Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain
Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain in 2010
Artist	Ruth Asawa
Year	1970 (1970)
Type	Sculpture
Medium	Bronze
Dimensions	2.3 m (90 in); 4.9 m diameter (193 in)
Condition	"Treatment needed" (1992)
Location	San Francisco, California, United States
Coordinates	37°47′20″N 122°24′25″W / 37.7890°N 122.4070°W / 37.7890; -122.4070

The Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain is a special artwork created in 1970. It's a bronze sculpture and a fountain made by the artist Ruth Asawa. You can find it outside the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown San Francisco, California. People sometimes just call it the San Francisco Fountain.

Discovering the San Francisco Fountain

The fountain is shaped like a big cylinder. This cylinder forms the outer wall of the fountain's water basin. It shows many scenes from San Francisco life. These scenes are carved in a style called bas-relief, which means they stick out slightly from the surface.

The sculpture is about 90 inches (2.3 meters) tall. It has a diameter of about 193 inches (4.9 meters). It sits on a base made of brick stairs. Albert Lanier was the architect for the project. Many people helped Ruth Asawa create this artwork. These assistants included Aiko Asawa, Haru Awara, Mae Lee, Mei Mei, Hector Villanueva, and Sally Woodbridge.

How the Fountain Was Created

Ruth Asawa became involved with the fountain project by chance. An architect named Chuck Bassett saw an art show. This show featured sculptures by Ruth Asawa. It also showed art made by children from Alvarado Elementary School.

Chuck Bassett was helping to design the new Grand Hyatt San Francisco hotel. He wanted to find an artist to create an interesting design for the fountain. This fountain would be placed right in front of the hotel's entrance.

The children's art in the exhibition was made from "baker's clay." This was a mix of flour, salt, and water. It could be shaped like real clay and then baked in a regular oven. The children's artworks showed everyday scenes from their school.

Mr. Bassett was very impressed. He suggested that Ruth Asawa work with children from different parts of the city. Together, they would create a large, low-relief sculpture for the fountain's outside. The finished bronze cylinder shows the work of these children and Ruth Asawa's friends. Even Ruth's mother, Haru Asawa, helped by making some of the leaves.

Keeping the Fountain Beautiful

In 1992, experts looked at the fountain. They said it needed some care to stay in good condition.

Later, in May 2016, Apple Inc. built a new store nearby. As part of this project, they also updated the public space around the fountain. This renovated area now has wooden tables, chairs, and planters with trees. It also features a "living wall" and a new colorful "LOVE" sculpture. Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain is a key part of this updated space. Some work was done to restore and preserve the fountain during this project.

Gallery

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  Sidewalk plaque for Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain.

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  Apple Store on Union Square, back entrance and plaza.

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  The fountain in 2013.

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  Detail: Chinese dragon