Art
The Port of San Francisco is home to numerous works of arts along the waterfront. Located on Pier 70 is the very special Noonan Building, built in 1941. For decades the Noonan Building, the little gem of the Pier 70 complex, has been the beloved second home of many San Francisco artists, including Frank Lobdell, one of the pioneers of Bay Area abstract expressionism. In this unique wooden building, tucked behind the still vibrant shipyard, artists, designers and fabricators make their work by hand. In the tradition of makers, whether the end product be ships, rope, paintings, photographs, film, print, sculpture, digital media, or beyond, the Noonan artists carry on the necessary calling to produce meaningful work. For more information on the Noonan Building check out their website: www.noonanbuildingartists.com.
The art installations located along the waterfront comprise one of two different categories: temporary art and permanent installations. Below is a list of art located on Port property, including their respective locations. This list is constantly changing and will update as temporary art pieces are exchanged.
Temporary Installations
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Name: "SOMA" |
Permanent Installations
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Name: "Crab Topiary" Artist: Jeff Brees Installed: 2003 Location: PIER 39 Description: Gracing the entrance to PIER 39, the much-photographed Crab with its living body and extended claws has become a familiar piece at Fisherman's Wharf. |
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Name: "Guardians of the Gate" Artist: Miles Metzger (sculptor) Installed: 1991, dedicated 1992 Location: West Park adjacent to the PIER 39 Entrance Plaza Description: A bronze sculpture that depicts sea lions in loving embrace. |
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Name: "Skygate" Artist: Roger Barr (sculptor) Installed: 1984, dedicated 1985 Location: East Park Lawn, PIER 39 Description: A stainless steel structure, with an upright arch culminating in three helix shapes with a highly polished surface which reflects its surroundings. This sculpture is meant to be walked around, viewed from all sides as well as from underneath |
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Name: "Open Heart" Artist: Patrick Dintino (painter) Installed: 2014 Location: Level 1, Bay End, PIER 39 Description: PIER 39 is home to “Open Heart," part of San Francisco General Hospital Foundation’s 2014 “Hearts in San Francisco” collection that supports the vital programs and initiatives of San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. “Open Heart” was hand-painted by local artist Patrick Dintino, a San Francisco native whose mother’s life was saved more than a decade ago by open heart surgery. |
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Name: "James R. Herman Memorial" Artist: Floating Point Collective Installed: 2014 Location: Pier 27 Cruise Terminal, Lobby East (First Floor) Description: To commemorate Port Commissioner James R. Herman and describe his contributions to labor and the San Francisco waterfront, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Local 34 Waterfront Division, along with several other ILWU chapters and members, commissioned Tribute for the new James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27. This Committee solicited Autodesk, an engineering, design and entertainment software company, to facilitate an artist’s selection process for this Tribute. Floating Point Collective was selected through this process to create this Tribute. The Tribute they created is an interactive audio and visual installation that is integrated with the interior of the cruise terminal. |
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Name: "Sea Change" Artist: Mark di Suvero Installed: 1995 Location: Pier 40 Description: This piece is a red, triangular steel sculpture, 70 feet in height and 10 tons in weight. It includes a circular top that moves in the wind; an elegant, kinetic sculpture. It serves as a gateway to the south beach waterfront. |
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Name: "Barnacle Seating" Artist: Surface Design, Inc. Installed: 2015 Location: Between Piers 9 and 15 Description: Autodesk, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and the Port, agreed to a public access area for the Piers 9-15 wharf area. Using Autodesk software, Surface Design created the barnacle benches using 'barnacles' as a theme conceived to reflect the natural history of the site and the tendency for people to cluster together, like barnacles. |
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Name: "Bayview Rise" Artist: Laura Haddad and Tom Druggan Installed: 2014 Location: Pier 90 Silos Description: A 197-foot mural installation that weaves together iconic imagery reflecting the Bayview neighborhood’s changing economy, ecology, community and history. It forms a 'gateway' into Bayview Hunters Point and is highly visible, changing from day to night as dynamic, projected lighting is cast upon it. |
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Name: "Promenade Ribbon Project" Artist: Vito Acconci (with Stanley Saitowitz and Barbara Solomon) Installed: 1996 Location: Embarcadero between North Point and Townsend Streets Description: “This 2.5-mile long, 5-foot wide linear sculpture consists of concrete, glass blocks, and fiber optic lighting integrated into the design of the bayside pedestrian promenade. The work is a symbol of the juncture between the city and bay, commemorating the historic seawall and the water beneath the sidewalk." Learn more. |
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Name: "Historic and Interpretive Signage Project" Artist: Nancy Leigh Olmsted and Michael Manwaring Installed: 1996 Location: Embarcadero between Bay and King Streets Description: A series of 22 13-foot-high metal black-and-white-striped pylons and multiple bronze plaques spanning 2.5 miles, imprinted with photographs, stories, poetry and drawings commemorate the waterfront’s historical significance. Learn more. |
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Name: "Cupid's Span"
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Name: "Tidal Columns" |
