portraits. Other than the very simplified facial features, there are no other anatomical details besides the ears. The surface is very smooth, like an egg. The vertical Yang head balances on its chin, and appears to be cross or angry at the horizontal “Yin” head. There are three V-shaped furrows in the forehead and the brow above the nose is pinched between the eyebrows. The eye area is hollowed out, but the eyes are not specifically depicted. Yet we can tell that Yang is looking at Yin. The mouth is open, the left side more than the right, the left upper lip slightly curled. The horizontal head rests on the left side of its face, with the back of its head facing the other sculpture. Yin’s left eye is squeezed close, with multiple crinkle lines at the corners. The right eye is open, and looks back at Yang. A simplified eyeball and pupil is depicted, but no eyebrows or eyelashes. Yin’s brow is also furrowed, but more softly. The mouth is slightly turned down, but not in a frown. Yin appears quizzical and unperturbed. The shape of the heads, with their off-white patina, reminds one of an egg. In fact, Yin and Yang is part of a series of 5 sculptures Arneson was commissioned to create for UC Davis, where Arneson taught and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1991. These sculptures, of which Yin and Yang is one, are placed throughout the campus and referred to collectively as the “Egghead Series.” Robert Arneson received his BA from California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland and his Master of Fine Arts from Mills College. He taught ceramics at UC Davis from 1962 until his retirement as a Professor Emeritus of Art in 1991. Robert Arneson gained notoriety as an artist in the 1960’s when he became associated with the Bay Area’s funk art movement. At a time when ceramics were relegated to “craft”, his use of clay in irreverent, unorthodox ways challenged the art world’s previous conceptions of what was considered fine art. He was the liberating spirit of California’s ceramic sculpture movement. In the 1970’s Arneson began making the self-portraits that became his signature work, along with portraits of his friends and art historical figures. In 1981, Robert Arneson was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission to create a memorial bust of Mayor George Moscone for the new Moscone Convention center. In one of the most notorious conflicts between an artist’s personal expression and city politics, the bust was ultimately rejected by the Arts Commission for its inclusion of references to Moscone’s assassination and the subsequent trial of Dan White. In 1989 UC Davis commissioned Robert Arneson to create a series of sculptures to be sited throughout the campus. These proved to be the artist’s most epic work. Yin and Yang is one of the five sculptures, collectively referred to as the “Egghead” series. The series is somewhat atypical in that the Eggheads are not portraits. The artist has generalized the features, and the simplicity allows for a more universal interpretation; the Eggheads make us laugh at ourselves at the same time as they are commentaries on the human condition.

Secret Garden , Aileen Barr, West Portal Clubhouse

Secret Garden was inspired West Portal Clubhouse’s identity as a lush, green hidden jewel of a facility within the city’s busy urban landscape. The artwork literally embraces the clubhouse building’s eastern and southern walls with a green garland of native plants and animals. The garland is made from individually hand-carved ceramic tiles that were later integrated into the building’s stucco wall. The tiles are glazed in different shades of blue, green and grey. Each individual tile takes the form of leaves, flowers, urban animals, insects and birds. Together, there are over 25 different examples of Bay Area flora and fauna represented in the 36 foot-long mural. Aileen Barr also created a related ceramic mural embedded into the concrete sidewalk just outside the clubhouse’s main entrance. Measuring approximately three by four feet, the work is composed of dark green vines and flowers against a background of light green concrete and serves as a welcome mat for the facility. Aileen Barr is an immigrant to San Francisco from her native Ireland. She had already established a career as a ceramic artist and completed several public art projects prior to her arrival in San Francisco. This is Barr’s first commission in the United States.

First Person Plural , Anders Barth, Tenderloin Police Station

First Person Plural is an 8 x 24 foot, hand-carved and glazed tile mural on the Jones Street wall of the Tenderloin Police Station. The entire mural is comprised of 188 large tiles and numerous, smaller brick forms. The rectangular composition is divided into a checkerboard pattern of muted yellow, brown, and gray squares. This pattern becomes the background for silhouettes of thirty-five people of different ages and races depicted at work and play. Interspersed between them are animals typically found in the Tenderloin neighborhood—cats, dogs, pigeons and seagulls. The whole is framed by a formal border of gray tile in a repeated pattern of the ‘eternal wave’. Bisecting the rectangle is a column of unglazed red bricks. Some of the bricks have a smooth surfaces, while others are imprinted with different personal pronouns representing the range of ways in which people define themselves—I, we, me, you, us, them, etc…. At the base and top of the column are deep blue tiles filled with white stars. The four corners of the mural are highlighted with tiles containing the familiar 7-pointed star of the Police badge set against a field of blue. According to artist Anders Barth, “First Person Plural” refers to the interconnectedness of the people and animals that live, work, walk and travel through the Tenderloin every day. Each component of the mural seeks to directly or symbolically celebrate the individuals and community that define the Tenderloin. The details of the carved relief figures capture personal gestures and specific activities like playing ball, walking arm-in arm, shopping, dancing, etc. Each figure is recognizable as an individual while simultaneously serving as a universal type in which we can see ourselves. Only one figure is based on a real person, a neighborhood and Task Force icon, the late Police Sergeant Kenny Sugrue. He is depicted in uniform riding his bike in the lower left-hand corner of the mural. Anders Barth spent considerable time in the Tenderloin, observing and talking to people. As an outsider, she sought to identify a defining characteristic for this culturally eclectic and rapidly changing neighborhood. She decided that the people themselves, in their great variety, were its most recognizable asset. Each person has a relationship to the others that can be described by a pairing of pronouns: I-Them, She-He, We-You. Each person is part of the whole, and is needed to make the whole, just as many bricks are needed to make a wall, and stars make up the sky. The motifs found in the mural are drawn from the surrounding architecture of the Tenderloin. The red brick creates an aesthetic link to nearby Father Boeddeker Park. The geometric pattern of the ‘eternal wave’, symbolizing the ebb and flow of life, can be found on several buildings in the area, most notably at the first home of the Tenderloin Police Task Force, the Hibernia Bank building on Jones Street. Anders Barth holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin. She has exhibited regularly throughout Northern California since 1983, and is a long-time member of the Pacific Rim Sculptors Group. In 1997, Barth completed “Phoenix”, a wall-sized artwork, for Fire Station #34, her first project for the San Francisco Arts Commission. The art at Tenderloin Police Station was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission for the San Francisco Police Department. The commission is a result of the city’s percent for art ordinance, which provides for an art allocation of 2% of the cost of construction of new or renovated city structures.

The Flower Inside Us Grows , Carolyna Marks, Peter Carpou, and Susan Cervantes, Otis Street near Division

The Flower Inside Us Grows is a 68-foot by 5-foot ceramic tile artwork embedded in the sidewalk on the west side of Otis Street near Division. Three artists and hundreds of community members collaborated to design and fabricate the artwork, which was commissioned for the Municipal Railway sidewalk extensions. Otis Street is the gateway to the Mission District, one of the City’s most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods, and the sidewalk is adjacent to the Department of Human Services. The Flower Inside Us Grows is designed to reflect that diversity and to the spirit of community service and hope. Thousands of mosaic tiles were cut and laid by hand in the studio, slowly developing over more than a year into the completed artwork. A multi-hued rectangular root begins at the north end of the piece. Out of the root grows a 45-foot long undulating green stem that splits into smaller stems ending in two pink, violet, orange, and yellow tulip-shaped flowers against a turquoise background. Interspersed along the stem are 35 sets of individually painted tiles. The skills of three artists were combined under the aegis of the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center: Center Director Susan Kelk Cervantes, East Bay artist Carolyna Marks and Peter Carpou, Artist-In Residence at Larkin Street Youth Services. Susan Cervantes created the initial design for the artwork; Carolyna Marks used visualization with homeless youth to elicit images of non-violence and piece for the painted tiles, and Peter Carpou acted as project manager at the Larkin Street Center and during the artwork installation. Beginning in 1999, all three artists hosted numerous workshops at the Mural Arts and Larkin Street Drop-In centers to complete fabrication. In all, over 200 homeless youth ages 14-20 participated in the project. Generous donations of time and resources, beyond their required services, were provided by Amalfi Tile and Marble, Muni Project Manager John Katz, and Stacy & Witbeck General Contractors, as well as many others.

Untitled, Robert Catalusci, Muni Ways and Structures Facility

The Muni Ways and Structures Facility is located in a formerly bleak industrial plant at 700 Pennsylvania Street at the base of Potrero Hill. The facility centralizes several Muni functions, including, among others, a machine shop, welding, carpentry, painting, and locksmith. Although the size and shape of the complex is unchanged from its former role as an overhead-door factory, it has been given a colorful new life through the work of San Francisco artist Robert Catalusci. The exterior walls are now painted ox-blood red and graphite with silver and copper-green accents. In addition to custom paint design, the artist designed massive steel gates and four 18-square-foot sculptural panels over the building’s four roll-up doors. The three-dimensional ‘waffle’ pattern of the gates and panels is painted in high-gloss silver that is slightly reflective so that the structures appear to change with the light throughout the day. The artist also designed a cylindrical skylight bringing much-needed light into the circular lobby of the facility’s administrative offices. The most striking impact of the artist’s influence is to be found in the interior of the buildings. The interior is a surprise. Workshops and offices are filled with light and brilliant color. The red, graphite and green have been brought indoors, and met with a strong sunburst-yellow that catches the eye at every turn. Structural members in the buildings, cranes and utility lines running through the several acres of workshops are each defined by a different color. The effect is of lines of color shooting across vast work areas, intersected by the occasional wall or door, or a contrasting color defining a different system. Even the administrative offices are impacted by the artist, who developed a custom white paint with a silver base, to give an extra shimmer to the walls. Catalusci’s gate and panel designs and bold paint application were inspired by the industrial and transportation orientation of the complex. He selected color to symbolize the ethnic diversity of the design team and Muni workers. For instance, he chose red as the color of international workers, and graphite and silver for their associations with industry and metal work. The artist worked in tandem with city architects, in particular Howard Wong, AIA, and the rest of the design and construction team throughout the five-year renovation project. In addition to the custom paint design, Catalusci, who hails from a family of builders, drafted plans for the huge gates and sculptures and the original skylight design, and produced final drawings for the interior color scheme. As a fine artist, Catalusci usually creates multi-media and large-scale three-dimensional sculpture based on architecture. He holds a B.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute and has exhibited regionally, in several private venues and at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery and the Capp Street Project. Robert Catalusci’s work on the design and construction of the 700 Pennsylvania Muni Ways and Structures Facility was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission for the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The commission is a result of the city’s percent for art ordinance, which provides for an art allocation of 2% of the cost of construction of new or renovated city structures.

Art Panels , Colette Crutcher and Mark Roller, Ocean View Public Library

Two 9-foot-square sculptural relief panels of colored concrete, created by artists Mark Roller and Colette Crutcher, flank the front doors of the Ocean View Public Library. In each panel, a tree is the central image. Set against a blue sky, the left panel shows a young tree with a slender trunk, and few leaves; the right tree is much larger, fully grown and in full leaf. Both trees bear rust-colored medallions that appear to be growing like fruit. Symbols drawn from music, mathematics, or language are carved into each. Overlaying the trees is the image of a white dove, first cupped in a pair of hands, then released into flight. In the background, a cityscape pictures architectural landmarks of the OMI neighborhood, both past and present. The miniature scene includes an Indian village, an old streetcar and firehouse, and the former racetrack and women’s prison that is now City College. Even the new library building is depicted, along with the church and new community center across the street. Rising to a height of nine feet, the trees are visible from a distance; standing on the sidewalk, one can sense their scale. Yet the fine detail of the landscape is low to the ground, inviting exploration and even touch. The rough texture of concrete in pastel shades of blue, green, sienna and gray is a pleasing contrast to the warm limestone of the surrounding building. Twenty-four applicants competed for the opportunity to create art for the Library. Four artists were invited to submit proposals, which were then displayed at the old library site for public comment and voting. Roller and Crutcher’s proposal was the clear favorite of the community as well as the independent selection panel that made the final choice. Originally, the artists thought of creating an abstract design involving alphabets, in reference to the library, but changed their plans after they were invited to attend a neighborhood meeting. Participants were nearly unanimous in their desire for pictorial imagery depicting their hopes and dreams for the neighborhood. The Ocean View Renaissance became the artwork’s theme, symbolized by the growing tree of learning, the changing architecture, and the bird in flight. The panels are constructed of GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete), using a mold process. The artists first built each 2’ x 2’ tile out of Styrofoam and clay, then created molds from either latex or plaster. Pigment was mixed with the concrete, and then carefully painted and poured in, a few layers at a time. Because of the size and weight of the tiles, they were able to work on only a few panels at a time, so that, like the rest of us, they had the pleasure of seeing the completed artwork only when it was installed. Mark Roller holds a BFA in Fine Art. Much of his focus over the past 14 years has been a serial portrait of his wife, Colette, in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and collage. Colette Crutcher is holds a BA in Art. She is primarily a studio painter, and has completed several public murals and mosaics. She was a 1996 Norcal Artist-in-Residence. The Ocean View Public Library Art Panels were commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission for the San Francisco Public Library in accordance with the city’s public art ordinance, which provides for an art enrichment allocation equivalent to 2% of the construction budget of a new or renovated civic construction projects. The artwork is now part of the collection of the City and County of San Francisco.

Five Carved Stones, Marcia Donahue, Woh Hei Yuen Park

Five Carved Stones, a series of large granite stones, have been carved to resemble two smiling moon faces, two peaches, and a persimmon, ranging in natural colors from red to golden. The stone sculptures range in size from 30 inches to 52 inches long. The stone sculptures are nestled into the landscape of the park and are available for touching and sitting on. Marcia Donahue received her M.F.A. from Lone Mountain College in San Francisco. She has worked as a gardener and has been carving stone sculptures for gardens.

Split Mound , Jud Fine and Barbara McCarren, San Francisco Zoo

”In the relation of man with the animals there exists a great ethic that will at length break forth into light.” – Victor Hugo Split Moundis a 50-foot diameter landscape artwork that is located on Zoo Street between the Leaping Lemur Café and the carousel. This round form echoes the other two circular structures and forms a link between the Victorian carousel and the modern café. The linkage of the old and the new is one of the Split Mound’s themes regarding the evolution of the Zoo and its mission. By exploring the sculpture, the visitor is invited to become a conscious observer, and to reflect on the evolving relationship between human beings and the many other species sharing the planet. Split Mound is made up of three earth mounds. It appears as if the circular whole (imagine a round loaf of bread) has been pulled apart in 3 sections. The exterior retaining wall is made of open-face concrete brick and is two feet high. Separating the three mounds, the interior retaining walls rise from two feet at the perimeter to six feet at the interior center. You can walk between these mounds on a “Y” shaped path that divides the sections. Each leg of the “Y” is 20 feet long. The 3 mound sections will be referred to as Sections A, B, and C for the sake of convenience. One enters the Split Mound from Zoo Street, near the café; the “B” mound is to your left, the “C” mound is to your right, and the “A” mound is straight ahead. The materials, contours and imagery of the three mounds are varied, reflecting the diversity of the planet. The center of each mound is filled with plantings; each section’s planting representing a different climate zone. Section “A” is planted with tropical and subtropical plantings, such as aloe and lantana. Section “B” represents a more Mediterranean climate with roses, lavender and rosemary, while the plantings in Section “C”, California lilac, heather and juniper, are typical of a coastal dune environment. Each arm of the “Y” pathway is paved in a different material. The path from Zoo Street is paved with interlocking pavers. The path to the left is paved in concrete aggregate and to the right the path is flagstone. The interior walls of each of the sections are irregular; each has curves and niches that house some of the individual art elements. Each section wall is clad in a different architectural material. Section “A” is clad in green stucco, Section “B” in rough fieldstone, and Section “C” in polished sage-green granite. As you enter the Split Mound from Zoo St., you walk on concrete pavers, the walls of polished granite on your right, rough fieldstone on the left and green stucco ahead. Highly polished stainless steel panels that act as “mirrors” are mounted in curved niches on Wall “C” to your right, and facing you on Wall “A”. You can see yourself and others reflected, somewhat distorted as from a fun house mirror, in these panels. You are one of the species being observed in this environment! On your left, mounted on the fieldstone “B” wall, is an irregularly-shaped piece of black polished granite with engraved animal figures that show white against the black granite. This is what the artists call the “Zooetta Stone” in playful reference to the famous Rosetta Stone it resembles. In the same way that the Rosetta Stone gave archeologists the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics by showing the same text in three different ancient languages, so the Zooetta Stone holds the clues to deciphering a quote spelled out in three different versions of “animal code.” Each animal represents a different letter. For instance, the elephant represents the letter “e”. There are three distinct bands of animal images on the stone. Each band shows animal representation from a different historical period. At the bottom of the stone, the quote is spelled out using an ancient archaic representation of the animals. Above it, animals are depicted in a traditional manner, and at the top the animals are depicted as we often see them today: as images from popular culture and as corporate logos. For instance, the contemporary image for the letter “I” is the Chevy Impala logo. The “T” is Dr. Seus’s “Yertle the Turtle.” A person may need to look from one “era” to the next to determine which animal is being depicted, and therefore, which letter that animal represents. Moving down the path to the junction of the “Y”, one encounters a granite and marble medallion in the paving, 6 feet in diameter. The medallion is the map of the prehistoric Pangaea, the unified global landmass that existed before the formation of the continents. The three earth-mound wedges that make up the Split Mound symbolize, in part, the break-up of Pangaea. But Pangaea, in turn, reminds us that this is still one interdependent planet. The Pangaea medallion has an “ocean” of turquoise blue granite, and each of the continents are different earth-tone colored granite and marble inlays outlined in green marble. Antarctica is represented by white marble. A circular frame of brick pavers surrounds the medallion. Following the flagstone “B” Wall to the left, one encounters a number of cast bronze frogs and toads perched on the face of the wall. Frogs from all the continents (but Antarctica) are represented, including the endangered Red-legged Frog from the Bay Area. The sculptures of frogs and toads—creatures highly susceptible to changing environments—are references to the fragility of the world we all share. This path ends in an overlook where one can look down on the Victorian carousel below. Turning around and continuing back towards the center, you will find another bronze frog perched on the green stucco “A” Wall. Next to it is a stainless steel “modernist” frame. The frame surrounds the opening of one of two “viewing tubes” that pass through the “A” mound and allow the viewer to look through the mound to the other side. If you look through the viewing tube framed by the modernist frame, you will see the pathway below, with the focus on another bronze frog perched on the curb. As you continue along “A” Wall to your left, you will walk past the reflective stainless steel panel in the center of the wall and up the final leg of the “Y”. On this side of the “A” wall, you will encounter another viewing tube surrounded by a bronze Victorian-style frame. If you look through this opening you will see the animals on the Carousel below. On the granite “C” Wall, is the quote the 19th century French author Victor Hugo engraved on the top of the wall, “In the relation of man with the animals there exists a great ethic that will at length break forth into light,” which perhaps expresses the central theme of the artwork. To the right of the Victor Hugo quote, the granite wall makes a series of short “zig-zags”. Mounted on this portion of the wall are 12 porcelain enamel plaques with the pictures of various ships of exploration through the ages, from Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hind (circa 1577-1580) to Charles Darwin’s The Beagle (circa1831-1836) to contmeporary ships like Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Calypso and the Montery Bay Research Institute’s Western Flyer (1951 to present.) These ships, and the role of their naturalists, represent the evolution of the zoological expedition, from cataloguing and collection to conservation and preservation. This path ends at a seat wall. A large bronze toad perches atop the bench. To exit, follow the granite “C” Wall back to the Zoo St. entrance. Ships of Exploration for the Split Mound Ship: The Golden Hind Explorer: Sir Francis Drake, British Years: 1577-1580 Area Explored: The Pacific and around the globe. West coast of America Notes: Francis Fletcher (preacher) made drawings and notations of wildlife including elk, llamas, penguins and seals. Ship: La Bodeuse Explorer: Louis Antoine Bougainville, French Years: 1766-1769 Area Explored: The Pacific/Tahiti Notes: Naturalist Philbert Commerson died before he was able to publish 1,500 drawings and notes on 5,000 specimens. Ship: HMS Endeavuor Explorer: James Cook, British Years: 1768-1772 Area Explored: The Pacific, Polynesia, Australia and Worldwide Notes: Naturalist was Joseph Banks Ship: Raft Explorer: Alexander von Humboldt, German Years: 1799-1804 Area Explored: The Amazon, Northern and South America. Notes: Alexander von Humboldt, German naturalist made meteorological and climatic observations and studied botany and magnetism. Ship: Astrolabe Explorer: Jules Dumont D’Urville, French Years: 1826 Area Explored: South Pacific, later the South pole. First to claim Antarctica. Notes: D’Urville produced numerous books and atlases with meticulous classification of flora and fauna. Ship: Erebus Explorer: James Clark Ross, British Years: 1839 Area Explored: Magnetic South Pole, Ross Ice Shelf Notes: Joseph Hooker was the naturalist on board. Ship: H.M.S. Beagle Explorer: Charles Darwin, British Years: 1831-1836 Area Explored: South American and around its perimeter, then around the globe. Notes: Publishes Origin of the Species in 1859. Ship: H.M.S. Rattlesnake Explorer: Thomas Henry Huxley, British Years: 1846-50 Area Explored: Australia, New Guinea, southern hemisphere Notes: Made flora, fauna, and anthropological studies Ship: local transport (canoe) Explorer: Alfred Russel Wallace, British Year: 1848 to 1860 Area Explored: Amazon and the East Indies (Indonesia) Notes: Closely paralleled Darwin’s conclusions and wrote about natural selection first in 1858. Ship: Academy Explorer: Sponsored by San Francisco Academy of Science; R.H. Beck, captain Years: 1906 Area Explored: Galapagos Notes: Scientists Alban Steward, botanists; F.F. Williams, entomologist; E.W. Gifford, ornithologist; J.S. Himler, Joseph R. Sleven, herbitologists; W.O. Ochsner, geologist and paleontologist. Ship: Calypso Explorer: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, French Years: 1951 to present Area Explored: Ocean and ocean floor. Notes: Cousteau’s work in undersea “living experiments” is continued today by the Cousteau Society. Ship: Western Flyer and the ROV Tiburon Explorer: Monterey Bay Research Institute Years: 1951 to present Area Explored: Ocean and ocean floor Notes: Exploration and research is continued today.

Four unique light fixtures , R.M. Fischer, Union Square Colonnade

Artist R.M. Fischer’s light fixture design for the Union Square renovation playfully invents a new visual style combining references to San Francisco’s rich Victorian architectural heritage with natural and ultramodern forms. According to Fischer, the work is intended to appear futuristic and historic simultaneously. “It is not an attempt to depict any particular idea of the future, but rather to suggest a sense of forward looking optimism and delight.” The resulting light sculptures are homogeneous hybrids ideally suited to San Francisco’s evolving urban fabric. Fischer’s work consists of four unique sculptures ranging in height from 24 to 18 feet. Three of the works are composed of combinations of historic, painted lighting figures, polished stainless steel globes and larger clear spheres that are illuminated at night. The fourth work incorporates a five-foot in diameter brushed stainless steel sphere divided into two sections that are lit from within. The works are mounted polished red granite columns. Each sculpture is intended to aesthetically function as an individual work and as part of a linear ensemble and boundary for the square. New York artist R.M. Fischer has had an illustrious career as both a gallery and public artist. He began his career using recycled materials to create eccentric, anthropomorphic light sculptures. His work received critical acclaim, leading to commissions for exterior public works including a lighted gate for Battery Park City in New York, light scones for the Holland Tunnel, and a multi-million dollar artwork composed of light columns for the Kansas City Convention Center. This is Mr. Fischer’s first commission in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tree , Hilda Shum, Po Shu Wang and David S. Gordon working as Shum, Shu Gordon LLC, Moscone West Convention Center

Spanning from the first floor to the ceiling of the Moscone Center West’s pre-function lobby, Tree is a 101-foot high, hand-carved wood sculpture sited in the center of the facility’s grand stairway. Upon initial viewing, the stairway and, to an extent, the entire building appears to have been built around the sculpture, which was created using a single, old-growth redwood tree that died of natural causes in Northern California. By integrating the sculpture within the stairway, viewers can experience the wonder and scale of one of the state’s most recognizable icons and a work of art of unusual beauty and complexity. The sculpture appears to emerge from the terrazzo floor as whole, standing redwood with its bark outer-layer removed. Moving up through the stairs, the wood transforms into a flowing series of undulating forms. Hand carvings that resemble loose folds of cloth give the illusion that the tree itself has been folded back to reveal the heartwood. Each stair landing offers a different visual and tactile perspective on the redwood’s natural curves and knots as they intersect with the marks of the carver. Finally, at the Convention Center’s top floor, the sculpture transitions back to the redwood’s natural cylindrical form as it meets the convention center ceiling.

Tectonic Melange, Lampo Leong, Woh Hei Yuen Park

Tectonic Melange, a 26-foot wide circular granite paving medallion, was designed by Lampo Leong, in collaboration with Herby Lam, Wenyu Xu, and Clayton Shiu. The artwork, composed of black, yellow, and red granite, includes calligraphic Chinese characters based on a poem written by Wang Bo during the Tang Dynasty (650—676 C.E.) in China. The poem translates as: “This land’s splendor spills from Heaven’s treasure; its remarkable people thrive on earth’s bounty”. The artwork is located in the paving at the entrance to the Woh Hei Yuen Park. Lampo Leong, born in China in 1961, graduated from The Guangzhou Fine Arts Institute in China in1983 and received an M.F.A. from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1988.

Swing Daddy and Layla, Joe Mangrum, Mission at 22nd Street

Swing Daddy and Layla are two artworks based on a single concept by artist Joe Mangrum that are inlaid in the sidewalk extensions at Mission and 22nd Streets, on the north-east and south-west sides. The artworks consist of 5-foot wide stripes of black terrazzo of varying width laid out along the 90-foot length of each extension. Interspersed by the grey concrete, the bands are intended to mimic consumerism’s ubiquitous bar codes. An ominous black rectangle in the center of each set of stripes is interrupted by a giant amoeba-like band of bright blue. Within this undulating organic shape swim lines, squiggles, squirmy shapes and blobs of blue, red, white, yellow and green. Their random, multi-colored presence contrasts with the rigidity of the surrounding black and grey lines. Joe Mangrum’s mission as an artist is to create metaphors for the ills of a materialist society and the possibility of redemption. He is known for large-scale temporary mandalas created out of post-consumer and/or organic materials. For instance, he has made 20-foot high by 60-foot wide mandalas out of used car parts for regional car rallies, as well as delicate designs of flowers and seeds laid out on a green lawn. Swing Daddy and Layla are his first permanent public artworks. The designs were generated on the computer and then translated into steel and copper frameworks to hold the liquid terrazzo. A San Francisco company, Associated Terrazzo Co., was the fabricator.

Dieties of Knowledge, Culture, and Literature , Emmanuel Montoya, Mission Branch Library

These prints were commissioned for the Mission Branch of the San Francisco Public Library by the San Francisco Arts Commission. The three works are entitled: Quetzalcoatl: Pre-Columbian Deity of Knowledge and Culture; Egypt’s Contribution to European Civilization; and Wen Ch’ang: Chinese Deity of Literature. The entry lobby of the renovated Mission Branch Library features three large, full color mixed-media linocut prints by Bay Area artist Emmanuel Montoya. The Artist describes the project as follows: “I was inspired by the library’s function as a cultural and educational institution. Libraries are a means by which knowledge and understanding are communicated to the larger community. At San Francisco’s Mission Branch Library, the visitor has access to information that reflects the diversity of this community. For this triptych, I have featured the deity, or pair of deities representing knowledge from three different mythologies. “When you enter the lobby of the Mission Library, you will find the figure of Quetzalcoatl from pre-Columbian America on your right. The print is 7’ high by 4’ wide. Quetzalcoatl is best known in his form as the feathered serpent, but here he is shown in his human manifestation. Adorned with a robe of green quetzal feathers, he is the synthesis of matter and spirit. In Aztec and Mayan mythologies, many deities served a dual purpose in the realm of the spirit world. Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent is also known as Ehecatl, the God of Wind. I have represented Ehecatl as a swirling shape on the chest of his partner deity. In his hand is a codex, the ancient book that holds the rich and vibrant history of ‘Las Americas’. “On the right of Quetzalcoatl is a second print entitled ‘Egypt’s Contribution to Western Civilization’. It is 4’ high by 7’ long, and depicts the images of Zehuti and Aset, two ancient deities that symbolize Knowledge and Truth, and Justice and Morality, respectively. Zehuti, the Lord of the Sacred Words, is pictured on the left. At his feet stands a bird called an ibis, his symbol in the natural world. Zehuti gave to the Egyptians the knowledge of how to write by picture symbols. Aset, pictured on the right, was ancient Egypt’s most popular goddess because she was the protector of children. Furthermore, she personifies all the elements of cosmic harmony, including Truth, Justice, and Moral Integrity. At her feet is her natural world symbol, the cat. “The two deities stand on a map of northern Africa and the Mediterranean area. Each holds the Ankh, symbol of Life, and gestures toward the image of a classical Greek temple. Their gesture is symbolic of the contribution of ancient Egypt to Western Civilization through classical Greece and Rome. “As we walk down the hall to the Children’s library, we see the depiction of Wen Ch’ang, the Chinese Deity of Literature. He is shown here as he is depicted in many ancient Chinese texts, a scholar clothed in an elegant blue robe. He holds in his arms the scrolls that tell of the history and culture of ancient China. He appears to be air-borne, accompanied in flight by a pair of cranes, which are symbolic in Chinese culture of literary elegance.” These images are all linoleum block relief prints. A relief print is an image produced by transfer from a raised, inked surface to a sheet of paper. This process, the most ancient method of printmaking, can be traced to 6th century B.C. China. Its techniques include wood engraving, woodcut, linocut, and collograph, as well as relief etching. After the design image has been transferred to the block surface, the white areas (negative spaces), around the design image (positive spaces) are cut away with special tools. The design image, now a “raised surface,” is evenly covered with a thin layer of printer’s ink and transferred to paper by means of a printing press or by hand-burnishing. This particular method of relief printmaking consists of using a single block to produce a multicolored print. The order of printing the colors is usually from light to dark. You begin carving a wood or linoleum block by cutting out all the “white areas” or negative space, in the design so that, when printed, these areas will remain blank on the paper. The block is then rolled up with the printer’s first color ink, usually the lightest of the colors to be used. Every sheet of paper in the edition is printed, as well as extra sheets for studio and artist’s proofs. Afterwards, the block is cleaned, and further areas are cut away. The block is inked with the second color, and the sheets are printed again. This process is repeated for each consecutive color of the design until printing is completed. By this time, the majority of the block has been “reduced”. Emmanuel Montoya used multiple “reduction” blocks in the production of the images for Egypt’s Contribution and Wen Ch’ang. These art works were commissioned for the Mission Branch Library by the San Francisco Arts Commission in accordance with the City’s public art ordinance, which provides for an art enrichment allocation equivalent to 2% of the construction budget of a new or renovated civic construction project.

Cougar III , Gwen Murrill, San Francisco Zoo

In the center of the entry plaza of the San Francisco Zoo is a landscaped oval island filled with granite boulders, grasses and shrubs. Here, California artist Gwynn Murrill conveys the power and essence of two great cats on the prowl in life-sized bronze sculptures of a tiger and a cougar. On the end of the landscaped oval and looking out over Zoo St., the zoo’s main thoroughfare, is Cougar III. Lying crouched on a rock, the cougar’s ears are back and its body is curved slightly to the left. The muscles of its shoulders are tensed and it appears ready to pounce on the unwary! Behind the sculpture is a larger rocky outcropping and plantings that might be found in the cougar’s natural western U.S. habitat. This sculpture is finished in a dark brown patina and is easily touched from the plaza. Murrill, a sculptor for 35 years, has always used animals as her subject matter. She avoids surface detail and complexity (for instance, her animals have no eyes, or any other detailed facial or other body features.) Rather, she uses a more abstracted image to capture her subject’s unique posture, movement and pure form with authority. In the zoo’s entry plaza, her creatures appear to roam their own habitat, inviting interaction while remaining intent on their own purposes. Cougar III is the seventh casting of a limited edition she created in 1996.

Tiger 2, Gwen Murrill, San Francisco Zoo

In the center of the entry plaza of the San Francisco Zoo is a landscaped oval island filled with granite boulders, grasses and shrubs. Here, California artist Gwynn Murrill conveys the power and essence of two great cats on the prowl in life-sized bronze sculptures of a tiger and a cougar. Facing the entrance at one end of the island the nearly life-size sculpture of a tiger, called Tiger 2, is seated, but not relaxed, and appears watchful and ready to spring into action. Its head is turned slightly to the left, and its tail, which appears to be twitching in anticipation, is curved around in front of the body. When the original clay model was made for this sculpture, the artist applied a painterly, brush stroked surface, which, once cast in bronze and given a layered light and dark patina, gives the impression of stripes without being literal. Tiger 2 is close enough to the curb that it can be touched from the plaza. It is surrounded by Asian grasses, which make it appear as though it is in a natural setting. Murrill, a sculptor for 35 years, has always used animals as her subject matter. She avoids surface detail and complexity (for instance, her animals have no eyes, or any other detailed facial or other body features.) Rather, she uses a more abstracted image to capture her subject’s unique posture, movement and pure form with authority. In the zoo’s entry plaza, her creatures appear to roam their own habitat, inviting interaction while remaining intent on their own purposes. Tiger 2 is the first casting of a tiger sculpture Murrill completed in 2002. She began her first drawings for a series of 5 tiger sculptures while visiting the San Francisco zoo in 1999.

Ceramic Tile Medallions, Ruth O’Day, Margaret Hayward Playground

Artist Ruth O’Day was commissioned to create artwork as a result of the renovation and additions to the Margaret Hayward Community Room. The Community Room at Margaret Hayward Playground is a small 1930’s-style stucco building with a tile roof overlooking the children’s playground. The original building was expanded to include two short wings that are set back from the main structure. Porches run the length of each wing, partially shaded by overhanging trellises that are supported by three white columns. On the walls of each wing, two ceramic tile medallions are placed so that they are visible from a distance between the porch pillars. The medallions are roughly diamond shaped, with four soft triangles projecting from a center square. They are intended to reflect the diamonds and circles of the original building’s architectural details. Earthy browns, greens and reds are used to form a composition of circles and squares, with touches of bright color added to mirror the colors in the new playground furniture. The soft, shiny, buttery finish of the glaze is a strong contrast to the building’s rough stucco walls. A long concrete bench is built into the edge of the porch. Along the back of the bench are inset small mosaic medallions designed by Ruth O’Day and children from the recreation center’s after school program. At the request of the Arts Commission, O’Day held a workshop attended by about 30 children who glazed the pre-cut pieces of tile. Fired and arranged by the artist, the pieces form diamonds, circles and squares, each with a unique pattern and texture. At the far edge, the artist has created a signature tile, recognizing the roles of the children and the Arts Commission. Ruth O’Day is a ceramic artist and educator residing in Oakland, California. O’Day has developed a unique teaching method that engages children in the process of creating ceramic tile artworks while maintaining her aesthetic control over the final product. In addition to commissions in other cities, she has completed an artwork for the Tenderloin Children’s Playground, also for the City and County of San Francisco.

Guardian Serpent , Ruth O’Day , Tenderloin Children’s Playground

Guardian Serpent is a string of mosaic clusters embedded into the outer curb wall that encircles the children’s mini park on the corner of Turk and Hyde Streets. The clusters together form the impression of a slick, brightly-colored snake, undulating along the low stucco wall. The wall is a total of 138 feet long and varies in height, beginning at the far ends at six inches and rising gradually to 20 inches high at the sidewalk corner. A seven-foot, green metal fence tops the wall, which is grey concrete on the back, top and front beveled edge. The vertical face of the wall next to the sidewalk is covered in deep, rich purple stucco. Arranged in groups of three, the serpent’s glossy yellow, lime green, red and blue segments contrast strongly with the rough stucco. O’Day has made no attempt to mimic nature; this serpent is a creature of fantasy and whimsy. No two segments are alike. For instance, one set of three is made up of a large circular shape, something that looks like a badminton cock, and a circle with a tail and nose. Another includes a chevron, two overlapping diamond shapes and a rectangle with appendages. These shapes are made up of numerous smaller pieces that were hand-cut by the artist. The raw clay pieces were carried on commercial baker’s trays to the Tenderloin Children’s Recreation Center and the Tenderloin Childcare Center to be painted by neighborhood children. O’Day provided the necessary paint syringes and tiny brushes, asking the children to create designs using only lines and dots. She then combined the small painted pieces with solid-color tiles to create her eccentric shapes. The head and tale of the serpent are both located at the corner of the playground, facing up Turk Street. The serpent’s jaw is open, showing sharp teeth made of tiny triangles. Its wiggly tail is just a few inches from the open jaws. It appears that the serpent is chasing its tail. Although the serpent was her original concept for the playground, the artist at first saw it only as a whimsical design. Only after working for some time in the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco’s most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, did O’Day conceive of the serpent as a guardian spirit. A sign explaining this connection was posted during the weeks of installation, eliciting pledges of protection from the area’s street people. Ruth O’Day was aided in her work by Nava and Sons Plastering Company, Inc., and Helen Jones, Tile Setter. Ruth O’Day is a ceramic artist and educator residing in Oakland, California. O’Day has developed a unique teaching method that engages children in the process of creating ceramic tile artworks while maintaining her aesthetic control over the final product. In addition to commissions in other cities, she has completed an artwork for the Margaret Hayward Clubhouse, also for the City and County of San Francisco.

Raizes/Roots, Ray Patlan and Eduardo Pineda, Jose Coronado Playground Clubhouse

The entire exterior of the Jose Coronado Clubhouse is sheathed in eleven hundred terra cotta-colored tiles, designed and hand-painted by artists Eduardo Pineda and Ray Patlan. The tiles depict Aztec-inspired images of birds and frogs in a repeated, checkerboard pattern. The pattern is interrupted periodically by large tile figures of animals and plant forms. Over the Center doorway are two highly stylized king buzzards (Cozcacuautli), in shades of terra cotta, near a blue coyote (Itzcuintli). A polka-dotted deer cavorts on the east wall, along with images of a hummingbird and flower, in yellow, orange and blue. The richly-textured and colored surface, with its warm, deep colors and stylized indigenous images, was created in recognition of the Mission District’s still predominantly Latino community. Artists Ray Patlan and Eduardo Pineda met with the local community and worked with the project architects before identifying a theme and materials for their art. They chose images of flora and fauna in order to highlight nature in this very urban park, as a reminder of the impact of civilization on the natural and indigenous worlds. They chose tile as a way of integrating their art into the architecture and in reference to the great Pre-Columbian ceramic tradition. As well, previous generations of park users had integrated indigenous symbols into the painted murals on the cement retaining walls that surround the building. In addition to designing the artwork, the artists hand colored the tiles, working over more than a dozen weekends. They were helped by Sausalito’s Heath Ceramics, which manufactured and fired the tiles, and ceramic artist Horace Washington, who advised them on the technique of spray painting and stenciling on tile. Eduardo Pineda and Ray Patlan have a long history of involvement with the mural movement, the Mission District and Jose Coronado Playground in particular, in fact, their work at Jose Coronado goes back more than 21 years. Ray Patlan began working with young people to paint murals in the park in 1979, as a way to combat the gang activity in the area. He and Eduardo Pineda worked with a second generation in 1986, and led a third group, including the granddaughter of one of the original artists, to complete the murals in the early ‘90’s. Both artists have committed their working lives to the community, as artists, educators, and administrators. As leaders in San Francisco’s Mural Renaissance they were instrumental in the creation of Balmy Alley, at 24th Street, where you can see their work today. Raizes/Roots was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission for the Recreation and Park Department. It is now part of the collection of the City and County of San Francisco.

Shapes of Life, Johanna Poethig, SF Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility

This artwork is a shaped ceramic tile mural that is located in the Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility (MHRF) on the San Francisco General Hospital campus. The artwork is 5’ x 30’ and is located inside the facility, on a corridor wall. The mural was created over a period of months during which artist Johanna Poethig worked with MHRF residents to develop the theme and imagery for the mural, and to execute the tiles. The mural consists of three large medallion shapes connected by a jagged line of tiles. The first medallion represents INSPIRATION, and consists of a red triangle within a blue circle. Individual images are painted on the tiles. They are things that the residents identified as being inspirational to them, such as nature, a cup of coffee or a dollar sign. The second medallion represents GOALS, and consists of a small circle within a larger rectangle, which in turn is within a larger circle. On the 4 sides of the rectangle are the words “Respect”, “Support”, “Health” and “Friends”. The final medallion, LIFE EXPERIENCE, has a ”Yin Yang” symbol within it and a large yellow star form that bursts out of the circle into the space beyond. Connecting the three medallions is a jagged line of black and white tiles representing OBSTACLES. Text and Images on these tiles are of negative emotions or conditions that might keep one from one’s goals and desired life experience. Text includes words like “Alienation”, “Regret”, “Stuck and Pigeon-holed”, “Addiction”, “Anger” and “Racism”. This artwork was commissioned for MHRF as part of the City’s art enrichment ordinance, which mandates that up to 2% of the construction cost of capital improvements built by the city be allocated to art enrichment.

Play Ball , Johanna Poethig, Rochambeau Playground

Two tile-covered pillars at the intersection of the children’s play area and the ball courts call attention to two of the several sports played at Rochambeau Playground. The pillars sit atop two concrete platforms measuring 72 inches square by 30 inches high that flank the ramp leading to the 24th Street entrance. The pillars are unequal in size. The “tennis” pillar measures 15 inches square by 7 inches high and is topped by a small sphere 10 inches in diameter. The “basketball” pillar is wider but shorter, measuring 26 inches sq. by 58 inches high. The sphere on top of this pillar is 22 inches in diameter. The aesthetic chosen by the artist combines the realism of “Pop Art” with a classical use of tile and mosaic. The pillars are clad in multi-colored glossy tiles that include images of players, signals, diagrams, and footwork. The spheres on top are covered with Italian glass mosaic tile; orange with black for a basketball, and light green with white for the tennis ball. On the “basketball” pillar are images of hands “tipping off” the ball, drawings of official basketball signals and diagrams of the game. Depicted on the “tennis” pillar are players, game diagrams, balls and footwork. Johanna Poethig is a multi-talented artist with a resume of public art and exhibitions in the Bay Area going back 20 years. Poethig is known as a muralist, performance and conceptual artist. A native of the Philippines, she devoted a large portion of her time to creating art for and with immigrants and senior citizens residing in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

Nuotatori, Vicki Saulls, North Beach Pool and Clubhouse

Nuotatori is a three-dimensional sculptural mural located in the natatorium (pool area) of the newly renovated North Beach Pool building. To make the work, artist Vicki Saulls solicited 23 volunteers from the North Beach Pool community to have their faces cast while wearing swim caps and goggles. Each volunteer was asked to use an expression that best reflected their experience of swimming. The resulting sculptures are aligned in a wave pattern along the pool’s blue, green and white ceramic tiled wall. Each face appears to emerge from the wall similar to the way a swimmer breaks the surface of water upon taking a breath of air. The overall installation dramatically captures the broad diversity of this pool’s community while simultaneously portraying the commonality in everyone who knows and loves swimming. The faces of Nuotatori were made using white-tinted, polymer-modified gypsum. Each face is coated with a graffiti-resistant sealant and is surrounded by glass tile. The works are designed to be touched. They are mounted at various heights ranging from 46 inches to 72 inches from the floor. Nuotatori can be seen during the North Beach Pool’s regular operating hours.

Locus, Vicki Saulls, North Beach Pool and Clubhouse

Locus is the second part of Saull’s site-specific work for the renovation of North Beach Pool and Clubhouse. The sculpture is a functional, sliding door facing the eastern side of the Clubhouse. Measuring approximately 8.5 feet by 8.5 feet, the metallic-gray door depicts a stylized topographical map that reveals the distinct geological formations that define the North Beach neighborhood. Although no locations are identified on the map, viewers can orient themselves by the familiar waterfront pier formations along the upper right edge of the design. North Beach Pool and Clubhouse are located near the center of the work. Kreysler & Associates, a Bay Area fabricator, produced Locus in cold-cast aluminum to the artist’s specifications. Similar to her work for North Beach Pool, Nuotatori, the Locus is designed to be touched. Vicki Saulls is a resident of North Beach and has been producing art in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Her sculptural work has focused on drawing attention to the lyrical qualities found in representational imagery and natural forms. Nuotatori and Locus are her first public art commissions.

23 , Ricardo de Gouveia, Mission Street at 23rd Street

23 is a multi-part mosaic tile artwork embedded in the north-east and south-west sidewalks of Mission Street at 23rd Street, in the heart of the Mission District. These locations are Muni bus stops, where the sidewalk is six feet wider than normal to accommodate passengers. Under their feet, stretching some 70 feet along the sidewalk on each side, are four 2-foot by 2-foot squares, interspersed by 3 rectangles, each measuring 5-1/2 feet by 18 feet. On each one of the white squares is a sentence painted in green glaze that provides a fact about the number 23. Each of the 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 a special significance for the artist known at the time as Rigo 2002. In addition to being the number of the street where his artwork is located, it is also the street number of his studio and the age at which he moved to the United States. Rigo had already noted the importance of the number 23 in natural systems before he was selected to create the artwork. These facts formed the basis of the four sentences, rendered in English and Spanish, in the sidewalk: “A healthy human being gets 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 from the father.” “The planet earth spins at a 23 degree angle from its north/south axis.” “The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are roughly 23 degrees north and south of the Equator.” “The number 23 is only divided by itself or one.” The number 23 is described giant mosaic symbols as well, in the six rectangles, as Binary code (10111), 23 dots, Roman Numerals, cursive, cross-hatching, and as “= + =” Unfortunately, due to the high volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic at this location, the artworks have not survived well. A native of Portugal, Rigo drew from the ancient Portuguese tradition of stone tile mosaics to inspire his vision. His work is already well known in San Francisco, where he has painted numerous murals based on the graphics of traffic signage. Notable among these are One Tree based on One-Way street signs, on the wall of a building at 8th Street by the I80 onramp, and Urban Home, referring to an interstate freeway marker, on a prominent building at the base of the 6th Street freeway off-ramp. Rigo is also the creator of a major permanent work for the City and County of San Francisco, Dreaming of Balmy Alley, a 20-foot high by 30-foot wide tile mosaic located on the wall of Gate G98 in the international terminal of the San Francisco International Airport. In addition, Rigo exhibits his artwork internationally, and continues to create large-scale tile-based works in public places.

Photos of People from the Neighborhood , Jon Rubin and Harrell Fletcher, North Beach Parking Garage

Artists Jon Rubin and Harrell Fletcher created two separate art works for the North Beach Parking Garage. Eleven porcelain enamel portraits of residents and workers from the surrounding neighborhood are embedded in the exterior walls of the North Beach Parking Garage. Individual “fortunes” or aphorisms are painted on the concrete garage floor, one in front of each of the 220 parking stalls. North Beach Parking Garage sits at the intersection of two neighborhoods that are strongly identified with rich cultural traditions: Chinatown, and the long-time heart of the Italian community, North Beach. To honor the two communities, artists Jon Rubin and Harrell Fletcher designed a two-part artwork drawing from each heritage in both content and imagery. The use of portraiture as decoration on building façades recalls the embellishments on Italian Renaissance palazzos. The fortunes are in light-hearted reference to the ubiquitous fortune cookies found in Chinese restaurants. Fortunes Over the course of a year, Harrell Fletcher collected aphorism and fortunes on his own and with the help of his friends. The artists chose 220 of the sayings to be painted on the garage floor, which were review and approved by the Arts Commission. Each space contains a unique fortune. They are painted using stencils and standard line-striping paint at the end of each parking stall so that they are visible to anyone walking or driving in the garage. The line-stripping paint has a limited life span due to the heavy traffic in the garage, so the fortunes may eventually be relocated or allowed to fade with time. Portraits The garage building is located in a neighborhood of three and four-story residential row houses and small businesses dating from the turn of the 20th Century. In order to better fit into the neighborhood, the parking garage appears to be three different buildings; one is surfaced in stucco, one in glass, and the longest one in brick. Seven 34-inch diameter circular portraits are on the brick façade, between the open bays of the second and third levels. Four 30-inch square photographs punctuate four corners of the stucco façade, above a wide, arched opening that forms the garage entry and exit. Artists Fletcher and Rubin visited neighborhood shops, offices and restaurants, getting to know people and scouting for faces and photographs, which they scanned and enlarged to be translated into porcelain enamel. The portraits, both historic and current, were chosen to reflect the age and ethnic diversity of individuals who have lived and worked in the Chinatown and North Beach communities served by the garage. They are not meant as memorials to specific people, but rather to a time and a place. Nevertheless, brief biographical material is provided below. Stucco Facade Top row, left to right: Dr. Paul Fung; Lena Ferrando Bottom row, left to right: Richard and Robert Panelli; Jack Woo’s Wife Brick Facade Top row, left to right: Portrait of an unknown Chinese woman; Robert Mastrelli; Gianna Giotta Bottom row, left to right: Edison Huang; Eve Delmonte; Drs. Gordon and Gregory Fung; Yick Guy Sing Biographical Information Dr. Paul Fung was one of nine children, and the first one to go to college. His family lived in San Francisco before the earthquake but moved to Oakland afterwards. They were very poor. He worked his way through school and practiced in San Francisco for many years, giving back to the community in many ways. He worked for Chinese was relief during World War II and always gave a portion of his salary to charity. Lena Ferrando works at Danilo Bakery at 516 Green Street. She and her husband have worked at the bakery for over 30 years, her husband as baker and she as counter staff. They raised two children on Potrero Hill and still have many close ties to their family and friends in Italy. Richard and Robert Panelli, owners of Panelli Brothers Delicatessen at 1419 Stockton Street, which closed shortly after the opening of the garage. The photo is from a newspaper article about Moscone Playground, where they played ball for many years. Jack Woo’s wife. Jon Rubin met Jack Woo at a nursing home in Berkeley. Jack gave Jon a picture of his wife, but did not provide her first name. Jack is believed to be deceased. Portrait of an Unknown Chinese Woman. This portrait was provided by Calvin Fung, director of the Chinese Historical Society, who also provided the portrait of Yick Guy Sing and Dr. Fung. All that is known of her is that she came to San Francisco in the 1920’s and moved to Fresno with her husband. After he died, she returned to San Francisco as a widow and lived for many years in subsidized housing. The never learned to speak English. Robert Mastrelli. Joe Mastrelli, who works at Molinari Delicatessen at 373 Columbus Avenue, gave the artists a picture of his dad, Robert Mastrelli. Gianna Giotta. Adrienne Giotta, who works at Café Trieste, gave the artist a picture of her daughter, Gianna Giotta as a baby. Gianna is now grown. Edison Huang is a student at Jean Parker Elementary School. The artists looked through the school yearbook and chose a portrait they liked. They communicated with his mother, who speaks no English, through the school secretary to obtain her permission to use the photograph Eve Delmonte is the daughter of the original owners of Fior D’Italia Restaurant, at 601 Union Street. The current manager, Jinx Larive, gave the image to the artists. Eve Delmonte died in 2000. Drs. Gordan and Gregory Fung, who are cousins, own the medical practice at 789 Vallejo Street, next door to the garage. Gordon Fung is the son of Dr. Paul Fung. Yick Guy Sing came to San Francisco in the 1860’s. He had 14 children and owned a cigar factory in the neighborhood. Jon Rubin and Harrell Fletcher partnered on a number of public art projects over the years, creating art out of the “ordinary” aspects of everyday life. Their art developed through becoming immersed in the daily life of the community in which they were working, and drawing inspiration from it. While the artists have often used photography in their work, it has the appearance of home snap shots, rather than “art” photography. In this way, they seek to focus attention and, and honor, on people and things that are part of our everyday lives, which they consider to be as worthy as the lives of so-called “stars”.

Words Fly Away , John Wehrle, Ocean View Public Library

“When we read a story we inhabit it. The covers of a book are like a roof and four walls.” These words by philosopher John Berger describe the sensation that John Wehrle sought to create in the stairwell and second-story hallway of the Ocean View Library. He imagined walking through a book surrounded by words and phrases and the pictures they create in the mind’s eye. Instead of ink, fragments of stories are written in acrylic paint, ceramic tile, laser-cut linoleum, acoustical tile, and cutout letters. The library’s walls, ceilings and floors have become the pages of a giant book.