July Happenings - No. 15
Art Events in Sacramento, San Francisco, & East Bay
Did it happen to you, too? I woke up and it’s suddenly summer!
I hope you enjoy this month’s curated list of arts events in Northern California. If, like me, you believe in the importance of supporting and engaging with the arts, would you help get the word out about Meanderings? Every new set of eyeballs and subscribers helps inspire and support this endeavor and hopefully pushes folx in the region out the door and into the community!
Sacramento
Vision Boarding & Guided Meditation
VENUE: : Swoon Studio + Co. at The Lakes building - 705 Gold Lake Drive, Suite 380, Folsom, CA 95630
DATE/TIME: Friday, July 11th, 6:00PM-8:00PM
COST: $50
Swoon Studio hosts a slew of workshops with local artists each month. They make for a perfect GNO activity! Vision boarding is a powerful tool and one of my favorite ways to get into the inspired and creative energy I’m chasing every summer.
SACMADE Market
VENUE: MADE Studio - 3519 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817
DATE/TIME: Friday, July 11th, 5:00PM-9:00PM
COST: FREE
A summer night market can’t be beat. Shop Sacramento-made goods while enjoying food vendors and live music.
El Borracho
VENUE: The Sofia - 2700 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95816
DATE/TIME: July 17th-20th, showtimes vary
COST: $30
The Hispanic community has been on mind a lot lately and one tangible, impactful way to show up for our neighbors as they face hate and discrimination is to support their work! El Borracho is a story about an immigrant Mexican-American family navigating change, conflict, and forgiveness.
Art Club Field Trip: SF MOMA
VENUE: carpool field trip from Sacramento to the SF MOMA
DATE/TIME: Sunday, July 20th, time TBD
COST: $30 + cost of gas & tolls
The Sacramento Art Club has teamed up with the San Francisco Craft Club to facilitate a field trip to the SF MOMA. After walking the museum together, the group will create a collective zine and go out for a meal. These are the kinds of events I love to see! What an awesome way to experience the arts, get out of town, and make new friends.
Intro to Summer Watercolor
VENUE: The Kitchen Table - 2665 Riverside Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95818
DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 26th, 12:00PM-2:00PM
COST: $85
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, workshops are one of the best ways to nurture your own creativity while directly supporting a local artist in your community! Learn basic watercolor techniques and create handmade cards for gifting in this relaxing Saturday afternoon offering.
East Bay
LES BLANCS (THE WHITES)
VENUE: Oakland Theater Project - 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland, CA 94612
DATE/TIME: July 11th–27th, showtimes vary
COST: $35
Lorraine Hansberry’s final play, Les Blancs, is new to me. The play explores themes of “power, politics, and liberation” and “resists simplistic narratives of good and evil.” Adding this to my must-read list & my must-see list.
Glass Half Full Artist Talk
VENUE: Manna Gallery - 473 25th St Oakland, CA 94612
DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 12th, 2:00PM
COST: FREE
I love hearing artists talk about their process. It gives so much more context and depth to the experience as a viewer!
Opening Reception for Proud 2 Be: Rights Are 4 Everyone
VENUE: NIAD Annex Gallery - 551 23rd St. Richmond, CA 94804
DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 12th, 1:00PM-4:00PM
COST: FREE
Proud 2 Be highlights works by NIAD Artists who advocate for disability rights and social justice.
Jeannie O'Connor - Framing Identity
VENUE: Transmission Gallery - 770 West Grand Ave., Suite A, Oakland, CA 94612
DATE/TIME: on view through Saturday, July 19th
COST: FREE
On my must see list: photographs from Jeannie O'Connor's Creative Growth Artists' Chalkboard Drawings Self-Portrait Project.
"Completed in 2016, O'Connor invited the participation of Creative Growth Artists in making a series of Chalkboard Drawing Self Portraits. Expressively exuberant, the drawings form the back drop for each Artists' portrait, capturing their sense of self and providing a glimpse into their creative experience, largely free from self judgement and oppressive expectation.”
Imaginal Disc: a solo exhibition by Soleé Darrell
VENUE: pt.2 Gallery - 1523b Webster St. Oakland, CA 94612
DATE/TIME: through Saturday, July 19th
COST: FREE
Dying to see these stunning pieces in person!
San Francisco
TO BE SEEN
VENUE: Jonathan Carver Moore - 966 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
DATE/TIME: through August 16th
COST: FREE
In celebration of Pride, JCM gallery is featuring a group exhibit with all Black queer artists. The pieces look incredible!
SF Art Book Fair
VENUE: Minnesota Street Project Foundation - locations vary
DATE/TIME: Thursday, July 10th-Sunday, July 13th
COST: FREE
The third annual SF Art Book Fair is right around the corner! I recently subscribed to the New York Times and now consider it the height of luxury to sit down with the paper and a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. I am falling back in love with all things print. The SF Art Book Fair is a true celebration of printed material from independent publishers, artists, designers, collectors, and enthusiasts.
Best Daze: Group Gallery Exhibition Opening Night
VENUE: San Francisco Gallery - 888 Marin St. San Francisco, CA 94124
DATE/TIME: Thursday, July 10th, 6:30PM-9:00PM
COST: FREE
This collaborative group show runs through August 20th and features an eclectic mix of styles from Bay Area up-and-coming artists.
Headlands Summer Open House
VENUE: Headlands Center for the Arts - 944 Simmonds Road, Sausalito, CA 94965
DATE/TIME: Sunday, July 20th, 12:00PM-5:00PM
COST: FREE
I’m dying to make it out to Sausalito for a Headlands event. The property and the art that is created there is so special. Each summer, Headlands opens their doors to the public to “roam the campus, meet current artists, view works in progress, and attend screenings, performances, and readings.”
Improvisational Quilt Print Workshop
VENUE: BAMPFA - 2155 Center Street Berkeley, CA 94720
DATE/TIME: Sunday, July 27th, 1:00PM
COST: included with $14 admission
We’re currently turning my daughter’s old infant clothing into a family quilt! Queue my interest in this quilt printing workshop led by artist Matt Katsaros. The workshop will “explore pattern, repetition, and color” through the lens of collage and risograph printing.
California Migration Museum - Guided Tour
VENUE: multi-venued
DATE/TIME: 24hr virtual access
COST: FREE
Given all that immigrants are facing under this current Administration, highlighting the work of the California Migrant Museum feels particularly important this month. Their self-guided walking tours cover much of San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods, detailing each neighborhoods’ history and the vital role immigrants have played and continue to play in the rich culture of California.
This guide was written in collaboration with my friend and editor, Mallory Taylor. To learn more about Mallory and her work, visit her Substack: This Could Be Embarrassing.
Are you an artist who’d like to be spotlighted in a future newsletter? Or perhaps you know of a fantastic, upcoming arts event? For press inquiries of all kinds, please email hello@melissaluvisi.com