Soma Rooftop views
SoMa ROOFTOP VIEWS
Paintings by Patricia Araujo
Opening Reception:
Sunday, September 7th, 2025
from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
The Writers Grotto
1663 Mission Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
I’m pleased to share that I’ve been invited to showcase 5 of my city paintings (that were created in 2012) relating to the rooftop views of the South of Market buildings, to be on display at The Writers Grotto, located on the 6th floor at 1663 Mission Street, in San Francisco.
The Writers Grotto is a community of working writers and narrative artists who connect in both physical and virtual spaces, pooling their talents to support one another, mentor and teach others, and engage with the wider world.
There will be another local artist featuring his paintings at the Writers Grotto. The opening reception will take place on
Sunday, September 7th, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
This exhibit runs through 2026.
Please note: This exhibit can be accessed only by members of the Writers Grotto or by invitation. So, if you’re interested in viewing the paintings close-up, the venue will be open to the public on
Sunday, September 7th, from 2:00-4:00 pm.
To learn more about the Writers Grotto
and the paintings exhibited, please scroll down.
Also note: Getting to The Writers Grotto - It can be tricky to find the address as it is situated near the intersection of Duboce and South Van Ness, near a freeway ramp, and easily missed. Street parking is limited in the neighborhood. Public Transit is recommended.
Cheers,
Patricia Araujo
Rooftop View from SOMA Grand III, 48” x 36”, oil on canvas, by P Araujo
ABOUT SOMA ROOFTOP VIEWS
by patricia araujo
In 2012, I had a solo show titled “The City from SOMA Grand”. Tatiana Takaeva, the owner of Arttitud, (a high-end furniture and design showroom in San Francisco), who was also curating monthly exhibitions at the lobby of SOMA Grand - a luxury high-rise located at Market and 8th Streets, invited me to have a show at SOMA Grand. Since I had lived in the South of Market and was familiar with the architecture of the neighborhood and creating paintings inspired by the buildings of the central city, it was a perfect fit.
Warehouses and crumbling Victorians were a prominent feature of the neighborhood. What I've loved most about SoMa and the Mid-Market district is the diverse styles of architecture, from Beaux-Arts tradition and Art Deco-inspired, to factory and industrial sites, and in contrast with new high-rise and commercial buildings. Many of the iconic city landmarks on Market Street between 5th and 9th Streets had been abandoned for decades, and some have been recently restored.
The quartet of paintings from the exhibit “The City from SOMA Grand” was painted in 2012, (in oils on canvas), each sized 48” x 36”, and was exhibited that same year at SOMA Grand. These exact paintings will be unveiled again, and delighted to feature these works at The Writers Grotto.
The paintings created were originally conceived from photographs I took from the 12th floor of SOMA Grand, with a vantage point of a penthouse on the northeast corner of that high-rise, and what the canvases reveal is a spiked collage of old and new constructions. Including notable landmarks like the Federal Building, Transamerica Pyramid, the Marriott Marquis, the Inter-Continental Hotel, and the tallest residential building in the city back in 2012, One Rincon Hill.
This collection explores the architectural geometry of the South of Market area. The paintings highlight the exteriors of complete structures and also depict architectural fragments, playfulness of forms, and are juxtaposed against painterly skies. Even devoid of people, the pieces' bright colors show the area for all its bustling vibrancy. The hand-drawn quality of the images gives the urban landscape a sense of intimacy and warmth. Each painting is unique in its vision, which portrays an interpretation of the city seen during 2012 from atop SOMA Grand.
Since that time, the neighborhood has undergone staggering change. Tech offices and luxury condos have replaced warehouses as the landscape has become increasingly spotted with towering high rises. Followed by the Transbay Tower and the planned SoMa Eco-district, the area received another striking facelift, including an expansion for SFMOMA in 2016, and the erection of Salesforce Tower in 2018 - the tallest skyscraper of San Francisco Bay, 1,070 feet high!
During the pandemic years, the South of Market became a ghost town of empty buildings, as many businesses closed and residents of the neighborhood relocated elsewhere and worked remotely. Vacant lots were in the midst of being rebuilt, and construction stopped.
SoMa is slowly coming back and aiming to enrich with the arts and culture and its bohemian charm that once existed. In the hopes of revitalizing brick and mortar businesses, tech jobs, and the blue-collar industry. Meanwhile also waiting for new constructions to rise. It is a fascinating district and aesthetically morphing into a new silhouette… a place in constant flux.
Here's a link to a candid video sneak peek
of me painting these works in 2012!
Rooftop View from SOMA Grand: Federal Building, 48” x 36”, oil on canvas by Araujo
Rooftop View from SOMA Grand II, 48” x 36”, oil on canvas, by Araujo
Rooftop View from SOMA Grand IV, 48” x 36”, oil on canvas, by Araujo
About The Writers Grotto
The Writers Grotto was established in 1994 at a rundown Victorian on San Francisco’s Upper Market Street, to use exclusively as a workspace. Some years later, the office relocated to a building in South Beach, and as of 2011, expanded its membership by adding flexible common-area workspaces to its existing array of private offices.
Today, the Grotto has a roster of more than 120 authors, journalists, fiction writers, filmmakers, poets, and other narrative artists.