I drew this version of the San Francisco flag during these Covidian times to remind my fellow citizens that our city’s motto describes our resilient past. With the help of the local homies at Anchor Brewing Company I made some posters of this image in support all of the boarded up bars and out of work bartenders across our city. There is scan code in the bottom right corner which directs you to donate to the USBG Bartenders Guild.
I made 1,000 screen prints of this image to be given away for people to display in their windows. My intention was to build unity and comradery with my fellow San Franciscans during this difficult time. I also made some 36″ versions of this image and with Anchor Brewing’s help, and permission from some of our city’s greatest drinking establishments, we pasted the image over the boarded up doors and windows of these closed bars. My intent was to show support to these bars and bartenders that we all love so much here in San Francisco.
This screen print was created as a fundraiser for my out of work bartender and server friends here in North Beach, San Francisco, California. 100 prints sold for $100. each, and raised 10k, which I donated 100% of the profits to the closed establishments in my neighborhood featured in the artwork. Sadly, this will only barely scratch the surface of the financial disaster faced by my neighborhood service industry homies. I drew this image with those friends, and their struggle in mind. The prints sold out in 3.5 minutes, and was a successful fundraiser. I plan to make more this summer, perhaps in a new colorway. Stay tuned.
Massive thank you to Nat Swope of Bloom Press in Oakland for the rush printing job, and my homeboy Ken Harman from the Hashimoto gallery for donating the fulfillment and packaging for this fundraiser
NBC Bay Area news coverage:
My next exhibition, “The Fog Lovers Club”, opens on 12/14/19 here in SF at the Hashimoto Gallery. I have lived in San Francisco for 25 years. Every five years or so, I do a solo show inspired directly by our beloved city itself. Currently San Francisco is full of people complaining. Its too expensive. Its too dirty. Those people ruined it. They Don’t belong here. It was better when I moved here. Its too hot in September. Its too cold the rest of the year, ect. I am tired of listening to this negativity in the most beautiful city on earth as it is going through some very painful transitions. Complaining just contributes to the overall negative energy city wide, and doesn’t help fix any of the things worth complaining about. This body of work is dedicated and inspired by those of us who try to almost never complain, just purely and honestly love living here. Our hills, our weather, our history, our ups, our downs, and of course our ongoing love affair with the fog. Positive observations, square compositions, all done in foggy inspired greyscale, directly from my heart, to my fellow San Franciscans and the rest of the he world watching this incredible city continue to evolve and innovate. Please join me on December 14th at 804 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109 to celebrate this foggy body of work.
