Saturday afternoon, between the bus shelter and the Veterans Building on the corner of McAllister and Van Ness, a group of young people were digging up a public lawn...
...and installing "native plants" along with empty squares to create a walkable garden.
It turned out to be an ecological art project called "Mission Greenbelt Campaign Headquarters" (click here for more details)...
...created by Amber Hasselbring (click here for her "art-eco" homepage), the blonde above on the left.
She was accompanied by a dozen or so volunteers putting donated plants into the ground, and they were being fed for their labors. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.
When I asked them if it had been a problem getting permission for digging up a sacred War Memorial Performing Arts Center lawn, they professed amazement at how smoothly the whole process had gone with the Art commissioners.
Inside the Art Commission gallery in the Veterans Building, there is an exhibition and instructions on how to create an urban garden on your own sidewalk...
...along with a few do's and don'ts (click here for the site).
The garden is unfortunately "temporary art," and is scheduled to be taken out and presumably replaced by the lawn on December 22nd. If you're in the Civic Center before then, check it out.
Meg Schiffler of the San Francisco Art Commission Gallery sent along the following correction/amplification:
ReplyDelete"We had to ask permission at a meeting of the Board of Trustees for the War Memorial complex (Opera and Veteran's buildings), not the Arts Commission, in order to dig up the lawn. We also had to harness support from building management and the ground's keepers. I was also surprised how smooth the process went and we are grateful for their support."
Mike - great article (as always). I might do something on this for my blog and link back to you. IS that OK? I will, of course, give the proper credit/attribution where it's due.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Dear nancy: That's what this whole internet thingie is about, incestuous linking. You would do me a great honor by doing so.
ReplyDelete