Flowers power the night this summer as the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park becomes the canvas for an elegant light art installation that honors San Francisco’s city-wide celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love. Developed in partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks by Illuminate, the nonprofit arts group behind The Bay Lights, and Obscura Digital, a world-renowned creative studio specializing in large scale light-based art, the installation uses gobo projectors to transform the all-white landmark with a series of exquisitely illuminated scenes inspired by the rare tropical flowers within and the legacy of San Francisco’s flower children.
“The Summer of Love was always about an energy—a spark—bringing love and light at a time when the world needed it,” says Ben Davis, Director of Illuminate. “We are bringing that light back to where it all began in Golden Gate Park fifty years later with an electrifying, contemporary tribute.”
“Obscura has done projections on iconic buildings around the world, and we’re thrilled to be using Golden Gate Park’s architectural crown jewel as our latest canvas, here in our hometown,” said Chris Lejeune, CEO of Obscura Digital.
The nightly spectacle of spinning flower mandalas, animated butterflies, and much more debuted on the first full night of summer, June 21, following a free concert featuring legendary 60s musicians such as the surviving members of the Grateful Dead, as well as Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and more. The free public installation is now on view nightly from sundown until midnight through October 21.
“We are excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love with this innovative installation,” says SF Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg, “The Conservatory of Flowers is the perfect home for this celebration of flower power.”
Drew Becher, CEO of the Parks Alliance, adds, “The Conservatory of Flowers is an iconic institution and we are thrilled it will join the other San Francisco landmarks that glow proudly to celebrate our city’s rich history.”
More information is available at conservatoryofflowers.org
Flower Piano Brings Music Back to the San Francisco Botanical Garden
Flower Piano is back for its third year, celebrating music, nature, and creativity. In collaboration with Sunset Piano (http://sunsetpiano.com/), the San Francisco Botanical Garden will once again be filled with music, for you and by you.
Flower Piano is a special 12-day long community event from July 13–24 only, where 12 pianos are placed at dramatic, picturesque locations throughout the Garden’s 55 acres for anyone to play. All 12 pianos will be available for the public to play between 9 am and 6 pm each day, except during performances. Flower Piano is free following regular admission to the Garden (free for members and San Francisco residents with proof of residency, $8 for non-resident adults).
In addition, featured performances by over 50 renowned local and international musicians as well as special programming take place at select times on the weekends, and on some weekdays. See http://sunsetpiano.com/flowerpiano/ for the complete schedule.
New this year will be NightGarden Piano, a special evening event on Saturday, July 22 from 7:30–10:30pm. Beautifully lit pathways will guide visitors to pianos aglow with performances by Sunset Piano all-stars and open pianos to play. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Tickets are $40 each (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2983976), and all proceeds will go to help fund Flower Piano.
There will also be a ticketed screening of the documentary film Twelve Pianos, followed by a Q&A with Dean Mermell and Mauro ffortissimo, co-directors of Sunset Piano, on Saturday, July 15, at 7 pm, with proceeds benefiting Flower Piano as well. Tickets for that event are just $12 (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2983991).
‘Terra the Titan’ Chose the Summer of Love Anniversary to Bloom
Corpse flowers (Titan arum) usually only bloom for a few days every decade or so. “Terra the Titan” at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers chose this Summer of Love 50th anniversary time for her dramatic and stinky unfurling. Former owner Sidney Price, who used to have Terra in the bathroom of his Mission apartment before donating her to the conservatory, is very proud of her success.
The Titan arum is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world—typically 6 to 8 feet tall. An unbranched inflorescence is a structure composed of many individual flowers. Hundreds of small flowers line the base of the spadix and are protected by a ruffled modified leaf called a spathe. Female flowers open a day before the male flowers, which is how the plant avoids self-pollination. Scarlet fruits can develop from the pollinated female flowers. Fingers are crossed that this will happen at the conservatory, since Terra was carefully hand-pollinated.
When in bloom, the plant emits a foul odor of rotting animal flesh, thus the common name of corpse flower. It does this in order to attract pollinators, such as carrion beetles and flies. As it releases the stench during the earliest bloom phase, part of the plant actually heats up, making it look as though it is blowing smoke! Members of our team could see this effect when the light conditions were right in the conservatory.
The plant produces the largest leaf in the world reaching up to 20 feet high. The 10 and 15-foot leaves in the same pot as Terra have shaded a portion of the conservatory’s Potted Plants Gallery for the last year.
Regarding the plant’s mix of male and female flowers, we wondered how we could best describe Terra’s sexuality. A few members of the staff pondered that for a while before confidently replying, “Gender fluid.”
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