Families and Friends gathered in the park to show off their holiday cheer with homemade bonnets and bright colors. With two different contests… the Bonnet Contest and later, “Hunky Jesus” contest, I managed to only see the Bonnet Contest and one “Hunk” in costume before having to leave to work. I was impressed that people from as far away as Seattle and Los Angeles came to gather for the festivities. It was sunny with a bit of a chilly breezy but no worries, that didn’t keep people from being skimpily dressed. This might be new to a lot of folks but the Sisters have been celebrating 32 years of perpetual fun.

Here’s to Easter Sister!

We will be a part of SF Open Studios for the 1st weekend during the Month long celebration of Art in San Francisco. Come check us out at 143 Fillmore Street (between Hermann and Waller).

Fine art from Gregory Bartning (he has extended his line of trapeze and dance photography) as well as jewelry designs from Lace Project.

Free Sangria and appetizers will be there for your enjoyment. So come on by!

Weekend 1 : October 9th and 10th

Time: 11am-6pm

Neighborhoods: Bernal Heights, Castro, Duboce, Eureka Valley, Glen Park, Mission, Noe Valley, Portola

Cord and Shadow by Gregory Bartning

Lace Project Jewelry

Next Weekend:

Weekend 2: October 16-17th

Time: 11am -6pm

Neighborhoods: Bayview, Excelsior, Financial District, North Beach, Potrero Hill, Russian Hill, SOMA, Tenderloin.

Between 6-9pm you can roam the streets between Broadway and Telegraph from 22nd-26th where the main corridor of gallery’s food vendors and artists showcase their work. The Murmur goes all the way up to 65th but only a few galleries are open between there and 40th. Check out the  Calendar for events.

If you have art or clothing you want to sell you can do so or, if you are a musician, you can set up as well on 23rd Street by sending information to tdillman31@hotmail.com with subject “First Friday”.

Most galleries are open every Saturday afternoon as well. Check out the site for specifics.

I was impressed with the huge turnout of hipsters and older business types roaming the streets trying to push past each other in the tiny rooms of the galleries.

The Galleries that were of interest to me Vessel, FM, Mercury 20, and Johansson Projects.

Vessel: Used to be a Barn, very lovely space, great art, awesome deck with landscaped planters

FM: Fun whimsical art that will take you back to childhood fantasies.

Mercury 20: Great space with interactive art sculpture by Laura van Duran

Johannson Projects: loved the live music and grass on the ceiling

*Why doesn’t SF have this every month? Not sure, but at least each we have ARTSpan Open Studios. Look for more next week as we will be open October 9th and 10th at 143 Fillmore Street.

Come out Tuesday, September 7th from 5-8pm at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art to celebrate Alula Editions Launch with Bay Area artist Jason Jagel.

There will be beer from Oakland Brewery Linden Street Brewery and Hors D’oeuvres by  SF Chef Leif Hedendal.

What is Alula Editions? Helena Keeffe and Amber Cady started Alula Editions as a way to bring patterned textiles and contemporary art together in the form of a limited edition multiple.

This is a great way to come see samples and ask questions about what to expect when you subscribe and become a collector.

To read more about the subscription click on Alula Editions.

“We work with artists to create hand silkscreened textiles which we make into an edition of objects. The objects are designed in collaboration with each artist to compliment the themes and ideas present in the textiles and may be functional or sculptural.

We are interested in working with artists from all disciplines. Knowledge of repeat pattern design and previous textile experience are not necessary. We can work with any artist who feels that the aesthetic of silkscreen printing will compliment their practice.

Each artist is offered a $500 stipend for their work on the creation of the repeat pattern design. Alula Editions takes care of all production costs and labor. Artists also keep 3 of the editioned objects for themselves.” – From Alula Edtions.com/submissions

write to:

support@alulaeditions.com

Don’t miss Thread this weekend at the Concourse Exhibiting Center from 11-6pm. Find furniture, jewelry, clothing, and get complimentary makeup in the style lounge. Not from SF? No worries, check out their line up for the Summer and Fall up and down the west coast.

It’s only $10 at the door to get in and $8 to RSVP online. No worries if you can’t spend that much, everything is in the price point between $15-$200 dollars. If you are an artist/designer and want to get involved check out their specs here!

Happy Shopping!

15% OFF ALL Fluidance Jewelry by Josie Adele is15% off until the end of this month. That means you have 2 weeks to take advantage of getting your hands on a uniquely handcrafted piece of jewelry. Check out her selection of locally designed and Globally conscious pieces for Spring! Be sure to ask about commissioned work as well! www.sfgallery143.com

SFGALLERY143 143 Fillmore St. San Francisco, California 94117

Join Our Mailing List (To receive our monthly newsletter!) or Join our Blog (To stay current on our news posts Hit the SUBSCRIBE HERE BUTTON ON THE TOP RIGHT) The blog link is new and we would love to grow our interest.

* Hat by Jasmin Zorlu

Well, we have had a full  fun run of the store in North Beach and these are our last and final days until we pack up shop until our next location pop’s up somewhere else in this wonderful city of San Francisco. So if you haven’t been able to stop by you won’t want to miss our Closing Party. Here are the details…

Where: Local Patron 1418 Grant St (between Grant & Union).

When: 6pm – to 9 (or when we decide to close)

What:

• DJ’s Dominique and Bryan Riate will be sure to have you feeling good.
• Desserts by pastry Chef of Eos Jennifer Riate goodies you don’t want to miss
• Sale 10%-25% off everything in the store.
• Drinks and appetizers on the house.

Check out our Press Page. We were written up on..

• The Chronicle

• 7×7

• NBC Bay Area

• SF Station

• SF Indie Fashion

and Featured on ABC “What’s Hot This Weekend”.

Thank you to everyone who made the store possible. Special thanks to Gregory Bartning, Becky Uline, and Gabe Colaluca for volunteering their time and efforts. Special thanks to Cody Morrison of Danger Deluxxe and Joey, the band Potion, Becky and Friends, Bryan and Dominique for their musical talents. Thanks to Aids Life Cycle and Nest. Thanks to Jennifer Riate and The Key for their passion for food and beer. Thanks to all the wonderful (over 60) artists who participated.

Finally, Thanks to all of you for helping spread the word.

NEST

On Friday, December 18th, 2009 Nest has partnered up with Local Patron and SF Gallery 143 to put on an exquisite trunk show featuring local art, clothing, jewelry, and gifts that are perfect for the holiday giving season. This first-time collaboration between Nest and SF Gallery 143 will be an exciting event as there will be uniquely hand-crafted products from the best local Bay Area designers, as well as charming specialty items from female artisans around the world.

Please join our holiday trunk show and enjoy a fun-filled evening with Nest members in the Bay Area. In addition to 10% of that evening’s proceeds going to Nest, you will have the amazing opportunity to connect with our artists around the world by writing them a letter and sharing any comments you may have about their pieces. Nest members will be present at the trunk show and look forward to meeting you!

Nest Trunk Show
Date: Friday – December 18th, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: “Local Patron” 1418 Grant Street @ Green, San Francisco, CA 94133 (map)

Learn more about Nest and how to get involved: http://www.buildanest.com/

Read about local SF Gallery designers and products that will be at the trunk show:

http://www.sfgallery143.com

Nest is a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world by using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts. One of the best ways Nest helps these global artisans create successful businesses is by partnering up with domestic designers who offer our members exclusive collection pieces and generously contribute a portion of their proceeds to fund Nest artisans.