Painting Sutro Tower is a Tradition at Glen Park School

While the Glen Park School might be located under the shadow of Sutro Tower, students from across all of San Francisco matriculate to the school to learn. 

Third grade teacher Sheila Tenney understands that these children come from all different neighborhoods and different walks of life, so the beginning part of the year can be a little jarring as they get used to their new environment. That’s why she has a special tradition to help center her students—creating paintings of Sutro Tower.

“The reason I do that is because I like to give the kids a sense of feeling that they’re home,’ said Tenney, who has been a teacher at the elementary school since 2015. “When you see Sutro Tower, you always know that you’re home. That’s something I want them to take with them forever, no matter where they are from or where they might go.”

During the seven years that Tenney has been kicking off the school year with this art project, she has seen hundreds of different artistic interpretations of Sutro Tower from her students, with no two works ever looking the same.

“I’m amazed at how imaginative they can be with their paintings,” said Tenney. “They all look at it from different perspectives or different angles. It’s a true testament to their creativity. I’m obviously a little biased, but I think they’re incredibly talented.”

Tenney said the unique structure of Sutro Tower—the multi-pronged top; buttresses that dip in and then expand out—helps to spark the inventive nature of the Glen Park students.

“There is nothing really like it,” said Tenney. “They see the tower and their imaginations kind of go wild.”

A native of San Francisco, Tenney grew up in the Castro District, right down the hill from Sutro Tower. While the understands the importance of iconic local landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, she has a special place in her heart for Sutro Tower.

“Sutro Tower really feels like it’s for the locals,” said Tenney. “You don’t see images of Sutro on the all the tourist stuff that everyone buys. And I think people might not appreciate it at first, but everyone I know kind of grows to love it. It just feels like home to me.”