KQED: Gallery Crawl

In January 2010 GALLERY CRAWL interviewed photographer Katherine Westerhout and her collaborator, Electric Works' digital printmaker Kris Shapiro-Lang to learn more about the process behind Westerhout's latest work in her new exhibition RUST BELT at Electric Works Gallery. Known for exploring inaccessible territory, Westerhout's latest subjects are forgotten buildings in Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Detroit.

In November 2009, GALLERY CRAWL checked out SPARROW LANE, a series of photographs by Portland artist Holly Andres at the Robert Koch Gallery in San Francisco. Inspired by classic Nancy Drew book covers and Hitchcock films, Andres handcrafts highly-stylized scenes featuring a group of young girls grappling with mysterious objects, secret rooms, forbidden knowledge, and ultimately their own burgeoning sexuality.

In September 2009 GALLERY CRAWL headed to Fecal Face Dot Gallery to interview Mel Kadel and have a look at her new exhibition, ECHO TEST. Kadel incorporates vintage patterns, yellowed paper, and a persevering heroine into many of her works. Please note: Each month we release one episode featuring two galleries. This month we will begin releasing two episodes, each featuring just one gallery. Enjoy!

In August 2009, GALLERY CRAWL headed to Rowan Morrison Gallery in Oakland to meet Carl Auge and learn about the inspiration behind the enigmatic paintings featured in his RESOUND exhibition. Nearby at Swarm Gallery, installation artist Vaughn Bell introduces her adopt-a-biosphere project, which is part of the NATURAL SELECTION exhibition, featuring painter Josh Keyes. Reenie Charriere discusses her WASHED UP installation in the gallery's project room.

In May 2008, GALLERY CRAWL checked out the MFA exhibition at CCA, California College of the Arts. Talk about hitting the jackpot! The show was amazing; we could easily have filled several episodes with what we discovered at the school's San Francisco campus. Greedy bastards, we decided to interview as many of the graduates as we could, capturing their auspicious debut into the San Francisco art world -- and beyond.

GALLERY CRAWL drops into the NEITHER HERE NOR THERE show at Johannson Projects for a chat with gallerist Kimberly Johansson and the show's curator, Renny Pritikin, the Director of the Nelson Gallery and Fine Arts Collection at UC Davis. We also visit Maya Kabat and Antonio Vigil to talk about their INVISIBLE CITIES exhibition at Mercury 20, an artist-run gallery that's just a few blocks away in downtown Oakland.

The Luggage Store celebrates 20 years of supporting artists and communities in San Francisco's Tenderloin and beyond. What was once the 509 Cultural Center has grown into three venues: The Luggage Store on Market Street; The Luggage Store Annex at 509 Ellis; and Cohen Alley, adjacent to the 509 location. In January 2008, The Luggage Store presents a group survey, "IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME," which explores the organizations 20-year history.

You might have to search a little for the two downtown spots that GALLERY CRAWL visited in June 2007 -- both tucked away on the second floor of their respective homes, and nestled amongst big office buildings and high-end department stores. Across the street from each other on Geary Street, Gallery Paule Anglim and the Rena Bransten Gallery are bright oases of art in the midst of bustling commerce.

Does the thought of purchasing art intimidate you? In most metropolitan areas, there is an amazing array of art to suit all tastes and budgets -- and the San Francisco Bay Area is no exception. Stephen Tourell from the Toomey Tourell Gallery hosts this special presentation of GALLERY CRAWL, giving budding collectors tips on how to access the local art scene. He visits with Claire P. Carlevaro from the Art Exchange Gallery to discuss the financial aspect of investing in art. Then at the Jack Fischer Gallery, he meets with Fischer, who explains "self-taught" and "outsider art." Finally, Tourell gives a private viewing of his gallery's back room and shares a few tricks of the trade.

Three galleries in Oakland: ALONG CAME A SPIDER, Martha Sue Harris and John Casey at 33 Grand; SKULL, Jake Hout, Summer Bell and Nate Moore at Rock Paper Scissors; USED CARS, Jake Watling at Mama Buzz. TECHNICAL NOTE: This episode has been compressed for video iPod compatibility, so it is smaller than previous episodes and best viewed at 640x480. It may look a tad dark or pixilated in full screen mode.