on my to-see list.

I have been to several parts of Southern California; LA, San Diego, Catalina, Disneyland…but I have never been to Northern California, and it is on my list. San Francisco is known for its flamboyant and artsy style, so I was pleased when I received San Francisco: Arts for the City by Susan Wels to check out.

San Francisco is notorious for a couple of things; the Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower, deemed the “most walkable” city and it’s a place where you can soak in the art for cheap. There’s also a history in San Francisco that may surprise you, and Susan Wels does an excellent job of giving us background on San Fran’s most infamous projects and public art.

Seen through the lens of the San Francisco Arts Commission's history, the full page photography spreads by such renowned artists as Imogen Cunningham, Richard Misrach, Jim Goldberg, and Henry Wessel say more than words could ever, although Wels does make an excellent historical storyteller.