Beautification: The Next Projects for the Green

By Jim Warshell

The Hayes Green has proven to be a great place to host temporary art projects. Our experience with The Temple was terrific and we are all looking forward to what will be next. Two HVNA members met with the San Francisco Arts Commission to review the submissions for future projects. With nineteen entries reviewed, there were two unanimous favorites. We hope to be able to have both these projects installed, one on the Green and one on Parcel L adjacent to the Green. Jill Minton from the SF Arts Commission will present the projects at our next meeting and we hope you are as enthusiastic about them as we were.

One project is a triumphal arch made of an aluminum frame and hung with fabric squares similar to Tibetan prayer flags. We hope that this project, emphasizing the “gateway for the dreams and visions of the people in the community” concept will inspire our neighbors and visitors alike. It is a work by Sayed Alavi, a very creative and talented artist with a great history of doing exciting projects in SF, including one at SF MOMA’s garage and several in Emeryville.

The other project draws on local architecture and history in creating a very fun and interactive project on Parcel L. This project from Wowhaus is called “A Historic Miniature Golf Extravaganza” and it features a clubhouse based on a very overlooked landmark in the neighborhood. It will be very interactive, including wiffle-ball golfing. We think it will be exciting, engage our adult and younger community and draw on the history of our community (yes, we had an amusement part here in our early history)!

Join us at the May general meeting to learn about these projects and provide your input.