Latest news with #PeterHazel
San Francisco Chronicle
18-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. art studio behind giant nude sculpture has big plans for the Embarcadero
A dozen monumental sculptures will soon line the Embarcadero, an outdoor exhibit the Port of San Francisco hopes will attract visitors by transforming the city's waterfront into a destination for public art. The temporary installation of large-scale works will begin in October and create a 'Waterfront Art Walk' ranging from Fisherman's Wharf to the north, to Heron's Head Park to the south. The project is a partnership between the port and Building 180, the women-led art agency responsible for installing the 45-foot tall nude female across from the Ferry Building and for installing public art elements for Sunset Dunes, the new park on the Great Highway. The program will be privately funded by the Sijbrandij Foundation, a philanthropy that provides financial backing for Building 180. 'To see large-scale art brings out the artist in each of us,' said Shannon Riley, founder of Building 180, which is named for the Treasure Island warehouse where it started. 'We're trying to inspire communities and inspire individuals to be creative.' The sculptures already exist and some of them have been displayed at Burning Man, Riley said. The pieces will be a minimum of 10 feet tall and will be installed in phases, taking up to one year. Riley said it was premature to discuss specifics of the art but a port document revealed a desert shark on a pedestal, by Peter Hazel, and a mermaid by Dana Albany, along with a variety of interpretations of sea life and other, more abstract forms. Each of the sculptures will last between six months and a year with an option to extend. They will be installed on piers and in parks that are port property, and each will require an individual encroachment permit to be granted by the port's executive director. The unsolicited proposal by Building 180 this spring was presented to the port commission at its July 8 meeting. 'The Port is proud to bring temporary public art installations to the waterfront,' said Eric Young, director of communications for the Port of San Francisco. 'We believe art has the power to draw people in, spark dialogue, and inspire imagination and reflection. Port staff is looking forward to advancing licensing, outreach, and approval efforts with the goal of securing installations this fall.' The program calls for as many as 20 works of art to be installed if funding is available. A call for submissions by Building 180 is ongoing, Riley said. Each piece will be suited to its specific location. Some may be lit at night. The artists are both local and international revealed in a port document are: Dana Albany, Dewitt Godfrey, Peter Hazel, Mathias Gmachi, Kristen Berg, Davis McCarty, Michael Christian, Chris Wollard, and Bryan Tedrick. Images of the art were unavailable. 'We want to add to the vibrant waterfront by creating moments of reflection and conversation through art,' Riley said. 'We're bringing life to a hub of San Francisco that represents beautiful views. The port is a connection point for locals and for tourists and we are hoping to attract lots of people.'
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sunset Dunes park opens near San Francisco's Ocean Beach
The Brief A portion of the Great Highway, now closed to vehicles and called Sunset Dunes park, drew droves of visitors on Saturday. New additions near Sloat Boulevard include a pump track for skateboarders and bikers, and a hand-tiled octopus sculpture. A ribbon ceremony was held to commemorate the city's newest park. SAN FRANCISCO - What was once the Great Highway has officially been designated a park, and it has a shiny new name, Sunset Dunes. The controversial park was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. One of the new additions to the park is a pump track for skateboarders. Kids were enjoying the track with their rocker bikes on Saturday. The backstory Near the pump track is a new piece of art that has been years in the making, a large, tiled octopus sculpture. "It took about six months to make….it went to Burning Man in 2016, and it launched my career as an artist," the creator, Peter Hazel told KTVU. Hazel was born in San Francisco, and raised in Half Moon Bay. Though he lives in Nevada now, he says it's an honor to have his work highlighted at Sunset Dunes. "We had like six kilns going every day with the volunteers. There's 250,000 handmade tiles. They are high-fired, so it'll last a lifetime," Hazel said. His work is inspired by the Spanish artist Antoni Gaudi, known as "The Mosaic Genius of Barcelona". People out enjoying the gorgeous weather on Saturday say they are very excited to explore Ocean Beach without the worry of traffic. It was shut down during the weekend, but now it's every day. It's a treat," San Francisco resident Michael Zimmerman told KTVU. One group of brave souls also dove into the 50-degree water for a cold plug on Saturday at Ocean Beach, all in the name of health. Anthony Consilio was in that group, and he says he's excited for the new park. "Anytime cars go out of the equation, and people, and bikes, and grandmas, and grandpas come into the equation, something good has happened," Consilio told KTVU. The other side The new park did not come without controversy. The transition from a major roadway into a park was approved by voters in November and backed by District 4 City Supervisor Joel Engardio, who is now facing a recall movement. Some opponents of the park say the closure of the roadway will cause severe traffic delays for many people who live in the Sunset and Richmond districts. Folks out at the park on Saturday say they are ready for the change. "I think it's gonna take a little while 'til we figure out the traffic stuff…in the long term, it's such a benefit for the neighborhood, and I'm really excited about it," runner Ruth Selby told KTVU.
