Art On Coffee High

Posted on May 13, 2009 
Filed Under Art, Design, SOMA

When you’re a city mouse you know, city dwellers greatly benefit from a handful of peaceful moments in the fresh air, near green living things once in a while. One of the major perks of living here is the proximity of Golden Gate Park and an abundance of other parks and green spaces, plus easy access to nature in the raw form. But when you’re in downtown SF you have to work a little harder for your sunshine daydreams. You gotta know the spots.

The newest place to find your inner peace is five stories above Yerba Buena Gardens. Sunday, May 10th, SFMOMA unveiled the Rooftop Garden, the new home to a collection of large-scale sculptures, and featuring a Bluebottle Coffee outpost—rejoice!

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Award-winning San Francisco-based Jensen Architects won the project after a 2006 invitational competition; construction of a multifunctional space for year-round use began in early 2008. The result is, as Mark Jensen describes it, “a gallery without a ceiling.” A glass-enclosed bridge creates a seamless transition for guests to move from the fifth floor into a pavilion dividing two open-air spaces. A panoramic window across the back of the galleries fills the museum with light and offers an elevated vista of the garden.

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The sculpture collection represents a diverse range of materials, techniques, and styles—abstract and figurative. It is comprised of well-known, rarely seen, and recently acquired works spanning the last five decades by artists working locally, nationally and internationally—Robert Arneson, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Mario Merz, and Henry Moore, to name a few. The sculptures entice guests to move around and between them, and to take in the changing layers of color, texture, shadow, and reflection in the garden as a whole.

Gingko leaves flutter, flashing spring green in the sun. The beginning of a lush landscape reaches up from planters along the lava-stone walls that enclose the space, framing the sky and sections of the surrounding cityscape. Over time, the grey walls themselves promise to take on the green shade of lichen. The noise and bustle of the city below don’t exist here—it’s a true urban oasis.

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At least I can imagine it is, when it’s not opening day and free to all comers. I’m going to get an SFMOMA membership so I can make the rooftop garden my exclusive coffee joint and place for crossword puzzles. This is gonna be one caffeinated, cultured, and stress-free city mouse.

Beginning Thursday, May 14th, Bluebottle is serving up their cult-worthy organic coffee daily, except Wednesday, 11-5, staying open till 8 Thursdays. “Thursdays at SFMOMA” means your visit is half-price 6-8:45, first Tuesdays are always free. SFMOMA is located at 151 Third Street (between Mission & Howard), in San Francisco. 415.357.4000.

—Sara

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Comments

One Response to “Art On Coffee High”

  1. SheRa McGyver on May 18th, 2009 12:47 pm

    FOUND IT!

    in the garden as a whole.
    Gingko leaves flutter
    flashing spring green in the sun

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