San Francisco's rich history in art continues to weave into the present fabric. The Robert B. Howard's sculpture Whales, first imagined in 1939, found a new berth at City College of San Francisco's Ocean Campus. Heralded as a significant piece of the city's artistic past, the freshly restored sculpture now welcomes students and faculty at the new Student Success Center, located squarely at Ocean Avenue and Frida Kahlo Way.
Having had its share of adventures, including its original place of honor at the Golden Gate International Exposition and later a stint near the Steinhart Aquarium, the sculpture hibernated in the early 2000s. Now, tipping the scales at a massive 32,000 pounds and measuring a span of 10 feet high by 14 feet wide, Whales reemerges from its extended slumber, installed in a space filled with learners preparing to shape the future, as the San Francisco Arts Commission reports.
The work depicts two orcas, enmeshed in an eternal aquatic dance above a Court of the Whales, which once featured companion pieces by Cecilia Bancroft Graham and a mural by Jane Berlandina. Director of Cultural Affairs, Ralph Remington, extolled the connective nature of the piece, saying via the San Francisco Arts Commission news release, "The iconic Whales sculpture is a bridge between San Francisco’s past and present." He underscored its symbolic representation of "endurance, strength, and knowledge" crucial for the college community.
The final act of restoration and reinstallation, accruing a budget of around $500,000, was a collaboration between various agencies, including ARG Conservation Services and Kitchell Construction Management. Employing the sculpture has been intricately integrated into the architectural design by Gensler Architects, further enriching City College's cache of historic artworks, including pieces by Dudley C. Carter and Herman Volz. According to the San Francisco Arts Commission, the arrival of Diego Rivera's Pan American Unity mural is also on the horizon.
