Feeling a lack of art in your life? Want to move beyond your local museum? Well here is a road map to navigating your way into the wonderful world of art. With more galleries in Yerba Buena than there are Starbucks, here are just a few to consider.
If you want to read up on art, the best place to get schooled is 871 Fine Arts. They specialize in books on contemporary art but also sell prints, paintings, drawings and sculpture. They stock new and out of print titles so chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for.
111 Minna Gallery has some super fun events on the horizon. Their current exhibition, Harum Scarum featuring David Ball, Jesse Blamer, and Katherine Brannock, runs through February 25th. Also check out Sketch Tuesdays: Museum Edition, which actually takes place on Wednesday, February 22nd. It features live sketching and art creation by local museum staff, who presume to have other jobs as registrars, educators, curators, and the like. Art work created that night will be available for sale to the audience. This event gives you the chance to discover great art that is not hanging on the walls of the museums that employ these hiding artists.
The Catharine Clark Gallery turns 21 this month, with a whole host of events planned to celebrate (being legal). Featuring contemporary artists that question the status quo, the art exhibited at the Catharine Clark Gallery challenges the way we view the world. The work showcased is often socially conscious and content driven. The anniversary exhibition will feature artists who have shown at the gallery over the years; and it all kicks off with a party and opening reception on February 18th from 4-7pm. Other events scheduled in February and March include a book signing for The Remarkables (2/25) and a panel discussion with Ken Goldberg (3/31).
If you’re looking for something that indulges a different aesthetic or if you want to get your kids interested in art, check out the Cartoon Art Museum. The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of cartoon art in all its forms. It houses approximately 6,000 original pieces in its permanent collection. A complete research and library facility is also located on the museum’s premises. In addition to ten major exhibitions a year, the museum has a classroom space and a bookstore. Plus it’s cool.
Now you are ready! Go forth and expose yourself…to art!