Artist in Residence
Sculpture Garden
The Sculpture Garden at Recology San Francisco is to our knowledge the only existing park of its kind at a garbage company. This private, three-acre facility contains more than thirty-five sculptures made by former artists-in-residence, with new pieces added each year. All tours of the company include a visit to the garden. Please see the tour information below for details.
History
In 1992 under the direction and design of Susan Leibovitz Steinman, Recology San Francisco built the sculpture garden on a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay. The land functions as a buffer between the transfer station and the adjacent residential neighborhood known as Little Hollywood, and was previously a field of ivy and ice plant. In 1994, the garden was dedicated to the memory of Joseph Johnson, former director of the Solid Waste Management Program of the City & County of San Francisco. Joe was also an artist and an important advocate for the formation of the Artist in Residence Program.
The garden path is made from ground concrete salvaged from the Embarcadero Freeway when it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Bricks that line the path came from a building on Mission Street, and many of the plants in the garden were rescued from the garbage and brought back to life using Recology compost.
History
In 1992 under the direction and design of Susan Leibovitz Steinman, Recology San Francisco built the sculpture garden on a hill overlooking San Francisco Bay. The land functions as a buffer between the transfer station and the adjacent residential neighborhood known as Little Hollywood, and was previously a field of ivy and ice plant. In 1994, the garden was dedicated to the memory of Joseph Johnson, former director of the Solid Waste Management Program of the City & County of San Francisco. Joe was also an artist and an important advocate for the formation of the Artist in Residence Program.
The garden path is made from ground concrete salvaged from the Embarcadero Freeway when it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Bricks that line the path came from a building on Mission Street, and many of the plants in the garden were rescued from the garbage and brought back to life using Recology compost.
Art In the Garden
The garden contains more than thirty-five sculptures, some of which are represented below. For a larger view of a sculpture, please click on the photo:
The garden contains more than thirty-five sculptures, some of which are represented below. For a larger view of a sculpture, please click on the photo:
 "Last Call Bison Head" Andrew Junge 2005 |  "Bicycle Bench" Mike Farruggia 2005 |  "Stanley" Dana Albany 2003 |  "Wave" Tyrome Tripoli 2002 |
 "In the Moment" Rick Carpenter 2002 |  "Wonk" Mike Kendall 2001 |  "Through and Beyond" Jeanine Briggs 2000 |  "Random Abstractions" Linda Raynsford 2000 |
 "Particles Dancing" Linda Raynsford 2000 |  "Cypress Arch" E. Banker White 2000 |  "Car Wreck" Richard Kamler 1999 |  "Bicycle Fence" Susan Crownenwett 1999 |
 "Old Christmas Tree" James Harbison 1998 |  "Kathy-HR" Willy Scholten 1997 |  "Mother and Child" Colette Crutcher 1996 |  "Spirolina" Norma Yorba 1995 |
 "Conehead Chairs" Norma Yorba 1995 |  "Zap Zing" Marilyn Kuksht 1994 |  "Omnicron" Marilyn Kuksht 1994 |  "Cupid's Arrow" Marilyn Kuksht 1994 |
 "Color Wheel" Marilyn Kuksht 1994 |  "Earth Tear" Marta Thoma 1993 |  "River of Hopes and Dreams" Susan L. Steinman 1993 |  "Memory Blocks" Susan L. Steinman 1993 |
 "Ball Gown" Estelle Akamine 1993 |  "Triton" James Growden 1991 |  "Orinoco" James Growden 1991 |  "Eco Bomb" Francisco Perez- Cardona 1991 |
 Untitled William Wareham 1990 |  "Long Arm" William Wareham 1990 |
Wild Apple For Jo
by Susan Leibovitz Steinman, 2009
by Susan Leibovitz Steinman, 2009
An experiment in biodiversity, Wild Apples for Jo is a bed of apple trees grown from seed. The garden installation is dedicated to the memory of Artist in Residence Program founder Jo Hanson and created by Susan Leibovitz Steinman. The installation includes five trees growing in a star shape, mimicking seeds inside an apple. The trees were planted in large oval troughs filled with rose quartz and native grasses, surrounded by five antique French doors rescued from a South San Francisco hotel. Wild Apples for Jo was inspired by Sweet Survival-Urban Apple Orchard II at the Sonoma County Museum in 2006-2008. The original Urban Apple Orchard I was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission in 1994-1995 and sited on Market Street. It was located just a few blocks from Jo's house, and was a favorite destination for her. This is our memorial to Jo Hanson--to her life, her work, and her spirit.
Sculpture Garden Tours (Saturday)
To visit the garden, please join one of our AIR Program tours which are held on the third Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. The tours are geared toward adults interested in knowing more about the AIR Program, especially those interested in applying for an artist residency. Tours also include an overview of the company and recycling operations in San Francisco. You must make a reservation to attend a tour.
The tour takes about two hours and involves stairs, hills, and walking on uneven surfaces. Please let us know ahead of time if someone who cannot walk up stairs and hills, or who is in a wheelchair, will be attending so we can make alternate arrangements. Those attending tours must wear closed-toe, comfortable walking shoes (no sandals). Tours are not held if it is raining. For safety reasons, tours are not appropriate for children under nine years of age. To make a reservation for a Saturday tour, please call (415) 330-1414.
If you can't join our tour, or want to get an idea of what a tour is like,
watch this video on YouTube.
School Tours (Weekdays)
A limited number of school tours of the recycling and garbage facilities are available to 3rd-8th grade classes. To apply for a school tour (including a free bus), contact the San Francisco Department of the Environment School Education Program at (415) 355-3700. They will provide an application form which is due in early September. Tours schedules for the entire school year are determined in September using a lottery system to select participating classes. Tours begin with a short presentation of "how to recycle" in San Francisco. Tours then visit the artist working in the studio, the transfer station pit, and the sculpture garden. Most school groups re-board the bus for a three-mile trip to Recycle Central at Pier 96 to see how paper, bottles, and cans are sorted for recycling.
Sculpture Garden Tours (Saturday)
To visit the garden, please join one of our AIR Program tours which are held on the third Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. The tours are geared toward adults interested in knowing more about the AIR Program, especially those interested in applying for an artist residency. Tours also include an overview of the company and recycling operations in San Francisco. You must make a reservation to attend a tour.
The tour takes about two hours and involves stairs, hills, and walking on uneven surfaces. Please let us know ahead of time if someone who cannot walk up stairs and hills, or who is in a wheelchair, will be attending so we can make alternate arrangements. Those attending tours must wear closed-toe, comfortable walking shoes (no sandals). Tours are not held if it is raining. For safety reasons, tours are not appropriate for children under nine years of age. To make a reservation for a Saturday tour, please call (415) 330-1414.
If you can't join our tour, or want to get an idea of what a tour is like,
watch this video on YouTube.
School Tours (Weekdays)
A limited number of school tours of the recycling and garbage facilities are available to 3rd-8th grade classes. To apply for a school tour (including a free bus), contact the San Francisco Department of the Environment School Education Program at (415) 355-3700. They will provide an application form which is due in early September. Tours schedules for the entire school year are determined in September using a lottery system to select participating classes. Tours begin with a short presentation of "how to recycle" in San Francisco. Tours then visit the artist working in the studio, the transfer station pit, and the sculpture garden. Most school groups re-board the bus for a three-mile trip to Recycle Central at Pier 96 to see how paper, bottles, and cans are sorted for recycling.