Jim Growden

Jim received an M.A. in sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1972 where he was awarded a grant to study in Osaka, Japan. He exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at many venues in San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere.

Jim worked 25 years at his studio on San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront making innovative sculpture of wood and steel that was sometimes evocative of ancient tools and often with a whimsical air. He created functional and fine art sculpture from the waste stream as Artist in Residence at Recology in 1988. He was awarded the "California Design "94" Exhibit's" Best of California Award for his furniture.

In 1993 he moved to Visitacion Valley where he became involved with the Visitacion Valley Greenway. Since then he has created 8 of the Greenway's 12 signature gates and finials, as well as the cut steel images of native animals and plants seen at the Native Plant Garden, as well as on Leland Avenue. He has also created artwork for posters and outreach. As a long-term student of local flora and fauna, he has incorporated images from nature into his artwork on the Greenway.

Recently retired, he will be working with children and youth in the gardens to teach art and environmental education and will continue making sculpture and furniture.