Jonathan Carver Moore Gallery Opening in the Transgender District

An exquisite new gallery is about to open on Market Street in San Francisco. The Jonathan Carver Moore gallery will specialize in showcasing artists who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women. The inaugural show “The Weight of Souls” features works by artist Kacy Jung. The sculptures hang from the walls, floating in an ethereal arrested motion. They are intriguing to gaze upon, with layered meanings that speak to the artist’s experience as a woman existing within the expectations of a culture sculpted by capitalism.

Jonathan Carver Moore stands between works by Kacy Jung, photo by Vita Hewitt

I had a chance to speak with Jonathan about his space. He stood in the morning light of his gallery, dressed in black with metallic shoes, and moved confidently through his well-lit space. The gallery opening will take place on Thursday, March 23, and it is clear from the reverent way he talks about the pieces on display, that Moore has a sincere love of art.

Jonathan Carver Moore photo by Vita Hewitt

I asked Moore what brought him to the arts and his eyes lit up, he explained, “I have always loved art. Art has been something that has been a part of my life since I was in grade school. Growing up and living overseas, as well as traveling, my mother always really taught me the value of exposure. Visiting museums was how we spent many Saturdays together and I am so grateful for that.”

Moore continued, “when I moved to San Francisco in early 2016 I found myself not only just going to the museums here, but also going to open studios. I would talk to the artists who were exhibiting their works and over time we naturally formed relationships–talking about how they got started, their creative process, challenges they have faced, how they see themselves today, how they envision their future and so much more. In these many conversations with artists all throughout the Bay Area, I realized I had really created a greater sense of community for myself. A community that I wanted to see blossom and grow even more in San Francisco.”

The Jonathan Carver Moore Gallery is located at 966 Market St. in San Francisco

Market Street has seen a lot of changes over the past few years. I asked Jonathan what drew him to open a gallery in this particular neighborhood, he recounted, “having a gallery at 966 Market Street is the perfect location for our programming, we are located in The Tenderloin’s Transgender District. I love being an openly gay Black male-owned gallery in a neighborhood with so much queer history. The Tenderloin is also the most internationally diverse neighborhood in San Francisco. With the gallery’s focus on highlighting established and emerging artists who are BIPOC, Queer and women, it made so much sense to be in this culturally rich part of San Francisco. It is also great that we are less than a 15-minute walk to The MoAD, SFMOMA and the Asian Art Museum.”

San Francisco’s transgender district is the first of its kind founded in 2017 as Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. It is named for the first documented uprising in 1966 of transgender and queer people in United States history. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riots happened in the Tenderloin district in response to ongoing police harassment of drag queens and trans people. The district spans 6 blocks in the southeastern Tenderloin and crosses over Market Street and includes two blocks of 6th street.

A work by Kacy Jung as part of “Weight of Souls” photo by daniel-villarreal.com

The exhibition is to be Kacy Jung’s first solo show. Jung is a Taiwanese visual artist based in San Francisco. She attended the San Francisco Art Institute. Prior to her career in art, she worked in the biomedical science industry. Jung’s works show the artist’s face captured on pieces of cloth. These are held by golden casts of the artist’s hands. Sometimes the hands hold the face almost reverently, other times the hands pierce and tear. The pieces speak to a gnawing anxiety about where one can be placed in a capitalist society. The works speak to a shrinking middle class and the artist’s own immigrant experience. The continuity of the hands, seductively golden, contort the face in a multitude of ways.  It is a reminder of the boundaries placed on us by larger, more oppressive systems that promise care which comes with hidden costs.

A work by Kacy Jung as part of “The Weight of Souls” photo by daniel-villarreal.com

It is a reminder of the boundaries placed on us by larger, more oppressive systems that promise care which comes with hidden costs.

Of the show, Moore tells me “Each of the works, which she refers to as photo sculptures, is composed of mixed media and addresses the different stages in the process of empowering, healing, and setting herself free, along with redefining her identity for herself rather than by external expectations. While there are 10 pieces in the show, they have all been created by using one self-portrait, but just manipulated differently.”

“The Weight of Souls”
Opening reception is March 23, 2023 from 5:30pm–7:30pm and

It will be on view until April 15, 2023 Jonathan Carver Moore located at 966 Market st. San Francisco.

Info: jonathancarvermoore.com