The Art of Tilden

The Tilden Hotel’s Art Inspiration

Collaborations with Local and Worldwide Artists, Designers, and Brands

Establishing itself as part of a community fiercely tied to the arts, The Tilden is dedicated to supporting local artists in various ways, while looking to artwork as the lifeblood of the property. All guestrooms, along with four large-scale originals in the lobby, are graced with the work of artist Jenny Kiker. Her Living Pattern series features masterful watercolor depictions of various California flora, bringing a sense of organic serenity into the main spaces of the hotel.

Local, celebrated artist Joe Papagoda has been commissioned for a 65-foot by 25-foot mural to grace the light-wall exterior visible throughout the building. His artwork, entitled “The Sake of Serenity,” is an acrylic on canvas painting, combining a poured paint technique using his custom mix of fluid paints, with a traditional method of applying paint with a brush. Papagoda’s artwork, in conjunction with its narrative title, is meant to empower communication between the minds of the artist and the viewer through expressive power, color theory and imagination, in lieu of figurative suggestions. Not limited to the visual arts, Tilden has even appointed a Poet-in-Residence, Tenderloin-based Jessie Johnson, who has been producing written works exclusively for the hotel. Gracing the walls, adorning postcards placed in rooms at turn-down, and beyond, his words will be found throughout the Tilden experience.

Additionally, in partnership with the likes of Hanmin Liu of Wildflowers Institute, Tilden will maintain a rotating array of House Art, displaying the works of local artists for no additional fee, available for sale without incurring a commission. A center for community, The Tilden Hotel will further support local artists by providing accommodations in the Penthouse throughout the duration of the creative process while developing a given piece of work, resulting in a rotating roster of Artists-in-Residence.

This spirit is exemplified in the Tilden Tuesday Art program. The event is a bimonthly art gathering that takes place on the first Tuesday of every other month. Free and open to all, the night features live music and complimentary small bites and beverages crafted by The Douglas Room, the hotel’s signature speakeasy-style bar.

The Tilden Art Wall

As you enjoy the residential-style lobby at Tilden Hotel, please enjoy the art displayed on the wall across from the sofa.  The art displayed was entirely created at De Marillac Academy, a school located a few blocks from the Tilden Hotel. De Marillac Academy, believes that the neighborhood of residence and socioeconomic status should not determine a child’s access to a quality education or ultimate success in life. To that end, the school offers a wide scope of educational opportunities, one of which is an extensive art program. In a dedicated studio, donated to the school by the Good Tidings Foundation, students engage in projects that teach a range of artistic disciplines, mediums, historical influences, and practices. The pieces displayed on the Tilden Hotel art wall collection represent a small percentage of the total body of work students create each year. We are proud to show some of the great work by the students at De Marillac Academy in support of their mission to break the cycle of poverty through education.

Did you know that the Tilden Hotel was named after the famous San Francisco bay area artist, Douglas Tilden?

Douglas Tilden was Born in Chico, California, on May 1, 1860. At age four, Douglas became ill with scarlet fever. As a result, he became deaf-mute. He was enrolled in the California School for the Deaf, located at UC Berkeley. An honor student, Douglas graduated from the school in 1879, accepted a teaching position there, and stayed for eight years. In the summer of 1883, he discovered the joys of sculpture. He returned to teaching in the fall but continued making models in his leisure time. Douglas embarked for Paris in May 1888. With his unorthodox, purely American motifs, Tilden was the first California-born sculptor to win recognition outside of the U.S. by being accepted in the Paris Salon in 1889, then again in 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1894. He sculpted many statues that are located today throughout San Francisco, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Where can you find Douglas Tilden Sculptures today in the bay area?

1. The Ball Player is located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It was Tilden’s first major work in 1889. Also known as The National Game or The Baseball Player.
   

   The Ball Player By Douglas Tilden

2. The Tired Boxer from 1890 is housed at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Purchased and previously owned by The Olympic Club.
3. Bear Hunt from 1892 is located at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont.
4. The Football Players from 1893 is located at Strawberry Creek in Berkeley. It was one of the first permanent artworks on the University of California, Berkeley San Francisco Mayor Phelan had purchased a casting of The Football Players and announced that it would be awarded to the college which won the Big Game two years in a row. After Cal defeated Stanford in 1898 and 1899, the monument was dedicated on 12 May 1900.
5. Admission Day from 1897 is located on Market Street in San Francisco (at Post and Montgomery). It is part of a monument commemorating the admission of California into the United States. 
   

   Admission Day by Douglas Tilden

6. Mechanics Monument from 1901 is also located on Market Street in San Francisco (at Battery). It served as an inspiration for the city to rebuild itself.
7. Junipero Serra from 1906 is located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.  Tilden completed the plaster statue in March 1906. Luckily it survived the earthquake, and the statue was dedicated in Golden Gate Park in November 1907.
8. California Volunteers from 1906 Market Street (at Dolores) in downtown San Francisco. Commemorating the volunteers from California who fought in the Spanish–American War.