Your kicky little shoes walk (or perhaps prance) over it every day. No, not fossilized dog poop — but myriad and fascinating street-level relics of San Francisco history. A huge amount of our provenance can be gleaned by a closer look at manhole covers, pavement stamps, and other utility markings of ages past and current. It’s actually pretty dang cool what’s down there.
Designer Christopher Reynolds of Reynolds-Sebastiani Design put together a kick-ass photo feature for us earlier this year of some of those markers. Now he’ll be leading a virtual tour tonight, Wed/14, of the city’s past as part of walk SF’s “Underfoot: Bay Area Artists Look Down,” an awesome-looking minifestival of street history for buffs and casual glancers alike. Did someone say “sewer ride”? Oh yes, someone did! Full schedule after the jump.
“Underfoot: Bay Area Artists Look Down”
Wednesday Sept 14 – Saturday Sept 17
Workspace Gallery, 2150 Folsom
Free; donations benefit Walk SF
Wednesday Sept 14: Opening night
Drinks, popcorn, and aesthetic appreciation of a whole new realm:
7:00 pm – Art Opening: Workspace Gallery presents 14 Bay Area artists responding to the land below our feet. What do we see and feel about this ground we walk over, tunnel under, drink and eat from, dig up, and bury our dead in?
8:00 pm – “Exploring the Lost Marks of San Francisco’s Unseen Tradesmen,” by Christopher Reynolds of Reynolds-Sebastiani Design. Enjoy a virtual photographic tour of street utility covers and what they reveal about San Francisco history.
Saturday Sept 17: Bike tour and art party
Follow the unseen waterways of the city, then celebrate:
3:00 pm – The Sewer Ride: Join us for an aboveground bike tour of San Francisco’s sewer-stormwater system, with a focus on the Mission District and Mission Creek. The tour will be approximately three hours with stops; it starts and ends at Workspace.
7:00 pm – Gallery Party! Come together on the show’s final night to raise a glass to artists, streets, and waterways as we close out this marvelous show. Special bonus: Live music from delightful Blues/Americana musician Deborah Crooks.
Bring your friends and support local art and advocacy! All events are free. Donations requested to support Walk San Francisco’s work to make city streets better for you and your feet.