Public Art In and Around The Moscone Center

By Brenda Tucker

Explore world-renowned public art from artists like Leo Villareal, Keith Haring, and Sarah Sze in and around San Francisco's Moscone Center.

The power of art to transform our surroundings holds deep value for San Franciscans. That's why you'll find so much public art in our city—including at The Moscone Center. Internationally renowned artists have had their work added to The Moscone Center's collection since its inception, making the facility more than just a convention venue; it's part of the SoMA neighborhood's impressive fabric of museums and galleries. Here are some distinctive works you can see at and nearby The Moscone Center.

Leviathan

250 Third Street at Paseo Alley

FutureForms

Temporary through November 2025

This 30-foot-high site-specific installation towers over Third Street and Paseo Alley, bringing illuminated spectacle to passersby both day and night. Local art and design studio FUTUREFORMS fabricated "Leviathan" in nearby Dogpatch, just two miles from its home at The Moscone Center. This force of nature has a frame built of birch and fiberglass, with 3D printed nodes and rods to catch the light and colorful scales. It can be viewed from the street through the chamber's floor-to-ceiling glass walls. A creature of chaos, "Leviathan" is an apt installation for our present times.

Point Cloud

The Moscone Center

Leo Villareal

Permanent

This 100-foot pedestrian bridge towering over Howard Street connects Moscone North and South with a seemingly infinite array of lights. “Point Cloud” is made of 858 steel rods suspended from the roof of the bridge. Each of the 28,288 LED bulbs are individually programmed, changing 30 times per second into shades of blue, yellow, orange, pink, and lavender. Walk across the bridge to experience this fully immersive installation or observe this visual masterpiece from afar.

Double Horizon

Pedestrian overpass between The Moscone Center and Yerba Buena Gardens

Sarah Sze

Permanent

Sze’s installation is comprised of two large boulders split in half and flanking the path, between which the visitor will walk. Once on the bridge, visitors will discover that the flat inner surface of the split boulders has been altered using embedded epoxy tiles to create pixelated color images of the sky at different times of day. The same images are mirrored in the pavers of the walkway. It's as if the rock, like a stamp, has printed on the path and fixed the image of the sky in place through force of gravity and pressure.

GENESIS I

250 3rd St at Moscone Center

Christin Corday

Permanent

"Genesis I" is the first work in a monumental series inspired by the concept of beginning. Its arcing segments are melted and hewn stainless steel supported by a concrete form. The work encourages touch, which is intended to provide a moment of respite for all that engage with the work.

Roll

The Moscone Center

Brendan Monroe

"Roll" is inspired by the movement of water and air in nature. The dotted line work resembles a layer of fog coming in over the San Francisco coast. As it piles in and builds up, the drawing intensifies and becomes heavy, just as if a thick blanket is being pushed into the city. This mural evokes a human look at nature that has existed in the region for millennia.

More Public Art At The Moscone Center

Keith Haring, Untitled (Three Dancing Figures)

Exterior of Moscone South (Third and Howard streets)

Keith Haring was an American pop artist and activist who rose to fame in the 1980s New York art scene. Throughout his career, Haring devoted much of his time to public works, which often carried social messages. He produced more than 50 public artworks in dozens of cities around the world, many of which were created for charities, hospitals, children’s day care centers and orphanages.

Spero Anargyros, George Moscone

Third Street Entrance to Moscone South

Spero Anargyros created the sculpture of George Moscone, the Center’s namesake, in 1994. Moscone was Mayor of San Francisco for almost three years until his assassination in November 1978.

Other Artists On Display

Elsewhere in The Moscone Center, you can see works by artists such as:

Gustavo Rivera, an abstract painter and printmaker who moved to the Bay Area from Mexico in the 1940s.
Paul Wonner, an American artist known for his abstract expressionist still-life paintings.
Viola Frey, a graduate and professor of San Francisco's California College for the Arts, best known for her monumental ceramic sculptures.
Tom Holland, known for creating vibrant works with myriad materials—including glass, aluminum, marble, copper, and clay.
Sam Gilliam, one of the great postwar American painters.

Public Art Near The Moscone Center

Alebrijes and Nahuales: Fantastic Giant Sculptures from Mexico

Yerba Buena Gardens

Various Artists

May 9 to June 22

Inspired by the captivating world of Mexican magical realism, this extraordinary exhibition showcases seven monumental original works from Mexico, each towering 20 feet tall and displayed within Yerba Buena Gardens. The exhibition pays tribute to the exceptional craftsmanship of Mexican artisans and celebrates Mexico’s rich cultural heritage. In partnership with local communities and institutions, the exhibition will foster arts accessibility, highlight local diversity, and promote cultural exchange.

Brenda Tucker

Brenda Tucker is the Director of Arts Marketing at San Francisco Travel. She has lived in San Francisco since 1998, after driving cross-country to a home she secured sight unseen. Brenda enjoys swimming out-of-doors year-round, being inspired by the incredible art scene in the City, and living in the best place on earth.