by on February 26, 2024
I met one of my favorite street artists, Jeremy Novy in Fulton Plaza as he was working on a gigantic koi mural between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum in collaboration with Illuminate.
I am a fan of his signature koi artwork.
According to him, in Asian culture, koi symbolize the lessons and trials people often encounter in life.
And as koi can swim against the current and travel upstream, they represent resilience.
His koi mural is fitting to the Tenderloin community’s resilience in their fights to make their area, close to Fulton Plaza, a better place to live, work, and raise children.
The mural which is scheduled to be finished by February 27 will consist of 2 giant koi, each ranging from 65-70 feet in length circling Pioneer Monument.
Later this spring, a programmable LED installation by artist Josh Huber will be hung above the plaza on the roofs of the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum.
In UN Plaza across the street, nine 4.5-5 feet high interactive LED shrub sculptures dazzle the plaza every night for up to 2 years according to the SF Recreation and Parks Department.
The shrubs were formerly part of San Francisco artist, Charles Gadeken’s winter light installation, Entwined Meadow in Golden Gate Park’s Peacock Meadow from 2020-2023.
Each shrub has a QR code that allows visitors to use their smartphones to control and play with the LED color schemes.
As I was taking pictures of the shrubs, a person next to me was trippy.
He wandered around like “Alice in Wonderland” and got way too affectionate with the shrubs.
Two Park Rangers who were in UN Plaza noticed and got him out of the installation area.
None of the shrubs has been vandalized so far according to the Park Rangers.
Out of curiosity, I asked and learned from a very knowledgeable drug sommelier next to the Asian Art Museum that certain substances that can be conveniently purchased around the Asian Art Museum can enhance the experience of viewing the LED shrubs that constantly change color combinations.
The installation is the newest addition to the UN Plaza’s skateboarding park.
As part of the City and community agencies’ ongoing efforts to revitalize the troubled Civic Center area, a free concert series called Civic Center Soundtrack has been established.
The diverse musical performances are held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in Fulton Plaza from noon to 3:00 p.m. from February to August.
During my walk around the Civic Center area, I also saw so many surveillance cameras hanging like disco balls.
Surveillance cameras in UN Plaza
Surveillance cameras in UN Plaza
Surveillance cameras on McAllister and Hyde Streets
Surveillance cameras on UC Law SF’s new student housing
The surveillance cameras look like part of the “installations” in transforming the troubled Civic Center area into a clean, vibrant, and safe public space for everyone.
The 2-million dollar revitalization efforts of the Civic Center area have shown marginal success so far.
The City and the community have to “Pump Up The Jam” and be as resilient as koi.
