We build
art that seems impossible
A collective of artists, welders, carpenters, and dreamers creating large-scale interactive installations for Black Rock City, Golden Gate Park, and public spaces where people gather to wonder.
Installations
Remember When (L-O-V-E Blocks)
Giant wooden letter blocks scattered across the lawn in Golden Gate Park, inviting climbers, photographers, and anyone who needs a reminder that big gestures still matter.
Remember When — see for yourself →
One Tin Soldier
A football field-sized sandbox of giant children's toys slowly emerging from the playa. LOVE blocks, yo-yo, jax, and a 24-foot soldier on horseback invite you to remember what it feels like to be small again.
One Tin Soldier — see for yourself →
Where's the Ball? (The Jax)
Giant steel jacks that pull you away from the screen and back to a time when play meant sitting together on the grass, bridging generations through a game your grandparents might have to explain.
The Jax — see for yourself →
Winter Solstice
An interactive frozen lake where participants climb a giant vintage sled, explore artist-built ice shanties, swap stories around a campfire, and tune a crackling radio inside a car stuck in the ice. Debuting at Black Rock City 2026, then touring as a seasonal winter installation.
Winter Solstice — see for yourself →Crew & impact
Misfit Toys is a family of builders. We're welders who moonlight as poets, carpenters who dream in steel, electricians who illuminate impossible ideas. We measure twice, cut once, and iterate until it's right.
We believe art should be touched, climbed on, sat in, and argued over. We believe in radical inclusion, gifting our work to public spaces, and leaving no trace when we're done. We believe that building together matters as much as what we build.
Partnerships
Building at this scale takes collaboration. We're grateful to work alongside organizations who share our commitment to making public art accessible to everyone.
Illuminate the Arts
Supporting large-scale art installations in San Francisco and beyond.
@illuminatetheartsBuild with us
All skill levels welcome. Whether you've never picked up a welder or you've been building for decades, there's a place for you here. Bring your hands, your ideas, and your willingness to try something new.
Prefer to reach out directly?
Support the vision
Building large-scale art takes steel, lumber, transportation, and countless hours in the shop. Your support funds the materials that become the installations people climb on, sit in, and remember for years.
Make a contributionWhere your support goes:
Every dollar goes directly to materials and build costs. We're a fiscally sponsored project, which means your contribution is tax-deductible and we handle the paperwork. You'll receive a detailed breakdown of how your support was used in our quarterly impact reports.
Monthly giving: Consider becoming a recurring supporter. Predictable monthly contributions help us plan projects months in advance and build relationships with suppliers.
Crew portal
Misfit Toys crew members can submit website updates and change requests here.
Access crew portal →