Louis

-ON DISPLAY NOW-

Artist: DeWitt Godfrey

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Location: Port of San Francisco at Bayfront Park
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Installation Date: October 2025

Partners: San Francisco Port, Sijbrandij Foundation, Building 180

Photo credits: Masaki Omori

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Inspired by natural forms like seashells and honeycombs, Godfrey creates artworks that can be experienced from within as well as from without. Composed of intricately stacked steel ovals, this striking hive-like structure engages viewers from afar, inviting them in to admire an interior dome that opens to the sky. “Louis” was originally commissioned in 2016 for the ArtPrize8 competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it won the prize for Featured Public Project and was exhibited alongside a sculpture by the legendary artist Alexander Calder. Godfrey named the sculpture Louis after Louis Campau, an early settler known as the "Father of Grand Rapids."

A rusty sign with the words "Bayfront Park" and a sculpture made of circular metal rings in a park setting. Green trees and a clear blue sky are in the background.
A smiling person with short, curly hair, wearing glasses, earrings, a patterned shirt, and a blazer, in a candid moment at a social gathering.

About the Artist

DeWitt Godfrey is a sculptor recognized for his monumental steel installations composed of stacked conic and cylindrical forms. Drawing inspiration from natural geometries like spores, shells, and honeycombs, his work combines digital modeling, custom fabrication, and hands-on experimentation to create intricate, site-responsive structures. Based in Hamilton, NY, Godfrey holds degrees from Yale University and the Edinburgh College of Art, and was a CORE Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His work has been exhibited widely and commissioned for public spaces across the U.S., including Seattle, Cambridge, Lexington, and Grand Rapids. Godfrey’s sculptures are held in collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the deCordova Museum, and Art OMI.

An outdoor sculpture made of rusted metal tubes in a park setting with green grass. In the background, there are modern office buildings with large glass windows and a clear blue sky.
A young girl standing outdoors in front of a large sculpture made of circular metal tubes arranged in a honeycomb pattern, pointing upward with her right hand and smiling against a clear blue sky.
Large rust-colored metal sculpture with circular openings on a grassy field under a clear blue sky, with a child nearby and a bench in the background.
A large outdoor sculpture made of numerous rust-colored metal pipes arranged in a circular, hollow shape on a grassy area with trees and industrial structures in the background.
Modern architecture building with curved design, glass windows, and a metallic facade. In the foreground, a park with trees, a bench, and a spherical metal sculpture. Clear blue sky.
A park scene with a large, artistic metal sculpture in the center, surrounded by green grass, trees, and benches, with a clear blue sky overhead.
A large outdoor sculpture made of interconnected rust-colored circular metal rings against a blue sky with buildings in the background.
Aerial view of a modern urban park by the water, featuring green lawns, walking paths, and a colorful playground, with tall buildings and hills in the background.