Art

Work Begins (and Artists Wanted) for New Bernal Library Mural

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

If you visited Cortland Street this weekend, you might have noticed the new scaffolding that surrounds the Bernal Heights Branch Library. The remuraling of the library is now set to get underway:

The waiting is over! Implementation of Phase One will proceed as follows:

JUNE 8-9 set up scaffolding

JUNE 11 City building maintenance crew will start the three-week job of prepping and painting the exterior walls facing Andover, Cortland, and Moultrie.

FIRST WEEK OF JULY Artist Rueben Rude will commence work on the Moultrie Street mural.

END OF AUGUST Moultrie Street mural will be completed.

JULY AND AUGUST Precita Eyes will install the tile and bronze artwork on the Cortland Street (front) wall. The logistics of creating tiles and bronze foundry work make it impossible to be absolutely precise about the timeline of this installation, but Precita Eyes is doing everything possible to finish by the end of August.

HELPING The Task Force is working with the artists to identify opportunities for the community to participate. If you’re interested in helping out, let us know by email. And we will also be back in touch when we have more information from the artists.

Meanwhile, Neighbor Brandon tells us that the Bernal Library Art Project has issued an invitation for artists to submit proposals for the southern, playground-facing side of the library building:

Seeking proposals for exterior artwork on the playground side of the Bernal Heights Branch Library in San Francisco (500 Cortland Avenue).

The library was constructed in 1939 and is a significant landmark in the community. Interior renovation of the library was completed last year, and all the facilities are new and enlarged. During the last year, new artwork has been designed for the front façade and Moultrie side of the library and will be installed this summer.
The final exterior artwork for the playground wall of the library should be visually compelling and dynamic, preserve the aesthetics of the building, express the values of the community, and enhance the experience of the programs and resources offered by the library.

The new artwork will incorporate themes of social justice, inclusion, Bernal history, represent the whole community and be reflective of the artist’s particular interpretation. The new art will be designed to create a balance between the artwork and the facade—freestanding, mural, or some other combination. It will use media that requires little or no maintenance, such as painted tile, mosaic, or metal work. It will also need to create a dialogue with the artwork on the front and Moultrie side of the library.

For an application email bernallibraryartproject@gmail.com

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

SF Giants Stitchbomber Strikes on Crescent Street

/ Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

It happened yesterday, on Crescent Street.  The yarn-wielding bomber explains how she did it:

I plotted it out on graph paper ahead of time, but because of the major difference btw squares and diamonds, I had to re-adjust on the fly and redo a few spots. Just like with smaller-scale cross stitch, it came to life under my hands and took on a life of its own as I got further along.

Everyone who passed on the street was tickled. One guy said “That looks really cool!” A little girl yelled, “Giants!” And yeah, I realize a major-league baseball logo might seem like a lame public-art project, but in my culturally-diverse neighborhood, this crazy team’s logo really is common ground, guaranteed to make everybody happy.

Best part? I got upstairs and peered out my front window, and voila, two hipsters coming up the street took a picture in front of it. I’m still grinning!

PHOTOS: Fun of a Stitch

Five-Foot Contour Map of Bernal Heights is Handy, Gorgeous

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

As part of the continuing debate about the true height of Bernal Hill, map/data guru Eric Fischer shares this lovely contour map of our hilly neighborhood, with super-grandular 5′ elevation lines. It’s illustrative and informative!

If you zoom all the way in on the full-scale image, it shows the summit of Bernal Hill at 450 feet:

But who cares?! Instead, all I can think about is how to turn this into a massively scaled wall graphic for installation in my living room. WANT!

IMAGE: DataSF via Eric Fischer

Saturday: Music and Prose at Charlie’s Cafe

/ Todd_Lappin

The always-neighborly Charlie from Charlie’s Cafe on the Folsom end of Precita Park has introduced a live-performance series called “Saturdays at Charlie’s”, and the next event is happening tomorrow from 2-4 pm:

Join us on Saturday May 19th from 2~4pm for our monthly, Saturday afternoon of Music and Prose at Charlie’s Cafe at 3202 Folsom Street in Precita Park, San Francisco.

“Saturdays at Charlie’s” is hosted by novelist Peter Orner and Songwriter Paul Griffiths.

This month we are joined by writer Chanan Tigay and songwriter Anthony Bello.

Chanan Tigay is presently a Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley School of Journalism, where he is completing a documentary film for “Frontline” on US-Israeli Relations and Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capability.

Anthony Bello is the winner of the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest 2011 in the Americana category. His EP “Stella” was released April 19, 2011 and is available to buy on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon or in person at Charlie’s.

Granta Magazine calls Bernal Heights writer Peter Orner, “One of the most distinctive voices of his generation.” Orner’s new book, “Love and Shame and Love” is a New York Times Editor’s Choice book.

Paul Griffiths is a San Francisco based Singer/Songwriter.
In January 2012, he was the Songwriter in Residence at Bazaar Café in San Francisco.

Bernal Cutlery Organizes Glamorous Art Show for Kids

/ Todd_Lappin


Here in Bernal Heights, we have many amenities: Spectacular views, glamorous lifestyles, and our very own Japanese-style knife sharpening and cutlery shoppe. Bernal Cutlery, located inside the fabulous marketplace at 331 Cortland, is a true neighborhood gem — and mediafolk outside our immodest little village have started to take note of its awesomeness. (Don’t miss KALW’s recent write up.)

But in true Bernalwood style, the folks at Bernal Cutlery haven’t let all the celebrity go to their heads. Indeed, they’re keeping it real by organizing a cute little contest that will let a few local mini-artists enjoy their own moment in the spotlight:

The 331 Cortland indoor marketplace is hosting a kids art show, and winning artists will get a small prize and have their work hung in the main display window on Cortland Ave. Work not shown in the window will be hung in the ‘hall of honorable mentions’ inside the shop.

We are asking that the kids submit work with the theme:

“Food on The Hill/Food in My Home”

Requirements are:

— Child must be no older then 12

— Work can be of any medium, however be a reasonable size for the window (No bigger then two feet or so.) Children interested in any non-traditional medium should contact Kelly at Bernal Cutlery.

— The deadline is Tuesday, May 22. Submissions should be brought to Bernal Cutlery at 331 Cortland Ave.

Pass this around and get to work!!!!! We can’t wait to see everyone’s lovely art!

Shown above is one early entry in the contest, which Bernalwood has taken the liberty of entitling “Supper with Sutrito Tower.”

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Bernal Cutlery

Giant Gold Nugget Discovered on Bernal Heights Boulevard

/ Todd_Lappin / 32 Comments

The anonymous creative genius who adopted the big rock on Bernal Heights Boulevard that overlooks downtown is always full of surprises. The latest is a sparkling paint job that makes the rock look like a giant gold nugget. Rather awesome.

PS: Does that big rock have a name? If not, it needs one. The Bernalwood Nomenclature Committee will consider any and all suggestions.

PHOTOS: Rick Carlstrom

Seating Options Multiply on Bernal Hill

/ Jobius (Joe Thomas) / 7 Comments

Bernal Chair 2

The east side of Bernal Hill is in full bloom, with abundant native wildflowers, grasses, and invasive radish. This year, there’s also a new addition: at least two wooden chairs have recently sprouted up.

Bernal Chair 1

The two specimens have decidedly different morphologies, but I’m not expert enough to determine if this is due to genetic differences or simply variation due to differing microclimates. (The one in the top picture enjoys some shelter from the wind.) If anyone in Bernal Heights has a background in geo-ergonomics, please feel free to weigh in.

PHOTOS: Jobius

Artist Captures Dog vs. Gopher Confrontation on Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

Neighbor Laurie, who has a wonderful propensity to paint watercolors instead of snapping photos, brings us this terrific image that captures the Wild Kingdom drama of a canine/rodent confrontation on Bernal Hill. She writes:

This dog was staring intently at a hole on the west side of the hill, which was inhabited by some small rodent (a gopher?) that kept poking its head up and then ducking back down again. I was amused by the idea that this large muscular dog was completely powerless to catch the tiny rodent.

Glamorous New Gallery Show for Bernal Artist Colette Crutcher

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Lisa from Inclusions Gallery in Cortland sent Bernalwood a telecommunication about a new show opening tomorrow:

Colette Crutcher is Bernal Heights resident and an incredibly talented working artist. She is known in and around the city for her numerous public works, collaborative and solo (which by chance, I’ve spotted on international blog sites about SF, and have floated thru my Tumblr dash a number of times).

She’s participated in a number of group shows at Inclusions, but this will be her first solo show. I’m really hoping folks will make the connection with her as a working artist in our community, and for her public works.

Colette has done a lot of residential work around the community too. Several neighbors have front doors/walkways or gardens adorned with her beautiful, fanciful mosaics.

“Stairways Doors & Windows: Recent works by Colette Crutcher”
Opens this Saturday April 14, with a reception for the artist, from 6-8 pm
Colette Crutcher will also give a talk and presentation about her many public works (with a Q&A to follow): Thursday April 19th at 7pm.

Inclusions Gallery
627 Cortland Av.

PHOTOS: Top, Colette Crutcher in her studio. Below, “Go Ask Alice,” by Colette Crutcher.  Photos from Inclusions Gallery

Bernal Celebrity Explains Why You Should Absolutely Definitely Buy Tickets to the Next Pop-Up Magazine, TODAY!

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Pop Up Magazine is an innovative event that gives interesting writers, artists, and creative-types the opportunity to tell magazine-style stories in front of a live theater audience. Picture a well-curated collection of TED Talks, but shorter, less formulaic, and vastly more fun.

Pop Up Magazine started at the tiny Brava Theater on 24th Street in 2009, but just three years later it’s already so wildly popular that it’s now held at Davies Symphony Hall. The sixth installment happens on April 25th, 2012, and tickets go on sale today at noon.

Bernal resident and New York Times contributing writer Jon Mooallem will give one of the presentations on the 25th, and he emailed us a nice explanation of what the whole Pop Up Magazine thing is all about:

Pop Up commandments prevent me from saying anything about what I’ll be doing on April 25th, and I’m not allowed to reveal who else is contributing either. I can say that I’ve been part of all five issues so far, and they’ve always been an absolute hoot — enthralling, entertaining, and moving in the most surprising ways. And I’m always stunned and cripplingly intimidated by the cast of talented writers, photographers, filmmakers and radio folks that Pop Up manages to pull together — including, not coincidentally, many Bernal-ites.

At past issues, I’ve talked about the Billy Possum, a short-lived rival to the Teddy Bear; lost wallets that are found decades later; UPS, FedEX and the nature of Buddhism; and a long-ago congressional plan to jumpstart a hippopotamus-ranching industry in America that was infiltrated by spies. I think that’s a pretty good representation of the range of topics overall.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 12 noon. For your convenience, emergency sirens around the city will blare to remind you.

Clever touch, that well-timed Tuesday siren.

Run, don’t walk, to your Internet terminal when tickets go on sale today at noon. Buy your tix immediately, because if the past is any guide, this issue of Pop Up Magazine will sell out very quickly.

Google Maps Renders Bernal Heights in 8-Bit Nintendo-Vision

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

It’s unclear if it was an April Fool’s stunt or just a wild flight of geek fancy, but last weekend Google Maps released a version of its online mapping system that optimizes the  service for display on the 8-bit Nintendo NES videogame console from the 1980s.

As you can see above, the macro-level views make Bernal Heights look like the combat zone of a dragon-slaying game cartridge. Which is neat. But Google Maps went all the way with the whole 8-bit thing, so that even the Street Views are presented in NintendoVision.

For example, here’s a view down Cortland Street (click any image to embiggen):

And here’s a closeup of the Bernal Branch library. Not to stir up  controversy, I think but this looks rather awesome. Why don’t we create an 8-bit faux-digitized version of the current mural, and then paint *that* on the side of the library:

Up on the Hill, Sutrito Tower lurks in the pixels:

Farther east, Bernal Hill looks like a rustic tomorrowland with Bernal Heights Boulevard wrapped around it:

Yet the view downtown lacks a certain… clarity:

Precita Park looks absolutely stunning in 8-bit (click it! click it!). Notice that our old friend Stephen retains his ghostly presence:

While my own house looks really… red:

All in all, it’s an impressive retrofutuistic re-imagining of our glamorous neighborhood, right down to the smallest detail:

Hurry and explore Bernal Heights in Google Maps 8-bit Nintendo-Vision, before Larry Page comes to his senses and makes someone tell someone to get someone to scream at someone to pull the whole thing down.

IMAGES: via Google Maps 8-bit