WRNS Studio
WRNS Studio is our pro bono architectural partner. One of the great architectural studios in San Francisco, they are located just off the Embarcadero, and have a long and illustrious track record of working to make San Francisco better and more beautiful.
Since their founding in 2005, WRNS has dedicated themselves to pro bono work, collaborating with nonprofits like the Trust for Public Land, 826 Valencia, and numerous schools to create inclusive, welcoming spaces that offer educational opportunities and open green space to communities that need them.
Most relevant here, WRNS provided pro bono architectural services to 826 Valencia for multiple San Francisco locations, transforming a former Tenderloin liquor store into a light-filled educational haven and designing their Mission Bay center—each project meticulously crafted with modest budgets in mind.
WRNS is the driving creative force behind the space you will all walk into at Art + Water, and we are so grateful for them.
Polsinelli – What A Law Firm Should Be
Polsinelli’s Jed Bonner, Emina Kwok and Andrew Peterson serve as our pro bono attorney partners. Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with more than 1,200 attorneys in over 25 offices nationwide. Recognized as one of the top firms for excellent client service and client relationships, Polsinelli is committed to meeting our clients’ expectations of what a law firm should be. Our attorneys provide value through practical legal counsel infused with business insight, offering comprehensive corporate, transactional, litigation and regulatory services with a focus on health care, real estate, finance, technology, private equity and life sciences.
Jed Bonner’s practice spans the full spectrum of transactional real estate, including acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, financing and development. Recognized by Best Lawyers in Real Estate Law, Jed represents institutional and non-institutional sponsors, owners and operators in connection with complex purchase, sale and sale-leaseback transactions, as well as both landlords and tenants in leases of industrial, office, retail and life science space located throughout the United States.
Emina Kwok has nearly 20 years of experience representing national and local investors, institutions and individuals with real estate transactional and development matters across the country. Based out of the Chicago office, her experience extends across the areas of commercial and residential acquisition and dispositions, leasing and leasebacks—representing both landlords and tenants, and commercial development. She previously served as Vice President of Membership for the Asian American Bar Association of Las Vegas.
Andrew Peterson’s practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, development and financing in a wide range of asset classes, including industrial, retail, office, multifamily and health care.
Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP Law Firm
Geena Yu and Matt Bove of the firm Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP are our pro bono attorney partners. Associate Geena Yu has donated her time and knowledge to guide us through the complex process of forming a non-profit organization. Yu brings deep experience in nonprofit, tax, and corporate law, advising a wide range of exempt organizations including private foundations, public charities, and social welfare organizations. With a background that bridges non-profit law, complex transactions, and high-impact philanthropy, she offers a uniquely broad and strategic perspective that helps clients achieve their goals with confidence.
Her thoughtful, client-centered approach to governance and operations has been invaluable to us as we take these first foundational steps.
We also extend our deepest thanks to Matt Bove, a partner at Coblentz, for generously supporting us with his time and expertise. The extraordinary generosity and expertise of Yu, Bove, and the entire Coblentz team has made it possible for Art + Water to to move forward in establishing itself as a nonprofit and applying for 501(c)(3) status. We could not have reached this milestone without their support.
Flora Grubb Gardens
Flora Grubb Gardens is our greening and gardening partner. Known for being “far more than a nursery,” Flora Grubb Gardens specializes in drought-tolerant plants that inspire lavishly beautiful gardens requiring minimal water and chemicals to maintain. They carry an unrivaled collection of rare and unusual drought-tolerant plants, along with pottery and furniture to create dream gardens.
Founded by Flora Grubb and her business partner Saul Nadler in 2003, Flora Grubb Gardens moved to their current location at 1634 Jerrold Ave in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. The Bayview store features an open-air building clad with reclaimed barnwood and equipped with solar panels, with plants, furniture, and pottery arranged like they would be in gardens, creating a lush and inviting environment that’s unlike anything else in Northern California.
Flora Grubb Gardens has become a beloved destination for San Francisco plant lovers, combining expertise in California’s Mediterranean climate with artful displays and a curated selection of plants, pottery, and garden furniture.
Flora Grubb will be greening Art + Water, and we love working with her and her team.