A to Z – 2023 – J is for John F. Kennedy Drive where you will find Psychedelic Photosynthesis

Posted on April 12, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Continuing on our journey through San Francisco looking for the “Illuminate SF” art projects, once again I am using a little creative license to connect these dots. John F. Kennedy Drive goes through Golden Gate Park and that is where you will find the Conservatory of Flowers and there you will see some Psychedelic Photosynthesis.

As you will remember with the “Entwined” exhibit, Golden Gate Park was actually closed to traffic by the time I got there. A few folks were out walking their dogs and there were some tennis courts with people still playing so the lights were on but I didn’t really want to just randomly park the car and go wandering by myself so I kind of overlooked the signs that said “do not enter” or “road closed” and drove to where I saw the flashes. The Entwined exhibit was on the same road, just a bit farther down.

This colorful projection on the outside of the Conservatory was developed with the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department and started in 2021. The moving colors and different flowers are reminiscent of the San Francisco Summer of Love. I couldn’t get any closer to the building itself but was able to park on the hill and look down.

As I was just about finished shooting this sequence, a man walked by who was cleaning up (or I assumed he was cleaning up because he had a big black trash bag) and he said that there were heavy fines for being in this area. I thanked him and got back in the car. I wish I had taken just a few more minutes though because I could see as I was pulling away that the colors on the Conservatory were turning a deep blue and then red. I didn’t hear any music but the addition of some would have been really cool I think.

Best Viewing: Outside the Conservatory of Flowers, 101 John F. Kennedy Drive. Starts at dusk each night and runs on a loop through the night. Make sure to get there early enough so you don’t have to break the law to see it!

I’m sorry to say that the pictures on the website show much more color and vibrancy than the video I got. I would like to go back sometime and see it again. I’ll be sure to post about it if I do. Thanks to all who have been visiting me from the A to Z. I promise I’ll try to get out and visit some new folks soon!

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A to Z – 2023 – I is for Illuminating Facts and Finds

Posted on April 11, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

The installation I was going to use for the letter “I,” “Illuminavia” is located in a bar across the street from Oracle Park and it was closed so instead I’ll share some of the other interesting (I hope) tidbits about my experience with the Illuminate SF project.

First off I’ll mention my process for finding and capturing the different installations. First I had to look at all the sites and figure out how to fit them in the alphabet. Some, as I’ve said, I had to be creative about. Then I couldn’t just go alphabetically through the list because it would have meant going back and forth from one end of the city to the other. Since I knew I might have to enlist the help of my husband or daughter to drive me, I mapped out where each spot was and then made four different routes. Each route had about 6 or 7 stops and would take about an hour or so to get through. I ended up doing most of them by myself and it actually took more than an hour each time because I got out and took pictures. It looks from the maps like it would be really easy to get them all at one time but you have to remember that in San Francisco there are a lot of one-way streets so something could be right on the next block but you have to go three blocks west and two blocks south to come back to where it actually is. A few of them I went back a second time to get just the right picture/video. Fortunately we live right near the freeway so most of it was just a straight shot to the city. I planned them on Sunday night or weeknights so that the streets wouldn’t be too crowded.

While I was driving around, I did notice some other cool lights that weren’t part of the actual “Illuminate SF” program. This was a group of trees in the middle of downtown that were all lit up. I didn’t realize until I got home that Coit Tower was right behind them. I guess sometimes I have tunnel vision and focus on one thing while something else is right in front of my nose (see “Archipelago” where I totally missed a 6-foot sculpture while I was looking at a heart!)

The carousel ride at the Children’s Creativity Museum looks really pretty all lit at night. The windows of the Civic Auditorium shows the City’s pride. Louise K. Davies Symphony Hall was magnificent lighting the whole corner.

A few random lights on the buildings and more lighted trees. These trees are in Union Square (I forgot to look for the hearts!). And finally, the top of City Hall.

These aren’t lights exactly but I spotted this sculpture out of the corner of my eye when hubby was driving and he went around the block so I could get out and get these pictures. Looks like some kind of sea creature, doesn’t it? Love the pretty scales. There are lights on the ground around it so I bet if it was later in the evening it would be interesting.

As a thank you for taking me out so I could get my pictures and videos, I treated my husband to dinner at the Stinking Rose. He had a hamburger and I had a prosciutto sandwich and salad. They were delicious and too much for one meal so I had my other half for lunch the next day. This friendly guy was next to me at the bar.

And that’s my “I” for the A to Z Challenge. See you tomorrow!

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A to Z – 2023 – H is for Hope Will Never Be Silent

Posted on April 10, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

We’re starting our second week here on the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is the Illuminate SF light art experience. I hade fun going through San Francisco looking for the different light installations that are hidden throughout the city.

Today we have, Hope Will Never Be Silent, which is written in lights above the SoulCycle building that overlooks Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro District. You may remember I wrote about the Castro District when I went through the city in 2020. It is the center of the gay community in SF.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in the history of California. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco in 1977 and assassinated in November of 1978. There was a movie made about him starring Sean Penn who won an Oscar for his portrayal. I’d recommend watching it. He had an interesting life, cut short by a mentally deranged colleague, Dan White, who also killed the mayor of San Francisco, George Moscone. White was convicted and went to prison but killed himself two years after he was released.

The photos aren’t that great because this is one of the busiest intersections in the city. I had to find parking and then walk up the block to get this shot. As you can see there are lots of telephone poles and street signs in the way so I did the best I could.

Illuminate is the arts group that designed the fixture and it was installed in 2017. It is to honor Harvey Milk’s legacy “through light’s power of attraction.”

Best Viewing: The lights can be seen from dark until dawn. View it from the top of the Castro Muni Metro Station escalator and other spots around Harvey Milk Plaza.

One of the things that this excursion is reminding me is to look up. So often we just look straight ahead and we may miss something special. I didn’t get to visit as many new folks as I would have liked. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that this week. See you tomorrow for “I.”

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A to Z – 2023 – G is for Grant Avenue where you can see the Lantern Stories

Posted on April 8, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

In my quest for the A to Z Challenge theme I was lucky enough to come across the Illuminate SF phenomenon that has been happening for the last 10 years. I really have to get out more since I had never heard of it. Once I got my theme I just needed to figure out how to make the installations work for me. Strictly speaking, there wasn’t a perfectly named attraction for each letter of the alphabet so like yesterday’s “F”, today we’re getting creative and using the name of the place instead of the display.

Lantern Stories can be found on Grant Avenue in San Francisco, which is the main street in Chinatown. The first time I went on my excursion through the city I saw these lanterns down a little side street and I thought they were what I was supposed to be looking for. They are very pretty and it makes an interesting sight but somehow I knew it wasn’t quite right. There were too many that looked the same and while I can’t read Chinese, I didn’t think the writing on them was actually telling a story.

I did a little more research on the exhibit and found that it was actually ON Grant Street, not a side street. I saw that the lanterns were different shapes and definitely had stories on them in the form of pictures and words. So I went back in search of the true Lantern Stories.

Yu-Wen Wu created 29 illustrated lanterns and they were installed last year, 2022. Twelve of the lanterns depict specific San Franciscan people, places or events like the 1906 earthquake, Angel Island Detention Center, actor Bruce Lee and author Amy Tan.

These were much more interesting to look at and I’m so glad I decided to go back and find them. The video is from a Monday night around 8 PM. The stores are closed but there is still a lot of neat stuff to see. Definitely makes me want to explore more.

Best Viewing: 600 Block of Grant Street after dark.

And we made it through week one! I’m going to try to visit some new folks tomorrow on our “day off.” See you Monday with the letter “H.”

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A to Z – 2023 – F is for Federal Building, home to the SkyGarden

Posted on April 7, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

If you are just checking in from the A to Z Challenge, this year I am traveling through San Francisco in search of the lights that are part of Illuminate SF, a series of art fixtures located at different spots in SF. As I looked down the list of names, finding an exact match for every letter of the alphabet was not easy. I have had to get creative (not that I mind being creative) to satisfy some of the letters, one of which is the letter “F.”

The Federal Building in San Francisco is where you will find the SkyGarden. Designed by James Turrell it opened in 2007. It is a three story block of color in the middle of the building. I was going to take a video but honestly it took too long to change colors so I just got a few stills.

Apparently there is another band of light at street level which is supposed to complete the geometric figure but I couldn’t see that from where I was. I also did not go up into the building because it was after hours. A self-guided tour is available from 9 AM to 3 PM Monday through Friday if you want to visit, but since it is the Federal Building, you have to show an American ID or international passport. While it is kind of cool to see the changing lights I was a bit underwhelmed with this one.

Best Viewing: At night stand on the south side of Mission Street long enough to see the colors change.

Short post today. See you tomorrow for “G.”

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A to Z – 2023 – E is for Entwined

Posted on April 6, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Our journey through San Francisco looking for the Illuminate SF installations continues with the letter E as in “Entwined.”

Entwined is a magical garden of changing lights and oh my goodness was I lucky to be able to get this display! It was supposed to be taken down early in March but because of our rainy weather, they had to leave it up. At first I couldn’t find it but as I was driving through Golden Gate Park I saw some sparkling bright lights so I kept driving toward them. I may have inadvertently driven through some barriers that said “Do Not Enter” but it was dark so I’m not sure. Technically the park was closed when I got there.

I didn’t get any still photos but was able to get out of the car and take this video. As mentioned in my first post, if flashing lights disturb you, take care viewing it.

The display was designed by Charles Gadeken and it was installed in 2020. The trees ranged from 12 to 20 feet tall. The variety of effects may make you think of raindrops, lightning and wind blowing. It was a temporary exhibit and as I write this, the last viewing was April 2 and then it was going to be taken down.

Of course if you have been following me for any length of time you know how I feel about magical places and I was enchanted by this scene. I wish I had walked into the middle of it but I didn’t want to get too far away from my car. I was just getting ready to leave when it started up again with these vibrant colors so I took one more short movie.

Best Viewing: Peacock Meadow, Golden Gate Park. I’m sorry that if you come to SF you won’t be able to see this exciting forest but at least I was able to give you a taste of what it looked like.

As we make our way through the first week of the A to Z Challenge I am more and more amazed by all the interesting themes other folks have chosen. I hope I am entertaining you with mine. See you tomorrow for the letter “F.”

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A to Z – 2023 – D is for Day for Night

Posted on April 5, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

My theme for the A to Z is a San Francisco experience called “Illuminate SF.” Although it has been going on for 10 years now, I just heard about it recently and unfortunately not in time to see the “Festival of Light” that runs from November to January. There are many installations that have become permanent parts of the city and those are the ones that I’m using for this year’s challenge.

Today we have Day for Night which is the light show that goes on every night from the top of the Salesforce Building, labeled the “tallest public art installation in the country.” You may remember that I spoke about the Salesforce Building in 2020 when I went through San Francisco for my A to Z.

During the day the tower just looks like another tall building but as evening draws closer, you can see the lights beginning to come on.

Jim Campbell is the designer of this large movie screen and it was unveiled in 2018. There are 11,000 lights and video screens that broadcast daily scenes of life as recorded by multiple cameras spread throughout the city. Click here to see real-time videos from some of those cameras.


In the times that I have been doing the research for this project I have not seen the multicolored displays that the website shows. The view above is the one I’ve seen, which reminds me of the waves in the Pacific Ocean. To be honest though, I haven’t been in SF when there are any big holidays or special days. The designer said it was not going to be used as a giant billboard for advertisements and I haven’t seen any of that either.

Best View: Almost anywhere in the city, just look up.

Four down, 22 to go! See you tomorrow with a fun one.

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A to Z – 2023 – C is for Caruso’s Dream

Posted on April 4, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I am taking us through San Francisco again, this time looking for the light installations that are part of Illuminate SF which celebrated its 10th year this year. Honestly, I must live under a rock because I never heard of it before. While there is a specific time for the light festival, November to January, which I missed, there are some that have become permanent fixtures and I was able to put together my A to Z. Up next is Caruso’s Dream.

This was one of the most interesting of the light fixtures that I saw. Caruso’s Dream is a set of 13 “pianos” that are created from materials like vintage chicken-wire, glass and pilings from the old Transbay Terminal. It was designed by Brian Goggin and Dorka Keehn in 2014. It dangles from a residential high rise in the South of Market area and was inspired by the time Enrico Caruso was awakened by the great earthquake of 1906. He didn’t know if he was awake or dreaming when he went to the window and saw what was going on. I can imagine seeing things falling from the sky and flying around with all the shaking. Good thing these are held up with some pretty strong steel bars.

When I first pulled up I was afraid that they were all going to be dark but suddenly they started lighting up. I didn’t walk underneath it then, preferring to get my view from across the street. I was lucky enough to find a parking spot right away. You can see the blue hood of my car. Since I was alone this trip, I didn’t want to get too far away from it.

It was still pretty early in the evening when I saw it. I wanted to see if it was more impressive if it was darker out so I went back with my husband a few nights ago and was able to stand under it. I think it’s better when viewed from across the street to be honest.

Apparently if you turn the radio to 90.9 FM you can hear Caruso’s music but I was concentrating on getting pictures and didn’t think to set my radio up to that station. I could only hear the street traffic. Opera is not really my thing anyway.

Best Viewing: 55 Ninth Street. Across the street is better as far as I’m concerned but walking under it was okay too.

Okay we’re moving right along here. I am actually pretty set up for the whole A to Z Challenge this year, much more than in the past. I have all but one letter done!

Note to those reading on Blogger — I’m going to try and get over there as quick as I can to reduce the size of the photos which seem to increase as they move from WP to Blogger. Sorry if you are seeing them before I make the switch!

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A to Z – 2023 – B is for Bayview Rise

Posted on April 3, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Happy Monday folks. I am blogging this year about a San Francisco experience called “Illuminate SF” which is “a celebration of the ability of light art to transform our most familiar spaces and an opportunity to turn the long nights of winter into an inspiring time to visit San Francisco” according to their website. While I missed the chance to see the temporary installations that went from November 9 through the end of January, I was able to get enough of the permanent ones to fill my A to Z. Today we look at Bayview Rise.

“Bayview Rise” is an illuminated mural on the grain elevator and silos near Pier 92. It is on the north entry to the Bayview District which has typically not been a great part of town. My daughter was the driver on this trip and I didn’t want to hang around the area too long.

It was designed by Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan in 2014 and is supposed to be about the “interaction of color and light with imagery about and for the community.” It is 187 feet tall and visible from the freeways and hillsides. I can see it when we take the train into San Francisco to see the Giants at Oracle Park.

According to the description on the Illuminate SF website the lights are supposed to shift causing parts of the mural to glow and other parts to remain in darkness, “making images appear to float in and out of the scene.” Honestly, I stood there for several minutes taking pictures and didn’t see any changes in the lights.

Hubby took me in to get another shot of it during the day. I like this better than the illuminated one. What do you think? Also, didn’t connect until I was writing this that “B” is for balloons too!

This was one of the least impressive, to me, of the different exhibits. I had wanted to write about the Bay Bridge lights but because they are too expensive to keep up, they were turned off. There is talk of fundraising to get them back and expand them so maybe in a few years they will again be part of Illuminate SF.

Best viewing of the Bayview Rise: Look east on Interstate 280 between Cesar Chavez and Mariposa Exits. For an up-close experience, check it out from Bayview Gateway Park between Third and Illinois on the south side of Islas Creek.

Day two done. We have a long way to go. I am going to try and visit as many new folks doing the A to Z Challenge as I can. You should too!

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A to Z – 2023 – A is for Archipelago

Posted on April 1, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Well here we are off to another April Blogging from A to Z Challenge. In case you didn’t catch my theme post, I am blogging this year about a San Francisco experience called “Illuminate SF” which, according to the website, is “a celebration of the ability of light art to transform our most familiar spaces and an opportunity to turn the long nights of winter into an inspiring time to visit San Francisco.” This was it’s 10th year and I don’t know where I’ve been but I hadn’t heard about it before, even when I did the A to Z of SF in 2020.

Unfortunately I read about it a little too late to catch the actual yearly “Festival of Lights” which ran from November 9 to the end of January and therefore missed some of the temporary installations but fortunately there are some that have become permanent fixtures around the town so I am doing my best to capture them. Are you ready for a light show? I would caution that if you are susceptible to seizures, you may have to be careful when watching some of the videos. – LOL

“Archipelago” is our first stop. It is located in the courtyard near San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Room. It was designed by Anna Valentine Murch and opened in 2014. It is supposed to depict the “concept of a river as a metaphor for life.”

I made two trips for this one since I went too early in the evening the first time and didn’t get the full effect. The lights were just beginning to come on and I did not see the 6-foot tall sculpture. I was a little bummed so I decided to try and go again.

When I went the second time it was later in the evening and I did see the sculpture (which was right in front of me!) Also got some shots that show the planters with the lights in full mode.

An archipelago is a group of islands and I can get that sense with these planters but I’m not so sure about the “river as a metaphor of life” concept. Still it was kind of a neat area.

Perhaps I didn’t see the 6-foot tall sculpture the first time because it was right near one of the Hearts of San Francisco that I wrote about in 2020 and I was so excited to see that, I passed right by the sculpture. In fact, if you look closely at the left corner of the picture of the sculpture you can see the tip of the heart in the background.

Best Viewing: Anytime after dark in the outdoor plaza that connects the old and new buildings of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, SF. You don’t have to get sick or have an emergency to see it, just find parking in the garage or anywhere across the street – LOL. Actually, the second time I went it was about 9:15 PM and the circular driveway in front of the ER was empty so I just parked there for a minute and ran to get my shots.

Okay, one done! Hope I’m not being too pedantic when I’m describing my antics around the city. (That was for Linda G. Hill’s SoCS, bonus points for using “antic” and “pedantic.”) Not sure I’ll be able to keep up with all of the SoCS’s but thought I’d throw that one in for now. Tomorrow is Sunday so you know we have a break but I’ll be back on Monday with the letter “B.” Any guesses?

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