A crowd of art-loving onlookers at Friday’s inaugural Dockside Dazzle was nothing short of amazed by the sight of a 20-foot, 9,000-pound sculpture propped at Mare Island’s Dry Dock No. 1 boar.

Hosted at the Mare Island Historic Core, the day’s highlight was captured by one key concept: artistic expression.

At the forefront of the event was San Francisco-based artist Zulu Heru, unveiling his towering piece, “Farmer the Rigger.” The piece — described as his “self-portrait sculpture” — represents his vocational journey from his start as a farmer in Richmond, Va., to his current career as a certified rigger and crane operator based in the Bay.

“A lot of people look at art, and they just see it as a dream or sport, but I don’t, Heru told the crowd. “I see my practice as half art, half engineering.”

Using primarily reclaimed materials, including industrial metals and glass, the piece demonstrates a symbol of his lifetime trades, from farmer to serving in the military, then later, crane operator and artist.

“The sculpture tells my trajectory,” he says.

Providing the backdrop for the evening, along with spirits and hearty eats, was Redwood Empire Whiskey Bar & Tasting Room. Organizers Mare Island Company, meanwhile, ensured that artistry was on display at every turn.

Aside from Heru’s much-anticipated unveiling, 10 Bay Area artists participated in live demonstrations throughout the evening.

Building on its partnership with Local Edition Creative through its local sculptural and mural program, Mare Island Company brought together the group of creators to showcase their own interpretations of “artistic expression” in real time.

Using old wine barrels as their canvases, artists including Jesse Hernandez, Brian Arriaga of Concord and Native American artist Felicia Galbadon showcased their individual styles and techniques.

Hernandez, also known as “Urban Aztec,” is a lifelong Bay Area artist who works across a variety of mediums, though he has a particular affinity for spray paint.

His barrel was one of two to display the distinct airy strokes that could only come from an aluminum can.

“I’m rocking a little mural right now, kinda my version of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent — Aztec culture,” he said, pointing to a common theme in his art.

Hernandez has painted murals and worked with several sports teams. He also helped design the San Francisco Giants’ “Gigantes” jerseys, another example of his work incorporating Aztec-inspired imagery.

For the seasoned artist, creating in front of a live audience comes with its own perk.

“In painting murals, you’re always out in public where anything could happen, right? You’re exposed to whoever walks up to you. The live stuff is always fun — sometimes it’s about the interactions even more than the finished piece,” he said.

Just a few barrels down was Oakland-based artist Delilah Borg, aka “Art by Bugz,” working on an expanded demonstration of her series, “Blooming Beauty.”

Her piece, a delicate acrylic display of a young woman — eyes closed — garnering a bursting bouquet, is about “women empowerment,” explains Borg.

“I wanted to include the flowers, because as women we all grow and we become this beautiful thing,” she said. “It’s growth, and womanhood, really.”

As an artist who is relatively new to the live art scene, Borg described the added pressure of creating with an active audience watching. But, like Hernandez, she also sees an opportunity for connection.

“It’s fun, you know? More lively, and over time it gets easier,” she chuckled. “There’s huge exposure to the community, and that’s really what I do art for — the community around me that supports this.”

While the event has come and gone, the artwork created that evening will remain on display. Both the painted barrels and Heru’s Afrocentric sculpture, “Farmer the Rigger,” will stand in front of the Redwood Empire Whiskey site, serving as a semi-permanent reminder of the Bay Area’s undeniable artistic talent — and the community that continues to create it.