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San Francisco Chronicle
15-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Vandals target the park at S.F.'s Upper Great Highway again. Here's the latest damage
A community piano beloved by visitors to San Francisco's Sunset Dunes has been destroyed amid a spate of vandalism targeting community property at the recently opened park, advocates said. An Outer Sunset resident who went to play the instrument, known colloquially as the 'wave piano' due to its proximity to the ocean, found that almost none of the keys worked early Saturday, said Lucas Lux, president of the volunteer nonprofit Friends of Sunset Dunes. Lux was also the campaign manager for Proposition K, the measure voters approved in November 2024 that closed the Upper Great Highway to cars and opened the park. All the evidence points to someone 'very intentionally' damaging the piano, ripping off the felted hammers controlling all but 10 of its keys, political communications consultant Catie Stewart told the Chronicle. Piano maintenance experts have since confirmed the instrument is damaged beyond repair. 'It's such a thing that brought joy,' Stewart said. 'I don't know why anyone would ever do that.' This is the latest in a series of acts of vandalism targeting Sunset Dunes since the 2-mile, 50-acre park opened in April, months after San Franciscans created it by voting to close a section of the Great Highway to cars. The measure has been highly controversial, and the supervisor who championed it, Joel Engardio, will face a recall election in September driven by groups opposed to the Upper Great Highway's closure. The vandalism, Lux said, has largely occurred in two separate waves. The first occurred right after the Upper Great Highway closed on March 14, with murals and asphalt marred by graffiti, and the second began shortly after Engardio's recall qualified in late May. On Thursday, just two days before the wave piano was found destroyed, park visitors discovered heavy damage to the nearby 'Ocean Calling' exhibit — a public art installation consisting of a phone booth that visitors can use to make symbolic phone calls to deceased loved ones. Someone had ripped the phone from its cord, tossed dirt and rocks into the booth and damaged its wooden frame, according to photos and videos taken shortly after the discovery. While park rangers have not identified the perpetrators of the vandalism or definitively linked the acts, Lux and others suspect they are linked to the Upper Great Highway closure controversy. He said that while he understands that members of the community are split on their views about closure, they have plenty of ways to express that discontent without harming public artworks that bring joy and comfort to park-goers. However, he added, 'most of the community regardless of their opinion treats the parks with respect.' Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, echoed Lux's sentiment. 'It's abhorrent that someone would try to destroy these sources of joy, connection, and healing," he said in a statement. 'But you can't break the spirit of a park, of public art, or of the people who cherish them.' Soon after the piano was found destroyed, community members spent Saturday afternoon visiting and helping 'Ocean Calling' artists Jamae Tasker and Sarah McCarthy Grimm as they restored their installation. By Sunday morning, the piece had been fully repaired, Tasker posted on Instagram. While the wave piano is irreparable, Lux said his group is looking for a new one to replace it. 'In the current world we live in, there are a lot of pianos that need homes. We'll have a wave piano back in place soon,' he said. Future pianos will have locks on their top guards to prevent similar acts of vandalism. In the meantime, a second community piano at the park, this one intersecting with Judah Street, is still operable.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco is full of surprises, some good, some bad
I was thinking of a June day in the mountains and a long pull through some rough country. We'd stopped at a small creek, tired, out of breath. We could see the way ahead in the distance, a high pass miles away. Very discouraging. 'Relax,' my hiking companion said, 'We're halfway there.' That's where we all are just now. It's mid-June and the summer solstice comes on Friday. It's the longest day of the year, a time the ancients celebrated the turn of the season. You can mark it yourself — 7:42 p.m., not long before sunset. Halfway there. It's been an interesting year, history swirling like storm clouds. Presidents, protests, flags, riots. Sometimes, though, you have to turn off the television news, put down the newspaper and just go for a walk. Live your life. See how things are halfway there. We had mild expectations for 2025 when the year began, a new administration in City Hall and hope for San Francisco's recovery from the doldrums of the last couple of years. So I looked around town a bit and I was surprised; things are looking up. But still a ways to go at the halfway point. The biggest surprise was a weekend visit downtown for a Sunday errand. I headed for Union Square on a slow Muni ride. Typical long wait for the weekend streetcar and then lots of stops and starts. Downtown seemed a bit empty, but everyone expects that. We've all heard the sad stories about vacant stores, seen the homeless in the shadows, heard the rumors. But I was surprised to discover Union Square full of life — full of children on a Sunday afternoon. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and a business group had set up a kids' playground in the heart of the city. There was a kids' reading room with an assortment of books, a 'recess stand' offering crayons and paper to draw pictures, and kid-size tables and chairs. There were hula hoops and pingpong sets. It was a bit of a shock to a seasoned San Franciscan. Union Square had always been a bit solemn, a formal kind of place, important. That was the ideal, but in recent years Union Square had slipped, had developed an air of vague unease, the kind of urban space one walked through quickly. There were always people hanging out, watching. You know the kind. Don't make eye contact. But it had changed this spring. It was different, better. I went back a few days after my Sunday visit. It was midweek and people were sitting at small tables with blue and yellow umbrellas taking the sun. A small café on the Powell Street side, offering coffee and light snacks. Not many kids around but adults playing pingpong and other games next to the Dewey monument. It was a mix: tourists and locals on their lunch break. The park was clean, too. In a way, Union Square is classic San Francisco in the heart of the city: cable cars, shops, the grand old St. Francis Hotel. And now it has a European flavor that wasn't there before. The real life in the city is not downtown, of course. It's in the neighborhoods, up and down the hills, out in the Sunset, in Chinatown and all the way out on Third Street, where the downtown towers are off in the distance, like a separate city. No matter how well you think you know it, San Francisco is full of surprises. An afternoon walk took me up the local hill. There was a surprise there, too: Neighbors had seeded the hillside in early spring, and now the hill was alive with flowers. There was a knot of people at the top of a set of stairs watching something. That can't be good, I thought. What is it? I asked. 'Owls,' a woman said. 'Great horned owls, four of them. They've made a home in these trees.' The woman had binoculars and there they were, big birds, sitting on a broken branch, as solemn as judges. I've seen seals in the bay, raccoons in the backyard, coyotes down the street, but never before urban owls. Halfway there. I felt good about the city; good vibes and good omens. But after my visit to Union Square I rode a taxi up Market Street. We stopped for traffic halfway up Market, almost to the Castro, and out the window I saw a man writhing on the ground, on a Wednesday afternoon in broad daylight. An overdose, maybe. A woman with a dog walked by. A man walking by himself glanced at the man rolling on the street and walked by. Nobody did anything. We may be halfway toward building a better city, but there is a long way to go.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F.'s controversial fountain deemed ‘hazardous' and will be fenced off indefinitely
San Francisco officials ordered Vaillancourt Fountain on Embarcadero Plaza to be fenced off indefinitely Monday morning after a new report concluded that its crumbling condition poses a public safety risk. Construction of the fence, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Monday and continue throughout the week, cast new doubt on the massive artwork's future as a major renovation of the plaza gets underway. The blocky, 710-ton sculpture has been a lightning rod for public opinion for more than a half-century, but it was a draw for parkgoers who darted through its gushing water and for skateboarders who plied its famed stairs and ledges. But a pump failure has left the fountain dry for the past year, and the closure seeks to prevent anyone from climbing on the interactive structure or even getting close to it. It comes as a result of an independent report commissioned by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which manages Embarcadero Plaza, as officials consider how to treat the fountain as part of the planned $30 million plaza renovation. The 122-page assessment issued last week by architecture firm Page & Turnbull found that the 55-year-old public art is corroding and deteriorating, contains toxic materials including asbestos and lead, and fails to meet seismic safety codes. Based on those findings, Recreation and Park staff judged the sculpture unsafe for the public to interact with and for structural maintenance workers to get inside and repair. 'The fountain isn't just falling apart — it's hazardous,' said Recreation and Park spokesperson Tamara Aparton. 'The structure is cracked, corroded and missing key supports. Add lead and asbestos to the mix, and it's a serious safety risk. That's why we're fencing it off now, to protect the public while longer term decisions are made.' The new steel mesh security fencing will be 3½ feet tall on the Market Street side, so people can still lean over it and look at the sculpture. In the back, on the Embarcadero side, it will connect to an existing 6-foot-tall fence. The reinforced concrete artwork by Canadian sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, completed in 1971, is part of San Francisco's Civic Art Collection, and any final decision about its fate will be determined by the Arts Commission after public hearings and possibly a vote by the Board of Supervisors. The city is in the planning and design phase for an ambitious new park that will combine Embarcadero Plaza and the adjacent Sue Bierman Park in a space spanning 5 acres, twice the size of Union Square. Since the release of a preliminary rendering of the park that omitted the fountain, Vaillancourt and architectural preservationists have been lobbying for it to stay put. The report, which included structural analysis by DCI Engineers and hazardous materials testing by North Tower Environmental, did not specify the cost of bringing the fountain up to code and restoring the water element. Rec and Park estimates the cost to fully renovate the artwork, inside and out, at $12 million to $17 million, with ongoing maintenance costs of $100,000 per year. Boosters of Brutalist architecture and other preservationists have been lobbying on the fountain's behalf, and in May, the 95-year-old Vaillancourt made a trip from his home in Montreal to meet with staff of both the Arts Commission and Rec and Park to plead for his sculpture's preservation. 'They made the new plan, and my monumental sculpture is not there,' Vaillancourt told the Chronicle during a visit to his namesake work. 'I'm here to save that piece of art.' The fountain is 40 feet tall, and Vaillancourt told the Chronicle it is anchored 40 feet down. It survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which severely damaged the adjacent Embarcadero Freeway, forcing that structure's demolition. The sculptor argued that cleaning and repairing the fountain would return it to its original glory and keep it sound for another century. He also said the fountain is immobile, and demolishing it would cost more than it would to fix it. But the technical report tells a different story. It states that the fountain sits on bay mud and infill and does not meet seismic safety standards. In a major earthquake, 'The structure is likely to yield and deform beyond that deformation already apparent in some of the stress cracking in the concrete,' it says. The report also states that parts of the interior support structure are corroded or missing, and asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint were found in parts of the sculpture, including the pump room. Mechanical and electrical systems 'are beyond their serviceable life' and would need to be replaced, it says. Disassembling and reassembling the fountain would be 'feasible,' the report says, but 'require substantial effort and time' to perform. The job would be complicated by the large machinery needed to stabilize and move the concrete tubes, and the dangers to workers who would have to climb in and around the pipes to cut them — as well as the precautions needed to prevent asbestos exposure. 'Overall, Vaillancourt exhibits a range of deterioration that must be addressed for the fountain to be enjoyed safely,' the report summary reads. 'That said,' it concludes, 'the fountain does not appear yet to have deteriorated beyond repair, though certain systems and components have, and there may be a variety of approaches to treatment to be explored in future phases that could stabilize and restore it.' In the meantime, Aparton said, 'the bottom line is that the fountain is no longer safe to approach or interact with.' Arts Commission spokesperson Coma Te concurred. 'Given the findings presented in the structural report, public safety comes first,' he said in an email. 'The Arts Commission supports Rec and Park's decision to secure the area as they work to complete planning and design work for the plaza.'
News18
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
San Francisco's 45-Foot Statue Of A Naked Woman Triggers Social Media Storm
Last Updated: The statue was installed last month with hopes it will attract more visitors and help boost economic activity in the city. San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza is home to a new, eye-catching figure – a 45-foot tall statue of a naked woman. Named R-Evolution, this steel sculpture weighs 15,000 kg and shines with multicoloured lights. Created by artist Marco Cochrane, it is the final piece in his 'The Bliss Project' series, which debuted at the Burning Man festival in 2015. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, together with The Sijbrandij Foundation and Building 180, installed the statue last month hoping it will attract more visitors and help boost economic activity in the city. Social media platforms have been buzzing with opinions. A user wrote on X, formerly Twitter, 'San Francisco unveiled their 45-foot statue of a nude woman Thursday at Embarcadero Plaza to attract tourism. The piece is titled 'R-Evolution.' SF continues to be plagued by crime, homeless and illegals. The city would have many more tourists if these issues were addressed." San Francisco unveiled their 45-foot statue of a nude woman Thursday at Embarcadero Plaza to attract tourism. The piece is titled 'R-Evolution."SF continues to be plagued by crime, homeless, and illegals. The city would have many more tourists if these issues were addressed. — Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 13, 2025 Another wrote, 'Public art is a waste of money." Public art is a waste of money.— Jakob Mi (@Jakob_Mi_) April 13, 2025 'This is not the way to attract more tourists," a comment read. Someone said, 'This is weird." 'And the point of that statue is what??" a user asked. The Recreation and Park Department defends the installation as gender representation in public art. According to their press release, 'Despite making up more than half the population, women are vastly underrepresented in public art, comprising only 8% of statues in the US. This sculpture challenges that imbalance, creating a powerful moment of visibility and reflection." R-Evolution is an impressive piece of art. Made with more than 55,000 steel welds, the statue moves slightly for one hour each day to look like it is breathing. At night, it lights up softly with colourful lights, turning Embarcadero Plaza into a beautiful spot to visit after dark. The artist Marco Cochrane explains his vision behind the sculpture: 'This sculpture is about being seen. Women's presence in public art is rare. When they are depicted, it is often through outdated or passive narratives. R-Evolution challenges that. She stands strong, aware and grounded, calling for a world where all people can walk freely and without fear." Cochrane's work focuses on empowering female figures in a way that breaks away from traditional portrayals. 'The Bliss Project' series, ending with R-Evolution, shows women not as passive objects but as powerful, self-aware beings. First Published:
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
45-foot statue of naked woman in San Francisco divides opinion: ‘Nobody asked for it'
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department hopes that a giant statue of a naked woman – erected in Embarcadero Plaza – will boost footfall and enhance economic activity in the city. But not everyone's happy about it. According to a report in The Sun, several locals have taken to social media to register their protest against the 45-foot statue of a naked woman that went up last month in San Francisco, California. The sculpture, named R-Evolution, is made of steel, illuminated with multicoloured lights, and weighs a whopping 15,000 kg. It is the third and final sculpture in Marco Cochrane's series, The Bliss Project, originally created for and debuted at the Burning Man festival in 2015. The 45-foot statue has been displayed in San Francisco through a collaboration between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, The Sijbrandij Foundation and Building 180. According to a press release from the department, 'despite making up more than half the population, women are vastly underrepresented in public art, comprising only 8% of statues in the US. This sculpture challenges that imbalance, creating a powerful moment of visibility and reflection.' "This sculpture is about being seen," says artist Marco Cochrane. "Women's presence in public art is rare. When they are depicted, it is often through outdated or passive narratives. 'R-Evolution challenges that. She stands strong, aware, and grounded—calling for a world where all people can walk freely and without fear." The 45-foot sculpture greeting ferry visitors in San Francisco has divided opinion. Some locals say they were blindsided when the statue first appeared, others have called it obscene. 'Somebody put up a 45' naked lady statue in San Francisco, nobody asked for it. Now you have to walk between her legs to get from the Ferry building to the Embarcadero,' wrote one X user. 'They seem like they are focused on absolutely everything except the things that matter,' another said. 'A giant, naked woman blocking the proud, iconic Ferry Building is a perfect metaphor for San Francisco these days,' said Republican John Dennis.
