The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation (SFGHF)’s 19th annual Hearts in San Francisco project is coming to the end of its 2023 run. This is your last weekend to see the Core Series at the Ferry Building, which consists of 6 large hearts, 8 tabletop hearts, and 10 mini hearts. They’ll come down on Tuesday, February 28th.
This year’s exhibition celebrates the 150th anniversary of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) with 35 unique heart sculptures created by a diverse array of local artists. All 35 hearts will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the SF General Hospital Foundation.
2023’s sculptures range from large-scale artists such as Charles Gadeken (whom you may know from Golden Gate Park’s Entwined enchanted meadow) to an ICU nurse and elementary school students. “[This year’s artists] include professional and amateur artists working across a variety of mediums, all coming together to showcase the diversity, resiliency, and vibrancy of the San Francisco Bay Area community,” said Kim Meredith, CEO of SFGHF.
ZSFIG ICU nurse Nora King hopes to bring out art’s therapeutic qualities in her piece titled Open Heart, which features an anatomical heart design surrounded by bright rainbow colors. “After spending the past two-plus years taking care of Covid patients in the ICU, I feel like there is some calm and brightness in the air after the storm of this pandemic,” she said.
After nearly 2 decades, Hearts in San Francisco has become one of the most widely recognized public art projects in the country. Since 2004, over $32 million in proceeds has gone to the Foundation to benefit Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The famous project is responsible for many of the permanent heart sculptures around the city, which you can explore with this interactive map.
Make sure to catch Hearts in San Francisco on display at the Ferry Building through February 28, 2023.