San Francisco, California is known for a lot of things – the home of Federation Headquarters and the Starfleet Academy, as well as the dot com revolution, but it is also known for having some of the most amazing artwork in the country, and this mosaic staircase really takes the cake!
I remember doing mosaics as a child. The art teacher would give me cutouts from magazines or mini cement tiles and have me go to work creating posters and art pieces that would never get hung up, but shoved in a box labeled “Shira’s artwork” never to be seen again. Seriously, we moved around so much, that all my artwork was inevitably lost, except for the random handmade “Happy Birthday” card my dad used as a bookmark. But that is neither here nor there. Anyway, here is a piece of art that will never get shoved in a box but is permanently on display for everyone to see.
If you are ever in San Francisco, take a trip to the corner of 16th and Moraga and feast your eyes on the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps. While you will also get some spectacular views of the Golden Gate City, you will be able to see a beautiful mosaic that runs up 163 steps. It was inspired by the famous steps of a similar nature in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Mosaic artist Colette Crutcher and Irish ceramist Aileen Barr partnered up with hundreds of volunteers from the community and in two and a half years created this beautiful project, unveiled in 2005.
The steps include more than 2,000 handmade tiles and 75,000 fragments of stained glass, mirrors, and tiles. They are full of detail and when looked at from afar, create a beautiful story with water, flowers, plants, frogs, and birds. At the very top is a beautiful sun.
(Via: My Modern Met)
For more amazing artwork, check out some amazing sand sculptures or the largest chess piece in the world.
