City Art Gallery
Category: Art Galleries [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission828 Valencia Street
(between 19th St & Cunningham Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 970-9900
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
10 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"Full disclosure: I know Sophia. (No, not in a biblical sense... we're married! No, not to each other...) That kept me from asking her to be…" read more »
17 Reviews for City Art Gallery
local
variety
affordable
nonpompousness
wine and snacks openings
After an initial visit during an opening one night a couple years ago, I didn't walk away with much of a solid impression. The art shown at the time at this co-op gallery was interesting, from what little I remember. I didn't spend too much time looking, because I was more focused on socializing.
Fast forward to a few days ago. As I was walking along Valencia before work, I passed City Art's window and a lovely piece inside caught my eye. I didn't know if I should go in. I'm trying to save money right now. I was kind of in a pensive mood. I could keep walking and continue thinking about life, directions, relationships, dreams. But I turned back and walked in.
Short story: I bought that piece. It will be a holiday present for my mom. I'm so excited to give it to her! (She doesn't yelp)
Now I am talking with the artist, hopefully to commission another piece for my love.
I would give City Art 5 stars, except that they sold one piece to another visitor, that I had wanted to buy for my love, and had specifically left a note that I wanted to buy it in 2 days' time. It's ok, though - now I am talking to the artist and may be getting a whole new piece for him. Which may be even better.
*****
Update: Check out First Fridays! It's definitely 5 stars!
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Love, love, love City Art Gallery especially when Brad Robinson is showing his art! I went there for a special event full of wine and munchies. The best part - the artists were there not only showing off their awesome art but sharing their inspiration for each piece. This gallery is great because it is run and supported by local artists which keeps prices very affordable.
I'm hoping I can get a private showing by Mr. Robinson himself!
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In my day to day life, I'm a very analytical person. I deal with computers, programming, structured data and coding styles, I tend to follow a bit of a schedule. It's all very organized. Thus, the other side of my brain occasionally wants to bust out and see what's going with the world. It got that chance recently when wandering past City Art. I was with a friend and we happened to see that there was a gallery opening going on. So, being the curious types, we stopped in to check out the offerings.
There was a variety of pieces there, from paintings, to photographs, to some sculpture type items. Lots of prints available and quite affordable. I liked how they actually had the prints available to pick and choose from out on the floor itself. Overall, a nice vibe to the place.
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A great way to begin any original art collection, City Art is a great concept. An art collective that showcases a wide variety of emerging artists. I haven't always been impressed with everything, but then again that's open to interpretation and the whole point of expression.
If I am ever in the Mission, I at least stop in to see what's new. With some pieces priced under $100, this becomes a cool spot to pick up a unique gift as well.
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New artists share one problem, getting their work into the public forum. City Art confronts this dilemma head-on...artists pay a small fee to display their pieces, the co-op gets a portion of any sale, and one of the working artists is available on-site. It's a terrific addition to the neighborhood, providing patrons with an opportunity to purchase artists' work inexpensively, before they are "discovered" by mainstream galleries. It also offers artists a chance to connect with each other and share ideas, plus sell their work to an appreciative audience. This simple storefront creates and sustains a community. Open Wednesday-Sunday.
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City Art embodies a unique combination of humility, affordability, and nouveau edginess that I've yet to see anywhere within the San Francisco art scene.
It's a largely generic space enclosed by white walls and a concrete floor existing in conjunction with minimal artificial lighting and large windows that face Valencia street. Courteous artists/cashiers/exhibitors usually man the counter. After politely offering to answer any questions, they seem to exhibit an uncanny sense for whether you're mood to chat inquisitively or browse in solitude.
Smaller, space efficient pieces usually line the walls to the south. Larger paintings hang on the north wall while a collection of sizable and less conventional works fill a small room to the rear.
City Art's atmosphere is open and welcoming, without a hint of pretension or "Mission artist elitism". And while the artwork on display tends to deviate considerably from that of the public's tastes, it suggests that City Art's exhibitors conceive and create their artworks with an emphasis on passion and expression rather than mass appeal or marketability. Furthermore, most of the staff are artists that have work on display, a factor that fosters a pleasant relationship of merchant-to-customer rather than a traditional art gallery interaction of commissioned salesperson to potential client. And lastly, almost all of the works are surprisingly affordable. Glance about the walls and you'll be hard pressed to find anything priced anywhere over several hundred bucks.
I'm not one to frequent art galleries, but I like this one. It's friendly vibe welcomes all who breach it's doorway, and it's staff are thankful for the presence of browsers as well as buyers. Whether you're sniffing around for ideas or in the market for wall decor, it's worth a quick visit. Like any gallery, it's pitches outside the strike zone outnumber those that go over home plate. On the other hand, despair not if you scan the walls and see something that cries out for a place in your living quarters, as it's price tag can probably be covered by a quick visit to the ATM instead of line of credit from your bank.
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Take a look at the numbers on their web site:
Of their $50,000 annual sales, 80% goes to "members" (70% to the artist plus 10% to whoever sells the piece)... That's $40,000 split among 200 "members" - or $200 a year. Take from that the $60 annual "membership" fee, and you have $140 per YEAR going to each artist. That's before taking into consideration the $60-150 monthly space rentals, and the 9 hours of free labor that go along with them, and the cost of materials, and the labor of producing works... In short, the vast majority of people who show their work here are taking a huge loss to do so.
They make $10,000 annually on art sales -- total -- and $12,000 a year on membership fees alone. Add on to that space rentals & labor requirements... This place is not in the business of selling art, it's in the business of selling the illusion of legitimacy to artists. Occasionally, this may mean you can get a good deal on a decent work because an artist was too naive to go to a gallery that would try to sell the work for what it was worth. I guess that's worth a star
(And no, I've never been a member here. I was looking at some potential spaces, laughed when I saw what they offered, then looked closer and realized that it actually wasn't so funny after all.)
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Excellent local gallery. Diverse selection of art. Every now and then you see something that makes you wonder what it's doing up on the wall, but this past year the quality of art seems to be moving in a delightful direction.
Still lots of under $100 bargains, but the over $1000 pieces are finding new homes as well.
The openings (first Friday of the month 7pm) are very fun. Lots of great energy, neighborhood folks and groovy artists.
I have shown my work there as well. Lots of regular foot traffic and the out of town tourists have also found the gallery. Whenever I show, I always sell something. Often quite a lot.
-Trish
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Stumbled across this place after dinner at Maverick and ice cream at Bi Rite...what a cute find! A really fun little detour on a chilly walk...cool art, nice enviroment. I love seeing work from local artists and how thier mind can see this amazing city in different ways...it's cool to see something familiar but it takes a minute to recognize it because it's not just a plain photo or painting. Fun!
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It's so nice to know that artists will always find a way. In a world of precious little wallspace and very few galleries willing to show emerging art, this collective gallery offers a lot of exposure for its participants, and invites new members on a constant basis. I love as well that members take turns working shifts, and should anything sell during his/her shift, he/she gets a commission.
Like any other gallery, it's a sink or swim world---no one ever said selling art is easy---but artists who make cool, innovative, and approachable art tend to do very well here. Lots of pieces at very affordable prices, and almost all the artists are emerging. The openings can be fun too, and the artwork changes often, keeping the place fresh and worth repeat trips. Each exhibiting artist maintains his/her own mailing list as well, so you can sign up for updates from the artists you like to keep track of their latest doings.
Definitely go, and then go back. A few weeks later, go back. And take a friend (galleries are more fun when you have someone to practice your gallery-voice with).
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this is an amazing gallery. they carry some great pieces, mosty modern art and there is a humor to a lot of it. i bought a piece here as a gift once and the man that helped me was so sweet and kind, not to mention knew everything he was talking about. so, if you're looking to buy this is a perfect place to get your first piece!
City Art is the spiritual home of SF's depressing art scene, where "the community accepts everyone", lest the evil art critics hurt someone's feelings and actually motivate them to improve, or worse, they might weed out the uninspired. With occasional exceptions, this is art only a mother could love. If all you want is something pretty to hang on your bedroom wall, head over to Flax, buy your own art supplies, and save $300.
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100! woo hoo for me. Okay, it makes sense that this would be my century as I had 2 group shows here last year and sold some of my photographs. City Art is an artist run gallery that features an eclectic collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, jewelry and more. There is always an artist on duty to answer your questions. Great place to promote local art and liven up your casa.
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Eclectic is how I would describe this place. Always a cool mix of artwork with at least one style that you'll most likely enjoy. The prints inside always manage to beckon me from the big glass windows. It's never a destination for me for some reason, but I always end up strolling around in there. My only complaint is that they don't seem to get a lot of new pieces to keep it fresh.
ok, i have no artistic talent. can't draw. can't paint. can't sculpt. can't do shit when it comes to art which makes me appreciate it that much more. so i find it surprising that city art only gets three stars. well, maybe i don't really understand what i'm looking at, but i like city art cuz:
one, it's an artist run co-op.
two, i never once received an attitude from the staff.
three, and most importantly, i always manage to find something disturbing here, which comforts me if that makes any sense.
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i was a member here for 1 year and they do give the artists one of the best deals around (70% of sale price goes to the artist) but i found that all i could move here were small $50-$100 paintings. i think people see this place exclusively as a nice spot to pick up something small and cute. the comments about the quality of some of the work are unfortunately true, but i can understand that they need to make rent. given that i had to wait almost 4 months to interview for membership i expected a little higher caliber of art. all in all it was worth a try, but i think they need to be more selective about the artists they choose to accept.
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