Canopy of Sky: A New Landmark of Movement and Light on Treasure Island

Cityside Park, San Francisco’s newest waterfront park, has welcomed its first permanent art installation: Canopy of Sky by renowned environmental artist Ned Kahn. Suspended above the park’s lawns and greenways, the kinetic sculpture transforms shifting Bay winds into a living artwork, giving shape to the atmosphere itself. 

Installed in fall 2025, Canopy of Sky adds a striking new dimension to Treasure Island’s growing public art program, joining Point of Infinity on Yerba Buena Island to form a dialogue between earth, water, and sky. 

Art Meets Environment at San Francisco’s Newest Waterfront Park 

At Cityside Park, art and landscape meet the rhythms of nature. Canopy of Sky hovers roughly 15 feet above ground—a circular, shimmering form that responds in real time to the wind. Thousands of translucent discs glint, ripple, and sway, catching light from every direction. The effect is quiet but magnetic: the sky seems to move within reach. 

The piece reflects Kahn’s signature approach of turning natural forces like air, fog, and light into visible, ever-changing sculpture. Standing beneath it, visitors see constant motion overhead—a reminder that even on still days, the Bay’s microclimate is always alive. 

About the Artist: Ned Kahn’s Vision of Living Systems 

Ned Kahn, a Northern California artist known worldwide for his environmental installations, often uses kinetic surfaces and fluid dynamics to make natural phenomena visible. His works appear in museums, airports, and civic spaces around the globe, from Toronto to Singapore. 

With Canopy of Sky, Kahn brings that vision home to the San Francisco Bay, using stainless steel, aluminum, and polycarbonate—materials engineered to withstand salt air and fog—while maintaining the delicacy of motion that defines his art. 

From Point of Infinity to Canopy of Sky: Expanding Public Art on Treasure Island 

The unveiling of Canopy of Sky marks the continued evolution of the Treasure Island & Yerba Buena Island Arts Program, which commissions large-scale public artworks that connect people to place. 

In 2023, Point of Infinity—a 69-foot mirrored steel tower by Hiroshi Sugimoto—rose atop Yerba Buena Island, capturing sunlight and skyline reflections in its gleaming surface. Kahn’s new piece extends that vision across the water, introducing a lighter, more fluid complement along the Island’s southern shoreline. 

Together, the two sculptures anchor a new cultural landscape where art, nature, and urban life intersect—an open invitation for visitors to explore both islands not just as destinations, but as living galleries. 

Experiencing Canopy of Sky at Cityside Park 

The best way to encounter Canopy of Sky is to walk beneath it. As the wind moves through the discs, patterns shift across the ground—sometimes bright, sometimes muted—mirroring the motion of waves just beyond the park’s edge. 

Cityside Park itself offers six acres of open lawn, waterfront paths, and panoramic views of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline. As the newest addition to Treasure Island’s growing collection of public spaces, the park hosts community gatherings and seasonal events that make art and connection part of everyday life. With Canopy of Sky, Treasure Island continues its transformation into a destination for public art and waterfront experiences—just an 8-minute ferry ride from downtown San Francisco.

Ethan Kaplan Photography/Courtesy San Francisco Arts Commission