29 Oct Wanderings: Art at Every Turn
In 2024, San Francisco needed a jump start. Public complaints about the city hit an all-time high, and its national reputation hit a record low. That’s when the founders of the Sijbrandij Foundation and Building 180 came up with the idea to create a trail of world-class art that would revitalize the city and attract tourists and locals. They called their initiative Big Art Loop. It’s a 34-mile trail of colossal artworks staged to elicit surprise and wonder intended to turn San Francisco into an open-air gallery of epic proportions.
Upcycled pizza pans are the scales on Atabey’s Treasure by NiNo Alicea. Photo: Masaki Omori
Be the “I” in KiND by artist Reuben Rude with fabricators Gregory Blum and Oliver Wilson. Photo: @iromo
Shannon Riley, CEO of Building 180, is the curatorial partner of Big Art Loop; her company hosts the call for art, works with fellow agencies, and handles logistics. Of the project’s inception, she recalls, “We asked ourselves how we could get people out to explore this insanely beautiful city.” She says it’s common for people to stick to their own neighborhoods, but since the Big Art Loop initiative began, even she has been to places she’d never been before.
The Big Art Loop takes existing large-scale pieces out from warehouses and stations them in the limelight for all to enjoy, free of charge. To date, more than 25 sculptures have been installed thanks to sponsors such as the Sijbrandij Foundation, which provided initial seed funding. By the end of 2026, more than 40 sculptures will grace the city. The goal is to have 100 installations by the end of 2028, fulfilling the mission of becoming “the world’s largest urban sculpture trail.”
After the first eight pieces were installed in September 2025, the initiative was formally announced. Under the program, artists get paid to display their works for a year. After the first set is dismantled, another series of works will take their place. “Creativity has taken bold new forms here,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said during the public inauguration, “and it is claiming the streets.”
No official data has been cited on the impact of the works on San Francisco’s economy. Still, observers agree the sculptures are bringing joy and community. Citizens are being exposed to local, international, established, and emerging artists. “We want people to see San Francisco through fresh eyes,” says Aliza Marks, CEO of Big Art Loop, adding that she hopes the trail becomes a lasting cultural institution and a template for other cities.
Coralee by Dana Albany is made of recycled glass bottles with help from children in England. Photo: Arianna Cunha
To everyone’s delight, Naga, an imposing 25 feet tall, lights up and snorts bubbles. Photo: Masaki Omori
Five routes make up the walking and cycling path: North City, South City, Portside, Golden Gate Park, and Oceanside. The last three have the most to see and experience. The Portside segment, at seven and a half miles, features more than 14 sculptures over 10 feet tall spread along the waterfront.
At Portside, the Embarcadero Promenade leads visitors along Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, the Ferry Building, and Oracle Park, where Giants baseball fans converge. Portside is where you’ll find Coralee, an 18-foot-long mermaid by San Franciscan Dana Albany. Welded from scrap metal and recycled glass bottles, Coralee has been a favorite since it debuted in fall 2025. At its unveiling, Albany said she was excited to see how the sculpture helped transform the waterfront.
Michael Martin, executive director at the Port of San Francisco, notes that the trail “invites people to slow down, take in something inspiring.” He calls these interactions “moments of discovery and connection.”
Visitors can spend an entire day climbing, spinning, and jumping onto these gargantuan masterpieces. No one can resist taking a photo inside Got Framed by NiNo Alicea, which earlier opened at Burning Man. The 12-foot-tall gold frame sits at the tip of Pier 7, a well-known skateboarding sanctuary for elite boarders. These athletes can jump through the frame and roll along the ledge, becoming part of the artwork itself. According to Marks, the artist reinforced the steel base so boarders could perform tricks. “We have built the art to interact with environments,” she says.
On Valentine’s Day weekend 2026, Big Art Loop hosted a free professional portrait session inside the giant photo frame, and the organization staged over 50 “activations” highlighting the sculptures. In August, it partnered with San Francisco Bike to lead a public ride along Portside, stopping at several sculptures. Big Art Loop assembled a beach cleanup party, an homage to Oleg Lobykin’s Unsafe to Swim, a shark fin of discarded aluminum cans. When Launch Intention, a 50-foot-long paper airplane of steel, was unveiled at the Marina Green waterfront park, the organization invited folks to “write an intention, fold a plane, and launch together” as a way of honoring Griffin Loop’s work.
Mathias Gmachl’s Echoes is a one-year-old blue whale calf made to scale. Photo: Masaki Omori
Got Framed, by NiNo Alicea, debuted at Burning Man. Photo: Collin Love
Everyone from locals taking the ferry to tourists seeing San Francisco for the first time loves posing with sculptures such as Mathias Gmachl’s 55-foot-long blue whale made of colorful metal ribbons, Echoes – A Voice from Uncharted Waters, which illuminates at dusk and emits whale calls.
“People cannot help but pause to look at them out of curiosity,” says Eric Young, director of communications at the Port of San Francisco. “They are becoming part of the landscape.” He adds, “When commuters come into the city, they automatically expect to see them as markers along their drive.”
To expand your art weekend, stay at 1 Hotel, steps from the Ferry Building, midway on the Portside route. The interior’s biophilic design emphasizes natural materials and layers of greenery, making guests feel as if they’re ensconced in a forest. The eco-chic luxury property recycles barn wood for floors and salvaged redwood for corridors. Potted trees and a moss wall behind the reservation counter begin the journey at check-in.
Inside the hotel, the restaurant and bar Terrene features ceiling-mounted flora that drape down amid globe pendant lights. The menu boasts farm-to-table, new American dishes such as smoked chicken topped with pickled red onion and the classic New York strip steak.
Another ambiance-rich dining go-to is Fog Harbor Fish House at Pier 39. Sit down to views of Alcatraz Island with sea lions in the distance. Fog Harbor, a 20-year institution, boasts signature items such as an entire roasted Dungeness crab, made-from-scratch clam chowder, and blue cheese garlic bread.
Though there are no luxury hotels within walking distance of Golden Gate Park and Oceanside, it’s a 20-minute drive to Portside, where you can find basic motels and house rentals online. At the historic park, tackle the one-and-a-half-mile Golden Mile. Closed to cars, the pedestrian roadway is set for a never-ending party. The promenade is lined with street murals painted on the asphalt. Musicians regularly jam, playing originals and cover tunes. Full-scale pianos stationed on the pathway invite the public to play.
Golden Gate Park provides a lush green backdrop for Big Art Loop installations, along with many pieces from other arts organizations. Stealing oohs and aahs is Naga, a sea serpent glistening with 5,000 hand-forged aluminum scales. Created by artists Cjay Roughgarden, Stephanie Shipman, and Jacquelyn Scott, the serpent snorts bubbles from its snout and lights up with purple and green LEDs at night. Like other pieces, award-winning Naga first appeared at Burning Man.
Oleg Lobykin’s Unsafe to Swim was hand-assembled with discarded aluminum cans. Photo: @iromo
Launch Intention is just one of Griffin Loop’s steel “paper” airplanes on public display around the country. Photo: @iromo
While in Golden Gate Park, have lunch at de Young Café inside the de Young Museum. For a quick pick-me-up, California Kahve, next to the antique carousel, purveys single-origin coffees and treats. Flywheel Coffee Roasters sells small-batch brews from the park kiosk.
Meanwhile, the Oceanside trail presents a vastly different experience. A key section is Sunset Dunes, San Francisco’s newest city park adjacent to the waves. Explore two miles of this pedestrian pathway to encounter Big Art Loop icons.
Rockspinner is a 10-foot-high chiseled granite boulder by Zackary Coffin. Even children can rotate this 10-ton monolith effortlessly. “One of my favorite stories is about the nearby preschool,” says Marks. “When the kids feel dysregulated, teachers bring them to Rockspinner, and they push on it; it helps them re-center. This becomes one of their regular practices.”
The lobby at 1 Hotel displays an organic moss wall.
“Artwork like this creates memorable moments for people,” says Lucas Lux, president of the Friends of Sunset Dunes. “Without it, these moments wouldn’t happen.” Oceanside touches the Sunset, one of the city’s quietest residential neighborhoods. It is sprinkled with hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and eateries. For ocean views, visit Beach Chalet, a brewery and restaurant, which sits inside a Spanish Colonial Revival building from 1925, with frescoes depicting early SF life. The second-floor establishment focuses on seafood and steak, while its downstairs sister café, the Park Chalet, serves burgers and tacos. Lux recommends Andytown Coffee Roasters, Black Bird Bookstore & Café, and Maillards for “the world’s best smashburger.”
Numerous grassroots events surround Big Art Loop works. Devotees are launching their own art tours. Runners congregate at certain sculptures to start races. Wannabe artists are coming out to sketch these giants. Neighborhood pride swells for treasures such as Octavius, a 30-foot-long orange and purple octopus by Peter Hazel, which lights up and serves as a play structure children cannot get enough of.
The Panoramic Waterfront Suite at 1 Hotel impresses with views of the Golden Gate. Photos courtesy of 1 Hotel
“I love seeing all the creative ways people are using the parks because of these sculptures,” says Tamara Aparton, deputy director of communications at San Francisco Rec and Parks. “I will tell people to meet me by the crows [an installation by Jack Champion called An Attempted Murder].”
Big Art Loop makes loaning major sculptures easy by covering the cost of shipping, installation, and maintenance. Getting a piece approved and installed, however, is complex. According to Riley, it involves community support and funding, cooperation from landowners, location availability, and more. And when the public pleads for an artwork to stay longer, Big Art Loop jumps through more hoops to make it happen.
Roasted Dungeness crab, a signature treat at Fog Harper Fish House. Photo courtesy of Fog Harbor Fish House
Such was the case with R-Evolution, a 45-foot nude woman of steel mesh. Its permit was extended twice. Even so, Marco Cochrane’s piece was controversial; people either loved or hated it. “Public art can evoke strong reactions,” says Marks. “Most of the response to the work has been overwhelmingly positive.”
As people rush to experience the art, temporary works are becoming global celebrities, saturating social media platforms. “San Francisco is having its renaissance moment,” says Riley. “And the Big Art Loop is a big part of that renaissance.”
If you go…
Art Map & Details
BigArtLoop.org
Attractions
Pier 39
415.705.5500; pier39.com
Ferry Building
415.983.8030; ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
Fisherman’s Wharf
415.673.3530; fishermanswharf.org
Golden Gate Park
415.831.2700; sfrecpark.org
Marina Green
415.831.2700; sfrecpark.org
Oracle Park
415.972.2000; mlb.com
Sunset Dunes
415.831.2700; sfrecpark.org
Lodging
1 Hotel
415.278.3700; 1hotels.com
Food/Beverages
Andytown Coffee Roasters
415.753.9775; andytownsf.com
Beach Chalet
415.386.8439; beachchalet.com
Black Bird Bookstore & Café
415.742.5203; blackbirdsf.com
California Kahve
415.254.5388; californiakahve.com
de Young Café
415.750.2613; famsf.org
Flywheel Coffee Roasters
415.682.4023; flywheelcoffee.com
Fog Harbor Fish House
415.421.2442; fogharbor.com
Maillards
Park Chalet
415.386.8439; parkchalet.com
Terrene Restaurant & Bar
415.278.3777; 1hotels.com
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