Santa Rosa, CA — Katie Wakeman never set out to become San Francisco’s most recognizable gate artist. Twenty years ago, she was just a young woman in her twenties, unsure about her future, who needed help fixing a broken car seat. Today, her vibrant, ornate security gates dot the city like an open-air art gallery, turning mundane neighborhood walks into treasure hunts for locals and visitors alike.

“These things are very loud, very colorful,” Wakeman explains from her Santa Rosa workshop. “You’re walking down the street and seeing the same houses over and over again and then go, holy [expletive], what is that thing?”

That “thing” is likely one of Wakeman’s signature creations security gates that transcend their functional purpose to become neighborhood landmarks. Her journey began with a chance encounter when her neighbor, a welder, agreed to fix her car seat on one condition: she had to learn some welding too. That spark of curiosity led her to Windsor, Ontario, where her grandparents lived across from a welding school, and eventually to her first welding job in Oakland.

The turning point came when an architect friend connected her with clients who wanted a peacock-themed gate for their Castro district home. Fresh out of a business partnership and facing a challenging solo project, Wakeman took the leap. “I said to hell with it,” she recalls. The resulting creation became an instant neighborhood sensation, with passersby stopping to ask for her contact information.

What followed was a cascade of commissions that established her reputation as “the gate girl.” Her second major project for Muttville senior dog rescue generated even more buzz, and word spread organically through San Francisco’s interconnected communities. Each installation becomes a neighborhood event, with curious residents emerging to watch and chat. “I always call it like the mayor of the neighborhood usually comes and tells me all about the neighborhood,” Wakeman laughs.

Her gates tell stories. The Magnolia gate celebrates the trees lining that particular street. The witch-themed creation in Pengrove reflects the clients’ soap-making business and their three-sister partnership. For a Golden Gate Bridge gate, Wakeman went beyond mere representation a friend donated actual Golden Gate Bridge paint, acquired through a creative trade involving beer and bridge workers.

As a woman in the trades, Wakeman acknowledges the initial skepticism she faced but views it as motivation. “When somebody has some doubts in your abilities, you push that much harder to kind of kick ass and take names and blow them out of the water,” she says. She actively encourages other women to explore welding, recommending junior college courses as an accessible starting point.

For Wakeman, the true reward isn’t just artistic satisfaction it’s the community impact. “My gates are not just for a homeowner, they’re for like the whole neighborhood,” she explains. While most artists display work for a month or two, her creations remain on display 24/7, brightening daily commutes and sparking conversations long after installation.

In a city known for its artistic spirit, Katie Wakeman has found her own unique way to contribute to San Francisco’s cultural landscape, one ornate gate at a time.