Benny Bufano was born in Italy, came to the USA at age 3, and eventually settled in the Bay area. He was a radical pacifist. 
This sculpture, “Peace”, resembles a missile on purpose. It once resided at San Francisco airport.
This one’s at Lake Merced. So smooth and graceful. Kid with flowers just happened to be there.
Other examples of Bufano’s work can be seen at the Hillsdale mall, St. Mary’s park in Chinatown, and Timber Cove, up on the North coast.
( You can see a couple more Bufano sculptures here and here and here.)
September 17, 2009 at 10:23 pm |
These are great! There’s also one at Fort Mason in the great meadow.
I never knew the penguin was his; used to ride my bike by there everyday. Great sculpture.
September 22, 2009 at 9:27 pm |
[...] Bufano is in the Great Meadow at Fort Mason.It’s kind of a small version of his sculpture “Peace”, which can be seen on Brotherhood Way.This one is at the Timber Cove Inn, on the coast north of [...]
November 28, 2009 at 9:32 am |
Anyone know of East Bay installations? On a school field trip in the 70s, I first encountered the lovely “outstretched hand” in a grassy area within Walnut Creek’s “Quail Court” professional center (South Main exit off 680). I believe our teacher told us it was a Bufano; but then again, the years have obscured my memory, just as the trees have obscured the fingertips of the sculpture (which I used to look for whenever I passed through on 680). Time marches on indeed! I only wish it’d placed the Bufano pieces more prominently at the new SF Academy of Sciences so that those sweet, simple lovelies might welcome new generations just as they welcomed me and so many others in days and decades past.
February 2, 2010 at 12:09 am |
[...] Bufanos here and [...]
April 8, 2010 at 1:36 am |
Just found out that the Bufano sculpture in Walnut Creek at Quail Court was demolished with sledge hammers by workers of new property owner because he didn’t like it…..he did this without contacting City of Walnut Creek officials.
October 12, 2010 at 11:09 pm |
Folks–Note that Bufano’s 1967 “Hand of Peace” sculpture at Quail Court has NOT been destroyed. According to City of Walnut Creek staff, the sculpture has been removed for restoration at a Berkeley conservation studio and will be relocated downtown.
April 9, 2010 at 3:15 am |
peter c. : oh that’s just horrible, how could they
April 9, 2010 at 4:13 am |
Agreed. That’s the worst thing i’ve heard in a while. Maybe city planning departments can take steps to prevent this in the future. In my town you need a permit to remove large trees, why not sculptures?
July 5, 2010 at 9:34 pm |
I used to see a large statue of a man, maybe a Priest in front of the mortuary in Fremont, what happend to it. ??
July 9, 2010 at 4:56 am |
Does anyone know of any collectors of Bufano miniature Working Models? I never see them anywhere. I have 3 that I purchased from Leo Hills, Continental Gallery 3 months after Bennie’s death in 1970 and am looking for a buyer.
July 10, 2010 at 3:27 am |
[...] slyder24 I have photographed many of the sculptures of Beniamino Benvenuto Bufano, and posted them here on my blog. Someone linked the postings to Wikipedia, so a lot of people who search the internet [...]
July 23, 2011 at 1:59 am |
Does anyone know where all of the ones (other than Peace) that used to line the entrance to the ‘old’ SFO went to. i can remember going into the ‘terminal’ (which later became the International terminal, before the new one and was shut down and gutted, to becaome ???) and there were several between the entry and exit roads. thanks in advance for location and or pictures. Where is the Peace statue located? i live in South Carolina now so it is difficult to get to the real world any more.
March 19, 2012 at 9:22 am |
[...] You can see more Bufanos here. [...]