883 Local Artists are Hanging in the de Young!
Local artists filled the large rooms laughing, catching up and exclaiming over one another’s work at the de Young Open press preview on Wednesday. Works of art hung salon style basked under the adoring gaze of the 883 artists selected for the 2023 ‘Open’. The inaugural show in 2020 resulted in the de Young deciding to declare it a triennial. In a generous curatorial display, the museum sent out an open call to local Bay Area Artists earlier this year. Over 7000 artists submitted. Even with the reduced amount of artists who were accepted, the population of this show is the size of a small town. The curation was ambitious but hung with care and a surprising amount of detail.
“I think it’s an important show for the Bay Area arts ecosystem – the de Young Open brings viewers who might not know about shows at smaller galleries and introduces them to a huge breadth of local artwork all at once. It’s a seriously inclusive curatorial move.” said Mathilda LaZelle. The de Young will show her film, Vestigial Orbit at the Koret Auditorium on Saturday, September 30.
Though there are a large number of paintings, in a diverse array of styles, sculptures, films. Michael Zheng, a well known San Francisco artist, commented “Walking through it, I kept having the awareness of the elitist tendency in many of the artworld players, myself included, who tend to pay attention to a select few artists. The Salon style levels that, although the style also has its own limitations. But the energy that the show creates is undeniable.”
Up in the corner of one room I have a thrill of pleasure as I spot Birth of Raccoon by Andrea Bergen. I am even more happy to find the artist herself standing under it. If you have not seen this artist’s work, I suggest you do. Fantastical animals in apocolyptic urban landscapes burst out out of their frames. Every inch of these extremely detailed scenes is hand cut paper. Andrea proudly shows me her paper cutting callus on her index finger.
“As a Bay Area Native I’m truly honored to have my work included along with so many talented artists and friends. It’s a joy to see so many familiar names and faces in a place I’ve been visiting since I was a kid.” says Bergen. “I’m grateful to be in the type of show that will keep my parents off my back about getting a “real” job, for the time being at least.” She adds.
Local Journalism for Working stiffs
We write for the poets, busboys, and bartenders. We cover workers, not ‘tech’, not the shiny ‘forbes 100 bullshit’. We write about the business on your corner and the beer in your hand. Join the Bay's best newsletter.
I meet Andrea Nicolette Gonzales and Austin Boe, a giddy pair of friends from SFAI and CCA respectivly. Gonzales’ work is an incredible combination of body paint and photography.
Boe’s piece is a thoughtful polaroid transfer of the artist’s nipple on a mirrored surface. “Being in the show is an exciting and hopefully a good step towards art institutions promoting and showcasing local living artists, instead of only increasing the value of ones passed.” He tells me.
Each room of the exhibit has a theme. Portraits gaze in every direction you can imagine. Painted, beaded, cut paper, collages, faces of found objects and delicate pencil sketches spill across the walls.
Cityscapes can be found in another room. Urban life is celebrated, despised, romanticized and steeped in nostalgia. The artists saw the same city streets in so many ways.
In the room of landscapes there is a wide range from the expected pastoral scenes to multi-media celebrations of place. I find myself completely drawn in by a small piece by Theo Knox created out of packing tape transfer and charcoal.
Quilted fractured images by Denise Oyama Miller, Ellen Bepp and Diana Gates Anderson cause me to stop in my tracks to admire them. The fiber art pieces in the show brought a large range of concepts, despite the smaller number of fiber works in comparison to other mediums.
Indigenous voices and stories made their way into the narrative of this show. The Way We Lived by Tavi L. Carpenter can be see during the show and all films will be screened on Saturday, September 30 in the Korea Auditorium.
Tamal-liwa Welcoming Our Relative Home:
If you are thinking of going, plan to spend a long while here. Or come back a few times. The de Young Open will run until January 7, 2024.
The de Young Open 2023
September 30, 2023 – January 7, 2024
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco
exhibit info here
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
I want to take the time to say thank you for supporting independent news media by reading BrokeAssstuart.com. Supporting independent news sources like Broke-Ass Stuart is vital to supporting our community because it amplifies the voices of a wide variety of diverse opinions. You also help support small businesses and local artists by sharing stories from Broke-Ass Stuart.
Because you're one of our supporters, I wanted to send over a pro-tip.
Our bi-weekly newsletter is a great way to get round ups of Broke-Ass Stuart stories, learn about new businesses in The Bay Area, find out about fun local events and be first in line for giveaways.
If you’d like to get our newsletter, signup right here, it takes 5 seconds.