Blue Collar Green Water and the Port of San Francisco will present the experience of San Francisco Bay through a display of photography taken by Blue & Gold Fleet's blue-collar workers.
Photo by Morgan Wodhams
BY BC STAFF
Published: May, 2017
Blue Collar Green Water and the Port of San Francisco will present the experience of San Francisco Bay through a display of photography taken by Blue & Gold Fleet’s blue-collar workers. The exhibition offers views of life on San Francisco Bay by the people who earn their living from it.
The artists in the collective are a collaboration of ferry and dockside workers who are inspired every day by the environment in which they work. “The compelling factors that brought us together are the appreciation we have for being able to work locally doing what we love,” said Blue & Gold Fleet deckhand Rebecca Johnson, who founded the collective two years ago.
“We are a diverse group, multicultural and multinational, immigrants and natives, each bringing our own perspective to our photography as members of San Francisco’s working waterfront,” Johnson said.
At its founding, the collective first established an Instagram account, and then debuted its first exhibit at Pier 39. Following that was another showing at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new WETA North Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility in October 2016.
“The company applauds these employees for developing the idea and executing it. They have taken the initiative and shown that they are truly innovative. The community and visitors are in for a treat. The photography is beautiful,” said Patrick Murphy, president of Blue & Gold Fleet.
In early 2017, Blue Collar Green Water invited workers from the Blue & Gold Fleet, the largest ferry operator in California, to submit photos taken during their shifts to be evaluated through the online platform Judgify. Judges from the Bay Area photography community selected the final images on display in this exhibit from over 100 entries.
“The idea of showcasing photographs of San Francisco Bay by employees of Blue & Gold Fleet was immediately appealing to the port,” said Renee Dunn Martin, communications director for the Port of San Francisco. “This stunning photo exhibit is a unique way to engage the public through art while highlighting the importance of our working waterfront during National Maritime Month.”
The Blue Collar Green Water exhibit will be on display at the Port of San Francisco offices at Pier 1 from May 5 to 31. Public viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
