ARENA :: Visual Arts

Public Art

The slideshow gallery below presents a chronological series of a number of works in the “flat works” gallery and the Sculptures gallery that also can considered "public art." The gallery is part of the Visual Arts section of The Emperor Norton Trust's ARENA: ARchive of Emperor Norton in the Arts.

Some of these pieces are not in truly public spaces. They are located in restaurants or bars, which include the presumption of having to pay money for the privilege of being in the space.

But each piece functions as a site-specific work that (1) provides a gravitational, magnetic "orientation point" for an outdoor or indoor commons, and that (2) possesses a level of "monumentality" that enables the work to uniquely shape the character of the space.

This includes works often categorized as "street art," as well as pieces in indoor gathering places and crossroads such as bars and hotel lobbies.

Hover on any image to see a full description, including (where available) the artist, title, year, copyright and source information. (To see these captions on a mobile device, you may need to turn the device to a horizontal view and tap the image.)

Click on the portion of the image above the caption to enlarge, zoom and/or to see the full work.

Scroll below the following gallery for links to additional galleries in the Visual Arts section of the Archive.

This curation seeks to be comprehensive but not exhaustive.

Undated and uncredited painting at the hofbrau Tommy's Joynt, in San Francisco. Photograph © Annetta Black. [Added 6.10.2016]

Detail from mural, 1935, by Antonio Sotomayor (1904–1985). Located in the Pied Piper Bar of the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, the mural depicts Emperor Norton, Mark Twain, Bret Harte and other San Francisco notables of that period. Sotomayor painted the mural as part of the hotel’s new Happy Valley Room in this space, which opened in March 1935. See description in A Survey of Art Work in the City and County of San Francisco, SF Art Commission, 1953, here. Photograph © 2011 Scott Cox. [Added 6.24.2016]

Plaque, bronze, 1939, by William Gordon Huff (1903–1993). Currently on display inside Molloy’s Tavern, Colma, Callf. Learn more about the history of the plaque and its 2018 restoration. Photograph © 2018 Kai Wada Roath. [Added 11.7.2018]

Figurehead of cruise vessel Harbor Emperor, San Francisco, 1968, wood, by Elwin Millerick (1911–1997). Built in 1968, the Harbor Emperor is part of the Blue & Gold Fleet of cruise vessels. Photograph © 2012 Paul Sullivan. [Added 6.27.2016]

Glass etching in entry transom at the Emperor Norton Inn, 615 Post Street, San Francisco.  Creator and date unknown. Photograph © 2010 D. Huw Richardson . [Added 6.28.2016]

Detail from San Francisco Yesterday and Today (1984), by Ruth Asawa (1926–2013). Located in the driveway of the Parc 55 Hilton, San Francisco. Photograph © 2015 Joseph Amster. For more photos of the complete 7-paneled sculpture, click here. [Added 6.28.2016]

Detail of "Jazz Mural" (1987; restored by the artist 2004), by Bill Weber. Located on Broadway at Grant Avenue, San Francisco. Photograph © 2019 Joseph Amster. For views of the full mural, see Bill Weber’s site here. [Added 3.10.2019]

Emperor Norton puppet, 1997, by Mona Caron. For 1997 San Francisco Carnival parade. Source: Mona Caron. [Added 6.28.2016]

Head of Emperor Norton puppet, 1997, by Mona Caron. For 1997 San Francisco Carnival parade. Source: Mona Caron. [Added 6.28.2016]

Detail of San Francisco Chocolate Factory mural (2005–6) by Jerry Warmsley, Jr., and Alyssa Morgan. Lost, 2016. Previously located at the Factory's former offices and retail shop at 286 12th Street, San Francisco. Photograph © 2014 Larry Jones. Source: Street Art SF. To view the full mural, click here. [Added 6.28.2016]

Mural at Hilton Union Square, San Francisco. Lost, 2017. Previously located in the parking garage entrance on Ellis Street near Mason. Creator and date unknown. Photograph © 2014 Larry Jones. Source: Street Art SF. [Added 6.27.2016]

Detail from Only in San Francisco (2009), by Guy Colwell (b. 1945). Large-scale, multi-paneled mural at the Pritikin Museum, San Francisco. Photograph © 2014 San Francisco Chronicle [Added 6.28.2016]

Sculpture of Emperor Norton, 2010, by Daniel Macchiarini (b.1953) and his daughter, Emma Macchiarini. Based on one of two 21" maquettes of Emperor Norton sculpted c.1936–40 by Dan’s father, Peter Macchiarini (1909–2001). This casting, by Piero Mussi at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, Calif., presides over the main bar at Comstock Saloon, San Francisco. Source: Gianni's North Beach [Added 6.27.2016]

"Emperor Norton I" (2010), by Michael D. Morgan. Originally exhibited at the 2010 Artcrank SF group show of bicycle-themed poster art. Inspired by an 1869 photograph of Emperor Norton by Eadweard Muybridge. Limited edition print on view at Emperor Norton's Boozeland, San Francisco. © 2010 Michael D. Morgan [Added 6.15.2016]

Mural in bottle caps, 2011, by Scott Bowers. Lost, 2020. Previously located at 2785 Bryant Street, San Francisco. Photograph © 2011 Dave Schweisguth [Added 6.28.2016]

"Emperor Norton" (2012), by Jeremy Fish (b. 1974). Located in the "upper room" at Emperor Norton's Boozeland, San Francisco. Photograph: Emperor Norton's Boozeland [Added 6.30.2016]

"Le Roi Est Mort" (2014), by Brian Stannard. Commissioned by Emperor Norton's Boozeland, San Francisco, and on view at the bar. © 2014 Brian Stannard. Source:  Brian Stannard [Added 6.15.2016]

Detail of mural, 2014, by Andrei Bouzikof, at Emperor Norton's Boozeland, San Francisco. Located in the rear garden. Photograph: Emperor Norton's Boozeland. For a more complete view of the mural, click here. [Added 6.28.2016]

Painting, 2016, by Sam Flores (b. 1975). This piece hangs in the restaurant Cockscomb, in San Francisco, which commissioned the work. © 2016 Sam Flores. Photograph: Peter Kazanjy. [Added 3.25.2017]

“Emperor Norton,” 2021, from San Francisco Icon series, by Misstencil. Stencilled using this c.1875 photograph by Bradley & Rulofson studio. Original stencil, September 2021. This spray painting at 632 Commercial Street, San Francisco, done March 2022. Artist on Instagram and Facebook. [Added 4.20.2022]

“Emperor Norton,” 2021, from San Francisco Icon series, by Misstencil. Stencilled using this c.1875 photograph by Bradley & Rulofson studio. Original stencil, September 2021. This spray painting at 650/52 Commercial Street, San Francisco, done March 2022. Artist on Instagram and Facebook. [Added 4.20.2022]

Centerpiece of parklet enclosure, 2024, by Daniel Macchiarini (b. 1953). Emperor Norton and Bummer & Lazarus figures cast in Hydrocal. The parklet is located at Macchiarini Creative Design, 1544 Grant Avenue, San Francisco. The Norton figure is based on a maquette that Macchiarini’s father, Peter Macchiarini (1909–2001), sculpted in 1936. Photo © 2025 by Mike Fusello. [Added 5.10.2025]

There's more in the Archive: