SF Camerawork Sign Up Information

Season's Greetings From the Director!

Dear friends of SF Camerawork,

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, I’d like to share some reflections on a year of creativity and discovery at SF Camerawork and a deep feeling of gratitude to all of you who have been a part of our journey through 2019.  You’ll be hearing more from us as we reach out over the next few weeks in our last big fundraising push asking you to remember SF Camerawork in your end-of-year giving plans.

A huge thank you to all who participated in our recent #GivingTuesday campaign! SF Camerawork gives this national event our own unique spin by making it a crowd-sourced prize that goes directly to the artists in Forecast, our annual, open call survey exhibition. I can’t wait to see the new talent that will arrive with Forecast 2020! This past summer it was an honor to award our first annual juried prize to photographer and filmmaker Adrian Burrell who was among an incredibly talented group of artists included in Forecast 2019 exhibition. 

Forecast 2019 artist Adrian Burrell installing his video installation "Play Fight"

In addition to the new funds delivered to artists through Forecast, this year SF Camerawork became W.A.G.E. certified, formalizing our commitment to providing fair compensation to all of the artists we work with. We are honored to be part of this movement in bringing about a more equitable distribution of the arts economy in solidarity with arts nonprofits throughout the country.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, SF Camerawork provides free admission to all of our exhibitions and related public events throughout the year. From exciting presentations by world renowned photographers such as Alex and Rebecca Norris Webb to the local buzz of our Holiday Book and Zine Fest and information sessions with our partners Catchlight, SF Camerawork is committed to welcoming and serving the full cultural diversity of our community.

I’d also like to call out our dedicated and hardworking staff and interns, all of whom contributed their skills and hearts to everything we worked on together at SF Camerawork this year. And of course, our dynamic Board of Directors, whom many of you have met at events throughout the year, for their vision and munificent support.

Some more of my highlights from 2019 include:

• Bringing artists Tanya Habjouqa and Gohar Dashti to San Francisco for the first time, and the incredible spirit they brought and shared with our local audience.
• Watching artists Jennifer Brandon and Andréanne Michon transform the SF Camerawork gallery into a poetic, evocation of spacial, sensory experience.
• The launch of our new Field Notes  off site tour series, and the pleasure of experiencing fantastic Bay Area photography exhibitions with fellow SF Camerawork members.
• SF Camerawork’s gallery filled with the energy and enthusiasm of the Boys and Girls Club youth artists, mentors, and families.
• Closing out the year with the international partners FotoFilmic and local, superstar Kari Orvik!

Thank you for being a part of SF Camerawork as we look forward to another year of exciting new work, discoveries, and experiences in our creative photography community.

Happy holiday season and 2020!

If you prefer to send a check, please mail to
SF Camerawork: 1011 Market Street, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94103

WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS: Gallery closed December 25, 2019 - January 4, 2020.

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

KARI ORVIK: GENEVA
On view through December 20, 2019

FOTOFILMIC18
On View through December 20, 2019

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIELD GUIDE - Off-site members' event at McEvoy Foundation
Michael Jang's California
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 12 - 1 pm

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Make a gift today!

Ring in the new year with one last gift! Today is your final chance to make a tax-deductible donation to our end of year campaign.  

In this past year, SF Camerawork has brought critical attention to new voices and presented stories illustrating the challenges faced in our world today. This summer's survey exhibition, Forecast, showcased the work of 13 rising stars exploring themes of identity and belonging. And our exhibition In Transit, examined the day-to-day struggle experienced by immigrants and displaced peoples throughout Europe and the Middle East.  These impactful programs were made possible because of your ongoing support. 

In the coming year, we are excited to continue this important work.  Your contribution today will help SF Camerawork:

• Challenge ourselves and others with thought-provoking exhibitions, such as our spring exhibition Cell Signals which explores the state of incarceration in America today.

• Focus on learning with exciting new workshop offerings, including a critique series with J John Priola this spring!

• Illuminate new ideas and approaches in photography with our off-site Field Guide events, starting with a trip to see Michael Jang's California at the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts. 

Every donation, no matter the size, is fundamental to our growth and has a significant impact on our small non-profit organization.  Seize this moment and join us in supporting creative photography in 2020!

If you prefer to send a check, please mail to
SF Camerawork: 1011 Market Street, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94103

WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS: Gallery closed December 25, 2019 - January 4, 2020.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIELD GUIDE - Off-site members' event at McEvoy Foundation
Michael Jang's California
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 12 - 1 pm

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

An amazing year ahead!

Left: “I am a queer black person. As a descendant of the Southern slave trade, I’m flipping the script of patriarchy,” avows Beatrice Thomas. “Like the Black Panthers, I’m a protector of my community, claiming female power.” From Jamil Hellu’s Hues Project, 2019; Right: Natalie Krick, Heaven Scent, 2019

Get ready for an amazing 2020! We are excited to share another year of new ideas in photography with you.  Here are just some of the upcoming events and activities we are looking forward to:

• January 9th - 2020's Field Guide series kicks off with a members' only visit to the McEvoy Foundation, where Executive Director Heather Snider will lead a walkthrough of Michael Jang's California.
   
• January 30th - Join us for the opening reception of our two new exhibitions by rising stars Jamil Hellu and Natalie Krick.
   
• February - Want to dive deeper into your photographic practice? J John Priola will be back with another in-depth workshop series this spring.  Stay tuned for class dates and registration details.

We can't wait for you to join us in the new year!  Thanks to your continued support, SF Camerawork's program continues to grow. In the coming year, we invite you to engage with our exhibitions and events, exchange ideas, and participate in our vibrant photography community.

Help SF Camerawork continue to foster the photographic arts in the Bay Area by making a charitable contribution to our end of year campaign or by becoming a member before December 31st! 

If you prefer to send a check, please mail to
SF Camerawork: 1011 Market Street, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94103

Michael Jang, David Bowie Signing Autographs, 1973

WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS: Gallery closed December 25, 2019 - January 4, 2020.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIELD GUIDE - Off-site members' event at McEvoy Foundation
Michael Jang's California
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 12 - 1 pm

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Support SF Camerawork 
Support Photography!

We are so thankful for the tremendous amount of support we've received from you in the month of December.  Your continued participation fuels our creative programming and makes SF Camerawork a welcoming home for photography. 

Our end of year campaign finishes on December 31st, but there is no need to wait to donate.  Make your year-end donation today and help SF Camerawork foster innovative and thought-provoking photography in the Bay Area. With your help, we can continue to provide artists with the resources and platform they need to further their creative work.

Help us finish this year strong!

If you prefer to send a check, please mail to
SF Camerawork: 1011 Market Street, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94103

WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS: Gallery closed December 25, 2019 - January 4, 2020.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIELD GUIDE - Off-site members' event at McEvoy Foundation
Michael Jang's California
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 12 - 1 pm

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Thank You!
Cheers to 2020!

We would like to extend a big THANK YOU to our artists, collectors, donors, members, partners, volunteers, and friends.  Because of your combined efforts, our year-end giving campaign exceeded our expectations putting us in a great position as we start off 2020!

We have exciting exhibitions, lectures, workshops and events on the horizon that we look forward to sharing with you. Mark your calendars for our next Field Guide event on January 9th and the opening reception of Jamil Hellu: Together and Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion on January 30th!

Warmest wishes for the new year.  We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon!

Top Image: Natalie Krick, Veils, 2019

WINTER HOLIDAY HOURS: Gallery closed December 25, 2019 - January 4, 2020.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIELD GUIDE - Off-site members' event at McEvoy Foundation
Michael Jang's California
Thursday, January 9, 2020, 12 - 1 pm

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

NEW EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION

January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 6 - 9pm
Artist Talk: Thursday, February 27, 6 - 8pm

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER

SF Camerawork is proud to present Jamil Hellu: Together, a survey of works by Bay Area photographer Jamil Hellu, who, for the last decade, has developed a distinct visual vocabulary addressing the intersections of cultural lineages and queerness. Comprised of photographs and video installations, the exhibition highlights Hellu's recurring uses of self-portraiture to activate a contemporary dialogue about the implications of cultural heritage on queer narratives. 

This exhibition is generously supported by Michelle Branch, the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the James and Doris McNamara Faculty Fund from the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford University.

NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION

In this new body of work, Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion, Natalie Krick uses tricks of perception, color and obfuscation to add a dissonance to the genre of portraiture. Krick’s material embellishments drive a circuitous line of questioning that meanders through the theatrical aesthetics of camp and Neo Noir while subverting increasingly policed notions of identity.  Natalie Krick was awarded the Aperture Portfolio Prize in 2017 and was a recipient of an Individual Photographer’s Fellowship from the Aaron Siskind Foundation in 2015.

The exhibition is generously supported by a grant from the
Bernard Osher Foundation.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

OPENING RECEPTION
Jamil Hellu: Together 
Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion
Thursday, January 30, 2020, 6 - 9 PM

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Free admission to participating Yerba Buena district institutions
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

FIELD GUIDE: MEMBERS' LUNCHTIME WALKTHROUGH 
Chanell Stone: Natura Negra at MoAD
Thursday, February 6, 2020, 12 - 1pm

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

SF Camerawork Exhibition Award

An open call for exhibition proposals by
artists, collectives, and curators.

Deadline: March 6, 2020

Jennifer Brandon and Andréanne Michon: Colliding, exhibition 2019

SF Camerawork invites artists, collectives, and curators working with photography and related media to submit proposals for an exhibition in 2021 at SF Camerawork’s spacious gallery in downtown San Francisco. The selected proposal will receive the inaugural SF Camerawork Exhibition Award—which includes a $5,000 project grant plus shipping, installation, technical, marketing, and community engagement support.

What we’d love to see

SF Camerawork invites a wide range of photographic work and encourages experimental and risk-taking new work in photography and related media, including fine art, installation, multi-media, social justice, and documentary projects.

SF Camerawork is committed to equity and diversity as primary to our mission of provoking discovery and exchange of new perspectives, ideas, and experiences for all who value photography. 

Project proposals should be new and exciting in content as well as substantially realized and prepared for a significant exhibition. Please review our exhibitions archive to get a sense of the scope, media, and themes of past SF Camerawork exhibitions.

Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2020, 11:59 PM PST!

Chris Fraser : Revolving Doors, site-specific exhibition 2015

 UPCOMING EVENTS

OPENING RECEPTION
Jamil Hellu: Together 
Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion
Thursday, January 30, 2020, 6 - 9 PM

FIELD GUIDE: MEMBERS' LUNCHTIME WALKTHROUGH 
Chanell Stone: Natura Negra at MoAD
Thursday, February 6, 2020, 12 - 1pm

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Free admission to participating Yerba Buena district institutions
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

ARTIST TALK

HAL FISCHER, JAMIL HELLU
& NATALIE KRICK

Thursday, February 27th 6 - 8 PM
@SF Camerawork

Please join us in the gallery on Thursday, February 27th from 6 - 8 pm for an artist talk with current exhibiting artists Jamil Hellu and Natalie Krick, and SF Camerawork founder and current SFMOMA exhibiting artist Hal Fischer.  Moderated by Executive Director Heather Snider, the discussion will address each artist’s deconstruction of traditional portraiture and examine photography’s unique role in defining queer and feminist identity from the 1970s to the current moment.

CURRENT

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
Open through March 14th 

UPCOMING

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Free admission to participating Yerba Buena district institutions
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

ARTIST TALK
Hal Fischer, Jamil Hellu & Natalie Krick
Thursday, February 27th, 6 - 8 PM

MARCH MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, March 19, 6 - 8 PM

CELL SIGNALS
Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena,
Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw,
Anke Schüttler and the Free Mind Collective
Curated by Pete Brook.
April 9 - June 13, 2020

CALLS FOR ENTRY

SFC EXHIBITION AWARD
Call for exhibition proposals by artists, collectives, and curators
Deadline: March 6, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ANNUAL JURIED SHOW: FORECAST 2020
International open call for artists working in photography
Call opens March 13th

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

2020 ADVANCED WORKSHOP SERIES

Develop your photographic practice this year at SFC!

ADVANCED CRITIQUE WORKSHOP SERIES WITH J JOHN PRIOLA 
9 Sessions, every other Monday, starting February 10th
6 - 9 PM

Develop your photographic practice this year with the expert guidance of artist and educator J John Priola. This 9 week advanced critique series is the perfect way to expand your vision through focused, constructive group critique and discussion.  If you're looking to take your work to the next level, this series is for you! The advanced critique series will focus on:

• Assessing the way your work currently communicates
• Discovering and identifying your personal voice
• Establishing artistic goals
• Developing a better understanding of your work and potential through group discussion
• Exploring contemporary art issues and practices

ABOUT J JOHN PRIOLA
J. John Priola is a contemporary visual artist using photography and video. Priola has exhibited nationally and internationally. Currently, he is represented by Anglim Gilbert Gallery where he has had many solo and group exhibitions. His work is part of the permanent collections of major museums including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum New York. He is Senior Lecturer at the San Francisco Art Institute and has taught at ICP Bard, SF State, and CCA.

FEE
$400 for all 9 classes
SF Camerawork members receive a 15% discount!
Please email kristina@sfcamerawork.org if you would like to register.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
January 23 - March 14, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 30, 2019, 6 - 9 PM

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

FIELD GUIDE

CHANELL STONE: NATURA NEGRA
At Museum of the African Diaspora

Thursday, February 6th, 12 - 1pm

Chanell Stone, Potted Earth 2019

SF Camerawork's programming series Field Guide presents the unique opportunity to explore new ideas and approaches to photography at off-site venues around the Bay Area.  For this Field Guide event, all current SF Camerawork members are invited to a special artist-led walkthrough of Natura Negra, a solo exhibition of work by Chanell Stone at the Museum of the African Diaspora.

Chanell Stone’s work was part of SF Camerawork’s Annual Survey Exhibition, Forecast 2019, and she was named a MoAD Emerging Artist for 2019 - 2020.

Limited availability.  Please RSVP to kristina@sfcamerawork.org if you plan to attend. 

 UPCOMING EVENTS

OPENING RECEPTION
Jamil Hellu: Together 
Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion
Thursday, January 30, 2020, 6 - 9 PM

FIELD GUIDE: MEMBERS' LUNCHTIME WALKTHROUGH 
Chanell Stone: Natura Negra at MoAD
Thursday, February 6, 2020, 12 - 1pm

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Free admission to participating Yerba Buena district institutions
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

SPRING WORKSHOP

Cut, crop, and collage! 
Get creative in this hands-on workshop

VISION AND TECHNIQUE THROUGH COLLAGE with VANESSA WOODS
Saturday, May 30th
1 - 4 PM

SF Camerawork is thrilled to partner with Bay Area artist Vanessa Woods. In this informative, hands-on workshop, participants will look at the work of a range of artists who use the medium of photo-collage to jumpstart their own artistic work. From Surrealist artists such as Max Ernst, to contemporary artists such as Deborah Roberts, collage has been, and remains, a highly accessible, creative medium. In the course of the class, students will exploit the potential of collage by juxtaposing unrelated source material while learning a variety of original approaches and methods.  Students will leave the class with several completed collages and inspiration to continue making more!

ABOUT VANESSA WOODS
Vanessa Woods graduated with an MFA with honors, from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artwork and films have been exhibited internationally including Stanford Art Spaces at Stanford University, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and The Institute of Contemporary Art in San Jose. Woods has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Murphy and Cadogan Fellowship from the SF Arts Commission, a Film Arts Foundation Grant, and the San Francisco Art Institute's MFA Fellowship. She has also been awarded residencies at Djerassi, the Headlands Center for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony and in Pont-Aven, France, through the Museum of Pont-Aven. Woods is represented by Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco.

FEE
$100 (includes materials)
SF Camerawork members receive a 25% discount!
Become a member here. 

CURRENT

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
Open through March 14th 

UPCOMING

FEBRUARY MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6 - 8 PM

CULTURE FOR COMMUNITY
Free admission to participating Yerba Buena district institutions
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 12 - 8 PM

ARTIST TALK
Hal Fischer, Jamil Hellu & Natalie Krick
Thursday, February 27th, 6 - 8 PM

MARCH MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
Thursday, March 19, 6 - 8 PM

CELL SIGNALS
Curated by Pete Brook
Artists: Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena,
Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw,
and the Free Mind Collective
April 9 - June 13, 2020

CALLS FOR ENTRY

SFC EXHIBITION AWARD
Call for exhibition proposals by artists, collectives, and curators
Deadline: March 6, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ANNUAL JURIED SHOW: FORECAST 2020
International open call for artists working in photography
Call opens March 13th

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP

Organize your digital archive!

Archiving in the Digital Age: Digital Asset Management Software for
Photographers, Archivists, and Collectors
Saturday, May 2, 2020, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
Location: SF Camerawork, 1011 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
FEE: $60 ($40 for SF Camerawork and APAG members)

SF Camerawork is pleased to partner with APAG West for a hands-on workshop on Digital Asset Management (DAM) techniques that are transforming the world of digital archiving. This workshop is specially tailored to benefit photographers, those managing photography private archives both large and small, and collectors with growing digital and physical collections.

Beatrice Thornton, Digital Asset Manager at Hogarth Worldwide, will lead us through the basics of digital archiving with DAM software and will be followed by a panel of experts and professionals who have successfully implemented DAM software for their archives, libraries, and private collections.

**For those interested in getting to know APAG before the May workshop, all current SF Camerawork members are invited to join APAG West's (American Photography Archives Group) meeting at SF Camerawork on February 28th, where guest speaker Linde Lehtinen, Assistant Curator, SFMOMA, will address the changing photography exhibition and acquisition practices at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Register for the meeting here. 

CURRENT

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
Open through March 14th 

UPCOMING

ARTIST TALK
Hal Fischer, Jamil Hellu & Natalie Krick
Thursday, February 27, 6 - 8 PM

MARCH MEMBERS' CRITIQUE - *New Date
Thursday, March 12, 6 - 8 PM

CELL SIGNALS
Curated by Pete Brook
Artists: Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena,
Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw,
and the Free Mind Collective
April 9 - June 13, 2020

CALLS FOR ENTRY

SFC EXHIBITION AWARD
Call for exhibition proposals by artists, collectives, and curators
Deadline: March 6, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ANNUAL JURIED SHOW: FORECAST 2020
International open call for artists working in photography
Call opens March 13th

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

SF Camerawork Online Events

Making Bitter Earth:
Carla Jay Harris and Brenda E. Stevenson in Conversation

Bitter Earth on view at ROSEGALLERY, Los Angeles, 2018

Making Bitter Earth: Carla Jay Harris and Brenda E. Stevenson in Conversation
Moderated by Michelle Branch
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
4:30 - 6:00 PM PST

Please join us on Wednesday, August 12th for an online conversation with artist Carla Jay Harris and historian Brenda E. Stevenson, Ph.D., moderated by SF Camerawork Board President Michelle Branch.  Harris and Stevenson will discuss their recent collaboration on Bitter Earth, a site-specific installation whose title is taken from the 1960s blues track “This Bitter Earth,” written by Clyde Otis and sung by legendary blues women and rhythm and blues singers Dinah Washington, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Mikki Howard. 
 

Adrian O. Walker and Curtis Taylor Jr. in Conversation:
What it means to be a black creative today

Adrian Octavius Walker (left), Curtis Taylor Jr. (right)           

Adrian O. Walker and Curtis Taylor Jr. in Conversation:
What it means to be a black creative today
Thursday, August 13, 2020 
6:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Please join us on Thursday, August 13th for an online conversation with mixed media artist Adrian O. Walker and director, academic, and imagemaker Curtis Taylor Jr. Walker and Taylor will expand on their journeys as black creatives during COVID and the continuation of tragedies as it relates to black bodies.
 

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS

ONLINE EVENT: AUGUST MEMBERS' CRITIQUE
WITH WESAAM AL-BADRY
Thursday, August 20, 2020
6:00 - 8:00 PM PST
Register

ONLINE EVENT: ARTIST TALK - KIJA LUCAS
THE TAXONOMY OF BELONGING
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
6:00 - 7:00 PM PST
Register

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you're already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork's mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Online Events

Archives and Identity
Irene Reece and Rana Young in conversation

Irene Reece, KIN, 2019

Archives and Identity
Irene Reece and Rana Young in conversation
Thursday, November 12, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Join us Thursday, November 12th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artists Irene Reece and Rana Young. Both artists source materials from their personal archives to explore familial narratives and relationships between past and present. Reece and Young will speak about their work and explore what it means to work with an archive.

The Found Photograph
Kim Beil and Carlos Chavarría in conversation

Carlos Chavarría, Dust & Misfires #6

The Found Photograph
Kim Beil and Carlos Chavarría in conversation
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Please join us on Tuesday, November 17th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artist Carlos Chavarría and scholar Kim Beil. Chavarría''s recent body of work Dust & Misfires considers found images, their relationship to place, and the idea of the photograph as object.

Artist Talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski

Correspondence from the White House, 2020, cyanotype on the artist’s US stimulus check letter, archival pigment prints on cotton sateen, archival pigment print on paper (top right: clinical photograph Diagnosis– Degenerative Arthritis, 1957–Source: Rare Books and Manuscripts at University of Rochester Medical Center)

Artist Talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Join us Wednesday, November 18th, for an artist talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski, the Juror’s Choice Award recipient for FORECAST 2020. Fein-Smolinski will discuss her projects Sex Lives of Animals without Backbones, and This Woman has ISSUES! and will screen new video work. She will speak to pain, courage, illness, pleasure and the subjective histories of western healthcare buried within institutional medical archives. Smolinski''s work includes multimedia imagery made with clinical patient photographs, ephemera, and a sci-fi tableaux of artifacts mined from these archives. 

Presentations of the Body in Self Portraiture
Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright in conversation

Brittney Cathey-Adams, Breathe

Presentations of the Body in Self Portraiture
Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright in conversation
Monday, November 23, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Please join us on Monday, November 23rd from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artists Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright. Together these three artists will explore themes of marking, the gendered body, and self-portraiture in photography.
 

Visit Forecast 2020 Online

Jaclyn Wright, Untitled (studio process)

FORECAST 2020, SF Camerawork''s annual survey exhibition, showcases thought provoking artists and brings our communities together through photography. This year''s jurors — curator Elena Gross, TBW Books Director Lester Rosso, and artist Michael Jang — considered over 300 submissions, and selected the work of 12 incredible image-makers for the exhibit.
 

SF Camerawork is hiring a new Executive Director

We''re seeking an executive with the passion, skills, and qualifications to lead the organization through its next phase of development and impact.

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Online Events

The Politics of Black Representation(s): Thoughts on Collectivity
Dr. Leigh Raiford and Delphine Sims in Conversation

Dr. Leigh Raiford (left), Delphine Sims (right)

Dr. Leigh Raiford and Delphine Sims in Conversation
Thursday, September 3, 2020
4:00 - 5:30 PM PST

Please join us on Thursday, September 3rd for a conversation between Dr. Leigh Raiford and Delphine Sims. While the politics of Black representation has long been an intensely traversed and ongoing conversation, Raiford and Sims seek to inquire after the relationship between these representations and collectivity. They explore the creation of Black photographic groups as a necessary and powerful constellation to speak to the uniqueness of individual artistry, the realities of needed support (financial, spatial, and conceptual), and the power in shared positionalities and political commitments.

Artist Talk - Kija Lucas 
The Taxonomy Of Belonging

Kija Lucas, Image from the series In Search of Home

Artist Talk - Kija Lucas 
The Taxonomy Of Belonging
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
6:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Please join us on Tuesday September 1st, for an artist talk with Bay Area based photographer Kija Lucas.  Kija Lucas photographs objects as both a methodology and a subject for self-exploration, communal reflection, and catharsis. She examines the ideological and emotional inheritances passed down through generations, often remaining unexamined. Her images are self-consciously detached, using the unsentimental visual language of science to create portraits of objects that have been chosen specifically for their unique and intimate emotional significance.

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020

September 10 - 25

Over its 46-year history, SF Camerawork has provided early career opportunities for artists. SF Camerawork’s mission and programs are dedicated to engaging and enriching local artists and their creative work. This year''s Benefit Auction 2020 See How Beautiful I Am will raise crucial funds that directly support artists now. Donating artists receive up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold.

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Upcoming Fall Workshops

Polaroid Transfers and Chemical Manipulations
Workshop with Sakara Birdsong

Sakara Birdsong, Rosa Damascena

CLASS DESCRIPTION

SF Camerawork is thrilled to partner with Oakland-based artist Sakara Birdsong. This 5 session hands-on workshop will explore the beauty and ruination found in the manipulation of Polaroids. Using household chemicals, students will learn how to develop, transfer, and manipulate Polaroid film. Class will meet weekly via zoom. 

The 5 week workshop series will focus on:

     • Exploring the boundaries of manipulating polaroids
     • Learning to confidently transfer polaroids
     • Understanding the basics of chemical manipulation
     • Scanning  and storing the results of chemical, manipulations, and transfers
     • Gaining insight into experimental film photography

DATES
Weekly on Thursday evenings (6:30 - 8:00 pm), beginning October 22nd

FEE
$120 for all 5 classes
$100 for SF Camerawork Members

Walking Art in the Time of Social Distancing
Workshop with Minoosh Zomorodinia

Image courtesy of Minoosh Zomorodinia

CLASS DESCRIPTION

This 5 session workshop is for anyone who enjoys photography, digital art, and walking. We will look at different artists who use walking in their practice as well as discuss the role of photography and video documentation as a form of art. Everyone will complete a weekly walk and document their routes using photography. We''ll share and discuss individual experiences virtually, and digitalize those experiences with Adobe Photoshop, Bridge, and Illustrator. Time will be allocated to brainstorm and develop projects, and we''ll meet via zoom to discuss our walking experiences.

The 5 week workshop series will focus on:

   • Walking as a form of art 
   • Exploring walking artists 
   • Demo on using digital programs; Bridge, Photoshop, Illustrator to digitize              routes of walking.
   • Establishing a project based on walking
   • Design, construct walking routes to present 

DATES
Weekly on Monday evenings (5:30 - 7:45 pm), beginning October 19th

FEE
$150 for all 5 classes
SF Camerawork members receive a 15% discount! ($128.50)

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

UPCOMING EXHIBITION

CELL SIGNALS
Curated by Pete Brook​

April 9 - June 13, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday,  April 9, 6 - 8pm

Image courtesy of Wray Herbert-King.

We are excited to announce our upcoming exhibition Cell Signals curated by writer and educator Pete Brook. This exhibition brings together visions from within U.S. prisons and jails to address the role of images in our understanding of incarceration in America. Through visitation hacks, repurposed archive reels, collaborative portraiture, cellphone pics and prison newspaper coverage, Cell Signals peers upon the growing and changing uses of both artistic gesture and networked, image-technologies within American security, prisons, and homeland culture.

Exhibiting Artists: Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena, Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw, and the Free Mind Collective

This exhibition is generously supported by the Bernard Osher Foundation, Dr. Janet Mohle-Boetani, and Philip Sager.

CURRENT

JAMIL HELLU: TOGETHER
NATALIE KRICK: RHYMES OF CONFUSION
Open through March 14th 

UPCOMING

ARTIST TALK
Hal Fischer, Jamil Hellu & Natalie Krick
Thursday, February 27, 6 - 8 PM

MARCH MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE - *New Date
Thursday, March 12, 6 - 8 PM

CELL SIGNALS
Curated by Pete Brook
Artists: Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena,
Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw,
and the Free Mind Collective
April 9 - June 13, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 9, 6 - 8 PM

CALLS FOR ENTRY

SFC EXHIBITION AWARD
Call for exhibition proposals by artists, collectives, and curators
Deadline: March 6, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ANNUAL JURIED SHOW: FORECAST 2020
International open call for artists working in photography
Call opens March 13th

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through September 25th

Eli Reed, Tupac, Los Angeles, California, 1992/2020 
Donated by the artist, courtesy of Magnum Photos and The Gallery at Leica Store San Francisco.

Eli Reed

This year’s San Francisco Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am, features this limited edition color archival pigment print portrait of Tupac accompanied by a handwritten letter from Magnum photographer Eli Reed about his experiences making the photograph and his time with Tupac.  This is the only print out of the edition to include this handwritten and signed letter, which we are pleased to share below:

Meeting Tupac was an opening to my educational view of Rap music and its place in music. The meeting took place during the making of a movie starring Janet Jackson and Tupac as the lead characters and directed by John Singleton. I did not have much of an appreciation or working knowledge of his music before that time.

I took notice of Tupac from the first time that he arrived on the movie set. He was intensely focused and appreciative of everything around him. It was obvious to me that he was thoughtful and someone who listened with his mind as well as his heart.

I first saw his machine gun tattoo when I observed him changing his shirt one day while preparing for a movie scene. The image of the machine gun on his bare chest struck a chord in me. I approached him at the conclusion of the scene and told him what I wanted to do. I do not remember our conversation. I only remember that he agreed with my reasons for doing a personal portrait of him. We began having very brief discussions about various possibilities as time passed.

We agreed on a time when it could get done.

I had a brief conversation with my assistants just before he arrived. I suggested it okay to exchange greetings with him but not to get into any involved conversations before the shoot started. I explained that he was dealing with a lot of ‘stuff’ on his mind and I wanted to help keep him locked in on the portrait session with the least distractions possible.

I had been told at one point by a fellow crew member on a day when I was working on the production that Tupac had punched a hole in his trailer and I felt bad for him. It was clear at least to me that becoming an icon was not a necessarily good thing. Pressure, pressure, under pressure for too much of the time.

I wished that the session would be simple, and easy, and substantial all together inside the same time and place. It was all that and more. I told him earlier what I planned for the shoot and what I needed from him. He arrived and I quietly spoke to him saying, “Tupac, it’s time.” 

Tupac nodded and walked to the front of my medium format camera position. I spoke again asking him to remove his buttonless shirt. He managed to get the sleeves of his shirt down to his elbows when I asked him to freeze.

A look of quiet torture appeared on his face and everything came together. It was a vision of a fragile man set inside a room of stone walls where dim possibilities lay in place for a safe escape.

His face was of someone blamed for the sins of others and there wasn''t any reasonable exits from any of it. The look was not about fear but a reference point for bitter understanding. It spoke clearly that there was no escape to be had. 

I made three exposures and it was done.

I half mumbled something to myself after Tupac walked away. “He is  going to be either inside prison or dead within two years.” I would not have remembered more or less internal comment if not for one of my assistants who was close enough to overhear my musing.

Tupac was gone within that two year period after the portrait session and I still feel the loss of his genius all the time. Time and his music have kept the miracle of who he was and will always be in our collective minds and our hearts.

Eli Reed
September, 2020
Austin, Texas
 

Eli Reed was born in the US and studied pictorial illustration at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, graduating in 1969. In 1982 he was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. At Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, he studied political science, urban affairs, and the prospects for peace in Central America.  Reed began photographing as a freelancer in 1970. His work from El Salvador, Guatemala and other Central American countries attracted the attention of Magnum in 1982. He was nominated to the agency the following summer, and became a full member in 1988.

Reed photographed the effects of poverty on America’s children for a film documentary called Poorest in the Land of Plenty. He went on to work as a stills and specials photographer for major motion pictures. His video documentary Getting Out was shown at the New York Film Festival in 1993 and honored by the 1996 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame International Film and Video Competition in the documentary category.

Reed’s special reports include a long-term study on Beirut (1983-87), the ousting of Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti (1986), US military action in Panama (1989), the Walled City in Hong Kong and, perhaps most notably, his documentation of African-American experience over more than twenty years.
 

There are five days left to bid on the 64 lots included in SF Camerawork''s Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am.  This year''s Benefit Auction 2020 See How Beautiful I Am will raise crucial funds that directly support artists now. Donating artists receive up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold.  View the work and register to bid!

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Online Discovery

Into the Archive
"Cultural Contexts: The Work of Ruth Morgan and Jim Goldberg"

In anticipation of our upcoming exhibition Cell Signals,  today''s Online Discovery series highlights SF Camerawork''s history of showcasing work that deals with important and often difficult social issues of our time.

"Cultural Contexts: The Work of Ruth Morgan and Jim Goldberg," was published in SF Camerawork''s 1985 Summer Quarterly.  This article, written by the late Jean McMann, highlights Ruth Morgan''s important early work inside San Quentin State Prison and the connection between her photographic project and Jim Goldberg''s contemporaneous series Rich and Poor. 

We''d also like to share a more recent interview between Ruth Morgan and Cell Signals curator Pete Brook. In their conversation, the two discuss a variety of topics including Morgan''s experience photographing on San Quentin''s Death Row, her project''s impact in both the arts and social justice communities, and her role at Community Works, a restorative justice organization bringing arts programming into Bay Area jails.

Decades after Morgan''s important work, the prison industrial complex in the U.S. persists, and a new generation of photographers continue to raise social awareness.  SF Camerawork''s exhibition Cell Signals will open online on April 23rd featuring the work of Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena, Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik, Pendarvis Harshaw, and the Free Mind Collective. These artists employ variant approaches to their subjects including participatory exchange, GIFs, anti-documentary, and modified AI machine-learning, each highlighting issues of power and access that continue today. 

Quicklinks:

"Cultural Contexts: The Work of Ruth Morgan and Jim Goldberg,"
1985 SF Camerawork Summer Quarterly

A conversation between Ruth Morgan
and Cell Signals curator Pete Brook (September 2011).

SF Camerawork''s Upcoming Exhibition Cell Signals

On Social: Quarantine Picture Show

SF Camerawork presents a pop-up series of lens-based projects by artists creatively responding to our current state of quarantine, curated by artist, curator and SFC member Victoria Mara Heilweil. Check SF Camerawork''s Instagram (@sfcamerawork) or the Online Discovery page for daily features!

Nigel Poor, Day #1 Shelter in Place 3.17.20

RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

Emergency Resources for Artists and Freelancers

Foundation for Contemporary Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund

The San Francisco Arts and Artists Relief Fund

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19

SF Camerawork Gallery temporarily closed

Hello Friends of SF Camerawork,

The health and wellness of our members, visitors, and staff is our top priority.  In response to COVID-19 and in alignment with local and federal guidelines regarding social distancing,  SF Camerawork gallery will be closed through April 9th or until further notice.

While the gallery will be closed, we encourage you to take advantage of several great opportunities to learn more about the work of exhibiting artists Jamil Hellu and Natalie Krick:

• Spend your afternoon listening to Jamil Hellu speak with Louis Vargas on The (art)Scene Podcast

• Read about Natalie Krick in an article on Bomb Magazine and Exposure Magazine

• Read more about Jamil Hellu at Feature Shoot and LENSCRATCH

We will continue to monitor any new developments of COVID-19 and encourage everyone to follow the guidelines set by the San Francisco Department of Public Health to reduce their risk of getting sick:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your cough or sneeze.

• Stay home if you are sick.

• Avoid touching your face.

• Try alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave.

• If you have recently returned from a country, state or region with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.

We wish you all health and safety during these times and look forward to welcoming you back to the gallery for the exhibition Cell Signals on April 9th, or as soon as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@sfcamerawork.org. 

Warmest wishes,
SF Camerawork Staff

Installation view of Jamil Hellu: Together

UPCOMING

CELL SIGNALS
Curated by Pete Brook
Artists: Adam Chin, Jodi Darby, Robert Gumpert, Eddie Herena,
Wray Herbert-King, Brandon Tauszik and Pendarvis Harshaw,
and the Free Mind Collective
April 9 - June 13, 2020
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 9, 6 - 8 PM (COVID-19 status permitting)

APRIL MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE
Wednesday, April 22, 6 - 8 PM

CALLS FOR ENTRY

FORECAST 2020
International open call for artists working in photography
Deadline: April 10, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

SF Camerawork Online Event

Question Bridge: Black Males

Image courtesy of Chris Johnson

Question Bridge: Black Males
Film screening and artist talk with Chris Johnson
Moderated by Elena Gross
Saturday, July 25, 2020
1:00 - 2:30 PM PST

On Saturday, July 25th, please join SF Camerawork for a conversation with artist Chris Johnson moderated by Elena Gross. Chris Johnson will discuss the pivotal transmedia project Question Bridge: Black Males which he created along with Hank Willis Thomas. Question Bridge: Black Males is an innovative transmedia project launched in 2012 that facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America.

All registrants will receive access to screen the film on their own prior to the conversation with Chris Johnson and Elena Gross. Registrants also have the opportunity to submit questions for our moderated Q&A by completing our question form.

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS

BETWEEN PANDEMIC AND PROTEST;
WORKING AS A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER IN TURBULENT TIMES
A presentation and discussion with Carlos Avila Gonzalez
Saturday, July 18, 2020 
1:00 - 2:30 PM PST
Register

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through tomorrow, September 25th, 2 PM PDT

Lewis Watts, Luma Kanda in His Bookstore in Oakland, 1995
Courtesy of the artist and Rena Bransten Gallery.

Lewis Watts

I have been photographing for the past fifty years. Most of my work has explored the Cultural Landscape and the effects of “the Great African American Migration” which has expanded to the more recent global migration. I have been interested in both the source and the distinction of migration having photographed in Oakland, South Central Los Angeles and Harlem as well as New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Savannah, the Georgia Sea Islands and elsewhere. I also am co-author of “Harlem of the West: The San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era” with found images and oral histories about an African American neighborhood that thrived during WWII and then was erased by redevelopment. My concentration has expanded to work in Cuba, Jamaica, Black Paris and France and refugee camps in Calais, Berlin and Greece. I have recently been exploring early African American literature, reproducing at large scale, pages and book covers by people like Frederik Douglas, Sojourner Truth and Langston Hughes. I’m also working on a portrait series of creatives of African descent who I think present themselves to the world and the camera in ways that are not influenced by media stereotypes. What I really love about being a photographer is that it puts me in a wide variety of situations, some of which I probably have no business in.

This portrait was done as part of a project I was doing in Oakland. I was looking at traces of African American culture as reflected by the mid-century Great Migration that is very present in the "cultural landscape" of Oakland. Luma Kanda had an amazing space and he has continued to collect and distribute African American literature after its closing.

 Lewis Watts is a photographer, archivist/curator and Professor Emeritus of Art at UC Santa Cruz. His research and artwork centers around the “cultural landscape” primarily in communities in the African diaspora. He is the author of Harlem of the West: The San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era (Chronicle Books, 2006 and Heyday Books, 2020), New Orleans Suite: Music and Culture in Transition (UC Press, 2013), and Portraits (Edition One Press, 2020). His work has been exhibited at and is in the collections of Autograph London; The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Cité de La Musique, Paris; The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans; The Oakland Museum of California; Berkeley Art Museum; the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley; The Special Collections of the McHenry Library UC Santa Cruz; The McEvoy Foundation San Francisco; The Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase NY; The Amistad Center for Art and Culture, Hartford, Conn; Light Work, Syracuse NY; and The Paul Sack Collection, San Francisco among others.
 

Danny Lyon, SNCC workers stand outside the funeral, Birmingham, Alabama, September 12, 1963: Emma Bell, Dorie Ladner, Dona Richards, Sam Shirah and Doris Derby, 1963/1996
Courtesy of Etherton Gallery.
 

Danny Lyon

This image of Danny Lyon''s is from the series "Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement."  Danny Lyon''s publications work in the style of photographic New Journalism, meaning that the photographer has become immersed in, and is a participant of, the documented subject. He is the founding member of the publishing group Bleak Beauty. After being accepted as the photographer for Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lyon was present at almost all of the major historical events during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Dany Lyon has had solo exhibits at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Menil Collection, the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco and the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona. Lyon twice received a Guggenheim Fellowship along with a Rockefeller Fellowship, a Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, and a Lucie Award.

Get your bids in before 2pm pdt on Friday, September 25th! Support SFC’s mission and programs dedicated to engaging and enriching artists and their creative work.  This year''s Benefit Auction will also raise crucial funds that directly support artists now with donating artists receiving up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold. 

Closing Reception

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Thursday, September 24th, 6 - 7 PM PDT

Isaac Julien, Le Rêve No. 2 (Looking for Langston Vintage Series), 1989/2016
Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman Gallery.

Join us this Thursday, September 24th at 6 PM PDT as we gather the San Francisco Camerawork communities for an evening of art, conversation, and celebration. We’ll take another look at the incredible work assembled, hear from board members and artists, and make one final push for last minute bids.

And, of course, we’ll raise a glass to all the creators, gallerists, and lovers of photography that make San Francisco Camerawork possible. Pour your favorite wine or craft that perfect cocktail to participate.
 

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

Upcoming Partner Organization Events

Against Prisons: Art and Activism in California
with Brooklyn Rail and curator Pete Brook
Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10am pdt/ 1pm edt
Register here

Join Brooklyn Rail and SF Camerawork Cell Signals curator Pete Brook this Thursday, September 24th for a discussion on anti-prison activism in California. Pete will be joined by James King, Emiliano Lopez, and Gregory Sale.

Conversations on Culture #17: Wesaam Al-Badry
with Karen Jenkins Johnson Gallery
Friday, September 25th at 12 pm pdt / 3pm edt
Register here

Join SF Camerawork participating auction artist Wesaam Al-Badry this Friday, September 25th as he discusses his two most recent series"Migrant Workers" and "Marianna" with gallerist Karen Jenkins-Johnson.
 

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through September 25th

Alanna Airitam, Dapper Dan, The Golden Age, 2017
Donated by the artist.

Alanna Airitam

Alanna Airitam speaks about what drives her to create photography: 

I’ve always been passionate about the idea of a world that allows every human being the ability to live their lives according to their own design. Think about it. The miracle of birth and creating a new human being. To me, that is the highest form of magic. What a tragedy to label a child and corral them into a version of life that is limited and oppressed before they even have the  opportunity to dream of what they could contribute to the world. We all lose when this happens. Then history gets revised to make this child at fault for being born in the wrong skin. This will never stop breaking my heart. It feels necessary for me to make photos that speak to who we are, our beauty, our purpose, and our power because so many people of color grow up questioning those things about themselves. I want to make work to be reflective in that allows us to easily see the truth about ourselves. I want people to know how we have contributed to this world in spite of everything against us. It is important to understand history and how much we have contributed to culture, technological innovations, social justice, the economic foundation of this country, and so much more. We are beautiful. We are made of the DNA of people who have witnessed and survived humanity at its worst. That is a pretty big deal and in my eyes, makes us absolutely glorious.

Alanna Airitam''s portraits and vanitas are photographed in studio with minimal lighting giving the work a painterly quality that captures the attention with beauty to deliver challenging messages. “The Golden Age” series is hand-varnished while “Crossroads,” “Take a Look Inside” and “How to Make a Country” are encased in resin and placed in hand-welded frames creating unique objects. All works are produced by the artist in limited editions.

Alanna Airitam is a 2020 Critical Mass Finalist. Her photographs have been exhibited at Catherine Edelman Gallery in Chicago, Quint Gallery in San Diego, San Diego Art Institute, Art Miami with Catherine Edelman, Athenaeum Art Center in San Diego, and Candela Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Airitam now resides in Tucson, Arizona.
 

Closing Reception

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Thursday, September 24th, 6 - 7 PM PDT

Isaac Julien, Le Rêve No. 2 (Looking for Langston Vintage Series), 1989/2016
Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman Gallery.

Join us this Thursday, September 24th at 6 PM PDT as we gather the San Francisco Camerawork communities for an evening of art, conversation, and celebration.

We’ll take another look at the incredible work assembled, hear from board members and artists, and make one final push for last minute bids.

And, of course, we’ll raise a glass to all the creators, gallerists, and lovers of photography that make San Francisco Camerawork possible. Pour your favorite wine or craft that perfect cocktail to participate.
 

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Image courtesy of Trenton Brown

San Francisco Camerawork is pleased to announce the online opening of FORECAST 2020, our annual survey exhibition. Each year, FORECAST showcases thought provoking artists and brings our communities together through photography.

This year''s jurors — curator Elena Gross, TBW Books Director Lester Rosso, and artist Michael Jang — considered over 300 submissions, and selected the work of 12 incredible image-makers for the exhibit.

We invite you to experience FORECAST 2020 online, and to join us for our virtual opening reception this evening, Thursday, October 29th at 6 PM PDT.

Visit the FORECAST 2020 exhibit →

FORECAST 2020
Opening Reception

Thursday, October 29, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PDT

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Carlos Chavarria, Dust & Misfires #3

FORECAST 2020 - Opening Reception
Thursday, October 29, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PDT

San Francisco Camerawork is excited to announce the online opening reception for our upcoming exhibition FORECAST 2020. Please join us on Thursday, October 29th to celebrate the 12 artists selected by this year''s jurors -- curator Elena Gross, artist Michael Jang, and TBW Books Director Lester Rosso. This year''s FORECAST exhibition will be exhibited virtually on SF Camerawork''s website with accompanying online programming following the opening reception. 
 

FORECAST 2020 SELECTED ARTISTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

ARTIST TALK WITH CHRISTOPHER COLVILLE
Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PDT
Register here

ARTIST TALK WITH BINH DANH
Self Landing: Daguerreotypes On the Western Landscape
Monday, October 26, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PDT*
*This is a new date!
Register here

OCTOBER MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE
with Kari Orvik
Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 6:00 - 8:00 PM PDT
Register here

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Online Events

Artist Talk with Régine Romain
Haiti, Photography, and Black Representation

Courtesy of Régine Romain

Artist Talk with Régine Romain​
Haiti, Photography, and Black Representation
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Please join us on Tuesday, December 15th for a conversation with Haitian-American artist, educator, and visual anthropologist Régine Romain. In this lecture, participants will consider the importance of representation and what it means to affirm, value, and sustain the worldviews of those who have been historically misrepresented and underrepresented like the people of Haiti. Romain will share some of the historic photographs that she took of Haiti in 2010 after the devastating 7.0 earthquake, and how those images motivated her to create a photo-inspired project - NOU PAP BLIYE: A Haitian Coloring Book." 
 

December Members'' Critique
with Jamil Hellu

Jamil Hellu, Avatar, 2020

December Members'' Critique with Jamil Hellu
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
6:00 - 8:00 PM PST

In December, SF Camerawork will present our monthly members’ critique online. Artist and educator Jamil Hellu will lead the group and provide direct feedback on members’ work and photographic practice. If you are interested in participating in the December members’ critique online, please register on SF Camerawork''s website.
 

SF Camerawork Holiday Book & Zine Fair
Thursday, December 17, 2020
4:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Don''t miss SF Camerawork''s third annual holiday book & zine fair, which will take place digitally on Thursday, December 17th. This year-end celebration is an SF Camerawork favorite, and a moment to showcase artists and the books and zines created this year.  Join us for this festive event, hear from makers about their work, and support the SF Camerawork photography community. You might even find the perfect holiday gift for a friend or for yourself!
 

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK
DURING END OF YEAR GIVING

January Reception for "Jamil Hellu: Together" and "Natalie Krick: Rhymes of Confusion"

As we approach the close of 2020, we invite you to participate in this end of year giving season with a tax-deductible donation to SF Camerawork.  The proceeds raised empower SF Camerawork to continue fulfilling key aspects of our mission: the growth of photographers’ careers, innovation and equity in the field of photography, and the commission of new works. Together, we can strengthen the photographic arts in the bay area and raise crucial funds for artists. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

ARTIST TALK WITH RACHEL FEIN-SMOLINSKI, Part 2
Tuesday, December 22, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here

ARTIST TALK WITH RANIA MATAR
From personal to universal
Wednesday, January 13, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here
 

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.
 

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through September 25th

Ron Moultrie Saunders, Of This Earth, 2015
Donated by the artist.

Ron Moultrie Saunders

I create photograms: photographs that are made without the use of a camera. This 19th century process has an immediacy, rawness, and truth that is not found in images created with a camera. I layer natural and man-made elements such as water, plants and rope on the surface of silver-based photographic paper. The paper is exposed to light from an enlarger to create a shadowy silhouette image. 

This artwork collages my feet with a leaf and speaks to the spirit of life, my interconnectedness to nature and my firm placement on this Earth. 

Ron Moultrie Saunders, a co-founding member of the 3.9 Art Collective, is a San Francisco based photographic artist, landscape architect and teacher. He is being commissioned by BART to create artwork for the Market Street Canopies in San Francisco and for 19th Street Station in Oakland, CA. 

His artwork is in the San Francisco Arts Commission Civic Art Collection for projects he completed for the Bayview Linda Brooks-Burton Branch Library, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, and Public Utilities Commission New Headquarters in San Francisco. Saunders is also the recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission.
 

There are four days left to bid on the 64 lots included in SF Camerawork''s Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am.  This year''s Benefit Auction 2020 See How Beautiful I Am will raise crucial funds that directly support artists now. Donating artists receive up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold.  View the work and bid before 2 PM PDT on September 25th!
 

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Join SF Camerawork this
Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is here!  On this national day of philanthropy, we invite you to kick off the end of year giving season with a tax-deductible donation to SF Camerawork.  The proceeds raised empower us to continue fulfilling key aspects of our mission: the growth of photographers’ careers, innovation and equity in the field of photography, and the commission of new works. 

This past year, SF Camerawork''s online workshops, artist talks, and digital exhibitions have created space for meaningful conversations around art and art making.  These conversations, centered around artist voices, have connected our photo community through creativity and thoughtful exchange.  

Together, we can continue to grow our impact, provide opportunities for artists, and further fund creative work. Each act of generosity counts, and means even more when we give together! Join SF Camerawork today and strengthen the photographic arts in the Bay Area and beyond. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

ARTIST TALK WITH KEN LIGHT
Monday, December 7, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here

HOLIDAY BOOK & ZINE FAIR
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Learn more
 

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through September 25th

Wesaam Al-Badry, Marianna #XII, 2019/2020
Courtesy of the artist, and Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco

There is one week left to bid on the 64 lots included in SF Camerawork''s Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am. Over the next 9 days, we will share a series of daily auction highlights featuring artists and artwork in this year''s Benefit Auction. This year''s auction not only raises crucial funds to support SF Camerawork''s exhibitions and programming, but also directly supports image makers, with contributing artists receiving up to 50% of the sale price for their works. Place your bids on Artsy before September 25th!
 

Wesaam Al-Badry

Wesaam Al-Badry on his multi-media project Marianna:

"The idea for a collaborative project was born from an event that first occurred when I began working in Appalachia: I asked an elderly resident if she wanted to be photographed. She said yes, but also wanted to know if I wanted her to stand next to a decrepit shed on her property. I asked her why she wanted to stand there? She replied that whenever photographers had come to photograph in the past, most wanted her to stand next to those types of buildings. 

This event led to me to start thinking about how photography has a history of perpetuating stereotypes and isolating communities sealed between the cracks. The idea is to break down the stereotypes of the Appalachian “aesthetic.” The project portrays these people as essential members of the community, with a deep historical connection to coal mining and the towns they live in. 

Pennsylvania is the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country, just behind Texas. Marianna is a borough in southeast Washington County, home to more than 1000 gas wells, the most in the state. EQT, the largest gas producer in the United States is quickly and aggressively building all around Marianna. 

Historically, Marianna was once a mining community, and remnants of this remain with a man-made mountain of coal ash. The town itself sits on top of a riverbank. On the other side of the river, a mere 900 feet from Kim Laskowsky’s front door is a fracking site."
 

Artists'' Showcase

Thursday, September 17th, 4 PM PDT
Hosted by Adrian Burrell and Benjamin Jones
On Minnesota Street Project Adjacent 

Please join San Francisco Camerawork and Minnesota Street Project Adjacent TODAY @ 4pm for our LIVE-streamed Artists'' Showcase. Our first ever Artists'' Showcase will feature a conversation between artist Adrian L. Burrell and art scholar Benjamin Jones.

Burrell and Jones will discuss work in the SF Camerawork Benefit Auction: See How Beautiful I Am, featuring over 60 artists from around the world. They will also explore several auction images within the context of the history of Black photography.

As part of the Artists'' Showcase, Alanna Airitam, Johnnie Chatman, Mikael Owunna, Chanell Stone, and more . . . will appear LIVE to share their independent artistic visions. They will also offer their collective insights in the roundtable session finale.

The evening is expected to generate a powerful conversation around creative practice, vision, and activism. It''s a LIVE only event not to be missed! 
 

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Advanced Workshop Series with John Priola

Develop your photographic practice this summer at SFC!

Image caption: Three images from the series Posies, Mottled Vase, Orange vase, Black Bowl by J John Priola.

ADVANCED CRITIQUE WORKSHOP SERIES WITH J JOHN PRIOLA 

This 12 session series with J. John Priola is a critique-based workshop with instructor-led group discussions.  It is intended to provide an extension of the SF Camerawork monthly critique program and is aimed at photographers who want more in-depth discussion and development of their work.  This class is perfect for anyone interested in pushing their photography to a higher level through focused, constructive group critique and discussion.  Classes meet via zoom with screen share, Mondays from 5:30-7:45PM.

The 12 week critique series will focus on:

    • Assessing the way your work currently communicates
    • Discovering and identifying your personal voice
    • Establishing artistic goals
    • A better understanding of your work and potential through group discussion
    • Exploring contemporary art issues and practices

ABOUT J JOHN PRIOLA
J. John Priola is a contemporary visual artist using photography and video. Priola has exhibited nationally and internationally. Currently, he is represented by Anglim Gilbert Gallery where he has had many solo and group exhibitions. His work is part of the permanent collections of major museums including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum New York. He is Senior Lecturer at the San Francisco Art Institute and has taught at ICP Bard, SF State, and CCA.

FEE
$400 for all 12 classes
SF Camerawork members receive a 15% discount!

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS
 

IS YOUR FACE YOUR OWN?
AI, FACIAL RECOGNITION, AND THE ARTS
Adam Chin, Clare Garvie, Liz O’Sullivan, and Anastasia Victor
Moderated by Seth Rosenblatt
Wednesday, July, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Online Events

Artist Talk - Priya Kambli

Priya Kambli, Soha (Muma’s Photographs), 2019

Artist Talk - Priya Kambli
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
6:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Please join us on Wednesday, July 29th for an online artist talk with Priya Kambli.  Priya will share work from her current series Buttons for Eyes. Born in Mumbai, Priya moved to the United States at the age of 18 with her entire life in a single suitcase. Her work is informed by the loss of her parents, her experience as a migrant, and the family photographs and artifacts she brought with her to America. For the past decade, this archive has been her primary source material in creating work exploring the migrant narrative, and the challenges of cross-cultural understanding.
 

Online Event: Between Pandemic and Protest; Working as a News Photographer in Turbulent Times

©Carlos Avila Gonzalez for SF Chronicle

A presentation and discussion with Carlos Avila Gonzalez
Saturday, July 18, 2020
1:00 - 2:30 PM PST

Between Pandemic and Protest; Working as a News Photographer in Turbulent Times will highlight how social distancing and trying to stay healthy while reporting the news is more challenging than ever in the midst of a global pandemic and socio political crisis. Our expectations of work have changed drastically from just a few months ago - not to mention trying to help people make sense of a crisis while experiencing it ourselves. Join Photo/MultiMedia Journalist Carlos Avila Gonzalez as he discusses his recent experiences in the field.  Participate in a Q&A with him live.

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS

ONLINE EVENT: QUESTION BRIDGE: BLACK MALES
Film screening and artist talk with Chris Johnson
Moderated by Elena Gross
Saturday, July 25, 2020 
1:00 - 2:30 PM PST
Register
 

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Dear SF Camerawork Communities,

Over the last several days, many of you have sacrificed your health and safety to grieve for the unjust deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor—and to protest a system that brutalizes Black people. For some of you, the situation is not novel. Many of you risk your health and safety every day just to live, work, and breathe in the United States. This is true for many, but it is especially true for those of us who identify as Black or African American in today’s United States.

Many of you are challenging us—the organizations with which you so generously share your time, talent, and treasure—to do more to recognize Black lives and Black artists and to go further to use our power to bend the arc toward racial and social justice.  

In particular, I want to share an Instagram post by artist Chanell Stone—finalist in our Forecast 2019 juried show—that challenges SF Camerawork to do better.

@__califia

As an avid supporter and lover of SF Camerawork, I would appreciate an acknowledgement of the nation''s recent current events. It is vastly affecting many Black artists, such as myself, that you have generously extended your platform to. This is a moment for call & response. I would also like to challenge SF Camerawork to facilitate more programing and exhibitions dedicated to Black image makers in particular. Thank you and with love, Chanell.

To our Black artists and community members, I want to say directly: As an African-American woman and your SF Camerawork Board President, I acknowledge and commit to amplifying your voices. I want you all to know that SF Camerawork is dedicated to the Power of the Camera and to the importance of Black artists creating, promoting, and benefitting from those images.

Yes, SF Camerawork hears you and agrees with you. Yes, we are committed to the values of cultural equity and social justice for all. And, yes, we need to do more to recognize the contributions of Black artists and experiences, in particular. Today we are doing this by:

• postponing our currently scheduled programming to share the work of Black artists and to share resources for those who wish to promote the change we need. More to follow . . .

• scheduling soon-to-be-announced programming featuring the voices of Black thinkers in their responses to our Cell Signals show, a photographic view into the lives of incarcerated people.

• encouraging Black artists to submit to our Open Call Forecast 2020 show, curated by Elena Gross, Michael Jang, and Lester Rosso.

We also know we need to do more. If real change is to result, Black people and Black experiences must have a seat at our decision-making tables—as people involved in our governance, curatorial, and programming processes. In the spirit of diversity AND inclusion, I invite you to step forward to nominate more Black people to join us at SF Camerawork. (Already I’m excited to share the recent news that photographer Gene Dominique will join our Board of Directors in July 2020!) With your participation and partnership, we are poised to make important change.

With sincerity and commitment,

Michelle Branch
Board President
SF Camerawork

Online Event Recordings

In case you missed it or want to watch again!

In October, SF Camerawork hosted artist talks with Alanna Airitam, Chris Colville, Binh Danh, and David Johnson. We''re pleased to announce that all four programs are now available to view on our website. If you weren''t able to attend, you can now watch on your own schedule!

UPCOMING EVENTS

OCTOBER MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE 
with Kari Orvik
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
6:00 - 8:00 PM PDT
Register

FORECAST 2020 - OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, October 29, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PDT
Register

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Online Events

Community Panel: Facing Life

Tomorrow, Wednesday June 24th, 4:30 - 6:00 PM PST

Bradnon Tauszik, Fahim Reese of Vallejo participates in a construction apprenticeship program so that he can gain access to the trade. 

Community Panel: Facing Life
Pendarvis Harshaw, Lynn Noyes, Fahim Alqaadir,
Brandon Tauszik, and Keith Wattley
Moderated by Adnan Kahn
Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 4:30 - 6:00 PM PST

After decades in prison, how does one reenter society? What adjustments are needed? How does life look and feel? What help do returning citizens receive?

Join SF Camerawork tomorrow,  June 24th,  for a community discussion that promotes the urgent stories of system-impacted individuals. The community discussion will feature Cell Signals artists Pendarvis Harshaw and Brandon Tauszik and will be anchored by the testimonies of Fahim Alqaadir and Lynn Noyes, subjects in Harshaw and Tauszik''s project Facing Life. Alongside them, we''ll hear from Keith Wattley, Founder and Executive Director of Uncommon Law (which worked on Noyes’ case for parole). The conversation will be moderated by Adnan Khan, Executive Director of Restore Justice, who worked on drafting parts of SB1437 during his own incarceration.

UPCOMING ONLINE EVENTS

COMMUNITY PANEL - FACING LIFE
Pendarvis Harshaw, Lynn Noyes, Fahim Alqaadir,
Brandon Tauszik, and Keith Wattley
Moderated by Adnan Kahn
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
4:30 - 6:00 PM
Register

JUNE MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE
with Ann Jastrab
Thursday, June 25, 2020
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Register

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Support SF Camerawork
Support Photography!

Natalie Krick, "Rhymes of Confusion" exhibition, January 2020

We’re closing out 2020 much as we began it – with programming featuring the work of diverse and compelling photographers. 

Since the onset of COVID closures and restrictions, we’ve welcomed over 1,400 visitors to our streaming events, and thousands more have visited our digital exhibits. While we may not be able to gather as a community at our gallery, we’re grateful to connect online.

Your contributions make this possible. Your support enables the programming that brings us together, and helps support the careers of working artists. If you’ve already given to SF Camerawork during this season of giving, thank you! If you haven''t, we hope you’ll make a donation today.

If you prefer to send a check, please mail to
SF Camerawork: 1011 Market Street, Fl 2, San Francisco, CA 94103
 

Artist Talk with Priya Kambli in July 2020

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

ARTIST TALK WITH RÉGINE ROMAIN
Haiti, Photography, and Black Representation
Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here

DECEMBER MEMBERS'' CRITIQUE WITH JAMIL HELLU
Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 6:00 - 8:00 PM PST
Register Here

HOLIDAY BOOK & ZINE FAIR
Thursday, December 17, 2020, 4:00 - 7:00 PM PST
Register Here

ARTIST TALK WITH RACHEL FEIN-SMOLINSKI, Part 2
Tuesday, December 22, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here

ARTIST TALK WITH RANIA MATAR
Wednesday, January 13, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Register Here

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
Bid now through September 25th

Amir Saadiq, The American Dream, 2018
Donated by the artist.

Amir Saadiq

Amir''s practice focuses on challenging social norms and representation while exploring the intersectionality of economics, politics, activism and Blackness. As a Black man, he have seen the generational effects of systematic oppression. As a visual artist, he was struck by how many images depicted of his community were taken by interlopers. This led Amir to create the image, "The American Dream," to counter mainstream tropes dictated by Western Epistemology. His work aims to diversify the traditional canon of photography by using images to spark culturally relevant conversations.    

Amir Saadiq is a visual artist and documentarian based in Southern California. In 2020 he was selected for both the Eddie Adams Workshop and the New York Portfolio Review. He is the founder of Zanj, a community-driven art movement that  provides established and emerging artists of color gallery space and representation. He has exhibited across the United States.
 

There is one week left to bid on the 64 lots included in SF Camerawork''s Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am.  This year''s Benefit Auction 2020 See How Beautiful I Am will raise crucial funds that directly support artists now. Donating artists receive up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold.  View the work and register to bid!

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Let''s get creative!
Ways to spend time at home

Apply to Forecast 2020 &
Tune in to a Livestream with Jason Fulford

Desiree Rios, Connection, Fort Worth, TX Forecast 2019 finalist

Forecast 2020
An international open call for artists working in photography

SF Camerawork is still accepting submissions to our open call Forecast 2020, juried by curator Elena Gross, artist Michael Jang, and TBW Books Director Lester Rosso. Take this time at home to compile your images, craft a submission statement, and apply!

In response to the financial impacts presented by COVID-19, we''ve lowered the cost of artist submissions to $35.  This submission fee includes a one-year membership to SF Camerawork with benefits that include participation in our monthly critiques and discounts on workshops and classes. 

The application deadline has been extended and exhibition dates shifted to Fall 2020.  Dates to be announced! 

Livestream
Jason Fulford on his new book Picture Summer on Kodak Film
Friday, March 27, 7pm EST (New York)

Looking for some quality photo time this Friday afternoon?  Join photobook superstar Jason Fulford as he livestreams a conversation about his new book Picture Summer on Kodak Film.  The livestream will include a half-hour slideshow/performance with back-stories & asides. 

Jason Fulford is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellow, and cofounder of J&L Books with fellow photographer Gregory Halpern.  In 2016, SF Camerawork''s exhibition Begin Anywhere: Paths of Mentorship and Collaboration, featured Jason Fulford''s work along with artists Amanda Boe, McNair Evans, Todd Hido, Kevin Kunishi, Mark Mahaney, Mike Smith & Alec Soth. 

Installation view of Begin Anywhere: Paths of Mentorship and Collaboration, 2016

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Online Events

The Found Photograph
Kim Beil and Carlos Chavarría in conversation

Carlos Chavarría, Dust & Misfires #1

The Found Photograph
Kim Beil and Carlos Chavarría in conversation
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Please join us on Tuesday, November 17th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artist Carlos Chavarría and scholar Kim Beil. Chavarría''s recent body of work Dust & Misfires considers found images, their relationship to place, and the idea of the photograph as object.

Artist Talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski

Rachel Fein-Smolinski,, Sodium Amytal— Blue Heavens (barbiturate used as an early truth serum) found in medic’s first aid kit, used c. 1940*, photographed 2018

Artist Talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Join us Wednesday, November 18th, for an artist talk with Rachel Fein-Smolinski, the Juror’s Choice Award recipient for FORECAST 2020. Fein-Smolinski will discuss her projects Sex Lives of Animals without Backbones, and This Woman has ISSUES! and will screen new video work. She will speak to pain, courage, illness, pleasure and the subjective histories of western healthcare buried within institutional medical archives. Smolinski''s work includes multimedia imagery made with clinical patient photographs, ephemera, and a sci-fi tableaux of artifacts mined from these archives. 

Presentations of the Body in Self Portraiture
Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright in conversation

Brittney Cathey-Adams, Dissolve

Presentations of the Body in Self Portraiture
Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright in conversation
Monday, November 23, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Please join us on Monday, November 23rd from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artists Brittney Cathey-Adams, Rachel Fein-Smolinski, and Jaclyn Wright. Together these three artists will explore themes of marking, the gendered body, and self-portraiture in photography.
 

Depicting Capitalism and Displacement
Trenton Brown, William Camargo, and Valerie Mendoza in conversation

William Camargo, We Gunna Have to Move Out Soon Fam!, 2019

Depicting Capitalism and Displacement
Trenton Brown, William Camargo, and Valerie Mendoza in conversation
Monday, November 30, 2020
6:00 - 7:30 PM PST

Join us on Thursday, November 30th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST for a conversation with FORECAST 2020 artists Trenton Brown, William Camargo, and Valerie Mendoza. The three artists will speak about their individual work and address themes of gentrification, displacement and the commercialized image.

Visit Forecast 2020 Online

Jaclyn Wright, Untitled (studio process)

FORECAST 2020, SF Camerawork''s annual survey exhibition, showcases thought provoking artists and brings our communities together through photography. This year''s jurors — curator Elena Gross, TBW Books Director Lester Rosso, and artist Michael Jang — considered over 300 submissions, and selected the work of 12 incredible image-makers for the exhibit.
 

SF Camerawork is hiring a new Executive Director

We''re seeking an executive with the passion, skills, and qualifications to lead the organization through its next phase of development and impact.

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Online Events

Artist Panel: Quarantine Picture Show - Part 1
Irene Carvajal, Klea McKenna, and Adam Thorman

Image courtesy of Klea McKenna

Artist Panel: Quarantine Picture Show - Part 1
Irene Carvajal, Klea McKenna, and Adam Thorman
Moderated by Victoria Mara Heilweil
Saturday, May 30, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM PST

Please join SF Camerawork for a two part online panel discussion of Quarantine Picture Show moderated by SFC member and curator Victoria Mara Heilweil. Irene Carvajal, Klea McKenna, and Adam Thorman continue to rely on networks, light and creative inspiration in this pandemic age. They will share work from their most recent projects produced while sheltering in place and maintaining social distance.

• Irene Carvajal: In the silence of shelter in place, Irene Carvajal thinks about language and the human need to communicate.  In her videos, the artist light also serves as a shining beacon in the darkness.   

• Klea McKenna: Klea McKenna replicates a version of her fine art practice at home making cameraless photograms.  In her series Gesture, McKenna reflects on the collective experience of waiting, watching and learning to exist in uncertainty. Handkerchiefs are used as objects placed on watercolor ink emulsion and placed in her front window allowing the public to watch them transform over time. The objects used are symbols of personal health, hygiene and compassion for others. 

• Adam Thorman: In his series Social Distancing Portraits, started at the beginning of the spring Bay Area quarantine, Adam Thorman creates portraits of his friends through their windows. These portraits speak to feelings of connection and distance experienced during this time of quarantine as people connect in whatever way possible without actually coming into contact. 

Artist Panel: Quarantine Picture Show - Part 2
Rolls and Tubes

Colleen Mullins, Chartum purgamentum init carota, 2020 / after Anna Atkins, Alaria esculenta, 1848–49

Artist Panel: Quarantine Picture Show - Part 2
Artist Collaborative Rolls and Tubes
Moderated by Victoria Heilweil
Saturday, June 6, 2020, 1:00 - 2:30 PM PST

Rolls and Tubes is a humorous and clever remaking of photographic history with toilet paper; created as a collaboration between SFC members and artists Christy McDonald, Colleen Mullins, Jenny Sampson, and Nicole White. Rolls and Tubes references a canonical 1978 photography exhibition entitled, Mirrors and Windows.  This project arose out of a desire to create new work with objects in the home. Toilet paper suddenly became their muse because of its shift from ubiquitous basic to precious commodity. The panel will discuss how their collaboration works between the four members, their interest in, and relationship to photographic history, the role Instagram has played in their process, and the importance of fun in art making.

 • Christy McDonald is a Berkeley-based documentary photographer. 

• Colleen Mullins is a San Francisco based photographer and book artist. 

• Jenny Sampson is a Berkeley-based photographer, and a SFC auction donor, who specializes in historic photographic process. 

• Nicole White is an Oakland-based artist, curator and historian, and SFC auction donor. She uses historical and contemporary photographic processes to examine the medium’s varied functionality.

On Social: #AnswersWithoutWords

Anna Rotty responds to Michael Brown''s question: What kind of floor do you wake up and put your feet on?

Check out our call-and-response series #AnswersWithoutWords on Instagram.  Each week we''ll share questions posed by the Free Mind Collective artists in our Cell Signals exhibition. Respond to the question with an image and your work could be featured in a curated response by Artist and Project Organizer of #AnswersWithoutWords, Anke Schüttler.  Today''s question is: "If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?" by Free Mind Collective artist Donald Ray Tunis.

Call for Entries

Johnnie Chatman, Great Sand; 2019 finalist

Forecast 2020: Annual Survey Exhibition
Juried by Elena Gross, Michael Jang, and Lester Rosso
Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Happy Thanksgiving
from SF Camerawork!

Alanna Airitam, The Queen from the series The Golden Age (2017)     

During this season of gratitude, we''d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you, our photo community, for your continued engagement and support. You have made SF Camerawork a vibrant space for photography this year. In such unprecedented times, we''ve come together in new ways to share stories and meaningful conversation around art and art making.  

Our online offerings have grown with workshops, artist talks, and digital exhibitions featuring new voices and perspectives. Most recently, we''ve hosted a series of conversations with our FORECAST 2020 exhibiting artists. They shared their inspiring work, and discussed photography''s power to shape narratives, define place, and connect us to our past and future. These exhibits and programs are possible only because of the ongoing support and participation we receive from you. Thank you!

Next Tuesday, December 1st, is Giving Tuesday.  On this national day of philanthropy, we invite you to kick off the end of year giving season with a tax-deductible donation to SF Camerawork.  The proceeds raised empower us to continue fulfilling key aspects of our mission: the growth of photographers’ careers, innovation and equity in the field of photography, and the commission of new works. Together, we can strengthen the photographic arts in the Bay Area and beyond.

We wish you a safe and restorative Thanksgiving holiday. 

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

DEPICTING CAPITALISM AND DISPLACEMENT
Trenton Brown, William Camargo, and Valerie Mendoza in conversation
Monday, November 30, 2020, 6:00 - 7:30 PM PST
Register Here

HOLIDAY BOOK & ZINE FAIR
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Learn more

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

Bidding on Artsy Begins Today!

SF Camerawork Benefit Auction 2020
September 10 - 25th

Dawoud Bey, A Girl Eating a Hotdog, 1991  
Courtesy of the artist, Stephen Daiter Gallery, and Rena Bransten Gallery

Today, online bidding in SF Camerawork''s Benefit Auction 2020: See How Beautiful I Am begins exclusively on Artsy!  Register to bid in the SF Camerawork Benefit Auction at artsy.net/sfcamerawork and start placing bids on your favorite pieces in this year''s auction!  Bidding will be open for two weeks and close at 2 PM PDT on Friday, September 25th.

This year''s Benefit Auction explores themes of visibility, equity, presence and the power of the camera and featured work includes pieces by Alanna Airitam, Wesaam Al-Badry, Marcela Pardo Ariza, Ruth Bernhard, Dawoud Bey, Adrian Burrell, Jonathan Calm, Kennedi Carter, Binh Danh, Erica Deeman, Lalla Essaydi, Rodney Ewing, Lucas Foglia,  Jamil Hellu, Isaac Julien, Priya Kambli, Nataliie Krick, Danny Lyon, Kija Lucas, Mikael Owunna, Eli Reed, Amir Saadiq, Alec Soth, Chanell Stone, Lewis Watts, and many more!

When you bid this year, not only do you help raise crucial funds to support SF Camerawork''s exhibitions and programming, but you also directly supports artists now, with contributing artists receiving up to 50% of the proceeds from work sold. 
 

Alanna Airitam, Dapper Dan, The Golden Age, 2017
Courtesy of the artist.

2020 AUCTION SPONSORS

SUPPORT SF CAMERAWORK

Becoming a member is the best way to engage with our programs, stay informed of exciting new exhibitions and events, and be a part of our vibrant photography community. If you''re already a member and would like to support us further, please consider donating.

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork Exhibition Award

Aimée Beaubien, Twist Affix, 2017

It is our great pleasure to present the inaugural SF Camerawork Exhibition Award to artist Aimée Beaubien for her proposal Matter in the Hothouse. This award recognizes a project proposal featuring exceptional creative photographic work, and will support those efforts with an exhibition grant in the amount of $5,000.

Beaubien''s proposal was selected to receive the grant from a pool of over 200 applicants.  Erika Gentry, Programming Committee Chair, wrote of the proposal, "Beaubien''s work stood out for its conceptual strength and innovative presentation, which animates photographs to become a series of moving parts, pushing their capacity to change and to transform. New work funded by this grant will be used to build a photo-based installation utilizing the unique characteristics of the exhibition space at SF Camerawork to map networks of meaning and association between the real and the ideal, memory and the photographic. For Matter in the Hothouse, cut-up photographic forms will interweave, encircle, and hang.”

The SF Camerawork Exhibition Award will be a part of SF Camerawork''s 2021 programming schedule, and we look forward to hosting everyone next year for this exhibition!

Call for Entries

Forecast 2020: Annual Survey Exhibition
Juried by Elena Gross, Michael Jang, and Lester Rosso
Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2020, 11:59 PM PST

ABOUT SF CAMERAWORK

SF Camerawork''s mission is to provoke discovery, experimentation, and exchange through exhibitions and experiences for all who value new ideas in photography.  Since 1974, SF Camerawork has presented diverse perspectives, fostered photographic innovation, and served as a creative space for photographers and the community.

SF Camerawork is a membership-based organization.  The single best way to show your support is to become a member today.

Online Events

In case you missed it or want to watch again!

Over the last few months curators, artists, and scholars have shared their work and perspectives with us online. We''re pleased to announce our programming is now available on our website. If you weren''t able to attend, you can now watch on your own schedule!