Press Release: SOMArts’ Muni Raised Me showcases the brilliance and creativity of San Francisco’s working-class

SOMArts’ Muni Raised Me showcases the brilliance and creativity of San Francisco’s working-class
Curated by Meymey Lee, Sasha Vu, and Celi Tamayo-Lee

On view February 24–April 9, 2023
Opening reception February 23, 6–9 PM ST

January 26, 2023, San Francisco, CA–SOMArts Cultural Center is proud to announce the second Curatorial Residency exhibition of the season, Muni Raised Me, on view February 24–April 9, 2023. Curated by Meymey Lee (they/them), Sasha Vu (she/they), and Celi Tamayo-Lee (they/them) and featuring a roster of San Francisco-born and raised artists and community organizers, this multidisciplinary exhibition is a love letter to working-class San Francisco and exploration of belonging “to a land that is not ours, that we will never own, but that we owe”.

The curators share, “The cost of living in San Francisco is the cost of heartbreak. As San Francisco braised (born and raised) people we are doing what we’ve always done—creating cuts. This time we’re getting cutty in the art world and creating spaces of radical grief and love for this city.”

Meymey Lee, Sasha Vu, and Celi Tamayo-Lee are a group of multigenerational, service-oriented San Franciscans who’ve known each other since middle school. Muni rides characterized their lives, taking them to school, parties, “my cousin’s house,” and late-night Dolores Park smoke sessions. Muni Raised Me recognizes the importance of public services in day-to-day life; from getting to work or school to meeting up with friends and community, these resources are essential to the survival of The City’s working class.

Participating artists include Alyssa Aviles (she/her), whose work explores the feminine, spirituality, and psychological border crossing, and mixed media. Artist Eryn Kimura (she/they) uses fragments of media and found ephemera, where collage becomes a practice in reimagining and archiving ancestral pasts and futures.

Muni Raised Me opens with a free, all-ages reception on Thursday, February 23, 6–9 PM PST where guests are invited to bring offerings, stories, and prayers to the bus altar installation.

Additional exhibition programs include “Pop Culture was Black Culture First,” a performance and craft function on Friday, March 17, 7–10 PM PST. Featuring SF-rooted rappers like Qing Qi and A-1, and vendors and artists selling their creations, this event is a practical and spiritual act of honoring Black people as the nucleus of Frisco’s culture.

On Friday, April 7, Muni Raised Me closes with a celebration of San Francisco’s performing art scene with an explosive variety show including drag, musical performances, and circus—embodying the queer, trans, and artistic legacies that have shaped this home and continue to combat capitalism with joy and love.

As the curators express, “This show is a foghorn to all who have ever relied on public school, public parks, or public transit to come together, love each other, and support each other.”

Top to Bottom: Pphotography courtesy of Emilio Miguel Diaz. Eryn Kimura, Steal My Fruit, but What About My Soil, image courtesy of the artist.

Curators
Meymey Lee
Sasha Vu
Celi Tamayo-Lee

Exhibiting Artists
Erina Alejo
Alyssa Aviles
Emilio Miguel Diaz
Eryn Kimura
Ling Ling Lee
Lorenzo Tamayo-Lee
Melan Allen
Meymey Lee
MC Amable
Reese Adams-Romagnoli
Sasha Vu
Sophia Mitguard
tanea lunsford lynx

“The cost of living in San Francisco is the cost of heartbreak. As San Francisco braised (born and raised) people we are doing what we’ve always done—creating cuts. This time we’re getting cutty in the art world and creating spaces of radical grief and love for this city.”

–Muni Raised Me curators

Calendar Listings
All calendar listings are free and all-ages unless otherwise stated. To learn more about SOMArts’ COVID–19 safety plan, please visit somarts.org/healthsafety

Muni Raised Me
February 24–April 9, 2023
Curated by Meymey Lee, Sasha Vu, and Celi Tamayo-Lee
Free, all-ages

Muni Raised Me is a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring San Francisco-born and raised artists on a journey toward belonging.

To learn more, visit: somarts.org/event/muniraisedme

Muni Raised Me Opening Reception
Thursday, February 23, 6–9 PM PST
Free, all-ages

The second exhibition of SOMArts’ Curatorial Residency season, Muni Raised Me opens with a free, all-ages celebration! Attendees are invited to bring offerings, stories, and prayers to the bus altar installation.

To learn more, visit: somarts.org/event/muniraisedme-opening

Pop Culture Was Black Culture First
Friday, March 17, 7–10 PM PST
Free, all-ages

Featuring SF-rooted rappers like Qing Qi and A-1 and vendors and artists selling their makings, this event is a practical and spiritual act of honoring Black people as the nucleus of Frisco’s culture.

More information to be announced

Muni Raised Me Closing Reception
Friday, April 7, 2023
Free, all-ages

Muni Raised Me closes with a celebration of San Francisco’s performing art scene with an explosive variety show including drag, musical performances, and circus.

More information to be announced

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ABOUT SOMARTS CULTURAL CENTER

SOMArts Cultural Center, founded in 1979, cultivates access to the arts within the Bay Area by collaborating with community-focused artists and organizations. Together, we engage the power of the arts to provoke just and fair inclusion, cultural respect and civic participation.

SOMArts plays a vital role in the arts ecosystem by helping activate the arts citywide. We do this by providing space and production support for non-profit events, as well as fairs and festivals throughout the Bay Area, and offering a robust program of art exhibitions, classes, events and performances that are affordable and accessible to all. SOMArts’ exhibition programs receive critical support from the San Francisco Arts Commission and The San Francisco Foundation, and are sponsored in part by a grant from Grants for the Arts.

SOMArts is located at 934 Brannan Street—between 8th and 9th—within 2 blocks of 101, I-80, Muni lines and bike paths. For public information call 415-863-1414 or visit somarts.org. Stay connected by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.