San Francisco comes to life after sunset with dozens of eco-friendly light installations.
Illuminate SF is coming to the end of its eighth annual Festival of Lights, and they certainly did not disappoint this year. With over 40 installations from 30 artists across 17 neighborhoods, there’s no shortage of opportunities to enjoy these luminous, eco-friendly art installations. Lucky for us, 34 of these sculptures are permanent fixtures in the city. But be sure to check out the temporary ones before they’re gone!
1. Entwined (temporary, ending February 29th with possible extension)
This whimsical wonderland from local artist Charles Gadeken features sculptural trees between 12 and 20 feet tall, as well as luminous LED recreations of nature. Effects include raindrops on the pavement, lighting and thunderstorms, wind blowing tall grass and flowers, and ripples on a pond. It will be in place at least through the end of February, so experience this free exhibition any day from sunset to 9:45pm.
Location: Peacock Meadow, 240 John F Kennedy Dr, San Francisco, CA 94117
2. SkyStar Observation Wheel (temporary, closed to passengers)
SkyStar installed this 150-foot tall observation wheel in honor of Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary. It is currently closed to passengers, but the vibrant, color-changing lights make it just as spectacular from the ground.
Location: Golden Gate Park Music Concourse, 1 Bowl Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118
3. The Ladder / Sun or Moon (permanent)
Ivan Navarro’s work finds beauty and imagination in everyday architectural elements. The Ladder (Sun or Moon) is a newly permanent fixture on Market Street that reminds us to look for conceptual beauty all around us.
Location: 1066 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
4. Revival / Bandshell (permanent)
The Spreckels Temple of Music Bandshell in Golden Gate Park was already impressive, but it got a facelift this year thanks to Illuminate SF. The state-of-the-art sound systems, theatrical color-changing lighting, and brand new stage are best viewed after sunset when the revived bandshell glows brightest.
Location: Golden Gate Park Music Concourse, 1 Bowl Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118
5. Orion (permanent)
Image: Facebook / San Francisco International Airport
Artist Spencer Finch has brought new life to SFO’s Terminal 1 with a celestial new installation. Orion features the seven major stars of the Orion constellation with careful scientific accuracy. The distance from each star to the floor correlates with its distance to the earth, and each of the 32 LED lamps is designed to represent that star’s spectral emission.
Location: San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1, San Francisco, CA 94128