SAN FRANCISCO, August 28, 2025 – The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), in partnership with City College of San Francisco (CSSF), is pleased to announce the completed restoration and reinstallation of Whales by American artist Robert B. Howard (1896–1983) that has been re-sited at the new Student Success Center at CCSF Ocean Campus. 

First created in 1939 for the San Francisco Building at the Golden Gate International Exposition (G.G.I.E.) on Treasure Island, Whales depicts two intertwined orcas playfully leaping over each other. The work originally anchored the Court of the Whales, accompanied by two smaller dolphin sculptures by Cecilia Bancroft Graham, in a fountain grouping and a mezzanine-level mural by Jane Berlandina. 

(Image: General Interior View – Court of the Whales fountain and mural. Courtesy of OpenSFHistory.org) 

After the exposition, Whales was placed in storage before being reinstalled in 1958 near the Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park. Whales returned to storage in the early 2000s following the closure of the Aquarium and Academy of Sciences.  

Now fully conserved, the sculpture has been permanently installed as the centerpiece of City College of San Francisco’s new Student Success Center at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Frida Kahlo Way. 

The sculpture is roughly 10 feet tall by 14 feet wide by 8 feet deep and weighs approximately 32,000 pounds, and is made of cast stone with granite aggregate. 

“The iconic Whales sculpture is a bridge between San Francisco’s past and present,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “From the grandeur of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island to its new home at City College – Ocean Campus, the fully restored sculpture has found a new home at the Student Success Center. Its return to public view offers a new generation preparing for their future the opportunity to make new memories with this iconic work of art that represents endurance, strength, and knowledge.” 

The final phase of restoration and installation, part of a project spanning more than twenty years, was completed by ARG Conservation Services, Atthowe Fine Art Services, and Sheedy Drayage, and with design/construction support from City College of San Francisco, Gensler Architects, XL Construction, and Kitchell Construction Management. The budget for this final phase was approximately $500,000. 

In its new location, Whales joins other significant G.G.I.E. artworks on campus by Dudley C. Carter, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and Herman Volz, and will soon be joined by the Pan American Unity mural by Diego Rivera in the near future, reaffirming City College’s role as a steward of San Francisco’s artistic heritage. 

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About the Artist 
Robert B. Howard (1896–1983) was an American artist active in sculpture, muralism, and public art projects throughout the mid-20th century. Whales (1939) is a hallmark of his public work for the Golden Gate International Exposition and reflects the era’s synthesis of stylized realism and modern design. 

About the San Francisco Arts Commission 
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment, and shaping innovative cultural policy. SFAC programs include the Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. Learn more at sfartscommission.org.