Past Events

Reorienting the Imaginaries presents a controversial study of the racialized and gendered form, insomuch that understanding the complexities of confronting one’s own (mis)representations becomes catalysts for subversion and creation of autonomous futures. This multidisciplinary exhibit brings together artists of color who are connected by complex histories, identity and power to disrupt the unwarranted representations imposed upon them by the Western gaze. We define the colonial imaginary as a romanticism of exotic places and people that through [...]

Reorienting the Imaginaries presents a controversial study of the racialized and gendered form, insomuch that understanding the complexities of confronting one’s own (mis)representations becomes catalysts for subversion and creation of autonomous futures. As part of the exhibitions programming, the Makers' Market moves beyond representational identity politics to highlight makers and organizers in a variety of industries. Participating vendors are taking control of their own means of production and redefining the business model that is rooted in [...]

Reorienting the Imaginaries presents a controversial study of the racialized and gendered form, insomuch that understanding the complexities of confronting one’s own (mis)representations becomes catalysts for subversion and creation of autonomous futures. Artist Shirin Towfiq will be facilitating a free community banner making workshop open for all ages. Participants can write or sew messages of resistance on their shirts, wear them, and then sew the shirts to one another’s creating a banner. This banner of sewn [...]

On Saturday, June 8, 2019 join SOMArts for RUBY: A Cabaret and Dance Party Extravaganza Celebrating 40 years of SOMArts an immersive art party, community meal and dance party to support the organization at the intersection of art and social justice. Honoring legendary performer and director Rhodessa Jones, this celebration features jaw-dropping cabaret performances and musical sets by Chulita Vinyl Club, and Rocky Rivera! The 40th anniversary is represented by the bold ruby gemstone, which is said to glow crimson due [...]

SOMArts is proud to present Something (you can’t see, on the other side, of a wall from this side) casts a shadow, a multi-disciplinary exhibition curated by Juana Berrío exploring the politics of space in the urban landscape. Opening with a free public reception on Saturday, July 14, 6:00–9:00 pm, the exhibition includes a selection of sculptures, videos, photographs, graphic scores, and paintings by a multi-generational group of artists from around the world. The opening reception will feature [...]

Doors open at 7:00pm Performances start at 7:30-10:30pm Rebooting the Future: Multimedia & Performance Arts Festival, is a free, all ages two day festival curated by Sian Morson and Kolmel W. Love.  As part of SOMArt's 40th-anniversary program, the festival brings together Bay Area artists who leverage technology and new media in order to access the imagination, Futurity, and the Divine. Rebooting the Future kicks off with a total space activation and visual arts opening reception on Friday, August [...]

Curated by Rio Yañez and Carolina Quintanilla, Día de Los Muertos 2019: City of Souls features special altar structures to honor and manifest founding curator Rene Yañez’s vision for his final Día de Los Muertos exhibition, titled City of Souls, a reference to his 2001 exhibition City of Miracles. City of Souls invites artists who are most directly impacted by gentrification and displacement to engage audience members in dialogue on the future of San Francisco’s cultural identity. [...]

Future Relations: A Resource for Radical Teaching presents F.T.P. is the first exhibition of SOMArts 2019-20 Curatorial Residency season. With a combined 30 years of teaching experience, curators Fred Alvarado, Thomas Jones, and David Petrelli reimagine SOMArts’ Main Gallery into a site for collective liberation and hope for educators, community organizers, and youth alike. Critically engaged teachers work collaboratively with young people in confronting and subverting systemic oppression. Through an Ethnic Studies, social justice oriented lens, [...]

Future Relations: A Resource for Radical Teaching presents F.T.P. is the first exhibition of SOMArts 2019-20 Curatorial Residency season. With a combined 30 years of teaching experience, curators Fred Alvarado, Thomas Jones, and David Petrelli reimagine SOMArts’ Main Gallery into a site for collective liberation and hope for educators, community organizers, and youth alike. Critically engaged teachers work collaboratively with young people in confronting and subverting systemic oppression. Through an Ethnic Studies, social justice oriented lens, [...]

Curated by Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt, Recoding CripTech reimagines enshrined notions of what a body can be or do through creative technologies, and how it can move, look, or communicate. As the term “crip” reclaims the word for disability culture and recognizes disability as a cultural and political identity, so too do artists hack technologies to dismantle barriers to access. By creating new kinds of social and sensory interactions with technology, these artists portend [...]

RSVP to this free, all ages program today! Space is limited to 12 participants  Curated by Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt, Recoding CripTech reimagines enshrined notions of what a body can be or do through creative technologies, and how it can move, look, or communicate. As the term “crip” reclaims the word for disability culture and recognizes disability as a cultural and political identity, so too do artists hack technologies to dismantle barriers to access. [...]

Curated by Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt, Recoding CripTech reimagines enshrined notions of what a body can be or do through creative technologies, and how it can move, look, or communicate. As the term “crip” reclaims the word for disability culture and recognizes disability as a cultural and political identity, so too do artists hack technologies to dismantle barriers to access. By creating new kinds of social and sensory interactions with technology, these artists portend [...]

UPDATE: Due to the growing concerns regarding COVID-19, we have postponed the Unbound Roots opening reception. In lieu of an opening reception, we will be extending gallery hours on Thursday, March 12 from 12:00–9:00pm.   This decision comes with a heavy heart as we recognize the immense labor and love that was poured into the exhibition. We invite you to visit SOMArts during regular gallery hours throughout the exhibition run of Unbound Roots. Entry to our exhibition [...]