A Magical Encounter in Golden Gate Park
Hannah Macauley and Alex Zaldastani were taking their dog Ruby for a walk through Golden Gate Park when they stumbled upon a surprise that brought back memories of Burning Man 2024. There, resting along the JFK Drive pedestrian promenade was Naga, the 100-foot sea serpent that had captivated many on the playa.
Macauley was so taken aback by the sight that she stopped her walk to join a crowd of admirers. “That’s the most magical thing about San Francisco,” she said. “You’re out walking and you stumble upon your favorite things.”
This week, the magic will only grow as Rainbow Falls, a 50-foot manufactured waterfall, is set to be activated. The waterfall will pour water into the pond where Naga sits, creating a stunning visual display. A grand opening event featuring bubbles and mermaids is planned for Saturday, followed by a night lighting ceremony on July 28. Located at the western end of the promenade, just uphill from Transverse Drive, Naga will be the highlight of the journey downhill from the de Young Museum.
James Mitchell, a resident of the Outer Sunset, has been watching the progress of Naga with his sons, Jay, 4, and Theodore, 2. They often ride their bikes through the area, and on Sunday, they stopped to take in the sight. The boys immediately headed toward the dry lakebed, but Mitchell quickly reminded them, “The dragon is not to play on.” However, he allowed them to climb the hillside at the dragon’s tail for a better view.
“It’s going to be super cool when they put the water back,” Mitchell said. Even with its concrete base fully exposed, the sculpture was enough to cause a traffic backup during the AIDS Walk San Francisco, as people posed for photos and selfies.
Francine Prophet, a Richmond resident, compared the scene to the Loch Ness Monster with lights. Firefighters from Station 23 in the Sunset even stopped their engine to take a look. Mike Crehan, a firefighter from the station, said, “A waterfall with this thing, that’s going to be awesome. What’s going to come out of the tail? I hope it’s not fire.”
Cjay Roughgarden, the artist behind Naga, found the idea amusing but noted that the permits for such a feature would have been impossible. She explained that dragons, not serpents, are known for breathing fire, a common misconception. “Sea serpents don’t breathe fire; they blow bubbles out of their nose, obviously.”
Roughgarden, who owns a metal fabrication shop called Element 26 in Richmond, took a year off work to dedicate herself to building Naga. Named after a species of mythical Southeast Asian protectors, the sculpture is made up of five separate humps, each constructed from a steel frame and mesh, covered by aluminum scales painted teal using eco-friendly paint. More than 5,000 scales were hand-shaped by a small team of volunteers, totaling over 250 people.
The project, which took three years to complete, was funded entirely by Roughgarden’s credit card, with an estimated total cost of $350,000. “If we had paid everyone, it would have been like $2 million,” she said.
Ben Davis, founder of the public art organization Illuminate, first saw a rendering of Naga at a cocktail party and knew it would fit perfectly in the park. He introduced it to Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg, who approved the installation for the greenish pond before it was even built. Illuminate helped raise funds and is responsible for presenting all the temporary public art on the Golden Mile of JFK Drive, where auto traffic is closed.
After its premiere at Burning Man, Naga became the largest public art installation in the history of Golden Gate Park, according to Davis, who has been involved in art projects in the park since the Summer of Love 50th anniversary psychedelic light show in 2017.
“With its dazzling lights and larger-than-life scale, Naga is a breathtaking work of art,” Ginsburg said. “Rainbow Falls is the perfect home for it. Public art is meant to inspire connection and spark conversation, and thanks to our partners, this installation is certainly accomplishing that.”
The installation will be complete this fall with the addition of a shipwreck, which is currently being funded with a goal of $250,000. The shipwreck, to be built off to the side, will be installed in October by Stephanie Shipman and Jacqulyn Scott. The full title of the work is “Naga & the Captainess,” a story that Roughgarden plans to turn into a graphic novel.
“Naga is friendly, but he’ll sink your ship if you’re doing the wrong thing, like a good protector does,” she explained. “I hope he helps bring back some of the spirit of the old San Francisco, to help people step out of the mundane.”
Beth Ludwig and Margaret Campos, who drove in from Walnut Creek after reading about Naga on social media, were mildly disappointed to find the artwork uncompleted. However, they said they would return. “A lot,” Ludwig added.
