Letters to Pop: 29 November 2014 - Subtle Public Art, Poetry and Oddments in San Francisco

One of the (many) things I love is public art. It is a gift and a joy to discover art where you would not expect. I have been in San Francisco again visiting my sister. This time I discovered art on the Embarcadero. Embedded in the sidewalks, or in squares around trees, or attached to pier railings, there are all kinds of amazing things to find.

This is part of a quote around the base of an informational sign. You can get an idea of the size based on my toes poking into the photo. It is a quote from Anne Swardon that says "Once bountiful the seas slowly empty." You can see a triangle pointing to the beginning so you know where to start reading.

Here is a haiku in the sidewalk. Each line is about 24 inches long and at least 6 feet apart.

The Embarcadero sidewalk has many pieces of art about the Bay Trail. First a note about what it is.

The Bay Trail is a wonderful project. Baytrail.org describes it thusly: The Bay Trail is a recreational route that will encircle San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, connecting the shoreline of all nine Bay Area counties and crossing seven major toll bridges by means of a 400-mile network of bicycling and walking paths. More than half the trail system is now complete, either as dedicated hiking or multi-use paths, or as on-street bike lanes and sidewalks.

The idea behind the Bay Trail is to provide easy access to as many facets of the Bay as possible, for as wide a range of users as possible - walkers, bicyclists, skaters, commuters, bird-watchers, artists, and schoolchildren. The trail takes people of all ages and abilities to points as diverse as the busy Embarcadero waterfront in San Francisco, solitary Tubbs Island on San Pablo Bay, the braided marsh channels of Alviso in the South Bay, and the sweeping views across the North Bay from Point Pinole.

I have walked quite a few miles of the trail and hope to do more. The Embarcadero is part of the Bay Trail and scattered along the route are many markers that show fish, fowl, and wildlife to be seen along the route as well as descriptions.

These are a sampling of many of the plaques found underfoot on the Bay Trail.

Another information post surround. "Ferryboat passengers knew by the horns, how thick the fog, by the cant of the boat, how rough the bay, by the rings on the pitcher, how old the cream." Earle Ennis, "Ferry Tales," San Francisco Chronicle 1935.

Even switch box covers provide works of art in the sidewalk.

This little guy was well hidden and well anchored behind a large electrical box on an island in a crosswalk.

What is he all about?

Later on, in a small park, I found another of these faces, but it had been painted. It was equally hidden among the bases of light fixtures.

Near the Ferry Building there is a large plaza between the east and west lanes of the Embarcadero Highway. It is usually full of skateboarders and bicyclists showing off their skills or working on the latest tricks. Musicians also hang out in the plaza.

As many times as I have been on this plaza chasing photo ops of F-cars or crossing the Embarcadero, this trip was the first time I noticed the many plaques in it. If I understand correctly, these are placed where freeway columns once stood. Here are two of the many.

In the center where the bus and trolley stops are, I found more poetry.

"The A is a wet letter pointing to where it came from. It is a period with a five running through it." Excerpt from Two Tongues and Some Green Bananas, Victor Hernandez Cruz.

I really liked this one.

On a more colorful note, there are murals, often graffiti art, tucked into back alleys and parking lots.

Fox Hardware has a mural so large it takes two pictures to get it all.

What's up with this? Curious George on the side of a building? Curious indeed.

I have to include the babes from Broadway.

In Chinatown, this art deco beauty is right across the street from a more modern rendition.

Can't leave out the very famous jazz scene on the corner of Broadway and Columbus. I swear you can hear the music.

San Francisco encourages artists to paint murals on construction site fencing. I think that's a wonderful thing for a city to do. Here's an example of a mural on a safety fence.

And an artist working on another. Temporary art beautifully done.

Self-portrait of a graffiti artist?

There is an alley where veterans paint grim reminders about the effect of war.

Personal commentary can be poignant.

I think this counts as a mobile mural.

I love the mural painted on the side of a building close to Heron's Head Park. I was there late enough one evening to see this at night. What a difference! Black lights perhaps?

And finally back to the piers on the Embarcadero. In an alley between piers, an unused section of track has been painted a cheerful red. Definitely counts as art. Especially considering how another unpainted, abandoned piece of track looks.

Pier 14 has been refurbished as a pedestrian walk way with beautiful railings, swiveling chairs, poetry and ceramic tile art.

The tile art depicts all kinds of boats and ships that are found in the Bay. But first, it would not be San Francisco without some poetry by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. This is mounted on the side railings.