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Pictured: Overturn the Artifice, a 2013 Commons Curatorial Residency Exhibition, photo by V. Crown
Pictured: Overturn the Artifice, a 2013 Commons Curatorial Residency Exhibition, photo by V. Crown

ATTN: BAY AREA ARTISTS & CURATORS!!

SOMArts Cultural Center is now accepting applications for the Commons Curatorial Residency program!

Artists/curators selected for exhibition funding receive project grants up to $3,000, exhibition space in the SOMArts Main Gallery, installation, technical and event production support, and community engagement/public relations support valued at $23,000.

Want to learn more? RSVP for the first information session, Monday, September 23, 6:30pm. Please click here for further details.

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The centuries-old tradition of building altars to welcome and celebrate deceased loved ones fuses with present-day artists’ sentiments on the state of life and politics in the Day of the Dead 2012 exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center. Elaborate, traditional altars and multi-dimensional art installations are on display in Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future: Día de los Muertos 2012.

The annual Day of the Dead exhibition provides a way for more than 80 participating artists and more than 4,000 exhibition visitors & 800 touring school children to embrace the beauty of life and to honor the spirits of the dead.

Calling on the Spirits to Face the Future is dedicated to the late Daniel del Solar, a Chilean-American media activist, poet and photographer, and the late John Edward Buchanan, Jr., Director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Click here to watch a video made at last year’s exhibition.

Source Text: SOMArts Cultural Center

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THE COMMONS CURATORIAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM ~ 2013–14 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

SOMArts Cultural Center’s Commons Curatorial Residency Program contributes to the dynamic cultural ecosystem in the Bay Area by providing space and support for exhibitions that take creative risks, promote cultural connectivity and learning, and instigate accessible, multifaceted participation in the arts. Selected artists and groups receive support consisting of a $3,000 grant, a month-long exhibition in the SOMArts Main Gallery, 80+ hours of  technical assistance, and help with traditional and social media outreach to connect their work with new audiences.  Through this support, Bay Area artists can engage the community, expand their practice and turn vision into reality.

SOMArts is requesting proposals for exhibitions in the Main Gallery for the 2013–14 season. This request is open to artists and independent curators presenting contemporary work in any medium.

Please read through all documents, including the FAQ and eligibility guidelines, carefully. ALL LETTERS OF INTENT MUST BE RECEIVED VIA ONLINE SUBMISSION BY 11:59PM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2012. No late applications will be accepted, we strongly recommend submitting your proposal at least one week before the deadline.

Source Text: SOMArts Cultural Center Website

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SOMArts Cultural Center and The San Francisco Foundation present a focused look at the future of the Bay Area visual and media arts landscape, September 4–October 2, 2012. The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition showcases the work of promising visual artists from regional Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) programs working across disciplines and identifies young artists whose work connects directly to the pulse of emerging trends.

Below, check out videos of previous award recipients!

All of the above information and embedded videos are provided courtesy of SOMArts Cultural Center.

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I went to the Night Light: Multi-Media Garden Party at the SOMArts Cultural Center. It was great seeing friends and meeting some wonderful artists. Below, you’ll find some footage I shot of Radka Pulliam‘s piece, Up and Down the Street. It’s quite clever in that the viewer must “look in” the building to “look out” at the street view. The placement was spot on since it was in a relatively inconspicuous place towards the front of the entrance. I noticed people stopped when they noticed someone looking down and ponder the location of the projection.

One of the memorable performances of the evening was the Spanish Contemporary dance routine of Elias Aguirre and Alvaro Esteban. They are amazing. The isolations and articulation of their bodies is best seen in person. If you were at Night Light, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. Fortunately, there is a video of this phenomenal Spanish Contemporary Dance duo.

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Free Money Sticky Fingers from Hypermodern – Pete Ippel on Vimeo.

Artist Pete Ippel created Free Money, Sticky Fingers specifically for “100 Performances for the Hole – Take Two” an art show curated by Justin Hoover at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco, California, March 6th, 2010.

~ Text Source: Artist’s Vimeo Profile