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San Francisco Chronicle
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Giant sea serpent sculpture lights up Golden Gate Park in ‘magical' debut
Under just a sliver of a moon Monday night in San Francisco, an overflow crowd turned the JFK Promenade into the Playa on the Pavement for the ceremonial lighting of a giant Burning Man sea serpent that has found its way to Golden Gate Park. After a two-hour buildup, the switch was thrown just before 9 p.m., and blinking purple and green LED lights illuminated the aqua-colored 100-foot-long, 25-foot-tall sculpture named Naga. Installed in the pond at the base of the Rainbow Falls, Naga is lit from within and periodically exhales bubbles through its nose. 'I got a contact euphoria from the whole show, like I was standing in the middle of a Harry Potter movie,' said Kat Anderson, president of the city's Recreation and Park Commission. 'It is one of the most magical things I've ever seen.' Naga, originally created for the 2024 Burning Man counterculture event in the northwestern Nevada desert, is the largest art installation ever in Golden Gate Park. A crowd estimated by a park ranger at 1,000 people came for the spectacle, many dressed in pirate attire to fit the seagoing theme, some with their hair dyed to match the serpent's scales. Cherie Defer, who described herself as 'a longtime fan of the serpent,' arrived with her hair streaked in turquoise and vowed to keep it that way 'for as long as Naga is with us.' This vow means a one-year commitment with a possible multiyear extension, which is how long the piece by artist Cjay Roughgarden will be in the park. It is handmade of aluminum scales over a steel frame, a process that cost $350,000 in grants, donations and private funding, and took a crew of artists and volunteers 35,000 man hours at Roughgarden's workshop, Seaport Studios in Richmond. Monday night's event was staged and hosted by Illuminate, the arts nonprofit behind the Bay Lights installation on the Bay Bridge. It was the second ceremony to mark the opening of Naga in Golden Gate Park. The first was a family event Saturday morning to celebrate completion of the project. Monday night's event was the adult celebration, heavy in Burners, as devotees to Burning Man call themselves. Naga premiered there on the desert playa, or dry lake bed, last Labor Day weekend, and fans came out to say hello on Monday night. 'I've seen it on the playa, but with the water it looks different,' said Maggie Li, who wore a jacket of fake turquoise fur, though she said it was merely 'on theme, not trying to match Naga.' She and Lauren Klein had come from the Mission District with a full picnic dinner, which they laid out on the grassy shoulder of JFK Drive. 'It's beautiful to see the serpent protecting Golden Gate Park,' said Klein. 'It's a sacred place.' Among the Burners in attendance were Sid and Karen Sijbrandij (pronounced, fittingly, as 'sea-brandy'), Dutch immigrants who were the lead sponsor of the sculpture through their philanthropy the Sijbrandij Foundation. 'We are aspiring to bring 100 pieces of big art to the city over the next three years,' said Sid, a 45-year-old software engineer who founded GitLab. To this end, he has partnered with art agency Building 180, and together they've installed eight works, including a 45-foot-tall wire mesh sculpture of a nude woman on the Embarcadero, and announced plans to add a dozen more installations on the San Francisco waterfront. Sijbrandij, who contributed $250,000 toward the installation of Naga in the park, set his minimum as pieces that are at least 10 feet tall or wide. 'Big art is underappreciated,' he said. 'It is out there and it brings people together.' He also only works with art that is already built and needs a second or third life, the first one usually being at Burning Man, which the Sijbrandis have attended five times. 'We focus on art that is in storage and nobody ever sees it,' Sijbrandi said. He noted that while thousands may see an artwork on the Burning Man playa, millions will see an artwork in the city. Naga is the last artwork you see moving west on the Golden Mile, a car-free stretch of Golden Gate Park that has been populated with public art curated by Illuminate. There are big yellow chairs along the way, and to promote it, Illuminate founder Ben Davis has taken to wearing only yellow. He did that Monday night as emcee for the event, while standing on a makeshift table, his yellow shoes and bandana offsetting a sea of aqua and turquoise. (The water that cascades from the 50-foot Rainbow Falls into the pond was its usual green to enhance the effect.) 'It's a privilege to come out and welcome this new icon to the 'City of Awe,' he said in his remarks, after 750 bubble wands were handed out to make the lighting participatory in the Burning Man spirit. Roughgarden, resplendent in a brocaded pirate's overcoat and head ornament, made introductory comments, during which she reminded the crowd that the installation is still in progress. The full artwork, titled 'Naga and the Captainess,' includes a shipwreck with seating and a play area, which will be added later. A fundraiser is ongoing. The crowd was far larger than anticipated, with some scampering up the hillside for an overlook. They had to wait for darkness on one of the few clear nights of what has been a foggy San Francisco summer. At 8:45 p.m., ethereal music was pumping from the DJ booth as Roughgarden led a countdown from 10. The serpent's eyes suddenly glowed and pulsed, alternating green and purple, while bubbles poured from its nostrils. The lighting happened in stages from head to tail, and by 9 p.m. it was fully twinkling, 753 lights in total. The LED scheme, by lighting designer Dan Rummel, is subtle enough that people who waited out on the JFK Promenade or on the grass on the far side of the street had to cross over and press up close to see the lights embedded in the serpent's scales and the reflection in the water. The paint job was by Tania Seabock. 'It's approachable and gentle and welcoming,' said Li, the picnicker who left her meal unattended to cross the street for an up-close look. Karen Sijbrandij, who wore a twinkling vest, was also satisfied with the show, which is expected to go until midnight, seven days a week. The scheme is energy efficient and taps into the park's source of street lighting power. 'How amazing was that?' she said. 'The detail of the lighting is mesmerizing.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RBC's Calvasina Says Too Early to Dismiss Tariff Hit to Earnings
(Bloomberg) -- The US reporting season is off to a strong start, but it would be premature to write off the impact of tariffs on inflation and corporate earnings, according to RBC Capital Markets strategists. The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Budapest's Most Historic Site Gets a Controversial Rebuild Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy The team led by Lori Calvasina said early trends suggest US companies have been resilient to the trade war so far. However, a slate of executives have warned that the effects will become clearer in the second half of the year, they said. 'It's still too early to assume tariffs won't generate inflation pressures,' Calvasina wrote in a note that was published Sunday, after the trade agreement between the European Union and the US was announced. 'It also poses a risk to the path of stock prices if company outlooks for 2026 don't end up being as rosy as investors have been anticipating.' US stocks have rallied to record highs as investors bet earnings would continue to be robust. About 82% of S&P 500 companies have beaten second-quarter earnings estimates to date, the largest share in almost four years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. Progress in US trade negotiations has also lifted sentiment. In the latest agreement announced Sunday, Washington and the European Union agreed on a pact that will see the bloc face duties of 15% on most of its exports. Some market forecasters including Morgan Stanley's Michael Wilson have turned more optimistic about the S&P 500 as they expect earnings to remain upbeat. On Monday, Oppenheimer & Co.'s John Stoltzfus upgraded his year-end target for the benchmark to 7,100 points — the highest among strategists tracked by Bloomberg. However, others like UBS Group AG's Bhanu Baweja have previously warned the market was too optimistic about profit margins being protected even in the face of higher levies. Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme Scottish Wind Farms Show How to Counter Nimby Opposition ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Axios
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
A glowing sea serpent debuts in Golden Gate Park
Hundreds of spectators adorned with glitter, neon colors and shimmering iridescent hues flooded Golden Gate Park Monday evening to witness the unveiling and lighting ceremony of San Francisco's newest immersive art installation. State of play:" Naga & The Captainess," which was assembled by about 250 volunteers, is now the largest piece of public art in the park's history. Between the lines: The 25-foot-tall, 100-foot-long sculpture inspired by Eastern mythology first debuted at Burning Man last year and now calls Rainbow Falls Pond along JFK Promenade its home.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Burning Man Camp Needs Help To Bring Beloved Ski Slope Back in 2025
The state of Nevada is one of the most mountainous in the United States. With over 30 peaks topping over 10,000 feet in elevation, there are seemingly endless opportunities for backcountry skiing exploration. A group of passionate Burning Man festival-goers, however, brings simulated snow-sliding to the desert floor of Black Rock City each started in 2023 as a "learning experience" has become one of Burning Man's most unique camps. Dubbed 'Lake Lahontan Ski Resort' after Black Rock City's dry lakebed, the slope is made of mats that simulate the feeling of sliding on snow. At 14-feet tall and stretching 62-feet long, the Lake Lahontan Ski Resort is just large enough to capture the thrill of skiing and snowboarding, if you use your BRC Snow Club, which has hosted Lake Lahontan Ski Resort the last two Burning Man festivals, is making a return for 2025, but needs help from the community by way of fundraising. Keep reading for to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates. According to the GoFundMe created by BRC Snow Club organizer Dylan Hogan, The Lake Lahontan Ski Resort will be placed in a premiere zone called the 'Espalande' this year, which costs more. Storage and transportation of the dry slope costs $20,000 alone, according to the GoFundMe fundraiser has brought in over $2,500 at time of publishing this article, by BRC Snow Club is aiming for at least $10k. If $15k-$20k is raised, BRC Snow Club will add "après-ski energy to the slope" with a speaker system, dance floor, generator, and lighting fixtures."We're still more than willing to do the heavy lifting, but now we're turning to our community in hopes that the spirit of communal effort will help carry us through," writes Hogan for BRC Snow Club's Snow Club requested funds from the Burning Man Festival, but were denied as camps are ineligible for art grants. This came as a disappointment considering the festival used video clips from last year's Lake Lahontan Ski Resort to promote ticket sales for 2025."The Org posted a (very well-produced) video on their Instagram featuring interactivity at camps, which included footage of our slope," writes Hogan for the GoFundMe page. "Flattered and impressed by the quality of the video, we accepted. What we didn't realize (until the comments rolled in) was that the video was being used as an ADVERTISEMENT to sell tickets (did somebody say decommodification?) using our camp, our project, and our labor for THEIR profit... for an event we have to pay to attend and receive no compensation or support from." Burning Man 2025 will take place from August 24-September 1, 2025. Here's hoping BRC Snow Club raises enough funds to make Lake Lahontan Ski Resort happen of us here at POWDER are pulling for you!Burning Man Camp Needs Help To Bring Beloved Ski Slope Back in 2025 first appeared on Powder on Jul 28, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Forecaster Sees Loonie's Rise Tamed by Canada Rate Cuts
(Bloomberg) -- Canada's loonie will strengthen further against its US counterpart this year but its rise will be limited by the central bank's interest-rate cuts, according to the currency's most accurate forecaster in the second quarter. The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Budapest's Most Historic Site Gets a Controversial Rebuild Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy Royce Mendes, managing director and head of macro strategy at Desjardins Securities, expects the Bank of Canada to cut rates three times this year while markets are pricing in less than one reduction. As a result, he sees the loonie trading at 1.35 per US dollar by year end. It traded slightly weaker Monday at 1.3720 per US dollar, after gaining 0.2% last week. His out-of-consensus call is based on a view that a tariff-induced inflation flare-up has passed and the central bank will lower rates to aid the economy. 'I think that there is probably somewhat limited room for further strength this year,' said Mendes. 'We think the market has moved too far in terms of pricing out the chance that the Bank of Canada returns to rate cuts this fall or winter.' Analysts including Mendes expect policymakers to hold rates steady during the Wednesday meeting. Any further appreciation for the loonie that's coming from increased hedging flows or dollar weakness could be limited by the monetary easing, Mendes added. The loonie had been hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs earlier this year but has recovered since then, with the greenback weakening against many currencies. Desjardins had bested other loonie forecasters in the second quarter by anticipating that the currency would strengthen. 'We said it's going to reverse based on the hedging activity, on the potential for a less aggressive trade stance from the US with regards to Canada,' he said. Even so, while all currencies in the Group of 10 have advanced, the loonie is still lagging the cohort year-to-date. Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme Scottish Wind Farms Show How to Counter Nimby Opposition ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
