Opening at City Hall: In our Own Pictures

Thursday, April 30 (5:30-7:30) join the SFAC Gallery at the opening reception of In Our Own Pictures and In Our Own Works, an exhibition of work from San Francisco community art organizations, the Sixth Street Photography Workshop and Central Hospitality House.

The Sixth Street Photography Workshop and Central City Hospitality House provide disenfranchised residents with the resources and support to have their voices projected into the greater community through artistic expression.

In Our Own Pictures was created by The Sixth Street Photography Workshop. Residents of Sixth Street were invited to have their portrait taken in full view from the sidewalk, in the Muse/Dekker Photography Studio between Howard and Folsom. Each participant is respectfully represented by a photographer from the neighborhood trained by the Workshop. A collection of photographs were taken and each person who participated was given several copies of their portraits to take with them. These served as a formal document of a moment in time as well as a tool to reconnect with often estranged family and friends.

In Our Own Works is a collection of figurative works from the Community Arts Program at the Central City Hospitality House which is currently celebrating forty years of service. The works on display have been selected from the archives of the open art studio space in the Tenderloin. This organization provides a sheltered place to create and gives support to individuals living in severe poverty who may also be suffering with addiction problems. During studio hours, artists work in a variety of media and are encouraged to explore their imagination and express their feelings and concerns through the creation of works of art.

*Check out The Sixth Street Photography Workshop's latest book, Stories of the City: The Sixth Street Workshop 1991-2005. Support the workshop by purchasing a copy (low income/students: $15, general public: $25).

**Artist and educator Renee Billingslea, along with her photography students at Santa Clara University, worked in collaboration with the Sixth Street Photography Workshop to provide homeless families with professional-quality photographs. An inspiration experiment in art and social justice, this project received some much deserved attention from the Christian Science Monitor.

Reception: Thursday April 30th, 5:30-7:30
City Hall Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 8pm
http://www.examiner.com/x-533-SF-Art-Examiner~y2009m4d27-Opening-at-SFAC-Gallery--Art-and-Em
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1122/p13s01-legn.html