SFSU student artwork displayed at top of Salesforce Tower

Skyscraper celebrates the Class of 2026 as part of the world’s highest public art installation

Digital artwork created by San Francisco State University students received a high level of visibility — 1,070 feet high to be exact — at the top of the Salesforce Tower. Tens of thousands of people looked up to the San Francisco skyscraper between May 21 and 23 to view their installation celebrating the Class of 2026.

“We have this amazing opportunity to make something for the second tallest tower this side of the Mississippi that’s going up during our graduation week,” said Gabe Janssen, one of 16 Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) students to volunteer for this project. “We’re going to show the world what we do.”

The six-minute video loop alternates moving images of graduates in caps and gowns with dancing alligators and more, all in colorful, high-contrast LED lights. Its debut coincided with SFSU’s Commencement, beginning after dark and the end of the ceremony.

Assistant Professor Graham Carpenter, the project coordinator, says that he has been excited to see it bring out the artistic talent in students that they didn’t know they had. As a Sports Emmy Award-winning cameraperson, he can relate.

“I teach directing. We do sports. We do drones. But how do we become a visual artist?” said Carpenter, filing through a storage bin filled with his media credentials from major American sporting events, including Super Bowl LX in February. “Tapping into this other visual artist side has been super awesome and really, really fulfilling.”

Student Carla Appleberry’s contributions include shooting and editing footage of dancers at Creations Berkeley Media and Performing Arts, her nonprofit organization for schoolchildren.

“Imagine being a kid and seeing yourself on top of the Salesforce Tower and how that may open up a world for you,” Appleberry said. “Being a woman in business, being able to be a business owner and further your education at the same time and have these opportunities as a minority, I think it’s paramount.”

Graham Carpenter and four students pose for a photo while standing outdoors at night with their artwork featured on the Salesforce Tower and a chain-link fence in the background

The SFSU student art is a collaboration with the Salesforce Tower Top art project led by Jim Campbell and Emma Strebel. They frequently team up with universities and high schools to make art for display at the tip of the tower. Jillian Sobol (B.S., ’16) made the connection to get SFSU selected.

“I love the SFSU Commencement at Oracle Park, both when I was a graduate and an employee,” said Sobol, a former events manager in the SFSU Alumni Relations office. “Celebrating with City Hall and SFO in purple and gold Gator pride, when Salesforce [Tower] opened in 2018, I knew it should be part of the celebration.”

Amylah Charles, a graduating senior, says her fellow classmates aimed to present a thoughtful message, especially given the magnitude of the medium. It is the highest public art installation in the world and can be visible from 20 miles away.

“What story do you want to tell when you have the eyes of the city on you?” said Charles, also the award-winning business owner of Curly Crownz Hair Care and host of the “Under the Sun Podcastz.” “It was a heavy pit in my chest. I’m so excited to do this, but whoa, representation truly matters.”

Maya Alford-Hill showcased her skills and creative passions that also include television writing and a podcast, “The Hybrina Series.” She is excited not only by the boost it gives her portfolio, but also how others will react.

“This is a way to show what I was doing [on a California State University campus]. People underestimate what a CSU is,” said Alford-Hill, a junior from New Jersey. “Also, once I bring my grandma there, I think her face will light up.”

It is an extra tassel on the graduation cap for members of SFSU’s Class of 2026 like Charles and Appleberry.

“Every time I come across the Bay Bridge for school and I see the tower, I’m like, ‘I’m going to be up there flying, and everybody’s going to see it,’” Appleberry said. “And I’m going to be able to prove to everybody I made it. It’s my way of showing the world: Don’t count me out.”

Learn more about the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department.