Photo by Evan Carroll

In my scan of new Richmond District photos on Flickr last week, I came across some strange ones of statues sitting in the pews of a Internet Archive sanctuary. The IA moved their headquarters into the church at Clement and Funston in early 2010.

The photographer, Evan Carroll, was attending a conference at the IA recently when he took the pics. I asked him what those figures in the pews were and he replied:

Brewster Kahle, the director [of the Internet Archive], explained that it was his idea to create Terracotta Archivists after he saw the Terracotta Army [in China]. If you work for the IA for 3 years they have a statue made in your resemblance and add it to the collection. I only photographed a few, but I remember somewhere around 30 in the building.

Forever immortalized in terra cotta! Definitely a little odd but I suppose it’s better than getting a gold watch or a gumball machine (which I got for hitting 5 years at my last company). Creepy or cool?

Sarah B.

Terra cotta figures sit in the back row of the sanctuary. Photo by Evan Carroll

Photo by Evan Carroll

The creative ladies that took over Paul’s Hat Works took a step recently to expand their business beyond their small storefront at Geary and 25th Avenue.

Last Thursday Paul’s launched a mini-store inside The Hound, a men’s clothing store located downtown at 140 Sutter Street near Montgomery.

The Chronicle’s SFUnzipped column was on hand for the launch and spoke to Olivia Griffin, one of the four owners of Paul’s Hat Works. She sees a strong affinity between her typical customer and the Hound’s.

“The Hound has the same feeling of quality brands and craftsmanship that we have at our shop,” Griffin said.

Not only will the Pauls sell the bowlers, fedoras, and straw hats they make at their shop on Geary Boulevard, but they’ll also offer custom designs. The Hound peddles its fair share of Barbour outerwear from England and Griffin sees the opportunity to make equestrian style hats to go along with the duds men come to the Hound to buy already.

If you’re downtown on a Tuesday, pop by The Hound – one of the ladies of Paul Hat Works on site to help you find the perfectly stylish lid.

Read more at SFGate.com

Congratulations to Paul’s Hat Works on their new venture!

Sarah B.

P.S. – Have you checked out their cool new website?

Do you like fine art? Do you like flowers? Then you won’t want to miss this year’s Bouquets to Art exhibition at the de Young, where the museum will display over 140 floral arrangements by prominent Bay Area designers and garden clubs that both interpret and complement the museum’s permanent collection.

The week long celebration of art and flora is the largest fundraiser held by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco to bring in funds to support acquisitions, special exhibitions and education programs.

Bouquets to Arts is also considered one of the country’s premier floral events. In addition to the fabulous exhibition, a swanky opening gala (pics from last year’s event), the museum will also host a series of events during the week where six prestigious floral design experts create arrangements onstage while discussing style, trends, and tricks of the trade. The programs range from “London Calling: Flower Trends From Across the Pond” to “Love of People, Flowers and Nature” from Ikebana specialist Soho Sakai.

We were lucky enough to receive three pairs of passes to Bouquets to Art 2011 from the de Young which we’re giving away to readers. To enter for a chance to win, just use the contact form to send us an email with the name and address of any flower store in the Richmond District. Winners will be drawn randomly from correct entries. Deadline for entries is March 7, 2011 at 5pm.

Even if you don’t win, be sure to make it to the de Young to see the exhibition. It runs from March 15th through the 19th, with hours on Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30am until 5:15pm, and extended hours on Friday, March 18 until 8:45pm.

If you’re a member, there is a special members-only night on Wednesday, March 16 from 6–8pm. Museum members receive free admission, and do not need to make advance reservations for admission. Just pick up your tickets at the membership desk on the day of your visit.

Tickets ($11 to $21) for Bouquets to Art 2011 can be purchased online at the de Young website, or from the museum box office.

Sarah B.

This Saturday, March 5, the Richmond District YMCA is hosting “Family Fun Day” at nearby Argonne Playground.

Spend the day playing games and creating arts and crafts with your family. There’s also a special culinary challenge – with provided ingredients, families will be challenged to create a delicious healthy meals in order to claim the title of Iron Chef.

The event runs from 11am until 2pm at Argonne Playground, which is located on 18th Avenue between Geary and Anza. The cost is $10 per family.

Please register in advance for the event at the Richmond District YMCA on 18th Avenue near Geary. For more information, call Bill Pittman at the YMCA at 666-9609.

Sarah B.

Last March, we reported that St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was breaking ground on a new housing facility for the developmentally disabled, called St. Peter’s Place.

The 20 housing units in St. Peter’s Place will allow adults with developmental disabilities to live on their own, with supervision by a social worker who can link them to education, employment, medical care and social activities. Residents will be able to choose from one and two room spaces, with the option of having aides live with them.

St. Peter’s Place sits on the land that was once the church’s sanctuary on 29th Avenue between Geary and Clement. The sanctuary had been vacant since it was damaged during the 1989 earthquake.

The project received funds from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the state and the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. St. Peter’s teamed up with the Bernal Heights Neighbohood Center for the construction, whose Housing Services Affiliate has been developing affordable housing since 1982.

St. Peter’s Place has 14 studios, 4, 1-bedrooms and 1, 2-bedroom unit for tenants as well as a community room, community kitchen, laundry facilities and a backyard patio. The building is expected to receive LEED certification.

Construction is nearly complete and interest in the housing units has been high. They received 97 applications for the 19 available units (one of the units will be for a resident staff person/manager). Last week, Supervisor Eric Mar was on hand to help draw winners in the St. Peter’s Place housing lottery.

The facility is expected to officially open in April.

Special thanks to Faith Kirkpatrick of the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center and Myrna Melga of Supervisor Mar’s office for the photos.

Sarah B.

Supervisor Eric Mar (L) draws winners in the St. Peter’s Place housing lottery.

Kitchen facilities inside one of the new units.