SFBG has a vast, varied, old, important collection of #magnificentmagnolias.

SPRING STRIKES IN THE BAY

This is my favorite time of year in Golden Gate Park, and in particular in the San Francisco Botanical Garden (SFBG) where #magnificentmagnolias are in bloom for months. Every Friday I take a walk in the park with two friends, a ritual we’ve kept up for 10+ years, since we all worked together.

CDMX ARTWEEK

In front of the hotel with Barbie, aka Babs.

Immediately after Here/Now wrapped up, I took off to CDMX (Mexico City) ArtWeek for the second year in a row, to visit multiple Art Fairs and meet up with several artist friends (Lisa Lightman, Jean and Mark Brodie, Jillian Chin, Jillian Knox, and Stephen Wagner) from The Bay. Stephen Wagner just started an art gallery + food tour business in CDMX! I also enjoyed a dinner with my Mexican cousins Daniel and Iris. Iris Epstein is a fine art photographer and writer working.

Jillian (who lives in CDMX), Jack (my husband), Mark and Jean Brodie (SF artist friends) at a gallery reception featuring furniture-shaped cakes and pink Palomas to sip.

Petaluma artist Lisa Lightman holding Barbie, Jean, Jack, and Mark at Zona Maco.

The fairs at CDMX are spread around this giant city for almost a week. You can’t miss seeing the upscale, arty visitors, and there’s more than the usual amount of English spoken, while reservations and admissions can be difficult to acquire.

Just a four hour flight from SFO, and what a different world. It’s vast yet manageable, with so many neighborhoods to explore. This is a gorgeous time of year, dry, with ideal high elevation temperatures.

The fairs are Zona Maco, Bada, Material, and there are more…plus so many fantastic galleries, museums, markets, and sites to see. We also attended an art talk/show, dinner party hosted by SF’s Incline Gallery and the chef/stylist Jillian Knox. It was a fun mix of SF and CDMX folks. We took public transportation to get to this party, which is a must to experience, especially during rush hour. There’s some really terrible traffic in CDMX, but there’s also crazy crowding on buses. Ubers are cheap and easy for us. The overall prices have gone up a bit, as happens when there’s an expat invasion (there is). Mexico City feels quite safe (people always ask me!). My only complaint is the broken up sidewalks which are treacherous and too easy to trip over when looking around at all the sites. The food, as always, was simply delicious. And we brought mole paste home from the market again.

CDMX SLIDE SHOW

FOG & MORE EVENTS

At FOG with Tony Wessling and Usha Shukla.

At an opening at Jonathan Carver Moore’s gallery.

The reception for Tony’s new gallery, Wessling Contemporary, which just moved to downtown SF.

SOME CLASSES

I just made another photopolymer print at GRAPHIC ARTS WORKSHOP (GAW), working with Mark Brodie. The piece shown here includes Chine collé – an added sheet of pink Japanese rice paper from a box of my father’s paper samples I’ve held onto for decades. Join me for a class?

*Christina in her Studio*, is a photopolymer print made with chin colle rice paper, rolled black ink, and hand-painted pink ink applied to the plate. Edition 1/1, sold.

LOCAL ART FAIRS

SUPERFINE ART FAIR 3/7-9

Fort Mason, SF, CA

ART EXPLOSION SPRING OPEN STUDIOS 4/11-13

744 Alabama Street, SF, CA

Opening Reception - Friday, 7-10pm

Open Studios - Sat & Sun, 12-5pm.

As usual, I will be offering seasonal refreshments and special art merchandise.

SFART FAIR 4/17-20

Fort Mason, SF, CA

STARTUP ART FAIR 4/18-20

I am participating in StartUp!

Hotel del Sol, 3100 Webster St, SF, CA

Socks and coasters are popular art merch - look for a wide selection at my Open Studio. Or, order yours directly from: **https://www.redbubble.com/people/Srkirshenbaum/shop?asc=u**

This acrylic block (in 2 sizes) is a new product I’m adding to my RedBubble art merch. It’s an image from my nature photo series, *Easter Sunday.* **https://www.redbubble.com/i/acrylic-block/Kaleidoscope-series-Easter-Sunday-by-Srkirshenbaum/149015597.P5BX3?asc=u**

HERE/NOW THIRD ANNUAL FIGURE SHOW

The year began with a bang – so crazy busy from the start. January was densely filled with our second annual figure exhibition, Here/Now: The Bay Area Figurative Movement Grows, which I co-curated with Catherine Merrill at Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA). It was a powerful show, with great turn out for our numerous events. And we’ve been invited back in 2026!

We opened our third iteration of this carefully curated group of Bay Area figure artists, each with five pieces or so, in the show. Events included an opening reception, a closing party, a Chinese painting workshop, a roving life model to draw, a book talk by artist and author Peter Steinhart, The Undressed Art, several curators’ talks, art tours, and artists’ talks.

OVERVIEW

Today’s narrative, expressive phase of the Bay Area figurative movement is about reflecting on the world we live in. We are telling stories that reach beyond academic achievement and accuracy. We are truth seeking. Sometimes we embrace the unbeautiful. Or create beauty for its own sake. Our work might reflect on our personal struggles or reflect the tensions that surround our lives. We are presenting a range of select artists who focus on the figure and are living and working in The Bay Area. Each is grounded in the figurative movement yet continues to explore and express their humanity through portrayals of the form in context.

CURATORS: Susan R. Kirshenbaum and Catherine Merrill

EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Joseph Abbati, Doug Andelin, Isidoro Angeles, Adam Caldwell, Sandy Frank, Tebby George, Mary Graham, Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Calvin Lai, Kim Larson, Catherine Merrill, Stephen Namara, Diane Olivier, May Shei, Sandra Speidel

AND

THE DRAWING GROUP: Dwight Been, Henry Bridges, Daisy Eneix, John Goodman, Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Pamela Mooney, Alex Rosmarin, Peter Steinhart, Barbara Tonnesen, Dieter Tremp

The Drawing Group acted as a single entity within the show. Each of us showed one piece from our group sessions, in an area set aside just for us. Life drawing is such an important part of these figurative shows. Each of us considers this to be a critical component of our art practice.

All in all, this show provided me with some much-needed positive action to help take my mind off of the unfolding political situation.

Stephen Namara’s signature piece for the show.

HERE/NOW PHOTO GALLERY

ART IN CITY HALL

In the meantime, I was invited to participate in several group art shows: two shows at SFWA, Facing Forward and Heart Beats, plus a show curated by Joseph Abbati at City Hall, in Rafael Mandelman’s office. Our new mayor showed up for the opening night.

I was also invited to jury a show figure show next month for SFWA. This is a first for me.

I continue to study photopolymer printmaking at GAW with Mark Brodie teaching.

Here with SF’s Mayor Daniel Lurie and the President of the Board of Supervisors, Rafael Mandelman, at the art show reception. With fellow artist / photographer Debra Reabock.

I have three pieces in this City Hall conference room. You can make an appointment to visit the show through April 2025.

Most of the participants in the show are pictured here at Rafael Mandelman’s City Hall office turned into a gallery through April.

FACING FORWARD & HEART BEATS

*Heart Beats: Miranda’s Heart* at SFWA Gallery, February 2025.

*Heart Beats: Ignite (Lael)* at SFWA Gallery, February 2025.

ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR

DON’T MISS

Showcase

A curated group show at City Hall through April 2025

See the diversity, creativity, and cultural heritage of Bay Area artists in a show hosted by Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman in City Hall, Room 268.

Artists: Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Nick Maltagliati, Luke Andahazy, E Dyer, Richard Turtletaub, Bill Samios, Aphien Aquino, Tanya Wischerath, Debra Reabock, Laura Mitsu, Don Hershman, Megan Broughton, Joseph Abbati, Uel Renteria, and Paul Morin.

Curated by Joseph Abbati.