SF LIFE: Illuminate SF, Music, SF Gifts
Illuminate SF is happening now – the city is aglow with light installations everywhere – check them out. The Mistletones are here – sing fa la la and the symphony has a very special movie viewing with its gorgeous orchestra playing the soundtrack– hint – Hugh Grant! We have found several quirky and delightful SF gifts that someone on your list will love – we do!
Illuminate SF
Christmas trees and holiday decorations aren’t the only things that are glowing this holiday season. Illuminate SF is the annual light art festival that brightens all of San Francisco, now through New Year’s Day. While there are more than 40 permanent and temporary light art installations throughout the city, we’ve handpicked a few that make for a fantastic light art trail.
“Love over Rules” – This installation created by Hank Willis Thomas is a tribute to his cousin who was murdered in 2000. “Love Over Rules” presents the last message Thomas’s cousin sent to him. This glowing installation is made up of 6-foot-6-inch letters on the exterior wall of the Salma Family Building. Each word gets its own line and they are illuminated in different combinations, supporting multiple interpretations.
Tara Mechani” – This 17-foot-tall sculpture was designed by Dana Albany. Albany was inspired by the robot Maria from the silent film “Metropolis,” and combined characteristics of the ancient female Buddha and a futuristic female robot to create “Tara Mechani”. The sculpture is made from 80% recycled materials, with a custom-built chandelier inside the figure. The best time to view it is after dusk. http://www.illuminatesf.com
“White Light”
The Salesforce Transit Center’s Grand Hall lights up with fleeting text along the walls of the rotunda taking over the 182-foot-long LED screen, displaying words of wisdom from more than 40 writers, including Maya Angelou, Harvey Milk, Machine Gun Kelley, and many others.
Dec. 5 – Jan. 26. “Glow”
The Exploratorium showcases intricate glowing sculptures. Bask in the mesmerizing gleams of special installations and kinetic sculptures, take a shine to illuminating exhibits, and show your sparkle with scintillating activities. Get the details.
Holiday Music
The MistleTones
Nothing says the holidays like silver bells, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and other humming tunes. This month check out The MistleTones at the Gateway Theatre. It’s part a capella, part rock ‘n’ roll, part comedy and part handbells. But it’s all awesome! This totally unique and hilarious quartet makes their Bay Area debut at the Gateway Theatre, singing everything from The Beatles to Lady Gaga with a holiday twist! www.42ndstmoon.org
Dec. 17-18. Symphony + Love Actually
Picture this – Hugh Grant on an enormous screen with the Symphony accompanying the delightful and favorite (mine) holiday film Love Actually. The score is undeniably magical and the film sublime. In case you have been living in a land without media and aren’t familiar – The film is funny, irresistible and heart-warming, Love Actually is set in contemporary London in the weeks before Christmas and tells one story which weaves together a spectacular amount of love stories – sometimes romantic, sometimes sad, sometimes stupid – all funny in their own way. http://www.sfsymphony.org
Kim Selby, the SF life editor of The Three Tomatoes, is your gal for info on what’s hot and happening in the beautiful bay area. Having lived on the Left Coast for 27 years, after almost a decade in NYC, she has explored and continues to have adventures all over the San Francisco area. Passionate about fashion, formerly with GLAMOUR magazine and Fashion Director at Saks Fifth Avenue , Palo Alto, Kim produced fashion shows in the bay area for over 20 years. She now creates events to empower, delight and inspire women, aka “Tomatoes”. Learn more about Kim at www.kim-selby.com
