"The freshest art is locally grown" - this is the motto of SHOH, a local art gallery in the San Francisco East Bay, and a real gem in the Gilman District of Berkeley showing beautiful work of local artists. Art is an important element of each community. I am grateful to meet people and organizations like SHOH that support this belief. Whether you are interested in buying some of your first art work or are a serious art collector, think local, and buy local in the San Francisco Bay Area. Only then, local artist can live and prosper here in the Bay Area to make even more art and inspire our daily lives.
Here is a list of local galleries and shared studios that either support local art or are run by local artists:
ArtSpan.org: the art institution in San Francisco that offers pretty much everything around local art, both for collectors and for artists. It hosts learning events, a yearly benefit auction, yearly Open Studios, "call for art" opportunities with many local businesses, hotels and restaurants, and many other things around art.
Arc Gallery & Studios: a shared studio space, art consultant and gallery with big focus on local art and frequent "call for artist" opportunities and shows.
The Compound Gallery: a unique, very well run, shared studio space and gallery with pretty much anything a creative person can ask for: woodshop, ceramics studio, print making, 3-D printing, gigantic space with work tables, studios and pretty much anything else you can imagine.
SHOH Gallery: a beautiful art gallery space featuring contemporary sculptures and fine art in the Gilman District of Berkeley - see above.
Art for AIDS: a yearly benefit art auction in San Francisco run by UCSF Alliance Health Project. Local artist can donate their work for a good cause and show their work, and patrons can buy local art while donating for a good cause. Sounds like a win, win, win! This years benefit art auction is coming up on October 20, 2017.
East Bay Open Studios: offers a yearly event where artists open up their studios. Great way to see local art in one weekend.
ACCI Gallery: an artist run gallery in the Gourmet Ghetto of Berkeley. They have member artists, but also open up to other artists during their frequent "call for artists".
Richmond Art Center: One of the largest east bay organizations to offer hands-on art education, studio spaces and contemporary exhibitions in their galleries.
Berkeley Art Center: Nonprofit organization that supports the visual arts from young school artist to professional artists through membership programs, art shows, talks and learning opportunities.
Art Explosion Studios: an artist community and studio space in San Francisco that I discovered only recently at their Open Studio. I saw some really great work there.
There are other organizations, galleries and spaces that support local artists, but I wanted to share a few places I have experienced as an artist myself. And always remember "The freshest art is locally grown!"