The “Artist You Should Know” series highlights local artists before they exhibit their work somewhere awesome, it’s our way of supporting the creative community and helping to keep San Francisco a strange and wonderful place.  

Artist Amos Goldbaum in front of his mural at 15th and Church St., SF.

For those of us who never tire of looking at San Francisco, who can wander the streets of our city and gaze admiringly at the centuries-old victorians, next to modern glass and steel scrappers, across from Beaux-Arts behemoths.  For those of us who stop and soak in our cypress, redwood, and eucalyptus trees, or pause to appreciate a charming storefront, linger to peruse a planter box full of succulents, and still take the time to look up at a pyramid, dome, or tower…

For that type of city slicker, it’s easy to love the fine line work of Amos Goldbaum. His designs can make you feel like you are on top of one of San Francisco’s 48 hills, soaking in a cityscape, or looking out of a MUNI bus window, literally passing Ol’ Amos while he’s selling his shirts and prints on Valencia or Market street.

So meet Amos Goldbaum, an artist you should know…

Artist: Amos Goldbaum
@amosgoldbaum

Artist Medium(s): Pen, watercolors, gouache, acrylic, murals

“City in a Block” SFGATE offices,16’x16,’ acrylic on wall, 2022

BAS: What was your first job in the Bay Area?

Amos: At Stanley’s Steamers Hot Dog stand in Union Square. I dropped a gallon of mustard on the sidewalk on my first day.

I’m a sophisticated graduate with a BFA or FUCK art school!

BA in Studio Art from Grinnell College

You started your art career doing…

Selling prints of my drawings on Market St. I had my whole stand strapped to a handcart I would take on Bart.

Your art recently explores…

The history, morphology, and visual identity of San Francisco. Also my interest in line drawing and how much it can describe and in what ways it can be used.

Funny you should bring that up because of our newest Broke-Ass Stuart shirt & design in an Amos Goldbaum original.  We collaborated with Amos to make a design to CELEBRATE 19 YEARS OF JOURNALISM COVERING CULTURE, ARTS, ACTIVISM, NEWS, AND NIGHTLIFE!

These limited edition BAS shirts are only available for 3 weeks, to get one for yourself go here.

Describe the new BAS shirt logo, did you have fun making it? 

I had a blast drawing the BAS shirt. I wanted to do something a little different than my usual, it was fun to do a trippy SF scene and throw in lots of weird little details for people to find.

Has anyone ever asked to get tattooed by you?

Several friends have tattoos of my drawings, some custom, some taken from existing drawings. One friend asked for a particular drawing and I sent him a sketch to see if that was what he was thinking and then he sent me back the sketch tattooed on his arm. I was horrified. It was just a sketch! I was going to make a much better drawing.

But it’s always cool to see my drawings on someone’s body.

What’s like doing a large mural on the streets of San Francisco? Anything crazy ever go down?

Mostly people just shouting “good job” or honking their horns when you’re at the top of a wobbly ladder. One guy wanted me to take a picture of him pretending to paint my mural. Not sure what his plan was.

“Cuvier Commons”
Cuvier St. 120’x15,’ acrylic on wall, 2023.  One of many AMOS murals around the city, to see more of his wall work check out his site.

Any artists you think are particularly outstanding right now in the Bay Area?

Too many to list. In lieu of leaving anyone off the list, I will just say my all-time favorite Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes.

Favorite place to see art in the Bay Area?

Small galleries like Incline on Valencia always have good shows. Minnesota Street Project has lots of good galleries. The giant Diego Rivera mural that MOMA is babysitting for City College is amazing and free to see.

SFO! In the Maple Leaf Lounge opening soon in terminal 2.

What’s coming up next for you?

Just finished a mural at SFO! Have some other murals in the works, time in the studio, as well as selling my shirts and prints on Valencia St. (check Amos’ Instagram to see when he’s out there).

 These limited edition shirts are only available for 3 weeks, to get one of these rad shirts, you must be a member of the Broke-Ass Stuart Patreon at $25 or higher.