ArtMRKT is attracting a huge amount of attendees with thousands of individuals flowing into the front doors of the pavilion at Fort Mason in the Marina District of San Francisco. Compared to 2012 this years new location at Fort Mason is much more suiting for the exhibitors at ArtMRKT with high ceilings, skylights, and the bay water rippling on both sides of the building. The white cube fair allows for galleries to exhibit works from their program at ease on blank white walls that resemble traditional art galleries. The fair has a wide range of galleries participating from alternative spaces, non profits, emerging, and the blue chip galleries from around the nation. Find time to enjoy an afternoon at Fort Mason with your friends and family and check out this fair. There’s also much more to do around the perimeters of Fort Mason including hiking and good eats. SFAQ has complimentary day passes for you. Follow the link here. Enjoy.
Lets begin with Edward Cella Art + Architecture from Los Angeles. As you walk into the exhibition hall, the East corridor you will find yourself faced with their selection of works. A couple pieces attracted a crowd and their booth was a nice introduction to the fair.
Mark Harrington
Video by George Legrady
Catharine Clark Gallery brought some impressive works with her this year. The gallery is currently moving from its SOMA location next to SFMOMA to Potrero Hill in San Francisco. The new warehouse space is getting build now as we speak and will be an amazing venue for her programming. Brian Gross’ new gallery will be included in the building, adding a different artistic sensibility to the block.
Al Farrow
Titus Kaphar
Eli Ridgway Gallery brought a little bit of everything from their programming. The gallery resides next to SFMOMA and is now at ArtMRKT for the weekend to show off what artists have exhibited the past couple years. Eli Ridgway Gallery is a popular destination for art enthusiasts and if you haven’t attended one of their opening, find the time to go one evening. Great gallery, great owner, great artists.
Matthew Palladino
Brion Nuda Rosch
James Sterling Pitt
Ever Gold Gallery and Park Life from San Francisco are sharing a booth and bringing an amazing selection of works from their artists. The Ever Gold Gallery is a great contemporary space in the Tenderloin bringing some of the most progressive programming to the cultural landscape of San Francisco. Commonly known as one of the few gems in the Tenderloin District for their artistic efforts. Park Life is a hybrid gallery and retail space in the Richmond District and are also commonly known as a gem for their neck of the city. Last year they brought a few retail items to their booth, but this year they decided to go forward and show simply works from their exhibition calendar for the past couple years.
Ever Gold Gallery Installation view. Mark Mulroney, Sandy Kim, and Adam Parker Smith
Adam Parker Smith. Ever Gold Gallery.
Adam Parker Smith. Ever Gold Gallery.
Park Life Installation view.
Tauba Auerbach. Park Life.
Swarm Gallery from Oakland is at ArtMRKT, who have recently announced that they will be closing their doors this year. Even though they are closing, their participation in the fair shows their dedication to their artists and their program. Its great to see a space going out with a BANG. A truly well articulated booth; a must see.
Another Oakland gallery, Chandra Cerrito came to ArtMRKT bearing many sculptures by Bay Area artist Randy Colosky. His work has developed over the years and are worth a visit. Below are a few that were brought along to Fort Mason. Nice to see Oakland representing in San Francisco.
Randy Colosky
Randy Colosky
KALA Institute is one of the most amazing non profits in the East Bay and have a solid booth with pretty to look at. Offering some of the most amazing classes and workshops, fellowships, and exhibition program it is great to see them at ArtMRKT. Check out their studios and gallery off Ashby and San Pablo in the East Bay someday if you ever close by.
KALA Institute installation view.
Hespe Gallery came with a wide selection a swell for your viewing pleasure. Here are a couple works that caught my attention. Kim McCarty is great LA based artist and recently written about on the SFAQ blog for here project at the Santa Monica Museum of Art.
Kim McCarty
Lawrence Gipe
Jordan Faye Contemporary came all the way from Baltimore to join us on this sunny San Francisco weekend. They brought one of the more impressive sculptures to the fair, which splits their space in half. A great center piece for their booth made from 150 year old reclaimed wood.
Lat Maylor
Julie Nester Gallery from Park City came to San Francisco’s ArtMRKT this year. Wasn’t too familiar with their programming but was an enjoyable experience visiting their booth. A couple great circular sculptures stand in the space that brought me across the hall to say hi.
Installation view.
Duncan Johnson
An international gallery called Sundaram Tagore Gallery came to San Francisco and have galleries in New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Sounds like a huge operation their running and it was great to see their incorporation in a fair in the Bay Area. The Bay Area get scrutinized for the lack of collectors, but they came across the country and globe to see what collectors in San Francisco are interested in their artists. A couple gestural paintings stood out.
Vittorio Mating
Tel Aviv is in the house and brought some very large scale works to San Francisco. Zemack Contemporary Art is in the Bay Area, bringing a great discourse to visitors at the fair. It is great to see their efforts to connect to the artistic community here. Many people were strolling by their space snapping photo with the iPhones.
Installation view
Mira Maylor
Jack Fischer came to ArtMRKT too and brought a couple heavily textured paintings that caught my attention. These photos don’t do the work justice, and deserve a visit in person. The thick application of paint becomes hypnotic and you stare deeper into the surface of the works.
Mindy Solomon Gallery is back this year at ArtMRKT and brought an even selection of sculptural and flat works fro you to see. The works on view complement one another and easily accompany each other in the booth. Mindy Solomon Gallery is located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Installation view
Another San Francisco gallery, Mirus Gallery, came to ArtMRKT. Recent addition to the SOMA art scene, Mirus has been bringing a new venue for some interesting artists. Some of them rooted in spiritual geometries, and others in formal aesthetics of materials. Check out these works in person, they have an effect close to psychedelics on a sunny San Franciscan grass covered hill. Enjoy.
Installation view
Thats it for now. More coming soon. Enjoy.
For more information visit here.
