Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts

The Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts sits on a high ridge in Diamond Heights, identifiable by its bright yellow exterior and the mural covering its facade. It began in nineteen eighty-two when sculptor Ruth Asawa and others pushed to create a public high school where students could master their crafts alongside their academics. The school eventually moved into this hillside building, where teenagers spend their afternoons sketching, dancing, or playing jazz instead of sitting in traditional classrooms.