Bridging the gap between artists and collectors in the Bay Area

ART WORLD DIARY

2012.5.11 A few volunteer spots left for ArtPadSF at the Phoenix Hotel over the three day fair weekend May 18, 19, 20.  Fun opportunity to network with gallery owners, collectors, press, museum curators and nonprofit administrators. Duties include ticket sales, line management, wristband distribution, checking people in, and running general interference in a creative environment.  Please send a resume and a brief statement about why you'd like to volunteer to info@artpadsf.com

2012.5.6 Everyone's invited! Reserve your ticket now for ArtPadSF’s opening night party benefiting the SFMOMA 2012/13 SECA Art Award.  It's a twofer:  Not only are you supporting SECA, you'll get a sneak preview of the art exhibited by over forty notable galleries from across the country participating in ArtPadSF, San Francisco’s only hotel-based boutique art fair, taking place Friday May 18 to Sunday May 20 at the Phoenix.  Mix and mingle poolside with artists, dealers, curators, press, coolhunters and collectors.  I like to call it “a touch of Art Basel Miami in San Francisco."
 
ArtPadSF's opening night party benefiting SFMOMA's SECA Art Award
Thursday, May 17
The Phoenix Hotel
601 Eddy Street at Larkin
CLICK HERE for tickets http://artpadsf.eventbrite.com/

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM VIP Preview $125 ticket includes
• Enjoy complimentary fare courtesy of Chambers eat + drink, winner of 7x7 magazine’s “Best Newcomer” award
• Complimentary 3-day pass for the remainder of the fair ($35 value)
• Live music by Martin Luther who brings a tireless blend of rock, blues, funk, and R&B
• Open-air video screening by Brent Hoff, Director of Wholphin (McSweeney’s quarterly DVD),
• Performance by San Francisco’s own off-beat all-female a cappella group, The Loose Interpretations.
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM General admission $50

If you can't make it to the party, stop by Friday, Saturday and Sunday to walk the fair and attend one of many great programs.  Programming highlights include:

• Friday, May 18, 11AM-12PM Where Does Art Breathe? Panel Discussion with Meg Shiffler, Director of the San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries, in conversation with Lawrence R. Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; Tomas McCabe, Executive Director of Black Rock Arts Foundation; and Abby Chen, Artistic Director of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco.
• Saturday May 19, 3PM-4PM Tour the fair with yours truly, Marianna Stark of Stark Guide.  I'll pick our stops in the moment depending on what you want to see.
• Saturday May 19, TBD Word on the street is that lucky ArtPadSF patrons might catch internationally renowned artist and designer of The Bay Lights, Leo Villareal, shining bright at ArtPadSF's City Arts & Lectures Pop-Up.
• Saturday May 19 at dusk: Video screening curated by Brent Hoff, director of Whophin
• Sunday, May 20, 3:30-5PM Closing Party with Poolside Performances by Exray's and Future Twin, hosted by Noise Pop

For a complete list of programming visit artpadsf.com and subscribe to our mailing list. For promotions and breaking news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

THANKS TO OUE HONORARY HOST COMMITTEE
Ben Davis, Owner of Words Pictures Ideas, Founder of I Shot Him, Visionary of The Bay Lights, and Chair of Illuminate the Arts; Tom DeCaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs, San Francisco Arts Commission; René de Guzman, Senior Curator of Art, Oakland Museum of California; Matthew Goudeau, Director of Protocol at City and County of San Francisco; Jennifer Hagan, Owner of Urbanis; Ashley Hayes, President of Spinsters of San Francisco; Community Manager at Google; Jay Jeffers, Jeffers Design Group and Cavalier Home; Dorka Keehn, Principal of Keehn on Art; Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission; Supervisor Jane Kim, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (D6); Chris Kelly, President, The Bachelors of San Francisco; Idan Levin, Executive Director, San Pablo Arts District Fund; Jill Manton, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, San Francisco Arts Commission; John Mardikian, Owner of Telegraph Oakland Café & Gallery; Jennifer Orne, Jennifer Orne Design; SF Fine Arts Museums ArtPoint Board of Directors; Doniece Sandoval, Idea Mensch and Board Trustee, ZERO1: The Art Technology Network; Gerry Shih, Technology Reporter, Thomson Reuters; Mauri Skinfill, Director, Unspeakable Projects Gallery; Suzanne Tan, Director, Berkeley Art Center; Heather Villyard, Executive Director of ArtSpan; Co-Chair of SECA Art Award; Adam Walden, Pop-Up Magazine
 
THANKS TO THE ARTPADSF 2012 ADVISORY BOARD
Peter Selz, Professor Emeritus of Art History at UC Berkeley, Founding Director of the Berkeley Art Museum, former Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at MoMA; Steven Wolf, Steven Wolf Fine Arts Gallery; Heather Marx and Steve Zavattero, Marx & Zavattero Gallery

THANKS TO THE SECA COUNCIL
Lizanne Suter, Co-chair; Marcus Keller, Co-chair; Kent Baer, Membership Outreach; Rimma Boshernitsan, Membership Events; Marjory Graue, Member at Large; Kelly Huang, Programs/Education; Soraya Haas, Finance/Membership; Daniel Lucas, SECA Art Award; Kevin Pong, Programs/Education; Katherine Thompson, Programs/Education; Heather Villyard, SECA Art Award

ABOUT SECA

2012.5.4 Nothing lasts forever indeed.  Marx Zavattero Gallery is moving, closing their doors at 77 Geary this summer and is on the hunt for a new SOMA location.

2012.5.2 BAM is kicking the Kickstarter concept up a notch and seeking donations starting at $10 to fund its upcoming Barry McGee exhibition.  Gifts will be matched by the East Bay Community Foundation.

2012.4.21 Join me Thursday, May 10, at the Vernissage Preview Party celebrating the opening of the San Francisco Art Institute 2012 Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition.  Be among the first to see the best new work of nearly 100 artists graduating from the country’s most forward-thinking fine art school.  Meet and mingle with the artists in the rooms and by the pool of the retro-chic Phoenix Hotel, known for its rock ‘n roll edge and creative spirit.

What makes this event so special is that as a guest of Vernissage, you're invited to walk the show with one of 12 esteemed curators: Lucinda Barnes, Chief Curator and Director of Programs and Collections, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; Natasha Boas, Curator, Museum of Craft and Folk Art; Karin Breuer, Curator In Charge, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Julian Cox, Founding Curator of Photography and Chief Curator, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum; Diana Daniels, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, Crocker Art Museum; Courtney Fink, Executive Director, Southern Exposure; Rudolf Frieling, Curator of Media Arts, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; René de Guzman, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California; Betti-Sue Hertz, Director of Visual Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; JoAnne Northrup, Director of Contemporary Art Initiatives, Nevada Museum of Art; Sandra Phillips, Senior Curator of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Renny Pritikin, Director of Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis.
 
SFAI Vernissage Preview Party
http://www.sfai.edu/previewparty
Thursday, May 10
6:00-10:00 PM
Phoenix Hotel
601 Eddy Street @ Larkin

6:00 entrance $350 and up
-Tour of exhibition with one of 12 curators
-Cocktail buffet and drinks
-Visit every artist to complete a limited edition “Mad Libs” game by Tony Labat, director of SFAI's New Genres program
-Valet shuttle service from UC Hastings parking garage

7:00 entrance $200
-Cocktail buffet, drinks, entertainment
-Self-guided tour of exhibition

This is the San Francisco Art Institute’s premier annual fundraiser. All net proceeds support student scholarships.

2012.4.16 YBCA has launched a new art interest group program called You.  $8/month on top of the $85/year Basic Household membership.  Notable benefits include your own personal "LiveGuide" to help you navigate the arts offerings at YBCA & beyond, and an individualized Artistic Immersion Plan (AIP) custom-tailored to your interests, experience and goals.  

2012.4.15 ArtPadSF seeks volunteers for three hour shifts at the Phoenix Hotel over the three day fair weekend May 18, 19, 20.  Fun opportunity to network with gallery owners, collectors, press, museum curators and nonprofit administrators. Duties include ticket sales, line management, wristband distribution, checking people in, and running general interference in a creative and chaotic environment.  Please send a resume and a brief statement about why you'd like to volunteer to info@artpadsf.com

2012.4.14 2012 Guggenheim Fellows announced.  Congrats to the hometown visual artists on the list: Mr. Michael Arcega, Artist, San Francisco, California & Faculty Member, Stanford University, Department of Art and Art History, and Adjunct Faculty Member, California College of the Arts: Fine Arts;  Ms. Teresa Caldeira, Professor of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley: Graffiti, tagging, skateboarding, motorcycling: new urban practices and configurations of public space in São Paulo;  Mr. John Jota Leaños, Artist, San Francisco, California, and Assistant Professor of Social Documentation, University of California, Santa Cruz: Film-Video  Mr. Ron Nagle, Artist, San Francisco, California: Fine Arts;  Mr. Carlos Villa, Artist, San Francisco, California, and Professor of Painting, San Francisco Art Institute: Fine Arts.

2012.4.13 Hou Hanru to step down as SFAI’s Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs

2012.3.31 Electric Works' new address?

2012.3.25 I am excited to invite you to Private Collections: The Spring Art Tours benefiting Enterprise for High School Students.  I have attended this fundraiser for many years (I was an Enterprise kid once),and am now honored to be a member of the organizing committee.

What makes this event so special is that every collector is an insider who is actively involved in the scene (and happens to have a divine home as well).  As is tradition, this year's collectors were recommended by our advisory committee; thanks to Claudia Altman-Siegel, John & Gretchen Berggruen, Frish Brandt, Claire Carlevaro, Michael Hackett, Francis Mill, Jessica Silverman, Kay Kimpton Walker and Sabrina Buelle, honorary chair, for their contributions as advisors.  And thanks to the honorary host committee for helping us get the word out:  Stephen Beal, Marjory Graue, Glen Helfand, Marcus Keller, Patricia Maloney, Michael Simpson, Lizanne Suter, and Jennifer Weiss.

The fundraiser takes place in seven homes simultaneously on Wednesday, April 18 from 5:30-6:30, in neighborhoods ranging from the Castro to Sea Cliff to SOMA to Cow Hollow.  Then there's an after-party that night from 6:30-8:30 at designer Jay Jeffers' new home store Cavalier,1035 Post Street.  

Tickets start at $100 and allow you to pick three collections that you are most interested in and assures you will see one of those choices.  $200 assures your first choice, and $500 also includes a ticket to the VIP pre-party at the Presidio Heights home of Pamela Joyner and Fred Giuffrida on April 4 from 6:00-8:00, who have an extensive collection including Post WWII African American artists with a focus on abstraction. 

To learn more about the collections on view and to buy tickets click here: www.privatecollections.org.
 

2012.3.22 The 42nd Neiman Marcus store just opened on March 9 in Walnut Creek, and Chandra Cerrito did the art.  Working closely with the corporate curator, Chandra Cerrito / Art Advisors selected and commissioned over 100 works by 20 California artists for permanent installation.  Most featured artists are Bay Area residents and range from recent MFA graduates to well-established regional luminaries. Fine art has been an integral part of the store environment since 1951 when Stanley Marcus acquired “Mariposa”, a large-scale mobile by Alexander Calder, currently hanging in the Beverly Hills store.

2012.3.15 Todd Hosfelt shares photos and blogs about highly anticipated new location for his gallery, but still no address revealed...

2012.3.14 Electric Works GIANT moving sale takes place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 15–17 from 11am – 5pm.  They will be offering amazing, ridiculous deals on bookstore merchandise!  Deep discounts on all store merchandise, mini-prints and some art treasures that have been stashed away. Our flat files will be open and we will have special offers on editions. Books 40-70% off, store merchandise 50% off, all mini-prints 50% off

2012.3.01 Words of advice from Mark Buell to the visual arts community trying to drive America's Cup visitors to galleries, museums and nonprofits when the race fans are here next spring:  Come to the table with your proposals and funds in hands.  The America's Cup Organizing Committee executive director is focused on raising funds for his own 501c3 first and foremost.  They've got about $10M now and need $20M more...

2012.2.29 One of SFAI's most esteemed professors in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies has left to become Chair of Social and Cultural Anthropology at CIIS.  In the few years Andrej Grubacic taught at the SFAI he developed a strong following among students, who greatly appreciated his intellectual breadth, his unwavering political commitments and passion for social justice, and his personal warmth.  Andrej’s courses at the SFAI included “Spaces of Hope” on the graduate level and undergraduate courses such as “Multicultural Europe” and “Authority and Resistance in Europe: 1000 – 1450.” 

2012.2.23 It's fashionable to support the arts: For the rest of February, shop at Saks San Francisco and the luxury department store will donate 5% of your purchases made with a registered Saks credit card to the Asian Art Museum.   Saks says this program is "part of their efforts to support the immediate community." Saks San Francisco has chosen four arts organizations to benefit from this program: The Asian Art Museum, The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary, The San Francisco Opera Guild, and San Francisco Symphony.

2012.2.22 ArtPadSF announced some of the great programming lined up for art fair weekend: CCA Curatorial Practice graduate students will curate an exhibition showcasing emerging Bay Area talent; City Arts and Lectures will curate engaging conversation (and invite their subscribers); Brett Hoff, Director of Wholphin (McSweeney's quarterly DVD magazine), will curate the courtyard video screening; Noise Pop (celebrating its 20th bday this year) will do a live poolside performance; and Pop Up Magazine (sold out Issue 5 at Davies in less than twenty minutes last November) is on board too!

2012.2.21 Museum of Craft and Design is moving from its slip on Sutter Street across from Hang Art to an 8,000-square-foot space in the American Industrial Center at 2569 Third Street in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. Scheduled to be open by mid-2012, click here for more details.

2012.2.18 Happy to hear that Holly Fouladi has found gallery space.  "After many months of looking over the water and through the woods, we have found a lovely new location for fouladi projects gallery... at 1803 Market street between Valencia and Guererro...  The  renovation has commenced and the space is metamorphosing and becoming more butterfly like each day."  She certainly knows the neighborhood, she's a stone's throw from her old space Lincart, her former venture with Charles Linder.

2012.2.15 Now all three fairs have picked dates for the dance.  Yesterday ArtPadSF announced that the beneficiary of its opening night preview party will be SFMOMA's 2012/13 SECA Art Award.  San Francisco Fine Art Fair's is Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and artMRKT's is the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco. Only two months left to go til fair weekend!

2012.2.12 Lotta important local collectors interested in photography these days and institutions are responding.  See the programming for SFMOMA Modern Art Council's 2012 Art Sandwiched In lecture series; and SFAI special luncheon at Cavallo Point's Murray Circle Restaurant honoring students from the school's "golden decade" of photography '45-'55, right after Ansel Adams and Minor White established the department. 

2012.2.11 Intriguing press release: "12 Gallagher Lane is pleased to announce the appointment of Larry Block as Art Salon Director and Principal Curator.... Larry began his career in New York CIty at the Magna Gallery in 1988, and joined the Eleonore Austerer Gallery in San Francisco shortly after in 1990. He has since been a staple in San Francisco’s Fine Art scene, joining the prestigious Serge Sorokko Gallery in 1994 up until his appointment at 12 Gallagher Lane."

2012.2.8 The Lucid Art Foundation's JB Blunk Residency Program has ended.  The foundation is in the process of redesigning and re-visioning the residency program at the Foundation main campus in the Bishop Pine Preserve where the JB Blunk house and other artists in residence are located. The residency program will resume in 2012/13. Check the website for details: http://www.lucidart.org

2012.2.5 Mama Buzz Cafe and Gallery, ground zero of the Oakland Art Murmur, has closed.  The new cafe & gallery in the space (called Telegraph) is run by John Mardikian whose dad Haig is landlord to many art galleries, and is the guy to thank for revitalizing the neighborhood. "“...We had the idea of renting these old storefronts to artists,” said Rod Kiracofe, Mardikian’s property manager. “Young artists move into neighborhoods that are generally marginal because rents are good. After they opened Papa Buzz, it really started to take off through word of mouth. One piece led to another. These were creative people, and they just started working together and soon it became a scene all on its own.” SOURCE

2012.1.28 Ann Weber (who is in charge of managing the excellent programming at the Berkeley Art Center AND an accomplished artist) is now represented by Dolby Chadwick Gallery.

2012.1.27 What's the difference between Art Debutant/SanFrancisco and ArtSpan?

2012.1.25 The Sustainable Arts Foundation's Spring 2012 Awards application period has begun.  SAF offers unrestricted cash awards to artists and writers with families -- specifically, at least one child under the age of 18.  "Too often, creative impulses are set aside to meet the wonderful, but pressing, demands of raising a family. The foundation's goal is to encourage parents to continue pursuing their creative passion, and to rekindle it in those who may have let it slide."  In this award cycle, they will be offering (5) $6,000 awards and (5) $6,000 "Promise" awards.  The application deadline is March 1st, 2012.  Apply here.

2012.1.24 Buy before they are famous!  One of my favorite sales is happening this Saturday 1/28- a pop-up sale featuring the work of the 24 Mills MFA students to fund their graduation exhibition catalog.  Nothing over $80! and El Taco Bike will be outside.  6-8, Marion and Rose's Workshop, 461 9th St., Oakland, marionandrose.com, member of the pop-up hood, close to 12th St. BART Station.

2012.1.18 The "save the date" for the May 1 Berkeley Art Museum gala honoring Cissie Swig arrived and wow, it's expensive.  Opening price point ticket is $1000 ($800 deductible).  I think the last party in recent memory that was this pricey was SFMOMA's 75th.  The top tier ticket "honorary committee" at $10,000 includes an exclusive behind the scenes tour for you and your inner circle of the upcoming Barry McGee retrospective with Larry Rinder. 

2012.1.14 Twitter's impeding arrival in the Mid-Market area is heating up demand for real estate.  On Eigth between Mission and Howard it's red hot, and as a result, Noah Lang reports that after almost five years in that location Electric Works is looking for a new home.  The landlord of 180 8th Street has been looking for a tenant to fill the upper floors of the building for years and recently they got an offer they couldn't refuse for all four floors.  So last night the reception for Kathering Westerhout and Jim Haynes was the last one in that location; a new begining with the new year.

2012.1.4 Julina Togonon is closing her physical space at 77 Geary and continuing on as Julina Togonon Fine Arts.  Moving On party this Friday, 5-8pm.

2012.1.3 It's the end of an era: Triple Base is closing its doors.  Co-founder Dina Pugh (who took over the gallery from Oliver Halsman Rosenberg with Joyce Grimm in '07 and made it their own) has relocated to New York.  Closing party this Saturday, January 7th, starting at 8pm and going late.

2012.1.2 Whoops.  Seems that because I don't live in Emeryville, I am not eligible for the Public Art Committee.  So disappointing!

2012.1.1 Sad news about John Buchanan.  He took a bit of heat and criticism but seemed to have been fulfilling the FAMSF board's wishes.  The obit in the Chron left out a few great shows including Asawa, Nevelson and Westwood.

2011.12.27 Today headed to the other end of the bay for the Joan Brown show at the San Jose Museum of Art.  Could have taken the train but pocketbook was still stinging from yesterday's trip to Sacto.  Interesting to see that most of the work was included courtesy of her son + husband + Paule Anglim, which I assume means it's all for sale.

2011.12.26 Since I'm married to a (former) clay guy, made a pilgrimage to see the Clayton Bailey show at the Crocker.  Took Amtrak from Emeryville to Sacto- $27 one way! But extremely entertaining and very relaxing.  Short walk from the station to the museum made it extra-easy.  Will def do again.  Word to the wise- figure out how the regular commuters buy their tix first.

2011.12.21 Lila Kanner executive director of Artadia, is stepping down as her family is relocating to Boston.  Founder Chris Vroom himself is heading up the search commitee for her replacement.  Big shoes to fill! 

2011.12.20 Fun news I have been appointed to the City of Emeryville's Public Art Committee.   (Technically I live in Oakland but our house literally straddles the border so I consider myself a resident of both cities.)  With the new Arts and Cultural Center being designed by Jensen Architects, it's a particulary exciting time in E-Ville!

2011.12.19 Berkeley Art Museum has two plum jobs posted:  Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Phyllis C. Wattis MATRIX Curator and Director of Engagement

2011.12.15 After 19 years with SFMOMA, Libby Garrison is the new director of marketing and communications at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.

2011.12.14 Stanford's Board of Trustees approves sites for two new arts buildings:  The Anderson Collection at Stanford University, which will open in 2014, and the McMurtry Building, which will open in 2015, will join the Bing Concert Hall, which will open in 2013, and the Cantor Arts Center as cornerstones of the new arts district.  The core of the Anderson Collection, 121 works by 86 artists, is being donated to Stanford by Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson, and Mary Patricia Anderson Pence, the Bay Area family that collected the art over nearly 50 years. The arrival of the collection will represent a milestone for the Stanford Arts Initiative, a university-wide effort to enhance and support the arts and creativity and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with the arts throughout campus.

2011.12.12 David Cunningham of the eponymous gallery just joined the board of SOEX and is offering to match donations to that nonprofit of up to $2500 out of his own pocket.  Can we clone him? 

2011.12.10 San Francisco Art Dealers Association launches First Saturday beginning Jan 7.

2011.12.9 SFMOMA assistant curator of painting and sculpture Ali Gass named curator at MSU's Broad Museum

2011.12.7 After weeding through 50 applications, San Francisco Arts Commission named a very young and very qualified Thomas DeCaigney director of cultural affairs to replace Luis Cancel. 

2011.12.6 No more whining about being a B-list art town; Deitch San Francisco opens Thursday at 445 O'Farrell Street, right next to Ever Gold. 

2011.12.5 Back now and am catching up on all the news in my in-box since I left, beginning with SFMOMA's anachronistic announcement: "We have... reached a new milestone in our expansion plans. With nearly 80 percent of the capital campaign goal raised two years ahead of the groundbreaking for our expansion, the museum's Board of Trustees has raised the capital campaign goal to $555 million from $480 million. These additional funds will go towards more and better spaces for education, exhibitions, and programs"...  After four years in business in SF Gallery 291 is closing...  Board changes at Zero1... Writer/artist Dave Eggers is Issue 16 of The Thing... Sunny Taylor's Yelling Clinic (founded in partnership with Katherine Sherwood) focused on issues of war, pollution and disability, is raising money to travel to Viet Nam to research the lingering effects of the chemical Agent Orange and to work with disabled Vietnamese activists and artists... SFAC continues to dialog about the SF Chron article by holding a series of open houses (join the mailing list to be invited); props for being open about the whole thing but everybody loves the SFAC- is all this explanation necessary? 

2011.12.3 Shuttle from the convention center to the mainland not running early AM so we commandeered a van-cab with four other dismayed ladies back over to the Design District.  There hit Scope (lots of tats) and had time to take a look at Red Dot.  RD Fair organizer George Billis has doubled the size of his tent this year and filled the new space with independent artist-produced "solo projects-" a surprise for galleries in the front section of the fair.  Then took a cab downtown to Miami Art Museum to see the Faith Ringgold show.  Back uptown to take a peek at the tiny Burst show (6 booths) a block from our hotel.  Then up Collins to recuperate at the Raliegh Hotel where we almost didn't make it through the forcefield to the bar/pool and had to wave our Basel VIP card around.  Phew!  

2011.12.2 Slowing down on Day 3: Only made it to hipster fair NADA (very clever that nonprofit model).  PM drinks with Jennifer Weiss who had flown in the night before, then went to the Armani party at the W Hotel where the fashion was even more impressive than the Basel VIP preview hours. 

2011.12.1 The joke's on me about the "brunch" at the Rubell Family Collection (current exhibition appropriately named American Exuberance).  As veterans of this event know Jennifer Rubell makes you earn your breakfast (this year art lovers held up jars of yogurt to a dripping stream of honey coming from the ceiling, blown around by the wind- embarrassing to try AND witness).  Then over to another "brunch" at Pulse where dealers were in the dark- literally.  The fair had lost power and only about half of the exhibitors benefited from generator power.  Some dealers' booths were completely obscured.  Those showing neon were OK about it. Caterers couldn't start seling expensive salads until 245 because there was no power for the credit card machines (I hope no one got food poisoning from lack of refrigeration.).  Then took a very efficient shuttle to Art Miami.  Dinner that night with Trish Bransten at Wynwood Kitchen; Marx and Zavattero two booths away.

2011.11.30 Bumped in to Ravin and Alka Agrawal (SECA, MAC) and their two kids at the FLL Virgin luggage claim at 830 am coming off the red eye...  Limited number of Bay Area peeps spotted at the Art Basel VIP preview:  Larry Rinder at the Galerie 1999-2000 booth with a half dozen BAM ULDs in tow... the Stones... former San Franciscan and now Chicago resident and newly apointed director of Chicago's ArtExpo Nicole Berry.  Later at the Sotherby's/Atadia reception at The Standard, saw Artadia/SECA pals Rimma Bottershan, Kelly Huang and Kevin Pong; host Chris Vroom was taking pictures while mixing.  And at the hopping Aqua Hotel fair opening (big SF contingent), representatives from San Francisco Fine Art Fair and ArtMrkt were networking up a storm.  

2011.11.29 Heading to Miami on the red-eye tonight with Maria Jenson.  Looking forward to interviewing San Francisco/Oakland dealers from the front lines when we arrive.  Got a burning question about this whole art fair biz you want me to ask?  Email me at stark.guide@gmail.com

2011.11.23 I am thankful that Elysa Lozano has figured this whole art economy out.  

2011.11.20 Maria Jenson, director of ArtPadSF has been invited to blog about the Miami art fairs next week for the Huffington Post by arts editor Kimberly Brooks. 

2011.11.19 Jeffrey Fraenkel and Frish Brandt are the latest "power couple" featured in First Republic Bank's signature magazine back cover ad.

2011.11.18 SECA's 50th anniversary show covered by Reyhan Harmanci for Bay Citizen/New York Times

2011.11.17 Neighbors promoted neighbors in the Mission last night.  Three great venues cross-promoted, making all of them a destination.  The Thing gang was wrapping the latest issue by McFadden & Thorpe (by day the duo are graphic designers to the stars); SOEX was open late as a performance art element of the current exhibition Working Conditions; but the real action was at Kadist Art Foundation.  There, curatorial practice believers sipped Manhattans (maraschino cherry yes) and nibbled on brownies while advisory board members Larry Rinder of BAM and Jens Hoffman of the Wattis Institute debated the auteur theory of curating.  SRO spectators expected a mano-a-mano affair, but it turns out the two mavens are on same page.  Interesting closing words from both: The Wattis Insitute is looking to hire a curator early next year who will focus on collaborating with partner institution CCA's students, and Rinder is exploring how BAM can support other disciplines on the Cal campus.

2011.11.16 Audit as therapy at the SF Arts Commission

2011.11.12 Congrats to the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, recently awarded a big grant from the Warhol Foundation.  The tiny jewelbox on Yerba Buena Lane has a tiny budget too; the recognition is not only a huge compliment to director Jennifer McCabe and curator Natasha Boas and the whole team for their programming over the last few years, it's a big shot of adrenaline for the future.  Their new exhibition, FIAT LUX Randy Colosky New Works was commissioned, the first exhibition to benefit from the new funds. 

2011.11.10 7x7 Magazine hosted their design issue launch party at The McLoughlin Gallery last night and the place was hopping. Nosh provided by Trace (proudly committed to locally sourced ingredients), the new restaurant in the W Hotel.  Joan McLoughlin opened her space at 49 Geary within the last year and then officially arrived on the scene when the gallery was featured on the cover of 7x7s art issue last July "The New Guard: 5 of the City's Most Exciting New Galleries" along with Baer Ridgway, Ever Gold, Guerrero Gallery and Gallery Hijinks.  Gallery director is Cynthia Kagay, who does double duty as SECA's coordinator and is a founding board member of Artadia's Junior Council West. Note a famous last name listed in the stable shared with a dealer who had a well-respected galery in SF for years.  The McLoughlin Gallery will donate a percentage of net sales to Stanford Cancer Center towards efforts for prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

2011.11.8 Today Liz Thomas announced she is no longer the curator of Berkeley's MATRIX Program for Contemporary Art .  Gyongy Laky, formerly with Braunstein/Quay, is now a gallery artist with Cain Schulte Contemporary Art (Marina Cain used to work for Ruth Braunstein).  Walnut Creek's Bedford Gallery has an open part time program manager position- with benefits. 

2011.11.4 Exciting news!  This year I have a formal role, associate director, in ArtPadSF.  Website launched yesterday!

2011.11.3 Well it's about time.  49 Geary now has a polite sign at the front desk that says "for the safety of our patrons, dogs are no longer allowed on First Thursday gallery night" and there are THREE guards there to enforce the new rule.  Phew!

2011.11.2 Kudos to Alka Agrawal, SFMOMA Bay Area Art Treasure Award Chair.  The annual award given to a Bay Area artist for lifetime achievement is organized by the MAC Council.  This year Mark di Suvero (Berggruen Gallery) is begin honored.  Alka has upped the ante and turned the ladies-who-lunch event into a glamorous evening dinner party.  Tickets start at $350.  Way to get the husbands involved!

2011.11.1 Happy to be back in the swing of things!  As some of you know I have a full time job in an unrelated field... just coming up for air after a very busy time.  See you at First Thursday!

2011.10.30 Cantor Museum director Tom Seligman retires; gives candid interview to Kenneth Baker 

2011.10.28 Best speaker of all at the San Francisco Fine Antiques Show has to be Robert Wittman, former Special Agent and Founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team (today at 2:30pm).  Snaps to Lisa Podos, fair director, for shaking things up this year by inviting Chef Tyler Florence to be honorary chair.  There's a fair for everyone- this one hosts The Ames Gallery, John Berggruen Gallery, Hackett | Mill, Montgomery Gallery, & Sarah Stocking

2011.10.21 Art and politics collids at the Jeff Adachi for Mayor.fundraising auction tonight.  Art donated by Andrew Schoultz, Barry McGee, Kevin Taylor, Theophilus Brown, Hilary Pecis, Matt Gonzalez, Ryan Coffey, Guy Overfelt, and more.  Co-hosted by Anres Guerrero.,

2011.10.2 Michael Rosenthal opened his kimono to his mailing list yesterday: "The cost of participating as an exhibitor is on average $20,000 and up.  This includes, transportation, shipping, hotel, car, install, insurance, labor, lack of sleep, huge coffee consumption.  
This week there are major art fairs in LA: Pulse, Art Platform and Fountain. We stayed home. So we saved $20,000 dollars. The traditional formula for the consignment of artwork is the gallery gets 50% of sales and the artist gets 50%. We are reducing the share the gallery receives substantially while committing to pay the artists their full 50%.  By not going to this weekend's art fairs we can offer $20,000 dollars in discounts this week. All of the gallery inventory is priced at 10% to 40% off. We will be posting these prices online asap however to encourage your participation this weekend, we are offering a 30% discount off all inventory. Please call, write, or visit to inquire about purchasing. If you can't come to the gallery, we will ship the work to you at the discounted price, we pay the shipping. If you do not like the work, send it back within seven days for a full refund. This works for us, puts some needed dollars in the artists pockets and affords. us the opportunity to offer exceptional work to our friends and community at an exceptional price."

2011.10.1 There's a trifecta of openings at CCA Tuesday night: "Painting Between the Lines" at the Logan Galleries, "More American Photographs" at the Wattis Institute, and "Americana" at the Wattis Augustine Gallery.

2011.9.30 Abstract expressionism is alive and well in Emeryville on the walls of the 25th annual Emery Arts exhibition.  The opening reception tonight demonstrated strong community spirit, but the city is going to have to up its game to match the new building designed by Jensen Archtects that will open next fall.  (Mark Jensen's most recent high profile success in the art world is the SFMOMA roof garden.)

2011.9.25 Updates on Baer Ridgway split:  Eli has rebranded as Eli Ridgway Gallery following Kent Baer's departure from the partnership.  Kent Baer has joined forces with Chris Perez is now the gallery director at Ratio3. 

2011.9.24 Matthew Draving (#2 guy at Johannson Projects by day), unvelis a new video piece tonight at Important Projects.

2011.9.22 SFMOMA is increasing membership prices in November.  Renew online before then and get the old price for one more year.

2011.9.21 Pledge drive on steroids:  Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive is taking a page from public broadcasting's pledge drive strategy and offering amazing perqs when you buy an econo-friendly $50 membership (one visit costs $10).  The museum has inaugurated the East Bay Discount Club offering a myriad of deals at local eateries plus Kala, Cal Performances, Moe's, Hotel Durant and more.   

2011.9.20 Firm letter from OCMA's Art Guild Travel Committee Chair Sandy Kessenick reminding members that they must join the museum at the $150 level if they wish to participate in overnight trips.  The first notice that the Art Guild was catching up with the times came in the June 2011 newsletter, and it appears that people signing up for the amazing trips offered missed the missive.  "We are aware that most museums require that those who travel with them support the institution at levels of membership significantly higher than $150."  The old structure allowed members to participate in guild activities for $20 annually- and they didn't have to belong to the museum.   Good move by GGoodGGGGGGP

2011.9.13  Happy gathering last night at SFAI to welcome Charles Desmarais, new president of SFAI. Catering generously arranged by school trustee and McCall's EVP Lee Gregory.  The party was completely full by 5:45pm thanks to valet parking.  It was such a nice night that no one would go inside so staff moved the food tables out to the courtyard.  Diane Frankel gave a spirited welcome speech listing Desmarais' most compelling attributes, which culminated in "loves fundraising!"  Desmarais said a few words hailing SFAI's important place in the history of California art, The mood was happy and upbeat, and everyone was very excited about the school's new chapter.  Many bold faced names spotted in the crowd: "the competition," CCA's Stephen Beal, trustee emeriti Paule Anglim & Roselyne C Swig, the youngest trustee Eli Ridgway of Baer Ridgway Exhibitions, and the woman everyone wants to meet, Elaine Asher director of development for the San Francisco America's Cup Organizing Committee. 

2011.9.8 Danielle Fox is relocating Slate Centemporary from Oakland's hot foodie Temescal neighborhood to the even hotter downtown scene on 25th between Telegraph and Broadway next door to Vessel Gallery.  AND she's taken on the job of executive director for Art Murmur (the website already looks updated and awesome).  And speaking of Art Murmur, Jasmine Moorhead of Krowswork on 23rd reports a FOUR-FOLD increase in traffic since member galleries launched Saturday Stroll recently: lots of couples on dates!

2011.9.7 Art & Tacos is back!  The grass roots networking event for the Bay Area visual arts professionals (curators, writers, educators, art dealers, gallerists, & arts administrators) is just for fun- with no art or outstretched hand in sight.  The first annual Art & Tacos get together was founded about this time last year by the ArtFabric gang: SFAC Gallery director Meg Shiffler, all-around power broker Julie Lazar, Raman Frey of Frey Norris Contemporary & Modern, and interim cultural affairs director of the SFAC JD Beltran; and held at Beltran's Potrero Hill home.  This year the ante's been upped, and it's being hosted by the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and will be held in the lobby of YBCA in mid-September.  If you didn't get an invite but want to be there, just find a friend who was invited and ask them to add you to the list. 

2011.9.5 I'm all for public art, but $9M for Mario Chiodo's "Remember Them: Champions for Humanity" (featured in today's Chron) seems off.  (All but $182k came from private donations- WHO are those people??)  Allison Smith, chair of the CCA sculpture department, thinks so too: "There are far more radical approaches you could talk about that incorporate direct action and social change into the sculpture itself," she said, adding that she believed $9 million spent for arts education in West Oakland would have probably made a bigger difference."  Courtney Fink took it a step further and said out loud what's on everyone's mind: "The art community in Oakland is really thriving right now," she said "It's an up and coming part of the arts scene. I'm struck by how out of tune this seems. ... It's not an of-the-moment piece."  I am struck by how most every public art commission project listed in the Cafe system asks the applicant to talk about past experience with public commissions, making it impossible to break into the system, and making it easy for guys like Scott Donahue and Mario Chiodo to be awarded multiple commissions.

2011.9.1 End your dependence on web designers and host providers forever!  I cannot say enough nice things about popslice.com -it's the perfect tool for creating and managing your own website.  It's the easiest back-end I've ever used- easier than any blogging tool or open source design program.  The least tech-savvy person on earth can manage this.  Every artist should be using it for its BEAUTIFUL portfolio management tools- BEAUTIFUL galleries to choose from.   For about $140 per year total (including hosting) you can redirect your personal URL to your popslice account.  They're even home grown- based in Oakland!  Thanks to Jenifer Kent for telling me about it.  Sam's hooked up now too.

2011.8.20 For everyone who was disappointed when Fraenkel, Silverman and Meier passed on all three fairs last May, they've picked their team:  SF20/21 (formerly SF20) the art & design show and sale September 15-18 sponsored by Dolphin Promotions with opening night gala benefiting SFMOMA.  Official hotel of the fair is the Hilton / San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf. 

2011.8.17 Email from Oakland Museum's director Lori Fogarty to donors announcing internal reorg: "The Museum staff is now organized into six cross-functional centers that bring together disciplines, specialties and expertise previously segmented into traditional departments of art, history, and natural sciences. The six centers are: the OMCA Lab, the Audience and Civic Engagement Center, the Creative Production Center, the Collections and Information Access Center, the Resource and Enterprise Center, and the Institutional Support Center. Built upon the new ways of working that Museum staff embraced as part of our major transformation, this reorganization ensures our ability to be a center of public dialogue, learning, reflection, and creative exploration of California and its people." 

2011.8.14 Snaps to Colin Christy's 26 fans who together contributed $2,136.00 to fund his "Wild & Scenic" installation at Swarm Gallery (opening reception Aug 20, 6-8pm). Seems like micro-donation, building on the success of the Grameen Foundation's microcredit concept, is a viable alternative to applying for grants (and gets to the heart of the matter quickly, establishing whether or not there is an audience for the work). 

2011.8.13 Maria Jenson, director of ArtPadSF, has joined the Berkeley Art Center's board of directors

2011.8.12 A scrapbook-worthy press release: "OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCES NEW PHONE NUMBER.   (OAKLAND, CA) August 12, 2011---The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) has a new phone number: 510-318-8400 effective Monday August 15. The toll free number remains unchanged at 800-OAKMUSE or 800-625-2258."  Roger.  Can't help but thinking that this is somehow related to the OMCA's pending divorce from the City of Oakland...

2011.8.9 It's that time- fishing in a barrel!  Excited for my favorite juried show for emerging artists, the Jack & Gertrude Murphy Fellowships, and the Edwin Anthony & Adelaine Bordeaux Cadogan Fellowships in the Fine Arts.  Curated this year by Susan O’Malley of the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Chris Perez of Ratio 3 Gallery, and Justin Hoover of SOMArts Cultural Center.  And for the first time the exhibit is being held at SoMArts. Who are the Murphys and Cadogans?  Wish funding institution San Francisco Foundation would tell us more about them.  Artists who are selected for this award are between their first and second year in grad school- nominated by their teachers.  Exhibition information here. Fellowship recipients:

Andrew Chapman, Stanford University
Li Chen, San Francisco Art Institute
James Coquia, California College of the Arts
Christine Elfman, California College of the Arts
Joel Frudden, San Francisco Art Institute
Stephanie Halmos, California College of the Arts
Joey Izzo, San Francisco State University
Adam Katseff, Stanford University
Michael Koehle, Mills College
Senalka McDonald, California College of the Arts
Kate Nartker, California College of the Arts
Toyin Odutola, California College of the Arts
Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, University of California, Berkeley
Kari Orvik, University of California, Berkeley
Maya Pasternak, California College of the Arts
Christine Peterson, California College of the Arts
Yulia Pinkusevich, Stanford University
Michelle Ramin, San Francisco Art Institute
Amy Rathbone, University of California, Berkeley
Helene Schlumberger, California College of the Arts
Sofia Sharpe, Mills College
Elia Vargas, San Francisco State University
Rachel Weiss, San Francisco Art Institute

2011.8.6 Sure to be a "Paris in the 20s" moment at Gallery Hijinks tonight, kicking off a solo show for Greg Ito, co-owner of  Ever Gold Gallery and co-founder/editor of San Francisco Arts Quarterly (both ventures with business partner Andrew McClintock).

2011.8.5 Oakland Art Murmur tonight!  Dinner last night with Derek Weisberg, the founder of the Murmur.  He's headed from OAK to JFK on a one-way ticket tomorrow for a residency with Greenwich House